May 2021
"Mothers Day" reminds us of the Nurturing Heart of Our God “Surely I have composed and quieted my soul,” the psalmist says. “Like a weaned child rests against his mother, my soul is like a weaned child within me” (Psalm 131:2). Our souls, no matter how young or how old we are, long to be composed and quieted in the embrace of a mother. We ache for the unconditional love, the transforming acceptance, the heart-deep listening, and the connection of a mother. And when we make our home in Christ, we find our souls at rest: held close to the gentle, nurturing heart of our God. Mothers embody the heart of God in ways that truly transform us. They show us the unconditional love of Christ. They show us how to nurture life, how to listen, and how to see. They show us the possibility of embrace and acceptance. They show us gentleness, strength, surrender, and fullness of life. They show us what it means to keep nothing to ourselves — to multiply all goodness in the lives of children, families, communities, and nations. Every Home for Christ is a global community carrying the tender, mothering heart of God for his creation. Our teams around the world share the willingness of Christ to do anything and go anywhere to bring every son and daughter home. We long to embrace everyone, everywhere in the unconditional love of God and to invite their souls to rest, like weaned children, in him. As you read the story of Sarita’s team ministering the care of Jesus across Africa, know that your prayers and support extend their reach and the reach of similar teams all around the world.
Nigeria
Dee Eastman, Every Home for Christ
Dee Eastman has served Every Home for Christ alongside her husband, Dick Eastman, in his role as the international president of Every Home for Christ for over 35 years.
Bethany Peake, Every Home for Christ
Bethany Peake serves the Every Home for Christ family alongside her husband, Executive Director Tanner Peake, as the ministry’s spiritual engagement specialist. Uganda
A Place to Belong A Ministry of Prayer at the Margins in Africa When Sarita Chitapa was appointed prayer
listened to lessons, shared their reflections,
and margins director for Every Home for
and developed their own styles of teaching
Christ’s ministries across the continent of
others.
Africa in March 2020, the work set out before her was already significant — and that was before anyone knew what the challenge of a pandemic would hold.
As this community of women prayed together over the people of their nations, they began to see opportunities to reach people living at the margins of their
"The Africa Prayer and Margins ministry
communities. A simple Zoom prayer
of Every Home for Christ aims to identify
meeting grew into a network of Every
disadvantaged people groups like the
Home for Christ women mobilised to reach
Samaritan woman at the well, whom Jesus
marginalised people groups in their own
identified,” Sarita explains. This means
communities — specifically, personally,
engaging women, children who are
and meaningfully.
orphaned, people who have disabilities, and the elderly.
Sarita started by encouraging the wives of EHC Africa ministry directors to
When the pandemic severely limited
contact pastors from local churches with
ministry activity, Sarita began gathering
a request to identify single women in
Every Home for Christ women from nations
their congregations (especially widows or
across Africa for online prayer meetings.
single mothers) who might be in need of
Sarita adapted EHC’s Change the World
groceries and who would want to engage
School of Prayer resources to connect with
in this prayer network. “Our aim was to
the women and equip them to develop
reach women who are often isolated
their own ways of sharing the truth and
and deeply troubled,” Sarita says. They
love of Jesus. Over Zoom, WhatsApp, and
provided these vulnerable women with
similar platforms, this community of women
baskets of groceries and prayer resources.
Sarita says her team truly went the extra mile as they began to connect with the churches and other women in their nations. “Some women have physical needs,” Sarita says. “Some require skill development in order to survive. So wherever possible, we aim to meet those needs. Then, we invite those women to be part of our network of prayer.” Just in the final months of 2020, Sarita’s team engaged 39 churches and connected with 137 women across the nations of Africa. The Prayer and Margins ministry of Every Home for Christ in Africa is creating a place to belong for people who are marginalised — a place of prayer. In this way, Sarita and the network of women in Africa are not only meeting felt needs, they are partnering with the spirit of Christ to nourish a sense of urgency, possibility, and deep connection with the gospel story in the lives of the people they reach. “While Sarita and her team ensure that women across Africa feel the love of Christ this Mother’s Day, Every Home for Christ teams across the globe are likewise turning their hearts toward the marginalised in their own communities. As we press on with the message of Jesus' love, we refuse to leave anyone behind.
