A Publication of World Outreach • world-outreach.com/news-stories • Issue 3, 2019
In This Issue: Miracles
• Leadership Programme • Jesus Changing Lives through Social Media • Prayer Works • Action at Ground Zero • Perseverance to Help a Devastated Community and more ...
CHIEF EDITOR: Bruce Hills
A magazine produced by World Outreach.
PUBLICATION MANAGER: Andrew M World Outreach is an intercultural fellowship of Christians and ministries that exists to evangelise and disciple unreached people groups, equipping them to disciple their own and other peoples. We do this through:
DESIGN: Rachel McColl Prisca P EDITORIAL SUPPORT: Robin Merrill
Raising Leaders Evangelism and Church Planting A ll Nations Mobilisation Children’s Ministry Humanitarian Aid
ISSN 2624-1536
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Field Ministries Director: Peter Smith Executive Manager: Kevin Chan International Board: Luke Chong, Lorraine Dierck, Laura Kuimba, Wayne Freeman, Gary Levens, Rob Reid, Rachel B, Bruce Hills International Leadership Team: Chia Shee Wai, Bambi C, Bruce Hills, Peter Smith, Ivan Venter, Ben B, Maria Ramos Sarah.
COVER IMAGE: A young Thai girl enjoying a Gospel presentation by the Good News Team. Photographer unknown.
Miracles Bruce Hills | International Director of World Outreach
I believe in miracles. In World Outreach, miracles are happening every day.
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A miracle is an intervention of divine power by which the operations of the ordinary course of nature are overruled, suspended, or reversed.
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Miracles of salvation (1 Tim. 1:1517)
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It is a supernatural act in the natural realm.
Miracles of healing (2 Kings 4:41; 5:10, 14; Acts 4:22)
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A miracle has no explanation other than the sovereign power of God.
Miracles of divine protection (Ex. 14:21; Dan. 3; Acts 27:44)
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Miracles of provision (Ex. 17:6; 2 Kings 4:5; Matt. 14:18-21; Luke 5:6)
A testimony of miraculous healing I recently received the following testimony from Rama and Sintha Jones, who serve in Indonesia: “Dewi, a new believer from a background in Indonesia’s majority religion, saw her sister having a seizure and turning blue. The family panicked not knowing what to do. Dewi cried out, ‘Isa Almasih (Jesus Christ), come heal my sister!’ At this, her father swore at her and told her to stop using that name. She turned to him and told him that Isa (Jesus) can heal. As soon as she said that, her sister briefly choked and started breathing. She is now studying with Dewi about Isa, and her parents now attend prayer meetings too!” What is a miracle? •
A miracle is a supernatural intervention of God in and over the normal, natural laws of the created order (e.g. laws of nature / laws of science) as we know it.
Why we need to see miracles? Here are just four (of many) reasons why we need to believe for miracles: •
Because, transform 9:25)
primarily, miracles people’s lives (John
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Because miracles accompany Gospel ministry and authenticate its message (Acts 5:12-16; 14:3)
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Because miracles bear witness to the authority of Jesus’ name (Acts 3:16; 16:18)
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Because miracles bring glory to God (Acts 3:12-13)
Therefore, let’s pray and believe for miracles. God is a miracle-working God. If nothing is too hard or impossible for him, can we not believe for God to do extraordinary things in us, through us, and for us? In this edition of Nations, we’re going to focus on some miracles that have happened in the lives of our missionaries.
Types of miracles There are different types of miracles seen in Scripture. Here are just four:
Bruce Hills
International Director
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Leader of Leaders Training Moving Ahead Andrew M | Partnerships Director
AFRICA
RAISING LEADERS
Pastor Elias Tafese is a graduate of the World Outreach Leader of Leaders (LOL) programme. He began the training in Awassa, Ethiopia and completed the course, as well as the Train the Trainers segment, in Kisii, Kenya. The goal of the LOL programme is to train emerging leaders and to then resource and equip them to take the course to their own people, who are taking the Gospel to unreached people groups in their country. Pastor Elias is a champion. Since completing the course, he has arranged and taught the first Ethiopian indigenous LOL,
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teaching it in Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia) and in the local dialect of Oromifa in the southern city of Kenticha. In late 2019, the first Ethiopian graduates of the threeyear course will be sent out, better equipped to preach, evangelise, disciple, and lead their communities to Christ because of Elias’s faithful commitment to sharing what he has freely received. One cannot underestimate the sacrifice that he has made to see fellow Ethiopians trained to be more effective Christian leaders in their local regions.
