EHC May 2020 Newsletter

Passover Eve: All of Israel to Fall Under Full Curfew for the First Time Since the 10 Plagues in Exodus, Chapters 7-12 As reported by Jewish News Service (JSN) April 6, 2020

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness will spread over Egypt - darkness that can be felt.” Exodus 10:21 On the original Passover night, all Jews in Egypt were in lockdown because of the plague of the First Born. In fact, the very term Passover – meant that the plague “Passed Over” the Jewish households. This year too, Israel will be in total lock-down. For when the angel of the Lord goes through to smite the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, and the Lord will pass over the door and not let the Destroyer enter and smite your home. (Exodus 12:23) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri have agreed to declare a full nationwide curfew for Passover eve, which begins at sundown on Wednesday. Speaking to Channel 12 News, Deri explained, “We considered a curfew a few weeks ago, but we didn’t want to paralyse the country. On Passover no one works and offices are closed. Especially on seder night (the first Passover meal together)we don’t

want people moving around from one family to another. As much as it hurts our hearts, this year seder (the first Passover meal) must be held with only the nuclear family.” Once the lockdown goes into effect, drivers will be stopped by police, said Deri. “On the night of Passover no one is shopping, everyone has already bought what they need. Occupants of a car on the road on seder night (the first Passover meal) will have to explain their business to the police,” he said. When asked how long the curfew would remain in place, Deri said he wasn’t sure. “We are discussing that, so people will be able to plan for it,” he said. On Monday, Acting Police Commissioner Moti Cohen was slated to hold a situation assessment ahead of the police deploying to enforce the Passover curfew. In addition to checkpoints at city borders and spot checks on the highways, traffic police will be conducting patrols in unmarked cars.

A source in the police said that the focus would mainly be on large family vehicles or cars carrying more than two passengers. Earlier Sunday, Deri had warned that certain neighbourhoods in Jerusalem were “in worse shape than Bnei Brak” in terms of the number of coronavirus cases. The city of Bnei Brak has been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The Health Ministry, he said, wants nearly all the city’s haredi (ultra-Orthodox) neighbourhoods put under quarantine. Discussing the possibility of quarantining these neighbourhoods, Deri said, “We’ve found a solution. The city will be divided into … eight districts. People can do their shopping and their errands within each district, but not move from one district to another. Of course, anyone who works and has a permit will be able to leave.” The ministry is demanding that certain corona hot spots be added to the list of quarantined cities and towns to check the spread of the epidemic: haredi neighbourhoods in Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem; Modi’in Illit and Beitar Illit; and the settlement of Elad.

On Sunday, the city of Beitar Illit decided to ban entry to non-residents after Mayor Meir Rubenstein held a meeting with police officials who asked that the city step up vehicle checks to keep tabs on who was entering and leaving the city limits. According to reports, Netanyahu and his ministers reached an agreement overnight Sunday to place these locations under quarantine, with entry and exit patrolled by the military. On Sunday, the Jerusalem District Police erected checkpoints at the entrance to the capital to enforce public health orders to check every incoming vehicle, leading to lengthy traffic jams. “Checkpoints have been set up at the entrance to Jerusalem to ensure the well-being, safety and health of the public. We provided explanations [of the public health orders] while enforcing them,” a police statement said. The ministry is also asking the cabinet to discuss quarantines for other corona hotspots, including Tiberias, Ashkelon, and Migdal HaEmek. This article first appeared in Israel Hayom. Breaking Israel News contributed to this report.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some Concernâ&#x20AC;? - Bangladesh Respected Uncle Eric and Aunty Lorraine Leach Warm Christian greetings to you from the Bangladesh Every Home for Christ family. One very important thing I would like to share is that Bangladesh is also battling with the worldwide pandemic Covid19 (Coronavirus) situation. Most of our coronavirus infected patients have arrived from different parts of the world. Until now, according to the government, many people have diagnosed positive. As you may know, many of our Bangladeshi labourers have been working in countries like Italy, Europe, Asia and Middle eastern countries for many years. Due to the pandemic situation many have arrived back in Bangladesh. Due to a lack of medical facilities, our Airport was not ready to handle such a huge influx of passengers. Many have been sent to quarantine centres at our nearby airports. But many have left the airport without a medical screening. Especially workers from Italy, Asia and the middle east who may carry Covid19 have gone to their homes without screening. More than 2,000 individuals have been quarantined in different locations of the country. With limited medical resources in our country, our people are in fear of the densely populated situation and when there is an outbreak it may infect thousands of people Please pray that God will put a hedge upon our Every Home for Christ workers going house to house, our children and our EHC School teachers. We have taken precautions to disinfect the facilities and also took initiative to follow the guidelines given by Ministry of Health and W.H.O. As co-workers ,we are corporately praying and fasting. We will be remembering all in our prayers. Sincerely in Christ .... MCDONALD M. ADHIKARY (MAC), Director, BANGLADESH EHC

