NATIONS A PUBLICATION OF WORLD OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL
ISSUE 2, 2013
MAINTAINING UNITY
BUILDING TEAMS WITH ONE HEART AND MIND
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE...
FAITH ON THE MOVE WHAT TO DO WHEN REALITY BITES
CHILDREN EXPERIENCE PENTECOST IN MYANMAR
DISCIPLING THE ILLITERATE
INSIDE
COUNTRY OFFICES AUSTRALIA:
3. DIRECTOR’S REPORT JOHN ELLIOTT REMINDS US THAT GREAT VISION REQUIRES GREAT FAITH.
4. WOI PAYS TRIBUTE TO JOHN LEROY REMEMBERING ONE OF GOD’S GENERALS. 7. MAINTAINING UNITY IN OUR TEAM BRUCE HILLS OUTLINES IMPORTANT KEYS TO PROTECT OUR TEAM RELATIONSHIPS.
15. THE BIGGEST LRP HOW DO YOU DISCIPLE THE ILLITERATE? JO GRAHAM GIVES INSIGHTFUL LESSONS FROM EXPERIENCE.
20. CHILDREN EXPERIENCE PENTECOST OUTPOURING
PETER VAN DER WESTHUYZEN REPORTS ON WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS DOING AMONG THE CHILDREN IN MYANMAR.
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:
Bill Molenkamp PO Box 2549 2002 RA, Haarlem T: (31 23) 526 5756 E: bill.molenkamp@world-outreach.com
MALAYSIA:
Au Yong Mun Heng PO Box 8541, Kelana Jaya 46792 Petaling Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan T: (60 3) 7875 1853 E: malaysia@world-outreach.com
NEW ZEALAND:
Peter McDougall Gail McDougall (Office) PO Box 97230, Manukau 2241 T: (64 9) 263 5434 M: (64 21) 330 874 E: nz@world-outreach.com
SINGAPORE:
Goh Eng Kwang Ghim Moh Post Office PO Box 048 Singapore 912732 T: (65) 6464 8698 E: singapore@world-outreach.com
SOUTH AFRICA:
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. WOI is currently ministering amongst 75 such people groups on five continents and has the goal of engaging at least 100 by 2015 through: • Raising Leaders • Evangelism and Church Planting • All Nations Mobilisation • Children’s Ministry • Humanitarian Aid Singapore-based, International Director John Elliott, heads an executive team of senior missionaries, pastors and business leaders. >> ON THE COVER: PAKISTANI women worship at a WOI Leadership Conference in Karachi which saw 35 Christian denominations congregate.
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www.world-outreach.com 2
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• ISSUE 2, 2013
EDITOR: John Elliott PUBLICATION MANAGER: Janet Chan DESIGN: Donna Elliott EDITORIAL SUPPORT: Robin Merrill www.robinmerrill.com PRINTERS: Tone Ads, Singapore PERMIT No: MCI (P) 102/11/2012 PUBLISHERS: World Outreach International Ghim Moh Estate Post Office PO Box 048, Singapore 912732 T: (65) 6464 8698 F: (65) 6464 8697 E: woi@world-outreach.com
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: Mike Cross (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) Ghim Moh Post Office PO Box 048 Singapore 912732 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: Grant Alleway Val Bateup John Elliott Wilbur Farmilo Rob Hennin Alan Vink
INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM:
Chia Shee Wai Luke Chong John Elliott Peter Smith Peter van der Westhuyzen Hendrik Vermooten Bambi Cataluna
FAITHONTHEMOVE
Earlier this year the World Outreach International leadership met to pray, discuss and firm up some new ministry initiatives. The different ministry visions were clear, the opportunities were real and the potential results could see many people come to Christ. What we did not yet have before us were the resources we would need to realise our plans, i.e., workers and finances.
WELCOME TO the world of (faith) missions! Such unknowns have been the case with WOI since its founding. God gives us vision, he speaks clearly to our hearts and yet when reality bites, we don’t have all that is necessary to do the work. Unbelief can then subtly take hold. I have learnt that at such times it is always good to spend time in the Word, and wait on God for further clarity. Faith precedes understanding. Abraham agreed before he had full understanding of what the Lord was speaking to him. God called Abraham to step out in faith, leave his homeland and follow him. The call however, was not about Abraham, but rather about the plan and purposes of God, that the people of the earth may be blessed through him (Genesis 12). Faith is given to us to embrace the plans and purposes of God. Abraham was fully persuaded that God had the power to do as he promised (Romans 4:21). Unbelief puts our circumstances between us and the Lord. Faith puts God between us and our
Unbelief puts our circumstances between us and the Lord. Faith puts God between us and our circumstances. The saints of Hebrews 11 were fully persuaded that God’s promises were true. circumstances. The saints of Hebrews 11 were fully persuaded that God’s promises were true. They embraced the promises in their hearts. (It’s important to note that the Bible honours these saints for their faith, not their perfection).
For those serving with WOI, the Lord has (big) plans. We have chosen to let God-given vision determine our response, rather than what we know about our resources. In the past we have seen his amazing faithfulness; therefore we are confident that he will release more resources for the new challenges before us, i.e., more workers to serve and more partners to help finance the work. Last year WOI ministry teams had the joy of helping bring many thousands of people into the kingdom of God. With your partnership and willingness to take steps of faith with us, we believe that in 2013 even more will come to call on the name of the Lord!
John Elliott International Director
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AFTER A 10-week battle with an aggressive form of cancer, World Outreach International missionary, John LeRoy, passed away in Sydney, Australia in December last year.
JOHN AND WIFE YOLANDE served with WOI in the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan for more than 20 years. They were the directors of New Hope Ministries, a mission work for Dayak tribal children that offered village children an opportunity to receive education, care and life skills training. Over the years, hundreds of children have benefited hugely from this ministry, where they also came to love, know and follow Jesus Christ. John and Yolande took much delight in helping disciple the children in their walk with the Lord.
John’s smile, enthusiasm, sense of humour and love for the Dayak will be greatly missed; nevertheless the work and legacy of John and Yolande at New Hope Ministries continues with more than 170 tribal children presently in residence. The WOI leadership is working closely with New Hope Ministries partners and supporters regarding the future development of the work. Please pray for this ministry.