Meet Silvia Moyano Sawadika! I am an art teacher from Argentina. I came to the field in Asia ten years ago, firstly working in Nepal and Myanmar, and for the past seven years I have been in Thailand. I worked and lived at the Thailand-Myanmar border in Kanchanaburi province for my first five years and moved to Bangkok two years ago. Even though I moved to Bangkok, I still work at the border alongside the local Christians, supporting and mentoring them. We have a small school with a feeding programme in one of the villages and a learning centre in another village. Since 90% of the population is illiterate, we work with audio Bibles to evangelise and do discipleship. In Bangkok, I work with a ministry called Nightlight, which helps women who have been trafficked into Thailand. I do interviews to identify the victims, conduct art workshops, do counseling, and help with the process of returning them to their home countries.
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40 Years of God's Faithfulness Vijaya Chowdhuri | Ministry leader who with her late husband Biswanath founded Christian Discipleship Centre
BANGLADESH
RAISING LEADERS Biswanath agreed, but soon discouragement crept into his heart, so he sought the Lord on how to undertake this God-sized responsibility. Biswanath soon learned that when someone experiences God’s promise, the Lord will enable and provide for the task at hand.
In June 1974, Biswanath and Vijaya Chowdhuri ventured into the civil war devastated country of Bangladesh– without a visa. Later, after many difficulties, Biswanath finally obtained a missionary visa.
In 1977, World Outreach Director Don Crosby visited Bangladesh and met Biswanath, who was able to share his vision to disciple nationals. Don told him that this vision aligned with the World Outreach mission. In August 1979, Biswanath started the Christian Discipleship Centre (CDC), a training centre for church planters and those desiring to enter Christian ministry.
Being in a wheelchair, Biswanath felt he should start a radio and cassette ministry. This failed, and he became frustrated. He felt he had made a mistake and started praying. The Lord revealed to him that his frustration was caused from leaning on his own understanding (cf. Proverbs 3:5). The Lord wanted Biswanath to train nationals to take the Gospel to their own people.
Since then, more than 900 students have graduated. Many have gone on to
plant churches across Bangladesh. In fact, most of the church growth in the nation is the result of CDC graduates. In addition, many other graduates are working with missionary societies in
Bangladesh and abroad. Biswanath's vision was to reach the people at a grassroots level, and to develop them spiritually and emotionally. Today, in addition to the one-year full-time programme, CDC offers: a six-month programme on church leadership; adult literacy centres in rural areas; and learning circle programmes focusing on health and hygiene in many schools in impoverished areas. We thank God for our partnership with World Outreach, and we would like to say, “Thank you for being with us on this miraculous journey.”
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Leadership Programme – A New initiative to develop future leaders Bambi C | Mission Partner, serving as a strategic leadership consultant
The development of leaders is crucial to the long-term success of any organisation. For this reason, World Outreach launched its two-year Leadership Programme late 2018 with an initial cohort of six leaders. Based on the belief that leadership development should have spiritual, relational, experiential, and instructional aspects, the programme has five components: 1. Mentoring 2. Personal Leadership Profile 3. Structured Training (i.e. courses) 4. Self-Directed Learning 5. Developmental Assignments (i.e. onthe-job-training)
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All Leadership Programme participants are required to attend the WO Leadership Boot Camp, which is a fiveday orientation to WO Leadership. It provides them an opportunity to: 1. Understand the life of WO as an organisation and experience some of its leadership culture 2. Connect with the wider community of WO leaders 3. Reflect on their spiritual and practical growth as leaders The methods used in the Boot Camp are varied and based on adult learning principles. The sessions are informative, interactive, relevant, practical, fun, and inspiring.
The first Leadership Boot Camp was launched in May 2019 with a total of 29 attendees, including some field leaders and WO personnel. The pilot was a success and the feedback from everyone who joined was very encouraging: “Being part of the Leadership Programme has helped me grow more confident as a leader. It makes me feel more ready for my role within the organisation.” “The highlight of the Leadership Programme for me was working with my mentor.” “The Boot Camp has helped me experience the ‘family feel’ of WO.”
