Dear Friends and Ministry Partners,
Below is a short email from Lori in regards to the Timothy Leadership Institute being held in Chickabalapur, Karnataka, India with our coordinator Albert Jayaraju during the next two weeks. This is the 3rd and final year for these 30 students. Please be in prayer for God’s continued blessing and strength as the teachers share and encourage these Faithful Men.
"After a missed flight we arrived in Bangalore a day later than planned. The TLI was scheduled to start on Wednesday, June 25 and it did, but because we were late getting in the night before, we began in the afternoon rather than the morning.
All the students had arrived on time so they spent the morning in prayer for the training. They were much more relaxed about the delay than we uptight Americans were!
Albert, our coordinator, had been in the hospital just a few weeks ago. He had severe headaches and high fever. He is somewhat better but it's obvious that he is not completely well. The doctors still don't know what caused his problems. We are praying that he will be OK throughout the TLI.
Ed began the TLI by teaching on evangelism, with a focus on the biblical elements of the true Gospel. He encouraged the men to develop their testimony, giving a brief background of their life before Christ, but with the main emphasis on what Christ has done for them.
Mike is teaching on developing biblical messages. He emphasized the need to understand the context, to interpret the passage correctly and to always include an application.
The students are eager to learn and are participating in the classroom discussions and answering questions in a way that makes it apparent that they are understanding the material. We pray that the rest of the TLI goes as well as the first two days."
Blessings,
Larry Malone
Hope and Help International
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
FBCE Missionaries- Robert and Mary Jo Foster
The following is an update from FBCE Missionaries Robert and Mary Jo Foster, who are working with Evangelism Explosion in Brazil:
among the Korean churches there. We want to offer our training in Korean to these
pastors/churches.
Continued praise to the Lord for the churches, Christian businesses, friends and family that pray
for us and give faithfully to our support!
...and, a few Prayer Requests:
Please pray for my next major project, as I begin to adapt/translate Youth EE materials into
Portuguese for Brazil. There are other projects in line, too, awaiting the completion of this one.
So, please pray for good time management.
Please continue to pray for EE-Brazil’s need for a greater number of clinic teachers for both
Adult and Kids´ EE.
Plans for a Chinese clinic in São Paulo have been shifted to 2009. Please pray for these plans to
mature and for a possible Workshop in April 2009 to promote a training clinic later in the year.
Pray for the launching of the Kids' EE EvangeCube in Brazil. I am working now on details of how
EE-Brazil will become the exclusive distributor for this witnessing tool in Brazil. This should
generate training opportunities and needed income for EE-Brazil.
Pray for the development of a new website for EE-Brazil. Work began last week.
Pray for the filming of two short videos to be used in conjunction with our new Workshop.
Pray for training material sales in Brazil to continue to increase in order that adequate funds for
the ministry will be available.
Our family must find economical health insurance without sacrificing too much more on
coverage. Pray that we can find a solution to this constant financial burden.
And, perhaps the most urgent at the moment: Please pray for adequate family support and that
eventually we can raise sufficient funds in order to return to full financial support.
Friends & Supporters,
The other day the latest edition of SouthwesternNews arrived in the mail. On page 64, seminary professor, Dr. David Mills, starts his article by saying: "One could say that it is nearly impossible to exaggerate when speaking of the importance of personal evangelism."
His statement causes me to reflect on the "tagline" for EE-Brazil's new Workshop training for personal evangelism: "Easy to learn...fun to share...and hard to forget!" In the Workshop that I taught in São Paulo on April 26th, the participants found this to be true. Since personal evangelism IS so important, how cool is it that EE-Brazil can offer training for a Gospel presentation that is easy to learn, fun to share and hard to forget? God is certainly good!
I just spent 26 days in São Paulo. It was the latest in my string of marathons! Much of the time was spent on finalizing the Portuguese materials for our Workshop. PTL this phase of the project is completed, as the materials are at the publishing house! God is really good!
Upon returning, I remember saying to one Brazilian in São Paulo in an online conversation that "so many good things are happening within EE-Brazil that I can't keep up!" Truth is that when good things are happening, it generates additional work, too. I confess to being a little overwhelmed right now by all the opportunities and resultant new tasks! But, God is good, and "His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path." (Psalm 119:105) We'll appreciate your prayers during these busy days!
Here are a few Praises:
Praise the Lord for the excellent contacts made among pastors while in São Paulo.
A Kids’ EE clinic was held in Rio de Janeiro in April.
We met with the director of a hospital chaplaincy ministry and discussed how we could work together in training chaplains and hospital volunteers, using our new Workshop and Kids' EE.
A Share Your Faith Workshop was held April 26th in an English-speaking church in São Paulo , as part of EE-Brazil’s intercultural ministry to other language groups in Brazil.
Praise for the Lord leading us to a Brazilian pastor who is well-connected in the Korean
among the Korean churches there. We want to offer our training in Korean to these
pastors/churches.
Continued praise to the Lord for the churches, Christian businesses, friends and family that pray
for us and give faithfully to our support!
...and, a few Prayer Requests:
Please pray for my next major project, as I begin to adapt/translate Youth EE materials into
Portuguese for Brazil. There are other projects in line, too, awaiting the completion of this one.
