What is the Impact of Just One Seed?
October 2015
Just a Tiny Seed DICK EASTMAN
“I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” (John 15:16, NIV)
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esus used the metaphor of sowing and reaping often during his ministry on Earth. It was a comparison His followers understood; they were planters and harvesters themselves. They knew what it took to produce a flourishing crop: good seed, fertile soil, sunshine, rain and time. If they were patient and waited for the process, the seeds they planted would multiply to produce far more than what they started with. The next year, they’d use the multiplied seed to do it all again and produce an even greater harvest. I believe that’s what John 15:16 is referring to. “Fruit that lasts” is fruit that reproduces. But Jesus wasn’t really talking about seeds of grain. He was talking about sowing seeds of the Gospel to reap a harvest of souls. The “fruit that lasts” He alluded to is the impact that one changed life can have on another—and then another—multiplying the harvest of souls. The analogy of seeds and harvest is at the very heart of Every Home for Christ. We have an entire database and historic files of testimonies from more than 200 nations describing abundant harvests of
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souls that began from one tiny seed of the Gospel. Planted in the soil of a receptive heart, a single seed can become a catalyst for revival that impacts hundreds and sometimes thousands of lives. Stories of the impact of a single “seed” are so incredible that we’ve dedicated this entire edition to them. You’ll be utterly amazed by what is happening in Spain! Because of a tiny seed of vision, hundreds of churches from different denominations came together and delivered the Gospel to more than 3 million homes! You’ll be inspired by the orphaned boy in India who heard the Gospel and is impacting the lives of thousands, and by the crazy idea in Spain that bore fruit. These stories and so many more like them all have one thing in common— they began when a single seed landed in a ready heart. Now they’ve multiplied into an ever-growing harvest of souls. One little “seed” can transform a life, multiply and change the world. That’s what Every Home for Christ is all about. We’re planting seeds and helping them grow so they can multiply—one home at a time.
The Impact of an Orphaned Boy INDIA By Kathy Gowler
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ohn Toppo was 17 years old when Every Home for Christ workers came to his village. The gospel booklet he received, 'From Darkness to Light', intrigued him. There had been plenty of darkness in his young life, but light? There was no light. The odds had been against him since the day he was born. India’s poor inherit a destiny of nothing, and John’s family was poor. Though he was raised in a Christian home, John freely admits that, in those days, he had no time for God. Instead, he chose his own path and went the way of the world. His father did what he could to put John in a good school, but in their small village, even that wasn’t much. John now thanks God that a German sponsor paid his expenses allowing him to stay in school. After his father died, John’s mother found a menial job, but she couldn’t provide for both John and his sister. John was sent away to fend for himself. Like most teenagers, John had questions about life. He was disturbed by the hatred he witnessed in his village and confused at the utter unfairness of life. He longed for someone to talk to. Then he saw an address on the back of that gospel booklet he’d read. Taking a chance, John sent a postcard to Every Home for Christ. He was delighted when a reply came in the mail—he’d never received a postmarked letter before. He continued to write and even completed the Every Home for Christ Bible correspondence course. He proudly
received a certificate of achievement. It would be a milestone in John Toppo’s life and a crack in the door to his future. When one of the Every Home for Christ workers came to his village a couple of years later, they invited John to join them as they delivered gospel literature home to home. John loved being with the Christian workers and quickly began to think of them as family. Soon the defensive armour surrounding his heart began to melt away. John realised his need for salvation and surrendered his broken life to Christ. For two months he accompanied the pioneer missionaries as they shared the Gospel in local villages. But when the time came for them to move to another area, the all-too-familiar feeling of abandonment struck John once again.
“The odds had been against him since the day he was born. India’s poor inherit a destiny of nothing, and John’s family was poor.”
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Like John Toppo, many with fertile hearts are ready to receive the seed of the Gospel. Please help us reach them. They’ll change the world.
