Greetings to our friends, supporters and prayer partners, and welcome to this first update for 2020 and a new decade! Once again, my thanks for your support and encouragement in so many ways. Thank you especially for praying – God continues to answer your prayers in wonderful ways, and we see the Advent Christian ministries in Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, India and the Philippines continuing to touch lives for the Lord Jesus Christ. There is much to thank and praise the Lord for, but I would like to ask you to specifically join me in thanking Him for two donors here in New Zealand, who in the last few months have given very generously to enable projects and ministries to continue or be developed. I will outline the blessings that those gifts have funded in the section below about India. As you praise the Lord for these two donors please also thank and praise Him for the many donors who give regularly and generously to meet the needs of those who serve in many countries around the world. Remember especially the hundreds, perhaps thousands of folk in the United States who put much time and effort into fund-raising through the Penny Crusade to ensure that ACGC’s International Missions Department is able to continue to support Advent Christian ministries in more than 20 countries of the world. Thank Him too for all those who regularly pray, believing, for these world-wide ministries.
INDIA | Yesuway Jeevan Mission
Construction is well underway with early preparatory work for the new school complex at St Xavier’s School in Bihar in north India run by the ACCI’s Bihar Outreach team. In November we gave details of the plans for a new complex to replace the rented, dilapidated and very crowded one which the school presently operates in see more details here. Since that time we have been able to send sufficient funds for two classrooms to YJM in Chennai, who have in turn passed the funds on to the school. The funds for one of these rooms came from a single donor here in NZ and the balance was from accumulated funds from many smaller donations. YJM has been able to forward funds from other sources and one of the churches of the Advent Christian Conference of India in Chennai has also sent sufficient funds for a classroom, so in faith, the leadership team at Bihar has begun construction of the foundations for all 17 classrooms.
{Above: Pastor Paul Sundar Raj, team leader in Bihar and principal of the school, inspects the reinforcing for the first classrooms.}
Please thank the Lord for the funds which have been received already for this project and continue to pray that funds to complete it will be received in time to meet the 12 months deadline for completion which the Indian educational authorities placed on the school when they approved the plans.
Another very generous gift from a donor, together with some funds added by the Takanini Community Church Property Trust enabled us to send sufficient funds to YJM Chennai to enable them to upgrade the toilets and bathrooms and to provide “cupboards” (constructed from concrete!) for the boys to put their personal belongings in, at the Grace Helen Schache Memorial Silver Fern Hostel which is on the ACCI’s school premises next door to the Mission compound at Guindy. The bathroom facilites were in a terrible state, and when the 15 orphan/underprivileged boys returned from their Chrismas vacation with family or friends, they would have been delighted to see the improvement in their facilities. They would probably have blinked a little at the colours too!! 😊
Before the boys left for their Christmas break, YJM was able, as they have done for many years, to give them each a Christmas gift of a set of new clothes and treat them to a special meal of biriyani – my favourite Indian meal!
YJM virtually funds the day to day running of the hostel, as the AC Conference just stopped providing funds for it. Please pray for the Warden – Nelson– and his wife (in the picture at right with Immanuel), who do a wonderful job of acting as father and mother figures and counsellors for these 15 boys, and pray for Immanuel as he works closely with Nelson.
Please continue to pray for the sale of the Guindy land. Mission Manager Immanuel and our Advocate (lawyer) Brother Ravi Paul and senior leaders of the Advent Christian Conference of India (ACCI) are presently having discussions and negotiations with a party which seems to be a potential buyer. Please pray that the Lord will continue to clear the pathway and that the sale will be completed as soon as possible.
Pray that God will change the hearts and minds and attitudes of those in the ACCI who are opposing the sale process and will convince them that there are very significant, long-term benefits for their organisation if the sale proceeds, or that He will remove them from positions of power and influence.
Pray too please that the three “old” court cases, which were brought against the ACCI and were unsuccessful but need to be formally withdrawn from the court records and two newer, unheard ones, will be withdrawn by those who initiated them – the ACCI is currently negotiating for this to happen, but in true Indian fashion, the stakes are high!!
Please continue to pray for YJM Ministry Partner Shelter Trust – a trust which cares for children and young people who suffer from AIDS or who are HIV positive.
There are now three hostels – one for boys above the age of 18; one for boys under 18 and the other for girls and young ladies. Regardless of which building they live in, all of the children and young people under the care of the Shelter Trust receive the same wonderful care and education and Christian instruction.
Shelter’s policy is to ensure that all their residents receive LOVE, LIFE (including teaching about eternal life in Jesus Christ) and LAUGHTER. I have visited this hostel many times and always have been impressed by the positive, caring attitude of those who care for the young people and that same attitude which those in its care exhibit, and the joy that is always very evident – in spite of the serious illness from which they all suffer.
Rev Solomon Raj has provided this up-to-date picture of those they care for and some who do the caring.
Rev Solomon is in the centre of the picture.