So, please pray for good time management.
Please continue to pray for EE-Brazil’s need for a greater number of clinic teachers for both
Adult and Kids´ EE.
Plans for a Chinese clinic in São Paulo have been shifted to 2009. Please pray for these plans to
mature and for a possible Workshop in April 2009 to promote a training clinic later in the year.
Pray for the launching of the Kids' EE EvangeCube in Brazil. I am working now on details of how
EE-Brazil will become the exclusive distributor for this witnessing tool in Brazil. This should
generate training opportunities and needed income for EE-Brazil.
Pray for the development of a new website for EE-Brazil. Work began last week.
Pray for the filming of two short videos to be used in conjunction with our new Workshop.
Pray for training material sales in Brazil to continue to increase in order that adequate funds for
the ministry will be available.
Our family must find economical health insurance without sacrificing too much more on
coverage. Pray that we can find a solution to this constant financial burden.
And, perhaps the most urgent at the moment: Please pray for adequate family support and that
eventually we can raise sufficient funds in order to return to full financial support.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Chinese Bible Translation Update
The goal of this project is to enable Chinese scholars to create an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand contemporary Chinese Mandarin Bible that also is theologically accurate. Recently the CSB New Testament was completed, which is especially timely due to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Holman Bible Outreach has a distribution strategy in place, and initially will give away 200,000 copies of the New Testament to Chinese people around the world.
"Most of the brothers and sisters agree that this new translation is making better sense, and is easier to understand. Beijing church is surprised and excited to receive the newest translation from U.S. church; they appreciate it greatly," writes Lu, a Chinese house church member.
The Old Testament translation work continues to progress, with a target date of 2011 for completion.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Hope and Help International Update
Hope and Help sent this update from their latest project in Assam, India.
258 Salvations
201 Baptisms
142 Villages Visited
15 New Churches
258 Salvations
201 Baptisms
142 Villages Visited
15 New Churches
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Miracle Freestone Update
The following is an update from Scott Sheppard on the Miracle Freestone Project:
Greetings!
God has been so good, working out the details and saving us money so we can do more!
In chance meeting at lunch, when we were just about at the end of our Heat and Air rope, Gary Phillips and I ran into a member who is in that business commercially who said he’d like to help!
Low and behold, where we thought we were going to spend $4500, we received a totally new Heat and Air System, all new ducts, removed, and replaced for $1100!
That’s God for you…in His timing.
Our Tape Bed and Texture bids were all in the $2500-$3000, and we found a contractor who is starting today, for $1400. Wow! That’s $4500 to $5000 in savings right there that will allow us to do additional projects with the City of Euless.
Here are the next two steps:
Paint:
We are scheduling a painting party for Saturday, May 31st. 9 AM.
Our Tape Bed and Texture work should be finished by mid week, with enough drying time to begin painting the walls, ceiling and trim next weekend.
If you are interested, available, and pretty handy with a roller or brush, please contact Beth Harris or Scott Sheppard so we can schedule the work, and have enough tools/supplies.
Siding:
We need a couple of things to happen this week, and we may start our siding project next Saturday as well. We are waiting for a crew that will come in and grind down the stumps that are against the foundation and have grown up over the siding. Ff you are interested in helping with the vinyl siding, please contact the church as well.
Greetings!
God has been so good, working out the details and saving us money so we can do more!
In chance meeting at lunch, when we were just about at the end of our Heat and Air rope, Gary Phillips and I ran into a member who is in that business commercially who said he’d like to help!
Low and behold, where we thought we were going to spend $4500, we received a totally new Heat and Air System, all new ducts, removed, and replaced for $1100!
That’s God for you…in His timing.
Our Tape Bed and Texture bids were all in the $2500-$3000, and we found a contractor who is starting today, for $1400. Wow! That’s $4500 to $5000 in savings right there that will allow us to do additional projects with the City of Euless.
Here are the next two steps:
Paint:
We are scheduling a painting party for Saturday, May 31st. 9 AM.
Our Tape Bed and Texture work should be finished by mid week, with enough drying time to begin painting the walls, ceiling and trim next weekend.
If you are interested, available, and pretty handy with a roller or brush, please contact Beth Harris or Scott Sheppard so we can schedule the work, and have enough tools/supplies.
Siding:
We need a couple of things to happen this week, and we may start our siding project next Saturday as well. We are waiting for a crew that will come in and grind down the stumps that are against the foundation and have grown up over the siding. Ff you are interested in helping with the vinyl siding, please contact the church as well.
“Lederrick”
Reaching Out Ministries sent the following Miracle Story:
Lederrick came to the DFW area as a teenager to visit a sick relative. He got involved with the wrong group of people and ended up running away, living on the streets. His aunt left message after message on the streets for him to come home but he did not return. His mother died when he was a toddler and nobody knew for sure who his father might be. His grandmother had been raising him, but still without that parental involvement, he felt unloved and unwanted.
Lederrick heard on the streets that the “Star house”, a house of God, could help, so he came by just asking for prayer. He was searching for safety and guidance as he attempted to get home. He received a meal, clean clothing and a bus ticket home to Texarkana.
