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An invitation from Debbie Hough, former Director of Christian Education at Derry Church

I had never ventured very far away except for places in the United States and a few trips to Europe when the invitation came to go to Pakistan. Truthfully, Pakistan was not on my bucket list, but after meeting Veda Javaid Gill and learning that the Presbyterian Church (USA) owned property and schools in the Punjab area (thanks to Presbyterian missionaries), I said yes to the invitation and my life and Derry’s has never been the same.

Pakistan is a Muslim country that was created from part of India back in 1947. That was a very turbulent time and sometimes violence still flares up. Yet the schools once begun by the missionaries started to come to life in 1998 when the Presbyterian Education Board of Pakistan (PEB) was reinstated with Veda as their Executive Director. The public education system of Pakistan is not very good, and attending a private school for Christian children is nearly impossible because of poverty. As it is, only about 40% of children in Pakistan receive an adequate education. The PEB schools are exceptional schools and scholarships and boarding houses are provided for the Christian students. 

I first went in 2015. Dr. Tom Davis went with me when I returned in 2017. Then the Derry Twelve (as we became known) went in 2019. Tom Davis, Drs. Cindy and Bill DeMuth, Doris and Peter Feil, Lois and Greg Harris, Ann Geist, Ann and Jim Kroh, Rev. Nancy Reinert, and I made the journey to Pakistan and returned determined to accept the challenge we were given to provide more scholarships and build a wing on the Sargodha Boys School. Sargodha is also where Derry has focused on giving scholarships. 

Next year we have another opportunity to return to Pakistan, dedicate the new school wing, and meet Derry’s scholarship students and their teachers. I invite you to come along with Pastor Stephen and me from October 17-25, 2025. Costs are very reasonable for a trip of this length: $2,500-$3,000 should cover your expenses. One thing I can guarantee is that you will be changed as you see the sights, smell the smells, eat the wonderful food, and, most importantly, meet the hardest working, most dedicated group of Christians that you have ever met. 

Space is limited, so speak with Pastor Stephen or call me at (717) 265-4733 as soon as possible. Go ahead and add Pakistan to your bucket list – you will be blessed, no doubt!