A Look Back at 2025 and the Path Ahead
Dear Friends,
As 2025 draws to a close, we pause with grateful hearts to reflect on all that God has done—and to thank you for walking this journey with us. Through your prayers, generosity, and steadfast support, ASON International continues to witness lives transformed and faith strengthened across Ghana, South Asia, and the Dominican Republic. Each story from this year reminds us that God is still at work—writing His story of redemption on the hearts of people through the power of the Holy Spirit. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “You show that you are a letter from Christ, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Corinthians 3:3)
This truth has come alive in every corner of our ministry this year. In February, a team of thirteen traveled with us to Ghana for evangelism, leadership, and women’s conferences—and to celebrate the grand opening of the third-floor expansion of the Senior High School. The air was filled with worship and gratitude as we dedicated the new classrooms to God’s glory. Over the summer, new computer lab equipment was installed and training completed, leading to the grand opening on September 12th, just in time for the school year. As the final building begins to rise—one that will soon house a science laboratory and classrooms—the vision of empowering a generation through education and faith is becoming reality.
In South Asia, our ministry has endured both hardship and extraordinary faith. In June, our national leader was unjustly imprisoned for three days before being released through the intervention of a member of parliament. Yet instead of fear, his faith was strengthened. “It is a privilege to suffer for the Lord,” he said after his release—words that reflect the courage of believers across the region. Despite persecution, the gospel continues to advance. Homes for pastors are being built, and this year brought the first successful wheat harvest, a small but powerful step toward long-term sustainability and self-sufficiency.
In the Dominican Republic, a team of seventeen—most of them teenagers—joined us this summer to construct an addition to the new T-Shirt Factory, a vital part of our vision for a ministry that can sustain itself economically for years to come. When the factory opens in November 2025, it will provide jobs, strengthen local families, and help fund ministry growth throughout the region.
Now, as we look to the year ahead, our hearts are full of anticipation for what God will do next. In Ghana, we’re praying to finish the final phase of the Senior High School. In the Dominican Republic, we’re preparing to launch the T-Shirt Factory that will help support ministry through local enterprise. And in South Asia, we are pressing forward to complete the mother church, school, pastors’ apartments, and purchase of land and construction of three new churches, even as believers there face increasing persecution.
This is the moment where your partnership can make a lasting difference. When you give to ASON International, you’re not just funding projects—you’re helping to write God’s story on the hearts of people across the world. Your gift builds classrooms where students encounter Christ and strengthens pastors who share the gospel in places of great risk.
We would like to ensure that you are aware of some upcoming changes in the law that may impact the tax benefits of charitable giving.
Starting in 2026, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) will introduce new limits on charitable deductions:
If you itemize deductions, you will only be able to deduct charitable donations that exceed 0.5% of your adjusted gross income.
High-income earners will face a 35% cap on the tax benefit of itemized deductions, which could reduce the tax benefit of giving.
Given these changes, it may be advisable to accelerate charitable contributions into 2025 to maximize the benefits of current tax rules. We recommend discussing this with your personal tax advisor to determine the best course of action for your specific situation.
Additionally, we wanted to remind you of some tax-advantaged opportunities for charitable giving that are available in addition to regular monetary contributions. Utilizing appropriate tax-advantaged giving methods can represent wise stewardship for donors in certain situations.
Qualified charitable IRA distributions
If you are age 70½ or older, you may have a tax-advantaged opportunity to contribute funds directly from your traditional (non-Roth) individual retirement account (IRA) to a qualifying charitable organization. Sometimes referred to as a “qualified charitable IRA distribution,” this giving method allows you to distribute up to $108,000 in 2025 from your traditional IRA account directly to a qualifying organization, such as ASON International, without being taxed on the distribution. (The limit of $108,000 is indexed for inflation annually.) To qualify, the distribution must be transferred directly from your IRA account to the qualifying organization. A check written on your IRA account and made payable to ASON International is considered a direct transfer. (You cannot withdraw the funds yourself and then make the gift.) Additionally, qualified charitable IRA distributions typically count toward your annual required minimum distributions, if applicable – which generally begin at age 73 under current law. If you are interested in giving to ASON International from your traditional IRA account, your IRA account administrator can provide information about making a qualified charitable IRA distribution.
As this year draws to a close, we invite you to give generously—to stand with us in faith and continue the work God has begun. Together, we can finish strong in 2025 and step into 2026 ready to see how He multiplies every seed sown in love.
Thank you for standing with us, praying with us, and giving so that others may know the hope of Christ. May the Lord bless you richly for your faithfulness and your partnership in His Kingdom work.
In His Service,
Ellen & Martin
