Psalm 122:6-9 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels."For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you."For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity.
April 2018
Eric and Lorraine Leach with Dr Dick and Dee Eastman Eric, EHC Executive Director Dick, International President Australia and New Zealand. Every Home for Christ Founder EHC United Kingdom
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” — Romans 8:31 (ESV)
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od will make a way where there seems to be no way. These opening lines from Don Moen’s famous praise song tell us an important truth about our Lord. He is the great pathmaker. The Bible is filled with examples of God overcoming the impossible for His people. He provided instructions for building an ark to save Noah and his family from the flood. He parted the Red Sea to allow Moses and the Israelites to escape from Egypt. And, most importantly, He gave His Son to save us from sin and death forever. Today, God is still making a way for His people around the globe. Our pioneer missionaries face incredible trials as they
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strive to share the Good News of Jesus with their people. Some endure crippling health issues. Others come up against harsh legal restrictions. And some face the daily threat of imminent danger. But one thing they all have in common is their unwavering faith that God will come through in the end — and He always does. As a friend of our ministry, you are an important part of how God makes a way for us around the world. As you read the stories in this issue of Every Home newsletter, I hope you’ll be encouraged to remember that God is always with you. No matter the difficulty you’re facing, He can make a way. - Dick Eastman
Drug Drama by James Holt
Two evangelists perform a drama about a prisoner who attempts to escape. Dramas like this captivate audiences and make a way for presentations of the Gospel.
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sri lanka
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n the early 1970s, Sri Lanka’s schools were infiltrated by a radical socialist group called the People’s Liberation Front (JVP). At that time, the schools were open to all visitors, and Every Home for Christ Sri Lanka made the most of the opportunity to share the Good News. Our ministry on this island nation off India’s southern tip was still in its infancy, but National Director Sam Thevabalasingham knew that reaching students at their schools was an effective step toward reaching whole families. “Children always take the message home,” Sam says. “Through schools we touch the community.” But that access ended when the JVP arrived. This extremist group spread its propaganda on campuses and recruited young people to join its secret military movement. Its goal was to overthrow Sri Lanka’s democratically elected government and establish a revolutionary socialistic rule in its place. Sri Lanka’s schools responded to the threat by blocking all visitor access. Though this move protected students from the influence of the JVP, it also prevented Every Home for Christ from reaching the youth where they studied.
“Hence, Every Home for Christ’s student outreach work came to a standstill,” Sam remembers. But Sam always knew that God still had a plan for Sri Lanka’s students. “For decades, we have mobilised people to pray for students in high schools, colleges and universities.” The answer to those prayers would come in an indirect and unexpected way. While the threat of revolution had been mitigated, a new threat was creeping into the schools and the rest of Sri Lanka as well: drugs. “More than 500,000 men and women have been affected as Sri Lanka has become a transit point for drug traffickers from India and Pakistan,” Sam explains. “It became a big challenge for the government and law enforcement agencies.” One of those affected by the drug trade was Chandrasena Pieris, the son of a Hindu priest. As a child, Chandrasena skipped school to join a gang. His crimes consisted of breaking into people’s homes and petty theft, but things grew more serious when Chandrasena became the leader of his own gang.
Soon, he was trafficking drugs on behalf of big-time dealers — and becoming addicted himself. Eventually, Chandrasena’s offenses caught up with him. He was arrested, subjected to a violent interrogation and given a harsh prison sentence. “He knew there was no one to help him, and the punishment was horrendous,” Sam says. “He began to cry and call upon the gods of his father.” Rajah, a Christian visiting the prison at the time, overheard Chandrasena’s cries and met with him to share Jesus. Their meetings continued whenever Rajah visited the prison. Over time, Chandrasena realised that his cries to his father’s gods had been met with silence — but Jesus answered and showed Himself to be the living God. Deeply moved, Chandrasena put his faith in Jesus. When a yearly presidential pardon unexpectedly released Chandrasena a few months later, he went straight to the rehabilitation centre run by Rajah. Chandrasena spent the next five years at the centre, breaking his addiction and growing in his newfound faith.
