Can you really believe that 2014 is almost over? These last six months have really blown by and I am absolutely amazed at all that has been accomplished. Family Festival served 100 refugee children and families this past summer and we saw nearly 50 missionaries from throughout the United States help us to do so. We are fresh off of one of FIRM’s most successful fundraising events in its 20-year history. We have served literally thousands of refugee children, adults and families over these last six months meeting various needs from mental health, to health care access, to food, to clothing, to citizenship test preparation. We are gearing up to once again host our annual Christmas party and FIRM where we will distribute gifts to nearly 500 refugee children! The amazing thing is that these are just a few of the highlights from the last six months.
While the last six months have been exciting and fruitful, I am certainly looking forward to what the next six months holds for FIRM. I know that we are going to see significant movement towards serving refugee youth through an after-school program, Saturday Sports, and through moving local missionaries into Summerset Apartments (which are directly across the street). I am excited to see the love of Christ change the lives of the children of refugee parents and hope that many will begin a relationship with Him at summer camp in 2015. I look forward to beginning a Hmong and Laotian pastor cluster at FIRM for training, collaboration and support. There are plenty of other plans we will see come to fruition in the next year at FIRM and it is just around the corner!
I promise to share with you this new vision in its entirety and the implementation of this vision in the first quarter of 2015. I know I have used the word “exciting” or “excited” many times in this article, but these are the best words to describe what is ahead of us. I hope that you too will get excited with us as we begin a new chapter of FIRM ministry in the next year. I look forward to working with you and partnering with you as we see this vision come to fruition. To God be the glory, honor and power forever and ever. Amen.