VACATION BIBLE SCHOOLS
As annual summer school holidays have started or will soon be starting in countries in Asia, please pray for preparations going on for Vacation Bible Schools. Pray especially for the teachers who spend a great deal of time and effort preparing and teaching. Pray that many children will respond to the lessons and commit their lives to the Lord Jesus.
Thailand: Christian Mission ban Naratchakwai are holding their VBS from April 4 to April 6. Their VBS is “live-in” at the Mission compound and about 50 to 60 children and young people from 5 churches in the area will be participating. Some of CMN’s teenagers will be teaching the lessons on the story of Ruth – three chapters in Thai and the same three chapters in English.
India: VBS will be held in the 73 churches of the Advent Christian Conference of India and the churches of the 10 loyal pastors of the Fellowship of Blessed Hope Churches during the first week of May. Preparation of lesson material and training of teachers will be going on during April. Many churches in India provide six full days of lessons, games and other activities and meals for the week of VBS.
PRAY FOR HEALING
Premalatha, wife of Pastor Peter, pastor of the Fellowship of Blessed Hope Churches congregation at Gobichettipalayam (Gobi) in Tamil Nadu, has been unwell for some considerable time and has recently been diagnosed as having serious heart problems. Tests are still going on to ascertain the precise nature of her illness, but it is fairly certain that heart surgery will be necessary. This poses a major problem for them, both in respect to the seriousness of Premalatha’s condition and the huge cost for the surgery – there is no financial help available from the government in India and the total cost must be borne by the patient and her family. Please pray for accurate diagnosis and for the provision of necessary funds for whatever treatment is necessary.
Please also pray for Peter – he is one of the 10 FBHC pastors who have remained loyal and because Gobi is a long way from Chennai where the other 9 loyal pastors are based, Peter has been and is under considerable pressure from the rebel pastors. He and his family have been threatened on many occasions. Pray for their safety and for peace of mind in this new medical crisis.
[…] Update to this post – 20 April ’11 – Premalatha will definitely be having the heart operation – on or about 20th May. The cost will be 270,000 rupees or about NZ$7,700 – impossible for Peter and his family. But God has already answered our prayers – Immanuel has family and friends working in the hospital and they have sourced a 150,000 rupees contribution from an insurance system run by the Tamil Nadu government. Thank the Lord for this wonderful provision. The Mission has a small relief fund and will assist Peter and Premalatha from it as best we can, but there is still a considerable shortfall – please ask the Lord to meet this urgent need. […]