December 2016 Newsletter

Israel in December Snow

Next Israel EHC Tour September 2017 in the Autumn

"Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest". Pray every day for Every Home for Christ. Use Prayer Requests on the back page and what the Holy Spirit tells you. 2

THE Harvest! D i c k

E a s t m a n

“The harvest truly is plentiful…” (Matthew 9:37a, NKJV)

It’s harvest time! And it's truly plentiful, but your prayer is needed especially as this is Every Home for Christ’s busiest season just beginning! Each year at this time, I ask you to pray for the thousands of EHC workers and volunteers throughout the world who are preparing to launch their annual Christmas Outreaches. In the coming weeks, hundreds of unique and creative ministry events — often done in the spirit of the holidays — will impact millions of searching souls with the Gospel. Many of you supported last year’s Christmas Outreaches with your finances and prayer. As a result, literally many thousands of lives were

brought to Jesus, miracles occurred and bondages were broken. I’m delighted to bring you some of those stories in the pages that follow. You’ll read about the young mother in Zambia who found forgiveness after engaging in prostitution to feed her children. And you'll read about a young addict in Papua New Guinea who found freedom in Christ. In a few days, we’ll gather with family and friends and give thanks to God for His many blessings. Here at Every Home for Christ, we’ll also give thanks to God for you. Because of you, our harvest continues to be plentiful!

“How could God possibly forgive her? She couldn’t even forgive herself.”

A Broken Life Restored by Kathy Gowler

t was a Christmas Eve she will never forget — not because of tinsel and lights or the squeals of her children finding gifts beneath the tree. There were no signs of Christmas in Mervis Sokonda’s home. A single mother, she received her clients all day long and into the night. Still, she struggled to feed her children. Any dream of sending them to school was totally beyond her reach. Twenty-eight-year-old Mervis was getting ready for work on Christmas Eve when she heard a knock on her door. Thinking it was her next appointment, she braced herself for another loveless encounter. Mervis loathed her life. Some of her clients paid her, some of them didn’t. Some supplied her with alcohol and drugs. All of them abused her. She selfmedicated freely to try to numb her pain. When she opened the door, the haggard young mother was taken by surprise. It wasn’t the truck driver she was expecting. Instead, standing before her were two clean-cut men, and they were smiling at her. After greeting her warmly, they introduced themselves as EHC workers who were reaching out to the community. They said they had a gift for Mervis as they handed her a small gospel booklet. Then they asked if they could share some Good News. Mervis didn’t know what to think. The men in her life never smiled at her, and their greetings were anything but warm. But these men were different. There was kindness in their eyes, and they didn’t seem to want anything from her. She couldn’t help but wonder why they were wasting their time with her.The men who visited Mervis Sokonda that day were part of Every Home for Christ Zambia’s 2015 Christmas Outreach. They shared a clear presentation of the Gospel and explained the true meaning of Christmas — how God

sent His Son, Jesus, to offer His forgiveness and the free gift of salvation. When they read from God’s Word, the young mother’s eyes filled with tears. How could God possibly forgive her? She couldn’t even forgive herself. The EHC workers listened quietly while the broken young woman told her story of rejection, abuse, heartache and shame. She told them that she never finished school because her parents didn’t have money for the fees. She tearfully revealed that her parents kicked her out of their house when she became pregnant at the age of 19. She sobbed as she shared that the baby’s father — a married man — had deserted her too. With a baby on the way and no way to support herself, Mervis stooped to selling the only commodity she had — her body. Since that time, she’d had many men, two more babies, multiple abortions and more shame than she could bear. It was clear that Mervis was hopelessly trapped in a world she couldn’t escape. Hearing the news of God’s love, forgiveness and grace was almost too much for the desperate young mother to bear. Humbly repentant for her sins, she prayed the sinner’s prayer on Christmas Eve and surrendered her life to Jesus. “Thanks be to the God of all mercy and compassion!” she says. “Because of His grace and Every Home for Christ, I am a new creation!” Since that life-changing day, Mervis and her children have been part of an EHC Christ Group fellowship in her area. With the encouragement and support of fellow believers, she is steadily growing in her faith. However, providing for her family continues to be a struggle. Please pray for Mervis Sokonda and other new believers throughout the world who are stepping out in faith and relying on God to meet their needs.