Lederrick’s grandmother had been praying for two years for his safe return and freedom from drugs. Lederrick had been dabbling in soft drugs in Texarkana, and got involved with much worse in the DFW area. He returned drug free.
Another miracle is the impact this story has had on another person. Floyd was asked to encourage and support Lederrick during his 5 hour wait at the Dallas bus station before his bus would leave. The bus station is a very bad area and the station itself is filled with drug dealers who are on the prowl. Lederrick would have been a target. Floyd became personally involved in this boy’s welfare and trials. Floyd is the person who received the phone call from his grandmother and heard her tears of graditude and joy in response to her answered prayers with the return of her child.
Although Floyd is a believer, it is not always easy to see the Lord’s work in your own life. It is so much easier to take the credit for yourself. To see answered prayer in the lives of two other persons has radically affected Floyd’s life and his perspective on the mercy of God and personal prayer life. Sometimes the answer is immediate, other times we must wait and be patient.
Lederrick came to the DFW area as a teenager to visit a sick relative. He got involved with the wrong group of people and ended up running away, living on the streets. His aunt left message after message on the streets for him to come home but he did not return. His mother died when he was a toddler and nobody knew for sure who his father might be. His grandmother had been raising him, but still without that parental involvement, he felt unloved and unwanted.
Lederrick heard on the streets that the “Star house”, a house of God, could help, so he came by just asking for prayer. He was searching for safety and guidance as he attempted to get home. He received a meal, clean clothing and a bus ticket home to Texarkana.
Lederrick’s grandmother had been praying for two years for his safe return and freedom from drugs. Lederrick had been dabbling in soft drugs in Texarkana, and got involved with much worse in the DFW area. He returned drug free.
Another miracle is the impact this story has had on another person. Floyd was asked to encourage and support Lederrick during his 5 hour wait at the Dallas bus station before his bus would leave. The bus station is a very bad area and the station itself is filled with drug dealers who are on the prowl. Lederrick would have been a target. Floyd became personally involved in this boy’s welfare and trials. Floyd is the person who received the phone call from his grandmother and heard her tears of graditude and joy in response to her answered prayers with the return of her child.
Although Floyd is a believer, it is not always easy to see the Lord’s work in your own life. It is so much easier to take the credit for yourself. To see answered prayer in the lives of two other persons has radically affected Floyd’s life and his perspective on the mercy of God and personal prayer life. Sometimes the answer is immediate, other times we must wait and be patient.
"Shorty"
Reaching Out Ministries sent the following Miracle story about a man who attended their recent Hootenanny in the Hood:
A gentleman named Shorty came to give his testimony May 5th, 2008 at the annual Reaching Out Hootenanny.
He knew about Reaching Out Ministries through the “girls” he had working the streets. Shorty was a pimp, drug dealer and “ran” a group of under aged boys to deliver his drugs and steal computer equipment and automobliue equipment.
Shorty attended a “Hootenanny” in 2003. A couple of months later he came to the house in the early morning/late night hours, depending on your perspective, and asked for help to get off the streets. He was placed in a rehab center and went through their program.
He was angry with Orlin for preaching to him as he had grown up in the church and believed he knew all there was to know about Jesus. After his anger cooled a little bit he admitted he did smoke crack, snort cocaine, and shoot heroin at every opportunity. Orlin’s pill was bitter to swallow.
Shorty said it was the first time he could see the plank in his own eye instead of the splinter in others.
He was use to being able to look down upon the people he used. He didn’t like seeing himself as others saw him.
Shorty has now been “clean” for four years and has an active, healthy life in society. He is also part of the leadership in the church he regularly attends. He just wanted to say “Thank You”. The “seeds” planted with the prostitutes and teens that came to Reaching Out Ministries were spread to Shorty. Shorty is now bearing fruit and spreading seeds of his own.
God is good. All the time.
A gentleman named Shorty came to give his testimony May 5th, 2008 at the annual Reaching Out Hootenanny.
He knew about Reaching Out Ministries through the “girls” he had working the streets. Shorty was a pimp, drug dealer and “ran” a group of under aged boys to deliver his drugs and steal computer equipment and automobliue equipment.
Shorty attended a “Hootenanny” in 2003. A couple of months later he came to the house in the early morning/late night hours, depending on your perspective, and asked for help to get off the streets. He was placed in a rehab center and went through their program.
He was angry with Orlin for preaching to him as he had grown up in the church and believed he knew all there was to know about Jesus. After his anger cooled a little bit he admitted he did smoke crack, snort cocaine, and shoot heroin at every opportunity. Orlin’s pill was bitter to swallow.
Shorty said it was the first time he could see the plank in his own eye instead of the splinter in others.
He was use to being able to look down upon the people he used. He didn’t like seeing himself as others saw him.
Shorty has now been “clean” for four years and has an active, healthy life in society. He is also part of the leadership in the church he regularly attends. He just wanted to say “Thank You”. The “seeds” planted with the prostitutes and teens that came to Reaching Out Ministries were spread to Shorty. Shorty is now bearing fruit and spreading seeds of his own.
God is good. All the time.
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