May 2009

Panos/Sean Sprague

May, 2009

BRAZIL My beloved EHC friend, This special letter is to give you some exciting “very special” news about Brazil. Brazil has a population of 196 million people and, even though Brazil has experienced some incredible “moves of the Holy Spirit” with great numbers coming to Christ, still the vast numbers of people in Brazil are in need of Christ. The “very special” news is that through Every Home for Christ there has been distributed more than 208 million gospel booklets throughout Brazil, with some 1¼ million people coming to receive Christ or requesting more information. Most of these gospel booklets have been distributed to homes door-to-door. Samuel Adams of the Belfast Northern Ireland “Revival Movement Association” as pictured below (on the right) with Jose Messias the EHC Brazil Director (in the middle) has visited the Amazon in one of the EHC boats to see the incredible things that have happened with some of the millions of gospel booklets the Revival Movement Association have given free of charge to Every Home for Christ all over the world. Your gift for Brazil will be such a blessing. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

This farmer as pictured on the front page is harvesting rice in a field that was formerly part of the Brazil Amazon Rainforest. The trees were chopped down to make way for farming. The Amazon forest in Brazil is known as the “lungs of the world”. Pray the clearing of the forest will be kept to a minimum and be stopped in many places. While trees are being cut down to make way for farms and commerce is being developed in the Amazon, still millions of people live in villages on the edge of the mighty Amazon River, in the middle of sewerage and dirt and no place for their children to play except in the filth of this river. They are poor, very poor. They are the “river people”, primitive indigenous Indians who live in houses built on stilts along the Amazon River. Most have no medical help! No hospital. In fact almost no-one would know what a hospital is…. The request coming to us from Brazil is to purchase a boat. This would be a “moving hospital”. The boat would carry medical supplies and dispense medicine. When we are sick we all know how important medical help is. We know how we need medical help and we now have the opportunity to give medical help to these people and something more…. We have had a boat on the Amazon as pictured here but it has now worn out and we need a new one.

NEW ZEALAND 1

We have people like a Doctor, Sister Vilma Nicacio Lima, who is a Pediatrician (specialising in child malnutrition) who has been a volunteer on one of the EHC boats and has helped hundreds of children who have come to the EHC boat for medical help and now she senses a call from God to do even moreâ&#x20AC;Ś but we need a new boat. Since 1992 EHC has had 2 boats on the Amazon River and a few years ago the small boat was replaced with a very convenient lightweight boat pictured below which has been very helpful.

Nevertheless, we also need the larger boat like the one pictured below to carry clothing and food and make available medical help such as vaccines, first aid, dentistry and childbirth assistance.

Sometimes the boat crew in the past have helped in the construction of houses, especially in the areas where there have been floods and other disasters. Yes, we need another even bigger boat if we are to truly meet the desperate immediate needs of those who suffer without a doctor and without help. The mighty Amazon River is 6,240 kilometres (3,900 mile) in length and is the equivalent of going from Sydney to Perth and more than half way back again, and it is four times the length of New Zealand. At 1,600 kilometres, 1,000 miles from its mouth the river is 11 kilometres, 7 miles wide. In 1541 Francisco de Oorellana, the first European to voyage the length of the river, was so impressed by its vast size he called it “Rio Mar” the river sea. The Amazon river has 1,000 tributaries and is surrounded by the last great wooded wilderness of its kind on earth. 1,000 tributaries and only 2 Every Home for Christ boats and obviously it is not enough, but we will do what we can with the money that God’s people make available and maybe we could have a third and fourth boat and maybe more. But whatever, now it is time to help these people with something more.

A small boat will cost $15,000 A big boat will cost $45,000 Last time Every Home for Christ purchased the 2 boats in the Amazon many people gave different sized gifts, then one person gave a gift of $15,000 and that purchased the second boat. Maybe you could give a gift of $10, $20, $50, $100 whatever you can afford. I don’t know! I must leave it with you to do only as the Holy Spirit truly directs you and gives you an answer in your heart. I trust you’ll pray and ask God to guide you. Whatever you can send will be greatly appreciated

Your Gift is Tax Deductible in Australia

Maybe you would be able to pay for one boat in full and have your own boat serving the Lord in the Amazon with your name on it …. “Your own boat” doing God’s work in the Amazon!