A Voice in the Wilderness by James Holt

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1 EHC workers trek through rivers and jungles to reach new villages.

If you didn’t have the love of God to turn to in times of difficulty and hurt, what would you do? In desperation, most of us would turn to anything that might numb the pain, even for just a while. And that’s exactly what Mark Kunda did when he turned to drugs as a child. Christmas was not a time of peace and joy in Mark’s childhood home. Like every other day of his life, it brought only neglect, verbal abuse and physical harm. Mark’s stepmother seemed to resent his presence in her house, cursing at him, putting him to work and denying him basic necessities. “That experience led him into drugs as a child,” says Aaron Nikki, EHC National Director of Papua New Guinea. “He found acceptance with his drug mates.” When he was older, Mark dropped out of high school and lived on the streets. He briefly cleaned up when he married and had three children, but then his wife unexpectedly left him. Mark sent his children to live with an aunt and returned to his life of drugs. It was easier to numb the pain in his heart than to face his harsh reality alone. It was at this point EHC evangelists found Mark. They gave him a gospel booklet and told him that Jesus loves him. “Mark wasn’t ready to make a decision ...but he still feared God,” Aaron says. “He thought that, if he did not listen to these servants of God, God would not be happy with him.” So Mark accepted the gospel booklet and put it in his bag, intending to read it later. Like buried treasure, that booklet remained in Mark’s bag, untouched, for three months. One day, Mark found a secluded spot, sat down under a tree and began to lose himself in his drugs. Suddenly, he heard a voice: Mark, can you take that booklet out of your bag and read?

Startled, Mark jumped to his feet and looked all around him. No one was there. A sense of God’s presence slowly settled over him. “The voice was a force that overtook the effects of drugs,” Aaron says. “Mark knew that it was God speaking to him.” Mark ran to his bag and dumped out its contents. Spreading his things on the grass, he found the gospel booklet, titled “The Way to God,” and desperately read it. As its message of forgiveness and love penetrated his hurting heart, the lie drugs offered became clear to Mark. With tears streaming down his face, Mark confessed his sin and put his faith in Jesus. The next day, Mark attended a church and finally found the peaceful, welcoming atmosphere he had never known in his childhood. It was a turning point in his life, and he decided to track down the EHC evangelists who had given him the gospel booklet so many months before, hoping to thank them. After weeks of searching, Mark caught up with EHC evangelist Elizah Benny and his team. Overjoyed, Mark told them that he was one of the many people who had received gospel literature from them, and he told them his story of hearing God’s voice under the tree. “Elizah Benny and his team of workers were so amazed,” Aaron says. “They marvelled at what God has done in Mark’s life.” Mark joined Elizah Benny’s team as a volunteer and is now attending a six-month discipleship training school. Free of drugs, he reaches out to others trapped in the hopeless world of drugs, alcohol and prostitution. “What really motivates him to reach out to people is his love for the Lord,” Aaron says. “He tells them that if God can change his life, He can change theirs too.” Mark’s life is completely transformed, all because a gospel booklet found its way into his bag, waiting to be read when Mark needed it. There is power in the printed Word.

“He tells them that if God can change his life, He can change theirs too.”

2 An EHC worker prays after sharing the Gospel.

3 After getting baptised a friend escorts his newly saved brother out of the river.

Gospel Literature It wasn’t possible for Elizah Benny and his team to be with Mark as he sat under that tree. But because they had given him a gospel booklet, they were able to share the Good News with him all the same. Every day, God uses the printed Word to reach people with the Good News of salvation long after our EHC workers have ended their visits.