John is survived by his precious wife Yolande (who now lives with family in Sydney, Australia), three grown adult children and eleven grandchildren. John Elliott International Director
John was a visionary, a pioneer, an entrepreneur, a builder and a hard worker. He and Yolande grew a small village out of the jungle. John did not tolerate nonsense, particularly with local authorities who were well known for creating bureaucratic road blocks. At the same time he was culturally sensitive and knew when to be patient. John was a big man with a soft heart. On his first exploratory visit to the Dayaks, he found himself crying for the people. This sealed his call to reach and serve the Dayak people. TO MAKE A DONATION OR SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTER VISIT WORLD-OUTREACH.COM
UNIQUE UNITY! DESPITE THE unstable political and economic situation and on-going crisis affecting Egypt, we are encouraged with recent happening. In Judges 14:14 it says, “out of the eater, something to eat, out of the strong, something sweet.” The Christian community in Egypt is more than five million and the different denominational churches have been experiencing much change in the past two years. For the first time in the history of the Church in Egypt, the Coptics, Catholics
and Protestants have united to form the Egyptian Church Committee, which is being led by Pope Bishop Tawadros. The committee wants to be seen as speaking with one voice and seeing with one vision as they work to deal with the government’s decisions and subsequent changes that affect the entire nation. Please keep praying for Egypt. Nathan and Sawsan Bassaly EGYPT Ministry Leaders
>> The Egyptian Church Committee will be led by Pope Bishop Tawadros.
BUILDERS BECAME BELIEVERS RECENTLY two young men from a Muslim background came to help restore our Christian centre. One of our co-workers, a former radical Muslim from the Congo, held a Bible study after work. The young men both opened their hearts to Christ! The painters became prayers, the repairers became repenters, the builders became believers. Keith and Christine Kelly UNITED KINGDOM Ministry Leaders
CLOSEUP
>> The believers become baptised!
CAROLYNE LYNGDOH, the oldest of four children, grew up in Shillong City, NE India. In 2000, Carolyne became a Christian and was called to serve the Lord
full-time. She left her gynaecology career and today, she and her husband John serve as directors of Bethany Children’s Home, where orphaned boys are cared for, discipled and educated. Carolyne and John enjoy looking after the physical, emotional and spiritual welfare of the boys as if they were their own. • ISSUE 2, 2013 •
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D O N O T D E S P I S E T H E D AY O F S M A L L BEGINNINGS TWO YEARS AGO, I wanted to make a stop motion film that would bring kids to Jesus. My friends and I began to create the characters but we ran out of time, money and resources, so I shelved the project.
A year later, I revisited the project and met with another set of obstacles. Yet I started to feel that this project was not just solely my idea. Two months ago a man from an employment agency knocked on my door. He had money and workers to give away to suitable projects. I told him about the stop motion film and that I wanted to show the message of the Bible. We received a grant allowing us to complete the film. The film is being made with government money and by nonbelievers. God has a great sense of humour and a funny sense of timing. Trust God in the ideas he sows in your
>> Scene from the stop motion movie, presently in the making.
>> Film shoot from “The Unseen World.”
heart and stay open to how he brings them about! Peter Blase AUSTRALIA Ministry Leader www.youtube.com/iblazeworld
L E A D E R S H I P S E M I N A R S L E AV E I M PA C T IN PAKISTAN, 469 pastors and leaders from 35 denominations came from across Pakistan to the commercial centre of Karachi for a conference. One major denomination had grown 50% in just 12 months (from 30–45 churches) as a direct result of the ministry they received at last year’s conference. Pastor Tak Bhana (Church Unlimited, Auckland, NZ) joined me as the other speaker. Each night of the conference, thousands joined us at another venue for evangelistic and healing meetings. Some amazing miracles took place,
including paralytics being healed and walking home with their families.
>> Pastors Tak Bhana and Bruce Hills see an outpouring of God on Pakistani leaders.
>> Young Pakistanis gather for leadership training.
In Kenya, we ran the second year of the ‘emerging leaders’ seminars. These seminars are aimed at equipping the emerging tier of young leaders in their 20s and early 30s. We had 245 young leaders registered for the seminar with an average attendance of 150 each day. It was a significant time! Bruce Hills International Leadership Development Director
>> Proudly receiving a leadership training completion certificate from Bruce Hills in Kenya. TO MAKE A DONATION OR SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTER VISIT WORLD-OUTREACH.COM
Bruce Hills International Leadership Development Director
FEATURE
Strong ministries require strong teams. Strong teams require strong relationships. Strong relationships require each member of the team to promote and protect the team’s unity.
Based on Philippians 2:2–5 and other Scriptures, I regard ‘unity’ as ‘working together with one heart and mind by maintaining an ‘others-centred attitude’’.
Here are eight principles for how we can foster and preserve unity:
adopt a servant mind-set.
1.
The motivation of a spiritual leader is not power, popularity, prominence or prestige. Rather, it is selflessness, service and sacrifice. Our focus must not be on the position we hold, but on the service we offer (Philippians 2:5–9).
embrace a team mentality.
3.
Paul wrote of being (v.2) ‘…like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.’ The vocabulary of a team is not ‘I’ but ‘we’, not my ‘rights’ but my ‘responsibilities’. Think like a team, pray as a team, work as a team and be a team.
guard our personal attitudes.
5.
Authentic unity begins as an internal attitude (Philippians 2:3). Most disunity begins with a bad attitude, but can be resolved by a change of attitude. We must maintain humility and sustain a vigilant watch over our attitudes.
pray for one another. 7. Ultimately, unity is a work of the Spirit. We need to pray for our leaders, one another and for the Spirit to work in lives. The team that prays together stays together.
2. accept that all ministries are valuable. In his metaphor of Christ’s many-membered ‘body’, Paul wrote how each of us has a unique gift. One of the keys is to accept and affirm this diversity. Unity in music is not uniformity, but different notes in harmony (1 Cor. 12:12–31; Rom 12:3–8; Eph 4:1–16).
4. resolve conflicts quickly and biblically. There may well be frictions, misunderstandings or tensions. We preserve unity by dealing with them as soon as possible in the way prescribed in Scripture. We must not allow things to fester (Matthew 18:15).
regard others above 6. ourselves. Philippians 2:4 says that ‘…each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.’ One guiding principle for teams is to be others-centred.
