Yeats said “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” The fire ignited by education by all of our partners is a catalyst for change; it promotes development within families and communities; it provides dignity and hope for the future; it builds capacity within the church; and equips leaders with the word of God.

Education is an important component of Harvesters’ holistic approach to ministry to encourage and assist national missionary initiative and to equip believers with the tools necessary to read, study, and share the word of God with others. Dedicated pastors and evangelists work tirelessly to share the love of Christ.

Harvesters is working with national ministry leaders to promote many different types of learning with more than 1,200 children in primary and secondary education and more than 100 students in Bible colleges and training centers.

Twenty years ago when Harvesters partnered with Julius Murgor and Pokot Outreach Ministries in Kenya, the population was more than 95% illiterate and parents did not want their children to attend school. Animals needed to be grazed, water needed to be collected, and younger siblings needed to be watched were all reasons given for why school wasn’t good for the Pokot community.

A generation later, the church is thriving, and education is increasingly being seen as a catalyst for positive change for the Pokot community. It is often out of a desire to study the word of God that has changed the minds of many parents who have now decided that they want more for their children. Scripture memory has led to many learning how to read and write by recognizing words in the Bible.

Reuben Meriakol, a Pokot missionary to South Sudan, says, “We don’t study to gain credentials, but to acquire proper knowledge and skill for ministry.”

In India, Kamlesh recounts the boldness and confidence of Kaajal Tilodia, a student from a Hundu family, whose father was an alcoholic that returned home each evening only to beat his wife
and shout at his children. With tears in her eyes, she asked one of her teachers, “when you pray, you say all things are possible with “Isshu Masih” (Jesus Christ). Can Jesus free my father from alcohol habit?” The teacher replied, “Yes, Kaajal, Jesus will surely do it. With faith we should pray for your dad.” Each day teachers prayed with Kaajal privately for her father, Mr. Tilodia.  On a Sunday morning when he was sober, Kaajal talked to him in detail, telling him “Isshu Masih” can grant him freedom from the dreadful habit of alcohol. Then she had the confidence to pray with her father. The next morning, Mr. Tilodia came to Kaajal’s school and told the teachers, “I have no craving for alcohol anymore. “Isshu Masih” has liberated me from the curse of alcohol addiction! Now our home is very different and greatly blessed!”

In Myanmar and Kenya, children who grew up on the ministry are now returning to the ministry after college to serve as teachers and choir directors and to fan the flame of Christian influence for the next generation of children. Other children are becoming pastors, teachers, lawyers, and doctors, and influencing their churches and communities with values and character reinforced through their education.

It is incredibly exciting to witness the impact that education has on people like Kaajal, who have the confidence to share their faith and to influence their communities for Christ.

The cost of sending a child to high school in Kenya is $1,200 per year. $450 per year allows a student to attend Bible College in Myanmar or equips an evangelist in Kenya with the tools and knowledge to start and lead a church. Please partner with us to keep the fire of education burning bright.

Join us in welcoming Doug Radford, our new Director of Development, to the staff of Harvesters! Doug has served in pastoral positions for the last 17 years. He has been very involved in both local and international outreach efforts. God used numerous mission trips and involvement with international efforts at his church to draw him into this full time position focused on spreading the Gospel around the world.

First Free Will Baptist Church in Wilson, North Carolina, where Doug most resently served as Outreach Pastor, has a long history of supporting Harvesters. That relationship led to opportunities for him to visit several of our partners and become passionate about their evangelistic work and practical ministry to people. As a powerful speaker and communicator, Doug is now working on behalf of our partners by sharing their stories in every opportunity God provides, as well as traveling with short-term teams and assisting in ministry.

Doug remains an ordained minister and lives in Wilson with his wife, Pam, and their two daughters. Being part of Harvesters is the fulfillment of a desire that God placed in him many years ago. Doug is thankful for this opportunity saying, “It’s both humbling and exciting to see God move in my life and open doors for ministry.”

Harvesters wants to partner with you to accomplish the work that God has set before us. Even as we celebrate how He is moving through our partners, there is much left to do, and you can help to accomplish it! To learn more about our partners and our initiatives, begin a campaign, or have Doug speak to your group, please contact him via email at doug@harvesters.net.

In the United States, education is a requirement. By law, all children must be educated. Parents have many options to accomplish that – public school, private school, or home school. Education here is a right, but in many other countries it is a privilege.

Education is an essential part of the holistic strategy of our partners, each of whom accomplishes it in their own way. Many run their own schools and training centers. Others assist with payment of school fees or transportation to and from schools.

Our partners utilitze this opportunity to teach not only the basics – reading, writing, and math – but Christian values, character, and integrity. We aim to equip young people with the tools they need to rise above their circumstances and become agents of change in their communities.

Sometimes, those circumstances are dire. In many of the countries where our ministry partners serve, a young girl is considered a burden or even a curse. Abortion, infanticide, molestation, and rape are increasingly common. Poverty drives many parents to sell their daughters knowing full well that they will end up as sex workers.

Girls like Reshma from India are one of the reasons we are passionate about educating young women. Reshma is a student at the Jagat-Jyoti (or “Light of the World”) school operated by Good Samaritan Sewa Kendra, our ministry partner in India. She is the daughter of a village snake charmer and receives an education only because of the ministry school.

Reshma is a very bright girl who enjoys her studies. At the end of her 8th grade year, her parents wanted her to discontinue her studies and get married. After all of her years in the ministry school, she saw a bright future with tremendous possibilities. She wanted to study further, get a job, and then settle down.
The school was able to provide her with a scholarship to continue her education. This year, Reshma passed the 10th Board Exam near the top with an 87%. Her next goal is to pass the 12th Board Exam.

Girls like Reshma can not be exploited any more. They know they are precious daughters of a loving God and they can become all that God wants them to be! This is so empowering for young women.

When a girl is educated and given the Gospel, she becomes a blessing to her home – her parents, her future husband and children, and to her entire community. You can help by praying for all of the children supported by our partners around the world, by providing monthly support for a child, or by donating toward the building of a new school.  We invite you to partner with us to educate children like Reshma to give young people the hope that can be found in a solid education.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 5:3 is the favorite verse of Chone Thang. He is 19 years old and a first year student at Myanmar Bible College. He was raised in a large Christian family and is the eldest of nine children. Before attending MBC, he lived with his parents and siblings in a small village of less than 20 houses in Paletwa Township in the southern Chin State of Myanmar.

As a child, he suffered from a serious illness. It lasted for many days, and there was no doctor available to care for him. Finally, a pastor came and prayed for him. He was immediately healed! After seeing God’s healing power in his life, Chone Thang began searching for God and accepted Christ as his Savior and Lord in 2000.

Chone Thang’s desire is to become a preacher and missionary to the unreached areas of Myanmar. Seeing that passion, his pastor suggested that he travel to Yangon to visit Myanmar Bible College where he could fulfill his vision.

It is easy to see his strong commitment when learning just how far and how long he traveled to arrive in Yangon. His journey included a 60 mile walk over two days followed by two bus rides totaling 32 hours.

During his first two months of study at MBC, he has already shared his testimony numerous times, encouraged fellow students, and challenged senior students to have a more evangelistic spirit for lost souls. School leaders appreciate his strong commitment and active participation in college services. They see his devotion to prayer and Bible study and the fire he has for sharing the gospel.

He is able to attend MBC with almost no cost because of the support provided by donations to Harvesters. He expresses his sincere thanks for your support and asks that you pray for him during the school year.

One year’s tuition at MBC is $450, which includes boarding. There are many more students like Chone that would love to attend. Join us in supporting this next generation of pastors and missionaries!