THE SAILS OF SCAMPIA, HOME TO SOME 70,000 I N H A B I TA N T S , O N T H E O U T S K I R T S O F N A P L E S , I TA LY

I TA LY

by Joshua Skaggs

Le Vele: The Lost Cause Their home is going away. Three of the massive buildings have already been demolished, and the remaining four are in shambles. It is said that one will be left standing as a museum, a reminder of what happened here. But for the families who still live inside these walls, who spent their childhoods stepping over discarded needles and surviving clan feuds, no reminder is necessary. They are still here. The urban housing project was built in the sixties and seventies on the outskirts of Naples, Italy. Half of the buildings were triangle-shaped, reminiscent of giant sails that inspired the neighbourhood’s name, “Le Vele”.The architects envisioned children playing in green fields in the shadow of the sails. And children did play here — but as the years passed, their games turned violent. When Camorra, an organised crime syndicate, took over the neighborhood, Le Vele became synonymous with drugs, guns, poverty and Mafia infighting. In the coming decades, Le Vele would become the most active drug and arms market in Western Europe. By 2004, the peak of the gang wars, one person was murdered every day. A million dollars in drug money was traded daily. It is said that more needles could be found in this one neighbourhood than in the rest of Italy.

Today, Le Vele is in decline, a drug market in old age. When you enter the complex, you smell burning trash; you hear dogs barking. From the bottom floor, you look up and see suspended metal walkways that lead to bolted doors, like the interior of some post-apocalyptic detention centre. Across the entirety of a prominent wall is a painting of an old woman with devil horns. But something is happening here, amid the rack and ruin. Behind thick metal doors, the ones that were added after the gang wars started, you meet people whose lives tell a different story.

Salvatore: The Escaped Dealer In the rotten basement of Le Vele, he spent his youth playing games and selling drugs. The youngest of nine children, Salvatore learned to care for himself by the time he was 10. There was not enough money to provide for such a big family, so he made his own way from the bottom of Le Vele. “We would play ding dong ditch and throw rocks onto cars and that kind of stuff,” he remembers.“I enjoyed it. It was all I knew.” In middle school, he was already making roughly 1,000 a week, transporting drugs for his older brother. But that income came at a high personal cost. Sometimes he discovered dead bodies in the buildings’ nooks and crannies. One of his eardrums was shattered in a conflict. “You always had to be alert and keep your head up,” he says. He met Nunzia as a teenager, and they got married when he was 22. She took his family name — Mincione, the surname of a powerful Mafia family in the region. They had two kids and a closet full of guns. In 2012, a second war broke out between rival clans, and Salvatore’s older brother was shot. That year, the Mafia tried to invade Salvatore’s home, and he and Nunzia stayed inside with the door bolted for days. Every night, Nunzia begged Salvatore to cut ties with Camorra. They had heated arguments. When Salvatore finally agreed to make an honest living selling eggs, they suffered a 90% cut to their income. To make ends meet, he secretly sold drugs on the side. “I felt the world going away,” he says. “I was full of anxiety, and I was depressed… At a certain point, I thought everything was over, and I thought it was just going to be me and my wife, nobody else.”

Marco: The Outsider The first time he tried to enter Le Vele, a man met him at the entrance and flashed a gun. The message was clear: You have to go. So Marco left, went back to the church he pastored a few miles away and regrouped. In his role as EHC Ministry Director, Marco was tasked with reaching every home in southern Italy with the Gospel. That included the thousands of apartments in Le Vele. His heart was moved by the plight of the people who lived there. “Every time I would read something in the paper or hear something on the news, I always had this prayer inside me — God, do something about this. Do something for these people…” Marco began to realise that God was sending him. But how could he reach a community that was closed to the rest of the world? The Mafia that controlled the neighbourhood was like a big family — albeit a dysfunctional one — and no one could interact with that family unless they were invited in. Marco tried again and again to enter Le Vele. He dressed in a leather jacket and black pants, carrying EHC gospel literature inside a black backpack. Every attempt he made to bring the Gospel to this neighbourhood was thwarted by men who guarded the area. There was no way in.

