Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Evangelical Friends MissionSeptember 2013 Prayer Letter
888-421-8102
Please do not post any of this information on any other web site.
Praise...w I am so thankful for how the Lord has walked with me through transition.w I am grateful that I have a great healthcare system in Rwanda.w I am thankful that my parents are able to come and visit me in Rwanda so that we can spend time together and they can see my work and life here.Please pray...w for God to give me renewed passion, energy, and strength to learn the Kinyarwanda language.w for our team to continue to have unity as we learn how to serve and work together.w for God to grow the relationships I am building with new Rwandan friends and neighbors, and that they would see His love in me.
Connecting Churches and Mission FieldsPray, Go, Give, and Partner
Connected by the Holy Spirit, we have “family” all around the world. Those who receive Jesus Christ on different ministry fields are our brothers and sisters, more so than some here who are flesh and blood, so we share updates from the “family.” Missionaries, too, are family and experience growth and transformation. A glimpse into Molly Black’s mission (Rwanda) follows:
Language learning might not seem like a traditional ministry, but since returning to Rwanda I have seen God at work through it. During my previous term here, I knew just enough Kinyarwanda to get around, but not enough to really talk to people. Every few weeks it seems I can converse a little more and my relationships grow. I see God drawing me closer to Rwandans, which is helping me understand a little more about their lives and their hardships. In January I was sitting in a local Friends church lis-tening to a sermon in Kinyarwanda. At this point I knew very little and understood even less. However, what I did catch was a sweet message of hope and truth. During the sermon the Lord reminded me that my purpose for language learning was so that one day I, too, will share His truth and love just like that preacher. I praise Him for His faithfulness and help to accomplish difficult things.
As our missionaries learn and pass on the Good News (and practical skills), we celebrate their successes and journeys as well as those of the recipients of their ministries.
AFRICAEvangelical Friends Mission
Including Burundi, Congo, GLLT, and Rwanda Leaders: Molly Black, Brad and Chelsea Carpenter, David and Debby Thomas
From GLLT in BurundiPraise...w Burundi Friends leaders have shown determina-tion to gain government approval for a secondary level Bible school open to students from both Friends Yearly Meetings and for it to be located in Kibimba. Please pray... w for wisdom and sympathetic bureaucrats as they pursue the official acceptance of their plans.
From GLLT in CongoPraise...w for the 23 new graduates from GLLT programs in Congo on August 15 in Uvira, Congo. Lon Fendall was present for a jubilant and celebratory event. Please pray... w these new workers will enter new fields or expand their current ministries.
From GLLT in RwandaPraise...w that Rwanda Yearly Meeting has made good progress on completing a new building in Musanze in northern Rwanda, the site for an expanded Bible College program slated to open in February 2014. Please pray... w for the last steps needed to completely implement the new Bible College program in northern Rwanda.
BHUTAN Evangelical Friends Mission
Leaders: Rupak and Pramila TamangPraise...w for the two youths who were sent to YWAM in Nepal for six months of training.w for the completion of the church house at Wangdi. w for the six who received Christ in Thimphu and were baptized last week. Please pray... w for Silash, my church leader, who is getting married September 14.w for the yearly meeting at Dagana September 16-17.
-2-
Please do not post any of this information on any other web site.
Luke 10 EFM…praying for new fields
The harvest is great… w There are 7,163 people groups unreached today. w That’s 41% of total unreached peoples. That’s 2.9 billion people.…but the workers are few.
So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest.
We are exploring new mission field options. The Luke 10 Think Tank kicked off recently and will continue as you pray, discern, and add to the discussion about where Friends are headed in missions. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest field.
Contact Matt Macy ([email protected]) if you or a group in your area would like to participate in the Think Tank conversation from where you are, or if you are ready to put a Luke 10 Trip on your calendar!
