Change: Donaldson moves to Convoy of Hope
At the height of an intertribal crisis earlier this year in
Kenya, we arranged with Convoy of Hope for containers of relief supplies to be
shipped to that nation. Africa Regional Director Mike McClaflin and I decided
that this crisis would be an opportunity to demonstrate to our constituency in
the U.S. the incredibly effective relief partnership AG World Missions has
shared with Convoy of Hope for 10 years.
Jess Heugel, one of our AGWM photographers, visited the
Convoy warehouse and photographed the loading of containers that were headed
for Kenya. Some weeks later, Jess traveled to Kenya to photograph Convoy’s
relief efforts. Amazingly, Jess arrived in Kenya and photographed the unloading
of the very same container he had photographed at the warehouse in Springfield,
Missouri. En route from Africa, he stopped in Macedonia to take pictures of a
Convoy outreach. Both the Kenya crisis relief efforts and the Macedonia
outreach are pictured in this magazine — relief and outreach being the
two great ministries Convoy has overseas.
At the time of planning this issue, we had no idea it would
be announced that Hal Donaldson, president of Convoy of Hope, is leaving the
editorship of the Evangel. The explosive growth of Convoy’s ministry not only
in the U.S. but around the world resulted in Convoy’s board of directors asking
Hal to pray about devoting all his time and energies to leading Convoy of Hope.
After much prayer, he and his wife, Doree, felt the Lord directing them in this
way.
Should the Lord tarry, this great compassion ministry, which
the Lord laid on Hal’s heart to found years ago, will experience what the
apostle Paul said in Ephesians, “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine”
(Ephesians 3:20, NIV). While Hal will be greatly missed by the Evangel staff
and many others, it is clear the Lord has directed him to this decision.
As you read the articles in this issue by John Bueno, Kirk
Noonan and Mike McClaflin, please pray for God’s hand of guidance and provision
for this great ministry — and for the faithful servant He has called to
lead it.
— Randy Hurst, AG World Missions communications
director
