Nations issue 4, 2013

NATIONS A PUBLICATION OF WORLD OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL

ISSUE 4, 2013

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE...

SEEKING HIS PRESENCE ABOVE ALL ELSE PERSPECTIVES ON THE HARVEST OBSERVING THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN NEW FIELDS

FINDING TREASURES IN DARKNESS

MAKING DISCIPLES WHO REACH OUT TO THE UNREACHED PAKISTAN NEEDS YOUR HELP!

COUNTRY OFFICES

INSIDE

AUSTRALIA:

3.

DIRECTOR’S SAY WOI HAS A HUNGER AND PASSION TO KNOW AND EXPERIENCE GOD’S MANIFEST PRESENCE - JOHN ELLIOTT TELLS US WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT.

8.

SPONSORSHIP PROVIDES SCHOOLING GENERATION MINISTRIES DIRECTOR PETER VAN DER WESTHUYZEN TELLS US HOW MORE VIETNAMESE CHILDREN ARE NOW BENEFITTING.

16.

PERSPECTIVES ON THE HARVEST FIELD FRESH INSIGHTS INTO CHALLENGES AND HARVEST OPPORTUNITIES IN VIETNAM AND MOZAMBIQUE.

23.

PIONEERING BUSINESS IN MISSIONS NEW FEATURE: SNAPSHOT OF A MISSIONARY’S LIFE.

Q&A WITH THAILAND’S GLOBAL CONNECTIONS CENTRE DIRECTORS KEVIN AND JEH SIE CHAN.

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:

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) 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: Amina. Maziotela Ministries Monapo, Mozambique. Read her story on pg 4.

Photo: Enzo Maisano www.tellthestory.com.au.

JOIN US ONLINE TODAY! or subscribe to our e-newsletter @

www.world-outreach.com www.legacymagazine.org 2

NATIONS

• ISSUE 4, 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: City Hub, #04-09 2 Kallang Avenue Singapore 339407 T: (65) 6464 8698 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: Val Bateup John Elliott Wilbur Farmilo Alan Vink

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM:

Chia Shee Wai Luke Chong John Elliott Peter Smith Peter van der Westhuyzen Hendrik V Bambi Cataluna

seeking his presence above all else AROUND THE globe all World Outreach International personnel set aside at least one day in both January and July to fast and pray. Many sign up for more than one day. The purpose is to seek the face of God together, in particular to make sure that we who make up the organisation are mindful of our need of Him in all we do.

FEATURE

In the past as well as in recent times, the Presence of God has fallen in a region where WOI personnel are serving, resulting in literally hundreds of people calling out in repentance to the Lord and surrendering their lives to Him. Why such manifestations happen in one place and not another, I don’t know but it sure is great when it happens. I also know that we cannot twist God’s arm to cause such outpourings to happen. History tells us that there are some common keys in order to see the Holy Spirit move powerfully, i.e. prayer and fasting. Fasting humbles us before the King. Prayer moves the hand that moves the world!

“...those who seek will find; those who hunger will be filled; those who wait will soar; those who watch will see; those who tune in will hear; those who dream will break into a new realm.”

Lately I have been reading, meditating and talking a lot about the Presence of God. One passage of Scripture that has stayed with me for some time was Jacob’s encounter with the Lord in Genesis 28:16–17, where he says, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” Up until that point Jacob knew about God (in his head) but had never encountered Him (in his heart) before. In the WOI prayer and fasting last July, I suggested we take time in our busyness to behold the Lord – and His majesty. In doing so we are humbled as we gaze upon the awesome possibilities flowing from God’s manifest presence and power.

Don’t settle for the level of God’s power and presence you have at present but press into Him and seek for a fresh revelation of who He is and who you are in Him. Then let our prayers and actions reflect this revelation.

John Elliott International Director

His offers in Scripture still stand: those who seek will find; those who hunger will be filled; those who wait will soar; those who watch will see; those who tune in will hear; those who dream will break into a new realm.

God’s presence and power abides within us; therefore wherever we go, we carry His presence, we reflect His glory and for sure there will be intense angelic activity about – whether we see angels or not. As we press into Him, we will hear His voice; our lives will positively impact all who come into contact with us and we will be fruitful beyond measure. We will enjoy open heavens, we will be naturally supernatural, our prayers will rend the heavens and change our world and we will be a blessing in our respective communities and to all nations, all people groups.

It is my prayer that we in WOI will always have such a hunger and passion to know and experience the Lord like this. What about you?

• ISSUE 4, 2013 •

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FINDING TREASURES IN DARKNESS...

A new church in Amina’s village built her family a new house and discipled her. Everyone in this village is poor and few are literate but they have truly discovered abundant treasure.

AMINA’S FAMILY MEMBERS are treasures from deep darkness.

Her “husband” had another wife and only visited once every two years to leave her pregnant again. Her fourth pregnancy was twins.

That season she was unable to do a machamba (food garden) or gather grass for her roof, so her mud house fell down. With no earthly goods to exchange, she couldn’t even afford to take her sick children to the witch doctor.

Now Amina has reached out to another mother of twins in desperate poverty and a new family has begun to follow Jesus. This family has already led another sister to the Lord!

Colin and Jenny Ayling Maziotela Ministries MOZAMBIQUE Ministry Leaders

When Amina’s family came to Maziotela Ministries, not only did they receive food and clothing, but they also received Jesus! >> Jenny with Amina (right).

PRESCHOOL PRAISES! AT MAZIOTELA MINISTRIES, we are thankful to share encouraging news that God has opened doors to start our

first preschool in one local village. While most of the families are Muslim, they are open for us to train a team of local

>> A village meeting in action.

Christian believers as teachers. What an exciting opportunity to impact a village by ministering to children who have never held a pencil, seen a storybook or heard the name of Jesus.

Andrew and Chris Low Maziotela Ministries MOZAMBIQUE Ministry Team Members << Children at the preschool.

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I KNOW HER IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM MADAME ILBOUDA was assigned to teach in a government-sponsored school in a remote village. The people in this village were known to be animists, deeply involved in fetish activities. There were no known churches in the area.

Teachers previously assigned to this village had left their post in haste after being visited by demonic spirits. When Madame Ilboudou was shown her quarters, the first thing she did was to

anoint her room with oil, asking Jesus to be Lord of her new home. She continued to do spiritual warfare prayer and began singing worship songs. This became a daily activity for her.

Villagers realised she was not being affected by any curses. Several women started asking her for prayers until they too surrendered their lives to Jesus.

Some were healed of diseases. When the village elders consulted the fetish

priest, he said, “I have not seen this woman but I know her in the spiritual realm. Leave her alone.”

At present, Madame Ilboudou teaches the importance of prayer and worship to our disciples and church planters.

Danny and Ruby Bayasan BURKINA FASO Ministry Leaders

KAIROS INSPIRES GOD IS WORKING through Kairos to mobilise pastors in Muslim dominated areas. This year we were in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria where believers

have died as a result of Muslim persecution. Overwhelmingly the fifty pastors attending were reignited to reach out to Muslims for Christ. We have also taken Kairos to Mombasa in the Muslim dominated coast of Kenya.

