A PUBLICATION OF WORLD OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL
ISSUE 1, 2015
SEASON OF ACCELERATED GROWTH AND HARVEST
MOBILISATION,
THE HALLMARK OF THIS ERA OF WORLD MISSIONS THIRD CULTURE KIDS REALISING THEIR POTENTIAL
GOD IS NOT OFFENDED! WHY IS DEVELOPING LEADERS SO IMPORTANT?
CAN CHILDREN FOLLOW JESUS WHEN THEIR CULTURE RESISTS HIM?
INSIDE
3. DIRECTOR’S SAY INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR JOHN ELLIOTT SHARES A PROPHECY ON THE COMING HARVEST OF SOULS.
6 -7. MOBILISATION, THE HALLMARK OF THIS ERA OF WORLD MISSIONS. MAX CHISMON TALKS ABOUT THE CHANGING WAYS OF WORLD MISSIONS AND THE KEY TO EFFECTIVENESS TODAY.
10. CAN CHILDREN FOLLOW JESUS WHEN THEIR CULTURE RESISTS HIM?
AUSTRALIA:
Grahame Orpin Gail McDougall (Office) PO Box 5000, Sunshine Coast, MC Qld 4560 T: (617) 5476 1768 F: (617) 3319 8928 E: admin.au@world-outreach.com
CANADA:
Lynn LeRoy (Office) PO Box 172 Lambeth Stn London, ON N6P 1R1 T: 519 680 3355 E: canada@world-outreach.com
HOLLAND:
Meint Kisteman Wolweverstraat 6b 8011 NW Zwolle T: (31 62) 467 1758 E: info@world-outreach.nl
VALERIE BATEUP INTERVIEWS THREE PEOPLE WHO CAME TO CHRIST THROUGH THE GOOD NEWS TEAM.
MALAYSIA:
BRUCE HILLS SHARES THREE REASONS WHY LEADERSHIP TRAINING SEMINARS ARE IMPORTANT.
NEW ZEALAND:
14. WHY IS DEVELOPING LEADERS SO IMPORTANT?
18. GOD IS NOT OFFENDED! LORRAINE DIERCK TALKS ABOUT “INSIDER MOVEMENTS” AND “CHURCHLESS CHRISTIANITY.”
21. THIRD CULTURE KIDS REALISING THEIR POTENTIAL
STEPHEN ELLIOTT TALKS ABOUT THE POSITIVES IN BEING RAISED IN A FOREIGN LAND.
OUR MISSION
World Outreach International is a multiracial fellowship of Christians and ministries that exists to impact Least Reached Peoples with the Good News of Jesus Christ through: • Raising Leaders • Evangelism and Church Planting • All Nations Mobilisation • Children’s Ministry • Humanitarian Aid
EDITOR: John Elliott PUBLICATION MANAGER: Janet Chan DESIGN: Rachel McColl EDITORIAL SUPPORT: Robin Merrill www.robinmerrill.com PERMIT No: MCI (P) 087/11/2014
Singapore-based, International Director John Elliott heads an executive team of senior missionaries, pastors and business leaders.
PUBLISHERS: #04-09, City Hub 2 Kallang Avenue Singapore 339407 T: (65) 6464 8698 E: woi@world-outreach.com
>> ON THE COVER:
PRINTERS: Thumbprints Utd Sdn Bhd Lot 24, Jalan RP3, Rawang Perdana Industrial Estate Rawand, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Child in Myanmar Photo: Enzo Maisano
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COUNTRY OFFICES
• ISSUE 1, 2015
WOI follows recognised international standards and procedures for child safety.
Julia Teh PO Box 8541, Kelana Jaya 46792 Petaling Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan T: (60 3) 7728 1914 E: malaysia@world-outreach.com Gail McDougall (Office) PO Box 97230, Manukau 2241 T: (64 9) 263 5434 M: (64 21) 330 874 E: nz@world-outreach.com
SINGAPORE:
Tarn Ping Kueh (Office) 2 Kallang Avenue #04-09 CT Hub Singapore 339407 T: (65) 6464 8698 E: singapore@world-outreach.com
SOUTH AFRICA:
Michiel Coetzee Lezelle Coetzee (Office) PO Box 11238 Riverwalk 2538 T: (27 18) 293 0965 M: (27 83) 462 2224 E: southafrica@world-outreach.com
UNITED KINGDOM: Jon Hitchen (Office) BM Box 5265 London, WC1N 3XX T: +44(0) 203 642 4873 E: office@wouk.org W: www.wouk.org
USA:
Aaron Rudd 615 East Sego Lily Drive Sandy UT 84070 T: (1 801) 572 0211 ext.11 M: (1 801) 599 3370 E: usa@world-outreach.com 501 (c) 3 Tax Exemption Available
INTERNATIONAL OFFICE:
John Elliott (International Director) 2 Kallang Avenue #04-09 CT Hub Singapore 339407 T: (65) 6464 8698 E: woi@world-outreach.com
FIELD MINISTRIES DIRECTOR: Peter Smith
EXECUTIVE MANAGER: Chia Shee Wai
HONORARY PRESIDENT:
Bill Molenkamp
INTERNATIONAL BOARD: Luke Chong Lorraine Dierck John Elliott Wilbur Farmilo Wayne Freeman Gary Levens Rob Reid
INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM: Chia Shee Wai Bambi Cataluna John Elliott Peter Smith Peter van der Westhuyzen Hendrik V Ben Brooks
Season of Accelerated Growth and Harvest ON THE AGENDA for a recent fiveday World Outreach International leadership gathering in Singapore were various important items to be addressed, and in turn, decisions needed to be made. As we got underway, and during our prayer and discussion times, we felt inspired to plan and make decisions, not just for the immediate, i.e. 2015, but also with the year 2020 in mind.
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That got us thinking and talking about what we imagined the world would look like come 2020, what would the challenges of world missions be and what decisions do we need to make now for WOI to be both relevant and effective five to six years from now. Some faith-inspired prayer and synergistic discussion times made each day truly memorable. The Holy Spirit clearly impressed on our hearts that the world of missions was coming into a season of global conquest and unprecedented growth. With the year 2020 in mind, there was a unanimous agreement that WOI needs to be making plans now to be engaged with 140 Least Reached People groups (currently among 85). For this to happen, another 240 new cross-cultural personnel will need to be deployed. A strategy evolved whereby 140 such personnel could come from developing nations and 100 from developed nations. Shortly after this Singapore meeting, my wife Mary and I were travelling
and spent a few days with people we know and respect, and who knew nothing of our recent WOI leadership gathering outcomes. They asked if they could pray for us before we left. The following prophecy came forth. The ministry is coming into a season of accelerated growth and harvest. There are two types of fields before your organisation.The first are fields that are ready for harvest where much sowing and work has already taken place.The other fields are where you haven’t planted yet.With regards to the second fields, the Lord would have you involved in such harvest because you have been good stewards of the things you have already planted.The Lord is saying that He is giving you fields that you haven’t even sown, and you are not going to have to wait, as they are opening up now.They are fields that you’ve maybe dreamt of.They are fields that are already tilled and ready.Things that normally can take a long time are going to be happening really fast, hence the season for accelerated growth, when the harvester overtakes the sower.You will be involved in reaping harvests that in your thinking you will say, ‘but we didn’t do any sowing in this place, yet we are reaping a harvest.’Things are about to speed up. Don’t allow limited resources to hinder your dream of what can be. Continue to dream and have vision for the future because resources of both manpower and finances will be aligned to such vision.