MARCO AND S A LVATO R E L O O K OUT FROM THE ROOF OF VELA CELESTE (LIGHT BLUE SAIL), THE BUILDING WHERE S A LVATO R E A N D NUNZIA LIVE.

Australia: PO Box 168 Penshurst NSW 2222 Telephone: (02) 9570 8211 Facsimile: (02) 9570 4738 ABN: 88001276240 www.everyhome.org.au E-mail: ehc@everyhome.org.au New Zealand: PO Box 31-260 Milford North Shore City 0741 NZBN: 9429043322862 Telephone: Free call 0800 900 200 Facsimile: 0061 2 9570 4738 www.everyhomeforchrist.org.nz

A FEW MONTHS BEFORE SHE EVER SET FOOT IN LE VELE GOD HAD SHOWN HER THIS PLACE IN A DREAM

Alfonso and Immacolata: The Dreamers Every morning, as he passed Le Vele on the drive to his son’s school, Alfonso felt a tug on his heart. He heard God say, “This is your inheritance.” But when he shared this with his wife, Immacolata felt anxious. She remembered all the times her father had lectured her about the crime and violence that happened in Le Vele. It was a dangerous place, he had warned her. A sinful place. Immacolata says,“I would look at my past and think,‘I have nothing in common with them.’” So she prayed. The Lord spoke to her about the people’s need for Jesus’ love, and her heart began to change. She agreed to join her husband on an outreach, despite her fear. “I was terrified,” she admits. For 10 years, Alfonso had volunteered in a local prison, sharing the Gospel with inmates. During that time, he had made several connections with people in Le Vele. Where Marco had been turned away, Alfonso was granted access. The first time Immacolata entered the neighbourhood with her husband, she heard dogs barking viciously right outside their car. She sat in the passenger seat and opened her Bible to Psalm 91 — No evil shall be allowed to befall you — and then she followed Alfonso inside. As they passed under a stairwell, she realized that God had already shown her this place in a dream. Two years before she ever set foot in Le Vele, she saw people walking up those stairs and singing songs to God. “I saw an awakening,” she remembers. “And I heard a choir singing. I saw people coming out of their homes and praising God — like a revival.” Standing there in a stairwell she had never visited, she knew that God was going to do something powerful in this place. She had already seen it.

CORONAVIRUS PRAY PROTECTION FOR YOURSELF, YOUR FAMILY AND WHOEVER GOD PUTS ON YOUR HEART! In Exodus 12:13 God said “No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” Read Exodus 11 & 12 :1-40 many times to understand the comments on this page and ask God to make it real for you in this Coronavirus plague, the focus texts being Exodus 12: 12 & 13 as below. “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn - both men and animals - and I will bring judgement on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” God can do for you what He did for the Israelites, who were prisoners in Egypt. In Exodus 12:23 - “He will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down”. Claim this text for yourself and your family! In Exodus 12:7 God told them to put the blood from the sheep or the goats on the door posts for protection ... but now you have the blood of Jesus as in Revelation 12:11. Revelation 12:11 says - “They overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the lamb (the Lord Jesus Christ) and by the word of their testimony”. In prayer, speak the “blood of Jesus” to defeat the Coronavirus plague and Satan, the destroyer, will be overcome as in Revelation 12:11. Some people may think interpreting Exodus and Revelation for personal protection is too much. Then simply take the word of Jesus in John 14:13-14,“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it”.

MAY 2020

Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from the books of John. and Acts. For those wanting to do the one-year Bible reading program these chapters are in brackets.