Again pastors are saying, “Muslims are our neighbours but we haven’t sought to reach them; now with Kairos we will do it!”

Chris and Nadine Brittain KENYA Ministry Leaders

<< In Kaduna with course delegates (they often dress in Arabic ways as this is the culture throughout Northern Nigeria).

I S U D D E N LY B E C A M E S O B E R ONE OF OUR DISCIPLES, Pastor Pederos in Mancia province, led Silver to the Lord. Silver had been a alcoholic and spent most of everyday in homes that produced local beer, where he and his friends drank and danced the day away. One day Pederos and a small group of singers came to one of the beer houses to sing Christian songs.

Silver was among the listeners, and liked what he was hearing and began to sing along with them. He said, “I suddenly became sober.”

Pederos took the opportunity to share the Gospel with Silver, who then asked Christ into his heart. He immediately

stopped tree worship and giving money offerings to the spirits and other witchcraft artefacts. His wife suddenly noticed the change in her husband and she too became a follower of Jesus.

Up until this time she had been unable to have children. Shortly after inviting Jesus into her life, she conceived and today has two children. Today Silver and his wife oversee churches in the Erati district of Mozambique.

Emmanuel and Martha Mulenga MOZAMBIQUE Ministry Leaders >> Silver and his wife.

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W AT C H I N G G O D AT W O R K This was followed by another whirlwind of long drives on horrendous roads.

We watched a couple of our students from the leadership development programme graduate. They will move on to take up the call of God, to plant churches and develop other Mozambican leaders.

RECENTLY WE HOSTED a shortterm mission team from South Africa.

Signs and wonders were manifested in wonderful ways, a host of children touched, people delivered from demons, new commitments to Christ

>> Eugene with new leaders in the faith.

>> Suffering children.

and the visitors themselves returning home with a brand new, sharper view of missions. Those who work in commerce and industry would call it a “win-win situation”. We just call it, “watching God at work”.

One of my sons in the faith has planted his very own leadership development school. Paul had Timothy – I have a Tomás (without the doubt). Our heartfelt thank you Jesus.

Eugene and Tina Wessels MOZAMBIQUE Ministry Leaders

A CHANGED FISHERMAN INACIO OWNS TWO BOATS and shares the catch with the fishermen who work for him. When he became a follower of Jesus, he stopped applying witchcraft to his fishing. When he had to invest in a new net, he did not use a former sorcery ceremony. Instead, he asked me to join him to pray and dedicate his new net to the Lord.

Weeks went by with few fish caught.

Inacio’s workers begged him for a little money to buy food. Inacio replied, “I have always been honest with you. I don’t have any money. Join me in praying to

the big God, the one and true God, in the name of His Son, Isa, and ask Him to help us.”

These Muslim fishermen all agreed and sat with Inacio while he prayed. The next day they went out again to fish and one of them rushed back to tell Inacio that the nets were full of fish!

Everyone had plenty of fish to eat and to sell and the name of the Lord was honoured. >> Inacio with his fishing boat.

Martin and Simone Schumann MOZAMBIQUE Ministry Team Members

GOD MOVED IN POWER IN PAMPIERSTAD children had stopped attending school because of devil worship activity. When we had our crusade there, a 14-year-old devil worshiper came to cause trouble.

He was crying for human blood and moving like a snake but the Holy Spirit was moving in a powerful way. The evil

spirits were cast out of him in the name of Jesus. The boy has become sober minded and has returned to school.

Pray for the South African youth.

David and Doreen Khoza SOUTH AFRICA Ministry Leaders >> The crusade in Pampierstad.

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THE MAN OF FIRE HAROLD BERRY WAS awakened at midnight. Jesus was speaking to him.

“I will be round about you as a wall of fire. I will not put a brick wall around you for the walls of Jericho fell down with a mighty crash; I will not put mountains around you as they can be walked over; I will not put a literal wall of fire around you but I will be the Fire”.

That was how my dad received his call to the Congo as a 22-year-old young man.

>> Harold and Alice Berry, 1978.

My name is Lilian. I am the youngest daughter of Harold and Alice Berry and was born on the mission field in the Congo. I remember waking up in the night in Congo, hearing Dad pray for doors and windows and a roof for our new house. Soon after that I left for boarding school with my sisters.

When we returned at the end of the

term (nearly five months later) the house was built. Jesus the Man of Fire had provided all our needs. He heals, restores and saves.

In 1960, as happened with many missionaries, my parents had to flee for their lives. They left with only a small suitcase. As she ran out the door, my mother managed to pick up a set of photo slides that represented their life’s work in the Congo. We never returned.

Later under divine instruction they relocated to South Africa to make a home for their three daughters, joining World Outreach International in 1968.

Over time, news would trickle in from the Congo where many missionaries had returned and the work of God was thriving.

In May 2013 Abe and I were invited to a conference in Pretoria, South Africa. Abe was asked to speak on the subject of sustainable development in missions and I was asked to speak on God’s healing power today. As the day progressed, the leaders of the conference kept referring to a big surprise that they had arranged for me. Eventually they called me to the platform and introduced me to a delegation of about 50 Congolese

pastors who were all eagerly waiting to meet me. Many of these men had known my parents and had worked alongside them on the mission field.

One elderly gentleman told me how he remembered me as a baby girl and another reminded me that we had played together as children. It was such a moving experience to have my past catch up with me like this. We spent some time together and they told us how the churches that my Dad and Mom had planted had now exploded into thousands of churches.

The Man of Fire is still sweeping the harvest into His presence. He will baptise you with the Holy Ghost and Fire.

Lilian de Fin SOUTH AFRICA

>> Abe and Lilian de Fin at the conference.

WOI RESPONDS TO FLOOD CRISIS MASSIVE WIDESPREAD FLOODING has recently devastated many lives in Pakistan. We currently have a team on the ground who have delivered emergency food, water and fuel to over 600 families. Three medical camps treated over 320 kids with bad digestive and other illnesses caused by the polluted water. They also installed

60 permanent water filters and these are highly valued by desperate parents.

More information is on our website and will be in the next issue of Nations.

Contact us (see pg 2 for details) if you would like to help our relief efforts. >> Crowds turn up, desperate for relief provisions.

Would you make a donation to bless a family with a water filter? Filters cost $50 each.

GENERATION MINISTRIES EXPANDS SCHOOL SPONSORHIP IN VIETNAM AS IN MANY developing countries, underprivileged children in Vietnam are generally given very few opportunities to break free from the cycle of poverty and thereby change their futures. It is widely recognised now that the crucial key to improve their situation is education.

FEATURE

Unfortunately, many children from disadvantaged families and in particular from rural areas, simply do not attend school because they must work to earn a living (often having to sell lottery tickets or work in the rice fields) in order to help meet their families basic needs. Vietnam is one of the very poorest nations in the world (165th in the world alongside the Philippines).

Basic school fees are low but this does not include the cost of stationary, text books or school uniforms, which are usually compulsory. In order to do well, extra tuition is expected and considered essential. All of these costs take normal school life out of reach of the very poor and Vietnam has a high proportion of very poor families.

their dreams and we are doing what we can to help those become a reality.

