MArch 2009

“You Saved My Life!”

Nineyahpen

March, 2009

From the desk of Katherine Franks “You saved my life” That was the greeting I received from Nineyahpen – an elderly man in the India village where EHC runs a primary school.

OUR VISIT TO INDIA

You may have heard about Nineyahpen (pictured on the front page), he is one of those impacting men. I first met him 4 years ago when he came to EHC’s medical camp. He is poor, very poor; but full of life. Last year he told me he was 80; this year he is apparently 60.

He is an uneducated man, with no idea of his date of birth, but has told me at times that “this was not how God created us”. By that he was referring to the discrimination he has had from being of a ‘low caste’ – unable to even share the neighbours’ water tap or walk past their home.

“Sorry – we saved your life? How?” A few years ago a cow stood on his toe and cut it deeply. It was bandaged up but by the time we saw it, it was going gangrene. We began taking him to hospital week after week until it healed. On our last trip to hospital we did something as simple as pay for him to have a hair cut. All these years later, that is what he remembered the most. We cared. We shared with him the reason we care for him is because Jesus cares for us; enough that he asks us to look out for one another and treat others as we would want to be treated. We prayed for him, and went back to the village school.

At the EHC school we met with the teachers, asked them how they were finding being a part of the school, they all said how happy they were, they were part of a family, they cared for the kids and had witnessed them taking leaps in their education. Even the uneducated parents of some

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sponsored children were beginning to learn through their children. What an encouragement! All the staff took such pride in the school, not just the teaching staff, but the cleaners, bus drivers, cook….

We also spoke to local people who all commented on what a good standard and reputation the school had in the local community. Surely we are giving the poor a hope and a future through giving them the best start to their education. I drove past the ‘original school’ started with a few kids in a small room 4 years ago, our name was still painted on the side of the wall. So much has resulted from that small beginning. The school is now 200 strong and growing, fully staffed.

None of this could be possible without you; thank you.

Singing awaited us as we entered the sewing room at the school.

Big smiles followed.

“Thank you so much, please thank those who gave, to give us this opportunity. “ Tears welled in my eyes; what I thought was going to give uneducated girls in the local village some vocational training in sewing, gave them so much more.

They are not only learning to sew and do embroidery, they are also getting work from local export companies and making garments safely in our sewing centre. They are happy, being able to contribute to their families’ income.

We are thankful for Elizabeth the sewing teacher who for the past 4 years has been a faithful and hard worker, really caring for these village women and wanting to make a difference.

Every Home for Christ/ Formerly World Literature Crusade 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

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Visiting India Justin & Katherine with their baby son Jai, Abigail on right and Anusha on left.

As many of you know from the prayer request; late last year within 2 months of each other, Malar (now called Abigail after her baptism) and Anusha’s mother and father died.

Justin and I met these girls living under our stairs in India, they now study at a Christian boarding school.

We never understood why God led us to these girls, and why we felt so deeply for them; there were at one time 10 street kids in our home; but God only gave us eyes for them. Now we can see why.

Without parents these kids would have been destined for poverty. But with God as their Father he has put them in a safe and loving place.

The death of their parents, and the information that their relatives had turned nasty and were taking the other kids out of school to make them work, encouraged us to get over to India quickly; both to meet with the girls and to monitor the Love Anuppampattu School and vocational training centre.

We left Boxing Day, our first trip with our 8 month old son Jai. People told us we were crazy taking him to India, but we truly believed he would be a great blessing to the girls; and he was.

After flying to Chennai we then drove 8 hours up to the hills to meet with the girls. You can imagine we were tired when we arrived!

I was encouraged to hear Malar – who is now studying in a Christian nursing college – tell me that God will take care of them. I need not worry. And to hear Anusha is excelling in her studies. The death of their parents has come as a shock and they still need your prayers; but we know that what God has begun He will complete in their lives. There is another sister who is 14 who we also hope to be able to enroll in school if her relatives will allow. Please pray with us that there will be a school willing to accept her and that the relatives will allow it.

After meeting with the girls, assuring them they will not be left alone, we made the long trip back to Chennai to begin the project work.

For me these girls are a perfect example of while we may not be able to help everyone – we can certainly reach out to someone.

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250,000 PEOPLE IN THE CONGO DRIVEN FROM THEIR HOMES Pray for Peace

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ecent battles between government troops and rival militias have driven another 250,000 people from their homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, adding to a death toll that has exceeded five million over the last decade.

Thousands of refugees in North Kivu province have fled to Goma, the provincial capital. Many churches have opened their doors to the homeless, while makeshift camps have sprung up on the outskirts of the city.