PRAY FOR DICK AND DEE EASTMAN. Dick is the International President of Every Home for Christ with a large responsibility for EHC ministries across the world. John 4:1-26 (Judges 6-8) PRAY FOR DIPLAVE POKHREL Please continue to pray urgently for the Immigration Department to approve Diplave’s visa so that he can continue working with Every Home for Christ. PRAY FOR ERIC AND LORRAINE LEACH Please ask God to guide them, especially as Eric draws up the plan to visit every home in Australia and helps with New Zealand as Executive Director in both countries and serves on the United Kingdom Board. John 4:27-42 (Judges 9-12) PRAY FOR YOUR FAMILY - sons, daughters and grandchildren, plus others to come to Christ. Get a piece of paper and write down their names. Get their photos and pray every day for their salvation; eternity without Christ is a long time! John 4:43-54 (Judges 13 - 16) AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND Pray for God’s healing and intervention in the COVID-19 pandemic and care for the practical needs of those affected. Share the hope you have in Christ in any way possible. John 5:1- 18 (Judges 17-21) ITALY Pop. 62,200,000 Map. 65 Pray for the difficult situation in Italy, with many thousands of deaths. COVID-19 has inflicted a heavy toll on all aspects of life there. Pray that God would have mercy on people throughout the country and bring healing and hope to a devastated society . John 5:19-47 (Ruth 1-4)

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HUNGARY Pop. 9,800,000 Map. 79 Now that churches have been shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of personal missions has increased. Pray that believers will find ways to connect with relatives, friends, and neighbours to share hope and the good news that there is a loving Saviour. John 6: 1-29 (1 Samuel 1-7)

PRAY FOR ISRAEL ROMANS 11:28

REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO Pop. 5,000,000 Map. 20 Pray for God to strengthen all the former Muslims who have accepted Jesus. They are in need of grace as there will likely be persecution ahead of them from family and society. Pray that they will find other believers to fellowship with as they become disciples of Christ. John 6:30-71 (1 Samuel 8-12) GUYANA Pop. 700000 Map. 213 EHC Guyana has equipped and encouraged the Body of Christ in Guyana through mobilising prayer nationwide. Pray that churches now will experience a renewed vision for evangelism and that God will raise up many more workers. John 7:1-32 (1 Samuel 13:1 to 16:13) SPAIN Pop. 49,300,000 Map. 60 Pray for the thousands of people infected by the COVID-19 virus as well as for the many doctors and nurses who are exhausted. Pray for Spaniards to turn to the Lord during this time of crisis. He is the only one who can give life and hope John 7:33-53 (Psalm 23)

CREATIVE ACCESS - LATIN AMERICA Please pray that the Church in this country will find new strategies to carry the message of salvation forward without breaking earthly standards of protection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pray that each believer will find new ways to share the love of Jesus. John 8:1-27 (1 Samuel 16:14 to 19:11) BURKINA FASO Pop. 19,700,000 Map. 40 Terrorist attacks, killings, and kidnappings are increasing around the country. Pray for God to protect people and comfort the grieving. Pray that the God of peace will fill their hearts with His joy and peace as they trust Him, even in the midst of dire circumstances. John 8:28-59 (Psalm 59) LEBANON Pop. 6,100,000 Map. 114 The country’s economic crisis is leading to widespread poverty and desperation. This is a time when people seek God. As EHC Lebanon excitedly shares the Good News whenever they can., pray that the light and hope of the Gospel will draw many hearts to embrace Christ. John 9 (1 Samuel 19:12 to 21:15) CAMEROON Pop. 25,600,000 Map. 24 Thank God for the 56 people who recently received training in evangelism and discipleship. May they use this learning to gather the harvest that God is preparing. Please pray for open doors in the future to schedule training sessions in other places. John 10:1-22 (Psalms 34, 56) KOSOVO Pop. 1,900,000 Map. 72 Pray for those who have been infected by the COVID-19 virus. If some of these people have had gospel literature given to them in the past and they just tossed it in the corner, may the Lord cause them to pick it up and read it. May Christ reveal Himself to many during this time John 10 :23-42 (1 Samuel 22:1-2, Psalms 57, 142)

BANGLADESH Pop.159,400,000 Map132 During a revival meeting many people heard the message of the risen Christ. Many wept and surrendered their lives to Jesus. Some were healed from their sicknesses. During the outreach that followed the meeting, thousands heard the Gospel, and 940 responded positively. Praise God! John 11:1-19 (1 Samuel 22:3-23, Psalm 52) COTE D’IVOIRE Pop. 26,200,000 Map. 41 Pray that the flame of prayer would ignite among God’s people in the face of COVID-19. Pray that God will give wisdom to authorities to deal with the crisis. May He touch the lives of many during this time and cause them to surrender to Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. John 11:20-57 (1 Samuel 23, Psalms 54, 63)

