2010 Year End Summary
I have read the first two years of a non-profits life are crucial to it’s later effectiveness. If that’s true we are off to many years of serving missionaries for the Glory of God! This past year was one of seeking God, learning, making mistakes, learning and seeking more.
With Rick’s going to his eternal Home on Christmas Eve, we were thrust into making decisions quickly as 2009 turned into 2010. January found missionaries from Mexico living in the upstairs of A Refuge most of the month. The house was empty during the month of February which happened to be when the Lord blessed us with several snow storms. I found out I am pretty good at shoveling snow!
Team Expansion used the house in March for several training sessions. In April we received word that a family who had been serving in North Africa had been told to leave the country. Upon returning to the USA, they had no place to live. They had been on the field in Africa for over 4 years. I offered the upstairs of A Refuge to them for as long as they needed it and at midnight on April 8th, helped them move in. This precious family (dad, mom and 2 year 0ld) lived in A Refuge until the end of August when they bought their own home in Louisville. They were so blessed having a place to call home after such a traumatic event. We loved having them there…smile.
During the rest of the year we had missionaries from Mexico, Taiwan, Venezvala, Israel, Mongolia, Africa and Russia. We housed a group of Ohio students (14) who came to Southeast to the Global Missions Conference. Only God knows where these precious lives will end up planting the Seed of His Word. When the house was empty we were asked several times if it could be used. We housed a large family that had just experienced a horrible loss of a son and young father. We also housed women who were training with a non-profit called Scarlet Hope. One family of 7 from Mongolia asked to come back a second time. The kids were so excited to come again and they were able to use the whole house as the basement was empty.
The Board of Directors and my family attended the National Missionary Convention in Lexington, Ky. Our son, Joshua designed t-shirts and we visited EVERY booth there. The t-shirts were great advertisement! We spoke to well over 200 missionaries or their organizations telling them about A Refuge. Since that time we have received several calls and have 2 families from India who will be staying this summer as a result.
We also had two very special things happen toward the end of 2010. CrossRoads Mission, through a program that they work with donated sheets, towels, bath mats, comforters, shower curtains, coffee pots, blankets, and so much more…to the point that we were able to almost completely re-decorate A Refuge. WOW! Also, through CrossRoads, a group of 20 staff members from Southeast Christian Church came and painted the entire basement for us. Another WOW! Thank you!
Our 2010 budget was based on what we received from Rick’s memorial service. Those donations have kept A Refuge open this past year. I have been making phone calls, face to face visits and sending out letters asking for monthly donors. As of January 2011 partners have committed $700.00 a month. It takes almost $2000.00 a month when taxes and insurance are figured in. When families are in both levels of the house the utilities can get pretty expensive.
Right now the house is full! That is how we want it to stay. Please pray with us that God will continue to send missionaries to us. Pray also that He will send partners who will labor with us to show these special people how much they are loved and cared for. Each time I leave the house after meeting another missionary family, leaving them with the key…I cry out to God…Please let Rick see that it is working!! What he longed for for so many years…it really is working God! I don’t know if God tells Rick or not…but I do know that the dream and vision given to us so many years ago is meeting the needs of men and women who give up much for the Kingdom. May He be glorified in and through all who give to and all who stay at A Refuge!
Excited to see what God does in 2011 and sending much love,
Debbie Nahum 1:7