YOUR NAME HERE Whatever you can afford, big or small, has God’s approval - remember Mark 12:41-44 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said , “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.”

May God guide you. Thank you so very much. Eric Leach

ARGENTINA

“God Performed a Miracle!”

hristians in Argentina have taken the Great Commission and the EHC vision to heart in a big way. Recently, more than 340 churches in the province of Santiago del Estero were mobilized to saturate the province with the Gospel.

People in every segment of society received the Good News including a major push to share the Gospel with leaders. As EHC Director Rino Bello explained, “The governor, representatives, senators, and influential people in the areas of justice, education, provincial government, and business were reached with the gospel message.” The hope is that godly leaders will have a positive impact on people throughout the province and across the nation. In home-to-home campaigns, more than one million people in Santiago del Estero were touched with the Gospel. Believers from

local churches were also trained and equipped with gospel booklets to visit hospital patients, prison inmates, and military personnel. More than 1,100 people have responded to the Good News, with new salvation testimonies and requests for Bible-study materials arriving by mail daily at the EHC office in Buenos Aires. Beyond Santiago del Estero, similar Every Home Campaigns are spreading across the nation. An ongoing outreach to the Wichi Indians continues to bear fruit. The outreach is led by Pastor Francisco Mendez, a Wichi Indian who was saved after

reading a gospel booklet for children when he was a hospital patient. Francisco visited the EHC office in Buenos Aires and asked for materials so he could go back to his people and share the Good News. To date, more than 4,500 Wichi Indians have made a decision for Christ. Rino Bello has also helped bring humanitarian aid from the government to impoverished Indian communities. Recently, more than 200 people in the Indian town of Sauzalito accepted Christ during a community outreach that began with a dramatic healing. Francisco Mendez

visited a woman who had been bedridden for several months and treated by local witch doctors with no result. He shared the Gospel with the woman and her family, leading them all to Christ. Then Francisco prayed for healing. “I prayed for the elderly woman and God performed a miracle and healed her on the spot,” Francisco said. “We also had a meeting attended by more than 200 people who received Jesus, and after one week I baptized 40 new believers.” Nationwide, EHC campaigns have generated 456,065 re-sponses to the Gospel. Home churches called Christ Groups have also been formed in 120 locations, including Wichi villages that had never had a church before. Pray for EHC leaders like Francisco Mendez, Rino Bello and thousands of believers from local churches who are determined to take the Gospel to every home in Argentina.

Every Home for Christ 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

ROMANIA A New Kind of Freedom

n 2009, Romanians will celebrate 20 years of freedom. In 1989, Romania broke the shackles of Sovietbacked, Com-munist oppression and began charting their own future as a sovereign nation. “Give thanks to the Lord for what He has given us by opening these doors of history, which shifted the nation to a new relationship with the Lord,” said EHC Director Samuel Tutac. “Pray for unity in the Church of the Lord, and also pray for the unity of our nation. Pray for revival and reformation in the life of our nation, by turning to the Lord.” Under former dictator Nicolae Ceau-sescu, hundreds of believers lost their lives and the nation was plunged into spiritual darkness. Ironically, Ceausescu was executed on Christmas Day 1989. A godless dictator was suddenly gone, but the Church he sought to destroy lived on. Believers regrouped and began sharing the Gospel anew. “Praise God for the churches that understand the vision of EHC and are involved

in the ministry,” Samuel said. “Pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit over Romania, for He is the One who convicts of sin.” Samuel began sharing

the EHC vision, mobilizing churches and training volunteers to share the Gospel home to home in 2006. Gospel booklets have been distributed to

more than 236,000 families, with 1,003 people responding. Believers also are taking the Good News to prison inmates, hospital patients and students. In response to a recent distribution in Arad County, 116 people accepted Christ. Inav another outreach, believers reached 8,420 homes in 35 villages in just four days. “Pray for the people that have heard the Gospel through our literature and given their hearts to Jesus,” Samuel said. EHC helped mobilize local churches to promote last year’s Festival of Hope crusade, when evangelist Franklin Graham preached the Gospel for two nights in Timisoara, Romania. More than 1,370 people made professions of faith. “Pray for families from the churches—for the healing of relationships be-tween husbands and wives, parents and children—through forgiveness and agape love, health and blessings,” Samuel said. He has a special burden for the nation’s young people. “Let’s pray for children and youngsters. Pray for (continued on next page)

protection from abuses, violence, drugs and pornography. Pray for an end to suicides among young people.” Church leaders have discovered that people are especially open to hearing the Gospel leading up to Easter. “For many Romanians, everything consists of bare traditions, most of them without any connection to Christ’s death and resurrection,” Samuel explained.

