EHC February Newsletter 2022

Cameroon

GOOD NEWS

February 2022

LITHUANIA

PA R A G UAY

You’re With the Family of God One of the best things about working for Every Home for Christ is that we get to know two incredible groups of people. One is made up of our global Every Home for Christ teams who are sharing Jesus’ love with families in over 150 nations. And the other includes you — the friends who partner with us by generously supporting the work they do. You live in different places, speak different languages, and have significantly different life experiences. But there is one incredibly important quality that you share with our teams around the world: a driving passion to share the Good News of salvation with people who don’t yet know Jesus. You share this passion because, despite your differences, you are all part of the family of God. When you hear stories about our pioneer missionaries who work hard, often taking risks, to spread the message of hope, you’re hearing about your brothers and sisters in Christ. And when these teams make plans to reach out to the families in their nations, they do so in the confidence that they have the prayer and support of brothers and sisters like you.

DICK EASTMAN, I N T E R N AT I O N A L P R E S I D E N T, E V E R Y HOME FOR CHRIST

TA N N E R P E A K E , P R E S I D E N T- E L E C T, EVERY HOME FOR CHRIST

Right now, Every Home for Christ connects you. But someday, when the Lord calls us home to take part in the incredible banquet he is preparing, we will get to sit together for a family meal and share the stories of how our lives, though geographically separate, were deeply intertwined by our love for people without Christ. Thank you so much for being a part of this incredible family — not only the family of God, but the family of believers who partner across borders and time zones to strive after the great commission together. For the harvest,

Dick Eastman International President

UGANDA

Tanner Peake President-elect

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God...”— Ephesians 2:19

May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

You’re with the family of God at Every Home for Christ when you join with us in praying and giving to see the Gospel go to the uttermost parts of the earth.

A Clean Slate in Cameroon by James Holt Henri Bokali felt stuck. He had a wife and four children to support and he had just lost his job at a mechanic’s garage in Cameroon. If he was honest, Henri knew that he only had himself to blame. He hadn’t been a good employee. At one point he stole an expensive car part. When the garage owner discovered that the part was missing, he blamed Henri’s supervisor and took the cost of the part out of his pay cheque. The supervisor nearly lost his job because of it — and nobody knew that it was Henri who had taken the part. Later a customer came to the garage who owed Henri money. Henri took the keys and the papers to the customer’s car, holding them hostage until the debt was paid. The customer quickly lodged a complaint against Henri with the garage owner. As Henri reflected on how his actions had finally caught up to him, he thought of his older sister. At one point, she had lived a wild life. But when she became a Christian, everything changed. Henri wondered what it was about her faith that could make such a difference. Henri got his answer when he met the Every Home for Christ team in Cameroon. This team shared the Gospel with Henri and suddenly, the change that had happened in his sister’s life made sense. Through tears, Henri told the Every Home team that he regretted his past life.

EHC DIRECTOR CAMEROON

Then, Henri’s heart was flooded with peace and joy as he put his faith in Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. A few days later, Henri met with the Every Home for Christ team again. He had talked to his sister and she had urged him to set his past wrongs right. He confessed to the EHC team about stealing the car part from the garage and the keys and papers from the customer. “After he told us all about this and his fear about the fallout from his past, we encouraged him with a few Bible verses to obey the Lord,” the Every Home for Christ team in Cameroon says. “We encouraged him in his project of restitution.” Unsure of what to expect, Henri went to those he had wronged and shared his testimony with them. He told each man about the difference Jesus had made in his life — and then he confessed his crimes to them. They were shocked. When Henri returned the car keys and papers to the customer who had owed him money, the customer removed his complaint against Henri at the garage. And when Henri offered to return the stolen car part to his old supervisor at the garage, the supervisor told Henri to keep the part. Henri didn’t even have to pay him back for it. Instead, the supervisor encouraged Henri to continue down the path he was now on.

THE EHC TEAM CAMEROON

EVERY HOME FOR CHRIST TEAMS IN CAMEROON ARE TRAINED AND EAGER TO SHARE JESUS' LOVE IN THEIR NATION.

“Brother Henri urged both men to follow him in the Christian faith,” the EHC team says, “but for the moment, they were just amazed at the change in Henri’s life.” Today Henri is part of a Christ Group that he attends with his family, and he is looking forward to being baptised. He might even have a new job at a garage that his brother owns in another town.