Rajah then introduced Chandrasena to the South Asia Institute of Theology, a Bible school EHC’s Brother Sam had established in the 1980s, and Chandrasena went on to earn a degree in theology. Having come so far on his own journey from drug addiction, Chandrasena proposed an idea to Sam. This idea was unconventional, but Sam was willing to try it. In 2016, they formed a street drama team to perform a retelling of Chandrasena’s story — bringing to light the struggles of an addict and introducing audiences to the freedom found only in Jesus. “This is often an emotional time, moving those in the audience to tears,” Sam shares. “Onlookers often forget this is a street drama and shout to save the prisoner.” These street dramas caught the attention of an unexpected audience, the Sri Lankan government — and the government wanted to offer its support. Not only did it invite the team to perform for the Sri Lankan Police’s 150th anniversary celebration, it also opened up the schools to Every Home for Christ again.
sri lanka continued Now, in schools throughout Sri Lanka, kids gather for special assemblies, standing on tiptoes to see over each other’s heads. They watch and listen, a captive audience to a drama that preaches freedom from addiction and freedom in Christ. Since its inception, the street drama team has performed at 98 schools, reached 120,000 people and shared 150,000 gospel messages. For over three decades, Sam and his team
were prevented from sharing the Gospel on school campuses. Now, they are invited back by the schools themselves with the blessing of the national government. God answered their prayers to reach students by working through the life of a drug addict — and they are seeing incredible fruit as a result. “School children are amazed to hear the name of Jesus.” Sam shares. “He has the power to deliver and protect them.”
by Josh Skaggs
At first it was just her hand. She tried to open the car door, but her hand wouldn’t work properly. A massage before bedtime didn’t seem to help. Sometime during the night she awoke and realised she couldn’t move her arms or legs. Svetlana was paralysed from the neck down. Her husband, Nicolae, lay within arm’s reach, but she had no way of waking him. Just as she began to panic — a voice. "By My stripes you are healed". Isaiah 53:5 OK, she thought. I cannot see that I am healed, but by faith… She focused on the voice, and it got her through the long night. In the morning, Nicolae took her to the hospital, and the news was bad. After a battery of tests,
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doctors told Svetlana that she had suffered a severe stroke and would never walk again. One doctor told her she should buy a comfortable mattress, because she would spend the rest of her life in bed. For days, Svetlana lay inert in her hospital bed, as the voice in her mind reassured her, "By My stripes you are healed." The other three patients in the room lamented how terrible it was that she would always be paralysed. Some of the doctors called her crazy for believing that God would heal her. Test after test brought back the same prognosis: She would never walk again. During a discouraging conversation with her doctors, Svetlana told Nicolae, “Please talk to them outside.” She couldn’t bear to hear them contradict her faith.
Day after day she lay motionless, but in her mind she was above it all, seeing herself healed. Meanwhile, Nicolae contemplated whether he should give up his ministry position. As Every Home for Christ’s leader in Moldova, his job was to oversee evangelism efforts for his entire nation. He and Svetlana had always led outreaches side by side, but things would have to be different after this. He worried that it was time to step down from the ministry. But when he prayed, Nicolae felt an assurance that God still had plans for him with Every Home for Christ. He decided to keep working to share the Gospel in Moldova, to find a way forward even though he couldn’t see it. He would keep leading; Svetlana would keep believing. Both held onto their faith, living by a reality they couldn’t see. Ten days passed, and they got their first sign of hope: Svetlana was able to move her finger. One of the doctors who had called her crazy came into the room and watched in awe as she moved her foot.
“There is a God!” he said, as he paced the room. “There is a God!” In the years that followed, Svetlana’s slow recovery silenced the voices of all those who doubted. Through it all, God’s voice stayed with her. She still hears Him when she prays, and she heard Him when she returned to help lead outreaches again with Nicolae in 2016. During an outreach among gypsies, she met a fortune-teller and suddenly heard the voice of God in her thoughts: The fortuneteller has a smoking problem. She spoke out what she heard, and the fortune-teller looked at her in amazement. “You’re a fortune-teller too!” she said. “I’m not,” Svetlana answered. “But God told me, and God can help you quit smoking.” They prayed together, the fortune-teller and the woman who hears the voice of God. Nicolae shared about other evangelists who have had their car windows bashed in with rocks and baseball bats. In villages where the Orthodox Church has held power for centuries, the Gospel is a threat to religious control.