“However, in these days people are more open to receive the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that the revelation of Jesus’ sacrifice would penetrate the hearts of Romanians and that the people will be set free.” Pray that EHC’s evangelistic campaign in Romania will help lead the nation into a new era of spiritual and religious freedom in Eastern Europe.

THE CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN

esults from EHC’s global Christmas Campaigns are still pouring in, but the initial results are cause for celebration. An impressive 266,889 people responded to the Gospel, with more reports arriving daily. More than 260 new Christ Group fellowships have come to life in towns and villages around the world. Mongolia, Sierra Leone, Fiji, Cameroon, Malawi, Serbia, and Samoa are just a few of the nations that were touched by the special campaigns. Testimonies of healings, salvations, and deliverances— thousands of people coming to a new life in Christ are the result of these special outreaches. Continue to pray for those whose lives were touched that they would grow in the Lord and that others would continue to respond as well.

SIERRA LEONE

stablished as a British colony more than 200 years ago, Sierra Leone, which means Mountain Lion in Portuguese, gained independence in 1961. The nation disintegrated into a series of brutal civil wars that claimed thousands of lives. Today, the nation is still recovering from the latest conflict, which ended in 2002.

Sierra Leone has been evangelized for more than 200 years. Sadly, fewer than ten percent of the population identify themselves as Christians. Islam and ancient tribal beliefs, steeped in spirit worship and demonic spells, influence the lives of millions.

Breaking Yokes, Healing Hearts

“Depravity and poverty seem to haunt the entire populace of the nation,” says EHC Director Michael French. “The rebel war that devastated the nation is still taking its toll on every facet of our economy. Life is unbearable for a lot of people and some are

committing suicide.” EHC workers began sharing the Gospel in Sierra Leone in 1993, risking their lives to take the Good News home to home during some of the bloodiest days of civil war. To date, more than 300,000 people have responded, with 63 Christ Group

fellowships established in communities where no evangelical churches existed before. Michael and his pioneer missionaries face threats from militant Muslims and witch doctors who enlist the help of demonic spirits to attack and even kill their enemies. As EHC workers shared the Gospel in Rokupr, people responded with threats and insults. Later in the day the evangelists were encouraged when they visited a group of ten children in a local hospital, and all ten accepted Christ. “I am very grateful and appreciative for all God did through your team to evangelize our unreached, abandoned town of Rokupr,” a local church leader shared.

Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from Song of Solomon and Isaiah. For those wanting to do the one-year Bible reading programme these chapters are in brackets.

PRAY FOR THE

May, 2009

JERUSALEM

PEACE OF

PSALM 122:6 AND THE WORLD.

BRAZIL – Pop. 191,300,000 Map 216. Pray for the preaching of the gospel in Brazil. Thank God for the great response through EHC. New boats are needed for the Amazon. Pray the Lord to help us in this need. Song of Solomon 3 (Judges 6 – 8) FRANCE – Pop 60,600,000 Map 87. During the last 12 months, nearly 90,000 families were offered the good News in 80 regions of France through EHC efforts. Most live in villages where the evangelical witness is sparse and isolated. Pray for the gospel to penetrate the rural regions where people are not very receptive to the Lord. Song of Solomon 4 (Judges 9 – 12) CREATIVE ACCESS #5 Pray for a calming in the unrest between this nation and a neighbouring country so that EHC workers would be able to distribute the Gospel freely. Pray for churches and their leaders who have been attacked by religious fanatics in the southern region of this country. Song of Solomon 5 (Judges 13 – 16) LIBERIA – Pop 3,400,000 Map 41. Pray for the success of EHC’s outreach in Robertsport. Workers expect to train and equip 100 key leaders from ten churches in carrying out systematic evangelism to reach 11,160 homes in that area. Also pray for the addition of 30 new volunteer workers in Monrovia. Song of Solomon 6 (Judges 17 – 21) AUSTRALIA – Pop. 20,100,000 Map 145. Today the Australian Government will come to do a 4 day audit of the Australia Every Home for Christ.This is a part of the charity procedure that enables EHC to keep up-to standard with the Government. Please pray everything will go well. Song of Solomon 7 (Ruth 1 - 4) ARGENTINA – Pop 38,500,000 Map 221. Pray for EHC’s prison evangelism ministry; in particular the 600 prisoners of the maximum security prison at Sierra Dhica. Many prisoners have made professions of faith, but others have yet to yield to the loving message of Christ. Pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in this prison. Song of Solomon 8 (1 Samuel 1 – 7) COTE D’IVOIRE – Pop 18,500,000 Map 40. During an EHC campaign in an area dominated by voodoo worship, two EHC workers were publicly warned to stay away by the village leaders. Pray for God’s mighty protection on all EHC workers and the Christ Groups that continue to spread the Gospel despite threats. Isaiah 1 (1 Samuel 8 – 12)