"Our aim was to reach out to women who are often isolated and deeply troubled".
Jesus Saves a Single Mother by James Holt
Mariza trusted no one. Her father abandoned her mother when Mariza was little. Her Mozambican community ostracized her family. Her first husband abused her. And so did her second. Striving to support herself, Mariza opened a business selling vegetables. It seemed like the single mother no longer needed to trust anyone. She was determined to make it on her own. But one day, a neighbour invited Mariza to an Every Home Christ Group, a small gathering of believers who worship God together and learn about the Bible from a trained leader. Mariza had only known African religions before but, at the Christ Group, she heard the Gospel for the very first time. Mariza was also amazed by the care she received from the people of God. Finally she knew what it was to be loved — and to trust again. Mariza put her faith in Jesus and now she prays for her family to meet Jesus too.
Stories like Mariza’s happen because friends like you give to help our Every Home for Christ workers in 150 nations.
Successful Women of the Africa Food Security Project Peggy Tembo, 45 years old, of Kapiko village was selected as one of the beneficiaries of the Every Home for Christ food security project in 2018 because she was unable to feed 6 orphaned children in her home. In her first year Peggy was able to improve the productivity of her staple food, maize, by 80% using conservation agriculture. The following year, Peggy adopted agricultural diversity by growing sweet potatoes and cassava and added the rearing of chickens, which resulted in boosting food security, nutrition and income for her family. Her commitment to these agricultural food security activities saw her elected by the community as lead farmer and then later as the first woman coordinator. Since then Peggy has shown strong leadership in her community by guiding 300 households to improve their crops in the last two years. To date Peggy Tembo is a successful cassava “Seed” multiplier supplying over 10,000 cassava cuttings to the project for the pass on program which has benefited 100 of the vulnerable households. She also sells extra cassava cuttings and tubers which earns her income to support her family and pay school and medical bills. THANK YOU FOR HELPING PEGGY TEMBO IMPROVE, NOT ONLY HER LIFE AND THE LIVES OF THE ORPHANS SHE CARES FOR, BUT THE LIVES OF 100 OTHER FAMILIES!
Income Generation: In 2018 Sara Mwale was able to borrow money from the income generation group and started a small stand selling sweets, cooking oil and small fish. She paid back her loan within the month and was able to borrow more to expand her business. In 2019 Sara further expanded her business by building a small shop from her savings and profits. Sara’s commitment to the savings group and project training helped her learn new business ideas in poultry. In 2020 she decided to keep chickens. Sara decided to take a much bigger loan from the group and started a poultry business which to date is a success story for her and the project. The two businesses have since expanded, helping generate enough money to supplement her husband’s income from his small field to send her children to school and pay medical bills for her extended family. Sara Mwale's life has changed significantly in the last two years and she is a living example in her community.
Conservation Agriculture: Violet Banda, 56 years old, was chosen for the Food Security Project in 2017 as she was a widow looking after 3 orphans. Violet was trained as a lead farmer to provide agricultural training services to other vulnerable and poor families in her village and because of her commitment, in 2018 she received her first food security pack from the project alongside 15 other vulnerable households. Violet’s commitment to grow black-eyed peas has improved her yields significantly in the last two years of the project and improved her family's nutrition. Violet has also expanded her crop so that she can pass on extra seed to other members of the community under her care; this has so far benefitted 10 families in the past 2 years. She is a living testimony in her community and the project.
James 1:27 tells us : - "to look after orphans and widows in their distress".
In China’s “re-education” camps, detainees told ‘there is no God’
Re-education camp detainees are monitored round-the-clock by electronic surveillance and fed a sparse diet laced with forced medication.
A further testimony of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) horrific treatment of Uighurs and other non-atheist minorities has emerged from an ethnic Kazakh exdetainee who managed to escape a “reeducation” centre in Xinjiang. Ethnic Kazakhs, who have fled the camps, have spoken out describing the CCP’s notorious internment camps, officially known as “centres of professional development”, as an “anti-religion exercise targeting non-atheists”.
