God’s Work Being Done in 2001
John 15:5 - "He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit: for without me you can do nothing." Psalm 48:14 - "For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide until we die."
S E A S O N S G R E E T I N G S!!! May 2002 bring you blessings and a productive year to His glory and your happiness!
The story of Eric’s House being built in KALOMO, ZAMBIA, AFRICA, is a beautiful one. It begins in 1936 when Buna Edwards and Helen Pearl Scott, from Africa, became best friends at ACC. Both girls married and each had a son. Helen Pearl’s son, Roy Merritt, is a missionary in Kalomo. Eric Rickner, son of Buna, passed away after a long illness. Because of Eric’s love of children, Buna has sent money from Eric’s estate to Roy to build a place to house 12 street boys to bring them up in the Way of the Lord. Roy and Kathi were already working with orphans and an orphanage is also being built for them across the street from their place. Eric’s House is being built as a large attachment to their house. Rod and Sue Calder will help them in caring for the children. Five boys (8 to 12 years) have already been taken into the Merritt’s home, and will be the first to live in Eric’s House. Roy and Kathi have been taking care of infants for six months and then give them back to their mothers with six months supply of food. Since there are so many street children and orphans in Zambia, Roy wants to find a way to get other congregations involved in helping them. I pray that his plan will work. The 2001 Zambia Medical Mission, led again by Dr. John Estes, Jr.: The team was composed of 76 people from 11 States, Canada, Uganda, Zambia, and South Africa. They had 4 doctors, 7 dentists, 10 nurses, 10 firs-aid people, and 45 auxiliary people. In 2 weeks time they had treated over 18,000 in several villages, 74 baptism and 200 restorations. One case was about a village girl who, 20 years before, was placed under a curse by the witch doctor. He put numerous beaded bracelets on her arms and throat and told her if she took them off, she would die. She heard the GOOD NEWS from several of the workers and wanted to be baptized. She was told that she had to remove the symbols of evil from her neck and arms before she could be baptized. She was frightened and trembled as she tried to remove them. Darrell Conway asked if he could help her. She agreed. He assured her that the removing of the beads symbolized her being freed from the bondage she had been in for 20 years. After her baptism, she said, "You know, I feel like I was in prison and you found the key and came and opened the door and led me out!" Darrell said he had never seen such a strong faith. John and June Estes tell of a lady, who after being helped by a dentist, asked: "Who are these people?" "They are medical people from America." "Why are they doing this?" "They are here to heal us and tell us about a man named Jesus." "Really? I wonder if they would come to my village ?" The Zambian follow-up team did go to her village and taught them. Today there is an active congregation there. Those who did not get help will return next July. Dr. John tells this story: "At the end of a busy, tiring cay, June (his wife) walked out of the dental area. A lady, in tears, holding her face, told June, ‘my teeth hurt so bad I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I need help.’ June returned and asked me if we could help her. I said yes, but when she went back, she could not find her in the crowd. Maybe I will see her next July." Dr. John and others are raising funds for a hospital, which is already being built. He writes: "The purpose of this brief summary is to encourage everyone to become more evangelistic, to use their natural talents, and let God direct and bless what you are doing. Follow N.T. principles (Acts 13:1-3: Paul and Barnabas being sent to evangelize). First we must realize that people are lost who have not heard about and obeyed Jesus. If you want pain to become history; if you want people to see, who can’t see, and people to be saved eternally, medical missions work well. I want you to become interested in the souls of people; realize that God can take ordinary people and do extraordinary things with them; that people will respond to the message if they are approached scripturally with love, benevolence, healing and taught."
MADRAS, INDIA: Virginia Wright, Fredericksburg, Va., writes lovingly about Dr. P. J. Alexander, who ‘adopted’ Virginia as his mother. He, an orthopedic surgeon, runs Philips Charity Hospital to help the poor; those the government hospitals turn away (The hospital is named after his grandfather who left a small clinic in Madras.) His wife, Dr. Mancy Alexander, an ob/gyn, helps him serve the poor. When they married, they had planned to come to the States to become millionaires. But that changed when Bro. J. C. Bailey (missionary from Canada) told them about the Great Physician! The compassion of Jesus touched their hearts so much they decided to help the poor free of charge. With practically no equipment or money, they did the best they could. He had a patient with a broken hip. He used 3 nails to mend the break and the man walked out of the hospital in 3 weeks! In the hospital is a chapel where Christ is preached and souls are saved. The latest report told of an attendance of 201 and 12 baptisms. Many of these travel 30-40 miles by bus, on empty stomachs, to worship from 9:00 to 12:00 each Lord’s Day, eager to hear God’s Word. Bro. Alexander provides a meal for them and gives them bus tickets to return home. Preachers trained by a branch of the Sunset International Bible Institute of Lubbock, TX. preach for this congregation, as well as the Alexanders’ son, Ajay, a third year medical student. As it is a Muslim and Hindu city, they are forbidden to baptize; but they risk it anyway. Due to so little water in Madras, they have to travel about 30 miles to find enough water to baptize - usually 10-12 at a time. The hospital has to purchase tankers of water for their use. Dr. A. pays his 30 nurses $50 a month, trains 20 nurses a year for the government, pays a small salary for the preachers who go to surrounding villages to start new congregations and preach, and uses personal gifts of money for the hospital expense. There are times when his utility bills go unpaid. Due to lack of funds he goes without the protein foods he needs as a diabetic. He is in need of funds to keep this work going. [The Fredricksburg Church of Christ, ATTN. Lando Woods, 336 Riverside Drive, Fredricksburg, Va. 22401, sponsors him.] Each employee at the hospital attends a Bible class each day. Relatives of patients also attend chapel services. Dr. A. is a great man in India, having worked on a committee for Indira Gandhi and her son, Rahjiv. He was with both of them on the days of their assassinations; even witnessed Rahjiv’s. He is also Vice-President of the Congress party (opponents of ruling party), but does not get paid for his position.