EVANGELICAL FRIENDS MISSION Executive Director: Dan CammackAssociate Director: Matt MacyStaff: Vicki Hinshaw, David Cordova, Gina Cummin, Bonnie Lopez, and Laurie MortimorePraise...w for the good fellowship Dan had with Friends of Taiwan Yearly Meeting while he was there in August. Our Taiwanese Friends are active in missions in some very hard places. EFM has much to learn from them!w for a program called Kingdom Come Training that prepares people in various kinds of ministries to invite others to partner with them in what God is doing in the world. The partnerships often include both prayer and regular financial giving. Matt, Vicki, and Dan recently completed this training and many of our missionaries have been through it as well.w for the churches and individuals who continue to give faithfully towards the personal support of our missionaries as well as their ministries. We also praise the Lord for those who faithfully lift these missionaries up to the Lord in prayer. THANK YOU!Please pray... w that the Lord would show EFM what part He wants us to play in mobilizing all His people for world missions. “All people” includes those from the devel-oping nations as well as countries like the US.w for Matt and several other people from the US as they visit Burundi in September. They are going there primarily to widen the Luke 10 Think Tank by engag-ing Friends from Burundi and Rwanda in discussions about where the Lord might be leading them to send missionaries.w for a missions conference that Dan and Matt will be attending in Dallas, Texas, September 19-21. Many, many people from the world of missions will be present at this conference.
-3-
HONG KONGOMS International, sponsored by Eastern Region
Leaders: Dave and Cindy Aufrance; Jack and Celesta Rea
From Dave and Cindy AufrancePraise... w for a good and welcoming spirit among the people in RiverGrace. A couple of Muslims are attending our Sunday services and other activities. One from Somalia recently said, “I like coming here. When I’m here I feel happy.” Pray that they will come to know the Lord who is the reason for the atmosphere of love and acceptance.w that our prayer wreath is getting covered by many yellow ribbons, each one representing a personal answered prayer in the past few months.Please pray... w for Cindy as she returns to Hong Kong after about three months of helping take care of our son-in-law’s mom who has Alzheimer’s. Pray for the mom’s adjust-ment as she is placed in a home.w September is one of the crucial months for church planning for 2014. Pray for God’s guidance and for His provision for leadership next year when Dave and Cindy have a home assignment.
From Jack and Celesta ReaPraise... w for safety in a very stormy summer.Please pray... w for Ellie, the manager of the sheltered workshop, who is dealing with severe insomnia and fear.w for a good beginning for the fall term at UWGI. Pray for new members who are joining the board of trustees.w Rumblings in Hong Kong of discontent are grow-ing louder. Pray that grievances with the government can be peaceably resolved.
IRELANDEvangelical Friends Mission
Leaders: David and Tricia Howell, Todd and Celesta James, and Kathi Perry
From Todd and Celesta James, CaidrePraise... w for a chance for Celesta and me to get away to Spain for a holiday.w that Celesta’s retirement is now official.w that Meet My Head Coach has now been trans-lated into Polish (John Wooden version ).Please pray... w for wisdom for decisions concerning future ministry.w for God’s provision as we look ahead to ministry and life.
From Kathi Perry, GreystonesPraise...w for beautiful summer weather (not common to Ireland!) and a time of retreat.w for lovely visits with mums and toddlers and babies - away from the usual group meeting.w for a new “community” of friends made through the acquisition of a garden allotment.
Please do not post any of this information on any other web site.
Please pray... w for the Mum and Baby groups that will begin the second week of September - pray for a good response and meaningful conversations with those participating.w for the book study that will also start up the second week of September, with two new members interested in participating.w There is a possibility that I will be able to teach some Bible studies at a local Parish Center. Please pray for favor with the decision makers who will con-sider this.
INDIAEvangelical Friends Mission
Leaders: D. K. and Choity SarkarFrom Gabriel and Suzana Massey
Eastern Region (Chhatarpur)Praise... w for the large student body this year in the Christian English College - over 2000. The new nursery block is ready to accommodate the growing demand.w for the good rain fall in this area up to this time.w for the Balvikas Kendra children’s interest in learning Bible stories and Bible chapters.Please pray... w for all the sick people in our congregation, especially Glorious Singh, Mrs. Iris Manohar, Mrs. Hilda V.Lal, and Mrs. Hirawanti Khushal Prakash.w for health and strength for both of us as we will celebrate our 50th marriage anniversary on October 2. The Lord has blessed us during the past 50 years of our married life.w for the need of a full-time pastor at Nowgong Church and an evangelist-cum-pastor for the Ghaura Church.