8.
unite behind our team leader. To nurture unity, each member needs to exhibit an inward and outward attitude of respect toward leaders. Consider the words of Jonathan’s armourbearer: ‘Do all that you have in mind…I am with you heart and soul’ (1 Sam. 14:7). • ISSUE 2, 2013 •
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T H E W O R K E X PA N D S LAST YEAR SAW the ministry of O Bom Samaritano with 185 healthcare workers involved in our 39 healthcare houses now established in four districts. Our records show that 35,462 villagers have received various treatments and over 727 babies and orphans receive
>> A healthcare house.
food from our programmes daily. The Word of God goes hand in hand with our humanitarian work. Many of our workers and patients have become followers of Jesus Christ and been water baptised. The power of God has seen many set free from evil spirits. Deborah Grauer and I will soon relocate to another area considered the ‘heartbeat’ of the Macua Nahara people. We plan to establish more healthcare centres in order to help local villagers who have no access to medical care. It is a new and exciting challenge, one for which we are believing the Holy Spirit to go before us and give us immediate favour within
>> Deborah and Myriam.
the new Muslim communities as we demonstrate the love of Jesus among them. Please pray for us. Myriam Wahr MOZAMBIQUE Ministry Leader
THE POWER OF HIS NAME CLAVER AND KASMIR grew up in the same village. When Claver became a Christian, his life was radically transformed. Though Claver was burdened for his childhood friend and began witnessing to him, Kasmir did not respond straightaway. His father was a pagan priest and Kasmir was in charge of killing the daily sacrifices. One day, Claver gave Kasmir a Bible
and asked him to read a little bit each day. A year later, Kasmir committed his life to the Lord. Since then, the two have reached out to Kasmir’s family and the whole family has abandoned their pagan beliefs.
prayer and deliverance service is growing in numbers as people get set free. At the same time they regularly train other Christian young people on how to pray for the sick and deliver people from evil spirits in Jesus’s name.
Today, Claver and Kasmir are trained Forerunners who continue their ministry together. They regularly speak in different churches and their weekly
Eugene and Tina Wessels MOZAMBIQUE Ministry Leaders
W H AT W I L L T H E Y B E L I K E I N 1 5 Y E A R S ? IN 1998, we rented an apartment overlooking a primary school in Angoche. Our singing created a disturbance in the classes and many children made their way to our kids’ meetings. In time, the Lord challenged us to move away from children’s ministry to focus on the adults who could become leaders. Yet we still often stay in that apartment and I’ve often wondered about those children we touched in those early visits.
Last month, a young man came into one of our meetings and immediately responded to the Lord. Afterwards, he told me that when he was in grade 2, he had come to those meetings, learned about the Lord and still remembered the songs. He had been looking for a way to reconnect with us and with the Lord and found out that his cousin was one of our leaders. At last, 15 years later, he was back! Those children you are touching? What will they be like in 15 years’ time?
Jo and Jenny Graham MOZAMBIQUE Ministry Leaders
>> Tamoli kids.
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OBEDIENT TO HER DREAM
HEALED FROM S E C R E T PA I N GOD HAS BEEN asking me to take him out of the church building and into the streets. Recently I visited a friend’s mother. She said she was well but she wasn’t. I laid hands on her and prayed. She repented and was healed of her painful health issues! Angela Stephens KENYA Ministry Leader >> Something to smile about.
A ROBBERY AND A GIFT RECENTLY MY FAMILY was robbed. I prayed, “Lord, allow them to know you.” When I filed a police report, the officer said, “This is an unfortunate situation for someone who does good. We know of some land that you can have to build a church.” Hallelujah! Pray that God will provide the resources to make this happen! Joseph and Amiee Dayamba BURKINA FASO Ministry Leaders
F R E E AT L A S T THE EDWARDS FAMILY was bound in many areas. Mrs Edwards suffered from pica and anaemia. When the family heard the Gospel, they gladly accepted Christ, and Mrs Edwards was cured of her illnesses. Today, they are serving in Adonai Christian Ministries. Rodney and Juliet Munkhondya MALAWI Ministry Leaders
>> The Edwards family.
ONE MORNING in Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of our short-term outreach team members, Lebogang, asked about buying material to make a dress like the local women were wearing. Later that morning, an elderly lady walked into the God’s Vision, God’s Mission class we were conducting, carrying a measure of cloth. She explained via the interpreter that she had dreamt the previous night of a missionary, called Jane, who wanted to make a dress. In obedience, she was now bringing the cloth. Imagine our surprise when we heard that Lebogang’s second name was Jane. God called her by name and gave her the desire of her heart. Gavin and Marlien Porter SOUTHERN AFRICA >> Lebogang Jane (left) with her material – a dream come true. Ministry Leaders
M I S S I O N M O B I L I S AT I O N I N K E N YA AN INFLUENTIAL denomination took Kairos and arranged for a missions exposure trip in northern Kenya among four LRPs. We visited the Samburu, Rendille, Ariaal Rendille and the El Mollo. One participant said, “Kairos opened my mind to the necessity of missions and the trip showed me the magnitude of the need for the Gospel.” Chris and Nadine Brittain KENYA Ministry Leaders >> Members of the team talking with the elders of the El Mollo people.
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ASIA CUTTING ALL TIES EARLIER THIS YEAR a devout Buddhist gave his life to Jesus. He owned many valuable Buddhist objects that he was considering giving away. I suggested he throw them into the lake. After careful consideration, he agreed, so we held a ceremony to destroy all his Buddhist statues! No Pum MYANMAR Ministry Leader
>> Relinquishing old household idols.
>> Going all the way with Jesus in baptism.
MEETING WITH JESUS IN THE TEA GARDENS JAMES AND BINA graduated from the Dhaka Christian Discipleship Centre (CDC) in 2011.
James is working to share the love of Jesus with these people and to see lives changed. Please pray for him!
They had a burden to serve among the marginalised people working in the tea gardens of Sylhet. These people are mostly animistic and illiterate.
Vijaya Chowdhuri BANGLADESH Ministry Leader >> The marginalised people in the tea gardens of Sylhet.
>> CDC graduates James and Bina.
James has been visiting with them and has made several friends. Several months ago he started an adult literacy class for them, using a Bible-based adult literacy book. The students have been very happy to learn to read and write. Many of them have expressed their joy, saying that they never in their lives thought they would be able to study and learn.
>> The adult literacy class is changing lives!
AN UNEXPECTED TURN RAJA, A STRONG HINDU, was able to put 20 people at a time into a trance. Yet he was frustrated that he could not put himself into one. His Hindu priests told him that his ‘sins’ were preventing him from entrancing himself. Desiring freedom from his ‘sinfulness,’ Raja asked a Hindu priest what to do. The priest told him to visit the
Christians, because they knew how to get rid of ‘sinfulness.’ During an altar call Raja went forward to ‘have his sins taken away’. He fell down under the power of the Holy Spirit and had an incredible encounter with God. Believing his sins were gone, but not fully understanding what had happened to him, he went back to the temple. The Hindu priest said, “The God in you
is bigger than all our gods. You will not be able to go into a trance now”. Raja is now serving the Lord full-time as a pastor. God is at work, reaching people in unexpected ways. Ben and Rachel Brooks SE ASIA Ministry Team Members
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FRONTLINE FILES DAY 1
Pastor DeJin and Anna Li • THAILAND
DAY 2
Peter Smith • NEW ZEALAND
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5
In May 2013 we start pioneering work in Chiang Rai, amongst the locals staying in the northern plains of Thailand. Please pray for God’s wisdom and empowering, so that we can be effective channels for the spread of the Gospel in that region.
