ACMissioNZ Prayer Supporters’ Update | 29 April 2016

THAILAND – THANKSGIVING AND ANSWERS TO PRAYER at Christian Mission Naratchakwai

Thank you to those who prayed and those who gave so generously. Please join with the team at Christian Mission Naratchakwai (CMN) in praising the Lord for His faithfulness and provision. In my update written in early February, following a meeting at Naratchakwai with Sister Maeo, Brother Boontaa and Ploy and Parn, I outlined a number of unbudgeted needs at Christian Mission that we had been made aware of. Many prayed about these needs, God heard and answered those prayers through His people in New Zealand and the United States who gave generously to meet those needs.

Funds have been remitted to Thailand and Ploy has advised that a new laptop computer and digital camera have been purchased, both of which are already making their task of running the programs at CMN much easier and secure. Ploy wrote recently following the purchase of these items…

“…we use it for working with our page on Facebook that we have to post some pictures of the church’s activity every Sunday or every time that we have an activity. (This computer help us post and work on the page easier.) We used it for saving the church’s information file and to find some information that we have to use in some activities. (Special songs for Sunday; some information for teaching the Bible or English to children and etc.) This computer help us to work on Microsoft Office superbly such as making all documents about the church on Microsoft Word, creating brochures or making work schedules of the members in the church. However, it’s very helpful for us! Thank you very much. And about the camera, we use it to take some pictures of our activities and use it for every Sunday with worshiping God in the morning and teaching English in the afternoon and we use it for recording some videos too. Thank you for your helping. We will use them fully and carefully. Thank you again.”

Parn advises that our prayers for success for her as she sat an entrance examination in March for admittance to the English Major program in the Nakhon Phanom University’s Faculty of Education were answered. This means that both she and Ploy will be studying at the university which is very close to Christian Mission’s compound, and that they with the other, younger girls will be able to continue their tremendous work of planning, preparing and running the many programs and Sunday services at the mission. Parn asked that we pass on her appreciation to those who prayed.

God has also graciously answered the need for funds to meet Ploy’s and Parn’s fees at university this year. In fact, as He so often does He has provided, through His people, more than was asked for – sufficient funds for fees for this year and next year are now on hand for these two young ladies!

Ploy and Parn also asked us to pray that they would be able to find temporary jobs during the extended vacation time this year (5 months) between academic years, as their country aligns itself with the timetables of other ASEAN nations. They are both presently working on probation/trial and hope to be able to confirm soon that they have been accepted for employment. Please continue to pray.

Sufficient funds have also been given to meet the cost of seminary fees for Dtaa’s fifth and final year of studying for a Bachelor of Theology degree at Phayoa Bible Seminary, which was originally founded by OMF and is now the largest seminary in Thailand. It is located in the Phayoa Province which is to the north and west of Nakhon Phanom. Dtaa is a member of the Mukdahan Church which is one of the member churches of the Christ for all People Churches Association. She was encouraged and mentored and supported by our late Brother John Middlewood for some years and subsequently decided that the Lord was calling her to full time service. John and CMN sponsored Dtaa’s studies to a very large extent and during college/school vacations she worked at CMN with John and his team doing special programs for children. She has indicated that when she completes her degree she will return to work with her home church and will specialise in Christian counselling for young people in her city and surrounding areas.

We have received letters of thanks for the funds for university fees from Ploy and Parn. Dtaa is very involved at present at seminary and will reply soon. Ploy wrote…

“Thank you for my first and second semester fees. I paid the first semester fees already and the second one is in the bank. It’s waiting to pay for the second semester fees. This scholarship can help me more. My family is not rich, so this money could save our family. It’s help me have a chance for learning. Thank you again. I’ll study hard and I’ll be a good person and help the others more as I can do. I’ll work hard with God’s work and let the other come to know God and love him as I love. Then God will bless them as He’s blessing me now. Thank you for everything. With kind regards, Ploy”