Alone, he began to struggle with his new faith. The traditional churches did little to nurture his spiritual growth, so when he heard about a Pentecostal church two hours away, John began making the journey every week - on foot. Attending the 'Assembly of God' church opened the door to John’s future. He pleaded with the pastor to send him to Bible school so he could serve the Lord with the rest of his life. But instead, the pastor advised him to enroll in the local secular college to obtain his bachelor’s degree. Almost immediately, God led John to minister in that local church. He received his Bachelor of Commerce degree and then obtained his Master of Divinity degree from the Asia Graduate School of Theology. When John first joined the Assembly of God church, there were 100 people in the main congregation. By the time he was appointed Senior Pastor in 1989, it had grown to be the largest 'Assemblies of God' church in northern India. But the orphaned boy who stumbled upon
A proud class of graduates celebrate their accomplishments at one of the Bible Schools founded by John Toppo.
a piece of gospel literature was just getting started. Pastor John saw the need for trained church planters who could expand the reach of the local church, so he formed a partnership with India Bible Literature in Chennai to develop a training program for adult church planters, a children’s Bible school and an adult literacy program for non-reading believers. Because of John’s vision and influence, there are now over 300 'Assemblies of God' churches in northern India with a combined membership of 25,000. But that’s not all - he also started 30 schools and three children’s homes that serve more than 7,000 of India’s poor. “I give all the glory and honour to God who brought me from the darkness to marvellous light,” John says. Pastor John’s team is on target to plant 1,000 more churches in India’s Jharkhand and Bihar states by 2020, and it’s all because one piece of gospel literature found its way to one orphaned boy.
John Toppo's church recently led an outreach to the unreached tribe pictured here.
“...he also started 30 schools and three children’s homes that serve more than 7,000 of India’s poor.”
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By Kathy Gowler
uan and Melena were doing their best to raise children in a postmodern European culture while working hard to advance their careers. Living in Spain, neither of them knew much about God or religion. Those subjects are considered personal and private. But these young professionals weren’t satisfied with their homeland’s 21st century mores that your truth is your truth, and mine is mine. Juan and Melena discussed religion often with their friends and family. However, without any Bible knowledge between them, they just kept spinning their wheels.
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solution Then one day last summer, Juan noticed a small booklet left by their door. He typically tossed such things in the trash, but for some reason the words on this piece caught his eye: “Hay Solución!” (There’s a solution!) His curiosity piqued, Juan picked up the booklet and began to read. Then he showed it to Melena. They were intrigued. The booklet addressed the very questions the young couple had been struggling to answer. Around that same time, in another part of Spain, Carlos was taking a walk when he noticed a wrinkled paper on the table of an outdoor café. “I don’t usually pass cafés
looking for wrinkled papers,” he said. “But impulsively, I picked it up.” Smoothing it out, Carlos discovered it was a piece of gospel literature. Whoever it was given to must not have been interested, but the words on that discarded page transformed Carlos’ life. “Contrary to other parts of the world, religion is not a priority in Spain,” says José Seisdedos, National Director of Every Home for Christ Spain. “Here, God has all but been erased from the everyday routine. Only during special celebrations or in mourning do people look to Him. Otherwise, they ignore Him as if He didn’t exist.”
‘It was a crazy idea,’ Brother José admits... ‘But I like crazy ideas!’
