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23. Barbara Szewczyk of Zegocina, Poland, faced economic hardship after her husband died in a car accident. Left to care for three children, her paralyzed mother, and her grandfather, Szewczyk received a much-needed boost in income from the gift of a Polish Red cow by Heifer Project International, an ecumenical organization based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Before receiving livestock, hpi beneficiaries worldwide are trained in animal husbandry and agree to share with others in need the offspring of the animals, which include cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, llamas, water buffalo, bees, and rabbits.

24. Following a two-year dental residency, William Gibson plans to become the first oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Perry County, Kentucky—an unlikely dream for someone from a family dependent on public assistance and Social Security disability payments. But Gibson entered Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, Kentucky, a Christian school where students work up to 20 hours weekly as a graduation requirement. In exchange, the college charges only $240 per term to students from 100 counties in five Appalachian states. The college awards additional subsidies for graduate studies to a few students like Gibson.

25. Ernie's drug problem got so bad that his wife asked him to leave. Realizing he had a problem, Ernie turned to Fresh Start Ministry at the Christian Service Center for Central Florida. After undergoing vocational and spiritual counseling, Ernie reconciled with his wife. Robert Stuart, the Orlando-based center's executive director, says the "restorative ministry" provides room and board for 39 employable men for $60 a week for up to six months. Residents are required to work, save earnings to pay debts, and attend Bible studies and job-training workshops.

26. After five years of playing a soldier at Civil War re-enactments, Alan Farley of Appomattox, Virginia, changed his dramatic role to that of a military chaplain. He established Re-enactor's Missions for Jesus Christ, which reprints the text of evangelistic tracts from the nineteenth century. Even when re-enactments are sponsored by government agencies, Farley and 15 fellow chaplains distribute gospel materials and preach tent revivals at the events since they are portraying the activities of actual Civil War chaplains. As a result, more than 700 professions of faith have been recorded and 750,000 tracts distributed.

27. On designated Saturdays, Lonnie Daugherty and Bennie Trout donate the use of their automotive centers to provide single women with low-cost vehicle maintenance. Men from First Baptist Church and Eagle Heights Baptist Church (SBC) in Stillwater, Oklahoma, charge only the mechanics' cost for parts and donate the labor. First Baptist's deacons initiated the ministry after taking a course on biblical principles of financial management.

28. After three successful years with the Phoenix Suns in the 1980s, Rod Foster's basketball career ended after he was injured in an automobile accident. But Foster joined the exhibition basketball teams of Athletes in Action, the sports ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. These former college and professional players share the gospel during aia-provided pregame meals with opposing players from such Division I teams as Indiana, Kentucky, UCLA, and Vanderbilt. aia teams have a record of 1,113-630 since the ministry's inception in 1967.

29. Ronnie DeVries, Teen Shepherd
"Mom, Dad, I want to get baptized," 15-year-old Ben announced one evening after a youth-group meeting. This was no knee-jerk response after a We-Are-the-Worl moment at a youth rally. This pastor's kid was fed more Bible stories than Cheerios in his childhood. Yet, until then, he hadn't wanted to be baptized. Despite his dad's frequent invitations, Ben would say he wasn't "ready."

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November 17 1997, Vol. 41, No. 13