Outreach Jan-Mar 2011 by Elim International Missions

PRAYERDIARY

Pray with us and see a real difference.

[INFOCUS] Updates from some of our missionaries.

OUTREACH Issue 23 | Jan - Mar 11

this issue

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The Official Elim International Missions Magazine

EDITORIAL

CHRIS JONES In the run up to the end of the year I found myself thinking about two of the world’s worst natural disasters in living memory. The Asian Tsunami took place on 26th December 2004 and more recently the earthquake in Haiti on 12th January last year. Whilst any disasters such as these are terrible, these probably came into even sharper focus because of the proximity to the festive season. It is impossible to imagine the devastation and despair caused by such disasters, when in just a few seconds probably over half a million men, women, boys and girls are taken into eternity. As I was thinking about this it made me realise over again the frailty of life and the suddenness of an unexpected situation that can change everything. In fact just last year I was in a meeting at work in Malvern and received a phone call to say that my wife had been taken into hospital as an emergency and she came within moments of losing her life. It’s hard to explain just what goes through your mind when facing such a disaster. Praise God she responded to treatment and is now fit and well. But how would that have changed my life had it turned out differently? Thinking again about world disasters, I am thrilled that we can play a significant role in a relief operation through Elim Relief Association (ERA). Did you know that many governments and authorities believe that the Church is one of the best vehicles for helping in such disasters? This is because the Church generally has a presence on the ground and a network of people through whom information can be disseminated so people can be helped. For us at Elim Missions we consider very carefully how to use monies given as a result of an ERA appeal. We know we need to get money out as quickly as possible, as we did in the Haiti situation, and yet in most instances we also need to priorities goals for longer-term. A statistic I read recently said that 5 billion dollars raised for Haiti is still sitting in bank accounts and only 0.2% has been released towards Haiti.

Through ERA I can categorically say that we are able to get money to where it is needed, through people we know and trust, into situations that desperately need it and all money received is used for what it should be. We are aware that the Charity Commission and Inland Revenue are strict on what charitable money can be used for. But within ERA we are in an incredibly unique and wonderful position because any monies disbursed through ERA have to be associated with the spread of the gospel. It is one of those wonderful idiosyncrasies that the powers that be expect us when we give money to relief situations to fit with Elim’s aims of propagating the good news of Jesus Christ. That’s a win-win situation! I am very conscious that we have a huge responsibility with the money that is given to us, but I really do believe that we have good systems in place to make sure it is used correctly and for the purpose given. Through the generosity of our Elim family in responding to our ERA appeal, it has been a joy to be able to make a difference in Haiti, not only in the initial period with emergency relief provisions but also with a longer-term goal of transforming children’s lives. Thank you and happy New Year.

Chris Jones International Missions Director

RECONSTRUCTING

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Contents

by John Knox earthquake, and will be there long after the cameras have left.

]

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE Habitat for Humanity worked alongside the Haitian people for 26 years before the

COVER STORY - HAITI : ONE YEAR ON | 04 HAITI : THE TEAM | 06 HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | 10 IN FOCUS : THE KANES | 12

ELIM MISSIONS TRAINING COURSE | 14 PRAYER DIARY | 15 LIFELINK | 18

COVER STORY

HAITI - ONE YEAR ON . . . Read how the earthquake on 12th January 2010 changed this country and what we have been doing to bring transformation.

On Tuesday 12th January 2010 at 21:53 local time, life changed for the people of Haiti. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the nation and as the ground shook and buildings fell, over three million people were affected by an earthquake that lasted less time that you will take to read this page. This was the strongest earthquake to hit Haiti since 1770.

With an estimated 300,000 people missing or dead, this truly was a devastating event. And local estimates say as many as 500,000 may well have lost their lives. In the 2004 Asian Tsunami around 230,000 people lost their lives. Here in the UK we watched the pictures on the news showing hospitals collapsed, houses just a heap of rubble, even the Presidential palace concertinaed down. 5000 schools were damaged or destroyed. 1.5 million people were left homeless. As the death toll climbed, the world watched in horror. Yet every now and again there were cries of joy as someone was pulled from the debris alive. One medical worker helping with the rescue effort said, “The wards were full of children who had had limbs amputated and who were crying out for mothers and fathers who didn’t exist because they had been killed in the earthquake. It was heartbreaking.”