But most importantly, Henri is living a new life with Jesus now. Miraculously, those he had wronged forgave him, wiping his slate clean. Their forgiveness is a reflection of the greater forgiveness that Henri found at the foot of the cross — a forgiveness that gave him new life.

Giving Hope

Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Its coastline lies on the Bight of Biafra, part of the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. The country is sometimes identified as West African and other times as Central African, due to its strategic position at the crossroads between West and Central Africa. Its nearly 25 million people speak 250 native languages. Capital: Yaoundé President: Paul Biya Prime Minister: Joseph Dion Ngute Population: 25.88 million (2019) GDP: 44.89 billion USD (2021) Official languages: French · English Currency: Central African CFA franc 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

Bibles Bicycles Burros and Boats How We Go “Everywhere” By Emily Stroble

Every region of the world presents new and ever-changing challenges to travel. In some regions, modern innovations empower believers to go farther, faster. In other areas, ancient modes of transportation still prove the best way to reach everyone with the Gospel.

Bicycles Easy to maintain and faster than walking, it’s clear why bikes are the most common form of transportation in the world. They outnumber cars two to one worldwide. Bikes are widely used by pioneer missionaries serving in Africa and Asia, particularly in rural, inland areas where fuel is scarce. Our team in The Democratic Republic of Congo lists their two greatest needs as, “Bibles and bicycles.”

Motorbikes Over the last decade, dauntless believers have travelled to increasingly remote territories and leaders have expanded their teams to cover more ground. As needs changed, motorbikes became a more common form of transportation for pioneer missionaries. One team in Asia reported that a new motorbike more than doubled the distance they could travel in a day.

Small Planes Christian pilots serving with organisations like Mission Aviation Fellowship have historically partnered with Every Home to drop teams and supplies into areas that are difficult to access any other way.

4X4 Vehicles Every Home teams are working in both Siberia and the Chilean Patagonia. This means our brothers and sisters are sharing the Gospel in both the Arctic and Antarctic circles, the literal “ends” of the earth! Four-wheel drive vehicles make the work of these teams possible, helping missionaries endure extreme weather conditions, cross otherwise impassable terrain and bring bibles and gifts of supplies to families living in these regions.

Boats Many Every Home for Christ teams contend with bad roads, but some work in regions where there are no roads at all. Approximately 11% of the world’s population live on islands. Many island communities and those built along riverbanks are only accessible by boat. Every Home for Christ uses a combination of modern craft and traditional canoes and boats, which have travelled the waters of these regions for centuries.

Animals Albert Muleya, our director in Zambia, once expressed the virtues of using pack animals by saying, “burros don’t break down.” In some parts of the world, animals — one of the oldest forms of transportation — are still the best form of transportation. Motorbikes and 4-wheel drives are sometimes no match for steep mountains and scorching deserts. But God designed burros and camels for these extremes. The animals you might have in your Nativity display still help carry the Gospel around the world today.

Feet In places where roads wash away, engines give out and bikes can’t climb, believers keep going. Sometimes, they push their cars or carry their bikes when the roads become rough and even wade through water. Their dedication is a beautiful picture of God’s love. As it says in Isaiah:

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news.” (Isaiah 52:7)

FEBRUARY 2022 Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from the book s of 2 Kings and 1 Chronicles. 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. 2 Kings 11 (1 Timothy 4 - 6)

PRAY FOR DIPLAVE POKHREL Thank you so much for praying for Diplave who now has a visa which allows him to stay in Australia and work for EHC for another 5 years. Please pray he will be succcesful in his application for permanent residency in a few years time. 2 Kings 12 (2 Timothy 1:1 to 2:13 ) PRAY FOR ERIC AND LORRAINE LEACH Pray God will guide Eric in his leadership as Executive Director in Australia and New Zealand and Lorraine with EHC office responsibilities. 2 Kings 13 (2 Timothy 2:14 to 4:22) 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 14 (1 Peter 1:1 to 2:10)

