July 31, 2006
It is thrilling to watch God work through his people. I am especially excited about what the Lord is doing with and through WEI.
So much is happening in the world that there simply isn’t enough space in this newsletter to tell about everything. With every issue of WEI Update, we agonize over what to include and what to exclude. Invariably, we have to delete stories that need to be told—stories that reveal the glory and power of God.
On the negative side, we urge WEI teachers NOT to send gifts to their students. In a recent edition of ACTION, the WBS newspaper, John Reese wrote the following: “If teachers would completely stop sending anything besides lessons and certificates to students, there would be no need for suspicion about ‘fake’ students—the incentive would not be there. Even a pen or a bookmark is a valuable prize in a really poor area.
“A young Ghanaian received notice that his WBS teacher had sent him a package. Having no way to get it through customs, he enlisted L—-‘s help. In the process L—- saw an open letter. In effect, the teacher wrote to her student, ‘WBS leaders tell us not to send gifts. But I know better, so here is your camera and school supplies.’ Word of the camera and other gifts spread like lightning through the student’s school. Suddenly, the school and nearby community became hotbeds for fraud. People signed up multiple times to increase the odds of striking it rich with some naïve American. Never connect WBS with material rewards, gifts, and money.”
John’s words of wisdom apply to WEI.
On the positive side, God has blessed us with hundreds of thousands of honest, truth-seeking WEI students in 189 nations, and we are grateful for the opportunity to teach them about Jesus Christ.
We are also grateful to our beloved friends for your prayers and ongoing financial support and encouragement. We love you with the love of the Lord, and we pray that God is blessing you for your sacrifice.
—Dick and Maudine Ady
