October Newsletter 2012

EVERYHOME Taking the Gospel to Every Home

Thailand

itsmejust

October 2012

THAILAND

Reports have now come from Every Home for Christ Thailand testifying to the faithfulness of the Lord, especially during a time of hardship in 2011 when families in the south of the country lost everything due to large, widescale flooding. Not only homes but entire neighbourhoods were completely destroyed.

Despite the tragedy, a total of 81,160 families heard the Gospel, some for the first time.

The severe flooding in the nation also afflicted Muslims in the south who were touched

by Christ’s love and turned to Him in this difficult time. In conjunction with EHC gospel literature distribution efforts, one local church in Bangkok gathered its members to distribute the Gospel to 25,000 homes in their area and another church sent more than 200 volunteers.

Because so many lost their homes and loved ones, a total of 30 churches united with EHC Thailand to supply another 25,000 gospel messages as well as bags of relief food items and clothing for the victims. One worker said, “To our surprise, the people in almost every single home were open to the Gospel. In my team, we went to ten homes and nine invited us in. In one family, five members accepted Christ!”

One man who was so excited to receive Bible lessons said, “I am so happy to know that no matter who I am, Jesus still loves me.

I have decided to dedicate my life to Him. Nothing in the world gives me hope like God who loves and cares for me. Thank you for introducing me to Jesus.”

Stolen kids turned into terrifying killers Warlords are forcing children in conflicts around the world to become killing machines - nothing more than what child advocates call "cannon fodder."

Children are kidnapped from their beds and others are kidnapped from their schools, some are recruited after seeing their parents slaughtered, some may even choose to join the militias as their best hope for survival in war-torn countries from Colombia, and across Africa and the Middle East, to south Asia.

Dominique Faget

Once recruited, many are brainwashed, trained, given drugs and then sent into battle with orders to kill.

Patrick Aventurier

There is no escape for what the United Nations and human rights groups estimate are 250,000 child soldiers today. These children, some as young as 8, become fighters, sex slaves, spies and even human shields.

Sometimes their guns are taller than they are.

But the child soldiers can be frighteningly cold and effective.

The children's very vulnerability makes them attractive to the men leading militias, according to someone, who has interviewed former child soldiers in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Uganda and Myanmar for Human Rights Watch.

They are easy to manipulate and will do the unspeakable without question or protest, partly because their morals and value systems are not yet fully formed. In some cultures, child soldiers - 40 percent

of whom can be girls - are considered expendable "cannon fodder."

They journey from boy or girl to killing machine follows a horrifying route of indoctrination, including being forced to execute friends and family.

One girl, Angela, 12, said she was told to shoot a friend when she joined Colombia's FARC guerrillas.

I closed my eyes and fired the gun, but I didn't hit her. So I shot again," she said. "I had to bury her and put dirt on top of her. The commander said, You'll have to do this many more times, and you'll have to learn not to cry."

One of the Congolese commanders threatened to shoot a 13-year-old girl unless she tied the testicles of a prisoner with wire.

She complied and the captive died.

See next page for the good news is your gifts help children find Christ.

Every Home for Christ / Every Home Global Concern 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

"I accepted Jesus into my heart."

My name used to be Ganesh. I was named after a Hindu elephant god, raised in an orphanage because my family didn't want me.

As I was walking to school one day I saw a bit of coloured paper in a trash can. Curious, I pulled it out and found that it was an Every Home for Christ booklet printed in Marathi - my language! I wrote a letter and asked for more information about Jesus. When the lessons arrived, I realised my need and accepted Jesus into my heart.

I told my friends about my decision, and they laughed at me. Later, they beat me up, stole my Bible, and tore up the lessons I'd received in the mail. A pioneer missionary from Every Home for Christ befriended me and encouraged me in my faith. He baptised me and gave me a new name: James.

Now I help distribute the same gospel booklets that helped rescue me.

James Verma, India.

Every Home Global Concern helping the poor, healing the sick, educating for a better life

Togo from the desk of Aaron Moore

Our plane has descended back to earth, the seatbelt sign pings off and people make their way down the aisle and onto the landing. Stepping out the doors of the plane, I swing my bag over my shoulder and meander out across the runway. I have spent over 30 hours sitting in an armchair in the sky with the hope of spending a few days hearing how the majority of our world live. In particular, I have come to hear the stories of the Midawakope people.

I’ve arrived in Togo, West Africa and my work here is to help with the five biggest health problems in Togo which are HIV/Aids, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Sanitation, and Nutrition: • 120,000 people in Togo have HIV/Aids and 88,000 children have been orphaned as a result of the disease. 94% of them won’t receive any medical, educational or psychological support.