His nation’s indifference toward the Gospel has been a heavy burden for Brother José and his team for many years. “There are 47 million people in Spain who desperately need the hope of salvation, but sadly, they’re too preoccupied to think much about God,” he says. But as it turned out, the Every Home for Christ staff members weren’t the only ones praying for spiritual revival in their homeland. Hundreds of other believers throughout Spain’s 52 provinces were praying too. What happened as a result was unprecedented. A vision for spiritual awakening began to burn in the hearts of Spain’s evangelical pastors and ministry leaders. Led by the Holy Spirit, these Christian leaders called on Spain’s Body of Christ to publically proclaim a day set aside to pray for their nation. It would be the beginning of the “Spain, we are praying for you” movement. After two years, those same Christian leaders began to discuss a new idea—impacting their entire nation with a clear gospel presentation. “It was a crazy idea,” Brother José admits to thinking.“But I like crazy ideas! It was fantastic!” So the vision was cast to reach all of Spain with the Gospel, and momentum began to swell. The very idea was unprecedented— never before had evangelical churches in Spain tried to impact all 52 provincial
capital cities with the Gospel. And their goal was to accomplish it in just six weeks! It quickly became clear that an outreach of this magnitude would require fasting, prayer, strategic planning and thousands of volunteers. But dozens of local churches had already been praying, and combined, they had thousands of volunteers. Plus, Every Home for Christ already had the training mechanisms, a successful tracking method and the willingness to provide the needed gospel literature—over 4 million pieces.“Was it a fit of madness, or was it faith? Probably a bit of both,” Seisdedos muses. Either way, the citizens of Spain were about to be inundated with the Good News. The coalition of pastors and church leaders gathered regularly, listening for the Holy Spirit’s direction. Months were spent prayerfully designing gospel literature geared to reach Spain’s postmodern culture. A special website was created where pastors could access training videos and manuals on personal evangelism that would equip their congregations to minister the Gospel on streets and parks, as well as home to home. After completing the training, thousands of volunteer workers were able to answer questions using Scripture and lead unbelievers in the sinner’s prayer.
Finally, the day arrived. On June 14, 2014, a well-trained army of believers was deployed, and the Hay Solución Outreach was launched. It began with a national prayer breakfast involving several hundred well-known Christian leaders and government officials. Brother José challenged them to consider God as they make decisions that will affect Spain’s future. That afternoon, thousands of Christians paraded through their cities singing and carrying banners that said, “Spain, we are praying for you.” The message to their fellow citizens was clear: the answer to postmodern questions is Jesus. It was the beginning of a spiritual awakening that took the nation by storm. In the weeks that followed, public areas and parks all over Spain became sanctuaries of God’s presence filled with seekers of the truth. “People of all ages turned out for these events as if they were pop concerts. But they weren’t there to listen to secular music; they came to hear that Jesus is the solution for this generation,” Brother José said. Implementing Every Home for Christ’s model of evangelising through gospel literature, the Hay Solución Outreach delivered the Good News to millions of Spaniards. “Because the evangelical churches of Spain have come together, the Lord has given us favour in the eyes of men,” Brother José said. “And thousands of Christians have learned that the pulpit can be anywhere—a doorstop, mailbox, street corner, park bench, bus stop, train station or subway coach.” But an outreach of this magnitude didn’t come without challenges. Many areas of Spain have no evangelical presence at all. Ministering in those communities required creativity, but there was plenty to go around. In one such town, Christian women began ministering to those in their community who had experienced abuse. In another, a nurse shared the gospel message 'Father’s Love Letter' with her co-workers—many of whom were moved to tears at the news that God
loves them and wants to be their Father. In still another community, a Christian grandmother organised other grandmothers to go home to home and share the love of Christ. Then an elderly man, too weak to physically join the outreach, personally mailed gospel messages to every home in his community—thousands of them. The persistent, earnest prayer of believers who were burdened for their nation has now resulted in millions of their countrymen receiving the message of salvation. The seeds of the Gospel left at Juan and Melena’s door led their entire family to faith in Christ. Now active in a local church, they often invite their friends and neighbours to join them. The Hay Solución Outreach will continue to reap a harvest of souls for many years to come. Our Brother José said it well, “We planted the seeds, but only God knows the long-term measure of our efforts.” Thank you brothers and sisters in Spain—you’ve given us a glimpse of what God can do when His Body unites in a common cause.
Look what happened when the Body of Christ in Spain came together to reach its nation for Christ: • More than 6,800 trained volunteer workers hit the streets of their nation with the love of Christ. • Over 3.4 million homes received the Gospel during the Hay Solución project • 4.2 million pieces of gospel literature made it into the hands of unbelievers. • More than 6,000 lost souls have called on the name of the Lord. • Nearly 3,000 sincere seekers took part in Every Home for Christ’s follow-up discipleship training.