Matthew 24 could be interpreted by some as a chapter of doom and gloom, something most Christians would prefer not to be around to witness. However right in the middle of the chapter is verse 14 that declares, “And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations (ethne), and then the end will come.” Basically it is saying that during times of political, social, religious and economic chaos, the preaching of the Gospel is going to bring in a great harvest among all of the world’s ethnic communities – all just prior to the return of Christ. We in WOI are committed to embracing this season of accelerated growth and harvest. We hope you will partner with us, as together we can make a difference!
John Elliott International Director
world-outreach.com/people/john-mary-elliott/
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A NEED FOR EQUIPPED LABOURERS Rodney and Juliet Munkhodia, MALAWI • Ministry Leaders who are involved in evangelism and training church leaders. world-outreach.com/people/rodney-juliet-munkhondia
>> Leadership training in the villages.
GOD CONTINUES to open doors for equipping and training leaders! Bishop Clement Mazengela, who has planted several churches in a number of villages, was so blessed after attending one of our strategic rural leadership seminars that he asked our team to train some of his leaders. Most of his leaders have never had any training; the excitement was very high as leaders came together from different villages. In attendance was a very key leader who just so
happens to be the wife of one of the local village chiefs. Despite the common knowledge that most African leaders are against Christianity, this couple is being touched by the Lord in a special way. The husband who is a chief is not yet a follower of Jesus yet he cycled his bicycle for six hours to drop his wife to the seminar and cycled back after five days to pick her up. We are praying and believing God that the chief will soon give his life to Jesus.
H E A L I N G BY T H E W O R D Peter and Caroline Mugeni, KENYA • Ministry Leaders working among Least Reached People groups, involved in evangelism and training. OUR WORK AMONG the Muslim Nubi and Borana ethnic people groups in southern Kenya is making good inroads. Our entry strategy is a literacy programme that includes education on human trafficking awareness. Many people within these two communities have been affected either directly or indirectly. They all willingly go through our Bible counselling and gladly receive prayer for healing in their lives. Traditionally the Nubi are known to
be very hostile to the Gospel, yet a number of them have been radically changed for good through our programmes and now boldly read the Bible openly. Please pray that many more from among the Nubi and Borana communities will come to know the Way, the Truth and the Light. >> Not just physical food, but also spiritual.
P O W E R P R AY E R Danny and Ruby Bayasan, BURKINA FASO • Ministry Leaders equipping church leaders and members. world-outreach.com/people/danny-ruby-bayasen AFTER VERY HOT and difficult travels, we arrived in Leba. It was already late, and I really wanted a moment of rest before our all-night prayer meeting. But my plans to rest were squashed. Almost immediately after we arrived, a man was brought to us to receive prayer. He could barely breathe and was in great pain. He could only take short and quick breaths. We laid hands on him and declared healing in Jesus name, but there was no change. We
prayed a second time, and still no change. During our third prayer he felt something happen inside and there was less pain, but he was not a hundred per cent healed. We invited him to sit in a comfortable chair and join our all-night prayer meeting. During our meeting many people were baptised in the Holy Spirit and with fire. The next morning the man came to see us and he was completely healed. Glory to God!
>> Danny with three pastors from Leba.
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A M É L I E ’ S S TO RY Janvier and Claudine Yokoinele, IVORY COAST Ministry Leaders involved in evangelising and discipling children. world-outreach.com/people/janvier-claudine-yokoinele GROWING UP, I wasn’t allowed to read or write. However, when I was 12 years old, The Seed accepted me as a student. They taught me about Jesus, and I accepted Him as my Saviour. I took the national exam and graduated
from ninth grade! I never thought I would graduate, and I didn’t believe I had a purpose. Today I am studying to be a nurse. I want to reach my own people and touch those in need.
THE “S” WORD Angela Stephens, KENYA • Ministry Leader equipping church leaders and members. world-outreach.com/people/angela-stephens
>> Angela with her Kenyan brothers.
PEOPLE SOMETIMES WORRY that single missionaries get lonely, but who can be lonely in Africa? There is such a sense of community here, and for the single person, that means adventures, socialising and opportunities for discipleship. I encourage anyone waiting till they are married to go on the
mission field to wait no longer. Going as a single person does not mean resigning yourself to singlehood. It means adventures and opportunities for God to grow you and use you in ways unique for the single person. What are you waiting for?
APPOINTMENTS MC and Lezelle Coetzee, SOUTH AFRICA • Ministry Leaders equipping church leaders and members. world-outreach.com/people/michiel-lezelle-coetzee TAKING STUDENT GROUPS on outreaches has produced much fruit! Before leaving on one, a student received a word from God to take two Bibles with her. When the group went to a local well, a man asked, “What is the name of God? Allah? Or Yahweh?” The group told him about Jesus and
gave him one of the Bibles. Later, a woman asked them if she too could have one. God has appointments with individuals all across the world!
Students reach out to the people of Shewula, Swaziland. >>
SAFE IN HIS ARMS Joseph and Aimee Dayamba, BURKINA FASO • Ministry Leaders who are involved in children evangelism and training. world-outreach.com/people/joseph-aimee-dayamba WE ARE SAFE! While the people of Burkina Faso are angry and rioting against the government, we are finding our refuge in Him. Pray for God’s perfect will to be done. The church is growing and people are coming to know the Lord Jesus. Our prayer is that in the midst of chaos, the doors will open to share the Gospel with many more. All things are possible for our Lord Jesus. Riots in Burkina Faso. >> • ISSUE 1, 2015 •
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, the Hallm Max and Dorothy Chismon, PHILIPPINES • Ministry team leaders involved in mission mobilisation of the global Church. world-outreach.com/people/max-dorothy-chismon TODAY, THERE ARE 700 million dedicated followers of Jesus in the world. They are found on every habitable continent and in every country. They are, by and large, the product of the past era of world missions that has spanned the past 200 years. Countries of Europe, followed by North America, took the Gospel to the spiritually dark continents of Africa, Asia and the Americas. This era coincided with the colonial era in world history. This was missions from the ‘West to the Rest’. There were ‘missionary-sending countries’ and ‘missionary-receiving countries’. It was characterised by the faithful ‘sending’
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of thousands of western churches and the sacrificial ‘going’ of thousands of the finest young men and women these churches had to offer. World history and mission history have always walked hand in hand. Missions today finds itself holding hands with this new era of world history we know as ‘globalisation’. The result: never before in all of history have the world’s remaining unreached peoples and the Church been in such close proximity to one another.
