my support letter!

hey friends! this is a copy of the letter i sent out to gather support and encouragement for my trip!
if you didn't receive this letter and would like a copy, or a pre-paid envelope (for your generous donation, of course!) then let me know!

Dear Friends,

Hello! I am writing this letter to give you an update on God’s call for the next year of my life and to hopefully find some encouragement and support from you!

As many of you know, I have been off at school in Waterloo (at Wilfrid Laurier University) for the last six years and I am currently finishing up my graduate degree in Kinesiology.  I have been hoping over the last few years to be accepted into medical school, however that has yet to come to fruition. So I have been trying to decide what to do for the upcoming year, and God has placed an idea to give up the year to Him to do ministry. I have always had a place in my heart for the country of Africa, for inexpressible reasons. So I started to search out possible opportunities to volunteer in Africa. However, this turned out to be quite a difficult road as some doors were closed and other, very different doors were opened. I have had to completely give control over to God for this year as I have recognized His will in this. This has been a somewhat trying (yet exhilarating!) task for me as I am someone who has had their life quite planned out up until this year. Eventually, through many applications, waiting and praying, an opportunity became available in Jos, Nigeria through Christian Reformed World Missions (CRWM).

            So, I am going to Nigeria! Nigeria is a large nation in western Africa with a troubled past but a promising future that includes a number of challenges, including ethnic and religious conflicts, widespread poverty, and the AIDS epidemic. The CRWM has operated in Nigeria for many decades, and their missionaries have the experience and commitment to serve Nigerians in this important time of transition. I am truly blessed to be able to serve with this group while in Nigeria. CRWM works together with a number of local ministries in the Plateau region where I will be stationed, including the ministries of Evangel Hospital and Open Doors.

I will be working in Evangel Hospital and the Open Doors school in Jos, Nigeria. The hospital was founded by the Sudan Interior Mission and is affiliated with the Evangelical Churches of West Africa. They have 150 beds available and provide medical care in many areas including surgery, obstetrics, opthamology, HIV/AIDS clinic and physiotherapy. I will be volunteering in the physiotherapy department which is quite connected to school called Open Doors. This school provides education for children with special needs, including physical disabilities. The physiotherapist treats a number of the children at the school and I will be working with them to provide this care. I am quite excited for this opportunity as it is a hands-on (literally) way of serving the people of Jos and in a field that I am very passionate about.  I am also excited that the hospital is a Christian hospital at its roots and it is quite commonplace to see doctors and staff praying over their patients. This gives me an opportunity to interact with the people I come in contact with, not only physically but spiritually. In Psalm 140:12, David says “I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.”  By serving in Nigeria, I hope to contribute to God’s global efforts to fulfill this promise. 

However, I need your support to make this opportunity possible. Most importantly, I need your prayers of support as I work for God’s kingdom in Nigeria. But in close second, I need your financial support. The estimated cost for travelling to and living in Nigeria (including medical vaccinations, insurance, food, and board) for six months is approximately $8500. I realize this is a large sum of money so I am completely trusting in God’s faithfulness to provide the means, however I still need to do my part to make this happen. This is where you come in as there are a couple ways to help support me financially in this endeavour:

1)      A direct contribution: You can send your tax-deductible gift in the enclosed postage-paid envelope to Christian Reformed World Missions. Gifts can be made payable to “CRWM” with “for the ministry of Rachel van Oostveen” in the memo line.  Any amount of money is welcomed (no amount is too big J or small) and your donations can remain anonymous, but if you are comfortable, please let me know if you have donated. You can also send your donations to me directly, if preferable – include your full name and address so a tax receipt can be issued. If you prefer to make your donation by another method or on a monthly basis, contact Liz at World Missions Canada directly (1-800-730-3490).

2)      Come to my fundraiser: I will be hosting an evening of music and art on October 30^th at Hope Fellowship Christian Reformed Church in Oshawa, ON.  The band “Isobelle Gunn” (originally from Hamilton, ON – www.isobellegunn.com) will be providing the entertainment for the evening and there will be art available to purchase from local artists (makes a great Christmas gift!). It will be a wonderful night of music, art, food and friends! You can check out my blog for more information!

I am leaving for Nigeria in November, so efficiency is a necessity! If you are able to donate financially, thank you so much. If you are unable to donate financially, instead, I just ask for your prayers and well wishes in the coming year. I cannot express to you how excited I am to expand my worldview and learn from the people of Nigeria! I wouldn’t be able to do this without your support, so know that I am extremely grateful for your support.

Be Blessed,

Rachel van Oostveen