Sitting down with the directors of the Wholistic Development Center (WDC) I could quickly see the passion they have for discipling the staff and students they work with. In the past six months they have seen a lot of growth in the students lives and are so excited to see them continue to grow and become truly on fire for God.

One student in particular has been a real inspiration to them. In January, Anna wrote about this young man, John. He didn’t get to go home at Christmas time for fear that his uncle would burn his house to the ground because of his new faith in God. This summer however, John did go home. Throughout the summer he lived his life in a manner that glorified God despite the harassment that he faced from elders in his community and the local authorities. He was an inspiration to others in the area, and the church has grown fivefold in that area due to his faith, and the testimony of other WDC students in the area. John returned to WDC this semester truly on fire for God. He is ready to serve and love those around him and has become a strong voice of faith at the center.

Staff at WDC want to see all students become truly on fire for God. They want to see the students become godly leaders in their communities, but know that in order to do that they will need to surround themselves with a community of believers beyond WDC. As a way to encourage students to build relationships with Christians outside of the center, staff at WDC take the students to a local church each week. Almost every week there is at least one student that does not want to go for one reason or another, and the staff are challenged to find the right words to encourage them to attend. It is a challenging situation for the students and staff. They live in a society where there are very few other Christians, so they do not have the luxury of searching for a church that is the ‘right fit’.

Moving forward, the WDC directors are excited to see where God leads each of these students. In the spring, all of the students will graduate and move on to jobs and a new stage in life. They are continuing to trust God completely, knowing that only He is capable of bringing true change into the lives of these students.

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In the coming months, staff at WDC are hoping to spend more time reaching out to the communities that the students are from. They want to show God’s love not only to students at the center, but also to their families and villages. So, they are planning to start a village outreach program where students and staff will visit villages and teach children’s programs. In order to start this program we need some extra financial assistance. This year we are hoping to reach 15 villages. The cost of implementing this program is approximately $170 per village per year. If you would like to contribute to this project you can do so here.