They are always so grateful to be sponsored: “My name is Giosue Ngo Anh Tin, I am nine years old and in Grade 3 at Thai Ha School. I am writing this letter to send my grateful to you and thank the Lord so much. God use you to help me with my school fees so that I can go to school.

Last term I got an award. I will try my best to study to get a high grade in my class.”

Average cost per child - depends on age – to cover school fees/uniforms/ text books/and some extra tuition is US$150 (100 Pounds) per year. Please consider helping a child. Individual profiles are available.

Peter Van der Westhuyzen Director Generation Ministries

me p l e h o t u od usey ysochool fees sol.

G “ with m go to schoo ” that I can

We have recently expanded the school sponsorship programme to 60 Christian children from the poorest families in churches that our team are closely connected to. Their ambitions range from being an evangelist to pastor to teacher to doctor. They have

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AUSTRALIA LEADERSHIP SEMINARS MAKE A DIFFERENCE THIS YEAR WE CONDUCTED two back-to-back seminars in southern Africa. The first was held in Blantyre, Malawi, where 100 pastors attended from across the nation. One senior bishop said, “We’ve gone a metre higher in our thinking”. Two days

ministry, teaching they’d never heard in Bible College.

>> Blantyre, Malawi.

Later, I29 pastors and wives gathered in Nepalgunj, Nepal for a training seminar just weeks after devastating floods.

Despite heat, humidity and intermittent power cuts, the hunger at the seminar was intense. The seminar facilitators received reports saying they’d never heard teaching like it before.

Next, 75 young leaders from across the denominational spectrum attended the second year of the emerging leader’s seminars in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Many commented how they had received teaching that will equip them for >> Blantyre, Malawi.

later we went to World Outreach International’s Maziotela Farm (near Monapo, Mozambique) to run a seminar for 45 pastors from WOI’s three main church planting networks in the coastal north. Many lives were impacted.

>> Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Bruce Hills AUSTRALIA International Leadership Development Director >> Monapo, Mozambique.

NORTHERN TRIBES THE PAST 12 MONTHS have been an exciting and inspiring time as a network known as Northern Tribes has been forming. Northern Tribes exists to facilitate indigenous and non-indigenous Christian leaders working together to create change in the Top End of Australia. This network of like-minded people have a vision and mandate to see God’s kingdom established in love

>> A powerful gathering.

and power in the Top End, particularly amongst the indigenous tribes of the land. Northern Tribes seeks to encourage and support people called to partner in this vision through monthly gatherings at the Youth for Christ facility in Darwin, with worship, prayer and apostolic teaching.

At a recent gathering we were greatly blessed by a team from Arnhem

Land who ministered through song and dance. The Holy Spirit moved powerfully in our meeting when many were healed including the wife of a prominent indigenous leader who had been deaf in one ear from birth. Praise God! Roger and Vivenne Latham AUSTRALIA Ministry Leaders • ISSUE 4, 2013 •

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INDIA WE CARRY THE KINGDOM AS ASHA KA DWAR prepares to return to North India mid-2014, we are thinking strategically and asking God for wisdom about our approach for reentering to establish a birthing centre and midwifery training programme. We find joy in the anticipation of what is to come!

In 2012, India was named the worst G20 country to be a woman, largely due to sex selection, infanticide and trafficking. It is easy to become discouraged when looking at the news and the statistics. It is devastating; however as followers of Jesus, we carry within us the kingdom of God (Isaiah 61) and where we go, His love pushes back the darkness.

Theologian Stanley Hauerwas has correctly observed: “The church doesn’t have a social strategy; the church is a social strategy.”

through means of legislation, we are to exemplify the beautiful alternative of the kingdom of God by actually living it!”

In Beauty Will Save the World, Brian Zahnd writes: “Instead of trying to force change upon the wider society

Jes La Bleu INDIA Ministry Team Member

>> Jes (left) and Michelle.

ASIA

ARRESTED AND IMPRISONED SIMON MONDEL graduated from Christian Discipleship Centre in 1984.

He began to minister in the neighbouring poor rural villages. One day the police arrested him on the rumour that he was >> Simon Mondel.

a gang leader. They accused him of committing atrocities in the villages.

They interrogated him daily on a range of issues. They found no evidence against him but they detained him anyway. Some missionaries heard of his circumstances and visited him regularly with food and encouragement. During the eleventh night of his imprisonment, he was praying in his cell when he saw a flash of light and the sign of a cross.

Simon did not know what it meant.

The next morning, during the officer in charge’s regular Muslim prayer time, he heard a voice say, “You are making a big mistake detaining Simon Mondel.”

He believed he had heard the voice of God. That same day Simon was released without charge.

Vijaya Chowdhuri Christian Discipleship Centre BANGLADESH Ministry Leader

HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS SI SI’S MOTHER DIED shortly after she was born and her father is gone. When she was in grade four, she was without hope and ready to quit her education.

Then she heard about our hostel.

Within a short time she heard about

Jesus and His love for her and she gladly accepted Him as her Saviour. Today Si Si wants to complete her education, serve the Lord, help the poor and reach others who feel hopeless.

No Pum BURMA Ministry Leader >> Si Si Myint.

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FRONTLINE FILES DAY 1

Neil Gillon • INDIA

DAY 2

Max and Dorothy Chismon • PHILIPPINES

Day 3

Please pray that I find a language helper for Hindi and can make time to learn. Please also pray that the recently published Hindi version of the Following Jesus manual by Jo Graham will be effectively used here.

Mobilisation is a journey not an event – the journey into meaningful participation in the mission of God demands many God sanctioned events. We are currently involved in developing additional mobilisation tools to complement the success of the Kairos course. Please pray with us for God’s guidance, undertaking and provision.

Michiel and Lezelle Coetzee • SOUTH AFRICA

Thank you for supporting our partners in prayer!

DAY 6

John and Mary Elliott • SINGAPORE

Day 7

Nathan and Sawsan Bassaly • EGYPT

DAY 8

Jes La Bleu • INDIA

DAY 9

Malcolm and Linda Bayliss • SE ASIA

WOI in SA is on a prayer journey, seeking pathways that will enable individuals who are called to carry the Good News. It is such a wonderful privilege to be part of such a great team. Please stand in faith and prayer with us for a clear understanding of God’s plan.

DAY 4

Malcolm and Wendy Taylor • NEW ZEALAND

We have recently concluded our 5-year term with Rivers of Life Ministries in West Kalimantan. We will be entering a season of formal Bible study based in our home city of Christchurch. Pray for our family’s adjustment, especially with teenagers and reintegration into schools. We seek the Lord for His will.

DAY 5

Bambi Cataluna • PHILIPPINES

Youth Kairos has been successfully launched in the Philippines this year by Filipino mission mobilisers in their 20s.

Please pray for the completion of the Instruction Guide for the youth Kairos package and for an effective strategy to establish the course in other countries.

Day 10

We are always grateful for ‘friends of WOI’ who pray and intercede for us and those serving with WOI. Recently a good number of WOI folk have been fighting major spiritual battles in their ministry and/or suffering from various illnesses. It is our prayer that 2014 will see even more folk become faithful prayer partners with WOI.