Even before the earthquake Haiti was an extremely poor country, subject to seasonal flooding and hurricanes. Before the January 2010 quake 70% of Haitians lived on less than £1.30 a day, 85% of the people living in the capital Port-au-Prince were living in slums or poor housing, less than 40% had access to healthcare. Many countries responded to appeals for humanitarian aid, pledging funds and despatching rescue and medical teams. Among those helping the rescue efforts were members of our own Elim family. On 14th January 2010 an ERA appeal was launched and as funds were received we were able to quickly provide emergency relief aid including water, food, shelter and medical supplies, reaching 22,000 people over a four week period immediately following the earthquake. Then as more money was received we were able to partner with Habitat for Humanity in providing good replacement housing.

“I was very afraid, I thought it was the end of time.” 04 OUTREACH | Jan - Mar 2011

The task of rebuilding Haiti is enormous and will take years. We prayerfully considered how Elim could play its part by helping the people recover emotionally, physically and spiritually. Read on the next page about our three-year plan to make a difference in the lives of some of the children orphaned as a result of the earthquake.

In the midst of this devastation and hopelessness, people are being raised up to bring the light of God into this seemingly dark world. In fact it is amazing how God has opened doors for us into the nation of Haiti. Julia is a young Christian woman, the wife of a local policeman, who has set up and runs an orphanage for 150 children on three sites. The children are from six months to 16 years old. Some of them lost parents in the 12th January earthquake, others have simply been abandoned. Some of the children don’t even know how old they are because all their documents were destroyed in the earthquake.

We have a team willing to give three years of their lives to go to Haiti to partner with Julia at the Mango Tree, to help share the love and light of Christ into a nation that has been darkened by a spiritual heritage of voodoo and the recent devastation of the earthquake.

The infrastructure at the Mango Tree needs much work. The children sleep on the floor or on metal bedsteads without mattresses. They sit in the compound for most of the day with no education and limited opportunities to play. Their diet leaves a lot to be desire and often they barely have enough to eat, many of them need medical attention. The Mango Tree itself needs cleaning and updating – most of the walls need cleaning and painting to get rid of the squashed mosquitoes that are clearly visible. Julia is doing a great job but her resources are limited and she desperately needs some help to bring structure and aid into the lives of the children. Our Elim team will work alongside her for three years and during this time can help to make an incredible difference physically, emotionally and spiritually in these precious children at the Mango Tree.

It is people like Julia who are transforming Haiti from the inside out. It is people like Julia who we, as the Elim family, are joining with to help regenerate the land of Haiti.

Photos: Local Haitian Woman (Left), Child of the Mango Tree Orphanage (Top Right), Julia (Bottom Right)

OUTREACH | Jan - Mar 2011

Julia’s orphanage is called the Mango Tree because of the large mango tree that sits at the centre of the property. The mango tree is the very reason that none of the children were killed in the earthquake. As the earthquake hit, just like many buildings that surrounded the Mango Tree, walls began to crack and the concrete ceiling that was above one of the boy’s dormitories completely collapsed. At this exact moment all of the little children were sat under the mango tree praying. Praise God, none of the children were hurt and what could have been a mass gravesite is instead a site that although it needs a lot of work and is far from suitable for children to play in, seems almost like a beacon of hope for the reconstruction of this country.

On 1st February 2011 Becky Haldane and Jackie Griffiths leave the UK for Haiti where they will spend three years working alongside Julia at the Mango Tree orphanage to bring hope to the hopeless and be a light in the darkness as they serve the small community there. Jackie and Becky are both ordained ministers and take with them many years of expertise. Initially they will assess the situation to prioritise what needs doing and then put a plan in place for training and developing including such things as medical care, health and safety procedures, good hygiene practice, food

and nutrition, repairing and upgrading the building, education and play time and of course sharing the gospel. They will also identify how teams from the UK can go and help with these tasks, so do get in touch with us if this is something God has laid on your heart either as an individual or as a team. We are looking for people to go and support Jackie and Becky for anything from two weeks through to three years. We are very thankful that by the time they leave Becky and Jackie will have sufficient personal financial support for the three years they will be in Haiti. But we do need funds to help put all the necessary procedures and supplies in place for the Mango Tree children. Will you partner with us in this? If you feel you could help us to make a difference in the lives of these children, please send cheques payable to Elim International Missions marked Mango Tree Haiti. Thank you.

