Several years ago we introduced this column to help you know where the Eliza Broadus Offering is used across Kentucky. I hope that you have been excited about the many ways the offering shares “The Heart of the Story” across Kentucky.

Thank you for your faithful giving. EBO funds are received monthly, and we are praying to reach the 2015-16 goal of $1,250,000. A total of $1,061,309 has been received through the first week of February, which is a little behind this time last year. We will continue to receive 2015-16 EBO gifts through Aug. 31.

The Kentucky WMU Finance Committee met a few weeks ago to make EBO Special Ministry Grants for this year. $95,500 was awarded to 98 different ministries. In addition, 69 Kentucky Baptist Associations received a grant of $500 to be used as needed for missions in the association.

Every ministry that has received a grant must complete an accountability form to apply for a subsequent grant. Let me share a few ways EBO funds helped to tell “The Heart of the Story” this past year.

Springfield Baptist Church fed children from the local Housing Authority during their Kingdom Wednesday program. 60-70 percent of these children are unchurched. Through this ministry they heard the gospel and learned Bible verses.

Kentucky Raceway Ministry used EBO funds to purchase Bibles that include testimonies by NASCAR drivers. Through Facebook, KRM learned of one young boy who had received a Bible while attending a race. His mother told them how the boy reads the Bible each night and they discuss what he has read.

This year Friendship International in West Union Association had one student from Nigeria, five from Colombia, two from Thailand, two from South Korea, one from Jordan, two from Albania, and 16 from Mexico. A number of students have become active in local congregations which have worship in their native languages. Several students have learned enough English to be hired part-time or full-time in the area.

A boy who had been rejected by his mother found God’s love and a place to belong through the ministry of High Mountain Horsemanship Outreach. He went from being bullied to having the confidence to train a 1,000 pound horse and then teach those who had once bullied him how to halter and lead a horse. Above all, he received Christ as Savior and now has a Father who will never reject him!

EBO also provides funds for language missions, church planting, church and community missions, state missionaries, evangelism, work on our college campuses, and much more through ministries of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. We are grateful to partner with KBC through the Eliza Broadus Offering.

Keep Kentucky missionaries and missions volunteers in your prayers. Pray for open doors to share Jesus, who is “The Heart of the Story,” with people across our state.

Joy Bolton is executive director-treasurer of Kentucky Woman�s Missionary Union, P.O. Box 436569, Louisville, KY 40253; (502) 489-3534; kywmu.org