March 2024

The God of Hope and Restoration

Lamentations 3:22-23 “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning great is your faithfulness.”

In our own day and age, people often use the word “hope” regarding outcomes that are very uncertain. Thus, the word does not carry the weight with which it is used in scripture. In the Bible, the hope of the righteous is linked to the Lord’s “hesed.” That Hebrew term is generally translated “steadfast love” in the ESV. His love flows from the unconditional covenant He made with Abraham and his descendants, and that was ultimately fulfilled by the broken body and shed blood of Jesus. Biblical hope is steadfast and sure because it is rooted in the unchanging character of God, and on the finished work of Christ on behalf of all who believe.

Last week, a CRM sponsored team of 9 trained 72 Sudanese Christians who are on refugee status in Uganda. While they have been stripped of all worldly possessions and carry the physical and emotional scars of persecution, they do have a biblical hope. Because of your prayers and giving, their understanding of God’s story of redemption has been deepened, and that translates into a greater appreciation for the hope that is within them.

Here are some testimonies from those who attended the training.

• “It was my first time attending such training it was wonderful. Every night, when I went home, the stories played like a great movie in my brain. I have learned that God was so patient with the children of Israel. He loved them and rescued them from the slavery to the owners of the land. Their journey was so wonderful, though they had a lot of doubt, but God led them through the Promised Land. I am so thankful for the ladies who told the stories in a way that it was so easy for us to tell others normally. They also loved us. We have been seeing them as our blood sisters. May God bless you for each bit of your efforts.”
• “The training was so awesome. At first, I thought it was just normal stories like the ones we had learned from Islam, but lastly, I fell in love with the story of God and his people. I have made WhatsApp group I am sharing with the group stories and the plan of God to save mankind. I believe if my friends understand what it means to be saved, they will never go back to trust Islam. Thank you so much, Kelly and your friends. We love you and wish that we will meet again. Thanks a lot, for sharing the stories with all your hearts.”
• “I have been struggling a lot. Many people were telling me about the goodness of our God, but my spirit was too heavy to believe everything. Recently, I trusted the Lord, and I was trying all my best to know the overall plan of God in the Bible, and God did it through my sisters. Moreover, I have learned that Islam tried to copy Christianity, but because of the pride in Muham..d’s heart, it failed him to understand God’s plan for rescuing human beings. Glory be to Him, and thanks.”

Our thanks go out to each of you who prayed for our team, and to Peggy Devine, our prayer coordinator, who forwarded to you our daily reports. Thanks also to every church and individual who gave to CRM to make this trip possible. Because the funds were available, we were able to fly between Entebbe and Arua by MAF. Your giving made it possible for us to carry out many scripture resources. Most of them will soon be carried to Darfur where they will encourage and equip believers to share a first-time gospel witness with hundreds of thousands of people more open to the hope of the gospel than ever before.

Thank you for taking those prayer requests daily to the throne of God. Thank you for your donations to CRM. They are bearing much fruit, fruit that will abide.

David Crane,
President, Calvary Road Ministries