Jackie shared with us that she was concerned about the amount of baggage she could take to Haiti with her as the airline allowance is usually the same for whether you go for two weeks or three years. But as she pondered on this, she discovered that the things God wants her to take cannot be weighed physically and can be taken in abundance - things such as love, joy, peace and hope.

OUTREACH | Jan - Mar 2011

Photos: Collapsed builing, still remaining 12 months on (Top), Children of the Mango Tree Orphanage (Bottom)

Our prayer is that as Becky and Jackie make a difference in the lives of the children God is placing them with, the children in turn will be influential in bringing hope and change in this needy land in the future.

I first became interested in missions as a kid growing up in the AOG church in Prestatyn. Some missionaries came to us with tales of wading through leech-infested rivers in the jungle and for some reason this seemed to me like a great idea!!! I came to believe that God had called all of us in to mission, except for those who were required to keep the home fires burning. My journey from that point has been fairly varied including a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Glasgow University, two School of Ministry stints at Regents Theological College and TACF, working for Wycliffe Bible Translators in Ghana…and doing telesales for BT, being a school librarian, several admin jobs and working in a holiday camp chippy! For the last eight years I have been an Elim Pastor working first in West Bromwich and then in Clydebank. While I love pastoring the call back to missions in recent years had been getting louder and louder until I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I eventually met with Chris Jones in November 2009 to discuss whether there might be a place for me with Elim International Missions. When the earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010 the devastation and loss of life was impossible to comprehend. When I heard that Elim Missions was planning to send a long term team to Haiti I knew straight away that I wanted to be part of that. Matt Redman wrote a song called, “Can a Nation be Changed?”. The answer has to be yes!!! In 38 seconds on 12th Janiary Haiti was irrevocably changed. I believe that God can change the nation of Haiti for the good. My prayer is that God will allow me and the team the honour of being a part of this transformation.

Jackie will be known to many within the Elim Movement as she was Registrar at Regents Theological College for 22 years until June 2007. She recently completed a term of service working with the Elim Church in Malawi where her main role involved setting up the Elim Bible School Malawi. In addition, she also worked with a group of churches in one of the regions which involved training pastors, discipling ladies’ groups and bringing encouragement and preaching in many rural areas.

OUTREACH | Jan - Mar 2011

“As time progressed I sensed a growing compassion for the people of Haiti who are living in deep poverty with a total sense of hopelessness. It is my desire to bring hope to the hopeless and to be a light in the darkness as we serve the small community there. I feel that this is a great door of opportunity to be the hands and feet of the invisible God into vulnerable and broken situations as we preach good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour (Luke 4:18-19). There is much work to be done in Haiti and I know that we cannot turn the problems of that land around overnight, but it is our aim to make a difference in the lives of a few that God is placing us amongst and that they in turn will be influential in bringing hope and change to this needy land. Please pray for us!

Since returning to the UK in May 2010, Jackie has been seeking God regarding the future. She writes, “When Chris Jones met me wanting to know how I felt about the possibility of joining a team who are venturing out on a new, three-year project in Haiti, I was surprised as I had not anticipated living and working overseas again. Having always had a heart for Africa, I had never really considered serving anywhere else. But then I felt God say to me, ‘Here is an open door, are you willing to serve me there?’ My Bible reading led me to Acts 16 where Paul was compelled to go to Asia but God redirected him and I realised that God closes doors for a purpose and opens others to bring us to where He wants us to be and we simply have to trust Him. I came to see that the location is less significant and the important thing is whether or not we are fulfilling God’s Great Commission to ‘Go into all the world’. Surely if we are fulfilling that mandate, the location and where we do it is of less importance, whether it be Haiti or Harrogate!