He Knew Whom He Trusted Carl and Gail Musch | Ministry leaders working in the Australia Outback
AUSTRALIA
EVANGELISM & CHURCH PLANTING Ewen was the head ceremony leader for the Bulman area, ensuring that every male entered into a blood covenant with ancestral totems. However, he saw that the spirits he served could not compare to the power and love of Christ. When he turned from witchcraft to Christ, the elders commenced sorcery against him, which we have seen kill others. Ewen, however, knew whom he trusted in and stood firm. Ewen and his wife, Kathy, have just become the key Christian leaders in their community.
A Melody Unleashed Grant and Riana Franke | Ministry leaders involved in evangelism and church planting
MOZAMBIQUE
EVANGELISM & CHURCH PLANTING
It is difficult to develop any form of praise and worship with Nahara Christian converts; people are not used to singing! The predominant religion in the region had cancelled all of their tribal dances and singing. I’ve been trying to introduce songs with little success, until a week ago. After a message had been shared, a lady suddenly began with a shrill, a man joined in with a high melody, and soon everyone was singing in strange pitches. The words were a repetition
of the word that had just been shared. What began as a cacophony soon became a beautiful compilation, as the voices rose and fell; the rhythm seemed to carry the feel of streams, mountains, and the wind in the trees. When it ended, an older man commented, “I love singing Makhuwa.” Miracles are often in the obvious; the song of God is still deep in the Makhuwa heart, and the freedom of the Gospel will unleash it! As a missionary, I now have a whole new beauty to pray and hope for.
Makhuwa people worship
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First Day of School! Sam and Carol Soukotta | Ministry leaders and principals of Tawangmangu Bible College
INDONESIA
RAISING LEADERS
On 13 August 2019, we opened a new school year at Tawangmangu for the 52nd time! We thank the Lord for his goodness and faithfulness. Those in white are the new first-year students and those in blue are the second, third, and fourth-year students. They come from all over Indonesia.
Love Casts Out Fear Nathan and Sawsan Bassaly | Ministry leaders, involved in teaching and training church leaders
EGYPT
EVANGELISM & CHURCH PLANTING Nathan Bassaly’s recent book, Love Casts Out Fear, continues to open doors for him to share his testimony of when, at nine years old, he saw his father gunned down by fanatics at the front door of the church. Hatred and revenge consumed Nathan’s heart for many years until as a teenager at a youth camp, he encountered the Lord, who gave him a burden and passion for the people of the majority-religion in his home of Egypt. This was a transformation that only the Holy Spirit could do. Recently, he was interviewed on the God Channel, which has many millions
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of viewers in the Middle East, all over Africa, and also the Indian subcontinent. He reported that since the broadcast, hundreds of people have contacted the TV Channel, some asking for prayer, others saying they have forgiven those who have hurt them, and an untold number have asked Jesus into their lives. Nathan said he is absolutely thrilled with the impact his testimony is having on so many. Now, he is getting requests from different radio and secular TV stations, which also have a huge global viewership, asking that he share his story again.
Jesus Changing Lives through Social Media Outreach John and Nok P | Ministry leader involved in training and evangelism in Thailand
THAILAND
EVANGELISM & CHURCH PLANTING
This year, we started sharing the Gospel on the well-known social media platform: Change Karma, Change Life, Change Destiny. More than 600 people follow our page, many of whom are from other religions.
One man from a minority religion in Thailand told us that he had strictly carried out his religious requirements, but had secretly depended on black magic too, and consequently thought God was punishing him for it, causing him to feel very afraid. After reading our page and contacting us, he became a follower of Jesus. Our team members, who have a background in his former religion, are now discipling him. Now he often shares the Gospel message in his community. Ten religious leaders follow our page and read our posts. Sometimes they show agreement by commenting to other people of their faith that Jesus is truly God. These leaders are very interested in the Holy Spirit. We are seeing that social media is a wonderful new tool for reaching people we otherwise couldn’t reach.
