Letter from Our Director

November 2019

Paul wrote to the Philippians a verse many quote today: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (Phil. 1:3).

Who were some of those Philippians that Paul gratefully remembered? Lydia and her household were among his list. She was the first Philippian Christian, a seller of purple fabrics, who offered her house as a place for Paul and his team to stay. Lydia also faithfully worked in the Philippian church while it grew under persecution and hardship — never losing faith.

Through your partnership with Mission:Dignity^®, you are honoring and supporting more than 1,700 soldiers of the cross — including many “Lydias” — who continue to sacrifice and give their lives so that others may know our Lord despite facing their own personal hardships.

Ninety-nine year old Frances Wilkey is one such “Lydia” to remember. Even though her body aches, she is serving the Lord at her church, East Salem Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, Illinois.

Her husband, Ray, was a pastor of small churches for almost 50 years because he “always felt led to the small ones even when the large ones came knocking,” says Frances.

After Ray passed away, Frances continued to serve the Lord by teaching Sunday school and speaking to her church about Mission:Dignity. “I’ll be speaking to our church about Mission:Dignity this Sunday evening,” she wrote a couple of years ago.

In her most recent letter, Frances expressed her thankfulness for Mission:Dignity: “It has given me a life I can live without any hardships or worry. I thank God every day for my benefactors at Mission:Dignity.” Will you whisper a prayer of thanks to God for Frances right now?

And as our faithful retired ministers, workers and their widows receiving assistance from Mission:Dignity thank God for you, will you in turn consider supporting them once again?

A great opportunity to do that will be on #GivingTuesday, when you will have an opportunity to double the impact of your gift! #GivingTuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving — December 3, 2019 — and generous donors have already pledged to match every dollar given that day up to $268,000! Go to MissionDignity.org for more information on how you can join in giving on this great day.

Thank you for your partnership with Mission:Dignity. Like Paul, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.”

Working together,

Aaron Meraz
Aaron J. Meraz, Ph.D., D.Min.
Director of Development