The ‘West to the Rest’ era of missions has now given way to ‘from everywhere to everywhere’ and ‘missionary-sending countries’ and ‘receiving countries’ has given way to ‘near-neighbour missions’. The USA is home to over 90 million Evangelicals, but now also to 69 unreached people groups. The UK has more than 5 million Evangelicals, but also hosts 30 unreached people groups, and Australia has 3 million Evangelicals, and is home to around 20
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mark of This Era of World Missions The key to doing fruitful mission in this era is the mobilisation of all God’s people into active participation. We can no longer delegate this to trained professionals as we did in the previous era.
unreached people groups. India has 26 million Evangelicals and approximately 2300 unreached people groups, and Indonesia has 13 million Evangelicals and more than 220 unreached people groups. Every country in the world would have statistics that represent an Evangelical population and unreached people groups. The key to doing fruitful mission in this era is the mobilisation of all God’s people into active participation. We can no longer delegate this to trained professionals as we did in the previous era. We can all learn the cross-cultural skills necessary to share the Gospel with unreached peoples that many church folk rub shoulders with on a daily basis through work, community activities, etc. God has strategically placed these people on our doorstep – just as he said He would (Acts 17:26–27)!
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PRESCHOOLERS BLOSSOMING Colin and Jenny Ayling, Maziotela Ministries MOZAMBIQUE • Ministry leaders of a holistic ministry. world-outreach.com/people/colin-jenny-ayling “NOTHING SUCCEEDS in this village.” These were the words of the Naclue village leaders when we first requested to begin our village preschool there.
We have such thankfulness in our hearts to God, who calls us to shine in the darkness. Although these children live in a village where many consider the value of children the same as that of dogs, these precious lives are blossoming as they experience God’s love for them.
But we serve a Mighty God and at the conclusion of our programme’s first year, today we finally celebrated our official inauguration!
<< Precious children experiencing God’s love.
W I L L YO U J O I N U S ? Jo and Jenny Graham, MOZAMBIQUE • Ministry Leaders, involved in helping make disciples of new believers. world-outreach.com/people/jo-and-jenny-graham FOUR YEARS AGO, the Koti churches sent two church planting teams to the Mwani nation far to the north. In spite of fierce spiritual opposition, Mwani are slowly turning from darkness to light. But we couldn’t say there is an established church there yet.
about discipling the Mwani people. We are calling the Koti churches to increase our level of prayer and pierce the
Now one of the teams has relocated to two separate coastal villages where there are small groups of disciples, and two more Koti families have gone up to strengthen the ministry. In other words, there are now three teams, passionate
>> The Koti churches are praying for the Mwani people.
heavens over this nation. In this next 12 months, will you join us in prayer for the church to be truly planted?
T H E S U P P O RT O F C O M M U N I T Y Myriam Wahr, MOZAMBIQUE • Ministry Leader involved in holistic work to the rural poor. world-outreach.com/product/wahr-myriam AS I WAS SHOPPING for baby formula, a lady came up to me and asked why I was purchasing so much milk. After I shared with her about our programme, she offered to give us some of her own baby formula.
I was so thankful to see a local woman helping the orphans. For the sustainability of our programme, we need the support of our community. Thank you God for bringing this woman into our lives! A generous woman. >>
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BANGLADESH
CONTENT IS MISSING DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS FOR THE MINISTRY LEADERS
G O D A N S W E R S P R AY E R A N D E X T E N D S M E R C Y Vijaya Chowdhuri, BANGLADESH • Ministry Leader who with her late husband Biswanath are founders of Christian Discipleship Centre. world-outreach.com/people/vijaya-chowdhuri RATAN’S MOTHER always wanted him to go into full-time ministry. However, Ratan had different plans for himself. He wanted to make a lot of money. Upon finishing secondary school, Ratan joined the Border Security Force in Bangladesh. After just six months of service, he was arrested for acts of smuggling. While awaiting his trial, he recognised his foolishness. He began to pray and repent for not listening to his mother. He promised God that if he were released, he would serve the Lord full-time.
After one week in jail there was a court martial. Ratan was found guilty and sent to prison. While in prison Ratan was approached by the Major who said, “You are a Christian and I know Christians do not do such things.” And so Ratan was granted mercy and released from prison. Ratan has received forgiveness and is now serving the Lord alongside his wife. They have started four new church plants and are actively preaching the Gospel. >> Ratan and his wife. • ISSUE 1, 2015 •
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Can children follow Jesus when their culture resists Him? Valerie Bateup, THAILAND • Ministry Leader of Good News Team who evangelises and disciples children. world-outreach.com/people/val-bateup THREE THAI CHRISTIANS, in north, south and central Thailand, give their answers. Each one first heard about Jesus when the Good News Team taught at their school.
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How much did you understand when you first heard about Jesus? SIRIPON: I remember I felt different afterwards, like I was a new Siripon somehow. PANTAKORN: I remember the words “Jesus loves you and He died for you”. I couldn’t stop thinking about that. ANCHALEE: I didn’t understand it all, but deep down I knew it was true and that I would follow Jesus.
What helped you follow Jesus as a child against opposition? SIRIPON: I loved reading my Bible and with God in me I felt strong. Not afraid. PANTAKORN: Most days I sent questions to the Team. They answered every time. I felt really cared for.
ANCHALEE: Once I nearly gave up, but God did a miracle to show me He was with me.
Would it have been easier if your parents became Christians first? SIRIPON: Yes, but they wouldn’t listen about Jesus. Being the first Christian in my village was hard, but I just knew God was real and with me. PANTAKORN: Yes, but I was hungry to know Jesus and they weren’t. The first two years after I accepted Jesus, they wouldn’t let me go to church. ANCHALEE: Yes, but my mother hated the word ‘Christian’. She beat me anytime I talked about Jesus. Now many in my family are Christians, but not my mother yet.
Would it have been easier if you were older when you heard about Jesus? SIRIPON: No. I’m glad I heard about Him when I was young enough to change. PANTAKORN: Definitely not. I’d been searching to know the truth since I was 10.
Once I nearly gave up, but God did a miracle to show me He was with me.
