Join Us In Mission: An Appeal for Support

Hello, everyone!

Greetings from Tanzania.  Please allow me a few moments to make an appeal for financial contributions to support our missions. As you likely know, Katie has shifted her ministry and is now working with an NGO that works to prevent domestic violence, and I am working with an NGO to help strengthen women's cooperatives. Many of you have made contributions to us, and for that we are very grateful. Up until this point, these contributions have been credited to our fundraising efforts but have gone to general support for Maryknoll Lay Missioners as an organization (which is very critical- if MKLM cannot pay their light bills, there’s no support for those of us in mission).

However, we now have a Mission Account, which means that any money donated in our names goes into an account that we can access for supporting our specific ministries. As we get more settled into our work here, we are starting to identify ministry needs and ways in which we can help those with whom we work. And many of those needs require money. Some of the current needs that we have identified are as follows:

1. Training manuals: I have gotten my hands on some very good electronic resources on organizing cooperatives; however, to function in a relatively low-tech environment, I want to get hard copies printed. Contributions can help with printing costs.
2. Seminars and trainings for women: rather than simply give away money, a better use is to spend money for seminars and workshops to educate women on topics such as Entrepreneurship and Financial Management or technical skills such as soap making. Currently, I am researching different options for these types of programs, but all cost money and your contributions would help cover the costs of workshops.
3. Transportation costs: often, our work requires that we travel out of the city and into more distant rural village areas. Gas and vehicle upkeep is expensive here, so your assistance can help defray these costs.
4. Language Assistance: there have been discussions about hiring an assistant/interpreter to help me communicate during visits with co-op members, and both Katie and I would like to continue receiving Swahili lessons to improve our speaking ability. Your contributions can help.
5. Continued support for the MKLM General Fund: we are able to shift money between accounts to make sure that MKLM has funds for its general operation budget. Again, no MKLM General Fund, no international ministry work.

As time goes on, we will certainly identify other ways that your support can help, but these are some of our current needs at this time. While we are the ones living overseas, please remember that we are just one part of the equation; with your support, we’re all in mission together. Please consider a contribution to our account; every little bit helps.

Financial Support can be sent to MKLM, P.O. Box 307, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0307 or online at http://tinyurl.com/ChrisandKatieReid. Denote “Chris and Katie Reid- Mission Account” in the memo line or intention box to support us in mission. All contributions are tax deductible.

Thank you very much.

Chris