///

EHC's 70 Anniversary th

October 6, 2016 marks Every Home for Christ’s 70h anniversary. Following is a look back at how we got here, where we are now and what we plan to do in the years ahead. Thank you for your partnership with Every Home for Christ; we are ever grateful for those who support this ministry as we continue our effort to reach every single home on earth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

// A Great Passion for Souls It was midnight on December 18, 1946, and young pastor Jack McAlister had just gone to bed. His wife Hazel lay beside him, exhausted from a full day of signing 700 Christmas cards. Minutes later, a raging fire swept through their home! Jack and Hazel jumped out of the window in a panic, but then Jack realized his precious Bible was still among the flames. He ignored pleas from firefighters and bounded back into the smoke-filled home to retrieve his most prized possession.

EHC founder Jack McAlister

Only years later would Jack realise that the Lord had spared his life for a higher purpose — that of reaching millions of people for Christ. Jack McAlister was born in western Canada in February 1924. As he grew, his grandfather would distribute literature on the street proclaiming “The Good News.” This made a lasting impact on young Jack, who soon cultivated a great passion for souls and the need to share the news of Christ through the printed page. At age 18, God called Jack into full-time ministry. He preached on weekends while attending Bible school in western Canada. At 22, Jack married Hazel Swanson and together they began a weekly radio program called “Tract Club of the Air.” Listeners donated to the ministry for “paper missionaries” to be sent to evangelists overseas. When Jack heard the testimony of how an African chief had brought his entire village to Christ after receiving one simple gospel message, he became convinced that God would use the printed page to reach millions for Christ. The radio ministry soon outgrew its name and in 1952, World Literature Crusade (WLC) was born.

// The Vision Unfolds Turn the clock ahead to 1953. World War II has ended, leaving Europe in shambles. The Allied Forces are victorious, and millions of homesick soldiers are returning home to rebuild their lives. In Japan, people remain haunted by vivid and bitter memories of the war. Struggling to rebuild their lives and nation, broken hearts seek answers only God can provide. In the midst of this setting, Jack McAlister envisions a new concept for world evangelisation. He joins forces with fellow Canadian and missionary to Japan, Ken McVety (pictured below), along with a handful of Japanese believers to launch the first Every Home Crusade—a systematic, home-to-home distribution of “paper missionaries” (gospel literature) to a people in great spiritual need. When Jack had arrived in Tokyo that year, it was one of the largest cities in the world. Japan itself was a vast, unevangelised nation of 83 million people. During this time, two out of every three people on earth lived in Asia. Together, Jack and Ken hit the busy streets to ask people if they knew about Jesus. This was made easier by the fact that Ken could speak fluent Japanese. The first man they approached had never heard of Jesus. Another said he read about Him only in a history book. An old man wanted to know where Jesus lived. “We couldn’t find a single person who knew anything meaningful about Christ!” Jack recalled. The vision they had to tell others about Christ, however, did not come without peril. “As the work unfolded,” Ken said, “problems and crises came with crushing regularity. We were treading an untried path and had to trust God for His answer at each turn.” Despite the challenges, Jack and Ken knew that in a literate country like Japan, it was possible to reach the people; but they knew it (L) EHC workers systematically map out homes to be reached. (R) Ken McVety, left, pictured with Japanese believers and gospel literature had to be done systematically, family by family, home by home or else millions of people might be missed. That night Jack and Ken met in an apartment in Tokyo. There they spread out a large map of the city and prayed for God to help them effectively reach every person with the Gospel in Tokyo, as well as in all of Japan. Reaching every home systematically, they were convinced, was the best way to make sure the job got done. In fact, it was the only way to properly measure the results. As the details unfolded, excitement filled their hearts. They decided to include a decision card with each piece of literature to ensure that all who responded would be sent a follow-up Bible course. By midnight the “Every Home Crusade” plan was in place and history was made in that small flat in Tokyo. That was in 1953.Today , in Japan, more than 200 million gospel booklets have been distributed, yielding a harvest of some 400,000 responses to the Gospel! What was birthed that night has become one of the largest home-to-home evangelistic organisations in the world, celebrating over 173 million responses to the Gospel worldwide!