A mother of five from Phuket called us. She suffered from physical pain and had tried to “change her karma” many times, but her health did not improve. She told us that someone had cursed her with black magic. However, after praying and asking Jesus Christ to change her karma, her painful symptoms began to disappear until her health finally returned. She also asked God for a computer so that her daughter could use it for work. Within one day, a friend, who hadn't been in contact with her for two years, phoned to say she was going to buy a new computer and wanted to give her the old one, which was still working fine. She was so pleased that she quickly phoned us to share the good news.
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Super-Spreader of the Good News Tomba K | Ministry team leader involved in evangelism and church planting
INDIA
EVANGELISM & CHURCH PLANTING
At the age of thirty-six, Rebica was a third-generation follower of the Lord. Now she is one of our team members. Rebica comes from Singjamei, Imphal East. She had suffered from a kidney issue since 2003. In 2017, Rebica fully committed her life to Christ, and her health improved dramatically. She is a super-spreader of the Good News. Through her witness, her sister
No More Nightmares Manikhombi K | Ministry team member in North East India
INDIA
EVANGELISM & CHURCH PLANTING
Mrs Chaoba Devi is from the Uchon village in Imphal East. She is a widow and a mother of three children. For many years, she suffered from nightmares and most of the time she could not sleep. One day, one of our church planters invited her to a worship service, where she had an encounter with Jesus. She said from that day onward, every night before she went to bed, she would ask for protection from nightmares. She continually prayed and experienced the presence of Jesus and his protection. There are no more nightmares in her life. She has decided to follow Christ and has been water baptised. All praise to Jesus.
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Rita, her father, and her mother have become followers of the Lord. Her neighbour has also become a follower of the Lord. That neighbour’s uncle and three nieces have also come to Christ. This all happened when Rebica boldly told them how the Lord Jesus changed her life by giving her new life and physical healing and how she has great contentment, though she is poor.
THE WORLD OUTRE ACH
GLOBAL SUMMIT 27 – 31 JULY, 2020 | CHIANGMAI , THAIL AND
awakening We live at one of the pivotal moments of history. God is moving in the world on an unprecedented scale. There is an awakening! Do you want to be part of this awakening and help shape history? Here’s one way to catch the heartbeat of what God is doing in the nations. We will have amazing speakers, and you'll hear inspiring stories from the field. There will be workshops for missionaries, business people, pastors, and intercessors. You'll also have some time to chill with amazing people and delicious food! Our theme is AWAKENING! Why? Because an awakening has dawned. It is an awakening among the people groups, nations, churches, intercessors, business community, and in our hearts and lives. We’re inviting you to be part of it. Come…you’ll never be the same again!
For more information and registration, visit world-outreach.com/global-summit-2020.
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Set Free from the Work of the Enemy Rama and Sinta Jones | Ministry leaders involved in training and cross-cultural communication
INDONESIA
EVANGELISM & CHURCH PLANTING God has been doing some amazing things on the island – as usual! One of our teammates was visited by a woman who was demonised. God revealed that an enemy had hidden magic oil in her bag. They took it out and put it in the middle of the room. The bottle started sliding across the floor toward the bag again - by itself! This freaked them out quite a bit, as you can imagine. They cast the demon out of the woman and then burned the bottle and its contents. The woman has now brought others to their house and shares freely about the peace she has experienced.
Didasko Academy is a ministry of World Outreach that produces high-quality online video-based training that aims to cover all aspects of the task of completing the Great Commission.
visit www.dasko.org ISSUE 3, 2019
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Prayer Works! Maria Ramos Sarah | Ministry leader training future missionaries in the Philippines
"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." (Hebrews 1:3) As I was interceding one morning, I was overwhelmed by the immensity of the unfinished task among the unreached people groups (UPGs). I knew that there was still so much to be done for those who have never heard about Jesus. I closed my eyes in prayer and saw a vision of communities enveloped in darkness. As I prayed, I saw a portion of the area light up, but the darkness persisted. That is when I understood the need for an army of prayer warriors to rise amidst the darkened places, so that the radiance of God’s glory that we carry may overcome the veil of darkness.