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“You must be an atheist” A Christian leader in Russia told Barnabas Fund that the situation being exposed in Xinjiang is much worse than his memories of facing persecution as a Christian in the former USSR. He highlighted that the Marxist conflict with religion is not new and always seeks to give priority to communist ideology over any other belief, whether it is Islam, Christianity or Buddhism. Everyone must be an atheist and believe in the supremacy of the communist party leaders, he explained.
While the Soviet gulags were similar to the current indoctrination-style camps in China, he suggests they are, in fact, much worse due to the constant and all-pervasive electronic surveillance which prevents even basic communication between cellmates. Christians “did not manage to escape this hell yet” The systematic persecution of tens of thousands of ethnic Muslims who have been interned is well documented across the media, yet little is known about the Christians and other minorities also held in the camps. “We do not have a testimony of Christians because they did not manage to escape from this hell yet. Those who could escape are those who had Kazakh citizenship or a residence permit in Kazakhstan. There are also those who crossed the border illegally,” the contact explained. Following the harrowing report from Gulzira, an ethnic Kazakh who was detained in a woman’s internment camp for 15 months, a Barnabas contact, shares the testimony of a male survivor of one of the estimated 400 internment centres in Xinjiang, a region which witnesses say has turned into “one big camp”. Squalid, overcrowded cells The ex-detainee recalled the appalling conditions of his incarceration. “The cell had bunk beds and a toilet bucket. There was a foul smell of urine and faeces. More than ten people were constantly there – these are Uighurs and Kazakhs, one Uzbek and one Dungan each,” he explained. "There were not enough beds for everyone, so they slept
like this: on the upper shelves, one person at a time – because the beds were fragile, and the shelf could fall; on the lower shelves, two; the rest on the floor.” Speakers blare “Mao is our star, saving the people” The prisoners were woken at 6 a.m. each day to a CCP anthem – The East Blushes, which remains popular in China. “The [Chinese] Communist Party is like the sun; Brings light wherever she shines. Mao is our star, saving the people,” were the words that would blare from speakers in every cell. Pitiful diet of porridge laced with forced medication Breakfast was “a plate of boiling water, a Chinese doughnut and a spicy vegetable supplement,” he recalled. Lunch was “boiling water, doughnuts and porridge” made from “expired products” and dinner was a mushroom porridge. “After a while I, and others, suspected that a substance that causes impotence was added to this porridge,” he added. “China felt that we were wrong, that we believe in God” The cells were monitored by electronic surveillance 24 hours a day but his cellmates discovered a spot outside the viewing angle of the camera that allowed them to whisper to each other without being reprimanded. “We learned that ‘there were no criminals among us’,” explained the ex-detainee, “But China felt that we were wrong, that we believe in God, that we travelled to other countries and lived abroad.” Article courtesy Barnabas Fund
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Watch Every Home for Christ Stories on the website -
It all starts with one story. One transformed person sharing their story can spark stories of change in their neighbours and friends. For decades, Every Home pioneer missionaries have journeyed across the globe to share the truth and love of Jesus. When the gospel is received, extraordinary transformation follows. Now you can witness these powerful testimonies, told first-hand by believers around the world. Every Home for Christ’s video library is filled with accounts of God's grace and mercy shining in a broken world. Stories of healing in times of despair. Stories of redemption when all seemed lost. Copy the link below to your browser -
https://www.everyhomeforchrist.org.au/ehc-international-videos/
MAY 2021
Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from the book of Exodus and Leviticus. For those wanting to do the one-year Bible reading program these chapters are in brackets.