// Ahead of its time

Jack McAlister and Oswald J. Smith

The leadership at WLC, now Every Home for Christ, realised early on how modern technology could impact the work. Back in the 50s and 60s, television was a new and exciting medium; and because EHC began as a radio ministry, the move to television was natural just as it was in the entertainment business. By the early 70s, TV became the primary means to introduce people to the worldwide outreach of the ministry. To be sure, the idea of purchasing extended airtime on television on a major scale was untried in Christian circles. Even the model of the secular “telethon” was discarded early on. But after two years of fine-

tuning, God, in His marvellous way, brought the ministry into the world of televised programming. Though a monumental task, a five-hour television event entitled “World Missions Special”effectively communicated to Christians the pain of a world without Christ. Aired more than 300 times in five years, the special reached virtually every television audience in the United States, Canada and Australia. Even more amazing, World Literature Crusade, now Every Home for Christ, experienced greater growth in two years than in its preceding 25 years of existence due to this one special alone!

// The UNIQUE FAITH PROMISE OFFERING Then God put the unique Faith Promise Offering into the heart of Dr Oswald J Smith and this was one way God would use to build the faith of many Christians and supply the funds to make possible the beginings of the new World Literature Crusade, now Every Home for Christ. Christians who often had very little to give would ask God to give them money they never had to give to WLC - now Every Home for Christ. On the next page Dr Oswald J Smith would tell how God put it in his heart to give a Faith Promise Offering encouraging people to pray and also make a Faith-Promise if the Holy Spirit so directed them. According to Billy Graham , 'Above anyone of the twentieth century, Oswald Smith has probably done more as a missionary statesman to recruit workers for the foreign fields and inspire the prayers and financial support of Christians everywhere to sponsor the implementation of our Lord's Great Commission.'

my life that I had ever been in a missionary convention. I did not know that morning God was going to deal with me and teach me a lesson that I was never to forget, and one that I was to teach to scores of other churches all over the country in the years to come.

Dr Oswald Smith explains the "Faith Promise Offering" "Let me tell you how God taught me to give. I will never forget it. It was a lesson that has remained with me to this day. I had been pastor in a large Presbyterian church in the City of Toronto. One day I resigned and, finally, I became pastor of a church that knew how to give in a way I had never known. I commenced my pastorate on the first Sunday of January, at a time when they were holding their annual missionary convention. Now, I knew nothing about a convention. I had never seen one in all my life. I didn’t know the first thing to do. So I just sat there on the platform and watched. The ushers were going up and down the aisles, giving out envelopes. Presently, to my amazement, one of the ushers had the audacity to walk right up the aisle and hand me - the pastor - one of the envelopes. I sat there holding it in my hand. Never will I forget that moment. I can still remember it as though it were yesterday. As I held it, I read: ‘In dependence upon God, I will endeavour to give toward the Missionary work of the church $ _ during the coming year.’ I had never read such a statement before. It was the first time in

At first I started to pray. I said ‘Lord God, I can’t do anything. You know I have nothing. I haven’t a cent in the bank. I haven’t anything in my pocket. This church only pays me $25 a week. I have a wife and child to keep. We are trying to buy our home, and everything is sky-high in price.’ All that was true. The first World War was on. ‘I know that,’ the Lord said. ‘I know you are only getting $25 a week. I know you have nothing in your pocket and nothing in the bank.’ ‘Well, then,’ I continued, ‘that settles it. I have nothing to give and I cannot give anything.’ It was then the Lord spoke. I will never forget it. ‘I am not asking you for what you have,’ he said. ‘You are not asking me for what I have, Lord? Then what are you asking?’ I replied. ‘I am asking you for a faith offering. How much can you trust me for?’ ‘Oh, Lord,’ I exclaimed, ‘that’s different. How much can I trust you for?