• One in every 30 children in Togo dies from Malaria, which is both preventable and curable.

• 2,890 new cases of Tuberculosis (TB) were reported in Togo last year of which 2,086 were highly contagious.Tuberculosis is a type of bacteria infection in the lungs and is spread when a person with an active TB infection coughs of sneezes and someone else inhales the contamination.

• Only 12% of Togo’s entire population has access to proper toilets and only 5% of households sterilise their water resulting in significant cases of diarrhoea.

• 108 children out of 1000 die in Togo before their fifth birthday. Many of these deaths are linked with malnutrition. This high rate of infant mortality could be avoided with simple interventions and education on nutrition for parents.

By now you are probably feeling overwhelmed by the numbers, the sheer scale of Togo’s health problem, the death, the hopelessness, the thousands of vulnerable children. You long to see a solution for those suffering in Togo but maybe you don’t know where you fit in the bigger picture?

But what would you do if you could save just one person from dying? And what if you could save not just one person, but many? What if someone told you that before this year ended you would have saved and changed the lives of hundreds of people? I would like to offer you this opportunity and here’s how.

At Every Home we operate a Medical Clinic and Health Education Project in Togo that ensures the poorest of the poor receive medical attention and assistance.

Every Home educated 13,830 people in 50 isolated villages by conducting over 4,000 training sessions on HIV/Aids, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Sanitation and Nutrition.

9,576 of these participants were school students as pictured below.

For the vast majority of students, this was the first time they had ever been taught simple concepts like the fact that disease is regularly contracted through the failure to wash hands (the practice of washing hands alone can reduce contamination of diarrhoea by up to 42%).

After training, one student, Bright pictured here, said he understood the importance of nutrition, “Once we have finished eating our regular meal we need to be sure to eat fruit so that we will be healthy.”

Akarussiwa pictured below said she learnt “not to leave open vessels of drinking water around otherwise they may become contaminated and make you sick.”

The 100 Health Volunteers (pictured on the next page) together cover all 50 villages surrounding Midawakope. Most villagers are illiterate so each Health Educator and Volunteer receives a Health Training Kit that contains large picture books that they use to communicate health lessons.

Because we utilise volunteers, we can reach even more people with the funds you provide for health training, and these people feel an even stronger sense of ownership in seeing the lives in their communities changed. It costs only $2 to provide a poor villager with the key health information that could save their life.

And at Every Home we don’t just educate in health, we train trainers, so for every $2 that you give to train an individual, that person will go on to educate their entire household and may even train others in their village, meaning that the reach of your gift can literally be endless. For just $24 a month you could educate and train 12 households in the areas of HIV/Aids, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Sanitation and Nutrition. That’s around 144 households in a year. The average household has 7 people, which means your gift will reach over 1,000 people!

But at Every Home we don’t just provide education and training, we also give the poor practical health care and assistance through the Jack McAlister Medical Clinic. Last year the clinic accepted 1,212 patients, of which over 400 required treatments for malaria. On top of this, clinic nurses immunised 1,119 children from diseases like Tuberculosis, Measles and Yellow fever. In Togo 40% of births take place without any sort of skilled attendant, but last year midwives in the Medical Clinic provided pre and post natal consultation to hundreds of mothers and delivered 76 babies safely into the world.

For $200 a month you can deliver 6 newborn babies by fully supporting a skilled midwife who will also provide over 50 pre and post natal and baby growth promotion consultations every month.

For $150 a month you can immunise 100 children from deadly diseases by fully supporting a nurse who will also assist in the treatment of over 100 poor villagers from snake bites, trauma and other emergencies, and provide numerous HIV/Aids, malaria and other tests.

Perhaps you never thought you could help in such a way. However, to those who support the Togo Health Education and Medical Clinic, the Midawakope people want to say - "You changed and saved our Lives !"

Aaron Moore

Jesus said

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

Yes, we must do as Jesus told us, "to go and make disciples of all nations " but no ! we should not abandon feeding the poor and

helping the needy; these are the exact activities that Jesus will use to judge our sincerity to Him.

Jesus said "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then righteous will answer Him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,

or thirsty and give you something to drink?

When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?

When did we see you in sick or in prison and go to visit you?" "The King will reply , 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine you did for me." Matthew 25:35-40

Going and making disciples and caring for the poor and hungry are both important in our committment to God!

UKRAINE

In the Ukraine the Lord worked in wonderful ways to reach as many as 500,000 people with the message of salvation. In response to an opportunity presented by national celebrations marking the 450-year jubilee of the first Ukrainian Gospel Translation of the Bible, EHC took the Gospel to Ukrainians, and for many it was very Good News!