Please consider doing everything you can to help. Your support will help us in the ongoing effort of bringing restoration and hope to some of the children in Haiti. Every pound you give will go directly to the children of the Mango Tree Orphanage and bring transformation through the message of the Gospel and practical, life changing acts of love and service.

www.elimmissions.co.uk/haiti 0845 302 6752

REGENERATE HAITI DVD 08

After an amazing response from our Elim Churches a new field is now being developed in Haiti.

OUTREACH | Jan - Mar 2011

Watch the Haiti: One Year On Special DVD and see the aftermath of the devasting earthquake and all that Elim Missions is working towards to regenerate Haiti.

GET YOUR COPY TODAY!

Short

Term

Teams For More Information:

www.elimmissions.co.uk/gifts4life

OUTREACH | Jan - Mar 2011

www.elimmissions.co.uk | missions@elimhq.net | 0845 302 6752

RECONSTRUCTING

HAI T I A year has passed since Elim made an incredibly generous donation of ÂŁ25,000 in support of the disaster reconstruction efforts in Haiti. Thanks to this donation and many others like it, Habitat for Humanity has been able to make a commitment to the people of Haiti, to build back, and to build back better.

Habitat for Humanity worked alongside the Haitian people for 26 years before the earthquake, and we will be there long after the cameras have left. As with all of our projects around the world, responding to generations of poverty and sometimes to natural disaster, we are committed to partnering with people for the long term to build hope through safe, decent and appropriate homes.

10 OUTREACH | Jan - Mar 2011

When the earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010 the world watched in horror at the incredible devastation in one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere. Hundreds of thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed and at least 1.5 million people were made homeless. In minutes, families lost loved ones and homes, and were faced with years of uncertainty and suffering in shacks and hastily put-together shelters.

Poverty housing like the shacks and ramshackle shelters of Haiti keep people from fulfilling their potential: it engenders disease and ill health; it destabilises the life of the inhabitants; it reduces the ability to earn a living; and it holds back children from education. Habitat for Humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision is one of a world where there is no poverty housing and no homelessness. Achieving this, we think, is part of the prophetic fulfilment of the new earth promised in the prophecies of Isaiah and the book of Revelation. For this reason we work in partnership with local communities to respond appropriately to the disaster of poverty housing however it is caused. In Haiti this is through a three-stage programme involving Emergency Shelter Kits (buckets, ropes, tarpaulins and tools), Transitional Shelters (semi-permanent, recyclable shelters) and Core Homes (permanent homes with sanitation). Emergency Shelter Kits make the immediate difference between life and death; Transitional Shelters provide for the medium-term needs of vulnerable families; and Core Homes are the beginning of a long-term, permanent housing solution.

As a Christian charity, Habitat for Humanity is motivated to put faith into action by addressing this injustice of poverty housing. We take the words that Jesus quoted from Isaiah in Luke’s Gospel as a call to action. He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour”.

This partnership model of solving poverty housing includes mobilising and working alongside people in local communities to help them develop and manage their own projects. God encourages us to enable those suffering in poverty become a part of their own solutions: He tells the Israelites, “And you shall not…gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the foreigner…” (Leviticus 19:10). By focusing on self-help, community-based approaches, local people and our homepartners are involved in transforming their own lives. About Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity is an international Christian charity that aims to break the cycle of poverty by eliminating poverty housing and homelessness. We believe that everyone, regardless of race, gender or belief, has a right to a safe, decent place to live. We champion that right and also take practical action, working with communities in more than 90 countries to empower them to design and manage appropriate housing projects in their neighbourhood. Since 1976 we have helped over 1.75 million people. For more information visit: www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk

The disaster in Haiti highlights the fact that poverty housing increases the vulnerability of people who are already vulnerable: when earthquakes and other disasters strike, it is the cobbled-together, ramshackle houses and shanty towns of people trapped in poverty that are the least likely to survive. Today one in every three people lives in poverty housing –at least two billion people – people who are at risk of losing absolutely everything should a natural disaster strike.

It is a call to work in partnership with God and with people from all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities to end poverty housing for good.

OUTREACH | Jan - Mar 2011

“...we are committed to partnering with people for the long term to build hope through safe, decent and appropriate homes.”

