In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful.” In a parable He used the example of a good Samaritan’s compassion and generosity to teach about caring for others in need. And in Matthew 25, He taught that the righteous would be blessed for meeting the needs of the hungry, the thirsty, and those in less fortunate physical circumstances.
I can’t think of a more fitting way to say thank you for your support of the Kairos Benevolence Fund (KBF) than to simply say: Thank you for living out the compassion and care taught by our Savior.
Your concern for ministers and missionaries in need, and your generosity to help meet those needs, has made it possible for KBF to provide life-changing blessings for those who have faithfully served Christ’s Kingdom.
Just before Christmas KBF learned about Jeffrey and Mary Silkwood, missionaries in Thailand. The Silkwoods’ 14-day-old baby boy, Matthias, was born with a birth defect called tracheoesophageal fistula and esophageal atresia. This condition meant that his esophagus did not connect with his stomach, and there was a hole in his trachea that was allowing germs and saliva into his lungs. Without emergency surgery, he would die.
Recognizing the urgency of this situation, KBF’s leadership authorized the immediate payment of $7,000 to cover the cost of the surgery and post-surgical care in Thailand.
Just two weeks after surgery we received the following email from Jeffrey:
Dear David,
We were able to bring Matthias home today! Praise God! The doctors said that a perfect recovery after this kind of surgery required more than 2 weeks. Matthias was allowed to come home an amazing 1 week and 6 days after his surgery! Although we know God is more than able to work all these things out, it still makes us marvel when He does it.
Please don’t miss the significance of this—KBF was only able to respond immediately and send $7,000 to pay for baby Matthias’s surgery because friends like you had contributed in advance, over and above the needs we had previously shared with you. That meant we had the cash in the bank to write a check for a life-saving operation.
You made a difference!
I also want to share with you some wonderful news about KBF’s recent $61,000 campaign. You may remember that last summer we received FIVE appeals for assistance, all within days of each other. To meet those needs we had to raise $61,000. When we were halfway there and had raised $31,000, one of our donor families responded and offered to match, dollar-for-dollar, any additional gifts to the $61K Campaign, up to $15,000.
I’m pleased to report that in the final week of December, a check for $12,000 came in from a church in the Midwest that put us over the top of our goal! Praise the Lord!
So please accept this message from me, on behalf of all of us associated with the Kairos Benevolence Fund, as our way of saying THANK YOU.
Thank you for:
- Being merciful
- Having the Samaritan’s compassion and generosity
- Caring enough to help meet the needs of our less fortunate brothers and sisters
May God continue to richly bless you for your willingness to Make A Difference!
Yours in the Master’s Service,
David Pace, Founding Director
Kairos Benevolence Fund
Senior Vice President, CDF Capital
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