WE ARE Every Home for Christ
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orn in the Soviet Republic of Moldova, Pavel Valkov grew up attending church—but not by choice. His father was the pastor. And like many young people brought up in church, Pavel had to learn that his parents’ faith would not be enough. God wanted him to establish his own. During his teen years, Pavel chose to disobey God and his parents and embraced the way of the world. But God got Pavel’s attention when Pavel broke the same leg twice in two years. As a result, his behaviour did change—but it was because of Pavel’s fear of God, not his love for Him. By the time he was 17 years old, Pavel was weary of trying to obey God when his heart was still divided. He contemplated ending his life, but God wouldn’t allow it—He had other plans. It was an eye-opening experience that changed Pavel’s life forever. By the time he graduated high school, Pavel knew God was calling him into ministry. Pavel enrolled at Emmanuel University of Oradea, Romania and earned his degree in theology. It was there that his faith grew strong, and Pavel developed his love for others. His involvement with the school’s mission trips to neighbouring Bulgaria convinced him of two things: home-to-home evangelism is the most effective way to share the Gospel, and God was calling him to move to Bulgaria to preach the Gospel. Pavel made that move in 2004 and began teaching Bible classes and working with the youth at an evangelical church. In 2007, Pavel joined the staff at the Stara Zagora Baptist Church where he continues to teach and lead church members in home-to-home
Pavel Valkov Bulgaria National Director
outreaches today. When Every Home for Christ leaders made plans to open an office in Bulgaria, Pavel Valkov was the obvious choice to lead the work. He is a strong believer in home-tohome evangelism, has a driving compassion for people without Christ and is already connected with the local church. Pavel was appointed National Director of Every Home for Christ Bulgaria in 2009. Ministering the Gospel in post-communist Europe comes with unique challenges. One is that there are very few evangelical churches in Bulgaria, so the number of willing evangelisers is limited. “Secondly,” Pastor Pavel says, “the concept of volunteerism is foreign to our post-communist culture. Few people understand the value of giving your time and energy freely.” He was quick to add that Bulgaria’s young people are more eager to be involved in volunteer ministry. Pastor Pavel and his wife, Monica, have two young children and work together as they minister the Gospel in Bulgaria. Their small team of pioneer missionaries is often tired from travelling great distances to share the Gospel home-to-home, so their constant prayer is that God will send more labourers to help them. “I take the calling of reaching every home in Bulgaria very literally and very seriously,” Pavel says. “Some days the work is heavy, and I don’t want to do it—but then I’m reminded of how many people have still not heard the Good News.” Please pray for Pastor Pavel as he leads the work of Every Home for Christ Bulgaria. His task is large, and his workers are few.
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Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Isaiah For those wanting to do the one-year Bible reading program these chapters are in brackets.
OCTOBER 2015
PRAY FOR ISRAEL, THE NATIONS, THE WORLD'S PEOPLE. Rev 12:11
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ALBANIA - Pop 3,000,000 Map 75. Pray for Every Home for Christ Albania as it seeks to become legally registered with the government. This would allow our workers to serve more freely, but the process can be uncertain. Please pray for them to have favour with their government. Proverbs 24 (Jeremiah 21, 34) BRAZIL - Pop 202,700,000 Map 218. A local church joined Every Home for Christ Brazil in reaching out to the city of Sorocaba. While doing home-to-home evangelism, pioneer missionaries handed out food, clothes and toys to those in need. Praise God that 22 people made decisions for Christ! Proverbs 25 (Jeremiah 37 - 39, 52) COTE D'IVOIRE - Pop. 22,800,000 Map 41. Pastors from different evangelical backgrounds in Cote d’Ivoire came together to be trained in evangelism. Please pray for their churches as they take the Gospel to their communities along the Ivory Coast. Proverbs 26 (Jeremiah 40 - 44) CREATIVE ACCESS - A Muslim high school teacher has received Jesus! After reading gospel literature given to him by Every Home for Christ pioneer missionaries, he said, “Everything in this booklet is true. I wish every Muslim had one.” Proverbs 27 (Lamentations 1 - 5)