ANCHALEE: No. As a child I already knew I needed someone to help me.
What’s your passion now? SIRIPON: To help all in my village know Jesus and grow in Him. Now only three families aren’t Christians. PANTAKORN: I pastor my church, and also teach at seminars, etc. In everything, my passion is to help Thais come to their full potential in Jesus. ANCHALEE: I pastor a church with my husband. We have over 100 slum children coming to us every afternoon. I love teaching them about Jesus, and helping them live for Him within our Thai culture.
>> Children hear about Jesus for the first time. TO MAKE A DONATION OR SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTER VISIT WORLD-OUTREACH.COM
FRONTLINE FILES DAY 1
Roger and Vivienne Latham • AUSTRALIA
We are preparing small teams to travel with God’s Dreaming art project. Pray that there will be much fruit as teams present God’s story through 16 inspired paintings. We hope to see many come into God’s family and also healings and deliverance on the streets as we ‘go into all the world’.
DAY 2
DAY 3
Victor and Rama Lim • INDIA
Pray for us as we trust God to impact communities through building strategic relationships in the Indian Himalayas. So far God has opened doors for youth (music and sports) and women’s ministry. Pray with us as we are working and learning how to reach the business sphere in this region.
Chris and Gerrianne Runharr • INDONESIA
Thank you for supporting our partners in prayer!
DAY 6
Our role has changed from supervising our WOI missionaries in Africa to raising up Field Leaders who in turn are supervising and encouraging them. Pray for our emerging Field Leaders as they take up this new responsibility and for ourselves as we spend more time on strategy, training and new field developments.
DAY 7
Myriam Wahr • MOZAMBIQUE
DAY 8
John and Mary Elliott • SINGAPORE
DAY 9
Rodney and Juliet Munkhondya • MALAWI
In March 2013 God blessed us with our beautiful daughter Sophia Anugerah. At the end of February 2015 we expect our second child. We plan to have this baby in Kuching, Malaysia. Please pray for a good delivery and a quick recovery.
DAY 4
DAY 5
Alastair and Rachel M • S-E ASIA
I (Rachel) am the newly appointed WOI Communications Manager, and Alastair has taken up counselling studies. Please pray that we will quickly settle into our new lives, and as the Lord leads that I will be able to effectively build on the foundations already laid for this important communications department.
Peter and Jeannie Smith • NEW ZEALAND
WOI exists to take the Good News to peoples who do not have it. In February a group of senior WOI leaders will meet in Singapore to pray and plan how we can do this for more peoples, and do it more effectively.Your partnership in prayer would be much appreciated.
Rod and Lynley Talbot • SOUTH AFRICA
DAY 10
We now have 54 health care houses. Pray that house churches will evolve as well, and that our workers will grow strong in the Word and in their own witness. Pray for ‘O Bom Samaritano’ association, that we will know God’s wisdom and that the Kingdom of God will grow.
The beginning of each new year sees WOI leadership come together for exciting strategic planning sessions and executive management meetings. Pray that these meetings held in February and March will be blessed and anointed. Pray for the planning and organising of our Global Conference set for June 08–12 in northern Thailand. Thank you.
We continue to witness both growth and development in Leadership Training and Children’s Christian Education in low income areas. Pray that we will continue to know and walk in His will in these two areas of ministry, and that we will know the Lord’s peace and presence as we follow His leading.
Noi Non, Good News Team • THAILAND
Early new year our Good News Team will send evangelistic booklets to thousands of school libraries, and through schools in northeast Thailand, we plan to reach more than 2,500 children who have never before heard of Jesus. Pray with us that each one will come to know the love of God.
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DAY 11
Andrew and Chris Low • MOZAMBIQUE
DAY 12
Allen and Charlotte Teal
Please pray for the Lord to touch hearts of local workers who come in to work on the farm.This hot season (also known as hunger season) is a particularly hard time. Also pray for the three small teams of believers being trained to start preschools in their villages.
• NEW ZEALAND
DAY 16
DAY 17
We will start the year with a “Member Care in Hard Places” conference in Turkey. We will also train in hostage crisis and critical incidents. En route we will visit some of our cross-cultural workers in their places of service. Pray for safety and health in travel, good contacts and that our visits will be encouraging.
DAY 13
Malcolm and Sandy Potter • THAILAND
Duncan and Lindie Ross • S-E ASIA
DAY 18
DAY 19
We rejoice in the work that the Lord is doing amongst the unreached people group we are engaged with. Please trust with us for a capable person to translate our material into an audio version, and that God will continue to raise up mature leaders to carry His Kingdom fire to this nation.
DAY 15
FRONTLINE FILES
Theo and Mignonne Schumann • MOZAMBIQUE
Malcolm and Linda Bayliss • S-E ASIA
Pray for us as we continue to serve and resource WOI personnel in Asia and Australia with oversight, training and coaching. Pray for the guidance and anointing of the Holy Spirit as we encourage these who faithfully serve God, that we would be a blessing and assistance to them. Pray too for travel safety.
Joseph and Amie Dayamba • BURKINA FASO
Our burden is to see children and teens encounter Jesus and in so doing share their testimony with their peers. The Lord is blessing our endeavours. Pray with us that 2015 will see even greater effectiveness and a multiplication of young souls for the Kingdom. Pray for favour with village leaders and with families.
DAY 20
Neil G • INDIA
DAY 21
Chris and Nadine Brittain • KENYA
Kitbok R • INDIA
Recently a flash flood in Lower Assam province destroyed many lives and properties. Many new believers in the area were affected. Pray that people’s lives and belongings will soon be restored, and out of this tragedy believers will shine bright in their testimony. Pray that the sharing of the Gospel will bear much lasting fruit for the Kingdom.
Pray for our new Ministry Centre that will be used to reach out to the Hmong tribal people in this region. In the countries around Thailand, thousands of villages have no believers. Our vision is to reach them with the Gospel and make disciples. Join us in praying that God will supply the finances to complete the building.
Pray for spiritual growth amongst the Mwani believers, especially that their marriages will be honouring to God in what is a traditionally adulterous society. We are greatly encouraged to learn of new Mwani believers and pray 2015 will see an even greater harvest of Mwani souls. Pray with us that this will be so.
We are in NZ on home leave visiting family and ministry partners. We will return to Thailand late February. Pray for our time in NZ to go well; pray too for the staff and teenagers at Baan Faa Mai in Mae Chaem, Thailand, and for the female University students at Baan Piemrak in Chiang Mai.
DAY 14
Pornchai Banchasawan • THAILAND
I am back in New Zealand for home assignment from January to March 2015. While I’m away will you please pray for two couples (Raju and Reeta, and OP and Pinky) who I am discipling, that they will encounter God in a very real way.