The recent capture and arrest of Congolese rebel leader general Laurent Nkunda by authorities in neighbouring Rwanda has raised hopes for peace in the war ravaged country. The United Nations is trying to broker a lasting peace while they work with various relief agencies to provide food, shelter and medical care to displaced families. But fears of renewed fighting linger and the future is uncertain.

People from every background and situation are accepting Christ as Saviour.

Among those recently saved were a lonely prostitute who gave her heart to Jesus and an unemployed man who was preparing to commit suicide. A quiet knock on the door changed Torfinn Child soldier from the Union of Congolese Patriots Sven Panos Pictures the man’s life An amazing 4.1 million “The civil war is when he met a couple people have responded of local Christians who destroying the Democratic Republic of to the Gospel and 1,814 offered him an eternal Christ Group Congo,” said EHC future in Christ. He fellowships have been Director Sita Luemba. accepted!

“The new rebel coalition planted in towns and The EHC booklet is fighting in the east of villages across the “Mirror of God” is nation. the country, killing helping many “Praise God! The people and forcing understand the Gospel. thousands of families to interest in literature Sita asks prayer for distribution is growing live in the bush. Please EHC’s efforts across the among the churches,” pray that God will nation: “We need gospel Sita said. “We are restore peace and literature, bicycles, receiving more and protect our pioneer motorbikes, and more more requests from missionaries on the pioneer missionaries to church leaders who field.” send to largely want to take part in In the midst of unreached mission home-to-home struggle and fields. Also, pray that our campaigns.” uncertainty, the Gospel Christ Groups will EHC is training local stands out as a beacon survive and grow into pastors in discipleship of hope for those in church-planting and evangelism, and need. fellowships.” then helping them EHC has mobilized Pray for peace in the mobilize their believers from local Democratic Republic of churches to help share congregations to Congo and for enthusiastically share the Good News with perseverance in the the Good News home more than six million effort to take the Good families in the republic. to home.

News to every home.

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UGANDA

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ollowing independence from Britain in 1962, Uganda quickly slipped into a state of instability and escalating intertribal conflicts that paved the way for dictator Idi Amin’s reign of terror in the 1970s.

Many Christian leaders lost their lives and churches were destroyed under Amin’s rule. Amin was toppled in 1979, but the murderous dictator found friendly refuges in Libya and then Saudi Arabia, where he lived like a prince off the millions of dollars he took with him from government coffers in Uganda.

Decades of struggle were followed by years of slow reconstruction.

With religious freedom restored, believers also began rebuilding their

“May the Good News Bless Us All”

lives, their churches and the nation. National believers also embraced the EHC vision and began sharing the Gospel home to home.

“Our vision as a church is evangelism, discipleship and church planting, so working with EHC, whose vision is the same, is the greatest opportunity we have ever had,” said Pastor Robert Ssejemba, who is helping share the Good News in Jinja.

“We believe that the town of Jinja, which is basically a Muslim town, will be gradually and steadily transformed by the activities of Every Home for Christ. We are determined to take the Gospel to every corner of this city and take it for Jesus!”

Believers from all walks of life have gained a new boldness for sharing the Gospel through EHC. Some

people are being trained to serve as fulltime pioneer missionaries, taking the Gospel to remote villages; others have become part-time pioneer missionaries where they live.

Working with EHC, a schoolteacher named Jjemba prayed for the healing of a teenage boy who had just been initiated into witchcraft and had fallen gravely ill. The boy not only recovered, but he accepted Christ and brought all of the witchcraft amulets and charms to his church to burn them as a symbol of his new faith in Christ.

Pray that our goal to plant 1,000 churches every year will be realized. More than 1.3 million people have responded to EHC outreaches in Uganda.

Pray that thousands more will turn to Christ.

Young people display gospel material given to them after HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention training.

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Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from Psalms and Proverbs.

For those wanting to do the one-year Bible reading programme these chapters are in brackets.

PRAY FOR THE

March, 2009

JERUSALEM

PEACE OF

PSALM 122:6 AND THE WORLD.