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During a recent outreach, Nicolae, Svetlana and 13 teenagers squeezed into a small van and drove into one such Orthodox neighbourhood. As soon as they pulled onto the main street, a policeman stopped them. Nicolae stepped out and spoke with the officer while Svetlana stayed inside with the teens, trying to eavesdrop through cracked windows. “We’re not doing anything illegal,” Nicolae said. He knew it was in fact illegal for the officer to prohibit them from evangelising, since freedom of religion is protected by Moldovan law. But the officer didn’t budge. He explained that two years before, Orthodox priests had provoked an uprising against a visiting team of evangelists, destroying their car and chasing them from the village. This resulted in a two-year lawsuit that had disrupted the entire community. The police officer was determined to keep the peace this time. Inside the van, Svetlana prayed. Nerves were running high, but she suddenly felt a sense of peace — and direction. She grabbed her Bible and stepped outside. Joining Nicolae and the policeman, she opened her Bible and read Colossians 1:16: “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through him and for him” (ESV). Svetlana, Nicolae and the police officer discussed the verse together. They talked about how all authority is given by God, which meant the police officer was God’s servant. After considering this new idea, the officer gave them permission to enter the neighbourhood. And they were able to take the Gospel to every home. But things don’t always go so smoothly. During an outreach in another village, an Orthodox priest roused a mob with pitchforks and other weapons. Nicolae tried to de-escalate the situation, but the mob
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wouldn’t disperse. “So we decided to leave,” Nicolae recalls. “But the next day we came back and finished. We must finish. This is the task — reach every home.” When asked what it’s like to be surrounded by an angry mob, Nicolae smiles and says, “Come visit us and see.” Svetlana is more instructive. “Our response is to pray,” she says. “We ask God to give them a quiet spirit.” Nicolae adds, “And you speak what God gives you.” This encouragement to “speak what God gives you” recalls the practice of the early Church, whose members similarly faced angry mobs. It is also reminiscent of Jesus’ words to His disciples: “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say” (Matthew 10:19, NIV). When Svetlana was paralysed, God spoke to her. When Nicolae thought of giving up his ministry, God spoke to him. God’s voice has directed them in every difficulty they’ve faced. “When God gives you the vision, He gives you the faith,” Svetlana says. That’s good news. Nicolae and Svetlana’s vision for the future of Moldova is audacious, requiring no small amount of faith. . In the coming years, they plan to take the Gospel to every home in their nation. Some people might say this is impossible, but Nicolae and Svetlana hear a voice that says otherwise.
May I Ask You A FavoUr?
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by Dick Eastman, International President
never cease to be amazed by the incredible people God has called to support the ministry of Every Home for Christ through the years. With your finances and prayer, some of you have partnered with us for 40, 50 or even 60 years. In my mind, this kind of dedication is evidence of a true calling and I’m so thankful that God has called you to come alongside the ministry. You help bring the Good News of Jesus to every home on earth. As you know, I’m not getting any younger. In fact, I was telling my doctor the other day that I was starting to have a little problem with my memory. He said, “How long have you had this problem?” I said, “What problem is that?” But seriously, as we age, we really need to think and pray about how we can impact the Kingdom for eternity, even after the Lord calls us home. Dee and I want the work of Every Home for Christ to expand and continue long after we’re gone, so we’ve left a significant gift to the ministry in our will. We know that you love this ministry and have a heart for people without Christ just like we do. So, I would like to humbly ask that you prayerfully consider leaving a gift to Every Home for Christ from your estate. Will you stand with us to leave a legacy for His glory? Thank you so much for your prayerful consideration of this request and your many years of faithful support. If you need any assistance writing or rewriting your will from a Christian perspective, please contact Every Home for Christ Australia: (02) 9570 8211 New Zealand: 0800 900 200 United Kingdom: 020 8940 1873
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Gloria in the Gap M e x i c o
by James Holt
Our EHC team members in Mexico are hesitant to answer their office door. There’s a real possibility that the person knocking is there to rob or kidnap them. But life wasn’t always so dangerous for our team in Mexico. “When I was a child, I could play in the streets,” remembers Gloria Silva Lopez, National Director of EHC Mexico. “Now, you cannot go out with confidence.When we leave our houses, we are afraid that something will happen to us.” Criminal groups have been a problem in Mexico for some time, but Gloria says they have become even more extreme over the past year. “We are facing problems that we didn’t have in the past,” Gloria laments. “We are facing evil. Real evil.” Despite the increased danger, Gloria is resolute in her faith that God will provide for the ministry’s needs. She’s seen Him do it before. Gloria was appointed National Director of Every Home for Christ Mexico in 1985, only to see the work closed that same year. Unfortunately there simply weren’t enough funds at the time to keep the work going. Seeking God’s guidance, Every Home for Christ made the difficult decision to temporarily stop working in several nations, including Mexico.
