“Bright Spots” for Chalkley Elementary Teachers and Staff
We kicked off our new partnership with Chalkley Elementary School by providing teachers and staff with boxed lunches as they prepared to start the school year. They were so grateful for this gesture and to learn that we have adopted them for this school year. These dedicated educators are making tremendous adjustments in nearly all areas so that children can continue to receive valuable instruction during the pandemic. Imagine teaching little ones as young as four years old in a virtual setting! The challenges they face are great as they serve some of Chesterfield county’s most vulnerable and underprivileged children. Our goal is to come alongside them regularly with “Bright Spots” of encouragement and appreciation for their amazing efforts to educate Richmond’s children.
Every month, each of Chalkley’s 101 staff members will receive a small gift with an encouraging message. This is an opportunity to say “YES” to Jesus’ commission in Matthew 5:16 to shine the light of Christ through good works for God’s glory and you can be a part of it! We need volunteers to prepare the gifts, write notes of encouragement, and drop them off on the designated days. We also need donations of specific gift items and funds to purchase needed supplies. If you are interested in donating items or volunteering to help with this outreach please contact stacy@bethelightnow.org for more information. If you would like to donate funds to support our Chalkley partnership simply click the donate button and select “Local School Partnership” from the drop-down menu on our secure donation platform or write “Chalkley” in the memo line of your check made out to Be the Light. What a great way for your small group or your family to make a difference in our community!
Love for Lebanon
Be the Light responded to the disaster in Beirut, Lebanon, by sending aid to assist a church and theological institute which trains ministers who largely serve in the middle east and north Africa. The church and seminary were badly damaged but determined to help their neighbors, many of whom are Muslim. God provided a direct connection to the pastor and administrator of the theological institute, Be the Light committed to a seed donation of $1,000 and asked for that to be matched in a Facebook fundraiser, and the body of Christ here in Richmond exceeded the match! We were able to directly send over $2,000 in aid to help meet the needs of the body of Christ in Lebanon in the wake of the disaster there. Continue to pray for the relief efforts there and for the churches in Beirut to be the light of Christ as they reach out to love on their neighbors devastated by the blast.
Kits for Kenya
Be the Light’s July vision outreach to Kenya was postponed due to the pandemic but the door has opened to Kenya for the trip to take place in October. Stacy is set to depart next week to explore partnership opportunities with several mission organizations in Kenya, a local Kenyan church, and representatives from two other African nations. Additionally, she will take 153 washable feminine hygiene kits and the components to complete an additional 77 partial kits which are already in Nairobi. These kits, lovingly made and donated by the sewing ladies of South Hill and Dorcas’ Daughters of Richmond, will provide 230 school-aged girls with access to up to four years of education which they might otherwise be unable to attain. Kits and training will be given in the name of Jesus in conjunction with personal hygiene education and teaching sessions by Kenyan counselors on sexual violence prevention and girls’ empowerment. Educate a girl, change a nation!
Please pray for safe and uncomplicated travel and for the hearts of the girls who receive kits to be opened to the love of Christ expressed in this tangible way. Pray that this outreach helps open doors for local missionaries who are trying to reach with the gospel two tribes with whom we will work while there. Pray that souls will be added to the kingdom and that God will receive the glory for every good work accomplished by His strength.
Family Matters
Lucia arrived in Mexico on September 17th and is currently settling into daily life at the YWAM base. She is participating in lectures, testimonies, and worship as well as keeping up with devotionals and journals and making new friends. Thank you for your prayers for her and for your support in helping her launch her adult life in this way. God’s hand in her spiritual formation is already so evident and He is helping her use her natural gifts of visual expression to respond to Him. Please continue to pray for her as she adjusts to a new culture and many new life experiences.
Stacy is participating in the field testing of “The Collective Journey”, a mentoring program for next generation female leaders designed and written by Lisa Potter, the Executive Director of Women Who Lead at the Potomac Ministry Network. This is an exciting opportunity to walk together with Lisa and 15 other young female leaders through a journey of discovery and growth in leadership and spiritual maturity.
Upon returning from Kenya, Stacy is scheduled to have hip surgery to repair multiple tears in the cartilage of her hip joint. Reshaping of the bone may also be necessary and this will significantly lengthen the recovery if required. Please pray for healing and that if God uses surgery to accomplish this that He will give wisdom and accuracy to the surgeon as well as a smooth post-surgical recovery.
AmazonSmile is now Available on Your Phone!
AmazonSmile customers can now support Be the Light in the Amazon shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones! Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations.
- Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
- Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into ‘Settings’
- Tap ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process
If you do not have the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app, update your app. Click here for instructions.
If you would like to support Be the Light through AmazonSmile and have not yet selected us as your charity, click here.
Kroger Community Rewards: If you have not already selected a nonprofit to link to your Kroger Plus card, please choose Be the Light! This costs you nothing and will generate funds for the operations of Be the Light. Go to www.kroger.com and find Community Rewards Program under “Save”. Enroll and search for Be the Light (KQ851).
Please Note: Donors may easily make one-time, recurring, and designated gifts at bethelightnow.org. Donations may also be made by check payable to Be the Light at 101 N. Pinetta Dr., North Chesterfield, VA 23235. If you wish your donation to be for missionary support for Stacy and Lucia please write our account number “SE0408” in the memo line. Undesignated donations will benefit the general fund.
