Greetings to our friends, supporters and prayer partners, and once again my thanks for your support and encouragement in so many ways. With this last update for the year – how time “flies” – it is a joy to be able to report more positive happenings, and of course these are the just some of the answers to their and your prayers, that those who serve the Lord under the Advent Christian banner in Asia have experienced in recent weeks. Thank you for another year of faithful praying for those who serve the Lord in India, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand.
INDIA
The temperatures in Metro Chennai have cooled in the past few weeks, and Immanuel has advised that since the last update, the monsoon rains finally arrived and although late, they brought good volumes of water to the city’s reservoirs and to the ground water-table, so that the compound’s well and bore are providing good water again. They have had several short bursts of heavy rain since then and all seems well (pardon the pun) for next summer. The mosquito problem has also subsided – Immanuel tells me that the number of instances of dengue fever is “normal” now – just occasional cases being reported.
Thank you for praying for the sale of the Guindy land – please continue to do so. Immanuel and ACCI President Rev Francis Thangadurai are continuing to talk to two seemingly serious parties who are interested in purchasing the land, but things have again had to be put on hold because of yet another new court case. This time it has been brought by a small group of four of the Conference’s Executive Committee (EC) against the President, and their fellow EC members, citing that they are ineligible to be serving. It also seeks an order from the court that no land be sold without a court order of approval – which would not be a bad judgement, but because the two matters have been brought in one case, our Advocate, Brother Ravi Paul, who will be representing the Conference and the Mission, has indicated that negotiations need to stop until judgement is confirmed. Please pray for Ravi Paul, who has recently been appointed as a Senior Counsel in the Indian High Court (the equivalent of the British Queen’s Counsel) who gives wonderful support to Immanuel in legal matters. Please continue to pray that one of these two new enquirers may finally be the Lord’s chosen one; that He will clear the pathway and that the sale will be completed as soon as possible.
In our last update we asked for prayer for newly married couple Br. Ramesh and Sis. Rani in Bihar (at right) who are both have physically disabilities, but they have committed their lives to serve God in Bihar. They are unable to walk like normal people, so they need a special vehicle for the physically challenged. For that, they needed 90,000 Indian rupees {about NZ$2,010}. We have received a generous donation which meets almost half of the cost of the required vehicle – please continue to pray that God will provide for them so that they may do God’s work earnestly for His glory.
YJM ministry partner Pastor Ahaj Kumar Pani in Odisha, continues his busy ministries and continues to regularly communicate and express his appreciation for our financial assistance and our prayers.
He recently reported that he had had the privilege of baptising four candidates and asked that we pray for the newly baptised brothers and sisters and for their spiritual growth, and that we continue to pray for his various ministries.
He also asked prayer for a group of children in an unnamed, very poor, rural village where he is working. They are studying in the government school, and he asks us to pray especially for their understanding of their school studies and of the Bible stories he is teaching them.
Finally for India, rejoice with us and with the angels in heaven, that in just one week recently, Yesuway Jeevan Mission presented a total of 44 Bibles to newly baptised brothers and sisters in four of the Advent Christian Conference of India’s churches. Please pray for these new members of Jesus Christ’s church in India – being a Christian is not easy and under the present government will probably get even harder in future days. Pray that they will grow in grace and in the knowledge of and fellowship with their Saviour.
Not all churches ask for Bibles for their baptismal candidates, but we have provided a total of 150 so far this year to those who have enquired – this is one of the real joys of our ministry.[clear]
THAILAND
On Sunday 12 November the team at Christian Mission put up the following on their website…
ขอบคุณพระเจ้าสำหรับวันนี้ คริสตจักรของเรากำลังมีเด็กๆสนใจเพิ่มมากขึ้น พวกเขามานมัสการพระเจ้าและเรียนภาษาอังกฤษ เราได้เริ่มเตรียมวันคริสต์มาสซึ่งจะจัดขึ้นในเดือนธันวาคม ขอบคุณพระเจ้าสำหรับทุกสิ่งทุกอย่าง ขอพระเจ้าอวยพร
In case you don’t read Isaan, that translates as…
“Thank you God for today, our church is having kids more interested, they come to worship God and learn English. We have started preparing Christmas Day, which will be held in December. Thank God for everything. God bless you.”
We have often spoken of Guitar, one of the now five members of the leadership team – this is her picture below, and she took a part in leading the service that morning.
On 26 November they had a visitor to the service. They wrote…
“Hello everyone, we were here again to worship God. The weather is getting colder, please don’t forget to take care of yourself. Today was a special day for us because our friend, Russell Yoon from the U.S.A and his family came here to visit us. He bought pizza for our lunch. Everybody was full. Then he taught English in the afternoon. He led the children to play games and talked with them in English and taught some English words from the Bible. Everybody was very happy! Thank you, God, for bringing him here. God bless you all.”
That morning they also distributed their monthly food parcels to two of the needy people in Ban Naratchakwai. This ministry, along with their monthly Soup of Love ministry, is greatly appreciated in their village and surrounding ones.