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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. Exodus 33 (Judges 6 - 8) PRAY FOR DIPLAVE POKHREL Please continue to pray urgently for the Immigration Department to approve Diplave's visa so that he can continue working with Every Home for Christ. Exodus 34 (Judges 9 - 12) 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. Exodus 35 (Judges 13 - 16) 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! Exodus 36 (Judges 17 - 21) MALI Pop. 20,300,000 Map. 49 "Please pray for local churches to awaken with a love for those without Christ in our nation," the Every Home for Christ team in Mali says. "We need revival!" Exodus 37 (Ruth 1 - 4) CREATIVE ACCESS A woman named L. lives on "a religious settlement". The Every Home for Christ team had a very long discussion with L. and she wants to read more about Jesus. Please pray that the Lord would guide the team as they talk with L., answering her questions and praying that she will respond to the Gospel. Exodus 38 (1 Samuel 1 - 7) LITHUANIA Pop. 2,700,000 Map. 99 The Every Home for Christ team in Lithuania asks for prayer that the Christians in their nation will be encouraged and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Please join them in praying that the message of the gospel will spread and that many put their trust in the truth and love of Jesus. Exodus 39:1-22 (1 Samuel 8 - 12) EASTER OUTREACHES Pease pray for our Every Home for Christ teams around the world. who have been conducting their Easter outreaches, leveraging this special time of year to share the truth and love of Jesus. Please pray that many will come to faith this Easter. Exodus 39: 23 - 43 (1 Samuel 13:1 to 16:13)
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PRAY FOR ISRAEL ROMANS 11:28
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GUYANA Pop. 790,000 Map. 213 Please pray for Essequibo Ministers Fellowship as they partner with Every Home for Christ to mobilise churches and reach all of the homes on the coast in the coming months. Their goal is to reach about 3,500 homes in 40 square miles on the border with Venezuela. Exodus 40 (Psalm 23) CREATIVE ACCESS "We thank our Lord for the privilege to share the Gospel and reach every home for His glory!" this Every Home for Christ team says. "Please pray for the transformation of our nation, for a change in the spiritual climate and that the people in government accept Christ and are not afraid to profess Him!" Leviticus 1 (1 Samuel 16:14 to 19:11) LIBERIA Pop. 5,100,000 Map. 42 Please pray for the Every Home for Christ team in Liberia as they take the Gospel to the communities of Freeport and Monrovia. Pray for God to strengthen them and make them "bright lights in the darkness." Leviticus 2 (Psalm 59) REP. OF MOLDOVA Pop. 4,000,000 Map. 102 "Thank you for your prayers!" says the Every Home for Christ team in the Republic of Moldova. "Please, continue to pray for our upcoming evangelism outreaches! Pray that people will receive the Word of God. Also, pray for God's protection." Leviticus 3 (1 Samuel 19:12 to 21:15)
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MYANMAR Pop.54,400,000 Map. 135 In the midst of political upheavel, the Every Home for Christ team in Myanmar continues to share the gospel. They ask that you pray for the protection of their pioneer missionaries and volunteers as they share the Gospel with those without Christ. Please pray for their protection and for many to accept Christ. Leviticus 4 (Psalm 34,56) MEXICO Pop. 128,900,000 Map. 178 Lorenzo Esteban had an accident while visiting the Oaxaca mountains to share the gospel with the Zapotecan people group. Now 83 years old, Lorenzo was one of the first members of the EHC Mexico team when it began in 1967. Please pray for God to heal him quickly. He is eager to continue sharing Jesus. Leviticus 5 (1 Samuel 22:1-2, Psalms 57,142) ARGENTINA Pop. 45,200,000 Map. 223 The Every Home for Christ team in Argentina reports that in some communities, our brothers and sisters in Christ are being attacked, taken from their homes, and held prisoner. Please join the team in praying for God to protect believers and for a prompt response from the authorities so that those who have been taken will be released. Leviticus 6 (1 Samuel 22:3-23, Psalm 52)
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CYPRUS Pop.1,200,000 Map. 113 Cyprus EHC asks that you would please pray for a couple and their son who are new believers. "God is working in tremendous ways in their lives. Please pray that this family will grow strong in their faith and be a light to the community around them. " Leviticus 7 ( 1 Samuel 23, Psalms 54,63) THE PHILIPPINES Pop. 109,600,000 Map. 169. The Philippine Bible Society has partnered with our Every Home for Christ team to provide gospel booklets, New Testaments, and other evangelism tools - free of charge. Pray these materials will reach open hearts and introduce many to Jesus. Leviticus 8 (1 Samuel 24 - 26) CREATIVE ACCESS Please pray for young adults as they step into ministry with Every Home for Christ in this nation. Pray for safety for them and their families as they share the gospel in a hostile context. May many come to know Jesus through their work. Leviticus 9 (1 Samuel 27 - 31)