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BURUNDI - Pop 10,400,000 Map 18. Please pray for a young new believer in Burundi. After hearing the Gospel from one of our workers, she prayed to receive Jesus. When her parents found out, they told her, “You are chased from this family.” Please pray for her to find care in her church family. Proverbs 28 (2 Chronicles 36:1 - 8, Daniel 1 - 4) CHILE - Pop. 17,400,000 Map 220. Gospel workers in Chile share the hope of Christ with those they meet throughout their day-to-day lives, at the store, on the subway and on the street. Please pray that these encounters will be life-changing and fruitful. Proverbs 29 (Daniel 5 - 6) BULGARIA - Pop. 6,900,000 Map 77. In the district of Kyustendil, the mayor has prohibited the distribution of gospel literature both on the street and home-to-home. Though this law is unconstitutional, our workers hope to find an amicable resolution. Pray for them to have wisdom. Proverbs 30 (Daniel 7 - 9) CREATIVE ACCESS - In this nation, there is great pressure against Christians in remote villages. Local authorities block them from schools, cemeteries and even basic utilities like water! This makes preaching the Gospel difficult. Please pray for God to guide our outreach there. Proverbs 31 (Daniel 10 - 12)
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MALI - Pop 16,500,000 Map 49. As extremist groups fight in northern Mali, many Christians in the area are receiving death threats. Please pray for God to bring peace to this region and to protect our workers sharing the Gospel with their communities. Ecclesiastes 1 (2 Chronicles 36:9 - 21, Psalm 137) MEXICO - Pop. 120,300,000 Map 178 Praise God that after studying Every Home for Christ discipleship material, three people in Mexico were baptised. Please pray for them as they grow in their new-found faith and share the Good News with their neighbours. Ecclesiastes 2 (Ezekiel 1 - 3) RWANDA - Pop. 12,300,000 Map 17. A gospel worker was arrested by a government official on charges of “disrupting the marketplace.” But when he got to the police station, the police let him go. “We know you minister the Gospel to our homes,” they said. Praise God for this good favour! Ecclesiastes 3 (Ezekiel 4 - 11) ISRAEL - Pop. 8,296,000 Map 116. Please pray for Jacob Damkani from Trumpet of Salvation to Israel as he was rushed to hospital with a tear to the heart wall and is now recovering from an 8 hour operation. His wife, Elisheva, asks: 'Would you please all pray with me for a complete restoration of Jacob's left leg? It did not receive blood for about seven hours after the aortic dissection and still hurts very badly. Jacob is slowly getting better, and we believe that the Lord will take him to complete recovery step by step. Ecclesiastes 4 (Ezekiel 12 - 17) VENEZUELA - Pop. 29,900,000 Map 214. While evangelising door to door, gospel workers entered a home where spiritualism was practiced—and a child was possessed. Thankfully, they were able to free the child through prayer, and the child’s mother accepted Jesus. Praise God. Ecclesiastes 5 (Ezekiel 18 - 20)
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MYANMAR - Pop. 55,700.000 Map 135. Despite heavy rains that can make travel difficult, pioneer missionaries in Myanmar have not failed to take the Gospel home-to-home. Please pray for their safe travel and for hearts to be open to receive the message of the Gospel. Ecclesiastes 6 (Ezekiel 21 - 24) "They overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony: and they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." Speak your prayer!