Photos: Anolise Simon (Top Left), Viergelie Edime, one of the first people to receive a T-shelter (Top Right), Viergelie in her kitchen (Bottom Right)

Grandmother Anolise Simon is one of the first people to partner with Habitat for Humanity in building a core home on the site of her old home which was demolished by the earthquake. Anolise shakes her head and sighs when asked about January’s disaster. “It was a powerless feeling. With a flood I can run away, or at least see it coming, but with an earthquake, I can’t outrun it.” Anolise is a mother to many in the community, taking in relatives in need and other children without parents. That is why she is thankful to partner with Habitat for Humanity in building a core home. “Without Habitat,” she says, “my family would be spread out, not able to be together. That is what I am most happy about.” Core Homes such as Anolise’s can be enlarged over time as livelihoods are restored.

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The Kane family returned from Mozambique in 2010 having completed five years of service there. Gregory updates us on Elim Mozambique and the family: The past twelve months have seen the Elim church in Mozambique go from strength to strength. First I ran a month-long training course for youth evangelists. Then we put all that we had learned into practice: from house-to-house visits, to open-air preaching, to roadside Bible selling, to innovative use of technology including wind-up MP3 players and DVDs of Christian films. Do check out the YouTube video of our spectacular open-air Nativity Play, with a real donkey, a filthy market, some interesting costumes, and an audience of thousands (-ish!), not forgetting to mention that the temperature on the day was an unbearable 47ºC.

12 OUTREACH | Jan - Mar 2011

Our international city church hosted a wedding, a candle-lit carol service, and a river baptism. Our members also put their faith into action by collecting a huge quantity of second-hand clothes. We then travelled to one of our rural churches and distributed the clothes to needy members of that congregation, showing that aid for Africa doesn’t have to come just from outside Africa. We were delighted to see our national executive take on full responsibility for our mosquito nets project. Whereas in the past Sharon organised the distribution of insecticide treated nets, on this occasion the executive did everything themselves, including transporting the bulky bales, coordinating with the community leaders, and giving the necessary medical talk. One of my great joys over this past year has been to see my son Daniel grow in faith, confidence and in his fluency of Portuguese.

Although he’s only thirteen, Daniel has been active in church, teaching Sunday School, mobilising the youth, speaking in Portuguese at a seminar on children’s ministry and giving a lively Bible talk at an open-air meeting. In addition to all this, we bought him an unusual African drum kit, one made from wood, goatskin, wire and bottle-tops. You can see Daniel in action by visiting our YouTube channel. Towards the end of 2010 we made the decision to return to the UK after five years of missionary service in Mozambique. Part of the reason for this was to allow Sharon to get revalidated as a GP and to allow our eldest, Josiah, to embark on his A-level studies. We were also keen to give the Mozambican leaders an opportunity to take the Elim work forward under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Having taught and innovated and mentored for five challenging years, we would like to see these senior pastors pursuing God’s vision without our direct supervision. Leaving the city of Tete was an emotionally exhausting experience, saying farewell to dear friends, handing on specific responsibilities, and sorting out which of our belongings to send by freight, how much to dump and what to give away. We are currently based in Gloucester and looking to God for his guidance as to the future. Check out: www.youtube.com/ElimMoz

SPECIAL

NEEDS INITIATIVE

Chris Jones writes: “For some time I have been feeling God challenging me about helping those with special needs overseas. I don’t really know what this will look like, but I would like to help resource our partners overseas who are ministering to children and adults with special needs. It is hard to understand that in some nations if a woman gives birth to a child that is different, it is looked upon as a curse. In other nations babies are put into institutions and given little or no stimulation. I feel sure that in Elim we have many people who have knowledge of this area and could resource, advise and train.

TIME

VENUE

12th March

10.30am - 12.00 noon

Cardiff City Temple, CF11 9AD

19th March

10.30am - 12.00 noon

Birmingham South CLC, B29 6HW

9th April

10.30am - 12.00 noon

Halifax, HX1 5AY

9th April

2.30pm - 4.00pm

Crewe, CW2 6TH

16th April

10.30am - 12.00 noon

Northern Ireland - venue to be confirmed

21st May

10.30am - 12.00 noon

St Albans, AL4 0LB

25th June (TBC)

10.30am - 12.00 noon

Glasgow, G42 7AT

Keep up to date at: www.elimmissions.co.uk/specialneeds For more information please contact us: 0845 302 6752 | missions@elimhq.net

OUTREACH | Jan - Mar 2011

DATE

So that we can begin to explore what resources we have available, I will be holding a series of meetings around the UK. If you are interested in or have any expertise in this area then do please join us on a Saturday morning from 10.30 am to 12 noon to discuss how we can move this forward” (note: Crewe meeting will be 2.30 - 4.00 pm).

