A Journal of Missions Activity

GOD’S BUSINESS IN REVIEW IN 2002

“Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49b NKJV) “And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations.” (Matt. 24:14 NKJV) “Finally, brethren, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored just as it was with you.” (2 Thess. 3:1 NIV)

SEASONS GREETINGS!!! And I wish for you a healthy and happy 2003, while sharing your faith in the Lord with the lost.

Headlines in the October KALOMO REPORTER: 2002 ZAMBIA MEDICAL MISSION COMPLETES 8TH YEAR OF PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL HEALING. In 7 days treatment was given to 19,000 people! It was done by 200 team members: 120 Americans and 80 Zambians. Darrell Conway, Spiritual Director, reported 105 baptisms and 250 asked for prayers. Many new congregations are formed each year as a result of the Medical Mission. This year they had a portable baptistry. In previous years the baptisms were conducted in murky waters with parasites that could do great harm to the body, or there could be crocodiles lurking about. Nadara Sperry, a kitchen worker from Texarkana, TX, told the following: “The highlight of my trip was when a voice called over the kitchen grass enclosure, ‘If you look over the wall in a few minutes, you can see a baptism.’ Sure enough, I climbed up on an ice chest and there was a precious soul being immersed in the ‘baptistry.’ For two days it was a joy every time I heard a voice saying, ‘Look over the wall in a few minutes.’” LaDonna Armstrong, Surprise, AZ, continues her report: “Traveling from village to village to set up operations, “our long caravan traveled over dirt and rock roads where we were “lucky” enough to lose a couple of tires. And the last road into the village was little more than a foot path. Many who had come for treatment had never seen a doctor and some walked almost 30 miles. The villagers had gathered firewood and stacked it in a huge pile. Using elephant grass, they had built 7 bathing shelters, a kitchen area, and a separate cooking area. The many workers, 11 vehicles, 53 tents and all the katundu (stuff) must have been quite a sight for those waiting. An elderly man with a unique tie was among the greeters. The tie was the tale of a lion!” LaDonna asked if he had killed the lion. He said: “Yes, when I was much younger. The lion was molesting my cattle.” The directors of the Zambia Medical Mission are Dr. Kelly and Eleanor Hamby and KB and Laura Massingill of Abilene, TX. The teams set up the camps in several villages, treating thousands in each place. It takes a lot of planning, and working together to see about the medicines, food and supplies, etc. Something Rick Riddle and his 15 year old son, Jacob, told me enthusiastically: “It was great, and we are going back next year,” was probably said by many who went and ‘worked their heads off.’ A great feeling was had by all! Deep joy results from work with God in His Business! Bro. Roy Merritt, missionary for many years in Namwianga, sent me a report that told of visits to various congregations by nine brothers. Rodgers Manuswa said that when they visited the Church in Chalilo, they visited the chief about the medical team. “He was so excited that he has already chosen the site where the medical team will perform its work. He even said he wished it were coming just the day after telling him and asking his permission.” So, Team, you have another village to add to your work in 2003!

CHINA: (This is an edited report from Xxxxx Xxxxx. Notice the incidences of God’s Providence!) “ It was a great trip!!! We spent three weeks away from home, the longest trip so far. Every place we went, they wanted us to stay longer. I'm already looking forward to Xxxxx when I plan to go again. There were three baptisms this trip, but I don't feel that I had much to do with them. They were already prepared to be baptized. I felt like Philip when he met the eunuch. We were walking in the countryside, and at a very small village 3 hours outside the city which served as our base of operations, a man's bicycle had broken down. We stopped to talk to him. I found out later that he was supposed to go a different way, but decided to go this road for some reason !! When he found out that I was a missionary, he "forced" me to come to his home. Come to find out he had been praying for years that someone would come and lead him to a better life in Jesus. (He had believed for years.) His wife (78 years young) had also been praying for years that God would forgive her. After a little study, I asked them it if they wanted to be baptized and have their sins washed away, and become children of God. When they said yes, I asked, “When?” He said, "At your convenience." I said what about now? They said yes. Then we had the problem of finding enough water. But just like Philip and the eunuch after two prayers and looking through the house for the third time, we saw their water supply in the kitchen! It was the biggest one I had ever seen. Every country kitchen has a cement trough full of water. All countryside kitchen's have one, but it is usually much smaller, about 1' x 2" and about 18 inches deep. But this one was about 3' X 3' and about four feet deep!! (I wonder why it was built so big?) We missed it in our previous searches because it had a cement slab over it, which made it look like a counter top. We didn't find it until after we had prayed for enough water to baptize. After the baptism they were both so happy that after all those years of praying, they were now children of God. Please pray for their growth. Their names are Bro. Xxx and Sis. Xx. [God knows what the x’s stand for!] One night in our hotel room we had about 15, mostly young people. I knew that one Christian had brought two non-believers, so I asked all the believers why they believed. And when NONE could give a reason, I thought I would share some reasons why I believe. I thought it would help the believers as well as give the non-believers some information to think about. About 20 minutes into what would have been at least an hour presentation, a young man I did not know stood up and said, "I'm a believer and have been reading the Bible for three years and I want to be baptized." After the shock wore off, we made the necessary arrangements and he was baptized. He is now worshiping with the Christians in that city.” [ Do pray for his further trips.]