CAMEROON Pop. 26,500,000 Map. 24 There are large refugee communities in the Adamawa region EHC plans to reach them with the Gospel. Please pray that the Lord will mobilise local churches to go into these refugee communities and proclaim Jesus’ love to the families there. Pray for many refugees to put their faith in Jesus. 2 Kings 17 (2 Peter 1) THAILAND Pop. 69,800,000 Map. 136 The Every Home for Christ team in Thailand recently completed the huge task of sharing the Gospel in five regions. They are now planning to reach one more region where more than 10 million people live.“Please pray for churches to willingly work with us for the expansion of the Gospel and for God to work mightily!” they ask. 2 Kings 18 (2 Peter 2)

CAPE VERDE Pop. 556,000 Map. 43 The EHC team in Cape Verde is translating the Bible into Cape Verdean Creole. “Pray for the greater involvement of Christian volunteers in this process,” they ask “because with this translation, we can reach more people.” Please pray that believers will join the project to produce the Bible. in Creole. 2 Kings 15 (1 Peter 2:11 to 4:11) BULGARIA Pop. 6,900,000 Map. 77 “Praise the Lord, more than 20 churches joined us in the second part of our Harvest project,” this Every Home for Christ team reports. They are now in the process of reaching 45 villages with the message of Jesus’ love. 2 Kings 16 (1 Peter 4: 12 to 5:14)

HONDURAS Pop. 9,900,000 Map. 182 Ministry Training Coordinators recently travelled to the regions surrounding Marcala and La Paz. This is a mountainous area and dangerous for travel, but they are staying for an entire week. Please pray that their time there will bear fruit and that the believers they trained for outreach will share Jesus with many families. 2 Kings 19 (2 Peter 3) CREATIVE ACCESS CENTRAL ASIA The Every Home for Christ team worked with local believers to share Jesus in a particular city and the surrounding villages. “Several people accepted Christ,” the team reported.“Please pray for them. Pray for the salvation of everyone who received gospel literature.” 2 Kings 20 (1 John 1-2)

Send your prayer request to us and we will pray for you too!

CREATIVE ACCESS CENTRAL ASIA “Please pray for health and unity in the Spirit for me and my companions on the team,” the leader of this Every Home for Christ team writes. “Pray for us as we reach new areas, and pray for local churches in the nation to support the work. 1 Chronicles 4: 1 -21 (Revelation 2 - 3) BRAZIL Pop. 212,600,000 Map. 218 This Every Home for Christ team recently conducted training courses in four cities. “We ask for prayer that each participant will be impacted and moved to proclaim the Good News,” they say, “and we ask for protection for the team during these trips.” 1 Chronicles 4: 22 - 43 (Revelation 4)

SPAIN Pop. 46,800,000 Map. 60 The Every Home for Christ team in Spain is celebrating 45 years of ministry! “We thank the Lord for these 45 years that He allowed us to serve with joy and for the many people who know Him because of the work Christ has entrusted to us!” the team says. Please pray for the Lord to continue leading this team into the future! 2 Kings 21 (1 John 3 - 4) DEM. REP. OF THE CONGO Pop. 89,600,000 Map. 19 "Please pray for our country,” the EHC team in the Democratic Republic of the Congo asks. “We are suffering extreme violence and the population is fearful. We desperately need a move of God.” Please pray that the Lord will move to bring peace to this nation and create a safe environment for outreach. 1 Chronicles 1: 1 -32 (1 John 5) CREATIVE ACCESS EURASIA The EHC team in this nation reports that some of their family members have been interrogated by the secret police and intimidated with threats of arrest. “Please pray for our families,” they say. “Pray that God will protect us and give us strength in the face of opposition.” Threats cannot stop the Gospel from going forth. 1 Chronicles 1: 33 - 54 (2 John) PHILIPPINES Pop. 109,600,000 Map. 169 During the COVID-19 lockdowns last year, the EHC team shared both food packets and gospel literature with families in need. They are now seeing the fruit of their efforts. “The COVID-19 project has reached many homes with the Gospel,” they say. “Pray the Holy Spirit will move in the lives that received the Word of God. 1 Chronicles 2: 1 - 28 (3 John)

ALBANIA Pop. 2,900,000 Map. 75 Seven new believers were recently baptised. “Praise the Lord for saving them and transforming their lives!” the EHC team says. “Please pray for the joy of the Lord to fill them and for them to follow Jesus and be his servants every day of their lives.” Pray for these new believers as they begin walking with Jesus. 1 Chronicles 2:29 - 55 (Jude)