All 24 regions plus Kiev were covered through the campaign. Excitement and enthusiasm brimmed over for the project.

Some were requesting more literature for their friends and families.

Kiev. Victor

A total of 950 local churches participated with a half million gospel booklets distributed.

Home-to-home evangelism was conducted in 1,500 towns and villages. More than 1,000 people requested Bible correspondence courses, and 50 new Christ Groups were formed! Praise God for His power and the fact that the people of Ukraine are witnessing a new wave of evangelism. EHC workers covet prayer for the nation of Ukraine. Thank you for interceding on their behalf.

TRUSTING GOD [THROUGH TRIALS]

Every day I scan the world and local news on the Internet and TV to see what’s happening. Sometimes, the endless barrage of crime, death, and human brutality is so disturbing that I have to turn it off and fall to my knees in prayer.

By DICK EASTMAN

In his sermon he shared the painful story of how he and his wife had lost a beautiful young daughter to diphtheria.“It was a stunning blow,” Torrey said.“Why did God permit it? Because He loved us.”

I had to stop and read that last line several times.

The words of Revelation 22:12 echo in my mind and Sadly, it hit too close to home. As some of you may I long for Christ to fulfill them: “Behold, I am coming know, several years ago Dee and I lost our precious quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every grandson, Jack, when he unexpectedly died in his sleep of a virus. We heard the news while on a man according to what he has done.” mission trip for EHC. Why would it happen then? And Our fallen world has been devastated by sin. Every aspect why would the date be our daughter’s (Jack’s mum) of the natural world and every person, family, church, very birthday? The pain and anguish that engulfed institution, and government is flawed and imperfect our family seemed at the time more than anything because of sin. As the apostle Paul explains, “For the we could possibly endure. creation was subjected to futility” (Romans 8:20).

Throughout the ordeal, however, we never doubted As believers who have been born again by faith in God’s love for us. It was in fact His love that was the Jesus Christ, we have the confidence of knowing that only thing that brought us through. I was comforted we have been saved from the ultimate consequence of knowing that little Jack was beyond the suffering of sin—death. Through His own death on the cross, Christ this world, cradled safely in the arms of Jesus. But I paid the price for our sins, with a promise that by faith, had never considered, as Torrey did, that God allowed we too will rise again to a new life with Him in glory. us to experience this pain because He loved us.

The time we spend living on this earth is guaranteed Torrey went on to explain that the experience of to be filled with sorrow, regrets, and pain. Sometimes losing his daughter caused him to do some serious we suffer from self-afflicted wounds. We may follow soul searching. And out of that season of grief, a a destructive path that leads to a lost job, a broken renewed commitment to God emerged that caused heart, or a destroyed marriage. Other times, we may him to follow God more deeply than ever before into be afflicted by events that are totally beyond our a ministry that ultimately had a worldwide impact. control; a tragic accident or illness takes the life of “All of God’s seemingly severe dealings with us came a loved one; the economy takes a bad turn and our from the wise and wondrous love of God, and we workplace closes its doors; family members or friends both saw it and praised Him,” Torrey said. follow ungodly paths and we grieve for them in our In memory of our Jack’s short life and sweet spirit, daily prayers.

Every Home for Christ launched a major child There is no way to escape life’s tragedies and failures, but evangelism initiative including the publishing of God hasn’t forgotten us in times of uncertainty or pain. a children’s Bible story book that has helped touch The apostle Peter put it into perspective when he millions of children with the Gospel. Many thousands wrote: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery of children and their families have given their lives to ordeal among you, which comes upon you for Christ in response to these efforts. I know that Jack your testing, as though some strange thing were is probably already meeting some of those souls in happening to you; but to the degree that you share heaven, and God is receiving the glory! the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also No parent would ever choose to lose a child, but at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with sometimes, in God’s sovereign plan, He allows us to exultation” (1 Peter 4:12-13). experience almost unbearable suffering because He I don’t always understand it, but somehow God is at loves us and wants us to become more like His own work in every circumstance to make us stronger and Son, Jesus—the Son whom God sent to die upon the cross for our sins. We have the joy, then, of taking the bring Him glory.

Good News of Jesus to multitudes who have yet to I recently came across a sermon that was preached hear of his love. Thank you for partnering with us to by the great evangelical Bible teacher R. A. Torrey. help carry out this global task.

Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from Jeremiah.

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

OCTOBER 2012

PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM PSALM 122:6 AND THE WORLD.