CAMBODIA: Weekly I get reports from Bro. Bob Berard. He and some of the Cambodian brothers go to several places for worship and Bible study. Recently, he wrote this about one place they went: “Wonderful Lord’s day for us. Tawn and I rode out early to TNT where we met Nivak and then on to pick up another member, Chandy, and off then to teach a group of non-Christians at Krasahng Pa-em (about 40 present). Many there cannot read so we’ve made arrangements for a school teacher in that area to begin readingclasses this week.” What a great thing for them to do! They have Bible studies at other places during the week. They ask for our prayers.

World Bible Translation Center sends out a weekly request for prayers for each day that week. Roger Massey gives a report from the field at the close. This happened in INDIA to a mother and son. They were Hindus worshiping Hindu gods. They knew nothing about Jesus Christ. The husband had drowned in a flood on his way home. From that time on there was no longer any peace in their lives. After 2 years, the mother went to her daughter’s house in Malavalli. When the daughter saw the mother’s distress and turmoil, she said: ‘Mother, I am no longer a Hindu. I have become a Christian and believe in the Lord Jesus. If you will believe, he will give you peace.’ She gave her mother the Gospel of Mark. She explained about Jesus and how he healed many people when he was in the world. But she didn’t believe it. However, as she read the book slowly, something was talking to her in her heart. It was telling her that Jesus is the only God who can save her and take her to heaven. So she read the entire book and eventually accepted Jesus as her God and Savior. The next Sunday, she went with her daughter to a house church and learned from the teacher about baptism. Her son, Kumar, had come to be with her; and, with her encouragement, also read the Book of Mark and went with her to the house church. They both were baptized, and are at peace. The mother asks that we pray for her other relatives to accept Jesus.

REYKJAVIK, ICELAND: 2 students of Barbara Camp, Amarillo, TX., are the beginning of a congregation of the Lord’s church in Iceland. When Sigridur Hilmarsdottir and her friend, Marias Sveinsson studied lessons from WBS and WEI Internet Bible studies, they wrote Barbara they wanted to be baptized. Sigridur had translated the lessons for Marias. The Camps wrote various people trying to locate a congregation in Iceland, but found no contact. So, Lynn and Barbara flew to Reykjavik to study with the students ! She wrote: “What a blessed experience it was for us to study the Word together, for Lynn to immerse them into Christ, and to share their first experience at the Lord’s table!” Sigridur wants her apartment to be the first meeting place for the Church. They already have contacts, friends, relatives and associates with whom they are eager to share the Good News.” (To write an encouraging e-mail: Sigridur: <6929057@talnet.is>.)

