Joining Hands

OMS and Mercy, Inc.―working together to meet physical and spiritual needs around the world

By Dennis Hardin, President of Mercy, Inc.

The needs in our world today are great with natural disasters, famine, war and many kinds of conflicts within and between countries, just to name a few daily problems. All of these tragedies leave behind widows, orphans and families who have lost everything¾people who need help; people who need hope.

We who make up the body of Christ can make a difference in a life, a community or even an entire nation by coming alongside those who are hurting. By meeting physical needs, One Mission Society and Mercy, Inc., OMS’ partner in reaching the lost for Christ through humanitarian aid, have the opportunity to share the reason for our giving—our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Christ said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me... The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these...you did for me’” —Matthew 25.34-36, 40.

Mercy, Inc. and OMS exist to “join hands around the world” to meet the needs of hurting and dying people.

We share a common heritage, both tracing our roots to Charles and Lettie Cowman, the founders of One Mission Society. When Mrs. Cowman left OMS, she was not finished with ministry. In 1949, she founded another mission organization, World Gospel Crusades. Then, in 1974, Mercy, Inc., which was closely aligned with World Gospel Crusades, started, and in 1990, it became a foundation.

In 2002, Mercy, Inc. and OMS entered into a formal partnership to help reach the lost for Christ. Mercy provides funds for humanitarian needs so that doors may be open for OMS workers to share God’s Word with people around the world.

Let me share with you how God is using the past hardships of one man to help others and to bring glory to Himself.

A Rwandan, who we will call T, became a man without a country. When he was a child, T and his family were driven from Rwanda to Eastern Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) due to racial conflicts. Years later, T was forced to flee again. This time, he made his way to the capital city of Kinshasa, 1,000 miles away. His journey was not an easy one. While in Kinshasa, he met his wife, started a family of his own and enjoyed life for a time.

Then, hatred for his people found its way to Kinshasa, and once again, he had to flee. Because his wife was from a different people group, she and the children were safe, but T had to leave his family behind.

With the help of missionaries, Theo first landed in neighboring Congo (Brazzaville), across the river from Kinshasa, but soon realized his situation was still unsafe. So, he embarked on a 2,300-mile journey to South Africa. There he met another missionary that took him in and provided the first safety he had known in years. But he knew that one day he would return to the region of his birth and exile to share the love of God with those who tried to kill him.

T and his family are now ministering in the Great Lakes region of Africa, carrying out the ministry that God has laid on their hearts. T has helped start orphanages, a widow’s ministry and is reaching out to the street kids in the area. He also serves as an Every Community for Christ supervisor of the Great Lakes region, which includes Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, leading the church-planting efforts for OMS there.

Mercy Inc. and One Mission Society have come alongside T to help with the funding needed to feed, educate and evangelize hundreds of children and widows left behind by genocide, war and natural disasters in Africa.

In another area of the world, more families are being helped by OMS and Mercy through micro-credit programs.

Shamoli Bairagi and her family built their home in the low lands of South Asia. This area remains under water for half of the year, so they eke out a livelihood by fishing, making fishing nets, building boats and planting poor-quality rice seeds, which do not bear a good harvest.

A ray of hope shone when the Nayakandi Women’s Micro-Credit Program purchased hybrid seed so people like Shamoli and her family could produce better crops. Shamoli became a member of the Baishakhai group, a group of women who provide training, hold each other accountable and share the Gospel with people like Shamoli as they attend the weekly meetings.

This year, Shamoli harvested twice as much rice as before. The extra rice will meet the needs of her family, with more than enough surplus to pay off the small loan they received from the micro-credit program.

Shamoli and her family are now believers because Christians took the time to get involved. A church has now been planted, and they worship weekly and are growing in their faith.

Another South Asian woman, Latika Boiragi, also a member of the Nayakandi Women’s Micro-Credit Program, purchased a milking cow with her loan. After a few months, the cow gave birth to a calf. Latika and her husband Ananda began getting seven liters of milk a day. They used some of the milk for their family and sold the rest to a local market. Latika was not only able to pay her loan back, but she made repairs to their house, bought a small piece of farming land and saved a bit for her children’s future education.

Mercy has also come alongside OMS to help provide funding for: Bibles in Colombia; equipment for Radio 4VEH in Haiti; and feeding centers, help for orphans, widows and AIDS awareness programs in Africa, to name a few.

The needs are great. We can help make a difference around the world by coming alongside those in need. But we can’t do it without your help.Join us in being the hands and feet of Jesus to a dying world!

If you would like to give a donation to OMS, designated for a humanitarian project, please send your support to: One Mission Society , P.O. Box 1648, Monument, CO 80132.

Mercy, Inc.

Who we are...

Mercy, Inc. is a non-profit ministry established in 1974 to meet the humanitarian needs of people around the world. We see our ministry as evangelistic, providing resources for basic needs as a way to complement spiritual ministry already taking place.

Our mission...

Mercy, Inc. provides humanitarian aid to countries around the world. Ministries include: educational programs for children and adults, aid to orphans and widows, literacy programs, AIDS awareness instruction, medical assistance, disaster relief, clean water projects, feeding programs and micro-enterprises. All programs are administered by local believers.

Goals and objectives...

Mercy, Inc. works closely with One Mission Society to see people come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by helping to meet immediate physical needs.

Who we work with...

Mercy, Inc. invests in programs that are started and managed by local believers to meet the physical and spiritual needs of people in their area of the world. While meeting these basic needs, they are able to share God’s love and disciple new believers.