We are planning to train 100 new Sunday school teachers, to equip them to start children’s discipleship programmes in churches that don’t have such ministries. We believe that a solid Sunday school programme is important when raising children in a Muslim country like Egypt. Please pray for the success of this training.

This December Michelle and I will have completed a 6-month missions training course and then will be making plans for returning to India mid-2014. Please join us in seeking the Father as we build a foundation for launching a business as non-profit venture, focusing on a women’s clinic and midwifery training.

Pray for us as we minister in the numerous roles and responsibilities that we undertake for WOI. Pray for God’s empowerment, anointing, wisdom and insight, as we meet with and relate to WOI personnel, supporting them to increase their effectiveness in engaging Least Reached People groups with the Gospel.

Auyong Mun Heng and Cecilia • MALAYSIA

We are revisiting our vision and direction and trusting the Lord to make us more effective in mobilising the church to engage with LRPs in North India, Nepal and Pakistan. Thank the Lord for keeping Mun Heng well. We are asking the Lord to identify a younger generation of co-workers to invite into the ministry in Malaysia.

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Day 11

Allen and Charlotte Teal • NEW ZEALAND

Day 16

Because of the confidential nature of membercare ministry, our reports speak in general terms. Pray for wisdom as we share on a personal level with our dedicated field workers.

Pray too for our own personal support levels that badly need a boost.Thank you to all who support us in this essential ministry.

Day 12

Rod and Lynley Talbot • SOUTH AFRICA

Day 13

Vijaya Chowdhuri • BANGLADESH

Day 14

Day 15

We are developing a team here that will greatly assist us in the recruiting, training and deployment of cross-cultural workers for South Africa and beyond. Pray with us to get it right as there are many here in South Africa ready to be deployed. Thanks for standing with us in this important ministry.

Day 17

After 20 years of serving in Europe, we are preparing to relocate.The next chapter in our lives will take place in New Zealand. We’d appreciate your prayers – for us personally, for the church in Albania and for Kairos in Europe, particularly in Albania, Belgium and the Netherlands where it’s still developing.

FRONTLINE FILES

Marlinde and Jan Willem Tamminga • INDONESIA

Day 18

Paul and Sue Fosse • MOZAMBIQUE

Day 19

Chris and Dilys Tapp • INDONESIA

Stephanie Herron • MOZAMBIQUE

Trevor and Kay Weavers • EUROPE

Our Nepali migrant-worker ministries started as a trickle, then became a stream and we trust will soon become a raging river of church planting. Your prayers can make a huge difference. Pray for encouragement for the Nepali, who share their faith in the face of strong opposition and for God’s power and love to be manifest.

We are on home leave. Pray that our meetings with our personal and ministry sponsors in Belgium, France and Holland go well. Pray too that God will touch hearts as we share testimonies of the children at New Hope Ministries in Indonesia and the many experiences we have had among the Dayak.

Pray for CDC graduation on 13 December.

Thirty students will graduate. Pray that each will get the opportunity to serve the Lord. We interview new candidates on 16 December.

Pray that we will have wisdom in deciding whom the Lord is sending to CDC next year.

Also pray for the MBB leadership course.

Our students are in the last few weeks of their three-year studies. Pray that they would have clear guidance from the Holy Spirit for their next season of service in the kingdom. Also, do pray for open doors and encouragement for those whom the Lord is calling for training next year.

Owen and Glynis Willows • SE ASIA

Day 20

Prayer is needed: for our son Kyle’s fees for 2014; for wisdom and finance for leadership training for 150 churches in Mozambique; for a celebration of over 300 leaders in June 2014; for new preschools in ten churches; and for reaching the unreached Makua-Nahara.

We praise God for His faithfulness and your partnership.

Pray that we will remain focused on God’s will in the midst of many conflicting demands on us here in West Kalimantan, as we seek to support, encourage and build up all those who are here. We are also in need of a longer term nurse or doctor for the New Year.

Chaiyot and Gayle Wansong • THAILAND

Continue to pray with us to see the Thai Church hunger for an indigenous mission movement to reach the unreached in Thailand and in neighbouring countries.

Pray that Thai Christians continue to grow in their relationships with God and in their understanding and practice of God’s mission, so that all people groups may know Jesus.

Day 21

Patricia Green • EUROPE

Pray for Alabaster Jar as we transition. Pray for wisdom and for the right people to lead this ministry. Pray for the wider ministry of making Christians aware of and encouraging them to fight against human trafficking and forced prostitution. Also pray for an English publisher for my German-published book, Angel in the Red Light.

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Day 22

Daniel and Genevieve Nihill • THAILAND

Day 23

Grant and Riana Franke • MOZAMBIQUE

Day 24

Ben and Rachel Brooks • SE ASIA

Day 25

We have recently had a breakthrough with our local university in Bangkok and are now teaching weekly English lessons as an outreach there. We hope to start a student Bible study in our home soon. Pray that God would send people to join our team and help bring in the harvest.

This November Grant will attend a Bible storytelling conference. This is a powerful key in reaching the illiterate Macua people.

Pray for travel mercies, focus so as to learn effectively, strength as he (and we) learns the Macua language and for wisdom on how to communicate Christ through Bible stories.

Pray for wisdom and direction for the next phase of leadership development in Cambodia. Pray for spiritual growth in the lives of the leaders and the multiplication of the church in Cambodia and Nepal. Pray for us as a family, that we will continue to grow in faith, hope and love.

Chris and Nadine Brittain • KENYA

Pray that within a decade Kenya will be among the world’s top 10 missionary sending countries.

Pray that the Lord will raise up many full-time mission mobilisers and Great Commission believers, churches and denominations here, and also for wisdom in managing the growth of Kairos and that all financial needs be met.

DAY 26

Donna Elliott • SINGAPORE

Thank you for praying with us over the newly launched Legacy Magazine project.

Please continue to pray that this project, along with our other WOI communication channels, will continue to raise up and inspire more mission-hearted people to give, pray for and go with WOI!

Day 27

David Elliott • SE ASIA

Day 28

Peter Smith • NEW ZEALAND

Day 29

I am being refreshed in my walk with my Heavenly Father as of late and it is giving me a fuller understanding and appreciation of my life and ministry. I desire to experience this at a deeper level personally and within our church planting ministry. Please pray that this will be realised.

A recurring theme in my prayer requests is wisdom. “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.” (Proverbs 4:7 NIV) After a full year, as we look ahead to the next, may I ask you to join me in praying for wisdom to make wise choices about how best to use my time in the year ahead?

Janvier and Claudine Yokoinele • IVORY COAST

This has been a challenging and rewarding year. Our ACE training programmes have expanded to other nations. The Lord has been faithful in financially blessing our ministry and family. With expansion of ministry comes greater responsibility. Pray we will know the Lord’s peace, presence and provision as we endeavour to follow His leading.

Day 30

Robert and Eliana Mambu • INDONESIA

DAY 31

Kevin and Jeh-Sie Chan • SINGAPORE

We are always encouraged when we hear from someone we witnessed to long ago, someone who today is following the Lord.

Pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to water the seeds that have been sown and that more fruit for the kingdom will result.

Also pray for healing of Robert’s digestive and bronchial issues.

This December we plan to re-evaluate our Global Connections Centre ministry. Unless we can recruit more English teachers, we may have to cut back on this key ministry among Thai young people. Pray for wisdom as we plan for 2014. Also pray for a healthy second pregnancy for Jeh-Sie. She is due in January.

FRONTLINE FILES • ISSUE 4, 2013 •

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THAILAND FROM MOCKER TO SEEKER TO TEACHER WHEN THE GOOD NEWS TEAM visited Eck’s school 28 years ago, young Eck mocked them. Then he heard the words “Jesus loves you and died for

>> Eck (bottom right) with the Good News Team.

you”. Those words convinced him to start doing our Bible correspondence lessons but his parents refused to let him attend church. For the next two years they insisted he must lead all the Buddhist ceremonies in their home.

Eventually this grieved Eck so much he decided to run away. As he walked the streets he heard a voice saying, “This is not God’s way – go back and honour your parents”. This week Eck came back to visit the team and to share with us some insights on biblical leadership. He is now a pastor and Bible school teacher and has a heart to bring blessing back to his first “church” where he came to know Jesus. He says, “Your

prayers helped me stand for Jesus.

Thank you and please keep praying for each child now doing these lessons.”

Valerie Bateup Good News Team THAILAND Ministry Leader

AT W O R K PAAN (AGE 43) has been attending our weekly English course for two months. One day our friend Lek joined us. Paan was interested in how Lek had become a Christian, so Lek shared her story. Paan immediately decided to

>> Prasert with Lamyai and Muu.

believe. She said she had wanted to be a Christian ever since university but no one had ever told her how! Later that day Lek shared the Gospel with and prayed for a family who lives across the alley from us. Lamyai and Muu, a mother and daughter, said they could feel something powerful moving over them as Lek prayed. They soon made the decision to believe. Later, Lamyai’s mother decided to believe too! They asked God to help with an impossible situation: they wanted a space for a food stand at a prestigious food court.

Two days later, the food court decided not to charge them any deposit fee and allowed them to start immediately.

During our next visit, Lamyai’s husband

>> Paan and Prasert.

and Muu’s husband both gave their lives to Christ. God is at work in this community!

Prasert Taksin THAILAND Ministry Leader

STRONGHOLDS BROKEN HILMA THOUGHT she came to Thailand to get her PhD. When I first met Hilma, she was hurting. I prayed that the Holy Spirit would reveal the spiritual strongholds plaguing her life.

We often prayed together. One day she told me, “Elisa, I’m free!” She has finished school and will soon leave

Thailand. She recently testified in church that she believes God brought her to Thailand so she would come to know his love for her.

Elisa Diaz THAILAND Ministry Leader

>> Elisa and Hilma.

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THAILAND SEEDS FOR TWO YEARS NOW we have been working with Muslim Thai students in Bangkok. As we study English, we have grown close and they ask many probing questions about my faith. Every time I meet with them, I have the opportunity to share Jesus.

Please pray for these young men that the seeds sown to them would bear fruit in God’s perfect timing and that they will truly experience the love of the Father!

J and R Gregorio THAILAND Ministry Leaders

THE COMFORTED BECOME COMFORTERS IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS four new women have come to Rahab!

Recently Lang shared her testimony with a team who was visiting. She told them how much her life has changed now that she knows she is loved and valued by God. She is an active participant in Bible study and is often seen reading her Bible in preparation.

Mei came to Rahab after meeting Koy in the bars. She has been so happy to be somewhere safe and somewhere she is accepted that she often goes out at lunchtime to tell other women on Patpong about how Rahab has changed her life.

Nuch and Sao are now here at Rahab because Mei invited them to meet

our leadership and they decided to leave their bar and come to Rahab. It is exciting to see that it is not only our outreach team who are going onto the streets of Patpong to share God’s love but also individual women are independently encouraging others to come.

Rahab Ministries THAILAND

GRACES AND MERCIES PRAISE THE LORD that we have seen our God’s graces and mercies through His calling of the Hmong families in Thailand. Thirteen families have turned to Christ and most of them came through our children’s ministries. We also praise God for the new building in Unity Hostel at Losak City. We now have enough rooms for 173 children.

Please pray for our new Hmong Ministry Centre building that we plan to start building early in 2014.

CLOSEUP

Pornchai Banchasawan THAILAND Ministry Leaders

>> Hmong families who have turned to Christ.

GRANT AND RIANA FRANKE and children Nyiko (9), Teresa (6) and Joshua (4) live in Muapula, Nothern Mozambique, serving among the Macua people.

Muapula, MOZAMBIQUE

Grant first heard about the Macua while working as a missionary to the Xhosa people in 1991. Riana first heard of them in 1992 while training with Operation Mobilisation.

Grant and Riana did not know each other yet but each had started praying for the Macua.

After meeting and marrying at college, they began teaching at the Macua Mission Station in 2005.They plan to soon go work with the Muslim Macua Nahara on the coast, training leaders in newfound churches there.

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PERSPECTIVES ON THE HARVEST FIELD VIETNAM IN AUGUST, I had the opportunity to attend a 3-day training seminar for about 60 Vietnamese young people in Ho Chih Min City. I came away feeling very encouraged by what I saw there.

Vietnam is a communist country where there are still significant restrictions in terms of the freedom to worship. For example, churches are usually limited in size to not more than 50 people each. The church pastors as well as the leaders are regularly subjected to questioning of their activities by the local police or authorities.

The first thing that encouraged me was seeing with my own eyes what Jesus meant when He said to His disciples in Matt 9:37, “The harvest is plentiful...”

On the first evening, I attended an outreach event held at a cafe owned by a Christian. Out of the 40-50 young people who attended, nine came forward to receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour at the end of the event.

The youth in Vietnam are very open to the Gospel. During the training sessions, the participants were hungry to learn what was presented and I observed that they greatly appreciated the training and teaching being given.

The second thing that touched me was the realisation that many of these

MOZAMBIQUE AS A PEOPLE GROUP the Nahara are rather an enigma. They are strong Muslim animists and have thwarted most mission attempts at conversion to Christ over the years. They have also rejected modern education and tend not to use modern medicine either.

The reality of this came harshly home to me when a fellow missionary and I visited a Nahara women who was in excruciating pain. She showed all symptoms of a ruptured intestine or burst appendix (the former is common when witch doctors give an overdose of muti) and despite the availability of our transport to a hospital, the lady refused. She further declined all offers of prayer. My friend told me that such cases occur when witch doctors explicitly forbid their patients to accept any form of help.

In 23 years of ministry to the people of Africa, I’ve seen people refuse medicine but never prayer. My missionary friend explained that the spiritual fear the

young people in Vietnam are actually desirous and prepared to go to their own peoples with the Gospel. My sense was that they just do not know how and what are the best ways to go about it. I met several young people ready to go into full-time ministry. One young man I met, who has just finished four years at Bible School in Manila, told me God had called him as a missionary to Vietnam. Another young lady who is

>> Youth meeting in Vietnam.

currently attending a Bible school said, “Someone prophesied over me that I would take the Gospel in Vietnam where nobody had taken it before”.