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BARACK OBAMA Please pray for Barack Obama the USA President. His position carries with it possibly the most influence in all the world, affecting people everywhere. Pray he will be wise and do his work according to God’s will. Psalms 135 (Genesis 1 – 4)

INCLUDE IN YOUR PRAYER

United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key

Pray God’s will, will be accomplished through their leadership. Psalms 136 (Genesis 5 – 8) NEPAL Pop. 27,900,000 Map 131. Praise God ISRAEL & GAZA Pray for Israel and the for the 15 men and women who accepted Palestinian territory of Gaza that both the Christ in Kapilvastu. Pray for the unpredictable Israel and Palestinian leadership will have wisdom in their leadership. Pray the Palestinians political, social and economic situation in Nepal. To will discontinue sending rockets into Israel and the date, EHC Nepal is working on the second coverage Palestinians who have lost family, friends and homes of this nation and has reached more than 5.8 million in the “war” will soon be physically rehabilitated in homes and has planted 8,660 Christ Groups. Psalms new homes and come to know the Prince of Peace. 142 (Job 1 – 7) CAMEROON Pop. 16,800,000 Map 24. Pray Psalms 137 (Genesis 9 – 11) that two new Christ Groups formed in Yaounde SRI LANKA Pop. 21,128,773 Map.129. An anti would grow in the grace and Knowledge of conversion law is before the parliament. This the Lord.

Pray also for 104 new converts who have means people would not be allowed to given their hearts to Jesus! Pray for the Lord’s convert to the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray this law will be defeated so people will have the human right of guidance as more meeting places are needed for Christ Groups. Psalms 143 (Job 8 – 14) freedom of choice. Psalms 138 (Genesis 12 – 14) FIJI Pop. 900,000 Map 148. Food is the WORLD HUNGER Hundreds of thousands in biggest need in many poor Muslim the Western world will be hungry and “out-ofhomes where EHC has shared the work” and millions of people in more deprived Gospel. Pray for this humanitarian outreach to countries will be in even greater hunger with Muslims that includes the distribution of food packs. millions dying of starvation. Pray for the food-weThrough this outreach EHC Fiji is receiving responses eat and an up-lift in the world economy. Psalms 139 to the Gospel from both Muslims and Hindus.

(Genesis 15 – 17) Psalms 144 (Job 15 – 22) CREATIVE ACCESS Pray for safety and provision BRAZIL Pop. 191,300,000 Map 216. Praise for the EHC staff and their families in this the Lord for the boat Australia 2. This country. Due to open threats, EHC operations boat has been an important evangelistic have taken a very low profile in recent months. instrument to riverside communities along the Nevertheless, distributions continue to go forward Amazon River. Pray for EHC pioneer missionaries in the cities of KR and DI – pray for many souls to who are proclaiming the unchanging truth of God’s come to the Lord. Psalms 140 (Genesis 18 – 20) Word. Psalms 145 (Job 23 – 31) LESOTHO Pop. 1,800,000 Map 2. Pray for MOZAMBIQUE Pop. 20,400,000 Map 8. upcoming outreaches in new areas where Praise the Lord for the 34 Christ Groups pioneer missionaries encounter challenges established in a recent month! Pray for from witch doctors, demonic spirits, spiritual EHC teams as they travel to the provinces of Tete, strongholds and ancestral worship. Pray for God’s Cabo-Delgado and Miassa in their efforts of sowing wisdom and protection over EHC teams as literature the seed of the Gospel. To date, over 300,000 homes is prayerfully shared about Jesus. Psalms 141 have been reached with 62,620 responses. Psalms (Genesis 21 – 22) 146 (Job 32 – 37)

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ROMANIA Pop. 21,500,000 Map 76. EHC Romania is grateful for the number of young people involved in EHC’s home-to-home evangelism out-reaches and their willingness to serve God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Pray for the churches who partner with EHC in the ministry of taking the Gospel to this nation. Psalms 147 (Job 38 – 42) MONGOLIA Pop. 2,700,000 Map 173. Pray for the printing of gospel literature materials. Also, pray for protection over EHC teams and volunteers from partnering churches who distribute gospel literature door to door that they might be greatly anointed of the Lord as they win people to Christ. Psalms 148 (Genesis 23 – 25) UKRAINE Pop. 45,300,000 Map 99. Praise God for the growing number of responses that are becoming widespread throughout the country.

Pray for the follow-up materials that are being requested that EHC’s Bible correspondence course would effectively draw many to a knowledge of Jesus Christ. Psalms 149 (Genesis 26 – 28) ETHIOPIA Pop. 80,900,000 Map 29. Thank the Lord for the children that are being reached with the help of Bethel Full Gospel Church.

Pray for the needed resources to send EHC pioneer missionaries to the remote regions of the country to share the love of Christ. Recently more than 10,000 homes were reached with the Gospel. Psalms 150 (Genesis 29 – 33) MYANMAR Pop. 51,200,000 Map 133. In a recent month 102 villages were reached with the Gospel resulting in 19,280 families receiving the Good News. Continue to pray for Pastor U Myint Soe and his ministry team who are involved in the rebuilding projects that they would effectively share the love of Christ.