In late May, WOI is bringing key people together in South Africa to design strategic centres for the recruitment, training and deployment of “majority world” (i.e., nonwestern) missionaries to reach LRP groups. Please join us in prayer for this significant gathering and also for me as I facilitate the 3-day meeting.
Hendrik and Bets Vermooten • SE ASIA
Thank you for supporting our partners in prayer!
DAY 6
Ben and Rachel Brooks • SE ASIA
DAY 7
Colin and Jenny Ayling • MOZAMBIQUE
DAY 8
David Elliott • SE ASIA
DAY 9
Malcolm and Wendy Taylor • INDONESIA
The first WOI 6-week Nations course training for this year has just concluded in South Africa. Please pray that the teachings will have an on-going impact among all the graduates and will positively impact their lives and future ministries, specifically their strategies for impacting LRP groups effectively.
Stephanie Herron • MOZAMBIQUE
Please pray for us, my fellow Bible School staff and our students this year, that we would joyfully use every opportunity to share Jesus with those around us and disciple them effectively. Please pray also for a mission trip to the north of Mozambique with our students this June.
DAY 10 John and Mary Elliott • SINGAPORE
We are encouraged by the reports we have received, telling of hundreds of salvations and baptisms, along with incredible miracles and healings. We believe 2013 will see many such (new) ministry breakthroughs. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will pour out his presence in regions where the Gospel is yet to be established.
Please continue to pray for the church planting movements in Cambodia, Nepal and Malaysia. Pray the Holy Spirit will come in a powerful way and bring about a great awakening in the lives of unbelievers.Thank you for your prayers!
We truly thank God for answering our prayers and bringing new team members to join us at Maziotela Ministries. Please pray for Chris and Andrew Low (from the UK) and our Mozambiquan team, that together we would be “strong and unmovable, working enthusiastically for the Lord.” (1 Cor 15:58)
I will soon lead a CPM training trip into Cambodia. The Lord is doing a powerful work among the Kuyi people. Pray that the trip goes well and that we will discern the Lord’s leading in how to guide the indigenous harvest workers, resulting in an even greater harvest.
Please pray for the new primary school that needs to be completed by the end of July. Pray for great teamwork among our volunteer groups from the UK, Holland and NZ, who are arriving to serve among our Dayak children and young people, equipping them to be ministers of the Gospel.
Paul and Sue Fosse • MOZAMBIQUE
Church leaders will be returning to their villages after attending special teaching and training seminars. Pray that they would have real breakthroughs in their ministries. We also have a window of opportunity during the present dry season to complete vital work on the property here. Please pray that we will be successful.
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DAY 11
MC and Lezelle Coetzee • SOUTH AFRICA
DAY 16
Our outreach Bible school in Lesotho is growing! Please remember these precious students in prayer as they receive God’s Word, that they will be courageous in sharing their faith in this rural area. In Swaziland we will soon launch a Bible-based pre-school curriculum. Pray that these children will come to know Jesus!
DAY 12
DAY 13
DAY 14
DAY 15
Donna Elliott • SINGAPORE
We want to light the fire of 18–40 year-olds with the message of mission! To this end, the communications department is working on the development of a new IT publication. We trust that this is God’s blueprint for us this year. Pray for his favour, provision and anointing on this effort and other 2013 communication projects.
Pray for the 170+ children here at New Hope, that they will keep growing in their knowledge and understanding of the Lord and that they will feel loved and cared for.The school year finishes this May. Many students will return to their villages for the break. Pray that they will be strong witnesses.
DAY 17
Chaiyot and Gayle Wansong • THAILAND
DAY 18
Allen and Charlotte Teal • NEW ZEALAND
DAY 19
Rod and Lynley Talbot • SOUTH AFRICA
DAY 20
Geof and Marion Gunton • AUSTRALIA
DAY 21
Nev and Isabel Rogers • AUSTRALIA
Koti and Rina Smit • MOZAMBIQUE
There is a growing hunger for the Word among the locals in Nacala. It is common to see people openly copying from the Bible. Literacy classes have been initiated, using the Bible as text. Pray that this desire among the people will expand and influence others. Pray also for more Mozambiquan Bibles!
Malcolm and Sandy Potter • THAILAND
It will soon be the start of the new Thai school / university year. Pray that God will send the students of his choice to both Baan Faa Mai, our high school age hostel in Mae Chaem and to the Baan Piemrak, our new female tertiary student hostel in Chiang Mai.
Duncan and Lindie Ross • SE ASIA
God’s Word clearly spoke to our hearts, “Thus far have I taken you”. The Lord has covered us with wings of protection and provision. We are confident the next ministry chapter will also enjoy his faithfulness and blessing. Pray that we will be effective as we launch new ministry initiatives this year.
FRONTLINE FILES
Jan-William and Marlinde Tamminga • INDONESIA
Pray for the successful completion of the Thai translation of Kairos 4th Edition. Pray for a quality translation and for adequate funding. Pray for the training of the head facilitators as they learn the new material. Pray that God blesses this tool as it’s used across Thailand to awaken believers to missions.
We are in Asia visiting cross-cultural workers. These visits provide an opportunity to share developments on the field and to discuss personal challenges. Pray for us as we carry out this vital ministry. Our current focus is to develop more member care workers within WOI. Pray that the right people emerge.
As WOI regional directors for Africa, we have a lot of travel ahead of us as we visit each of our mission partners. Please pray for timely strategic meetings with our amazing field colleagues and that together we have the mind of the Lord. Pray for safety and good health during our journeys.
Kairos 4th Edition is almost ready in Latin American Spanish. Please pray as we plan its launch in countries such as Mexico, Ecuador and Honduras. Pray that God will help us to identify key people who will eventually lead Kairos in such countries.
We look to God for a new network of contacts on the Western Downs. This is four hours away and requires less travelling. Beginning with four contacts, we intend to explore the possibility of taking our Christian library to churches and farms and also be available for pastoral ministry. Pray for open doors!
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DAY 22
Vijaya Chowdhuri • BANGLADESH
Our 1-year discipleship programme is underway and will finish this December. There are 30 students, along with seven children for this batch. We also have 15 schools in different slum areas of Bangladesh. Please pray for these programmes and also for the tense political situation in Bangladesh.