I attended a youth leader’s meeting held the evening before I left and met a group of young leaders from various regions in Vietnam. The nature of their prayer requests and petitions were for help in training and finances. Some were organising monthly outreaches to the youth in the region and were

Nahara live under is beyond our comprehension.

The different Christian works I witnessed are all aimed at setting people free from this fear. They are a beacon of light in an otherwise hopeless existence. Following is a brief summary: Firstly there is a young South African couple who are translating the Bible into Makhua Nahara. Another young lawyer and his family from East Germany are busy doing evangelism by mixing the ancient African tradition of storytelling with the Muslim tradition of debate. They do this using Bible stories.

There are two other South African couples who are involved in church planting.

This is mainly a work focused on the Makhua of the area who are not Nahara and already have a church history and the Bible available in their dialect. It is an important work, as the churches that gain depth begin to reach out to their Nahara neighbours.

praying for someone to help with organisation, worship training and with financial expenses to run these events.

My predominant feeling about the whole trip to Vietnam was that there is a situation where there are workers prepared to go to the harvest field but they lack the right tools and the support to go ahead and heed God’s call on their lives. Many of the young people there are ready to commit to serve full-time among the Least Reached People groups in their own country but the local church there is not yet in a position to adequately support these young people to go.

As Vietnam is still a developing country, the cost of living is relatively low in comparison to the developed world.

To support these local young people takes just a fraction of what is needed to support a missionary from the developed world.

May the Lord grant us the wisdom to learn and know the best ways to help these young people realise God’s call on their lives and reap the ripe harvest in Vietnam. Glory to God for what He is doing in that nation!

Shee Wai Chia SINGAPORE WOI Executive Director

Another lady from Germany has started clinics that use natural medicines grown here in Mozambique.

Through this she has gained acceptance from communities that would otherwise have remained closed. What I enjoy about her ministry is that she is able to show the love of Christ to people even before they consciously know who He is.

All of the above may seem like a lot but when one realises that this is close to the sum total of Christian work amongst a people 300 000 - 500 000 strong, it becomes rather small.

Grant and Riana Franke MOZAMBIQUE Ministry Leaders

>> A coastal village.

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THAILAND TIME FOR REJOICING NIM’S FAMILY HAS RECENTLY made Jesus the centre of their lives. When their prized cow broke its leg, Nim prayed that God would heal it. The cow got up and walked. Another day, Nim prayed that their pig would sell for a better price at the market and it did.

New believer Khien developed an abscess on her groin. After her operation she was in so much pain that she called on Jesus to heal her. The pain stopped and she fell asleep.

When she woke, the wound was completely healed.

Miracles like these are happening in the everyday lives of ordinary Thais. There are no big ministry leaders involved.

People are simply hearing the Word, asking Jesus into their lives and believing He is Lord of everything.

villages. In their area alone, 15 families have accepted Christ; another 35 families are on the verge of doing the same. Thais are sharing the Gospel with other Thais. There are new believers every day. It is like the Book of Acts.

Our team travels to Nim’s and Khien’s

John and Nok THAILAND Ministry Leaders << Left: A house church meeting.

BELOW: Nim and the family cow that was healed of a broken leg!

SHE HEARD SINGING

CLOSEUP

MRS LEK HAS BEEN interested in knowing God all her life. She tried Buddhist prayers, gave alms to monks and went to the witch doctor but only found emptiness. One day Mrs Lek saw a piece of paper stuck in a tree. She pulled it out and read “Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world. He died on the cross to save you from your sins”.

That’s all it took for Mrs Lek to put her faith in Christ. It was a long, lonely journey with no one who understood the huge change in her heart – until the

day she heard singing in a small house.

She caught the word “Jesus” and poked her head into a house church planted

by one of our WOI teams. A house full of new believers just saved out of Buddhism – just like her! Mrs Lek has a spiritual home at last. Yet 5,819 districts in Thailand still have no church. Believe with us for a church to be planted in every Thai town and village!

Lorraine Dierck Bangkok Mission Centre THAILAND Ministry Leader << Lorraine, John and Nok walk to a new house church.

LUMLANG RYNTATHIANG was born in Shillong. In 1979 Lumlang accepted Christ, was water baptised and filled with the Holy Spirit.These experiences developed

a great hunger for God and a desire to serve Him. Lumlang began his biblical studies in Shillong and then went to graduate school in the US. When he returned, he became the Academic Dean at a local Bible school, where he helped lift the accreditation to ATA level.

Lumlang is married and has five children. He pastors a Shillong church and provides pastoral oversight of other churches. Lumlang has a heart to see the Gospel taken to LRPs throughout the India subcontinent.

INDIA

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SOUTH EAST ASIA W H AT C A N H A P P E N I N T H R E E W E E K S ON A RECENT TRIP BACK to Cambodia I followed up with a church planting group who had trained with us three weeks earlier. We had taught them how to share their testimonies and they were challenged to share with all those they came in contact with.

Here’s what happened in the three weeks following their training:

One middle-aged man started a church with five Buddhists from another village who previously had no known church.

Another young man (in his 20s) who works in a school shared with seven of his Buddhist students. Later, he shared with eight more students. This resulted in a church group of 15 who meet together twice a week in the home of one of the students.

Another woman from the group (also in her 20s) shared with her own students and five responded to her testimony, so she started a church group with them.

>> One of the small groups studying at new group in Trapok Village.

It is always encouraging to hear that three churches have been planted in three different villages in only three weeks.

>> Leading Worship at Ou’Kroit Village.

David Elliott SE ASIA Ministry Team Member

CHURCH PLANTING FRUIT! WE ARE SEEING THE FRUIT of our labour! Recently we started church planting training amongst Nepali migrant workers. It has been a privilege watching them grow in Christ, catch the fire and spread the Gospel to their own people.

Kring Pariyara shared his testimony with 25 people in his community and three

became believers. Two of them were from Nepal and one from Pakistan.

Kring was so encouraged by the training and now has a group of about 40 people! Some are believers and some are not.

Kring is raising up leaders to take his place as he will soon be leaving to go back home to Nepal. He is excited to

apply his new training in Nepal with his unbelieving family and friends. Pray for many open doors for Kring in Nepal and that he will continue to grow in his faith, hope and love.

Ben and Rachel Brooks SE ASIA Ministry Team Members

I S H E AV E N ’ S C U LT U R E P O S S I B L E ?

WHEN WE THINK of ministry, we may only think of the confines of church but God wants to impact our everyday lives. He is ready, willing and able to release heaven to earth if we will allow Him. Recently we found ourselves in a non-ministry everyday environment and chose to live heaven’s culture. We experienced His faithfulness to give us power and authority to change everyday situations and even more serious physical conditions, to His glory!

It was so exciting to see miracles, both big and small:

•

Two damaged relationships restored.

Detailed experiences of the Father’s love.

•

Physical growth where there was lack, as we commanded by faith.

•

•

Instant change in aggressive attitudes as we released love and peace over the person.

•

A shift in hostile atmospheres as we asked the Holy Spirit to flood the room.