In September 2010 six people gathered for three days at Elim International Centre, Malvern to be prepared ready for service overseas. During their time with us they learnt about such things as Being a Christian in a Strange Culture, Child Protection issues, IT for Missions, Communication Skills, Staying Healthy Overseas, Building Bigger People, The Importance of Self Leadership, Legal and Financial issues, Being Free of Prejudice, Serving as a Missionary, Maintaining your Personal Walk with God and much more! And relationships were built between the participates during times of fun and fellowship.

“

Nowhere near as dull as I expected

“

Excellent, encouraging and affirming

“

Excellent, very relevant to hear first-hand experiences from an experienced missionary

TRAININGCOURSE2010

“

Really helpful, good notes to take home and read again

“

Very insightful and inspiring

Following the three-day long-term training, we held a training day on the Saturday when 16 participants came to Malvern for preparation and training for overseas missions of less than one year.

“

Found some of the material challenging and thought provoking - thanks”

DON’T MISS OUT... We are taking bookings for our 2011 Training Course NOW!

OUTREACH | Jan - Mar 2011

With great speakers and inspiring topics this year’s event looks to be even more amazing than last year’s. Whether you are going on a long term placement or a short term missions trip this course will prepare and inspire you. DATES FOR 2011 Long term - 6th-9th September 2011 | Short term - 10th September 2011 Contact us for more info and to book your place: 0845 302 6752 | missions@elimhq.net

# Week 1 - 2nd-8th Please pray for Sudan as they hold a referendum set for the 9th of January. Southern Sudan will vote on whether to split from the north and thereby form its own country. We are thankful that Sudan has been peaceful so far, but it seems we now receive more and more news of army movements. Please pray for the months leading up to the referendum, for peace, stability and political wisdom on both sides.

Week 3 - 16th-22nd Please pray for all our missionaries as they travel over the coming months. Travelling can be dangerous and very exhausting. Pray that those missionaries and staff travelling will know Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strength and they will be renewed as they carry out Kingdom work. Pray especially for Mike and Jane in Nepal, Marty and Rebeca Davison in Brazil and John and Rachel McDonough, Willard and Majorie Baxter in The Philippines plus Heidi in the Sudan as they all travel. Week 4 - 23rd-29th Please pray for our Focus Groups as they continue this year. Pray that God would be in the midst of those meetings. To find out more about our Focus Groups please see page 17.

Week 2 - 9th-15th This month sees the start of Elim Missions Training Academy, a 10 week course held in Northern Ireland. Pray for all those involved in the Academy, including lecturers and students. Praise God that we have an opportunity to speak and teach this group of people and pray that they will be inspired and spurred on to carry out all that God is calling them to.

OUTREACH | Jan - Mar 2011

prayerdiar y

JAN - MAR 11

JANUARY

Week 1 - 30th-5th This month sees Jackie Griffiths and Becky Haldane move out to Haiti. Please pray for both Jackie and Becky. Pray for safety in travelling as well as a huge sense that God is with them. Pray that as they commence their 3 year service they would see God use them in mighty ways as they seek to bring His love to the land of Haiti. Praise God that we have people willing to sacrifice by going overseas to extend the Kingdom. Week 2 - 6th-12th Please pray for the Elim Nigeria conference that will be held from 9th-13th February. Pray that they would encounter God in a fresh and exciting way. Pray especially for Maldwyn Jones (Selly Oak) as he speaks at the conference. Pray for anointing and guidance in all he brings. Week 3 - 13th-19th Elim launched Elim Global in January. Elim Global brings organisations together that our Elim people are in relationship with and creates a forum to allow this relationship to grow. Please pray for Elim Global in these embryonic stages that it will be all it can be and more. Please pray for Elim Global in these early stages, that it will be all it can be and more. Pray espcially for the orgaisations that will be a part of Elim Global, that they would know God’s blessing on all they do. To find out more about Elim Global please visit: www.elimglobal.net Week 4 - 20th-26th Pray for Gregory and Sharon Kane plus their 4 boys. We thank them for all their hard work whilst ministering in Mozambique. Pray that as they are now back in the UK they would hear God’s leading and guiding as they seek Him for the next step. 16 OUTREACH | Jan - Mar 2011