As I paid the final amount, I realised that it had been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Now, of course, I knew nothing at all about a faith offering. I had never given such an offering in my life. But I knew the Lord was speaking. I thought he might say $5 or perhaps even $10. Once in my life I had given $5 for missions. Once I had given $3. But never more. I almost trembled as I waited for the answer.

Presently it came. Now I am not going to What about you? Have you given a faith ask you to believe that God spoke to me in promise offering? If not, give it and God will an audible voice, but He might just as well honour you for it. have done so. I was scarcely conscious of Every Home for Christ the congregation, as I sat there with my eyes closed, listening to the voice of God. was greatly influenced by God was dealing with me that morning, Dr Oswald J. Smith in its though I did not realise it at the time. ‘How much can I give?’ I asked. ‘Fifty dollars.’

beginning years.

He became interested in Every Home for ‘Fifty dollars!’ I exclaimed . ‘Why Lord, that’s Christ (then World Literature Crusade) because of the spectacular results of gospel two weeks’ salary. How can I ever get $50?’ literature being distributed to every home. But again the Lord spoke and it was still the He said “The printed page is God’s method same amount. It was just as clear to me as for our day and generation…” though he had spoken in an audible voice. But there was no money at the beginning and I can still remember how my hand trembled as obviously nothing could happen without the I took my pencil, signed my name and address money. and wrote in the amount $50. So instead of Dr Oswald J. Smith and the Every Home for Christ founder Dr Jack If I had waited until I had it, I never McAlister being totally responsible to have would have given it, because I the “faith” to believe God for all the money, never would have had it. they recruited thousands of people who would join them and make a “faith-promise”. How I ever paid it I don’t know to this day. All Even though many of these people did not I know is that every month I had to pray for $4, have the money, they would join together and every month God sent it in some and believe God for the “impossible” to buy miraculous way. At the end of the year I had gospel literature and pay national workers to distribute the Gospel literature to every paid the entire amount - $50. nation on earth. But this is what I want to make clear. I received such a blessing, there came to my heart such a fullness of the Spirit, it was such a thrill, that as I paid the final amount, I realised that it had been one of the greatest experiences of my life. So great was the spiritual blessing that had come to me because I had given a faith offering, I had trusted God for a certain amount, I had given in a scriptural way, that the next Dr Jack McAlister, founder of Every Home year at the convention, I doubled the amount for Christ launched this ministry in 1946 at to $100. And from that day to this I have been age 22. sending on thousands upon thousands of He said “God trusted the written Word – the dollars to the Bank of Heaven. If I had waited printed Word – to reveal the Living Word, until I had it, I never would have given it, and so can we!” because I never would have had it. But I gave 12 January 2006 He went to be with the it when I didn’t have it. I gave a faith offering Lord. and God honoured it.

// A TRUE INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY In 1976, Every Home for Christ celebrated its 30th anniversary. By now, offices had been established in various regions of the world. The uniqueness of enlisting leadership from within the nations made EHC different from other missionary-sending agencies. There was no need for language study; often, leaders spoke more than one language. Also, having people native to the country overseeing the field operations meant they knew the culture; they knew how people in their land would respond; they understood the challenges; and they were familiar with the laws and religious tensions within their borders. The utilisation of indigenous workers set this ministry apart and made the ministry as diverse as it was multi-cultural. In India, the one billion pieces of literature that had been distributed by 1976 had spawned a dramatic number of inquirers who wanted to become Christians. The State of Uttar Pradesh alone reported more than 600,000 new believers. The desire for followup materials increased rapidly. In response, a four-part Bible correspondence course was designed to help the new believers in their faith. Additionally Seekers’ Conferences were held for one-week intensive training, but it was not enough and people still wanted more.