DAY 23
Roger and Vivienne Latham • AUSTRALIA
DAY 24
Jes La Bleu • USA
DAY 27
Ponchai Banchasawan • THAILAND
DAY 28
Patricia Green • EUROPE
DAY 29
Janvier and Claudine Yokoinele • AFRICA
DAY 30
Max and Dorothy Chismon • PHILIPPINES
There is revival in many of our desert Aboriginal communities. One of the people’s greatest needs is a clear revelation between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light. I have written a small booklet to address this. It will feature Aboriginal art and be taken on tour with indigenous teams. Please pray for this project.
We celebrate the completion of the birthing centre.Visa complications forced us to leave India early, allowing us to spend time working at the clinic in the Philippines and reconnecting with friends in Taiwan. Now we are back in the U.S. Please pray with us for direction for a new ministry initiative in India.
DAY 25
Mun Heng and Cecilia Au Yong • MALAYSIA
DAY 26
Angela Stephens • KENYA
Praise the Lord for my improving health! Pray for a positive diagnosis that will allow us to travel again in church mobilisation and to engage with LRPs. Pray for wisdom and discernment in this transition as we re-engineer WOI Malaysia directions with new personnel prayerfully coming on board.
God has been using me to pray for healings and deliverances. As others watch, they realise that God can use them in similar ways. I have initiated a Fire-starters course to help others grow in faith. Pray that as people join me in sharing Jesus through healings and prophetic encounters, that many will be saved.
DAY 31
We praise and thank God for a fantastic year learning English in Brisbane, Australia. Please keep praying for our family as we get re-involved with the ministries of WOI Thailand as well as with our local churches in Thap Berg and Bangkok. Please pray for unity among the ministries of WOI Thailand.
Thank you for your prayers and practical support during the two medical treatments I have had in the past six months. I feel so blessed and encouraged. Pray for the ministry of Alabaster Jar as it goes through a transition. Pray for “L,” who has returned to Romania. Pray she finds work and stands strong in her faith.
With the ACE French program in both South Africa (development) and Ivory Coast (implementation), we are busy and excited with the progress. Please pray for the on-going success of the French ACE in Africa. Also with four teenagers in our family now, we are also praying for our personal monthly support base to increase.
The Living Spring’s 3-month Ministry Development Course is being re-established after many years of inactivity due to our focus on mission mobilisation. The MDC will run from July through September. This redesigned MDC will help a new generation prepare for life-long ministry. Please pray for the on-going preparations.
Martin and Simone Schumann • MOZAMBIQUE
Our builder Musa has been hearing the Gospel for three years. From his answers during devotions, I could tell that he understood the Gospel. He just couldn’t bring himself to be obedient to it. When we were baptising a Muslim co-worker, Musa spontaneously called on the Lord and asked to be baptised also!
FRONTLINE FILES • ISSUE 2, 2013 •
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ASIA
SOUTHEAST
A BRAND NEW HEART UPON ARRIVING at the meeting, the young, Cambodian man looked frail and weak. He struggled with a severe heart condition which left him unable to lift, run or do any physical activity. His mother stood by watching as her son
was prayed for, then they sent him off to run, but he was too afraid to run. “In the name of Jesus, run!” he was told. His mother was overcome as she watched her son run around the property grounds, completely healed and with
breath. Praise to our compassionate and loving God! Ben and Rachel Brooks SE ASIA Ministry Team Members
THESE KIDS ARE SERIOUS ABOUT GOD! THE ADULT TRAINING GROUP in central, rural Cambodia was so blessed at the last training session when the children asked to come in and pray for them. A wonderful one-on-one prayer session followed. These children had just come back from a short tour of the village where they had gone to pray for other children who were suffering from the
deadly virus that recently attacked and killed so many Cambodian children. We are trusting God to do amazing things amongst the children of this Least Reached People group. Esther, our children’s coordinator has great vision to see this develop and grow. Owen and Glynis Willows SE ASIA Ministry Leaders >> Children with great faith in Cambodia.
T H E R E I S N O D I S TA N C E I N P R AY E R WE RECEIVED AN URGENT phone call from the hospital to pray for a girl with terminal cancer. We laid hands on the pastor who stood in proxy for the girl. A week later, I received a phone call, and the pastor exclaimed, “The girl we prayed for, has been healed! The doctor has said ‘CANCER DISSOLVED!’” I heard cheers in the background and was told the whole village gathered at the girl’s house to witness the miracle. Her family who were unbelievers rejoiced at this Jesus who healed and brought life to their daughter. They along with other villagers, turned to Christ. Susan Khoo SE ASIA Ministry Team Members
NOT BY COINCIDENCE WITH GOD, there is no such thing as coincidence. A while ago, Samlot raised a young boy from the dead. Recently, Samlot heard a woman screaming for help from a nearby house. It sounded like domestic violence, a dangerous situation for Samlot to enter into. Her mother objected, but Samlot went to the house anyway and found a man strangling his wife. She shouted at him to stop and he immediately submitted to her authority. Why? Because this man was the father of the son she had raised from the dead not so long ago. This man knew that Samlot spoke with God’s authority. Samlot was able to speak into this man’s life, and his wife’s life was spared. Benji and Daniela Morf SE ASIA Ministry Team Members
EVEN THE DEMONS FEAR HIS NAME RECENTLY I VISITED a teenager who had become demonised. A crowd had gathered and a local spirit specialist was trying to cast out the demon, but to no avail, leaving the boy tormented by manifestations. I cast the demon out in the name of Isa (Jesus). The spirit left and I was able to testify to the crowd about the power of Jesus. Rama and Sinta Jones SE ASIA Ministry Leaders
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A PRIZE IF YOU can name the largest Least Reached People in the world! You won’t find it in the Joshua Project listing! In fact, to be honest, it isn’t exactly a people group. But here’s our answer: the illiterate peoples of the world.
FEATURE
We praise God for Bible translators. We thank him for the awesome team, starting with Wycliffe Bible Translators Chris and Ada Lyndon, who rendered God’s Word into Koti alongside our discipling movement! Because of the stunning work of WBT and others, 97% of the world’s population have God’s Word in a language they speak (though for many, not yet in their mother tongue). But nearly 50% cannot read! Like most Koti! So with Ada’s help, we have literacy material and now run many literacy classes. How exciting to see people learn to read – and the only literature in their language is the Word of God! But must we wait till they can read before we disciple them? When we first grappled with this question in Malaysian jungle villages 30 years ago, we found virtually nothing in the archives of missiology on the subject. Missionaries assumed that people must have the written word before they could become disciples. First translate, then teach literacy, then disciple. And a generation would die waiting!
ladies dressed in their finery, singing and dancing. We asked our companion what
But must we wait till they can read before we disciple them? Missionaries assumed that people must have the written word before they co uld become disciples. First translate, then teach literacy, then disciple. And a generation wo uld die waiting!
they were singing about. “If you leave water uncovered, mosquitoes will breed in it, so keep all water containers covered.” Not exactly poetic, but effective! So we began to use the same method for discipling. For example, we taught the Five Steps of the True Way as a summary of who we are as followers of Jesus and then put the steps to song. Illiterate people can internalise immortal truth. Jo and Jenny Graham MOZAMBIQUE Ministry Leaders
So we sought the Lord for keys. Here are some of them. We tell and re-tell stories. We use songs, drama, flashcards and pictures, declarations of faith, memory verses, public reading of Scripture, sacraments, festivals, the Jesus film and we emphasise prayer and obedience. For more explanation of these methods, you can write to us at jo@disciplink.org.