God’s love, power and authority are available to His sons and daughters for our everyday experiences. A heavenly culture is destined to prevail through His children.

•

Financial needs met.

Owen and Glynis Willows SE ASIA Ministry Leaders

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G E T T I N G S TA R T E D and my book A Model for Ministry is also available by request to patricia@ rahabinternational.org.

OUR ALABASTER JAR MINISTRY in Berlin recently held our first “Get Started” workshop in response to the many inquiries that we receive from people wanting to know how to begin a ministry to women in prostitution. We expected 10–12 people to attend, so it was amazing that 30 German women

Patricia Green EUROPE Ministry Leader

>> Get started workshop.

>> Alabaster Jar team Christmas outreach.

came from all over the country and two women came from Switzerland. All went home excited and enthused and ready to begin some form of outreach to the women on the streets or in the brothels in their area. I have now been invited to do a “Get Started” workshop in Switzerland. Our materials are available in English and German

>> The Alabaster Jar team preparing for Valentine’s Day outreach and cafe night.

N AT I O N AT C R O S S R O A D S EGYPT HAS BEEN in the world’s media spotlight for some time now.

After the dismissal of the President of Muslim Brotherhood, the law and order situation deteriorated quickly.

Everyday life became dangerous. Our neighbourhood was surrounded by thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters. They occupied the streets and intimidated the neighbourhood with their weapons and rhetoric. We had to flee our home.

While we did not suffer physically, many people, even some near neighbours, were attacked and beaten up. Others

had their homes broken into and property destroyed. One neighbour’s son was shot and killed when out on the streets. Many of our friends left the

>> The Bassaly family on the streets of Cairo.

country wanting a safer environment for their families. We were encouraged to leave Egypt for our own safety.

During the most critical months of the upheaval, we were conscious of people’s prayers and literally felt surrounded by angels. We believe the Lord wants us to stay in Egypt to encourage believers to stand firm and see His glory spread in Egypt and to help disciple those who are calling on the name of the Lord.

Nathan and Sawsan Bassaly EGYPT Ministry Leaders • ISSUE 4, 2013 •

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INDONESIA JESUS DID INDEED TILA IS ONE OF OUR very precious of months ago. She used little children here at the New Hope to cry herself to sleep Ministries. She is six years old and because of a severe skin enjoys life. She infection that caused loves to play her a lot of pain. Only outside with two months ago, she her friends and could not walk at all even though she and we had to take is quite shy, she her to school by opens up more motorbike. and more. She We took her to is a completely hospital several times different girl but nothing could now than she stop the spreading >> Tila’s skin infection. was a couple

infections on her legs. All these months we kept praying and we kept telling Tila that Jesus would heal her. We are very thankful to let you know that Jesus did indeed do just that. Tila is healed! All praise to God. Marlinde and Jan Willem Tamminga New Hope Ministries INDONESIA Ministry Leaders >> Tila is now healed!

THE TOP 20 COUNTRIES WHERE CHRI WHERE IS CHRISTIANITY growing the fastest?

The Centre for the Study of Global Christianity, based at Gordon Conwell Seminary, published in June 2013 an excellent report regarding Christianity in its Global Context. The full report can be found online at www.globalchristianity.org/ globalcontext.

From this report the top 20 countries that have the highest percentage Christianity Average Annual Growth Rate (AAGR) are identified and listed in Table 1. The number of years for the number of Christians to double, based on the Average Annual Growth Rate has also been calculated.

What’s happening in these countries?

• • • • • •

Are you surprised to see that 19 of the countries in the top 20 are in Asia and Africa?

Did you notice 11 countries on the top 20 list are Muslim majority countries?

Did you catch that not a single country from Europe, Northern America or Latin America makes the top 20 list?

Did you notice the world’s newest country, South Sudan? South Sudan became an independent country in July 2011, separating from the Muslim majority of Northern Sudan.

Did you see that highest Christian growth rates are found among all major non-Christian religious groups: Hindus, NonReligious, Buddhists, Muslims and Ethno-religionists (Benin and South Sudan)?

Did you observe that the majority of the top 20 countries are clustered in three areas: Eastern Asia, Western Africa and the Arabian Peninsula?

Clearly some interesting things are happening in these countries.

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INDONESIA NIM – DETERMINED BEFORE I KNEW GOD I was Buddhist. After my third year of high school, a friend told me about Baan Faa Mai. I was excited to get accepted.

I liked it the first time I saw everyone worship God and pray. It made me want to know God. I was determined to read the Bible.

the mountains. Others lived with their parents in town and did extra private study but this made me work harder. God was always with me – teaching, advising and giving me whatever I was lacking. I prayed every day. Sometimes I didn’t >> Nim. understand my studies but God always blessed me. I didn’t have to sit university entrance exams because In my class I was the only person from

my grades were good.

I used to worry about where to do tertiary studies because I didn’t know Chiang Mai but God answered my prayers. I have a nice place to stay at Baan Piemrak. I still pray every day and trust that God will lead me because His plans for me are best.

Malcolm and Sandy Potter THAILAND Ministry Team Members

STIANITY IS GROWING THE FASTEST Table 1. The top 20 countries where Christianity has the highest percentage growth rate.

SOURCE: discipleallnations.wordpress.com

• ISSUE 4, 2013 •

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OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE WITH WORLD OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL THAILAND: Kevin and Jeh-

Sie Chan are WOI mission partners based in Northeast Thailand, where the Gospel has yet to make inroads. They urgently need Christians who can come and serve in missions teaching English.

The Chans run a language school/ café called the Global Connections Centre where local Thais can come to learn English (among other things) and hang out together. This is an ideal environment for building relationships, opportunities for friendship evangelism and also significantly supporting churchplanting in areas where there are no existing churches. They are looking for a 6 mth–1yr commitment, starting at the beginning of 2014 and are

able to help obtain the appropriate visa. For more information please email: kevinchan@ globalconnectionscentre.com.

INDIA: REACH, a WOI affiliated ministry in Shillong City, Meghayala province in NE India, is looking for 1–2 school teachers who would be willing to serve on the staff at Bethany School where presently some 200+ students are studying. The request has a two-fold goal. Firstly to teach the children and help broaden their minds via different teaching methods and secondly, to build relationships with the staff and help them learn new teaching skills.

The opportunity, beginning early

2014, is for a minimum of one year.

Accommodation and visas to reside and teach in India can be arranged by REACH. The teacher(s) need(s) to be self-supporting.

Many of the students are poor and from stateless families and would normally have no opportunity to get an education. They and their parents have never heard about Jesus Christ.

One of the purposes and ministry goals of Bethany School is to help provide education to such children in order for them to have a hope and a future. At Bethany the children get to hear about Jesus and many have asked Him into their hearts. For more information please email: woi@world-outreach.com.

DISCOVER YOUR ROLE IN CHANGING THE WORLD...

WOI has launched a brand-new, easy-to-follow, 3-part DVD series designed for local church small groups. The goal of this series is to help Christian people understand the nature and challenge of missions through discussion and reflection and is effectively presented by WOI International Leadership Development Director Pastor Bruce Hills.