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TANZANIA – Pop 39,400,000 Map 16. Praise the Lord for the many who have come to faith as a result of hearing God’s Word. Pray for outreach efforts to reach the Albino peoples in Dares-Salaam. There is also a need for bicycles for many of EHC’s pioneer missionaries and a reliable motor vehicle. Isaiah 2 (1 Samuel 13:1 to 16:13) ARMENIA – Pop 3,000,000 Map 102. Pray for a new convert named Hayk. His eagerness to serve the Lord is evidenced as he is very active in distributing gospel literature, and he shares about the change Christ has made in his life. Pray for God’s anointing on this young man’s life. Isaiah 3 (Psalm 23) INDONESIA – Pop 227,200,000 Map 141. More than 36,000 Christmas pamphlets and 64,390 gospel booklets were distributed during EHC’s special year-end outreach. Pray that the Holy Spirit will prompt readers to accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ and that the new believers would grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. Isaiah 4 (1Samuel 16:14 to 19:11) ANGOLA – Pop 16,800,000 Map 13. Praise God for the spiritual hunger in Angola and the many open doors in this nation. Pray for those reached through EHC’s Christmas Advance Project. Pray that those who received Jesus as Saviour would be able to locate churches and link together with fellow believers so that they can be discipled. Isaiah 5 (Psalm 59) CZECH REPUBLIC – Pop 10,200,000 Map 80. Plans are being made this summer to reach Karlovy Vary in addition to some smaller towns representing some 25,000 families. Pray for the volunteers coming from Switzerland and Germany as well as local Czech workers who are helping in this combined effort. Isaiah 6 (1 Samuel 19:12 to 21:15) FIJI – Pop 900,000 Map 148. Continue to ask the Lord to help in the rebuilding of areas that were hard hit by the worst floods in recent history. Pray for the follow-up efforts to the Christ Groups that EHC workers have established for those coming from a Muslim background, that they might be built up in the Christian faith. Isaiah 7 (Psalms 34, 56)

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NIGER – Pop 14,800,000 Map 35. Please intercede for the people of Boboye. There is an ongoing conflict between farmers from the Djerma people group and the Fulani shepherds, which has led to the injury of many. Pray that peace may reign among them as EHC workers share the message of the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 8 (1 Samuel 22:1 – 2, Psalms 57, 142) SINGAPORE – Pop 4,400,000 Map 139. About ten million gospel booklets were distributed throughout Singapore and Malaysia in Christmas Campaigns. Pray for the Holy Spirit to reap a bountiful harvest and increase the number of believers as a result of this outreach. Praise the Lord for the provision of these booklets. Isaiah 9 (1 Samuel 22:3 – 23, Psalm 52) CREATIVE ACCESS #11 Praise the Lord that EHC has a measure of mobility to share the gospel throughout this nation. Pray that key people in government would come to know Christ. Also, pray for the youth of this country. Out of frustration many are joining gangs. Isaiah 10 (1 Samuel 23, Psalms 54, 63) GUINEA, REP. of – Pop 9,500,000 Map 44. Pray for new Christians in Kindia who have joyfully accepted the Gospel through the outreaches of EHC leader Felix Haba. Pray for their maturing in the faith and that God would continue to open doors for the sharing of the Gospel throughout this nation. Isaiah 11 (1 Samuel 24 – 26) NICARAGUA - Pop 5,700,000 Map 181. Pray for the Lord’s provision for His people during difficult economic times. Continue to lift up the Students Reaching Students program as they share the Gospel, particularly at the National University. Isaiah 12 (1 Samuel 27 – 31) SENEGAL - Pop 12,000,000 Map 46. Christian activities are prohibited in the region of Kaffrine. Pray that the Gospel will be allowed to be shared. Isaiah 13 (2 Samuel 1 – 4) HUNGARY - Pop 10,000,000 Map 77. A local church in Kecskemet is visiting three districts in this town with a population of 100,000. To date, a total of 3,600 families have been visited. Pray that this gospel witness will be followed by many decisions for Jesus Christ. Isaiah 14 (2 Samuel 5 – 7, Psalm 30) LESOTHO - Pop 1,800,000 Map 2. Continue in prayer for 300 shepherd boys reached with the Gospel through EHC’s year-end Christmas Campaign. Many came to faith in Christ. Pray that they would continue to grow in their relationship with the Lord. Isaiah 15 (2 Samuel 8:1 – 14, Psalm 60) MYANMAR - Pop 51,200,000 Map 133. Praise the Lord that EHC workers were able to distribute literature to 70 villages and 21,410 households in recent months. Continue to pray for the construction team in Ayeyarwaddy Division as they rebuild homes damaged or destroyed by Cyclone Nargis in 2008. Isaiah 16 (2 Samuel 8:15 – 10:19)