PRAYERLINE

email: missions@elimhq.net

MARCH Week 1 - 26th-5th Pray for Shaun and Karen Graham plus their 3 children as they await the arrival of their 4th child. Pray that everything will go smoothly and that they will see God continue to use them as they minister in Tanzania. Pray especially for their 4th child, that as it enters the world they would all know God’s leading and guiding. Week 2 - 6th-12th Pray for the Lifelink team: Mandy Campbell, Rachel Hesketh, Karen Green, Amanda Blount and Lisa Lenton plus new member Lyn Tugwell. Praise God for the success of Lifelink and all the amazing things they are doing across the world. Pray that Lifelink would continue to grow and that the team would know the favour of God in all they do. Week 3 - 13th-19th Pray for David and Esther Allen (Bangor) as they leave Northern Ireland to begin ministry in Cambodia. Pray that this would be a fruitful stage of their lives and that they would know God is close. Pray that as they serve in Cambodia they would know amazing blessings upon themselves and their ministry. Week 4 - 20th-26th Pray for Chris Jones as he heads up Elim Missions. Pray for safety in the many miles he has to travel. Pray for wisdom and Holy Spirit guidance in every decision he makes. Pray for times of refreshment to spur him on in busy periods. Pray for excellent relationships with everyone he is in contact with. Pray that God will use him mightily for the extension of His Kingdom. Week 5 - 27th-2nd Praise God for everyone who supports Elim Missions through praying and giving. Thank God for all the Missions Coordinators in our Elim churches who are willing to give their time and effort to furthering and supporting the ministry of Elim overseas. Pray that more people will be raised up to represent missions in our churches.

FEBRUARY

FOCUSGROUPS If you or your church is involved in any way overseas, then do join the appropriate Focus Group and have the opportunity to find out what is happening in the area you are interested or involved in, spend time sharing and discussing what God is saying for that area and be part of planning for the future. Each Focus Group meets once a year at Elim International Centre, West Malvern from 10.30 am to 3.00 pm to include lunch.

“

I was grateful for the opportunity to attend the East & West African Focus Group as it gave me a fresh perspective of what is happening in different situations. Also to meet people who have a heart for Missions and to learn first- hand of some of the difficulties as well as the rewards that both missionaries and those who support them face and also the challenge for those who work in the Missions Department as they try to administrate and minister into these situations. I was able to tell about the young lady who recommitted her life to Jesus. It was not in a meeting but in a field. We had visited her parents to see what they were doing to raise money to provide for themselves and also fund the church. As a number of us talked with her parents the young lady engaged in conversation with one of Elim’s missionaries that resulted in them kneeling down in the field and the young lady recommitting her life to Christ. For me, this was both humbling and challenging. There are still frustrations and difficult decisions and situations that have to be worked through, but what a joy to know it is all worthwhile.

It is so exciting to see people from across Elim come together a share their passion for an area of the world. It helps make the work of Missions become a reality as we hear the stories of all the amazing things that God is doing across our world. John Martin (Missions Department)

Alun Taylor (Great Grimsby) Completing the first series of Focus Groups for 2010 are: Weds 19th January

Israeli/Arabic World

Thurs 10 Feb 11

India

Tues 1 Mar 11

Central & Southern Africa

And then dates for the 2011 autumn series of Focus Groups are: Thurs 20th October

East/West Europe

Tues 1st November

East/West Africa

Weds 2nd November

Central & Southern America

Tues 29th November

India

Weds 30th November

South East Asia

Thurs 1st December

Central/Southern Africa

Thurs 8th December

Israeli/Arabic World

in action...

www Lisa Bohanna-Tang from Elim’s Gateway Christian Centre, Bradford tell us what a difference Lifelink has made:

t the beginning of 2010, I noticed that there was little going on at church for the ladies. The men have monthly breakfast meetings and some of the ladies have the odd social evening together, but there was nothing to bring the ladies together and strengthen them in the Lord. The Lord then led me to take a group of ladies to a ‘Just Looking at Elim Missions’ event at Malvern. When we returned I was raring to get on with God’s work and all things mission. I spoke with Pastor Sammy and the next thing I know, I was sat with Lifelink Team member Karen Green at Elim Halifax, learning all about the birth of Lifelink and the work that has been done to the present day.