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TOGO - Pop. 7,400,000 Map 38. Pioneer missionaries working in the Guin community ask for a miracle from God. That community is currently opposed to Jesus. Please pray that the Spirit of God will prepare the way for the Gospel there. Ecclesiastes 7 Ezekiel 25 - 28)
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MOZAMBIQUE - Pop 24,700,000 Map 8. Gospel workers in Mozambique are challenged by a scarcity of Bibles. New believers need the Word of God to grow in their faith. Please pray for God to provide these much-needed Bibles. Ecclesiastes 8 (Ezekiel 29 - 32)
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CREATIVE ACCESS - A woman who received a gospel booklet read it and said that she believes in Jesus—but she refuses to give up her mystical occult practices. Please pray for her heart to be open to receive the full Gospel. Ecclesiastes 9 (Ezekiel 33 - 35)
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COLOMBIA - Pop. 46,200,000 Map 215. After studying our discipleship material, a girl named Lisette shared the Gospel with her schoolmate Natali. Natali then shared the Gospel with her mother who says that it has changed her household. Praise God for young people who are faithful witnesses of the Good News. Ecclesiastes 10 (Ezekiel 36 - 39)
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MOLDOVA - Pop 3,600,000 Map 102. After giving gospel literature to a woman she met, a pioneer missionary returned to follow up. But the woman couldn’t hear our worker calling from the gate at first—she was too interested in the gospel message she was reading. Praise God for hearts open to the Gospel. Ecclesiastes 11 (Ezekiel 40 - 42)
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D. R. CONGO - Pop. 77,400,000 Map 19. Twelve new believers were baptised in D.R. Congo and will soon begin studying Every Home for Christ’s discipleship material. Please pray for them as they grow in their faith and share God’s Word with their neighbours. Ecclesiastes 12 (Ezekiel 43 - 48)
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INDIA - Pop. 1,236,300,000 Map 129. Gospel workers in India are often met with hostility from those who see Christianity as a subversive ideology. But our pioneer missionaries respond softly and proceed prayerfully with their mission. Please pray for their safety as they share the Gospel. Song of Songs 1 (2 Chronicles 36:22, 2, Ezra 1:1 to 5:1)
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CREATIVE ACCESS - A young man suffering from addictions recently heard the Gospel. He came to Christ and was set free from his addiction. Please pray for him to grow in his faith and share the Gospel with others in his life. Song of Songs 2 (Haggai 1 - 2)
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ETHIOPIA - Pop 96,600,000 Map 29. In Ethiopia, 120 church leaders have been trained in evangelism and church planting. They are eager to make disciples and earnest to share the Gospel. Pray that the harvest will be great as they share gospel literature in their country. Song of Songs 3 (Zechariah 1 - 8)
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CROATIA - Pop. 4,500,000 Map 69. Working together with his son, an Every Home for Christ worker in Croatia took the Gospel to 119 homes in Selnica Podravska. Praise God for this family legacy of evangelism! Please pray that hearts will be open to receive the Good News with joy. Song of Songs 4 (Zechariah 9 - 11) EAST TIMOR - Pop. 1,200,000 Map 144. Praise God that Every Home for Christ’s evangelistic efforts now have governmental support in East Timor. Please pray for continued favour with those in power and for hearts to be open as the Gospel goes forth. Song of Songs 5 (Zechariah 12 - 14) MARTINIQUE - Pop 400,000 Map 204. As Every Home for Christ becomes more recognised in Martinique, more churches are participating with our workers in evangelism. Praise God for this cross-denominational partnership of His Church, and pray for a great harvest. Song of Songs 6 (Psalms 107, 126) PAPUA NEW GUINEA- Pop. 6,600,000 Map 146. Please pray for pioneer missionary Jeremiah and his family. Jeremiah’s brother and two others were killed by pirates while fishing. Pray for peace and comfort during this time of mourning for our worker’s family. Song of Songs 7 (Ezra 5:2 to 6:22) RUSSIA - Pop 142,500,000 Map 106. Praise God for three people baptised near St. Petersburg. God is using Every Home for Christ to grow the Church in Russia. Please pray for these new believers as they grow in their faith. Song of Songs 8 (Esther 1 - 2) URUGUAY- Pop. 3,300,000 Map 224. Many people volunteering with Every Home for Christ Uruguay are doing so for the very first time—and they are excited to continue the job! Please pray that their passion will produce a great harvest as they take the Gospel home-to-home. Isaiah 1 (Esther 3 - 7) SWITZERLAND - Pop 8,100,000 Map 62. Volunteers from the United States helped Every Home for Christ workers in Switzerland with home-to-home evangelism. This outreach resulted in several deep conversations, and our workers were able to pray for many. Please pray that this effort will result in a fruitful harvest. Isaiah 2 (Esther 8 - 10)
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THAILAND- Pop. 67,700,000 Map 136. More than 6,000 gospel packets were given out at the Congress on Evangelism in Bangkok, and many churches are now interested in using Every Home for Christ gospel literature to evangelise their communities. Please pray for their efforts to bring a great harvest. Isaiah 3 (Ezra 7 - 10)
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