While some might have seen this as a reason to give up, Gloria decided to keep the EHC work in Mexico afloat — even without outside financial support. What she didn’t know was that donor funding would not return for another 23 years. During this lean season, Gloria worked as an historian at the University of Mexico and helped her nephews with their import business. But when she wasn’t working, Gloria continued to serve the vision of reaching her entire nation for Jesus. Storing gospel literature in her mother’s home, Gloria and her husband, Epi, worked hard to mobilise churches — and they saw God move in incredible ways. “Our money was not enough to cover all the country with the Gospel,” Gloria shares. “However, people continued asking for literature and sending in decision cards.” Outreach teams received an average of 300 decision cards each month, a total of over 80,000 responses to the Gospel over those 23 years. Then in 2008, Every Home for Christ was finally able to reopen the work in Mexico. The reintroduction of outside funding accelerated the ministry dramatically. Every
Home for Christ Mexico has since reached every home in its nation twice and is now poised to cover it a third time. “In all these days, I have faced many problems,” Gloria shares. “However, more than that, we have lots of victories.” 2 Remembering her experience of God’s provision, Gloria doesn’t shrink back when dangers arise. She prayerfully soldiers on. Gloria uses the import knowledge she learned from her nephews to bring gospel literature and other resources into Mexico. She and Epi are working through churches to help those struggling with addiction. And her next project is to deliver 2,000 Bibles to 3 the Totonaca indians, an indigenous people group living in Mexico’s mountains. Led by a fierce love for people without Christ in Mexico, Gloria pushes her team to look past their immediate circumstances to the loving power of the Lord. He was with them as they faced financial difficulty, and He is with them now. “I will keep going until my last moment in life,” Gloria shares. “To me, Every Home for Christ ministry is my life. I can’t imagine doing another thing.”
Christian Evangelism Faces New Challenges As Anti-Conversion Laws Spread
Religious liberty faces a new threat, this time from anti-conversion laws. Simply talking to someone about your faith is seen to be worthy of lengthy prison terms in several countries both in Asia and South America. Now awaiting approval by President Evo Morales, Bolivia's new penal code contains an article 88.1 that criminalises, with the same stroke of the pen, both recruitment for armed conflicts and religious organisations. The text of the law reads, "Whoever recruits, transports, deprives of freedom or hosts people with the aim of recruiting them to take part in armed conflicts or religious or worship organisations will be penalised with 7 to 12 years of imprisonment. In recent days Evangelical Christians in Bolivia have organised marches to protest the new penal code which places them in a perilous position for the practice of their faith. On Tuesday January 16th a peaceful march was held in Cochabama and on January 21st evangelical churches across Bolivia observed special days of prayer and fasting as they continued to petition the legislature to amend the new laws enacted against religious freedom. In October of 2017, Nepal began enforcement of a similar law designed to restrict Christian worship and evangelism. The new penal code was voted in by the Nepalese Parliament in August and then signed by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari in October.