Proverbs 1 (Genesis 34 – 36) ARGENTINA Pop. 38,500,000 Map 221. Pray for the EHC Campaign in Corrientes. This is a province-wide campaign reaching homes, hospitals, schools, universities, and prisons. Pray for its success – that many would come to know the Lord and would grow in fellowship with Him. Proverbs 2 (Genesis 37 – 41) CREATIVE ACCESS Praise the Lord for opening doors of ministry among students and staff in three major universities. Pray for much fruit from these efforts. Also pray for the establishing of the EHC work in the south of this country. Proverbs 3 (Genesis 42 – 45) ITALY Pop. 58,000,000 Map 64. Missionary work among the blind continues to grow for EHC in Italy as follow-up gospel materials are sent on a regular basis for their growth and maturity in the Lord. Pray that EHC will continue to mobilize Christians to partner with EHC. Proverbs 4 (Genesis 46 – 50) NIGER Pop. 14,800,000 Map 35. Please intercede for Samsou, Balkisa, Nourou, Zonno, Amina and Hadiza who recently gave their hearts to the Lord. Ask God to help them grow in His grace and knowledge. Pray that the Christ Group ministry would remain strong in providing fellowship to many new converts in Niger. Proverbs 5 (Exodus 1 – 4) RUSSIA Pop. 140,900,000 Map 104. Continue to pray for out-reaches taking place in the Siberian cities of Ust-Euo, Tulun and Angarsk.

Please pray for the EHC ministry in Irkutsk and Chita as these are new Siberian regions of focus. Many volunteer

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workers are needed for the task of reaching the 680,000 homes (2.7 million people) there. Proverbs 6 (Exodus 5 – 11) PHILLIPINES Pop. 85,600,000 Map 167. Pray for literature distribution efforts taking place in several provinces as well as the need for additional churches to partner with EHC in evangelism.

Also, pray that there would be good and lasting results from the Train & Multiply conference that was held recently.

Proverbs 7 (Exodus 12 – 15) ZIMBABWE Pop. 13,100,000 Map 9. The Zimbabwean economy is in turmoil with many people dying of hunger and cholera as a result of unclean water. Pray that EHC’s efforts to reach the spiritually dead in this nation would have great success and that many would come to know Jesus, the giver of life.

Proverbs 8 (Exodus 16 – 18) SERBIA Pop. 7,900,000 Map 70. In a recent month 2,000 families were reached with the Gospel. The success of this effort has given a boost for plans to cover the western part of this nation where a large number of Bosnian Muslims from Serbia and Montenegro live. Pray that many would come to know the Lord. Proverbs 9 (Exodus 19 – 24) ARMENIA Pop. 3,000,000 Map 102. Pray for God’s Spirit to powerfully touch hearts especially in the villages and cities in the regions of Vayots Dzor, Ararat and Syunik where EHC literature distributions have already taken place. Pray for the provision of additional labourers for the harvest and resources for follow-up. Proverbs 10 (Exodus 25 – 28) INDONESIA Pop. 227,200,000 Map 141. Praise the Lord for the good health of the EHC staff.

Pray that the ministry of evangelism,discipleship, Train & Multiply, and Christ Group activities will continue to serve effectively in every way and that many would come to know the Lord and grow to become mature believers.

Proverbs 11 (Exodus 29 – 31) HONDURAS Pop. 7,500,000 Map 180. EHC Honduras desires to reach many children and parents living in severe poverty. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide these people to His truth and convince them of their need for a Savior. Also pray for wisdom, strength and resources for EHC workers to effectively reach them. Proverbs 12 (Exodus 32 – 34) CREATIVE ACCESS Pray for the freedom to speak to people about Jesus Christ without fear. Pray for those sharing the Gospel in this country – for safety and boldness, as one team member shared, “When we leave our homes each day, we do not know if we will return”. Please pray for them. Proverbs 13 (Exodus 35 – 40) FRANCE Pop. 60,600,000 Map 87. Partners of EHC are continuing to visit a number of villages in Allier, Calvados, Doubs, Meurthe and Moselle, Bas-Rhin. Ask the Lord of the harvest to bring forth fruit from the precious gospel seeds that have been sown. To date, more than 78 million pieces of gospel literature have been shared. Proverbs 14 (Psalm 90) SIERRA LEONE Pop. 5,800,000 Map 43.

Christians are praying and fasting against an occult that has entered the country called “obonni” that is involved with human sacrifices. Pray with believers in Sierra Leone for this evil to be eliminated. Also pray for a sense of direction and wisdom for the government rulers of this nation. Proverbs 15 (Leviticus 1 – 7)

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