Please pray for the deepening impact of mission mobilisation in Kenya among Bible schools and denominations. Please pray especially for the incorporation of the Kairos course into Bachelor Programmes such as the Kenya Assemblies of God Bible College with the initial course set for March 9–20.
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DAY 22
Janvier and Claudine Yokoinele • IVORY COAST
DAY 27
Ben and Rachel Brooks • S-E ASIA
DAY 28
Paul and Sue Fosse • MOZAMBIQUE
DAY 29
Danny and Ruby Bayasen
The French ACE school we founded in Abidjan is doing really well. With larger facilities we would have the potential of accepting more children from non-Christian families and from other religious persuasions, which is one of our major goals. Pray for us as we negotiate to buy the existing premises. Pray for the Lord’s provision.
DAY 23
DAY 24
David and Peniel Elliott • S-E ASIA
We’re looking forward to the year ahead hosting training in India in March for those desiring to grow in intimacy with God as He grows His Kingdom through them. We need your prayers for favour as we apply for visas to India, New Zealand and some restricted access nations the Lord has put on our hearts.
Chaiyot and Gayle Wansong • THAILAND
We are excited to start our Bible Centre and four bush teaching points. Modules include Basic Foundations, Storytelling, Church Planting, Kairos, Cross-Cultural Ministry and mission experiences. Our goal: to have Mozambican missionaries serving among Least Reached People groups. Please pray for these men and women as they seek and grow in God.
Our focus is mobilising and promoting crossculture evangelism in churches in Thailand. We have the opportunity to teach at different church camps this year and are praying churches will intentionally apply what they learn by reaching out to unreached groups locally, nationally and internationally. Pray too for the 4th Kairos Advance Gathering this March in Chiang Mai.
DAY 25
Angela Stephens • KENYA
DAY 26
Darren G • S-E ASIA
When it comes to the topic of identity and sexual purity, the church in Africa is often silent. In fatherless societies girls mature feeling unloved and look for that in the arms of a man, often mistaking lust for love. Pray as we initiate a course on the topic of purity and identity in Kenyan schools this year.
Please pray for protection in restricted persecuted areas and for safety in travel. Pray for divine appointments with key local leaders and godly wisdom in decision making. Pray for good health and the necessary finances.
Thank you for your prayers! This coming March we will be hosting a two-week long, CPM (church planting movement) course. Please keep the participants, coming from many different nations, in your prayers. Pray that they will understand how to use the CPM strategy to equip new disciples and see the church multiply.
• BURKINA FASO
We are praying and believing for more open doors to share the Good News in Fulani and other unreached villages in this nation. Pray that we will know the leading of the Holy Spirit as to where to go. Pray also for the Lord’s protection against malaria and other sicknesses, including Ebola.
DAY 30
DAY 31
Chris and Dil Tapp • S-E ASIA
We value your prayers for the children we are discipling and are pastorally involved with. We are really short-staffed; therefore, it is difficult to maintain a good work–life balance. We are also facing very challenging family situations for which we need real wisdom.
David and Doreen Khoza • SOUTH AFRICA
Pray as we launch three new church planting initiatives, namely Taung, Magogo and Gomotso all in the northern cape region. We are believing the Lord to bless each new work with faithful, committed leaders. Pray for the new student intake at the World Outreach Soweto Bible School, for the teaching staff and for wisdom, favour and finances.
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WHY IS DEVELOPING LEADERS SO IMPORTANT? FEATURE
Bruce Hills, AUSTRALIA • International Leadership Development Director. world-outreach.com/people/bruce-hills
Here are four reasons why World Outreach International provides leadership training seminars.
1. Because leaders need encouragement As we were leaving a recent seminar near Beirut, one of the Lebanese pastors pulled me aside and whispered, “I just want you to know that I was going to give up (the ministry) today! But because of what you’ve said, I will keep going. You have no idea of the impact of your words!” I have heard these words over and over again in many different parts of the world. We sometimes underestimate the emotional, spiritual and physical toll that ministry takes on pastors. Training is a great source of life-giving hope and encouragement.
2. Because leaders need relevant teaching A prominent pastor from Jordan told me, “We have so many seminars in our country. Some big names and big ministries come. We receive lots of points. But when we leave, nothing changes. What they say is good, but doesn’t relate to where we’re at. This teaching and training is different. It is relevant, applicable and full of examples that we can relate to. This is a seminar like no other.”
3. Because leaders need ministry I recently received an email from a Nepali pastor who attended our seminar. He wrote how he “reluctantly came” to the seminar even though
“I just want you to know that I was going to give up (the ministry) today! But because of what you’ve said, I will keep going. You have no idea of the impact of your words!” he was “so discouraged at the time”. “But”, he continued, “as I was attentively listening to the message that was being interpreted into our own mother tongue, Tharu, I could sense the power coming upon me and I felt the touch of Jesus. At that moment I could not stop myself; tears of joy were falling down my cheeks. And as I was offering a word of thanks to my God, I said to myself, ‘If I continued to be stubborn and
not come to this conference, I would have missed this very special blessing forever’.”
4. Because leaders need to be equipped so they know how to equip others In many parts of the world, there is little or no intentional development of younger leaders. In Jordan last year, Philip (Damascus, Syria) told me, “There is no teaching like this in Syria, so it can take 20–30 years before someone can get into ministry. This type of seminar will accelerate the equipping of leaders by years.” One of the primary reasons why there is no training of emerging leaders is that many older leaders don’t know how. Our seminars are vital because we provide the keys for how leaders of all ages can develop other leaders.
TOTO MAKE MAKE AA DONATION DONATIONOR ORSUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBETO TO OUR OUR EMAIL EMAIL NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER VISIT VISITWORLD-OUTREACH.COM WORLD-OUTREACH.COM
MIRACLE COW Kitbok R, INDIA • Ministry Leaders, involved in helping make disciples of new believers. SOMETIMES GOD WORKS in mysterious ways. Era Roy came from a poor farmer’s family. She did not have much in life. Her one possession was a cow. Her cow was her lifeline, bringing income from the milk and fuel from the dung. Besides her family, the cow was everything to Era. One day the cow became pregnant. During the delivery complications arose and the veterinarian told her the cow
would die. Era was extremely worried. What would her future look like? In her state of panic she remembered the Christians up the road who often testified of miraculous healings. She ran and asked them to come and pray for her cow. After the cow was prayed for, it gave birth with no complications to a healthy female calf. Not only was her cow saved, but she now has two female cows to financially support her family!
Era and her family were convinced by the miracle and are now followers and witnesses of Jesus Christ. What a mighty God we serve!