CREATIVE ACCESS - ASIA With the strict laws against sharing the Gospel, EHC activities are being conducted secretly. Even in this difficult situation, the Lord is giving workers grace, and they are able to continue sharing the Gospel. Pray for God’s special protection over the whole team. John 12:1-33 (1 Samuel 24-26) SIERRA LEONE Pop. 6,300,000 Map. 44 Praise the Lord for the way He has manifested His power through signs and wonders in this nation. People have been healed, marriages restored, and the demon-possessed have been delivered. Thank God for His divine power and protection over the EHC team. John 12:34-50 (1 Samuel 27-31) CREATIVE ACCESS - MIDDLE EAST Pray for Hassan, a sheikh who called to ask about Jesus. He likes what he read in EHC literature, but he is afraid of persecution if he becomes a follower of Jesus. Pray for courage and grace. May Hassan see the worth of Jesus and not be afraid to suffer persecution. John 13:1-38 (2 Samuel 1-4)

SLOVAKIA Pop. 5,400,000 Map. 81 Pray that the love of God would so fill believers’ hearts that it would shine through them and draw suffering people to the Saviour. Pray for wisdom and discretion for God’s people as they share the Gospel. May they humble themselves and receive healing for their land. John 14:1-31 (2 Samuel 5-7, Psalm 30) MALAWI Pop. 19,800,000 Map. 15 Please

pray that freedom of worship would continue in Malawi so that people can freely share the Gospel in every place without restriction. Pray also for unity among EHC workers so they can work together despite their political differences. Pray against the spread of COVID-19. John 15:1-27 (2 Samuel 8:1, Psalm 60) CZECHIA Pop. 10,600,000 Map.82 Pray for the situation in this country. There is great fear of COVID-19 and how it is affecting every aspect of life.May this be a new chance for people to think about their life and seek God. Pray that people will have open hearts as they read EHC pamphlets in their homes . John 16:1-33 (2 Samuel 8:15 to 10:19)

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SEYCHELLES Pop. 94,700 Map. 145. An EHC partner church had the opportunity to witness to the Indian community in the country. More than 100 people made a decision to follow Jesus. Praise God! Pray that they will be nurtured in the faith and mature in Christ as they study His Word. John 17:1-26 (2 Samuel 11:1 to 12:14, Psalms 51,32) CREATIVE ACCCESS - ASIA Pray for Joseph, Philip, and Jacob, 3 brothers who are interested in knowing more about Christ. They attend a Christ Group and are close to accepting Christ. Please pray that God would visit them as they draw near to Him. John 18:1-23 (2 Samuel 12:15 to 15:37) INDIA Pop. 1,296,800,000 Map. 129 An EHC outreach team was able to reach three major villages without any problems. Despite opposition and threats, they were able to reach 680 homes with the Gospel in these three villages. John 18:24-40 (Psalms 3, 69) ESWATINI Pop. 1,000,000 Map. 3 Pray for this nation as the current pandemic has hit hard, and many have lost jobs. Pray for the Church to rise up and bring hope to the people in such great distress. May they preach the Good News and bring comfort and help. John 19:1-30 (2 Samuel 16-20) ROMANIA Pop.21,400,,000 Map.78 Thank God EHC teams managed to complete the flower project before the authorities imposed quarantine restrictions. The staff is now seeking the Lord’s wisdom on how to most effectively share Christ and disciple local believers. Please pray. John 19:31- 42 (Psalms 64, 70) CREATIVE ACCESS - MIDDLE EAST Pray for the leaders of this nation to make wise decisions in this difficult time. The COVID-19 virus has created a lot of fear, even among believers. Pray that new believers would not lose ground as many Christ Groups have stopped meeting. May God grant mercy and healing. John 20: 1-31 (2 Samuel 21-22, Psalm18) MALI Pop. 18,400,000 Map. 49 Pray for the spiritual growth of Miriam. She is the only Jesus follower in her Muslim family. Pray that the Lord will protect and strengthen her and prepare her to overcome opposition. May God use her life and testimony to bring others in her family into the Kingdom. John 21:1-25 (2 Samuel 23-24) CREATIVE ACCESS - EURASIA Many radical Muslims live in G region. EHC Pioneer Missionaries shared gospel literature there and also visited believers. Pray for the safety of the believers and pray that those who received God’s Word will be transformed by His Spirit Acts 1 (Psalms 4-6) THAILAND Pop. 68,600,000 Map 136 During these uncertain times, pray that Thai people will seek help from God, who is in control of all things. May the gospel packages that were presented in each home be a source of hope and new life. Acts 2:1-36 (Psalms 7-9)