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The text of the law itself warns that "No one should involve in or encourage conversion of religion" and that "No one should convert a person from one religion to another religion or profess their own religion and belief with similar intention by using or not using any means of attraction and by distributing religion or belief of any ethnic groups or community from that being practised since ancient times". The penalty is set at 5 years of prison plus a $500 (50,000 rupees) fine and for foreigners, they must be deported within 7 days of completing their prison sentence. The new criminal code in Nepal also bars "hurting religious sentiment" which is a variation on the blasphemy laws that have been used throughout the Islamic world to restrict religious freedom. To speak of one's own belief in Jesus can, by these new standards, be interpreted as "hurting religious sentiment." By an act of parliament in this case, all interfaith dialogue is criminalised as well as the publishing of Christian materials in any form, lest it injure the sentiments of Hindus. Saudi Arabia, as an example of a strict Islamic state, regulates Christian conversions in a different way. Virtually 100% of the Saudi population is Muslim, and conversion away from Islam is considered apostasy, punishable by death. But criminalising the act of evangelism itself, as is being done in Bolivia and Nepal, is another tactic altogether. While the Indian constitution contains nominal protections for religious freedom, when the law is enforced, the past century has seen a string of Indian states pass state laws against evangelism. These laws are known, with no small irony, as "Freedom of Religious Bills". The states of Orissa (1967), Madhya Pradesh (1968) and Arunachal Pradesh (1978) were the first, but in the year 2000 the state of Chhattisgarh and in 2003 Gujarat also passed anti-conversion laws. Russia, too, has cracked down on evangelism by Christian denominations not affiliated with the State, but has stopped short of comprehensive anti-conversion laws. Apart from state laws within India, Nepal and Bolivia are the first countries, but not likely to be the last, to enact egregious restrictions on both freedom of expression and religious liberty. - By PNW Staff
Jesus said "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagouges. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about
what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. Matthew 10:16-22
Australia: PO Box 168 Penshurst NSW 2222 Telephone: (02) 9570 8211 Facsimile: (02) 9570 4738 New Zealand: PO Box 31-260 Milford North Shore City 0741 Telephone: Free call 0800 900 200 Facsimile: 0061 2 9570 4738 www.everyhome.org.au E-mail: ehc@everyhome.org.au www.everyhomeforchrist.org.nz
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Israel “For I will take you take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” Ezekiel 36:24—27 This April 18th Israel will celebrate its 70 year anniversary of independence. This is a prophetic time to reflect on the promises of God to the people of Israel and the way he is working in our days. God promised Israel that he would bring them back into the land of Israel out of all the nations and then he would pour out His Spirit upon them. We are seeing the fulfillment of the first part of this prophecy and await the day in which he will fulfill the second part of the prophecy! Still, even in these days, the Lord is working and calling out a remnant from among his people. The generation of Jewish pioneers who founded the modern State of Israel was not particularly Torah observant. In fact, many early pioneers were avowed atheists. While you may still meet many atheists in Israel, the children and grandchildren of this founding generation have begun to search for spiritual truth. While some have returned to the Torah, many have turned to eastern mysticism. Many Israelis travel to India after their army service to “disconnect” and “clear
their heads.” Often they return from India having been deeply impacted by various Hindu practices and beliefs. In Israel these Hindu influences blend with a number of other forms of mysticism and have created a strong New Age scene. Phillis is an example of someone who had just such a background. Many years ago we had the opportunity to share with Phillis. She was excited to know about how biblical prophecy had been fulfilled in the life of Jesus. We kept in touch with her and were able to read through portions of the Scripture and share with her about the authority of Jesus. However it became clear that Phillis had a very New Age understanding of Jesus. She saw him as a source of power to tap into, not as her personal Lord and Saviour. While she was very excited about Jesus, she placed him alongside other spiritual teachers and could not accept his unique authority and lordship as the Son of God. Last year we were able to connect her with a believer who lived in her city. She began attending his congregation regularly and was transformed by the Spirit of God. Phillis has confessed that Jesus is her Lord and Saviour. A short time after her profession of faith, cancer was discovered spread throughout her body. Despite this trial she remains steadfast in the love and guidance of the Lord. She is currently undergoing intensive treatment. Please pray for her to grow in the faith and for healing. Remember also the people of Israel in your prayers at this special time. Come Lord Jesus!
APRIL 2018
Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from 2 Kings and 1 Chronicles. For those wanting to do the one-year Bible reading program these chapters are in brackets.
PRAY EVERY DAY As plans are being considered to visit every house in Australia and New Zealand with gospel literature, pray God will make this possible.