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In praying for UPGs, I familiarise myself by reading facts about their communities so that I can pray with understanding. This gives me greater insight to those I am praying for. My prayers become more personal and sincere. My husband and I created a prayer chart for each day of the week. Our list includes our immediate family, colleagues, church leaders, friends, the government, missionaries, nations, and those who have asked for prayer. In so doing, we are able to pray for an average of seventy-five people, seven people groups, and seven different nations each week. Some people stop praying because they feel that their prayers are not making any impact. Not very long ago, a friend in
India asked me to help her ask the Lord for a theme on a revival meeting that she was planning. I asked for guidance from the Holy Spirit and prayed for her. The following morning, I received a verse; as I was about to write to my friend, a message from her popped up that said she received a verse. It was the same verse I received from the Lord. She was very encouraged that the Lord had confirmed her prayers. Later she informed me that the revival meeting went very well. Prayer works! Will you consider taking part and impact the nations with your prayers? WO is looking for people willing to commit to pray for our missionaries and for those UPGs who have never heard the Gospel. Let us join forces and together let the radiance of God’s glory light the nations.
How to Support Missionaries through Prayer Bruce Hills | International Director of World Outreach
Ask any missionary what their biggest needs are, and they generally answer with two things: (1) more prayer support and (2) greater financial support. Prayer for World Outreach's field personnel is vital. We invite and challenge you to support them in prayer.
FRONTLINE PRAYER – daily prayer guide Frontline Prayer provides you with the daily, up-to-date prayer needs of our WO mission personnel. A fresh prayer request is either posted on the PrayerMate App or emailed to you each day. This means you can easily pray at home or on the go by receiving these updates.
There are two ways you can do so.
PRAYER CHALLENGE – Monthly Prayer Guide Each month, WO Prayer Coordinator, Tina Wessels, sends out an email that will focus on a particular unreached people group that World Outreach missionaries are currently, or are planning to, engage. Prayer is a vital component of reaching an unreached people group. It is part of the preparation, and it is where victories are won long before our missionaries walk into their community to share the Gospel. Will you partner with us in this strategic prayer? If you would like to commit yourself to partner with others in unified, concerted prayer to change the world, please sign up at world-outreach.com/pray.
Your prayer can make a difference!
By subscribing through the PrayerMate app, you will receive Frontline Prayer requests each time you use the app. PrayerMate is available for Apple, Android, and Amazon devices. Either download the app or visit world-outreach. com/pray. Alternatively, you can subscribe to receive daily emails by visiting world-outreach.com/pray. When you commit to daily prayer, our missionaries are backed up and supported spiritually while facing challenges on the mission front. Prayer makes a difference! "Pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike…pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should." (Ephesians 6:19-20, NLT)
REMINDER – A FORMAT CHANGE TO FRONTLINE PRAYER
For decades, there has been a special 3-4 page spread in every edition of Nations displaying the names, photos, and locations of our missionaries under the title of Frontline Prayer. However, nearly a third of our missionaries have had to adopt pseudonyms and cannot reveal where they are working. Given this security concern, we have reluctantly made the decision to withdraw these pages from future editions. However, you can receive daily, up-to-date prayer requests via email by simply going to world-outreach.com/pray and following the prompts.
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Reaching Children With the Life-Saving Message of Jesus Did you know that children’s ministries are a major part of the work done by our mission partners? Children’s ministries are a very effective way to fulfil both the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. In most developing countries, children form more than 50% of the population and are often the door to reach whole communities for Christ. Children are also by far the most Gospel-responsive group - about 80% of Christians received Christ between the ages of 4 and 14. Testimonies received by the Good News Team in Thailand, a ministry that reaches out to Thai children with the Gospel in comic cartoon booklets, shows that the Gospel is indeed life-saving to children: “I feel happy that I can learn about God’s story, and happy to get the gift about Christmas. God’s story is helping me be a better son to my parents, and better for my community too." —Tonapol, aged 12
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“Thanks for praying for me when I was worrying about midyear exams. I got a much higher grade than ever before! Thank you too for writing to me about Jesus. Now I understand that he really is our helper and our saviour. I’m so happy to write to you and always excited to hear from you. I know God has sent you as a helper so I can get to know him more. I will ask God to help you not get tired in your work. Now five of my friends also do your lessons.” —Siripon, a girl aged 14 “My family is from another religion, but I have decided to follow Jesus. I go to church and enjoy learning about Jesus through the Bible lessons you send me. My family is very poor so I haven’t been able to go to high school. I prayed about it and a teacher from school suggested that I take a scholarship exam. I worked very hard and asked the Lord to help me, and I ended up achieving the fourth highest mark out of 500 students. Thank you, God. Now I go to high school, and even though I miss my parents, I know God is with me. He encourages me – following him has made my life so much better.” —Anonymous
Besides the Good News Team, World Outreach has more than 40 other ministries that reach children with the lifesaving message of Jesus. These ministries include schools, student hostels, health clinics, skills workshops, children’s camps, Gospel-focused correspondence courses, Sunday school curricula, and teacher training in five different languages, as well as hundreds of outreaches every week.