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ROMANIA - Pop 21,500,00 Map 21,500,000 Map 76. Praise the Lord for churches that have implemented the vision of EHC as they have become active partners in the ministry. Pray for this continuing partnership to expand and reach the nation for Christ. Isaiah 17 (2 Samuel 11:1 to 12:14, Psalms 51, 32) ZIMBABWE - Pop 13,100,000 Map 9. Soon-to-belaunched new Mobile Training Centres are being established for leadership training. Pray that they would be effective tools in the spread of the gospel in Zimbabwe. Pray for the new converts and Christ Groups that were established as a result of the Tsholotsho campaign. Isaiah 18 (2 Samuel 12:15 to 15:37) BANGLADESH - Pop 142,700,000 Map 130. Praise God for the opportunity for EHC workers to systematically distribute home to home 129,720 gospel messages during a recent month. Praise God for the 16 individuals who publicly proclaimed their faith by baptism. Continue to pray for God’s harvest of souls in this nation. Isaiah 19 (Psalms 3, 69) NAMIBIA - Pop 2,000,000 Map 11. Praise God for the ten new Christ Groups that have been formed as a result of the year-end Christmas Campaigns. Pray for the 28 male inmates in the Opuwo Police Station who submitted response cards after they received EHC’s gospel literature. Pray for wisdom in providing discipleship. Isaiah 20 (2 Samuel 16 20) SIERRA LEONE - Pop 5,800,000 Map 43.The Christmas outreach saw people being healed and accepting Christ, with many confessing that this was the best Christmas they ever had. Pray for the new believers in the four regions in which the EHC evangelistic outreaches were held that they might continue to grow in the Lord. Isaiah 21 (Psalms 64, 70) MONGOLIA - Pop 2,700,000 Map 173. Pray for effective follow-up to those who responded to the gospel message during EHC’s year-end Christmas outreaches that reached over 100,000 homes. Pray that churches and Christians will continue to pray and share in the discipleship of those who accepted the Lord during this effort. Isaiah 22 (2 Samuel 21 - 22, Psalm 18) TOGO - Pop 6,300,000 Map 37. Praise the Lord for the ministry of Christ Groups in this nation that are actively taking part in outreach efforts in their regions. Pray that more churches and believers will become involved in EHC Togo’s ministry efforts in evangelism and church planting. Isaiah 23 (2 Samuel 23 – 24) BELGIUM - Pop 10,300,000 Map 85. Local churches organised an evangelistic campaign in the town of Anvers in which 47,000 families received a personal witness. The event ended with a service where 750 people attended. Pray for those who are continuing their spiritual growth, that they might grow strong in the Lord. Isaiah 24 (Psalms 4 – 6) PHILIPPINES – Pop 85,600,000 Map 167. The global economic situation is very much felt by the Filipinos. This is a strategic time for EHC workers to make Jesus known to the nation. Pray for effective gospel outreaches to the provinces of Negros Oriental, Palawan, Sorsogon, Aurora, Ilocos sur, Cagayan and Quezon. Isaiah 25 (Psalms 7 – 9)

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