“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.”
John 1:14a (MSG)
If there was ever a year in need of ‘God with us’, this is it. I won’t even expound that sentence any further. You probably feel it, too. As we journey towards Christmas Day, may our grieving and anxious hearts be turned to joy. God Emmanuel is with us and that changes everything.
Psalm 34:18 tells us “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted”. Christmas proves that. Jesus Christ humbled Himself, pressed into our pain, wore our flesh, and bore our sins. He did that as an act of love for the whole world and to redeem all who trust in Him. Jesus is present with His children in every pain and every celebration. Emmanuel is not just what God has done. It is who He is and who He will always be.
One of the deep beauties of Jesus stepping into our broken world is He then invites us to do the same for others. As we close out 2020, I want us to reflect and celebrate three big ways God moved into our neighborhood, dwelt among us, and threw a big block party this year through our WEGO family around the globe.
1. Our Local Staff Creatively Stepped In
We canceled all our mission trips. We have zero US missionaries serving overseas. I typically visit our ministries 4-5 times a year but never boarded a single plane in 2020. How on earth were our ministries able to even continue, much less thrive, this year? That’s easy – our local staff. 31 of our 33 staff members are local believers, serving Jesus where they were born and raised. In a year of much uncertainty, they continued to show up and be creatively present in the lives of those we serve.
-Our teachers used text messaging to teach
-Our Bible Club leader made packets for activities at home
-Our kitchen staff continued to cook and safely distribute meals
-Our caregivers transformed into teachers and helped with virtual learning
-Our children’s home staff brought comforting peace to our home
*Dulmaa (pictured above) retired this September after 12 YEARS of faithful service and presence with our kids in Mongolia*
2. Our Donors Sacrificially Stepped Up
Like most of you, the pandemic and subsequent economic situation in our country caused me great financial concern. But you will never guess what happened at the start of everything in March. WEGO’s monthly giving actually increased. The whole world was running around hoarding toilet paper but our WEGO family chose to be present with us in a season of financial uncertainty. It was all God’s provision but He used you to give it.
Each of our ministries had the financial resources they needed this year: Kids never went without food or care. Staff never went without salaries. We don’t take that for granted. We will never forget that. Thank you.
3. Our Home Build Stepped Forward
We launched a campaign to build a new home in the middle of a global pandemic for one reason: our kids in Mongolia need it. The old house didn’t get the hint that now wasn’t a great time to keep deteriorating. But God showed up and made a way. Our board, US staff, Mongolia staff, and a few key volunteers worked countless hours to launch ‘Love Squared’. And now 16 weeks in, we are over 20% to our goal! God didn’t just move into our neighborhood this year. He bought Himself a fixer-upper and has already started the renovation.
Praise be to God for His faithful presence with us in every season.
And ‘Thank you’ to our WEGO family for reflecting ‘Emmanuel’ through your kindness, prayers, and presence with us this year.