JITEN AND SIBANANDA Manikhombi Khundongbam, INDIA • Ministry Leader. JITEN SINGH grew up in spiritual bondage. Fear controlled his life. He then met a new believer, Miss Devi, who told him that Jesus Christ could set him free. With further counseling and prayer, Jiten has been delivered, and is a completely new man! SIBANANDA was delivered from alcohol. He was well known and told many people about Jesus Christ setting him free. One of his friends was so impressed by the positive change in Sibananda’s life, that he too is now a follower of Jesus Christ.
>> Sibananda.
>> Jiten.
ALL TRACES OF CANCER GONE Tomba Khosinam, N-E INDIA • A Ministry Team Leader involved in evangelism and church planting. WHEN BENDI WENT to the bank, she met a new believer named Randrajit. As Randrajit shared his new faith with her, Bendi told him that she had breast cancer. Randrajit prayed for her. That night, Bendi dreamt of a man dressed in
white, who healed her. She thought that it must be the Jesus that Randrajit had told her about. When she visited her doctor again, he could find no trace of cancer. She told him it was Jesus! Bendi is healed! >> • ISSUE 1, 2015 •
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O R AT H A I ’ S S TO RY Malcolm and Sandy Potter, THAILAND • Ministry Leaders involved in training and caring for tribal children. world-outreach.com/people/malcolm-sandy-potter I’M FROM A LOVING Christian family but I didn’t know God. I was stubborn, disobeyed my parents, and made them sad often. After coming to Baan Faa Mai (BFM) hostel, I began to know God. The following year, my Dad died suddenly. He had borrowed money and was paying off a vehicle, so my family had a lot of debt. I couldn’t help, apart from praying, and longed for things to improve. People didn’t understand and made things worse by saying the vehicle would be seized. My siblings and I would have to stop studying, which
made me sad. However, Mum and I were confident in God. She encouraged me saying: “Don’t listen to others. We will get through this difficult time.” At BFM, Pastor Prasert encouraged me to continue trusting God, and my father’s vehicle was finally paid off. Those difficult times caused me to grow strong in God, and I increasingly felt His love. Now, if I have a problem, I’m never discouraged because I know God is full of loving kindness, guides me, and is always with me.
>> Orathai.
THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD Valerie Bateup, THAILAND • Ministry Leader of Good News Team who evangelises and disciples. world-outreach.com/people/val-bateup SEVEN THAI children recently wrote to the Good News Team about their faith in Jesus. They had never met any Christians. All they had were the Team’s correspondence lessons and God’s Spirit making His Word real to them. SASIMAI: My close friend was a strict Buddhist and went to temple daily. I started praying for her to know Jesus. I was amazed when God answered my prayer! Now she is reading the Bible and wants Jesus in her life.
SUWANAT: My parents used to drink a lot. After I told them about Jesus, they stopped. TANNICHA: I’m so proud I can be a child of God and receive love and hope from Him. CHANPEN: I showed your lessons to five friends. Now they all want to know Jesus too. RATTANA: I’m learning not to feel bad about myself when people look
>> Thai children enjoy reading about Jesus.
down on me, because I know God never looks at me like that. SUWANAN: I stole things sometimes. But since I’ve known God, I haven’t stolen since. Each month, hundreds more children write letters like these. Please pray for them.
T H A N K YO U , G O D , F O R R A H A B M I N I S T R I E S Rahab, THAILAND • Rahab Ministries, involved in evangelising and discipling the red-light industry in Bangkok. world-outreach.com/our-projects/evangelism-church-planting/rahab-ministries-thailand LAST YEAR was Rahab Ministries’ 25th anniversary. When we look back, we see the grace of God sustaining us all these years. Our founder, Patricia Green, had a heart for the Thai women working in Bangkok’s Patpong bar district. We now have 18 women working at Rahab. The amazing part is
that some of the women who are here were actually invited by women who left the bars to work with us. These women were impacted by the changes they saw in their friends as they went to work at Rahab. Thank you for praying and partnering with Rahab!
>> Rahab Ministries celebrates 25 years. TO MAKE A DONATION OR SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTER VISIT WORLD-OUTREACH.COM
N OT B O R E D ! Kevin and Jeh Sie Chan, THAILAND • Ministry Leaders involved in evangelism and discipleship among Thai students. world-outreach.com/people/kevin-jeh-sie-chan WE HAVE MOVED our language school/cafe to nearby a university in Korat. Bored? Cafe is the first Board Games Cafe in Korat. It is exciting to see many students coming through our cafe. Before we moved, two people shared Luke 5:4–7 with us. We can relate. Our first three years in Korat were difficult, but now we’re clinging to overflowing nets! We praise God for leading us to this new harvest field and look forward to what He will do through us!
>> Bored? Cafe reaches out to Thai Students in Korat.
O P E N A B O U T H I S PA S T John and Maria Pramuan, THAILAND • Ministry Leaders heading up a evangelism and church planting ministry. NONG WAS AN “under the counter” loan manager and drug dealer. He not only sold drugs, but took them as well. Through the sincere and ardent prayers of his wife Oam, Nong came to Jesus. Nong’s life gradually changed as he learned to depend on Christ. Slowly he left behind his old business ways and began an honest motorbike taxi service. Nong is very open about his past and shares how Jesus changed his life. Nong
>> Nong now leads many to Christ.
knows it was the Holy Spirit who changed his life because he couldn’t have done it without Him. Many people in his community have come to Jesus through hearing his testimony! He now leads three house groups with his wife and is making disciples with his two older sons. He asks the Lord to help him be a good role model and father to his sons, so he can serve God with his whole family.
THE ANGELS REJOICE FOR FAI Elisa Diaz, THAILAND • Ministry Leader involved in evangelism and church planting. world-outreach.com/people/elisa-diaz DURING ONE of our visits to a village, nine-year-old Fai approached us with the most important question anyone can ask, “Why did Jesus sacrifice His life on the cross?” I was so blessed to share with Fai, along with several other children about Jesus. That day Fai accepted Jesus into her life. She participated in the children’s camp and now attends church faithfully!
CLOSEUP
Fai with Elisa. >>
WAYNE AND WENDY COADY Greetings! We’re Wayne and Wendy. We will be leaving Australia to join the WOI team in Korat,Thailand. Although Thailand
we both grew up in Sydney, we have spent most of our adult life in full-time Christian ministry in rural Australia. For the last ten years, Wayne has been a pastor. We felt the call to Thailand seven years ago while visiting some missionary friends in Bangkok. We saw the need and realised it was time to give to the rest of the world. Our sons Joel and Ben will be joining us. Pray for us as we prepare to leave in March and as we settle in with the team. • ISSUE 1, 2015 •
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Lorraine Dierck, THAILAND Ministry Leader involved in evangelism and church planting. world-outreach.com/people/lorraine-dierck WESTERN CHRISTIANS often say the church is in decline – but research shows that this is far from the truth. In fact, if Christianity continues to grow at its current rate, then by the year 2050, there will be five countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America that will each have 100 million Christians.