>> In full swing teaching literacy class.
>> I can’t read well but I am making disciples!
We use songs for worship, but we also use them for teaching. Community information is often passed through singing. We once bumped into a group of Koti >> All ears . • ISSUE 2, 2013 •
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L I T E R AT U R E L I F E L I N E LIFE IN CHRIST magazine (Hidup dalam Kristus in Indonesian) is a great blessing to pastors and church leaders, especially those who minister in remote and isolated places. These are some testimonies from our subscribers: “Thank you very much for Hidup dalam Kristus which has been a faithful channel of blessing from God to strengthen and encourage me to serve the Lord, even though I have never studied at Bible School. Through Hidup dalam Kristus, God has taught me how to serve Him. I have been planting churches for 13 years
and minister in a remote area. The Lord has entrusted me with six new churches and I really need your prayer support and magazines.”
Robert and Eliana Mambu INDONESIA Ministry Leaders
“...it gives me strength and help for the growth of our ministry in the village.” “I am really blessed with Hidup dalam Kristus, which equips me who minister in the hinterland.” This magazine can only be published and be a blessing to many of God’s workers through your faithful contributions to WOI and also your prayer support. The Lord bless you.
>> A rural village church.
DRUG USER BECOMES BIBLE STUDENT ANDRE’S PARENTS divorced when he was young and he was raised by his Muslim uncle. He used and sold drugs for 15 years, beginning when he was only 17. It wasn’t long before he was arrested and put in prison for 18 months. He was then moved to a rehabilitation centre. One day at this centre, he heard music and singing that excited him. When the guards asked if any inmates wanted to attend the Christian meeting, Andre
raised his hand immediately. It was during one of these services that he surrendered his life to the Lord. Andre is now a first year student at Tawangmangu Bible College. His desire after graduation is to return to Jakarta and join a team that goes and ministers in the prisons.
>> A new life for Andre (front).
C R E AT I V E E VA N G E L I S M TWO NATIONAL WORKERS are using henna art on hands to share the Creation to Christ story with people. They drew the henna story on the hands of two village women, and the women immediately went and got their families. The story is spreading! People are hearing the truth and are asking for salvation! Rama and Sinta Jones SE ASIA Ministry Leaders
Sam and Carol Soukotta INDONESIA Directors, Tawangmangu Bible College
GROWING IN FAITH ONE OF THE GREATEST rewards of mission work is seeing young people grow in their faith. Sister orphans Susi and Yanti were trying to make it on their own. We brought them to Living Waters and both have asked Jesus into their lives! It is our joy to watch these beautiful sisters learn to walk with Jesus. Ronny and Karin Robben Living Waters, INDONESIA Ministry Team Members >> Orphan sisters, Susi and Yanti.
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THAILAND B U I L D I N G R E L AT I O N S H I P S O V E R T I M E WE HAVE BEEN working to build a relationship with a man we often see on Patpong. He always has a smile and a greeting for us. This man receives a commission for every prostitution customer he brings into the bars. Recently, he came to Rahab. His daughter had gone to America with a man, supposedly to marry him. Once there, she was put in a brothel and made to work. She was able to get back to Thailand to her family, but began hanging out around the bars and drinking there. Her father was
concerned for her and brought her to Rahab to see if we could help. This man does not want this kind of life for his own daughter. These relationships can take a lot of time to build, but they are so important. We praise God that the Patpong community is starting to trust Rahab Ministries. Prai Wongkampa Rahab Ministries THAILAND Ministry Leader
TEACHING AND PL ANTING OUR LANGUAGE CENTRE cum café has been running for a year! Part of our vision is to support local Thai pastors financially and to create an atmosphere where they can connect with the community. Recently, Pastor Yord joined
>> Jeh Sie (Centre) with students at the Language Centre.
our team as our school counsellor. Soon after, he led one of our students to the Lord and others have been asking him about Christianity. Recently, a parent came in, looking for a place for his 9-year-old to study English. He had been looking for a while but he did not trust the city schools. We explained that we were all Christians and that we vetted our teachers and his face lit up in a smile! After only a year in Korat, seeds are being planted and we are seeing signs of sprouting! We still need more English and Mandarin teachers and would love to hear from you if you feel called to facilitate church planting in a
Least Reached People group through practical means! Kevin and Jeh Sie Chan Global Connections Centre THAILAND Ministry Leaders
>> Teaching English is an effective entrance into the community.
T W O R E S U R R E C T I O N S I N O N E D AY UMNUAY HAD JUST returned home after heart surgery. That evening, she stopped breathing. A believer prayed over her until she breathed again. Five new churches sprung up in this district. Nearby, a toddler died of a fever. She was dead for 10 minutes. Her aunt prayed over her and the baby was revived.
John and Nok THAILAND Ministry Leaders
<< Church planting leaders at Mahasarakam.
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THAILAND M I R A C L E AT D E E P H O P E S C H O O L HEADMASTER JOON was worried. Enrolment at his Deep Hope School had dropped to 40 students and the government had demanded that the school close immediately. Headmaster Joon did not yet know Jesus. When he explained the sad situation to his students, they reassured him: “Don’t worry! Pray to God in the name of Jesus. He always answers prayers!” Headmaster Joon questioned, “Jesus? Isn’t he the foreigners’ God?” The students answered, “No! He loves
us Thais too! We have all decided to follow him and you should too!” This was the beginning of the school’s transformation. Headmaster Joon and many parents have now come to Christ. Enrolment has grown to more than 100 students. When our church planters visit, the students take a break from their studies and the community comes together to worship God and study the Word! Lorraine Dierck THAILAND Field Leader
>> Students happy to be at the Deep Hope School.
MIRACLES IN THAI CHILDREN’S LIVES MANY THAI CHILDREN know nothing about Jesus until a Good News Team visits their schools. It’s always exciting when they write to tell us how Jesus is changing their lives. Here are some recent letters:
Tanvarat: I’ve never been special to anyone before. Even my parents don’t see me as special. Now I’m special to God. Ratana: My grandfather drank a lot. I asked Jesus to help. My grandfather has had no alcohol since. Prangtip: Thanks for my birthday gift. I’ve never had one before. Panida: My village sees I’m not afraid of evil spirits because Jesus is with me.