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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - Pop. 22,620,600 Map 145. Pray God will raise up workers to help EHC visit every home and business in the Sydney City area. Pray workers will come from Sydney, all Australia and maybe other places in the world. Jeremiah 3 (Jeremiah 21,34)

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CREATIVE ACCESS #24 - Many villages in the north of this nation refuse to accept gospel literature into their homes. They are strong worshippers of traditional religions. Pray that the Lord would break the strongholds in this district and that the Gospel would go forth freely. Jeremiah 11 (2 Chronicles EHC INTERNATIONAL - Every Home for Christ 36:9-21, Psalm 137) is enjoying its best days ever in reaching the CAMEROON - Pop 20,100,000 Map 24. worlds people for Christ and working in more Praise the Lord for 39 students from four countries than ever. Pray God will bring many to Christ Christ Groups who attended training to through this work. Jeremiah 4 (Jeremiah 37-39,52) begin leading their own Christ Groups! Pray for an CREATIVE ACCESS #5 - Recently team members upcoming Be Fruitful and Multiply discipleship training were beaten because of their witness to the Gospel. with leaders of the largest denomination in Cameroon.

By the grace of God, they escaped with minimal Jeremiah 12 (Ezekiel 1-3) injuries. Pray for the protection of workers and for the souls of ARMENIA - Pop 3,000,000 Map 102. A those who persecute them. Jeremiah 5 (Jeremiah 40-44) major challenge is the indifference of the people to the Lord, particularly in rural areas.

UGANDA - Pop. 35,900,000 Map 26. Praise God for over 1,000 Mobile Training Centre graduates! Workers also face persecution from orthodox priests. Pray The team requests prayer for these graduates as for effective evangelism despite these obstacles, and they go out to the field to do home-to-home evangelism, praise God for faithful workers in the face of persecution! lead Christ Groups, and train others to do the same. Jeremiah 13 (Ezekiel 4-11)

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Jeremiah 6 (Lamentations 1-5)

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ARGENTINA - Pop. 42,200,000 Map 221.

National Director Rino Bello has been travelling in the province of San Luis to preach in churches, speak at conventions, and attend meetings in preparation for evangelism. Pray for great fruit to come of this work and for Rino’s health and safety as he travels. Jeremiah 7 (2 chronicles 36:1-8, Daniel 1-4).

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RUSSIA - NOVOKUZNETSK - Pop 138,100,000 Map 104. The team requests prayer for inspiration and guidance as they develop new literature to take to every home. Pray that God will reveal to them the Scriptures, testimonies, and stories that will best speak to the hearts of the Russian people. Jeremiah 14 (Ezekiel 12-17)

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LIBERIA - Pop. 3,900,000 Map 41. This month marks the end of the rainy season in Liberia. Pray for staff, volunteers, and Christ Group leaders to remain faithful and consistent in reaching every home despite the challenges brought by the rainy season.

Jeremiah 8 (Daniel 5-6)

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NIGER - Pop. 17,100,000 Map 35. Last year was a catastrophic year for farmers in Niger. Low harvests resulted in famine and abandoned villages as people moved to cities to find work.

Pray for open heavens for rain and open hearts to the Gospel in this time of economic hardship. Jeremiah 15 (Ezekiel 18-20)

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SINGAPORE - Pop 5,400,000 Map 139. EHC CREATIVE ACCESS #16 - Please pray for workers here face challenges in conflicting success as the National Director visits a local cultures, beliefs, and ethnic traditions. Pray for university to introduce the vision of EHC and wisdom and patience for these workers. Often a rich fruit the Be Fruitful and Multiply discipleship curriculum. He will will come when workers take the time to listen to the be recruiting Master of Theology students to become EHC stories of people who need to know about Jesus. volunteers. Jeremiah 16 (Ezekiel 21-24) Jeremiah 9 (Daniel 7-9) COTE D'IVOIRE- Pop. 22,000,000 Map 40. Five EHC Christ Groups recently visited GUINEA-BISSAU- Pop 1,600,000 Map 45. Pray for 1,232 homes with the Gospel, received 108 new believers who come to know the Lord but responses, and established four new Christ Groups! Please are unable to connect with a Christ Group or pray for more responses to the Gospel among the homes church because they move away to find work. Ask God to cause seeds of the Gospel to grow so that they will visited and for effective discipleship of the new believers. stand firm in their decisions. Jeremiah 10 (Daniel 10-12) Jeremiah 17 (Ezekiel 25-28)

BANGLADESH - Pop. 161,100,000 Map 130. EHC Bangladesh recently submitted all the documents needed to apply for governmental permission to be able to receive funds.