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FRANCE Pop. 65,300,000 Map. 89 The Every Home for Christ team in France is creating new gospel literature designed specifically to reach former Muslims. Please pray for the Lord to guide the team as they create this literature and for it to be an effective witness for Jesus. Leviticus 13: 31-59 (2 Samuel 12:15 to 15:37)
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ROMANIA Pop. 19,200,000 Map. 78 The Every Home for Christ team in Romania asks for prayer for local churches to partner with the team in outreach. Pray for strong relationships with church leaders and that many believers will take part. Leviticus 10 (2 Samuel 1 - 4) URUGUAY Pop. 3,500,000 Map. 224 Please pray for wisdom and guidance for the Every Home for Christ team in Uruguay. Following the explosion of COVID-19 in their nation, they are seeking the Lord's direction for how to move forward with ministry. Please pray that in this nation, hearts will be open to the message of Jesus' love. Leviticus 11:1- 24 (2 Samuel 5 - 7, Psalm 30)
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CREATIVE ACCESS The EHC team here recently visited hospitals where COVID19 patients receive care and told them about Jesus and gave them gospel literature and New Testaments. Please pray for each person who received the message to respond to the free gift of salvation. Leviticus 11:25 - 47 (2 Samuel 8:1-14, Psalm 60) PAPUA NEW GUINEA Pop. 8,900,000 Map. 146 Please pray for a team of 10 pioneer missionaries who are reaching homes in Kutubu district of the southern Highlands Province. Pray for safety as they travel and for courage and boldness as they preach the gospel. Leviticus 12 (2 Samuel 8:15 to 10:19) NAMIBIA Pop. 2,500,000 Map. 11 The Every Home for Christ team in Namibia is conducting an outreach in an area called Outjo. They are taking the message of Jesus into the prison, schools, hostels and the hospital. Please join them in praying for many to come to faith in Jesus. Leviticus 13:1 - 30 (2 Samuel 11:1 to 12:14, Psalms 51,32)
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Write your prayer request and we will pray for you too!
CREATIVE ACCESS Outreach is difficult in this nation but the Every Home for Christ team is planning to disicple 1,200 individuals from varying backgrounds through oneon-one follow-up prayer meetings each month. They are calling this plan the Providence Garden Project. Please pray this project will result in spiritual transformation. Leviticus 14: 1 - 29 (Psalms 3, 69) BANGLADESH Pop. 164,700,000 Map. 132 Despite the pandemic, many believers are taking the risk to share the gospel home-to-home. Please pray for their safety and for many to respond. Praise the Lord that the government approved our 5-Year Plan, including gospel distribution. Leviticus 14:30-57 (2 Samuel 16-20)
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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Pop. 10,800,000 Map. 192 Recently, the Every Home for Christ team in this nation conducted a nationwide week of home-to-home evangelism and discipleship. Please pray that all who heard the message of Jesus will put their faith in Him and for the team as they do follow-up. Leviticus 15 (Psalms 64, 70) THAILAND Pop. 69,800,000 Map. 136 The Every Home for Christ team in Thailand recently provided 600 prison inmates with blankets to help them sleep through cold nights. Please pray that these gifts will open the hearts of these prisoners to receive the message of the gospel and open doors for future prison ministry to reach even more inmates with Jesus' love. Leviticus 16 (2 Samuel 21 - 22, Psalm 18)
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CAPE VERDE Pop. 560,000 Map. 43 The Every Home for Christ team in Cape Verde is partnering with local churches to share the gospel in the city of Praia, particularly in some of the poorest neighbourhoods. Please pray that the Spirit will lead all those who participate and that many will be drawn to a saving faith in Jesus . Leviticus 17 (2 Samuel 23 - 24)
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CREATIVE ACCESS Praise God for eight new people who joined a Christ Group recently after hearing about the group from friends. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to work in their lives. Leviticus 18 (Psalms 4 - 6)
GERMANY Pop. 83,800,000 Map. 83 The Every Home for Christ team in Germany is sharing a piece of gospel literature called "Don't Forget" which reminds people that everyone will stand before Jesus someday. Please pray that many families will begin a saving relationship with Jesus. Leviticus 19 (Psalms 7 - 9)