Parn wrote…

“I want to say thank you so much for your help, this scholarship is very important to me, I can study in university because of your help. This scholarship helps me a lot to ease the burden of my parents because my family isn’t a rich family so my parents have to work hard for me. Now I already paid the first term study fee and my class will start on 3rd of August but in July I have to go for the orientation.
Since I was little I hadn’t heard of God but when I was 12 years old Dr. John came to my primary school and suggested me to study in MEP (Mini English Program), I’ve stayed at the church since that time, Dr John taught me English and Bible and I became a Christian, Last two years Dr John passed away and with your help we can keep doing the church work. Thank you so much for this.
Lastly if my English is not so good I am sorry for that, I’m trying to improve it. I really appreciate of your help, thank you so much, thank you for all of your help. God bless you. Sincerely yours, Parn”

Please pray regularly for these three young ladies – Ploy (above left) Parn (above middle) and Dtaa (above right) who are so committed to serving their Lord. They are very, very grateful for your prayers and for God’s provision for their needs and seek your ongoing prayers for their studies and for their service as the Lord leads.

Maeo and the girls ran an English and Bible Camp for children on 1st and 2nd April. The theme of the camp was “Jesus loves Children” with Matthew 19 verse 14 as the key verse – “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

The 42 children who attended the camp were divided into four groups – Fai, Kaew, Guita and Eubeid, and Job were leaders of the groups. Ploy taught the children from God’s Word and taught them the Thai version of the song “Jesus loves the little children”. Lita then taught the children about English action verbs and Parn taught them the song in English and also taught them about the seasons of the year in English.

They also enjoyed playing plenty of games and doing some quizzes about the things they had been taught.

The special part of the camp was a “show” performed by each group – they had to create their own show and sing their own special songs.

They also had lunch together each day.

Please pray that the Gospel messages they heard will touch the hearts of some of the children and in the power of the Holy Spirit will bring some of them to commit their lives to Jesus Christ.

INDIA – BIHAR Report on Annual Convention – 2016

Pastor Denny Moses sent the following report…

“Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We thank you all for the kind concern towards our Khagaria, Bihar ministry. By the grace of God and your prayers we were led us to conduct this year’s Annual Convention at the Bala Bazar Church campus on March 11,12 and 13.

(From left) Pastor David Quarth Missionary; Pas. Michal and Secretary Advent Christian church Perungudi, Mr. M.A George welcomed by Bala Bazar Advent Church Pas. Samuel Templer and Pas. Santosh.

The main purpose of this Annual Convention was to preach the Gospel in open ground which is situated at the center of the Village. We had expected 1000 people including our all church believers and more than 1000 persons attended at every day’s evening session. Our Almighty Lord has helped to crack all the problems and obstacles.
On the third day at 7:30 pm all of a sudden there was heavy cyclonic wind – many tube lights were broken and the people who were under the tent started to run here and there. All of us started to pray. By the grace of God within 10 minutes we miraculously had complete silence and the Gospel was preached.

Pas. David Quarth preaches the message visually through film evidence with the people watching. The servants of God, praying at the end.

On the last day the Lord’s communion and the right hand of fellowship for the newly baptized people.

We earnestly request all the prayer partners to pray continually for revival in our ministry and for the people, so that people receive salvation and that many people may know the truth under the shadow of Jesus.

Prayer request:
*Pray for the construction of Baliya and Parbatta churches which is stopped now due to the financial scarcity.
*In our school, class 10 students have written central board exams. May God bring good marks to the students
*In our school – final exams, new admission work, results, book issuing and construction on the school land are there.
*Please pray that God will lead all staff to do their work properly.
*Pray for the 28 persons who have taken baptism, so that they should continually bring fruits in God’s vineyards.
*To conduct 2 days Bible study in Area Churches (during May)

Testimony

The person who is in the middle Mr. Kare Lal Sah had been under the yoke of Satan for the past 10 years. He used to live in the forest. No one could go near to him because he beat the people with things he had in his hand. But three months ago the village people brought him to the Advent Christian church at Baliy. Pas. Santosh and all believers prayed for him and God delivered him from the Satan’s yoke. In this annual convention – 2016 – he has taken baptism by accepting that Jesus is the true living God. Now he is a new believer of that Church.