C H I L D R E N’S M I N I S T R Y
If you would like to know more about our children’s ministries, we invite you to visit the new WO Kids website: wokids.org. All it costs is USD1.50 to print a Gospel in a comic booklet, while USD150 will sponsor one year of schooling for a child.
Will you partner with us to bring the life-changing message of Jesus Christ to children? Visit wokids.org to give
“Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” Matthew 19:14 (NLT) ISSUE 3, 2019
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Through the Faith of One Child The Good News Team | Ministry team that evangelises children in Thailand.
THAILAND
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY The Good News Team in Thailand reports: Sopa was ten when she first heard about Jesus from one of our teams visiting her school. She did our lessons by correspondence and decided to follow Jesus and, through the faith of that one girl, God has worked a miracle in her village. Now, out of the sixty families in her village, fifty-seven of them are Christian.
Join an exciting two-month long exposure trip! Ever wondered what your role is in fulfilling God’s plan for your life? Discover your place in missions by going on an extraordinary experience to the nations. The Mission Intensive will take you to authentic mission fields within Asia or Africa. Daily, you will get to learn from
experienced missionaries through formal study on various mission topics, invest in learning a language and culture, and see how different styles of ministry are bringing the Gospel to unreached people groups.
Get started on your journey to the nations. Apply now or find out more: world-outreach.com/mission-intensive or scan QR-code 17
God Is Moving in West Africa! Anonymous | Ministry leaders serving in Burkina Faso
BURKINA FASO
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
We praise God that he has used us to reach the children of Burkina Faso since 2013. Under the banner of “Good News World Missions Burkina Faso”, more than 5,000 children have been discipled in God’s Word. We have been working closely with local pastors and
young evangelists and have trained more than 100 churches in children’s ministry. God used the children as the door for us to connect with, and make an impact in, the community. We’re also thankful for the 600 who heard the Gospel during our evangelism
programme amongst the Lobi people. More recently, we reached 200 people in an outreach to the Dogose people, and more than 200 children participated in our recent Kids’ Camp amongst the Fulani. God is moving among the people groups of West Africa.
Jesus Saved Me Anonymous| Ministry Partner serving in Burkina Faso
BURKINA FASO
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY There is power in the name of Jesus! Salimatou, a bright and happy student, fainted in the middle of the class and was found not breathing. After she was revived in the clinic, her grandfather told us that her uncle was cursing her and wanted her dead. On behalf of Salimatou, we prayed to God for divine protection and deliverance. A week later the uncle died! Now, Salimatou, with a smile on her face, tells us, “Jesus saved me.”
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Action at Ground Zero Eugene and Tina Wessels | Field leaders for South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland
MOZAMBIQUE This past year, Mozambique has been struck by two cyclones of huge magnitude. In March, Cyclone Idai made landfall in the central parts of the country, in the Sofala province around Beira, a principal city in the country. Barely a month later, Cyclone Kenneth struck further north in the Pemba district, with slightly less force. The devastation has been enormous with almost 90% of Beira inundated with floodwaters, more than 1000 lives lost, and rampant disease in the
aftermath as a minor cholera epidemic broke out. Undetermined numbers of people have lost their homes and possessions. Starvation is rife as entire fields of summer crops were destroyed by wind and water. An impoverished people group have lost what little they had. The world sat up and took notice for a short time and some aid began to flow in. Sadly, due to corruption and unscrupulous individuals, much of this aid has gone into personal enrichment schemes. World Outreach decided that, as an organisation dedicated to reaching the lost, we could reach out with the love of Christ and launched an international fundraising campaign. Through missionaries and their teams working at ground zero, financial aid distribution began. To date, we have rebuilt and repaired a number of houses, particularly those belonging to widows and orphans, who are powerless to help themselves. Roofing material has been purchased to help those who lost the roofs to their homes. A couple of tons of rice and beans have been purchased,
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and then distributed to the families who lost their entire crops and have no way of feeding themselves until next year. This aspect of the relief work is ongoing, and we hope to continue with the food aid at least until January 2020. Our missionaries and indigenous church leaders working in Chimoio, Quelimane, Beira, Caia, Muraรงa, Nicoadala, Memba, Nampula, and Nacala are performing an amazing work as they monitor those who are in greatest need of assistance, carefully making the purchases and then distributing the food fairly.
