CLI Newsletter October 2019

God Turned Our Plans Upside Down to Accomplish HIS PURPOSE!!!

Dear Partner/Friend
This months newsletter celebrates the fact that God orders our steps, and HIS PLAN is always BEST. October 1 was the 11^th Anniversary of Choose Life International, an organization that God called into being to save lives: physically, emotionally and spiritually.  God continues to guide us in amazing ways. Praise God!!!!  On that day we had a special breakfast in appreciation of our sponsors of the World Suicide Prevention Day Seminars (held in Montego Bay and Kingston – held September 10 and 13, 2019).  It was a special day saying, “Thank You” and our sponsors expressed that they were positively impacted by the seminars and thankful that they were a part of it. 

God-Directed USA Trip God took us (Donovan and Faith) to the USA to accomplish His purposes. To do this, he caused all of our well-laid plans since April, to completely fall apart, following the sudden death of the Pastor who initially invited us. He ordered our steps. We had a very good CLI-USA Board Meeting and were able to further concretise our plans.

That’s where our known plans ended.  God led us to three churches where Donovan had the opportunity to preach.  At the first church, Congregational Church of Howells – upstate, New York, minutes before going up, Donovan felt a nudge to preach something else and he obeyed.  It turned out that a visitor to the church that morning, who wasn’t planning to go to the church, came to the altar crying because that was the Word she needed as her son-in-law had recently died suddenly. Other persons were at the altar who needed that rhema Word also. The second church was a house church, which reminded us of Cuba. It was a small closely knit group and we had the opportunity of ministering to them.  The third church was New Testament Temple Church of God at their Food Church – catering to the people from the community who came to church to receive food supplies.  The church had recently taken a decision to not only give physical food but also spiritual food.  Donovan spoke from St. John 4 on the topic, “Journey to the Well”. This message was very impactful. 

God-Provided Opportunity – Presentation on Suicide Prevention in USA High School This year the theme for World Mental Health Day (October 10) was, “Suicide Prevention”. God gave us the opportunity to do a presentation on Suicide Prevention to the Guidance Counsellors and Social Workers at a Public High School in New York. The presentation went very well and several participants expressed their thankfulness for the meaningful interaction and voiced their desire to do other presentations.  Please continue to pray for other such opportunities.  God also linked us up with some friends from Atlanta who came to New York during this time, and they were part of our team, and were able to compassionately address questions on the LGBTQ and suicide. We are grateful to Pastor Gladstone Johnson, CLI-USA Board member who provided much needed support in ensuring the success of this and other events. 

Radio Shows During our visit we had the opportunity to have been interviewed on two radio stations, one based in Queens and the other in Mount Vernon, about  the work of CLI and CLI-USA in particular. 

Counselling Opportunities We had a significant God-planned grief counselling session with someone who lost a very close friend to suicide almost two years ago.  Only God set up that breakthrough.  God had it on His agenda.  We also had other opportunities to counsel and encourage persons.  Praise God. We were in the US at the right time, and in the right places.  

God-Orchestrated Visit to a Female Detention Center in USA In March God had given Don and I the opportunity to visit and counsel with a young lady with a life sentence, about forgiving herself and recommitting to God.  So, we wanted to do the follow up and see how she was doing.  God had better plans.  We were to visit on a Wednesday by train, but that fell through, and because we planned to go to Maryland on the Friday, we decided to drive.  That was God’s plan. Her Mom asked if the grandmother could come.  As a result, the mother and the 80+ year old grandmother, who couldn’t manage the train ride were able to go with us.  She hadn’t seen her grand-daughter in 4 years, since her incarceration.  OMG what a meeting!

We were the facilitators of this awesome reunion of this anointed woman of God who had been crying out to God for her grand-daughter.  She looked at her, she hugged her, she prayed over her, she encouraged her…OMG what a meeting! Everyone was crying (except Donovan), as she poured love over her grand-daughter, encouraging her to trust God and hold on. It was a precious experience.  Please continue to pray for her.  She has recommitted her life to the Lord. Pray for the family. 

God Led us to Maryland Remember Mattheu, our nephew who died earlier this year of cancer?  Well, God planned for us to go to Maryland to witness the commissioning of his brother Theodore as an Evangelist and his parents as Lay-Pastors, who will be undergoing training for a year.  Only God could action this plan!!! Since Mattheu’s death, God has been using his parents to minister to terminally ill people and to bring comfort to those who experience the loss of a loved one from cancer. God turns our pain into purpose.  

Helpline Well, after the launch of the Helpline, while we were overseas, Donovan was roaming, and the Ministry of Health and Wellness asked us to take helpline calls until they were able to man it, and so we dealt with a number of calls during this time.  Praise God we were able to help. Yes, we are in the ministry of helping people live!!! 

Prayer Request Our daughter Loraine who we met 21 years ago, as God wrought a mighty deliverance in her life, is having her first seminar.  She is now a motivational speaker and Life Coach and is putting on her first event on November 9.  Her ministry is called, Speak Life International Ministries.  Faith will be a speaker there. Pray that it will go well and God will be glorified.  On November 16 under the theme Passion for Purpose, Faith will be sharing her story of purpose at the Signature Woman Leadership Connection. Pray Pray Pray. Again we express our appreciation to all of you volunteers, staff and Board Members who continue to support us practically and prayerfully.  

Partnership in Giving As we come to the close of 2019, we ask you to prayerfully consider including Choose Life International:a) as a beneficiary of your Christmas generosity  and/or b) become a Valued CLI  Partner by giving  a  monthly or annual contribution  to assist us to better help people to live more fulfilled lives. 

JamaicaNational Commercial Bank (NCB)Matilda’s Corner Branch

Account name: Choose Life International

Current Account: 371-047-131       

Outside Jamaica and Wish to Give

Persons wishing to send Wire Transfer of funds to our Choose Life International Account in Jamaica:          

NCB’s Swift Code  – JNCBJMKX          

Name of Account – Choose Life International         Account Number –   374-169-017         

Name of the bank  –  Matilda’s Corner NCB         

Address of the bank  –  15 Northside Drive                                               Northside Plaza                                               Kingston 6 

Or You can go through our website www.chooselifeintl.org to give through Paypal . Thanks again for your continued partnership. May the blessings of God be upon you. ShalomFaith and Donovan Thomas