Please continue to pray for the situation with the Mission’s bank account in India. Early this month the bank took the step of “placing our account on hold” which means that we cannot receive funds from other countries. Immanuel finally arranged an appointment last week with the “Know Your Customer” department of the bank to again explain the situation in regard to the two names we have used for fifty or more years and got a sympathetic hearing, and made the point that we are a registered private company not a trust as they have apparently been treating us, but the final decision again rests with the bank’s head office in Mumbai. Please pray that the account may be re-opened soon.

 
MALAYSIA – Kluang Advent Christian Group’s ministry

Please continue to pray for the group led by Sister Ruth Devairakkam and her husband Wilfred, as they continue their one-on-one ministry to family, friends and other contacts.
Sister Ruth advises that they keep in close contact with the leaders of other Christian groups in their city.
They attended an Easter Fellowship Dinner for the city’s pastors and their spouses which was organised by the Kluang Indian Pastors’ Fellowship – Ruth was asked to say the opening prayer and to lead the worship, and Wilfred played his guitar as accompaniment.

MYANMAR – Care of Orphans and Underprivileged Children

The four member organisations of the Advent Christian Conference of Myanmar (ACCM) currently care for a total of 271 orphan or underprivileged children. Pastor Joseph’s The Word Mission cares for 79; Pastor David’s Fellowship Bible Church cares for 96; Pastor Timothy’s Advent Christian Church of Myanmar cares for 56 and Pastor Kenneth’s Gospel for Myanmar cares for 40. These children are cared for in the homes of the Pastors and other workers of each of these organisations and are treated as members of the families, with the same care given to them as is given to the families’ own children.

Caring for orphan children became a ministry of the ACCM as a result of the terrible effects of Cyclone Nargis which swept through the south of the country in late April/early May 2008, causing 138,000 deaths and severely affecting 2.4 million people. Among the survivors were tens of thousands of children, orphaned or separated from their parents by the violence of the storm. ACCM members and many other Christian organisations stepped in to assist some of those children.

Subsequently the ACCM members have also taken in and cared for children from other areas of the country who have been affected in other ways – Pastor Joseph explained that they take care of the children “to ensure that they are able to get the best possible education and to ensure the best possible prospects for their futures. … all of the children are orphans or are underprivileged in some way – some children have no parents and will stay with TWM forever, some have mother without father, some have father without mother, some parents have divorced and abandoned the children; some children have been abandoned by their parents. Most of them had no prospects for education in their tribal areas.” The care given to these children of course includes being shown Christian love and compassion and being taught of God’s love for them and His plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.

With a new academic year beginning in Myanmar’s summer in May, there will be many additional and substantial costs for the ACCM members – for admission fees, school uniforms, school-bags, books, pens and pencils, umbrellas (for the sun – very common in Myanmar). Will you please bring these needs to the Lord in prayer and if you would like to assist with meeting these costs, our treasurer would be pleased to receive your gifts and forward them to our brothers and sisters in Myanmar.

On an earlier occasion, Pastor David sent these pictures with these comments…

“We are happy to report about materials distribution to our children ministry. Most of children received writing books, pens, pencils, school uniforms, umbrellas and school bags. Now they are ready to go to school. Most of children they never saw this kind of good materials in their life. When they received this materials in their life they are happy and their life is changing now. They never had this kind of materials in their life before they came to our children homes. Now they all are happy. Thanks for your helping for children ministry. Thanks and God bless you.”

Once again, my grateful thanks for your partnership in the Lord’s ministries in South East Asia. Please continue with your regular prayers for safety, for wisdom and for the power of the Holy Spirit to anoint these ministries.
God bless you as you serve Him in Missions by your prayers and support.