FEATURE
Members of such movements trust in Christ as their Lord and Saviour, but choose to remain within their Buddhist, Hindu or Muslim home cultures. In Thailand, World Outreach International has been working with an insider movement that is growing rapidly among people who previously identified as Thai Buddhist. These people are now devoted followers of Christ. While many do join a visible Christian church, others choose to meet in small house churches that do not specifically call themselves Christian, because of the strong Western cultural association surrounding the term.
Christianity is growing in places where the huge majority of people follow other religions. In these contexts, the very word Christian can carry strong connotations of Western imperialism and colonialism. Because of this, many new movements to Christ are rethinking the nature of church, giving rise to “insider movements” or “churchless >> Thai believers pray for Christianity”. each other.
It seems that God is not offended when people who love Him choose to worship Him using traditional instruments, and continue to identify with the Buddhist community. He is doing
outstanding miracles among them. One new believer began praying for her family, and through that prayer, the family spirit house was totally destroyed without anyone touching it. At the same time, her grandmother was delivered from a powerful ancestral spirit. A woman stopped breathing for 30 minutes and came back to life through the prayer of a believer. A two-year-old child went into convulsions because of a high fever and stopped breathing. His body turned blue, but when his aunt prayed for him in the name of Jesus, he was instantly healed. I rejoice every time I see God at work in these new churches. They are full of people who love the Lord Jesus Christ with all their hearts. And it’s happening in towns and villages where there has never been a church before. We may not fully understand what God is doing, but let’s rejoice and pray for more growth, more new believers and more disciples worshipping Jesus and glorifying Him.
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S O M E T I M E S I T TA K E S Y E A R S Eliana Mambu, INDONESIA • Ministry Leader involved in evangelism and literature ministry. world-outreach.com/people/eliana-mambu Many years ago, my late husband witnessed to a man named Pak. Pak received Christ. His wife Sri was unwilling to do so, for fear of offending her stepmother, a strong Muslim. Even when Pak died, Sri was unwilling to
go to church. Three years ago, Sri’s stepmother died, so we visited Sri. She too asked Christ into her life and was baptised. Today, her whole demeanour has changed. The Lord is shining through her! >>The Lord shines through Sri.
P R AY E R S N E E D E D ! Rama and Sinta Jones, INDONESIA • Ministry Leaders involved in training and cross-cultural communication. world-outreach.com/people/rama-sinta-jones We have lived in our Southeast Asian community for six years now, working to reach Muslim people groups. We now have a national team of seven church planters and two Bible translators. We also have four Western interns working with us. We are using storying, sometimes known as Deductive Bible Studies, to produce a church planting movement.
So far we have at least thirty storying groups where locals study the Word together. Yet none of the groups have made the decision to follow Jesus. We have produced a number of media tools, including an evangelistic movie. The film is being produced in fourteen regional languages. If you are interested, contact us for a copy.
The team meets daily to pray. We also go out and meet new people to share the Good News with. We offer to start storying groups with the new people. We then follow up with them, being intentional about training local leaders. We need your prayers! Pray for God to move and establish these groups into believing cells.
H A P P Y, H A P P Y B I RT H D AY S ! Jan-William and Marlinda Tamminga, INDONESIA • Ministry Leaders who are involved in overseeing 180 children at the New Hope Ministries hostel in West Kalimantan. world-outreach.com/people/jan-willem-marlinde-tamminga ON THE FIRST SATURDAY of each month, we celebrate the birthdays of children born during that month. Throughout this joyful evening, which is full of singing, dancing and drama, the birthday children feel extra special. They are blessed with prayers, birthday songs and a small gift. What makes this evening even more special is that for many of them, this is the first time they’ve ever been recognised, honoured and celebrated. There are children in the ministry who do not know how old they are because they do not know when they were born. Often, there are
>> Birthdays are celebrated at New Hope Ministries.
no birth certificates and birthdays are not celebrated. We, and all the children with us, love the first Saturday of the month. It is amazing to see the happy faces standing out proudly in front of the whole ministry. The children matter; they are unique. They are loved not because of what they do, but because of who they are.
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“ H E W I L L O R D E R H I S A N G E L S TO P R OT E C T A N D G U A R D YO U … ” Darren G, S-E ASIA • Ministry Team Member involved in evangelism and church planting in the greater Asia region. Late one night, I blew a tyre in a dangerous area. I could not remove the nuts, and there was no one to call for help. So I prayed. Then I saw bright lights. They seemed to be coming from some sort of pick-up van. Two people appeared and quickly changed my tyre. I thanked them and they left. The next morning, the locals said a vehicle like that doesn’t exist. They added, “If they were locals, they would tell you to change your own tyre.” Darren’s ruined tyre. >>
D I F F I C U LT C H O I C E Kanchana Karaya, THAILAND • Ministry Team Member involved in evangelism and discipleship among Thai children. world-outreach.com/people/kanchana-karaya When Teerayoot was seven, he came to our children’s club. Shortly afterwards he asked Jesus into his heart. As he was approaching 20, the age when many go and serve in the temples, his father gave him an ultimatum: he becomes a monk or he leaves the family home. Courageously, he chose to follow Jesus and accept (for now) that his family won’t have anything to do with him. Please pray for Teerayoot that he will remain strong and faithful! Teerayoot courageously chooses Jesus. >>
P O V E RT Y A N D H U N G E R E V E RY W H E R E Nathan and Sawsen Bassaly, EGYPT • Ministry Leaders who are involved in teaching and training church leaders. world-outreach.com/people/nathan-sawsan-bassaly South Sudan has been racked with political and economic problems since its independence. Poverty and hunger are rampant. Our colleague Bassem is based in South Sudan and is working with a new orphanage that is trying to care for destitute children like 8-yearold Abori. When Abori’s parents died, he went to live with his grandmother,
who drank a lot and abused him. Both are now being cared for in the orphanage. Our hope is to rescue more children so as to give them a hope and a future. Please pray for South Sudan! Bassem with Abori and an orphanage supervisor. >>
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third culture kids realising their potential Stephen Elliott, AUSTRALIA • Stephen, the eldest son of John and Mary Elliott, is married to Julie (also a MK) and together they have two small children. They are based near Brisbane.
“The world is a book. Those who do not travel have only read one page.” –Saint Augustine MANY THIRD CULTURE KIDS (TCKs), many of whom are now adults, have shared about their moments of revelation, when they realised the potential in their upbringing. They remember the day it all clicked and they understood that their experience growing up in a foreign land was an asset, not a liability.
