By Rick Postma

Volunteers make the world go round. If there isn’t a song based on those words, then perhaps there should be. As Word & Deed staff, we constantly thank the Lord for the many volunteers who generously give of their time and talent to support the work we do in the developing world.

During 2011 there will be numerous groups of volunteers organizing softball tournaments, dinners, bike-a-thons, choir concerts, hunger awareness campaigns, and plant sales. We have volunteers editing and contributing articles to this magazine and working on our website. 

So I’d like to extend a very grateful thank-you on behalf of the Word & Deed staff and board to all our volunteers. Your efforts are making a world of difference in the lives of thousands of people. 

Word & Deed is always looking for more volunteers to join our ambassador program. The work is not heavy. In fact, usually there is one event per year that you would be involved in. One goal is to involve at least one person from each of the supporting churches. This automatically facilitates the promotion work, and many hands do make light work. Here is a way for you to work together with members of local supporting churches to bring hope to the needy in the developing world. Here is a way for you to bring help to the widow and the orphan in distant parts of the world via Word & Deed partners, who become our hands and feet in bringing them hope for this world and for the world to come.

In this issue of the magazine, we profile several of our volunteers and bring you project updates from several countries. We are delighted to begin work on a small project with Rev. Bill Green in Costa Rica and we celebrate the launch of a new Christian School building in Guatemala.  Read about the fascinating trip Project Director Bernie Pennings recently made to Myanmar, as well as how the money donated for flood waters in Pakistan is being used to bring the Gospel to families in that conflicted country. Good progress is being made with building projects in Malawi and South Africa. May the Lord continue to bless our combined efforts to bring help for both body and soul to many, even while we recognize that we too are sinners in need of His daily grace. May you have a God-glorifying summer together with your families. 

Rick Postma is Director of Public Relations for Word & Deed Ministries.