Please continue to pray for Rev Solomon Raj and his family, and his wonderful band of helpers, many of whom have HIV/Aids themselves, who care for these children and young people, and thank the Lord for all who support (which includes Yesuway Jeevan Mission) financially and prayerfully.
THAILAND |Christian Mission Naratchakwai
Advent Christian Missions New Zealand recently received this letter from Maeo, the Director of Christian Mission Naratchakwai, expressing appreciation for our support of their ministries and activities in prayer, financially and practically.
Since we made contact with this ministry in 2004, ACMissioNZ has developed a very close relationship with them, and as well as supporting them financially and prayerfully, we have sent three Work/Ministry Teams to assist them practically and to be involved in their many different ministries to those around them. A total of 26 different people from New Zealand and the United States have been part of these teams – the Project Nehemiah Team in 2006/07; the Gen.12:1 Team in 2011/12 and the Project Barnabas team in 2016/17 – with several being members of more than one team.
There are projects which another team could help them with – if you are interested in being involved sometime in the future please contact me at ernie.schache@acmissionz.org.nz.
On Saturday 11 January, the Christian Mission team took their SOUP OF LOVE to the public!
They had a stall at a National Children’s Day function, held at the Nakhon Phanom Science Centre for Education.
They were thankful to the Lord for so many people who joined the queue for their soup, and each, as is always the case, received a Christian tract when they received their soup. Please continue to pray that this very practical ministry will be blessed and used by the Lord to touch the hearts of those who receive the soup.
Please thank the Lord for His answers to our prayers that He would lead a person or a couple to hear His call to serve Him as missionaries at Christian Mission.
Please pray for Russell and Pohn Yoon (pictured with Maeo, below) who with their daughter Anda plan to retire in the village of Naratchakwai, near CMN later this year. Russell and Pohn want to serve with Maeo and the Mission as Advent Christian missionaries. Pohn grew up near the Christian Mission in Naratchakwai, Thailand (CMN) and had Maeo as her elementary school teacher. Pohn’s sister was one of the students at the mission – a leader during her time there and is now a teacher in Bangkok.
Please continue to pray for the team at Christian Mission – Maeo and Brother Boontaa and for the seven girls/young ladies – Ploy, Parn, Lita, Job, Guitar, GungGing and Kaopun – who make up the Leadership Team and for Ploy who leads the team.
Thank the Lord for the time and effort they put into planning and supervising every aspect of the ministry, including the English lessons.
Ask the Lord to help the girls balance their service for Him with their studies at High School and University.
MALAYSIA | Kluang Advent Christian Group
Please continue to pray for Sister Ruth, Brother Wilfred and their small group of faithful, Advent Christian believers who gather weekly on Sundays for worship in Ruth and Wilfred’s home 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 wrote about their pre-Christmas activities as follows…
“The Tamil Churches from various denominations organized a Christmas Get-together on 19th December, 2019. Three hundred and fifty people attended the event. We had a pre-Christmas program for the children and youth. We organized a coloring contest and “I Got Talent”. The winners received their prizes during the Christmas Get-together. All the non-winners received consolation prizes. My husband, Wilfred and I were invited to present a song item. The children and youth presented song and dance items. This was followed by dinner. … It was a wonderful time of fellowship with friends from various Churches.”
MYANMAR | Advent Christian Conference of Myanmar
Pastor Kenneth, leader of Gospel for Myanmar, has asked us to pray for their planned activities for 2020, as follows…
“I sincerely and humbly would like to inform you about our meeting decision and mission plan for 2020. I hope that this information will help you how to pray and what to pray for the Gospel for Myanmar Mission.
- We extend our mission fields and have mission work report form. And our prayer goal is, in Insein Church every Sunday around 100 people would come to the Church and will call the name of Jesus in 2020
- We will expand our worship place, and this will be started from 20 January 2020. It is already started today, January 20, 2020.
- To have one-month course training from April 2020.
- Evangelism trip to Synphio Kyun at the end of February 2020.
- Salvation camp at Insein Church from 12 – 17 April 2020.
- Youth Camp for 13, 14 March 2020.
- Women Training for 14,15 May 2020.
- Bible School re-open from June to the end of January 2021.
Please continue praying for the mission work here in Myanmar. May the Lord continue to bless you abundantly in your work.”
Pastor David, leader of the Fellowship Bible Church of Myanmar has asked us to join in prayer with them for one of their goals for 2020…
“Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ from Myanmar.
This is our new year prayer request,
We are praying for to distribute 1000 bible to new believers in our ministry. Please remember in your prayer.
Thank you.
In His Name,
David”
He sent these pictures of members of his Yangon congregation with Bibles they were recently given, and one of his church planters with Bibles he was recently given to distribute to his believers.
The cost of each reasonable quality Bible is about NZ$10.85, or in their currency 10,150 Myanmar kyats, although cheaper ones are sometimes available.
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. Please continue to pray for the leaders and members of the Advent Christian ministries we support in India, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and the Philippines – pray that they will know the leading, guiding and blessing of the Holy Spirit as they present the message of God’s love for their people and His plan of salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord.