Excited and on fire for God, I prayed that the Lord would bring the right team together and within no time I knew who I believed God was calling into the team. These ladies were invited to join the Lifelink team at Elim Bradford and we now have the following:

OUTREACH OUTREACH || Jan Jan -- Mar Mar 2011 2011

Jane, our young evangelist and Natasha, our tech head, both age 19, are our youngest members of the team. Ann and Gemma, the creative members of the team are both 30 somethings. Faye, our very own Jamie Oliver and mother of 3; Lisa, the team co-ordinator (that’s me) and a mother of two, then we have our all-rounder Paula and our Lifelink prayer warriors Esther and Valerie. We began by meeting regularly and praying together and then we started fundraising by baking homemade cakes and pastries and selling them after our morning service at the end of every

month. Esther and Ann made handmade cards and we sell these along with the cakes.

‘‘Gateway Lifelink Evangelists Out and About’

Jane says; “At the Darley Street Market, Gemma and I sold Christian books and jewellery, as well as telling people a little of what Lifelink is all about We shared about what we believe and asked a few people what they believed and what they thought about God. When we evangelise, though we may not directly lead anyone to Christ, I believe God can plant a seed in their heart and God can help that seed to grow in a way that they will eventually come to know Christ!” Gemma tells us about the Lifelink stall at Bradford Women’s Market on 24th July. “We had handmade cards to sell and were also supporting Acorn Bookshop by selling gifts and books from the bookshop. Jane and I were running the stall for the day. We hoped that we would get some good opportunities to share with people about Jesus. Things were very quiet at first; people were looking but not really stopping. I prayed that the presence of God would be obvious around the stall and would reach out and touch people as they passed by. Some people started to stop. We also took turns to stand around the front of the stall and hand out gospel leaflets. I had the opportunity to speak to a Muslim lady who asked me what I believed about God – which was a great opportunity! After we had packed the stall away Jane and I also decided to do some street evangelism as there were still quite a few people about – which went really well. Overall, it was a very good experience.” From day one Project Joseph in Honduras was laid on my heart and I

The Lifelink team has grown from strength to strength. Ladies have really grown in their gifts, gained confidence, pushed past their comfort zones and really felt a sense of achievement. As the co-ordinator it has been so marvellous to see God working in each and every one of us and building us into what he has planned for us. We are now looking at the next 12 months and seeing what events we can put on and we are excited to be planning to take a short term team to see the work Rachel and John are doing with the youth and Project Joseph in Honduras. I encourage all you ladies in our Elim churches to step out in faith, get involved in this good work of Lifelink. Friendships are built through the obstacles you face together and the results that can be achieved for God, your church and yourselves is amazing. Lisa and the Lifelink team @ Gateway Christian Centre, Bradford For more informationa about Lifelink and the wotk they do please visit us online at: www.elimmissions.co.uk/lifelink

Lifelink @ Darley Street

brought this to our meetings. I felt God telling us to concentrate on the work that is going on there with Elim Missionaries John and Rachel. I asked the ladies to pray and bring forward any other missionary projects that they felt a pulling towards. Finally, God spoke to Ann in a dream which confirmed that Honduras is where we need to place all our efforts. We held a South American Soiree on 4 December 2010. This was a ladies’ evening with a ballet performance, praise worship, a chilli supper and guest speaker as well as a presentation on Project Joseph and we asked for donations towards the project on the evening.

OUTREACH | Jan - Mar 2011

Outreach in the community has been great starting with the Holmewood Gala and the Lifelink bric-a-brac stall, with thanks to everyone at our local church for all the donations. We raised a good amount from this and had an excellent opportunity to spread the good news of Jesus to both young and old, God was surely present here!

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