Now others want to know Jesus. The village elders are angry. Pray for me. Please pray for each child doing our lessons to experience God’s love and power in their lives. Valerie Bateup Good News Team THAILAND Ministry Leader >> Young Thais are fascinated by the Good News booklets.
>> Val and the Good News Team.
Sarla: My Dad was put in jail. Police said we must pay 4 million baht. We have no money. I prayed and my Dad was released. We didn’t have to pay anything.
>> Dang having fun at a school outreach. TO MAKE A DONATION OR SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTER VISIT WORLD-OUTREACH.COM
THAILAND AN UNCOMPROMISING MESSAGE WE ARE SEEING positive changes among the prisoners we minister to. These souls are prone to reoffend. Therefore our message is uncompromising: repent and turn to God! The prison authorities watch us closely. They can’t deny the changes in prisoners’ lives and have given us a permanent room to hold our services! Elisa Diaz THAILAND Ministry Leader
>> Prayer time at the prison (LEFT: Women’s prison, RIGHT: Men’s prison).
F I R S T F R U I T N O W M U LT I P LY I N G what he has seen at Baan because of his faith, great work ethic FORMER MAE CHAEM Faa Mai and continues to and unswerving dedication to see God Hostel student Panya (now keep in touch bless other Karen people. age 29) is developing his with us. Currently own hostel ministries after Please pray for him, his wife he oversees seeing the blessings upon Pla, their daughter and the three hostels his and other students’ lives. hostel staff and students and is planning a He wants to give students under his care. the opportunity to hear the >> A very young Panya. fourth. Gospel, be discipled and Malcolm and Sandy He is a remarkable young complete high school studies. Panya has Potter man and has achieved much a big vision and is motivated to fulfil THAILAND in a short time, no doubt >> Panya is now a that vision. He has been encouraged by Ministry Leaders remarkable young man.
TRAIN 1 CHURCH TO PLANT 50 CHURCHES! GOD OPENED A DOOR through Pastor Krisada at the Bangkok House of Grace (which has over 20 churches in
Thailand) for us to hold a three-month training seminar. We taught about leading others to salvation, on-thespot baptisms and planting churches in homes.
John and Nok THAILAND Ministry Leaders
There is practical application to the training as we conduct outreaches and introduce people to Christ, baptise them and plant churches in different communities.
>> Church planting seminar participants.
Those who went through our training will initially lead the home churches as they train local believers for future leadership roles.
>> New believers were baptised in an ice chest, which was the most convenient approach at the time. • ISSUE 2, 2013 •
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REALITY CHECK “I’M KNOWN FOR MY ‘TIZZY FITS’. These are the times when I tend to be reactive rather than proactive. I can be perfectly fine for months and even years on end and then I will feel down and tired, dissatisfied and fed up and altogether sick and tired of the same old same old struggles – and I tend to express it badly to the frustration of my dear husband who wonders how he can ever make me happy and keep me that way.
we passed along the way and the conditions they live in. In all reality, I have nothing to complain about. There is always someone walking large distances – very old, very young and every age in between. Small children walk kilometres to get to school where they will often find school is closed for the day. While driving I saw little boys all alone and also children carrying babies walking on the side of the main road with monster trucks flying by.
I had one of these ‘tizzy fits’ the other day as we were packing to move from Chimoio in central Mozambique to Nacala in northern Mozambique. It is near the sea and so incredibly hot and humid. The house we are moving to is in fact a one bedroomed cottage and there is no running water to the property.
CLOSEUP
That night I had a bad fall in the bath knocking my head and landing very heavily on my coccyx, bringing me back to earth with a bump - literally. After a day’s delay for me to recover, we headed north in two vehicles, an old rusty pickup and a small saloon car. The roads are good in some places and terrible in others, so along with car troubles and getting stuck in the mud, it took 22 hours to travel 1400 km at an average of 63km/h, which as you can imagine is totally tedious and exhausting. What hit me most however, was the life of the rural people that
Collecting water and firewood is a daily chore, both of which take several hours and much hard work. This is generally considered the work of the women along with child-bearing and care, cooking, cleaning, clearing land for crops and harvesting! In one area I saw several girls about age seven or eight, unwinding a cloth to expose their naked bodies, which
I presumed they were offering to passersby. Had I only seen it once, I would think they were playing the fool, but after passing a few girls along the way I started to think of the belief here that having sex with virgin girls can cure AIDS. Could it be one way the families have found to make money? Sick people have many kilometres to reach a clinic. Usually, they don’t even attempt the trip until a witch doctor has failed to heal them. When full of fever or in pain the last thing anyone wants to do is walk long distances to a clinic to find they are out of medication anyway and that no one really cares. The houses are made of mud with no electricity or running water and when the rains come in force, many will collapse. When the rains do not come then a year of hunger will follow with many dying during this time. Despite all of this, the Mozambiquans still have an amazing sense of humour. When I see the reality of another’s life and compare it to my own, I realise that I have so much to be grateful for. Still the tizzy fits come from time to time but when all is back in perspective, I am able to carry on the race set before me with vigor and enthusiasm. Sue Fosse MOZAMBIQUE Ministry Leader
TOMBA KHOISNAM,Tomba, his wife Renubala and their two children are of the Meitei people group in the NE India province of Manipur. Until recently, there were few Meitei Christians.This has changed in the past 15 years. In 1985 Tomba surrendered his life to Jesus, and immediately he had a passion to share his faith with other Meitei. His major ministry focus now is to pastor those the Lord has given him, while at the same time train others to reach out to nonbelievers and to establish churches in rural villages and other Meitei communities.
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.
ASIA THAILAND REACHING THAIL AND’S CHILDREN CHILDREN ARE USUALLY open and receptive to the Gospel, but until now the Thai church hasn’t paid much attention to them, so it is encouraging to see many churches cooperating to run children’s ministry training seminars. Over the last few months, I have trained 220 children’s workers, young
>> Children’s worker seminar participants.
and old, from many churches around Thailand. Following a seminar in Khon Kaen, Mrs Nongnut, who is over 60 years old, told me about her plans to take the Gospel to many villages in her area. Even though she had never taught children before coming to the seminar, she was full of enthusiasm and confidence. Now every Saturday and Sunday, Mrs Nongnut teaches hundreds of children in five villages about Jesus. It’s not only the children who come, but also their parents. Whole families have come to Christ in each of these villages.
>> Prasert, reaching children for Christ.
