Many local Churches of the Nazarene in the Mesoamerica Region are challenging their congregations to be generous and give to the World Evangelism Fund (WEF) in creative ways. One of these churches is the El Progresso Church of the Nazarene in Panama. They proposed raising a thousand dollar offering for the WEF between October 2017 and August 2018.

The local Nazarene Missions International team extended the challenge to the church and encouraged each Sunday School class (children, youth, men and women), to work together to raise money to meet the goal in the designated time.

When the final day arrived, the church celebrated with a large missions party organized by their young NMI president, Oscar Arenas. Each group decorated their area and prepared typical food from a different country in the region. It was the final fundraiser in order to meet their goal.

Each group came forward to deposit the entire offering they collected, and they were able to celebrate that they exceeded their goal.

“What a blessed time!” said Regional NMI Coordinator Ana Maria Crocker. She said that during the party a person received Jesus Christ as his Savior, and others came to the alter to pray for their health. Crocker added, ‘The World Evangelism Fund continues helping the missionary work of the Church of the Nazarene because churches are faithful to (the idea) ‘freely you have received, freely give.’”

Source: Ana Maria Crocker, Regional NMI Coordinator