Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Merry Christmas


December 10, 2008

We send our warm Christmas greetings to you. By looking at the picture below you can see how blessed we are to be celebrating this wonderful season with the most beautiful, intelligent and fun-loving grandchildren in the world. Alyssa, Davis, Siena and Hawkins all live close by, and when we are home we get to see them often. It is also a blessing to see their parents Doug and Amy, Adam and Haven living for the Lord.

Matthew tells about Three Wise Men from the Orient who came to where Jesus was staying after his birth in Bethlehem. The wise men first arrived in Jerusalem and reported to the king of Judea, Herod the Great, that they had seen a star heralding the birth of a king. Further inquiry led them to Bethlehem of Judea and the location of Mary and Joseph. They presented Jesus with treasures of "gold, frankincense, and myrrh."

As we celebrate Christmas let’s give to Jesus more than gold, frankincense and myrrh. Let us give Him our true treasures of devotion, worship and love. Don’t let this time be deflating, but instead let it be a time of rejoicing and renewing your commitment to our Savior.

This Christmas brings many challenges! We have just lived through so many in the last few months. Economic crises, the election, world events, wars, terrorism and who knows about tomorrow? God knows and He holds our future in His hands. This passage out of Matthew gives us the opportunity to honor Him with our true devotion and like gold give Him our very best we possess by recognizing that Jesus is our King. We bring frankincense to worship Him even in the midst of our brokenness and uncertainty. Like myrrh we see His love as He has identified with us in our pain and sorrow. He could do that because He was like us, human! We all face many challenges, but Diana and I believe in God and we trust Him for our future to help us with the challenges to come. How about you? So this is why this time of the year is special! It is CHRISTMAS, a time for renewing and recommitting ourselves to the Lord with hearts of celebration that we are His and He is ours.

Thank you and know that there are many lives that have been changed because of your prayers and giving. Your friendship and kindnesses shown to us and to our ministry over the past twenty plus years has been a real encouragement. Have a joyful Christmas!

Your servants in Christ,

Rick and Diana Wilson

Monday, December 1, 2008



Philip’s House helps orphans and abandoned children. It has turned out to be one of the best ministries we have partnered with. We have helped 18 children who were abandoned or orphaned. These children were taken in at different ages--some as young as 3 years of age.

I had mentioned a couple months ago that I would relate some of the children’s stories. I want to start by telling you of two children that I have known for 8 years. One is married and the other is working on the chicken farm that Samuel and Mihai (directors of the project) have in Romania.

Nicoleta and Vasilica were born into a good family, but when their father and mother died in a car accident they were given to the state and put into a state home. For years they were neglected and abused. They had one aunt who was able to take their older brother but not the three younger ones. Sadly, no one knows where the youngest is or what became of him.

The older brother who was raised by the aunt is a lawyer living and working in Timisoara, Romania and is normal in everyway. Nicoleta and Vasilica grew up in our small orphanage and are doing well, but they have never bounced back completely from the abuse and the neglect they experienced in the state home. They have suffered with issues of abandonment to almost total despair. Socially, they never felt a part of the group. They closed themselves off and were very withdrawn. However, as adults even though they still have some issues, they are doing quite well with jobs and are looking forward to a brighter future. Nicoleta is now married to Ioancy, but still has a very difficult time thinking and reasoning. Some would say she is mildly retarded, perhaps because of the harsh existence she had before coming to Philip's House and to the Lord. I have talked to her many times and I have seen her grow and interact more with others. She is not the same girl that she was before, and with her husband’s help, she is doing well. They have their own work and are living in a small village outside Timisoara.

Nicoleta’s younger brother Vasilica has many of the same problems and it hard for him to be around people because of his early years. He is working and living on the farm. His hopes are to have a wife and family one-day. They have had to work through many issues, the hardest being why the aunt didn’t pick them and why they were left to the state. Through you all and the work of God there, these young adults now have a future full of hope. Their lives have improved tremendously!

We have put Bettina (a young woman we met a few years ago and grew up as an orphan) in touch with one of the Vice-presidents of P&G. What a testimony of God’s grace for this young woman that a Christian in another part of the world is willing to lend a hand! She is currently working on her resume and is hoping to get a job with the company. She has some big decisions to make about this job and a move. Pray for her.

We also helped our fellow workers, Mihai and Samuel, by putting them in contact with the P&G logistics group in Romania and they are working on potential trucking routes that could possibly financially aid Philip’s House even more! So you see, our work in Romania is building the kingdom one person at a time with the help and support of people like you and Daniel Myers who works for P&G. Thank you Daniel!!! Pray that the trucking contract would go through.