8,284,648 houses
1,561,956 houses
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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! 2 Kings 2 (Leviticus 8-10) CREATIVE ACCESS EHC workers recently prayed for a man who was paralysed from the waist down. He received complete healing and can now run and walk. This man received Christ immediately, and many others who were there also eagerly accepted Jesus into their hearts. Praise God! 2 Kings 3 (Leviticus 11-14) FRANCE Pop. 67,000,000 Map. 89 In recent months, the Gospel was presented to nearly 1 million families. The "Finding Hope" website has enjoyed growing success, attracting thousands of visitors each month. Hundreds of people wanted to go further by asking for the brochure "7 Days with Jesus." 2 Kings 4:1-22 (Levitcus 15-16) BURKINA FASO Pop. 19,000,000 Map. 40 Praise the Lord for what He has done in Fada N'gourma. During a recent outreach in urban Fada, 57 people responded, and two people gave their lives to Christ. To Jesus be the glory. Pray that these new believers will grow in knowledge and faith. 2 Kings 4:23-44 (Leviticus 17-22) MOLDOVA Pop. 3,600,000 Map.102 Please pray for the next evangelisation in Taraclia district in the villages of Alutau, Novosiolovca, Cazaclia, Baurci and Cotovscoe. Pray for good weather, protection and open hearts in the people who receive gospel booklets. 2 Kings 5 (Leviticus 23-27) SLOVAKIA Pop. 5,400,000 Map. 81 Please pray for improved relationships between EHC staff and the churches in Slovakia. Pray that the churches will see Every Home for Christ as a help in building the Church and a tool for spreading the Gospel. 2 Kings 6 (Numbers 1-4)
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PRAY FOR ISRAEL ROMANS 11:28
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AUSTRIA Pop. 8,700,000 Map. 80 Praise God for a great outreach in Freistadt (Upper Austria) with a local church. More than 20 people took part in the outreach, and future collaboration is already planned. Pray that many who received gospel literature will believe in Jesus. 2 Kings 7 (Numbers 5-7) CREATIVE ACCESS During recent flooding, three people were killed and 10,000 homes were affected. Pray for the churches that are giving aid to the victims of this flood. Pray that through this situation, the love of Jesus will be evident and the Gospel will be shared and accepted. 2 Kings 8 (Numbers 8-10) MOZAMBIQUE Pop. 28,800,000 Map. 8 In the past months, efforts to reach Bairros 4 and 9 of Nhamatanda have been impeded by a cult worship group that has a stronghold in these villages. Pray for a strong and faithful team of workers to enter the villages and plant the seed of the Word in the people. 2 Kings 9 (Numbers 11-15) NAMIBIA Pop. 2,500,000 Map. 11 Praise the Lord for the wonderful job the leaders in training in Namdeb are doing. They clean and arrange the venue at Namdeb and continue to evangelise and disciple in that area. Pray that God will bless them and use them to expand His kingdom. 2 Kings 10 (Numbers 16-19) MAURITIUS Pop. 1,200,000 Map. 6 Pray for the Christ Group in the south of this country in the village of Batimarais, as they are facing some challenges. Pray for wisdom to talk to people and raise up the right leaders among the group. Pray for God's protection and blessing. 2 Kings 11 (Numbers 20-24) BURUNDI Pop. 10,500,000 Map. 18 EHC Burundi team members and their families are doing outreach in the areas of Cabara and Karonda, where many people practice witchcraft and polygamy. Please pray that many souls will come to the decision to accept Jesus and leaders will be trained. 2 Kings 12 (Numbers 25-27) LITHUANIA Pop. 2,900,000 Map. 99 Pray for follow-up to outreach events in the town of Rukla. The EHC team would like to continue working there, but the mayor of the town is unfavourable to Christianity. Pray that God will open the door. 2 Kings 13 (Numbers 28-31) MYANMAR Pop. 52,900,000 Map.135 Pray that God will send workers to help pioneer missionaries in Myanmar who are in need of assistance. The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Pray for God to raise up more evangelists in Myanmar. 2 Kings 14 (Numbers 32-36)
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CREATIVE ACCESS Please pray for an EHC leader as he works in an area where the people have strong religious beliefs. Accepting the Gospel is very hard for them. Pray for the Spirit of God to move mightily in this area. 2 Kings 15 (Deuteronomy 1-4) CAMEROON Pop.23,400,000 Map. 24 Praise God for the home-to-home evangelism initiative that completed coverage of all the homes in Njong. Even the elderly were involved. Praise the Lord! Pray for a good harvest from the seed that was planted. 2 Kings 16 (Deuteronomy 5-8)