Please pray for God to touch the hearts of the officers involved to approve every necessary document. Jeremiah 18 (Ezekiel 29-32)

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CHILE - Pop. 17,100,000 Map 220. The team invites you to pray with them over each volunteer who shares the Gospel from house to house. Each home these volunteers reach means we are one step closer to reaching the last home and seeing transformation in the nation. Praise God! Jeremiah 26 (Zechariah 9-11).

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SWITZERLAND - Pop. 7,700,000 Map 61.

SIERRA LEONE - Pop. 5,500,000 Map Please pray for a plentiful harvest and effective 43. Isha is a war victim who lost an eye in follow-up in the village of Siviviez. EHC workers an explosion. She grew up in a Muslim family, but she gave her life to Jesus when EHC workers recently reached this area,which is home to 3,500 inhabitants. visited her home. Pray for Isha’s protection as she now Pray for the Bible studies now beginning in partnership experiences persecution from her family. Jeremiah 19 with local churches. Jeremiah 27 (Zechariah 12-14) (Ezekiel 33-35) PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Pop. 6,300,000 Map 144. Praise God for breakthroughs and ROMANIA - Pop. 21,800,000 Map 76. In open doors in some of the most restricted November, elections for parliament will be held. Please cover these elections in prayer. Ask places, especially in areas where people have not been God for social and political stability and for the right people exposed to the Gospel. Pray for protection as EHC workers to be elected to these positions. Praise God for new volunteers enter these areas; they often encounter unrest and persecution. Jeremiah 28 (Psalms 107,126) on home-to-home teams! Jeremiah 20 (Ezekiel 36-39) CREATIVE ACCESS #22 - Teams recently BURUNDI - Pop. 10,600,000 Map 18. completed summer-long projects in which Please pray for the necessary means for they reached difficult areas despite much transportation of workers and materials. It is a great challenge to transport books and literature persecution. We invite you to pray for God’s protection from the office to remote provinces, and public over the new believers and for a lasting harvest from this transportation often requires exorbitant fees. Jeremiah 21 outreach. Jeremiah 29 (Ezra 5:2 to 6:22) (Ezekiel 40-42).

THAILAND - Pop. 67,100,000 Map 134.

CREATIVE ACESS #15 - We thank God for EHC workers received a donation of 1,000 the recent salvation of a young woman pairs of shoes and blessed local orphanages named Rika through the EHC ministry. Sadly, with them. One boy had prayed the night before for shoes, her father is anti-Christian and often threatens her. Please and because of God’s immediate provision, he became a join us in prayer for the safety of Rika and for the salvation Christian! Please pray God would continue to touch lives of her father. Jeremiah 22 (Ezekiel 43-48) like this. Jeremiah 30 (Esther 1-2)

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GERMANY - Pop. 81,300,000 Map 81. EHC MOLDOVA - Pop. 3,700,000 Map 100. leadership in Germany is just returning from EHC workers heard about a man named summer holidays.

Pray with us that these Peter who was called the worst man in his faithful servants of the Lord will return rested, refreshed, village because he was a murderer, so they went to visit his house with the Gospel. Praise God, Peter accepted Jesus! and with a renewed sense of fervency for the work of Pray that he will be transformed by the love of Christ. reaching every home. Jeremiah 31 (Esther 3-7) Jeremiah 23 (2 chronicles 36:22,23 Ezra 1:1 to 5:1) CAMBODIA - Pop. 15,000,000 Map 136.

Praise God for faithful Christ Group leaders RUSSIA - SIBERIA - Pop. 138,100,000 who are guiding their members in truth and Map 104. Alexey had been in jail and spent spiritual maturity, as well as for good relationships among his time there longing for God. So when EHC the leaders and local churches. Pray for resources to be workers came to his home Alexey was thrilled, and he and able to better equip and support these leaders. Jeremiah his wife were saved. Pray for them as they seek to establish 32 (Esther 8-10) a church in their village. Jeremiah 24 (Haggai 1-2) SOUTH SUDAN - Pop. 10,600,000 Map ZAMBIA - Pop. 14,300,000 Map 14. We 32. Praise God for the opportunity to minister celebrate the release of 2,250 prisoners who to soldiers in various areas. One volunteer were recently pardoned. Among these had the opportunity to preach to over 400 soldiers at one prisoners were members of EHC Christ Groups. Please pray time!

Pray that as these soldiers move from place to place, that they will continue in their walk with Christ and they will stand firm in their new relationship with Christ. re-integrate into their communities. Jeremiah 25 Jeremiah 33 (Ezra 7-10) (Zechariah 1-8)