Thank you ALL for being a part of our work through your giving and prayers. “I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks.” William Shakespeare

God bless,

Rick and Diana Wilson

Monday, October 6, 2008

SudanVenture

Dear Friend,
I recently had a friend write to me and say, “When you write of the suffering in Africa I cannot imagine what you describe, I would not do well under that incredible stress and sadness.” Who can! You see people who have gone through things we only see in movies as we munch on our popcorn and slurp down a coke. Reality in Sudan is ugly, stressful, unmerciful and downright hard. It is even worse if you’re child or a woman. Emotionally, mentally and physically it takes so much out of you. They have so very little with almost no understanding of Christ at all. To understand how hard and dangerous it can be Dominic, the national that we work with in Sudan, tells of a recent event as he experienced God’s protection: “Several weeks ago, around 11 pm, on a dangerous road to Sudan, we came upon a roadblock. Six Turkana gunmen with their guns pointed at us ordered the truck to stop. Two of the gunmen walked slowly toward us and began to shout, ‘We want your money, phones and watches.’ So I grabbed my small bag and sat on it as they keep shouting. I took courage to talk to them as the others decided to lie down on their bellies. Just then one gunman hit me with his gun barrel on my shoulder of my left arm, shouting, ‘Give me your money, or die!’ But then to my surprise he passed very quickly to the next person. John (a Kenyan business man in Torit town, Sudan) leaving me alone because he was making so much noise he drew their attention as he was crying, ‘Oh leave us, oh leave us---we do not have money!’ I asked all the people to collect funds for these men, but John kept on crying out, ‘Oh leave us, oh leave---we do not have money!” As the gunmen became more centered on him I took on the role as a mediator. The two gunmen held John by the neck with both hands as one chocked him vigorously and said, ‘Utakimia ama tukunyamazishe kabisa.’ (Be silent or we silence you permanently). Turning back to me a third gunman was holding an AK47 to my forehead and then with his left hand he quickly checked my pockets to find very little money. Glory to God—he did not find the money Rick Wilson sent for the project, my digital camera or phone that I had in the small bag I was sitting on because he did not order me to stand up or get out of the truck! Because of all the crying they told us to be silent. I went into prayer just God and me in silent communion and prayer! I prayed to God, ‘God remember your servant.’ Remembering His promise in Psalm 121:1-8 then, I finally said, ‘God, be faithful to your words. Great and mighty is the Lord that I serve. He is faithful, able and true.’ And the ‘commander’ of the gunmen said to his fellow men, ‘Let them go.’ As I prayed a light appeared. It was an approaching car and they fled not knowing if it was the police or others. The Turkana gunmen did not get much from me because God kept me safe by blinding them. My watch was on my wrist but they did not see any of what I had on me except for a few shillings. God blinded them! I was left in pain where they hit me with their gun, but God protected me and the funds I had for the project. Psalm 125:2 says, ‘As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people both now and forever more.’ I can continue to testify that the Lord neither sleeps nor slumbers, for he watches over us,”

I have been on this road many times and can say without a doubt that God has watched over us as He has done for Dominic! Our hope is not in what we can do, but in what our God Jesus Christ can do. He can heal all these pains and right the wrongs. It will not be easy, but with Christ we believe all things are possible, do we not? We are not there by chance but by God’s Sovereign hand. It is His work, His people and He loves them and has a plan for them! If you would like to help here’s how:
1. Pray for God to guide us.
2. Pray for us, as we are overwhelmed with the needs of the people and for safety.
3. Pray that we would be wise in the use of our resources.
4. Pray about giving. Send funds to Rick & Diana Wilson #784 WorldVenture 1501 W. Mineral Ave. Littleton, CO 80120-5612 phone 800-487-4224 720-283-2000 Web www.worldventure.com

God bless,

Rick and Diana Monthly support shortfall ($850)

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Mayatima Project



Dear Friend,

What a summer we had in Kenya! Our work went well! Things are starting to return to normal after the chaos during the election last December. With so many killings and destruction, our Mayatima Project had been affected---especially the farm. We had to sell all the chickens because there was no transportation during this time to bring food. Now we must buy new ones. Pray for the farm because it needs a little help to get jump-started. We also need to finish the well. This project will really help the people to help themselves.

We are pleased to report the school is growing and helping so many children locally as well as many of our orphans. Pray for 3 new classrooms that are needed and for a boarding school that will be built soon.

The churches were affected as well. Out of the 11 churches only 5 remain active because of the tribal clashes. This is a sad reality of the flesh and of prejudices that exist in Africa between the churches. I do not know if you heard about one church (not one of ours) that was set on fire with 30 people inside. When they tried to run out of the church, machete-wielding people killed them. Please pray that the 5 remaining churches will be able to grow and become one tribe in Jesus.

I also want to share with you several letters from 3 girls who accompanied Diana and me to Kenya this year. I was very impressed how these young girls adapted so well and did such great work with the kids. These letters express their experiences in their own words.

Thank you so much for your support. Diana and I would not be able to work in this way if we did not have your support. Thank you for your prayers because without them nothing would be possible. We have already seen God do some great things and we believe He is planning more good things that will lead many to his Son, Jesus.

God bless you,


Rick and Diana Wilson