PHILIPPINES: 15 year old Peter Cariaga, oldest son of missionaries Salvador and Jennie Cariaga, wrote of his ‘Experiences on a Medical and Mentoring Mission.’ Dr. John Bailey, dentist and elder from Colleyville, TX, and son of the late J. C. Bailey, who for many years was a missionary to India, wrote Salvador that he wanted to come to the Ph. “What can I do?” S. wrote: “Come on over, we’ll organize a medical mission.” Peter knew he could be of help like handing the instruments to Dr. B., and translate for him. He was impressed at the enthusiasm of Dr. B. and his hard work. He also taught church leaders how to be good ones. Peter learned Dr. B. had traveled to different countries to preach and do medical missions all of his life. His dad gave Dr. B. a tough schedule for dental work and teaching. Dr. B. looked at it and said: “That’s what I came here to do.” Church members did what they could to help. In the last two days of the mission, Peter spent some time with Dr. B. asking question after question. Patiently the doctor answered all in a language a 15 year old could understand. The one-on-one visits were so meaningful Peter was excited about his new-found friend and mentor. Peter is much wiser now and advises others to find a mentor to learn from. Dr. B. helped Peter grow up a little bit more.

PRISON MINISTRY, ABILENE, TX. Hal Howell, is an assistant Chaplain at Middleton and Robertson Units of a prison outside Abilene. Over 600 inmates have been baptized into Christ so far this year. Hal told this recent happening in A-Wing: “The Christians in A-Wing were faced with a problem. How did they deal with it? Notes were sent to all the Christians on the wing to set a time for prayer and fasting. It must have been something for the guards to witness when all the Christians refused their food trays! The good news is that God honored their prayers and the situation was resolved. What a great lesson for us who are free to learn! I ask that you remember all of our brothers in prison. God is changing lives.” Hal talks to them about the Christian walk and how to deal with Satan. (Eph.6:10-20) This is what happened to Russell, a Christian in the Robertson Unit: “He took a tremendous risk in apologizing to a fellow inmate that he had been the cause of the other’s suffering in the past. He asked the man to forgive him. The man cursed at him for 3 days but he continued to take the verbal abuse. Russell simply replied that he loved him. After 3 days the man asked him if he would study the Bible with him! R. was amazed that Jesus’ words about love for others is so true. R. is now rebuilding his relationship with the other inmate. A victory! “

THAILAND, Loei: The elders of the Westside C of C, Round Rock, TX., sent Troy Folger, Tim Garner, Jerry Jerard and BobTowell as a team to conduct a workshop for leaders of the Church, using Ed Wharton’s book on the Distinctive Nature of the N.T. Church. 47 leaders from 14 congregations had gathered for the
workshop. Udorn Inthong, preacher in Loei, is supported by the Westside church.   Kim Voraritskul, head of the preacher training school in Khon Kaen, had translated Ed. W.’s book into Thai.
Patinya Thitathan of Bangkok, and Ken Fox, missionary, translated the lessons. (Ken Fox and Udorn were in adjoining cells when the Laotian government jailed the house church when Udorn was preaching in Vientiane, Laos, in 1999. He showed a picture of abut 20 Laotians who had been at the 2002 Thai National Encampment, pointing out 5 people who had been in jail with him and Ken. The Laotians were in prison for 1 ½ years. It is good to know of their faithfulness “in spite of dungeon, sword, or flame,” as Bob Towell put it. The Westside team was privileged to witness the formation of a new congregation. They, with 2 truckloads of Christians who had been at the Workshop, went to the Mountain Thai Village. Two girls of this village had been at the Encampment in August where they were baptized. The men went into one house and the women and children in another for their meals. Each house had one large room, dirt floor, metal roof and metal sides. Both houses had electricity and a T.V.! The women prepared the meal over a campfire in one of the houses and cooked the rice in an electric slow cooker!   After the meal, the women and children joined the men for a lesson by Tim Garner, Udorn translating. Four were baptized by Chalermchi Intarachaisri of the Rapuay congregation. He had been teaching at that Village. Four brothers from nearby villages will take turns each Sunday to worship with the new Christians. Chalermchi had shown the team a picture of him receiving a Bible from Parker Henderson. Parker had entered Thailand in 1965. As a result of this workshop, the churches should grow stronger in their faith and produce even more fruit for the Kingdom!

It is hoped that these few stories of God’s children going about His Business in 2002 have inspired us all to consider sharing our faith with more lost souls with whom we come in contact. God wants all to return to Him. He has given us that responsibility. And remember Jesus’ words: “I am with you always till the end of the world.”God will help us in doing this.