SAN FRANCISCO, AND CHINA, Daniel Hung reports on his work with the Chinese in S.F. and in China. Had his book, "The Christian and the Sabbath Day" printed in Hong Kong in 1993. He received letters from Hong Kong and Canada telling him to stop circulating that book! Eight years later a minister in China came across the book, studied it with his 7th Day Adventist Church. In his Aug. 23rd letter to Daniel, he wrote they have changed their worship to Sunday. And asked Daniel to teach them about the Church and the Bible baptism because they want to be re-baptized! Daniel has sent his book, "Church of Christ: Questions and Answers." And if God wills, will go personally to help them. The Chinese congregation in S.F. is excited and encouraged about this. (Aren’t we all!!) Alex, Daniel’s son, is a big help in the Chinese ministry. Daniel has written another book, to be printed in China, and in the process of completing another, but needs funds in his literature ministry. You may e-mail him at <danhung@juno.com>
LUBBOCK, TX., Joe Barnett, of his Pathway Evangelism ministry, tells what happened to a copy of his "Have a Great Day" folder. It was left with a patient in a hospital. Upon packing to leave, the patient left the folder. The nurse said: "You forgot this." "You can have it," he said, "I don’t believe in God." She put it in her pocket and later read the Scriptures and comments. She wrote Joe about how the comments helped her and asked some questions. Joe answered them and sent additional literature. Today there is another sister in God’s family! (And that is how an atheist became a part of a conversion to our Lord!)
SOUTH SEA ISLANDS, PACIFIC OCEAN, Tom Tune continues his Island hopping in his boat, the "Dorcas Sue" from his base in AMERICAN SAMOA. He visits congregations on various islands, introduces people to the Lord by first fitting those in need with glasses and enrolls them in Bible courses and puts them on a mailing list of a religious publication. On other trips revisits these people. He, like the Apostle Paul, has been shipwrecked and tossed by the storms in the Ocean. (The Lord must have to use a lot of His angels to look after Tom!) There are many parts of the boat that can break and he often ends up on an island for which he was not headed. This gives him new opportunities to fit glasses and sign them up for Bible courses and talk to them about the Lord’s Will. For needed parts to repair the boat, he has to fly to Fiji when there is only one flight out per week! More time to serve the Lord there. In Fiji he enjoys the fellowship with the Christians. The local preacher, Joshua, baptized a lady. As they came up the bank, the lady said that her husband wanted to give some land on which the church building could be built. Later, Tom, always thinking ahead, suggested to Joshua to try to get land near the water so they would have a baptistry in their back yard!. Bro. Sacki who accompanied Tom on one of his sea voyages, told the church how much his faith in God had increased. They intended to sail to Samoa only to have mechanical problems which caused a fire, and fear of sinking was real. Somehow they got it together though crippled, got it to Wallis Island. No parts there, so Tom had to fly to Fiji, again, for them. Such is the life with the ‘Dorcas Sue.’ No matter the difficulties that come with the storms and occasional mechanical problems, Tom and God sail from island to island helping the people with physical and spiritual sight and churches are established with changed lives. What a plan God has had for Tom’s life work! Remember He said: ". . . and I am with you all the way . . ."
