JULY 4th-13th

Join us as we travel to Latvia again. We will be traveling with Orphan Outreach. If you would like to support Pastor or any of the other trip participants please send  your supprt with the memo "Latvia trip support" We thank those of you who have continued to support this work through us, without you we could not do what we do. Thank you for following the leading of God in the area of giving.

As many of you know we are trying to raise funds for our Mission trip to Latvia, many of you have already been laying the ground work for this trip by praying for us and we covet those prayers for our trip. We also have ssen God use many of you to help with the finaical need we have for this trip. As it stands I have about $450.00, yet to raise for my trip, Karina needs about $2000.00 yet and Samuel needs about $4000.00.  

We also need to raise about $1500.00 to help stock the pantry of the day center that we are going to be working at. This $1500.00 will help feed about 60 kids a meal aday for almost a month. Most of these kids get their only meal at the day center, and so this will be a great help to this work.

We will be using the book "You are Special" as our theme for the week, becuase we want each of these kids to know that God is writing a good story with their lives, it just might be a good story with some lousey parts. but inspite fo that that God made each of them special and has an incredible plan for their lives. We will also be showing the "Jesus" film Wednesday night and having a cook-out to draw in the parents of the kids, to present them the Gospel and to draw them into closer proximity to the staff so that they can continue to minister and work with them long after we are gone.

We will be working at the Day Center to minister to the people of the Karosta region of Latvia.

If you would like to Join us please contact us via email or phone.

If you would like to contribute to to our Mission in Latvia please send to Gowen Bible Church 11430 Pine Street, Gowen Mi 49326



Latvia
As many of you know Pastor Zach had the opportunity to go to Liepaja, Latvia in 2010 with Orphan Outreach. In 2010 our local radio station was taking a trip to Liepaja, Latvia and they were looking for people to join them. A God-ordained journey started about a year ago when Pastor’s wife heard about this upcoming Orphan Outreach trip on the radio. Feeling strongly that God was opening up this opportunity, she approached Pastor Zach with the information and told him that she was sure that God wanted him on this trip for some reason. 
A step of faith was taken at this time involving the trip and costs. The application cost for this trip was due one week later but at the time of this decision there was no money to pay for it. Pastor Zach and His wife prayed about it and they were convinced that if God wanted him on the trip that God would supply the money. And just like God, that week they received an unexpected check in the mail that paid for the application fee. The next couple months they saw God work as He brought in the money needed to cover the costs of this trip, but they still didn’t know why God wanted Pastor Zach on this trip. So as he departed Michigan and headed to Latvia, he left with his eyes open and his heart tender to God’s leading. In Latvia Pastor Zach interacted with many different orphanages but it was the last place that engulfed him.
On the last leg of the 10 day trip Pastor Zach worked with a church in Liepaja, Latvia that had a day center for impoverished children in their area. And there he talked in depth with their Pastor Sergej. As Pastor Zach spoke he knew that this was the reason why God had him on this trip. It became clear to him that he was there to form a partnership. It seems that our congregation here at Gowen Bible Church shares many similarities with this church in Latvia. We are currently working to expand our congregation’s missions program, and it seems that God is impressing on us who He wants us to partner with. 
This year Gowen Bible is looking to return to Latvia. Our 2011 mission’s trip is designed to give support and help to this day center, but also to explore what a partnership looks like between our ministry and theirs. Once again Orphan Outreach is organizing this return trip for us, which Pastor Zach has the privilege of leading. Recently we have received notice that this day center is dangerously close to shutting its doors because of the lack of financing. , I am excited to see where and how He will use us. 

As we return to Liepaja, Latvia in June 2016 we are taking people from our church, as well as some others, to expose them to the ministry there at the Day Center. We are excited to see God’s plan unfold, and we covet your prayers for us as we seek to do His will. Please pray that God will give us clarity as to what part we are to have in this ministry, and then as we seek to fulfill that purpose. As we have come to understand in life, nothing is greater than the power of prayer and so we covet your prayer support. If any of you would like to partner financially with us as well, we would be very grateful as every little bit helps greatly. We trust God with the monies we will need to go on this trip, and because we know He is our great provider we are confident that He will supply the need. Thank you so very much for your prayers and for your support.

As we pulled away from the day center located in the old Naval Port area of Liepaja I cannot escape the fact that we are blessed to be a blessing. As we delivered food today to families that survive on less than 200 dollars a month, I am forced to ask my self what has my love for others cost me this year?

One woman we met with today was a Christian woman and she understood what Paul said in Romans 12 to Practice Hospitality. This woman had next to nothing and she invited us in and offered us tea. This woman and her husband have taken in three girls in addition to their three children. They share a four room flat for the 8 of them.

I am also impressed by the work of the church that sponsors the day center, they understand what it means to care for the desperate poor, and to have the kind of revolutionary love that John describes for us in 1 John. The pastor their asked us to pray for the people of his church that they would have a greater vision for their people, and that God would provide for them a larger space to meet the growing ministry here.

I have always been impressed at how much blessing I receive from any short term mission trip, how God uses it to change my heart to beat more like his heart. There is no experience that stretches your faith and expands your vision for what God is doing in this world like going on a mission trip. It is a place where He can break you from your rut and expose to you the work he desires to do.

Latvia is such a beautiful country and yet there is the stark contrasts of modern society and the brokenness and depression seen in a place like the Naval Port area and I am again drawn to the fact that I have been changed to bring change, that we are to become redemption’s hands and feet to reach these desperately poor children.

So as we pull away from the center today a part of my heart remains with the children who would not stop hugging you from the time you arrived to the time you leave and who you cannot stop loving as you pull away. Yes God desires to give us His heart for these children.

Pastor Zachary