Email woi@world-outreach.com to order your copy of the DVD series for US$25 each (postage included).

Watch the promo and find out more >> world-outreach.com/what-on-earth-is-missions

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 Peter vanyou dernever Westhuyzen people whom intended to benefit, or even to the government!

Children’s Ministry Coordinator Including a gift to the ministry of World Outreach International in your will is a special and personal (acknowledgement of this way testimony from Becky Fisher of to continue making a difference in the world after your life on earth has passed.

“Kids in Ministry International” For further information, please contact the World Outreach International office nearest to you. kidsinministry@yahoo.com, www.kidsinministry.org) TO MAKE A DONATION OR SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTER VISIT WORLD-OUTREACH.COM

KEVIN AND JEH SIE CHAN

AS PART OF A NEW BREED of young missionaries – pioneering work amongst a Least Reached People group in Isaan, Northern Thailand – Kevin and Jeh Sie Chan have an inspiring story to tell.

Together they established a language school and cafe – the Global Connections Centre – as a Business as Missions venture in 2009 to build natural connections with the community and facilitate church planting. The Centre has become a signpost to God in the community where 90% of the cities, towns and villages don’t even have a single church in them.

KC I grew up in Singapore. My first overseas missions experience was when I went on a church trip to Indonesia when I was 13. I helped play the guitar and hung around with the kids. I knew I had a full-time call on my life about that same age at a church camp in Indonesia. On the last day, the speaker gave a call for those who wanted to serve God full time. It wasn’t an easy invitation. The speaker mentioned it would be hard so at the end only two or three of us went up from a congregation of about 300.

JC I grew up in Malaysia. When I was eight, my mum experienced a miraculous healing and through that we became Christians. From a young age I saw how God answered prayer.

Ever since I was 13-14, I began to understand what it meant for Jesus to be Lord of my life and through sitting in youth concerts, listening to pastors preaching and giving the challenge to give your life to God. Whenever a challenge like that was given out, I would always go to the front and give my life to God and say, “God I want you to use me and it doesn’t matter how you want to use me, just use me”.

KC I went to University in Auckland, New Zealand (NZ) and majored in computer science and psychology. I got a job later as an IT management consultant. It was a time I learnt about business planning, project planning, management and these sorts of skills that I’m using now.

JC When I was 20, I went off to NZ to university. I did English literature and linguistics as my majors. I knew having a degree in English would open doors in places.

KC After I graduated I studied the Kairos course. That really opened my eyes to a new understanding of missions from the biblical perspective, of what in the world God is doing. It really opened my eyes to see the fact that there is huge spiritual need in the world as well as physical needs.

JC Through the Kairos course it made it clearer that God’s heart is really for the nations and it’s not an option for us when it comes to missions, it’s just what our role is. Some are called to go, some are called to be senders, some are called to be partners back at home base but we are called to be involved in missions some way or other and that began my journey.

KC God was leading us to adopt the Isaan people. Christianity has been in Isaan for more than 200 years but in Isaan it is still 0.1% Christian. When we asked the local pastors what they need and what were the challenges in planting new churches, the first things they brought up were financial sustainability and natural connections with the community.

JC When missionaries in the past brought Christianity to Thailand, they also brought a lot of cultural baggage.

What Thais are rejecting is not the Gospel but the culture that comes with it.

KC A business that provides financial sustainability and natural connections with the community can help churches to get planted. A cafe provides a great place for people to hang out and chat.

It’s a place where people can bring their friends into a nonthreatening and comfortable environment. You can easily have a church service in a cafe, meet to study the Word and worship. Language centres are something we found the Thai community needs. People want to learn to speak English to communicate with other countries. People have a generally positive view of Christians here; they have just never met one.

Because we provide a service that the community needs, they’re quite happy that we are here. They are generally open and receptive to the Gospel if it’s presented in a nonthreatening manner.

JC One of the good things we are doing here through building natural connections with our students and customers is that, through the friendships we have built, they begin to trust us and know us.

KC There are so many excuses that we give ourselves, e.g. family, loans, children’s education, ageing parents and so many reasons why we wouldn’t do mission. It’s not easy. It’s always easier to stick to the status quo. If God’s calling is a primary thing in your life, then everything else is secondary. We need to look at our lives and take stock of where we are in the grand scheme of things, live our lives to the fullest of our ability and serve God as well as we can.

I love God by furthering His purposes.

JC I show God I love Him by giving Him my best. I like to sing, I like to be honest with God, serve Him through the gifts He has given us, tell him what I’m thinking and feeling, simple mundane things like administrative work. I do feel the pleasure of God when I do that.

KC Our biggest need in Thailand is language teachers. We want people who will come and serve in missions as English teachers because it gives you huge opportunities to build relationships within and also outside the classroom. Apart from teachers there are a lot of opportunities for people in business to use their skills and abilities here.

JC We have been very real about the struggles we go through. We send out regular newsletters and prayer updates and use social media like Facebook.

People can see what we’re going through and encourage us. One of my love languages is words. When people email me and encourage me through a message, that really speaks volumes. It’s a reflection of God’s love as well.

Email: kevinchan@ globalconnectionscentre.com

Watch the story of the Global Connections Centre at

www.legacymagazine.org

• ISSUE 4, 2013 •

NATIONS

23

World Outreach International believes that churches rise or fall because of leadership! This is never truer than in developing nations where WOI is committed to equipping and training church leaders.

Imagine if you will that you live in a developing nation and … … you work full time in order to feed your family and educate your children and you also pastor a village church but you have never had Bible school or seminary training. … you pastor in a region of the world where Christianity is frowned upon and persecution for your faith in Christ is commonplace. … you are a first generation believer and now have responsibility for shepherding over 120 people every week but you yourself have never been discipled nor mentored. … you pastor a small but growing church in a region where tens of thousands have never once heard about Jesus and you have a burden to

On the one hand there can be explosive church growth happening in some regions; on the other hand the cry and need for training, mentoring, teaching and discipling is huge. expand your ministry among them but you have no one who understands what is in your heart to talk to about this. … you grew up without a father figure in your life and now find yourself pastoring a church where young people are wanting to be mentored.

These are typical examples of ‘cries for help’ from delegates attending WOI leadership training programmes that our ministry teams endeavour to address. Whether in Africa, Asia or the Middle East – the needs of church leaders are the same! On the one hand there can be explosive church growth happening in some regions; on the other hand the cry and need for training, mentoring, teaching and discipling is huge.

Donations can be made to: World Outreach International and designated Growing Leaders. Then forward to your nearest WOI office (listed on pg 2).

Donations can also be made via our website:

www.world-outreach.com.

If you wish to receive more information on any of these projects, please email woi@world-outreach.com. Thank you.

These strategically planned WOI events are held in regions where very little teaching and training assistance is available to young and not so young church leaders. We have the ministry teams and experience to provide such help but need more partners in order to help conduct such life-changing programmes.

A $75.00 / £50 gift will sponsor one delegate to a WOI leadership conference, covering accommodation, food, materials and facility costs. Your investment in helping grow leaders can assist in building strong, biblically-based churches that in turn can impact large unreached communities with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Thank you for helping make a difference!