This month – December – the team took the Soup of Love to the Nursery (pre-school) in Ban Naratchakwai and to others in the village, and they got an extra Christmas present as well
Ploy even did some “deliveries” on her motorcycle!
MALAYSIA
– Kluang Advent Christian Group’s ministry
Please continue to pray for the small group of faithful, Advent Christian believers who gather weekly on Sundays for worship in the home of Sister Ruth Devairakkam and Brother Wilfred in Kluang and in members’ homes for Bible study and communion during the week. Christian ministry is not easy or without danger in Malaysia, but Ruth and Wilfred faithfully continue their one-on-one ministries of friendship, practical assistance and counsel to friends, neighbours and other contacts.
Ruth and Wilfred recently attended the launching of the Tamil version of the Marriage & Parenting Course for Church Leaders with ministry leaders from various denominations. The course was held in the city of Johor Bahru, to the south of Kluang, in Singapore on their border with Malaysia. They were equipped with beneficial material and teaching by some amazing course presenters. This time of fellowship was enjoyed by all.
MYANMAR
Brother Joseph, leader of The WORD Mission recently advised us that his wife Esther had just given birth to their fifth child – a boy. He wrote…
“This is {our} new baby. I have four daughters and one boy. So my children are five. Praise with us.
We are 7 family. Pray for us. So that all our children will come to serve the Lord. My prayer is that my children become missionaries to unreached people groups in Myanmar.
Thanks.
Joseph”
He also sent us some pictures of some of the 75 orphans and underprivileged children that he and his wife and team of helpers care for – having an open-air meal!
Pastor Timothy has also sent some information regarding the problems in the north of his country, and some pictures of his family and orphans’ home. He wrote…
“Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We are all fine but some of the govt leaders are facing big problem in UN because more than 600,000 Muslims are fleeing to Bangladesh.
My oldest daughter Siam Mawi will have her graduation service B.Sc on Jan 7, 2018. The cost is big for me Ks 235,000 (clothes, fees, taxi, food). My oldest son Rabbi also will start 2nd year university next week.
Please pray for 3 new Christians. I am praying to give them water baptism soon.
I am sending some pictures of my family. 1. Hoi and [the garden in front of the] orphans’ house. 2. Mercy and Lai Sung, Lai Sung (in white) is my youngest daughter. 7th standard, excellent in her class. 3. Hoi leading family prayer meeting with children.” {Hoi Van is Timothy’s wife.}
PHILIPPINES
Please pray for the students, faculty and staff at Oro Bible College who are led by Director Maam Nely Gamayon.
- Please pray especially for Sister Nely and her family, as her Mother died on Sunday 3 December, aged 79, after struggling for a time with leukaemia. Sister Nely advised “I thank the Lord that all of us her children were by her bedside praying for her even as she gave up her last breath. I thanked her for all her love and care for me and my siblings, and all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.” Please also pray for Sister Nely’s health.
- Pastor Reniel Comajeg’s health is still causing considerable concern, as is the health of several other faculty and staff members – please pray that the stress and strain that they serve under will be reduced and that they will enjoy their break during the Christmas and New Year period.
- Pray for the students at Oro Bible College. Enrolment for the first semester was 35, including 5 interns and 9 graduating students (4 from the COEMA pastors’ enrolment)
- Pray for the approval of the new curriculum for AB Theology, Pastoral Ministry, Spiritual Formation and Missions to be implemented by June 2018.
- Pray for teachers in the General Education courses and Professional courses and books for the new subjects included in the new curriculum.”
- Pastor Roy Rocha leader of the ADVENT CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT in Manila is also seriously unwell. He is suffering from “burnout” and has recently been diagnosed with gallstones and other renal problems. He has also been diagnosed with a degenerative osteo disease in his joints which requires constant medication. He is also stressed by his financial situation, having incurred significant debt when earlier in the year his son Peniel broke his arm badly and had to have complicated and expensive surgery including stainless steel plates. Please bring Roy and his family before the Lord regularly, seeking healing for Roy, provision for their needs and relief from the pressures.
- Pray for the war against terrorism in Marawi, Iligan and other parts of Mindanao, that peace may return to the areas and life to normality.
Once again, my sincere thanks for your partnership in the Lord’s ministries in South East Asia. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement to and financial support for our brothers and sisters in the LORD during this year that is about to end. As you celebrate Christmas will you please take a moment to pray for the leaders and members of the Advent Christian ministries we support in India, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and the Philippines – pray that as they have extra and perhaps special opportunities during the Christmas season to present the message of God’s love for their people and the plan of salvation which began with the birth of Jesus Christ, that they will know the leading, guiding and blessing of the Holy Spirit on their ministries.
My prayer is that you will enjoy a very special time of blessing as you celebrate the First Advent of our Saviour Jesus Christ with family and friends and that you will know the wonderful peace and power that comes with the presence of God as we wait through the New Year for Christ’s Second Coming.
