Dear friends, supporters and prayer partners,
Although the New Year is well under way already, I pray that the year will be a blessed one for you and your families and your church families, and that you will know the Lord’s leading and blessing as you serve Him. Thank you once again for your faithful prayers and for your financial support and for the encouragement these give me and those with whom I work in “my” countries in Asia.
I want to use this first update for the year to give you just a few examples of how your support has been and is a real blessing to those nationals who are serving the Lord in Advent Christian ministries in India, Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia and to assure you that I believe that much of what is happening is happening not only because the leaders and workers are doing tremendously good and faithful ministry, but because the Lord is answering your and their prayer for those ministries. In some cases what I tell you will be history, but some of the matters will be matters that are very much of the present and are ongoing – like the new outreach that one of our leaders in Myanmar is beginning this very month.
Generous gifts from supporters prior to Christmas enabled us to send funds to India, Thailand and Myanmar designated for children, and these were used to bring extra joy and in many cases gifts or special food into the lives of many disadvantaged children in those countries. For instance, the children at the Adda Road AC church in the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh, an outreach of the Advent Christian Conference of India, each received a book as a present and enjoyed a special meal. Pastor Paul Gantham (handing out the gifts in the picture at left below) is the dynamic leader of the ministry of this Yesuway Jeevan Mission partner and was very grateful for the funds sent to them to make this possible. {click on the photos for a larger view then “back” in your browser to return}
Similarly, Rev John Mathew the Managing Trustee of the Good Samaritan Trust in Chennai, which is one of the partners of YJM, reported “On 19th Dec Sunday we conducted Christmas programme for our children; more than 200 children with their parents attended for the function. We conducted games for the children as well as their parents and distributed prizes for them”
He also advised that ” On 25th Dec on Christmas day we distributed 25,000 gospel packets in and about Velachery and Guindy area. 190 brothers participated in that programme.”
Praise the Lord with us for this outreach on Christmas Day!
Funds were also sent to Myanmar and all of the 107 orphans cared for by the four groups which are members of the Advent Christian Conference of Myanmar received clothes or gifts or special meals or all three.
Pastor T reported “We bought Christmas gift for orphanage – a bicycle, mosquito nets, blankets, lungies, skirts and T shirts.”
The bicycle looks very smart and will be a real blessing to all at the home.
NEW OUTREACH TO BEGIN IN MYANMAR!
Pastor T – one of the leaders of the Advent Christian Conference of Myanmar has been visiting an area of the country, which we cannot identify for security reasons, for several years, including during the time following the devastation wrought by Cyclone Nargis in May 2008. During that time he has been visiting villages seeking to find Christians in the area and during one of his visits he purchased a small area of land, with the idea of using it as a base for a Missionary that his organisation was planning to send to the area.
In mid December he reported
“I returned back home yesterday from (place name withheld). I found three Christian families in there and we started fellowship and friendship each other. We discussed about future mission work and they are very happy and praise to God for future ministry. So my local Church will send a worker to there in coming January.”
On 28 January 2011 he reported
“I am sending to you our missionary picture for (place name withheld). His name is (name withheld) and he has 3 children. He will finish Bible study from School of Mission and Church planting on 31 January 2011. I love this School because their priority is Mission and Church plant. He has a small local Church in (place name withheld). All of his family will move to (place name withheld) in coming March. Till today no Christian Church in (place name withheld) but our Church has 3 families and one new convert in there. The population is around 1,500,000 persons from more than 100 villages. This [place] is the darkest area in Myanmar. Christian population is only 30 persons from 100 villages. If we can have a good Church we will be the first mission Church in the (place). Therefore we need your prayer and support, especially our missionary and family.”
On 8 February he responded to a message
“I and (name withheld) will visit to there in last week of February. I want him to have good friendship with community leaders and my Christian members before they move. We will take bus one day and will take boat one day from (place name withheld) to the (place name withheld). Please pray for our trip.”
It does my heart good to read of this outreach in a country where many Christians are pressured and persecuted to one extent or another, yet brothers like Pastor T and other leaders and workers of our Conference and many other Christians boldly follow the instructions given by our Lord in Matthew 28:19,20 and Acts 1:8.
I believe that I and all Advent Christians have a responsibility to bathe this new outreach in prayer. I would like to believe that there are hundreds praying for Pastor T and his ministry and for this new outreach and the brother concerned – let’s call him N – and his family as they step out in faith. Perhaps there are those who may feel led to support the outreach financially.
I am sorry that for security reasons I cannot give you more details about Brother N and his family or about the place that he is going to. I wish you could see a picture that I have of N and Pastor T – I have asked Pastor T to supply a picture of N and his entire family. It would be so much more meaningful to have a picture to put on the refrigerator door, or on your prayer room notice board or have in your Bible or prayer notebook as you prayed.
If you are willing to pray regularly and if you are willing to identify who you are and which church you belong to, and clearly understand and acknowledge that what I send you must not be published in any form at all outside your home or church I am willing to send you a little more information about this outreach together with a picture. Publication could cause serious problems for many in Myanmar – we are aware that the authorities in Myanmar regularly monitor our website for instance.
Please contact me at ernie.schache@acmissionz.org.nz if you wish to take up this offer.
(Link to more news from Myanmar).
Please continue to pray for the sale of the land at Guindy, Chennai, owned jointly by the Mission and the AC Conference of India. The economy in India is strengthening and presently we have three very strong enquirers talking to Immanuel and lawyer Ravi Paul. Please pray that one of these may be the Lord’s choice as a buyer and that the sale process, which like many processes in India can be frustratingly slow, will come together and be concluded quickly. Continue to pray also in regard to the rebel pastors of the Fellowship of Blessed Hope Churches, that they may turn away from their rebellious activities – pray too for their wives and families as they will be suffering in very practical ways.
(Link to more news from India)
Many thanks for your partnership with the Lord’s servants in Asia. God is blessing because of your prayers and support. God bless.
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