Please pray that more Thai Christians will see the importance of reaching children for Christ! Prasert Taksin Good News Ministries THAILAND Ministry Leader
K I D S R E S C U E C A M P S D O E X A C T LY T H AT GOD HELPED OUR TEAM of 15 staff and volunteers lead 98 Kids Rescue Camps last year, impacting 18,160 kids. So many lives were blessed! Two of them were:
my salvation. It is only one name: Jesus. If I did not attend this camp, then I would never know Jesus and his love. I am so happy! Thapos:
Gloria:
>> Gloria
This camp was a great opportunity for me and really enjoyable. I learned the name of my Saviour and
>> Thapos
My life has been changed by this camp. I now know Jesus and I learned how I can walk with him and worship him. This camp is
so important for me and will help me to grow. I learned how to respect my parents. I thank Generation Bangladesh. Please pray for and support this ministry in 2013 – we urgently need new sources of funds to continue our camp ministry. God bless you. Sukhen Biswas Generation Ministries BANGLADESH Ministry Leaders
>> Wonderful times at the Kids Rescue Camps.
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OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE WITH WORLD OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL With growth happening and expansion needed, a number of World Outreach International (WOI) teams have opportunities for short to long-term personnel or interns who can raise their own personal support and travel costs, to assist their ministry vision.
COMPUTER EXPERTISE
EUROPE
THAILAND The Global
INDONESIA Three WOI bases
If you have skills in Liferay Portal or Java Portlet development and are prepared to offer your help via Skype/email on a part-time basis, we would love to hear from you. Connections Centre in Isaan is looking for English and Mandarin teachers to take lessons at the student centre for a period of 3-12 months or more. Contact: kevinchan@ globalconnectionscentre.com
WOI is looking for people to come to France, to England and to Spain to serve in teams. If you would like to come to visit, or send a short-term team, or come as an intern please contact: james.price@wouk.org
INTERNSHIPS Get deeply
rooted in cross-cultural ministry while under the mentorship of experienced WOI personnel. Internships last from 6 to 24 months. To see what internships are on offer in 2013 visit: www.worldoutreach.com/internship-opportunites/
in West Kalimantan are looking for people with the following skills: builders, joiners, brick layers, tilers, electricians, plumbers, doctors, nurses, dentists, teachers, administrators, agriculturalists, fish and chicken farmers and a gardener for a pepper plantation.
For enquiries on any of these opportunities, email: bets.v@world-outreach.com Please post this form to your nearest country office (addresses listed on pg 1)
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Children Experience Pentecost Outpouring WHEN CHILDREN are taught the basics of who the Holy Spirit is and how much he wants to become fully part of their lives, they respond with sincere desire for him to fill them with his wonderful presence and power. Their unquestioning faith so often brings God’s answer to their prayer and they are clothed with the Holy Spirit supernaturally and often spontaneously. This happened in traditional churches in Myanmar recently:
FEATURE
...kids have begun to pray in the churches and keep coming to the church just to pray. These kinds of things have never happened in the church before...
Peter van der Westhuyzen Children’s Ministry Coordinator (acknowledgement of this testimony from Becky Fisher of “Kids in Ministry International” kidsinministry@yahoo.com, www.kidsinministry.org)
Becky Fisher shares: We had been told to be careful what we said about the Holy Spirit and not to mention speaking in tongues or being overcome in the Spirit, because our students were Burmese Baptist and Presbyterian pastors. I wondered why we had been invited to speak to a group who may not be open to our message of bringing children into the supernatural life of Christ. Only God could have known what the results would be. Just two weeks after our return from the 4-day training conference, we heard from our host Pastor L*. I called 70 Myanmar leaders and found that all of them have started Power Clubs in their villages and that the Holy Spirit is moving and working among the children. Forty-eight of the pastors have seen the work of the Holy Spirit in a great way and recognised and accepted speaking in tongues.
Two pastors told me that 13 young children received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in their village. They had not been taught to speak in tongues but the kids started speaking in unknown tongues anyway. They spoke in this unknown language for hours. Another pastor shared that when he gave an altar call, half of the 47 children present began to speak in tongues. They had never done this before. Another two leaders called me from the border of Myanmar. Their kids began praising the Lord after the altar call, and had been singing unknown songs for three hours. The leaders asked me whether to stop them but I replied ‘Let them keep going; don’t stop them. It is the glory of God.’ They are happy and excited. Another leader said the kids have begun to pray in the churches and keep coming to the church just to pray. These kinds of things have never happened in the church before.
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into regions beyond: SEEING PEOPLE MOVEMENTS AMONG LEAST REACHED PEOPLE GROUPS
LIKE MOST OF his countrymen, Shamesh was born into a Hindu family and raised in a culture steeped in idol worship and animism. When Shamesh’s daughter fell ill and doctors, medicines and offerings to the gods couldn’t heal her, he and his wife became desperate. They heard of a man in a neighbouring village who prayed for the sick. This man was a World Outreach International-trained evangelist and church planter. Their daughter was prayed for in the name of Jesus and immediately her fever broke. Within an hour she was completely well. Shamesh and his family became followers of Jesus. They boldly shared their testimony with others and prayed for any sick in the name of Jesus. Healings happened and within a few months, hundreds got to hear of Jesus for the first time. This is a typical example of a people movement that WOI-trained evangelists and church planters are seeing happen on the India subcontinent, in Indochina and around SE Asia. In NE India, more than 80,000 new believers have been baptised in the last six years. Workers believe there have been many more that have not been recorded. In Thailand, one team has seen more than 12,000 Thais baptised in three years, including 18 Buddhist monks and have records of countless healings and miracles. In Cambodia, a people movement began last year and grew from one village house church to churches in 15 other villages within 30 kilometres.
“...dedicated Gospel carriers are willing to pay the price and make daily sacrifices to share the Gospel. Church planting teams are just bursting with vision and passion for Jesus, to make him known to those still locked up in spiritual prisons.”
The majority of WOI-trained evangelists and church planters set goals of establishing 8–10 new house churches each year. Quite a challenge when you consider the opposition they can encounter! These dedicated Gospel carriers are willing to pay the price and make daily sacrifices to share the Gospel. Church planting teams are just bursting with vision and passion for Jesus, to make him known to those still locked up in spiritual prisons. This year WOI wants to reach, train and equip hundreds more like Shamesh. Your partnership in our “Into Regions Beyond” ministry is vital and greatly appreciated so that other people movements for the Lord can happen among other LRP communities. It’s an investment for eternity.
GIFTS CAN BE POSTED TO: World Outreach International and designated “Into Regions Beyond”. See page 22 to respond. You can also make a donation via our website: www.world-outreach.com