As Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas is just around the corner, I want to take this opportunity to look at something we all should learn to incorporate into our holiday celebrations. I did not see this scripture until about a year ago - but I'd like to share it with you. It's found in Esther 9:22 and it says...

"As the days on which the Jews got rest from their enemies, and as the month was turned for them from sorrow to gladness and from mourning into a holiday - that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days of sending choice portions to one another and gifts to the poor."

When we experience victories over our enemies, we are to celebrate with those we know and love, but also those who are "poor". There are lots of poor people, and there are many ways to be poor - but basically we just need to ask Holy Spirit to lead us to those He is putting in our path, and find a way to bless them!

Compassion Acts has some projects in the works, and honestly, we need help! I'd like to mention some of these at this point, and ask you to prayerfully consider being a part of these projects.

1. We are planning a trip to Mozambique on Jan. 29 - Feb. 12, taking a team of 25 people. We are wanting to take with us people who are experienced in various areas, and go in as a strategic team to meet several needs: teachers for the Iris school, prophetic intercessors, construction workers, ministers for the Pastors' School, people to pray over the missionaries, various staff members, and of course people to love and play with the kids. If you feel led to join us and could contribute in any of these areas, we ask you to download an application and send it to us! Click here for more information.
   
   In addition, we are also specifically inviting a few people that we know have experience and gifting, but lack the finances to cover their own trips. And, as they will be coming to serve Compassion Acts, we would really like to be able to defray at least some of their expenses, so donating toward these trips is another way you can help (see below).
   
   
2. We will be taking in a container of vitamin- fortified rice, valued at $65,000. This is being donated, but we must cover the cost of the shipping - which comes to $9,000. Now, this works out to around 16 cents per serving. We will be shipping the rice to the Iris Ministries base in Malawi. We wanted to take it in to Pemba, but Mozambique applies high taxes on shipments. Iris Ministries has bases in Malawi, so we can still bless Iris - just in a neighboring country. We are asking each of you - whether you are a businessman, a pastor, or an individual, to consider being a part of this relief effort.
   

   Click here to donate online. Choose the fund code Emergency Relief Fund to donate to the Rice Shipment. All donations to this fund code received by Dec. 15th, 2006 will be used for the rice shipment. Choose the fund code Compassion Acts Donation to give to start up expenses, and other projects for Compassion Acts.

   
   I have a special request regarding Nashville. I believe Nashville has a special call to help Iris Ministries. I'm particularly asking pastors of works we have networked with, many are here in Nashville, others are all around the US, to consider giving into this project. Heidi has come to Nashville several times. She has come to many regions of the US, and to many of our friends gatherings, leaving behind treasured deposits of Holy Spirit presence among us. I'd love to see us give to them in a huge bountiful way.
   
   
3. Another project is very simple - our Mozambique prayer calendar. 2006 is quickly coming to a close, and we are hoping to sell every one of these calendars before 2007 begins. They are designed to help motivate prayer to rise to heaven on behalf of Iris Ministries. These calendars are professionally done, and contain pictures from various missions' trips to the area, and also list prayer needs - many of which came as we labored there in prayer from our previous trips. The monies raised through these calendars are helping Compassion Acts to develop a web site that will be a multifunctional source of very helpful teaching, tools, updates, and lots of great networking tools. Click here to view or purchase the Compassion Acts 2007 Calendar.
   
   At our conferences, we also sell t-shirts for Compassion Acts - the profits from these also release monies to help out with start up expenses - business cards, press packs, legal help, etc.|
   
   
4. There are more projects in the works, and we are beginning on some grant writing for specific projects involving Native American childrens' care, a scouting trip into India, and going back into Thailand, possibly Nepal, and later China and Singapore.

I would ask each of you to pray for these needs - your prayers work, and unlock God's provision in many ways. Please prayerfully consider doing more than praying! We can send food, we can send prayers, we can send people - all are gifts!

To contribute financially to Compassion Acts projects:

• Please write your check to Encounters Network and mail it to:
       Encounters Network
       PO Box 1653
       Franklin, TN 37065 .
  
  
  • Write in the memo what you want it to be used for: rice shipment, Moz trip expenses, start up expenses for Compassion Acts (CA), India travel expenses, etc.
    
    
• Click here to donate online.
  
  
  • Choose the fund code Emergency Relief Fund to donate to the Rice Shipment. All donations to this fund code received by Dec. 15th, 2006 will be used for the rice shipment.
    
  • Choose the fund code Compassion Acts Donation to give to start up expenses, and other projects for Compassion Acts.

We need to have the $9,000 for the rice shipment to Mozambique by Dec. 15th, at the very latest. Your help, in whatever form, will be greatly appreciated. Remember, you can help turn someone else's captivity into a great victory!

Blessings, Blessings!

Michal Ann Goll
Founder Compassion Acts