A Christ Group in India “There are two things in the entire history of missions that have been absolutely central. One, most obviously, is the Bible itself. The other is the printed page. There is absolutely nothing else in terms of missions methodology that outranks the importance of the printed page. Meetings come and go. Personalities appear and are gone. But the printed page continues to speak.” —Ralph Winter, founder of the U.S. Center for World Missions

// Making Disciples At a meeting in Madras, EHC leaders prayed for God's guidance. They decided to pursue a very simple idea—to organise new believers into small home groups where they would get instruction in the Word and fellowship together. Thus the “Christ Group” was born.

// AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND & UNITED KINGDOM In October 1978 Eric Leach became the first full time director of Every Home for Christ for Australia and New Zealand. In 1982 Eric Leach launched Every Home for Christ in the United Kingdom. The Australia organisation was registered on the 16th April 1975 and the New Zealand organisation on the 2nd April 1982. The United Kingdom was registered in November 1984. 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 ehc@everyhome.org.au

HUNDREDS OF SLAVES RESCUED FROM INDIAN BRICK KILN In an ongoing rescue operation, Indian police and Indian Justice Mission (IJM) staff have rescued 564 children, women and men from forced labour slavery at a massive brick kiln. This is IJM's largest antislavery operation ever - and it took place in the exact same factory where it helped rescue more than 500 people in 2011. The kiln owner had evaded arrest in that first operation, but now his impunity has

ended. Police arrested him and five other accomplices from an organised trafficking network. They are currently in custody and will face charges under India's antitrafficking laws and Bonded Labour Act. The operation highlights a critical aspect in the fight against slavery. If criminals remain free, the violence will continue. But if laws are enforced and traffickers go to jail, slavery can be ended for good.

"The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty" Psalm 74:20 It is said that there are more slaves today than at any other time, even in Western countries. Every Home for Christ must continue to go to the "dark places" of the earth. In India there are thousands of children withouta-good-future and some even in slavery because no-one was there to help them! This is how you can help the children of India.

COINS FOR CHRISTMAS India - to build a High School for underprivileged children

The coins collected with the "Coins for Christmas" stockings will be used to build a High School in India to give Indian parents the opportunity to send their children to a Christian High School with no financial costs. You can request a quantity of the Christmas stocking and brochure to distribute at your church your workplace, University and for High Schoolers to help too. Enclosed is a Reply Slip for you to request Christmas stockings (as pictured) and brochures. Phone 02-9570 8211 for Australia or New Zealand freecall number 0800 900 200 or E-mail ehc@everyhome.org.au or send the enclosed Reply Slip.

DECEMBER 2016

Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. For those wanting to do the one-year Bible reading program these chapters are in brackets.

RUSSIA Pop. 142,400,000 Map 106. Pray for Christians in Russia who are being greatly affected by the new law that bans virtually all types of evangelism (as reported in last month's neswsletter.) Pray God will build His church in spite of all opposition and pray for protection and wisdom for Russian Christians. 2 Corinthians 1 (Luke 24) LESOTHO Pop. 1,900,000 Map 2. One of our workers wrote that “God’s word says ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength.’ This is always true, especially when reaching people for our Lord.” Pray for a continued passion in our workers to bear witness to the salvation found in Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 2 (John 1:1-18) VENEZUELA Pop. 29,300,000 Map 214. Praise the Lord that the Kingdom of God can be revealed from the youngest to the oldest of hearts! Please pray that the Holy Spirit will soften every heart that our team has the blessing of sharing the Gospel within upcoming home-to-home outreaches. 2 Corinthians 3 (John 1:19 to 4.54)