Perseverance to Help a Devastated Community Anonymous | Ministry leader
MOZAMBIQUE Because of the generosity of donors, World Outreach missionaries faithfully directed their relief efforts to people and areas that were overlooked by the international relief agencies. In doing so, they work in difficult circumstances, particularly in Northern Mozambique, which is suffering from a deteriorating security situation.
N, just 1.5 kilometres from them. No security assistance was given to the town. We, therefore, could not get food from the store. The third time, stormy conditions stopped us.
Here is a story from one of our mission workers there. Because of security reasons, his name can’t be revealed nor the particular town where this happened. This occurred nearly three months after Cyclone Kenneth struck. It’s a remarkable account of a person’s perseverance to help those in need. “We have just delivered 397 family kits to P, a coastal town. This was the first help the people there have received since Cyclone Kenneth. Even after many weeks of preparations, negotiations, and waiting for the road to open, we only
managed to do the food distributions on the fourth attempt. “The first time, the military convoy was hours late to start off. Then we were asked to take election personnel to different towns in Q, and, in the end, we were too late to make the trip to P itself. Frankly, after an attack on a village on the road to P, the truck drivers were not prepared to do the trip. “The second time, after we decided to make use of boats, the personnel of the food store had to leave after an attack on
“The fourth time, we managed to load most of the kits onto the boats in rainy conditions - without them getting wet. Upon arrival, the people were waiting on the beach for the distribution. Of the 2,750 houses that existed in this community prior to the cyclone, less than 10 houses were left standing due to the violence and weather. We also distributed many audio Bibles and a few radios. We ask you to pray for this community. “The distribution passed without any real problems, but the boat we hired to take us there broke down and we spent many hours waiting before we could return. We arrived back home in the evening, driving back in the night from M. The whole team was so excited, and thankful to have been able to assist this isolated community. “We are still preparing to do food distributions in other villages that have not received support.” This assistance was only made possible because of the generosity of donors to World Outreach’s humanitarian work. If you would like to give toward this important aid, please go to: world-outreach.com/humanitarian-aid
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Jesus Freed Him from Trauma and Addiction Myriam Wahr | Ministry leader providing natural, holistic health care
MOZAMBIQUE
HUMANITARIAN AID
When Papa J first came to our natural medicine and Word of God seminar, he was very troubled. Over time, he came to counselling and Jesus freed him firstly from smoking, then from drinking, and finally from the trauma he suffered as a soldier. Jesus changed his life. Now he runs two groups, where he tells the people about Jesus, and he is also running an orphan programme. He has a big family and they are happy that he is no longer drinking. A short time ago, I visited the health post and some of the orphans were sleeping in the healthcare house. The children even did a play about the Good Samaritan, which is the name of our association.
God in the Tyre Business Stephanie Herron | Ministry leader involved in Bible college, leadership training, and discipleship
MOZAMBIQUE
RAISING LEADERS
During a mission trip to the area affected by Cyclone Idai, one of our students, Roberto, was asked to bring some sheets of roofing iron from Beira, by sea, on a very crowded open boat. The trip was nerve-racking for him as he came from an inland town.
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A few days later, a tyre punctured on the trailer they were using to deliver aid, and Roberto was afraid he would have to make another boat trip back to Beira to replace it. So, they decided to pray. In the next small village, they came across someone selling tyres.
This man had not been there any of the other days they passed that way, and was never there again during their stay. Amazingly, he had a tyre the right size to fit the trailer. It was an immediate and practical answer to prayer.
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A Vietnamese girl from the H'mong people group Photo by Daniel Barreca
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