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BENIN Pop. 10,900,000 Map. 37 Please pray for the inhabitants of the Gbozume area in the commune of Avrankou who have given their lives to Jesus. They receive daily threats of all kinds and must overcome them in the mighty name of Jesus. 2 Kings 17:1-21 (Deuteronomy 9-11)
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CREATIVE ACCESS An EHC coordinator in this country has decided to move on from the work of Every Home for Christ to become a pastor. Pray that the Lord will use him and his family mightily. Also pray the Lord will fill his vacant EHC position. 2 Kings 17:22-41 (Deuteronomy 12-18) SIERRA LEONE Pop.7,400,000 Map. 44 Praise the Lord for making it possible to clear a container load of "The Discovery Book" in the midst of storage, financial and other challenges. Pray that this resource will be distributed equitably to partners in ministry across the nation. 2 Kings 18 (Deuteronomy 19-26)
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URUGUAY Pop. 3,400,000 Map. 224 The suicide rates are very high in this country. Pray that the message of Jesus' love and sacrifice for all will bring a needed message of hope to those who live in despair. Praise God, for He offers new life and peace to all who surrender their lives to Him. 2 Kings 19 (Deuteronomy 27-30)
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TANZANIA Pop. 55,600,000 Map. 16 Pray for the ongoing new believers' classes in the Morogoro, Shinyanga and Kilimanjaro regions. Pray for the pastors and leaders from different denominations and Christ Group leaders who are training these new believers. Pray that God will establish them in the faith. 2 Kings 20 (Deuteronomy 31-34)
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CREATIVE ACCESS Please pray for a team that is sharing home - to - home in a major city. Pray for the team to overcome cultural and language barriers in order to communicate the Gospel effectively. Please pray also for relationships to form based on an interest in the Gospel. 2 Kings 21 (Psalm 91) CREATIVE ACCESS During a recent service, a woman gave her life to Jesus. Pray for her to grow in her faith. Pray also that she will overcome the many problems she is facing - no job, a divorce and being separated from her children. 2 Kings 22 (Joshua 1-5)
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UNITED STATES Pop.323,100,000 Map.176 An EHC worker named Rick requests prayer for his Alabama county - he has a burden for those without Christ. He also requests prayer as he meets with local churches to network toward more outreach in the area. 2 Kings 23 (Joshua 6-8)
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CZECH REPUBLIC Pop.10,600,000 Map. 82 Pray for plans for additional EHC staff in the Czech Republic to increase the number of households receiving gospel booklets through monthly outreaches, along with other evangelistic activities. Pray for good and motivated people who will help to reach every home. 2 Kings 24 (Joshua 9-12)
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CREATIVE ACCESS Pray that God will help EHC teams reach 16 districts in this country in 2018 to complete the second full coverage of the nation. These last districts are in mountainous regions that are very difficult to reach. Pray for grace and physical strength for all our workers. 2 Kings 25 (Joshua 13-17) TOGO Pop. 7,600,000 Map.38 Pray to the Lord that He would give the increase for all the gospel seeds that have been sown in villages and cities all over this country. Ask God for good soil so the seeds can bear good fruit in Jesus' name. Pray that the harvest will bring glory to God.1 Chronicles 1:1-27 (Joshua 18-21) HONDURAS Pop. 9,100,000 Map. 182 Praise to the Lord to the people who received Christ in their hearts during an outreach to the community of Santa Ana on the border with El Salvador. The EHC team was invited to visit the community by the director, a medical clinic for the poor. 1 Chronicles 1:28-42 (Joshua 22-24) VENEZUELA Pop. 31,800,000 Map. 214 Because of the very difficult current circumstances in this nation, people are more eager to hear the message of the Good News. Praise God for this - their need motivates them to approach Jesus Christ. Pray for many hearts to respond to the Gospel. 1 Chronicles 2:1-27 (Judges 1-3)
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GERMANY Pop. 82,700,000 Map. 83 EHC staff is excited for what God will do in Germany. They plan to reach more homes in difficult regions they call "weiĂ&#x;e Flecken" (white spots). These are regions with no or few churches and only a small minority of Christians. Please pray that God will open doors. 1 Chronicles 2 2:28-55(Judges 4-5)
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