CREATIVE ACCESS Our team met an elderly lady who desperately wants to find peace in God. Although she admires the character of Jesus, she hasn’t accepted Him in her heart. Pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal to her that peace in God comes through salvation in Christ. 2 Corinthians 4 (John 5-6)

MYANMAR Pop. 56,300,000 Map 135. Praise God for the 41,500 households that our workers in Myanmar reached with the Good News! Please pray that the gospel literature they left with each family will have a lasting impression of the love that God has for each and every one of them. 2 Corinthians 5 (John 7:1 to 11:53) BRAZIL Pop. 204,300,000 Map 218 Please pray for our team in Brazil as they reach out to at-risk youth who are being exploited along the northeast roads. Pray that our workers will be God’s hands and feet to rescue these precious souls from both physical and spiritual darkness. 2 Corinthians 6 (John 11:54 to 17:26)

SLOVAKIA Pop. 5,400,000 Map 81. Please pray for the 70,000 pieces of gospel literature that our team recently received and will be using in home-to-home outreaches. Pray that each piece will speak specifically to its reader and that a great harvest will be produced in Slovakia. 2 Corinthians 7 (John 18:1 to 20:31)

WRITE YOUR PRAYER REQUEST

PRAY FOR ISRAEL, ROMANS 11:28

CAMEROON Pop. 23,700,000 Map 24. The work of home-to-home evangelism is moving forward in Cameroon, and our team is looking to reach the island of Manoka with the Good News! Please pray that, as they prepare, the Holy Spirit will go before them to open the ears and hearts of those they will meet. 2 Corinthians 8 (John 21) CREATIVE ACCESS Praise God for the five salvations that came out of a home-to-home outreach in this closed nation! Please pray for these new believers who will be discipled in a hostile environment and for our workers who will connect them with other Christians for fellowship. 2 Corinthians 9 (Acts 1-2) UNITED STATES Pop. 321,400,000 Map 176. Continue to pray for the recently launched Every Home USA campaign. Please pray that God will bless our team and church volunteers who will use this holiday season, when people are typically more receptive to religious ideas, to share the Good News of Jesus’ birth. 2 Corinthians 10 (Acts 3:1 to 8:3) URUGUAY Pop. 3,300,000 Map 224. Our workers have a passion to raise up home-to-home evangelism teams within every congregation and to find new strategies to share gospel messages with local communities. Please pray that more doors for evangelism will open for these labourers. 2 Corinthians 11 (Acts 8:4 to 11:18) MADAGASCAR Pop. 23,800,000 Map 4. Praise God for the recent baptisms and commitments to follow Jesus in Madagascar. Pray now for the journey of discipleship our workers will walk these new believers down so that they may grow in their faith. 2 Corinthians 12 (Acts 11:19 to 12:25) THAILAND Pop. 68,000,000 Map 136. Even in a rainy season, when travelling home to home is difficult, God provided our workers with an opportunity to share the Gospel at a local school. Please pray for God to continually provide opportunities for evangelism and discipleship. 2 Corinthians 13 (Acts 13-14)

MALAWI Pop. 18,000,000 Map 15. Superstition and cult practices entrap many of the villagers that our team visit during evangelism outreaches. Please pray that the freedom found in the Gospel will be revealed through our workers and the gospel literature left behind at each home. Galatians 1 (James 1:1 to 3:12)

and send it to us in the enclosed envelope and we will pray for you.

CREATIVE ACCESS Please pray that God will draw more believers in joining our team in evangelising and reaching every home with the message of salvation which people are longing to hear. Galatians 2 (James 3:13 to 5:20) ZAMBIA Pop. 15,000,000 Map 14. Please pray for our MTCs in charge of training local churches to use our BFAM discipleship material. Ask God to give them wisdom for how best to train and inspire believers to evangelise the rural areas of Zambia. Galatians 3 (Acts 15)