ETHIOPIA Pop.114,900,000 Map. 29 Many people, including the Every Home for Christ team and the believers who work with them, have been forced to leave their homes because of war.“We have not heard of their whereabouts,” the team says, “so let’s pray that they are safe.” Please pray that these partners will soon return safely. 1 Chronicles 3 (Revelation 1)

KENYA Pop. 53,800,000 Map. 27 The Every Home for Christ team in Kenya has three prayer requests: 1. For doors to be opened for ministry in the western region. 2. For local churches to partner with Every Home for Christ. 3. For a great harvest in a Muslim area called Kilifi. 1 Chronicles 5 (Revelation 5) KOSOVO Pop. 1,900,000 Map. 72 “Ajola is a young girl with whom we recently shared the Gospel,” this Every Home for Christ team reports. “She was deeply touched by God as she heard about the crucifixion of Jesus. Please pray that she will surrender her life to Jesus, accept Him as Lord and Saviour, and follow Him all the days of her life.” 1 Chronicles 6 : 1 - 21 (Revelation 6:1 to 8:5)

CREATIVE ACCESS - SOUTH ASIA Churches are vital - not only to the Every Home for Christ teams that partner with churches to share the Gospel but also to the spiritual health of believers in each nation. “Please pray for those who are leading the churches of our nation,” this Every Home for Christ team asks, “for God to give them wisdom, maturity, faithfulness, and spiritual authority.” 1 Chronicles 8: 21 - 40 (Revelation 19)

ST HELENA ISLAND (UK) Pop. 6,100 Map. 12 Every Home for Christ teams on the mission field rely heavily on local believers and churches to partner with them in the work of taking the Gospel to every home in their nations. “Pray that God will raise up men and women to take part in the harvest, winning souls for Christ by sharing the Gospel,” the Every Home for Christ team in St. Helena says. 1 Chronicles 6: 22 - 81 (Revelation 8:6 to 11:19) CREATIVE ACCESS MIDDLE EAST It is dangerous to become a Christian in this Muslim nation especially for people from a Muslim background. “Pray for the people who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their personal Saviour and are unable to profess their faith in fear of being killed,” the EHC team asks. “May the Lord strengthen them and give them wisdom, maturity, faithfulness and spiritual authority.” 1 Chronicles 7: 1 - 20 (Revelation 12 - 14)

PAPUA NEW GUINEA Pop. 8,900,000 Map. 146 “Please pray for us and our nation as we are really being affected by COVID19,” this Every Home for Christ team reports. Lockdowns continue to be mandated as the number of deaths increases and hospitals run out of oxygen. Pray for healing for those who are sick, and pray for the door to be opened for believers to share Jesus again. 1 Chronicles 7: 21-41 (Revelation 15 - 16)

COTE D’IVOIRE Pop. 26,400,000 Map. 41 The Every Home for Christ team in this nation is reviewing its numbers from 2021. “Thousands of souls have given themselves to the Lord Jesus,” they report. “Hundreds of new converts have been baptised. We praise God for His great saving grace!” Please pray that these new believers will grow strong in the faith and in Christian community. 1 Chronicles 8: 1- 20 (Revelation 17 - 18)

CHAD Pop. 16,400,000 Map. 34 “Pray for collaboration, partnership and unity between churches, denominations and ministries as they fulfill the Great Commission in our nation,” the Every Home for Christ team in Chad asks. Please join them in praying for believers to work together to share Jesus’ love in this North African region. 1 Chronicles 9: 1 - 22 (Revelation 20)

RUSSIA Pop. 145,900,000 Map. 106 "At this time, literally every house there is in the city of Neryungri has been reached,” one of the EHC teams in Siberia reports. “Pray for God to work mightily in Neryungi!” Please pray that the families who received gospel literature will be touched by the Word of God and put their faith in Jesus. 1 Chronicles 9: 23 - 44 (Revelation 21) CREATIVE ACCESS - CENTRAL ASIA “We ask you to pray for revival, that the Gospel would fill our country and each person would hear the joyful news of Christ!” this EHC team asks. “Pray that the Church would be courageous to carry the Gospel.” Please join this team in praying for believers in their nation to be bold witnesses. 1 Chronicles 10 (Revelation 22)