BANGALORE, INDIA: World Bible Translation Center (Ft. Worth, TX.) India branch reports Bible distributors met violent opposition in Avalahalli, an Indian village north of Bangalore, from Hindu activists on India’s Independence Day. After handing a Gospel to a Hindu activist, an angry mob was encountered. About 40 angry men surrounded the team of two, and about 15 started hitting and kicking them, pushing them to the ground. One of the attackers asked: "Where is your Jesus? Let him come and save you from us." (And He did!!!) When our brothers tried to get up, they were hit with a club before a village elder intervened. The mob backed away taking the bag of literature and warned the team not to distribute Christian literature any more. P. Joshua, who directed the 7 teams, reported that the two persecuted brothers returned bruised and sore but joyful. He said: "No beatings, no kicks, no bashing, and no pain could take away their joy that the Lord had given. The teams had distributed 75,500 tracts, 12,200 books of Proverbs, and 12,800 Gospels of Luke in schools, colleges, hospitals and villages.
GHANA, Accru, Takoradi,and Kpandai (northern region). Lowell Maxey, an elder at the Oldham Lane congregation in Abilene, TX., reported that 19 of them went to these places for campaigns. Tex Williams, of WBS and Action publisher, preached two days in A. and T. In Accru there were 24 baptisms, Takoradi had 327, with 4 new congregations planted. In Kpandai there were l,110 baptisms and 31 new congregations started. Thus making a total of 1, 461baptisms and 35 new congregations! After the campaigns, Bro. Job Tilabi wrote that there are 4 more congregations with 146 baptisms. And God gave the increase!
UKRAINE, Donetsk. Marion Bush, retired nurse, goes each summer to help the sick, both physically and spiritually. The University congregation, Abilene, Tx., sends her off with funds and medicines. She wrote of teaching 5 ladies classes and 5 private ones. Roma, a 21 yr old crippled young man wanted to be baptized. It was decided to use a large bricked-in tub, almost as big as a baptistry, at Eugene Frantzuks. When they arrived at Eugene’s, the water had been turned off (done frequently), so Ludy had to carry it from a neighbor’s well. "What a chore," Marion wrote, "which made it more precious!" They heated a few ans of water to take the chill off.Others of her students were baptized later, and arrangements had to be made. "They are great problems to have," Marion wrote.
ABILENE, TX. The University church also has responsibility for the Christian Service Center where various congregations participate in giving food, clothing and furniture for the needy. Bro. Paul Garrett is director. Before school starts, congregations take up funds to provide about 2,000 needy children with new jeans and school supplies The following is a letter from a recipient: "Hello, my name is Billy Ray and I am 9 years old. I like to play marbles and watch bugs crawl on our sidewalk. Sometimes I just like to sit on the porch and think. I dig my toes in the dirt, and try to find animal faces in the clouds. That’s why I like summer so much – I don’t have to hurry and go to school. I can sit and peel my orange and wait for my friend across the street to come out so we can play a little catch.~ I have 3 brothers; one is working, one is just a baby and one is in the hospital. I have four sisters, too. But I don’t like playing catch with them because they don’t throw it right. My dad plays catch with me sometimes, but he works too. He has two jobs. He says, "It takes a fellow working night and day to make ends meet.’ Whatever that means. Mama plays with me sometimes, but mostly we just sit and talk because she can’t throw right either.~ Anyway, I was just sitting on the porch one day and my friend across the street came to play catch. He showed me his brand new jeans. "Wow!" I said. "That’s really neat, Punky!" (His real name is Clarence.) "Where did you get those?" He told me about a church of Christ place. I told my mom, and she talked to Punky’s mom; and then we made an appointment with the Christian Service Center. They said we could get all of us kids new jeans and school stuff. When I put on the stiff new jeans, it made me so happy that I smiled till I laughed out loud! ~The lady who helped me get my clothes told me to be sure and tell God ‘thank you’ for the new clothes when I said my prayers. I will! ~ When dad came home, I showed him my new jeans, and I told him that we should thank God for them He hugged me so tight. (He does that even when I do not have new jeans on.) That night at supper, Dad had each of us say a prayer, and we all said thank you to God for the new clothes. Everyone except the baby. He just kept banging his spoon on the table until Dad took it away from him. ~ Having all this new stuff, especially my jeans, will make going back to school more fun. And everyone will say, "Wow! That’s really neat Billy Ray! Where did you get those new jeans?" And I’ll tell them!
ALBANIA, Tirana: Ellen Walker wrote that a student in the Univ. of Tirana, Bledi Valca, was converted through his study of a WEI correspondence course, Jim Hutson, teacher. He enrolled friends in Reps, his hometown, among them his sister and cousin. He had been studying with his family members, and when he went home for his vacation July 11, he returned with his sister and cousin on the 12th to baptize them into Christ. By doing this in Tirana they could meet the church family and realize they are a part of them. As he prepared to return home the same day, he loaded a bag with song books and lesson books. On the 13th they had their first mid-week worship service with 8 souls present and 6 the next two services. What an encouragement to the workers in Tirana! Ellen expressed it this way: "How wonderful to see the power of the Lord to provide wisdom, strength and courage to do more things than we can dream."