EAST TIMOR Pop. 1,200,000 Map 144. Praise the Lord for the new relationships our workers are establishing with the churches of local villages! Pray that this new engagement will lead to an increased mobilisation of volunteers to witness God’s love in their communities. Galatians 4 (Galatians 1-2) MALI Pop. 17,000,000 Map 49. Please pray for the believers in Mali who face persecution from the local, traditional religions which are in direct opposition to the Gospel. Pray that the Lord will honour their faithfulness and will grow them in all His joy and strength. Galatians 5 (Galatians 3-4)

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CREATIVE ACCESS Please pray for the protection of our workers in this closed nation as a new wave of antiChristian sentiment takes hold. Pray that, even in the midst of an oncoming darkness, God’s love will shine all the brighter. Galatians 6 (Galatians 5-6)

UKRAINE Pop. 44,400,000 Map 101. A number of Christian organisations came together for a “Walk for Life and Family,” providing a chance for our workers to go into the surrounding neighbourhoods to share the Gospel. Pray that the gospel literature will touch the hearts of those residents. Ephesians 1 (Acts 16) MOZAMBIQUE Pop. 25,300,000 Map 8. Please pray against cults that seek to entrap local villagers by promising prosperity and good fortune! Please pray the Holy Spirit will reveal to them that the true blessing of life comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2 (Philemon 1) CREATIVE ACCESS Please pray for the ongoing evangelism training taking place in the largest city of this closed nation. Pray that through the faithful act of sharing the Gospel home-to-home, God will bring many hearts to Jesus. Ephesians 3 (Philemon 2) RUSSIA Pop. 142,400,000 Map 106. In Yakutia, Siberia, there are few Christ Groups that have their own place to gather. Please pray that God will provide an established meeting place for fellowship, worship and studying God’s Word.Ephesians 4 (Philemon 3)

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MEXICO Pop. 121,700,000 Map 178. Please pray for the evangelism outreaches taking place in an area known as the “Golden Route” which is heavily influenced by drug trafficking and desperately needs Jesus. Pray God will protect our workers as they share the love of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5 (Philemon 4)

CHRISTMAS OUTREACHES Please pray for all the Christmas outreaches taking place throughout December. Pray that hearts will be open to the Good News that Jesus came to earth as a helpless baby so that we might have an everlasting relationship with God. Ephesians 6 (Acts 17:1-10) FRANCE Pop. 66,600,000 Map 89. Our team in France has invited multiple churches to participate in a large scale evangelism outreach that mobilises churches to reach out to rural villages. Please pray that the gospel messages they use will speak to the hearts of those who don’t know Jesus as their Saviour. Philippians 1 (1 Thessalonians 1-3) TOGO Pop. 7,600,000 Map 38. How precious is fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ! Please pray that our workers can continue to help build godly communities in Togo for Christians to gather and grow in Christ. Philippians 2 (1 Thessalonians 4-5) CREATIVE ACCESS Praise God! Two more volunteers have joined our team in evangelism despite the increasing persecution and imprisonment of believers in this closed nation. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to empower the local Church to reach out. Philippians 3 (2 Thessalonians 1-3)

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BANGLADESH Pop.169,000,000 Map 132.In Bangladesh the level of persecution has increased significantly in 2016 and a guard has been placed outside the EHC office by the government. Please pray for protection for the staff and building and that the work will continue unhindered. Philippians 4 (Acts 17:11 to 18:11) UGANDA Pop. 37,100,000 Map 26. Please pray for our labourers as they travel to the different islands of Lake Victoria for home-to-home outreaches and to conduct evangelism training with the local churches. Pray that, as they train others in evangelism, a true hunger to reach those without Christ will be stirred. Colossians 1 (1 Corinthians 1-4) GERMANY Pop. 80,900,000 Map 83. Praise the Lord for the 15 people who made a decision to follow Jesus after encountering our team’s evangelism web page! Please lift these people up in your prayers that they will continue to grow in Christ through the process of discipleship. Colossians 2 (1 Corinthians 5-7)