MEXICOEvangelical Friends Mission
Leaders: Edwin and Maria Giron Praise...w for a blessed and busy summer with our daughter Faviola who has been at home with us.w for VBS in Pocitos - we had an average attendance of 85 kids daily. A team of eight people from Mexico City came to help us and did a great job.w We have started a bi-weekly marriage seminar. The attending couples are so thankful that we are able to teach about topics that help them restore their marriages.Please pray... w for our family as our kids return to school. Our daughter Faviola is going back for her second year at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. Our son started 5th grade here in Aguascalientes.w for the couples attending the marriage seminar, that they stay motivated to come every other Sunday, and that they practice the biblical principles they are learning.w for our 10-13 new attendees in the youth group every Saturday. We would like to see some leaders rise up from this group.
-4-
Please do not post any of this information on any other web site.
NEPALEvangelical Friends Mission
(Security Issues)Leaders: Bob and Debbie Adhikariy, Dr. Samson and Priscilla Retnaraj, and John and Sangi Vanlalhriata
From Bob and Debbie Adhikary, KathmanduPraise...w for protecting Pastor Bhattarai when radical Hindus came to evict and beat him.w for giving Pastor Lok Bahadur boldness to speak during the police interrogation. Please pray... w for the safety of our pastors as four areas are being persecuted due to riled up Hindus.w for our son Deepak for healing.
From John and Sangi Vanlal, KathmanduPraise...w Yadav Parajuli, a cook at one of the famous resorts in Dhuilikhel, who had never heard about Christ, came to our Bible study one evening for healing prayer for his chest pain. After sharing about Christ for 45 minutes he willingly and with great joy accepted Him as his personal Lord and Savior. His whole family was furious when they learned about his new faith in Jesus and they all started persecuting him. He was forced to be seen by their traditional witchdoctor. He needs prayer support.w We had a “Film with the Youth” evening at Dhulikhel Friends. Over 50 non-Christian youths came and watched The Passion of the Christ movie. After the show almost all of them prayed an accep-tance prayer with the pastor. We had a great oppor-tunity to share the love of God with them and will continue this kind of activity once a month.w A one-day health seminar was led by one of our members, a nurse, at Dhulikhel Friends. Out of 15 women 5 were non-Christian. The seminar was very successful, and these non-Christian women had very positive impressions about the church, expressing their willingness to attend such a seminar in days to come.Please pray... w for Pastor Dhulikhel and his family who moved to eastern Nepal to a Bhutanese refugee camp. I am pastoring the church now. Sangi and I have to drive 21 miles three days a week from our house to Dhulikhel. We lead the Bible study on Thursday evenings, the youth meeting on Friday evenings, and we lead the Saturday morning worship services. Please pray for for wisdom, good health, and the Lord’s guidance for us as we lead this church for His glory. w for our plan to have a regular monthly ”Film with the Non-Christian Youth” evening that we may bring several youths to Christ.w for all our churches that they remain safe from any natural calamity due to rains. We are thankful to God that there have been no weather incidents recently.
Check out EFM’s Mission Minute blog. It features instant, short stories that can be shared
with your congregations and Bible studies.http://www.friendsmission.com/resources/
mission-minute
Our website is:www.friendsmission.com
ROMANIASecurity Issues
Evangelical Friends Church - Eastern RegionLeaders: Voicu and Ana MarianPraise... w for answered prayers, specifically for last month’s requests.w for a safe return to Romania and a smooth transi-tion into ministry. w for new connections and opportunities to show God’s love even without words.Please pray... w for a potential new ministry to skaters/bikers, Johnny’s friends from all over the country.w for wisdom and unity in decisions regarding ministry and family issues.w for our children, provision and protection, God’s best.
UKRAINEEvangelical Friends Church-Eastern Region
Leaders: Abraham and Diane BiblePraise... w for family members actually living in Ukraine (though many hours away). How often I have thanked God for this special gift, especially after time together like we had in the middle of August.w for a marriage still going strong (ours!) after 44 years. OYM Superintendent Russell Myers performed our marriage—and we spent our honeymoon at Yearly Meeting! Ah, the good old days.Please pray... w We just received the disturbing news that one of our Russian CBLT leaders has misused ministry funds. Pray that Slavic will restore what was wrong-fully used and renew his relationship with the Lord.w for Abe as he begins a heavy travel schedule in September. His purpose is to challenge and encourage leaders here in Ukraine to become active in leading evangelistic Bible studies. He will be visiting eight provinces (out of 25), meeting three times in each area over a period of three months.w for Diane as she will be preparing to speak at a ladies retreat, as well as maintaining office responsi-bilities (editing, research, emails, etc).