FEATURE
With the popular advent of Facebook and Twitter, TCKs are finding their identity with other TCKs online through social media. An English adult TCK recently shared about her experience attending an American School in Lebanon: Shortly after I got home, one of my newly found friends posted on Facebook about TCKs. I’d never come across the term before and was astounded to discover that many of my quirks were common to TCKs. My life is transformed.
Some TCKs struggle with the fact that they don’t identify with either their passport country or their country of upbringing. When they do comprehend their unique skillset, they become conscious of their abilities. Feeling at home in a foreign country takes years for some to become accustomed to. TCKs understand the visa restrictions for certain countries and the cultural taboos that are to be avoided. Another TCK recalls:
• 85 per cent of TCKs speak two or more languages • 47 per cent of TCKs speak three or more languages • 60 per cent of TCKs want to raise their own kids as TCKs • 54 per cent of TCKs fly at least four times a year*
After experiencing so much of the world, you can’t just ignore it and pretend there’s nothing going on. I’ve always had an adventurous streak. I love to learn and experience new things. It’s a driving force to my life. My heart to see TCKs involved in the Great Commission is fuelled again by stories such as these.
*Source: http://www.denizenmag.com/2011/09/infographic-the-modern-third-culture-kid/
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T H E Y C A M E , T H E Y S AW, T H E Y C O N N E C T E D Keith and Christine Kelly, U.K. • Ministry Leaders involved in training and cross-cultural communication. world-outreach.com/people/keith-christine-kelly In recent years, 800,000 East Europeans have come to work in the United Kingdom. Many are from Bulgaria and Romania. This is indeed proving to be God’s opportunity. One young lady named Maria came to our English classes, then to church. She was given a Christian book in Romanian
and surrendered her life to Christ. She exclaimed with joy, “I just want everyone to know about this in Romania.” Praise God! >> Pictured next to Christine Kelly is a Romanian Gypsy brother and Maria.
ANNOUNCING THE…
WORLD OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL
GLOBAL CONFERENCE JUNE 08 – 12, 2015 IN CHIANGMAI, THAILAND
World Outreach International personnel will be gathering together from all continents. The programme will be a time to enjoy and soak in the presence of God. Speakers will share anointed and inspired messages. There will be personal ministry times and field testimonies of what the Holy Spirit is doing globally. There will also be fun, delicious food and great fellowship.
Conference is open to all WOI personnel, family members, global ‘friends of WOI,’ eg ministry partners, pastors, church mission representatives and those considering serving cross-culturally. The 4-night / 3-day Chiangmai hotel all-in-one package cost, is USD200.00 for twin sharing accommodation and meals or USD320.00 for single room occupancy.
For more information and registration visit
worldoutreachconference.org
HAVE YOU MADE A WILL? Making a will is the only way you can be sure that your wishes will be followed after you die. Having a will also makes your loved ones’ time of grief simpler. If you don’t leave a will, part or all of your estate may go to people whom you never intended to benefit, or even to the government! Including a gift to the ministry of World Outreach International in your will is a special and personal way to continue making a difference in the world after your life on earth has passed. For further information, please contact the World Outreach International office nearest to you.
GRANT AND RIANA FRANKE IN 2005 WE MOVED to the Nissa province of Mozambique with our children. The people there are as untouched by society as you can possibly get. They do not use nails to build their huts and cook on fires with clay pots. As a family we built an African hut, planted a potato and maize field, fished, washed in the rivers and cooked by fire. We lived as “Macua” as you can get. We devoted ourselves to learning the trade language, Portuguese, and taught in the schools in Portuguese. We faced many trials including Grant being bit by a scorpion and an old war bomb going off and killing three children, with two others being severely injured.
>> Riana learning language.
It was very difficult to see the anguish of one of the fathers. Along with all that, we did not see the fruit of our labour and it was very discouraging. We ended up leaving Mozambique for three years.
More and more Macua Xirima are hearing the Gospel and receiving revelation about who God is and how He loves them We are now back in the bush of Northern Mozambique, living amongst the Xirima speakers. Their history is one ridden with war and slave trade. For a period of time, the Macua Xirima were either soldiers or victims of war, having to constantly move around or flee the country. They are Muslim/animist, which means they pay a superficial homage to Islam but their core belief is spiritualism. They do not worship spirits, but fear them.
For more great missionary stories visit... nationsmagazine.org
>> Bible study with Muslim Ajora in the village.
We have yet to see the masses come to Christ. However more Christians are getting involved with the Macua Xirima people group and we are beginning to see the fruit. Through storying and CPM (Church Planting Movements) more and more Macua Xirima are hearing the Gospel and receiving revelation about who God is and how He loves them. The Macua are on a journey together, and we believe they will make Christ Lord and Saviour together, not as individuals, but as a group. If you would like to support the work of the Frankes, visit our website: world-outreach.com/ product/grant-riana-franke
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HUMANITARIAN CRISES
Maintaining a Heart of C ompassion Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people. (Galatians 6:9–10a) Photo by Kevin Carter
THE WORLD’S powerful media is known to influence attention and involvement when it comes to humanitarian crises. For the past six months or so, the atrocities and crimes against humanity in Syria and Iraq, as well as the Ebola pandemic, have grabbed headlines – and rightly so. Sometimes it takes a gripping photograph to awaken us out of media tragedy overload, to once again allow God-given compassion to direct our response. This Pulitzer Prize winning photo taken by the late Kevin Carter during the great famine in Sudan shows a feeble little girl, totally exhausted, wasting away from starvation, being stalked by a vulture waiting for her to die. At the time the photo made headlines around the globe, and people responded and helped avert a massive national and regional tragedy.
Now twelve years later and four years after independence, South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, has declared that it is again in a state of famine. Four million people are affected, 50,000 children are at risk and 1.5 million have been displaced. South Sudan is not the only tragic story not getting world attention right now. There are the Syrian refugee crisis on the border of Egypt and Turkey, the massive flood relief projects in Pakistan and the ongoing feeding programmes conducted by WOI personnel in various African and Asian nations.
good to all people’. We are doing this right now in South Sudan, Egypt, Mozambique, Pakistan and other places. WOI personnel are both willing and available to respond to humanitarian crises in practical ways, but this is only possible with the practical help and generosity extended by the global friends of World Outreach. Thank you for your partnership.
We can’t solve all the world’s humanitarian crises, and we are not expected to.Yet the Word of God exhorts us to ‘not become weary in doing good,’ when we learn of yet another world crisis, rather ‘as we have opportunity, let us do
Donations can be made to: World Outreach International and designated Crisis Fund. Then forward to your nearest WOI Country Office (listed on pg 2). Donations can also be made at www.world-outreach.com