February FM News

Endeavoring to obey the Word of our Lord...Go ye into all the lands and preach the Gospel to every creature. Friend on Facebook Forward to a Friend From the field: Submitted by a head pastor that received a report from one of his churches: We received 5 new converts for a full month and 2 people testified. One said that she wanted to abort for she received a pregnancy after being raped but the pastor counseled her and she came to her senses where she left such bad thoughts and was taken for HIV Testing and counseling after which she got that she is fine without viruses. Another was a youth who wanted to kill his father for lack of school fees for him to go to school and he was also prayed for after being counseled and now he is in good terms with both parents as he now understands that money is something which you can or cannot get easily. Special projects NOTE: These projects aren't funded by the FM general fund. They are only funded if earmarked funds are sent. > Food for starving orphans with Pastor Charles in Kenya > Church Buildings in various places. 5 to 10K each > Motorbikes for poor pastors: $1500 each. (only used where bicycles are not practical) > Waterwells in India $500 each Regular support options > Foreign Mission General Fund (any amount welcomed!) > 12 Month Pledge Program ($10+/month) > Indigenous Pastor support ($30/month) > Full-time Missionary support for Dennis Hilman ($200/quarter) > Orphan and children support in ALC Home in India ($30/month) > Bible and other book purchases ($30 min.) > Bicycles for pastors ($80 each) > Memorial Funds > Endowment Funds > Mission Hospital in India *Pictures and other feedback supplied, if desired. A Month of Going to the Nations! > Thank you for your past and future prayers for all the mission teams deployed around the world. Your prayers are so coveted and appreciated, since we know that we only go forth by the Grace and Mercy of God. > FM Team of Tom Lappi, Ansten Tretten, John R., Leona Matson and Ariann Somero completed the India Mission on Feb. 14th. It was wonderful to have been joined for various lengths of time by Cal Niemela and also by Ken Helmes from Finland. It surely was nice to have extra preachers, since 3 weeks of preaching many times per day is very intense for just two speakers, even if they remain healthy the whole time, which has been rare. > Bob Maki, Al and Kathy Traffie, and Leona Matson have finished up in Pakistan and in Myanmar. Blessed times were had. They are now in another difficult country, their last one on this trip. More on that later. > Dennis Hilman has been in Guatemala and will be finishing up 2 months there on March 7th. > Brian Niemitalo is currently on an FM trip to Russia. He is joined by Mischa K. from Canada. Shane Juuti will join him on March 11th. > Thank you for your many and continued prayers for your Foreign Mission. We desire to be humble servants in His Vineyard. Up Coming Events > Dennis, Bob, and Leona will be going, Lord willing, to Ghana, Togo, and Liberia in April. If you act very quickly you are welcome to join them! > The Philippines trip is scheduled for May 1st. Colin Kinnunen will be leading the team. Perhaps one or two more could still join this trip. > The Philippines team will also visit Vietnam. > Anyone interested in going to Guatemala, please email the address at the bottom. Since so many individuals want to go to Guatemala, the FM feels it very important that people go in organized groups rather than individually. The FM always has a future group trip planned there, so please email! > Lord willing, there will be at least one more trip to Russia coming up this year. You are welcome to come! God Given Blessings! 2000 Bibles have been printed and are being distributed in Myanmar. This comes after 11 years of work translating into a language that previously had no Bible. > Four bicycles were donated to poor pastors in India. These pastors will now be able to reach their congregants and churches much more efficiently than by walking. > Three additional water wells with pumps are currently being drilled in India. These wells open the door to preach the Gospel to Hindu villagers, as the Christians are happy to share their water, showing the Love of Christ to the village! > The ALC Home in India has received gifts this month that will allow for new mattresses for the children, as well as other maintenance projects! > Candy, pencils, crayons, soaps, sandals, hats, and other such small items were donated and distributed during the recent mission trips. The Foreign Mission extends a sincere THANK YOU to all who lovingly gave for these causes and for the Foreign Mission general fund. Volunteer oppurtunities: Last month we put forth a call for volunteers to help with various tasks. Some wonderful people have come forward! There is still room for you! Video editing is one of the areas that help is still desired in, as well as various other tasks. Just email foreignmission@comcast.net Your help is greatly appreciated. Joshua and Sadisha are siblings in the ALC Home in India Work is hard in India Large Services at night with over 1000 people are common in India www.themissionsite.com| find us on Facebook | forward to a friend Mailing address for DONATIONS: The Foreign Mission 1601 NW 4th Avenue Battle Ground, Washington98604 Add us to your address book Mailing address for CORRESPONDENCE: The Foreign Mission of the ALC 63 Poor Farm Road New Ipswich, NH 03071 Copyright © 2012 The Foreign Mission, All rights reserved.

A Change in Myanmar?

Myanmar seems different than it did last time I was here...in a cautiously optimistic way.

The people say, "Slowly, slowly things are better here. Slowly, slowly...and things will get better if the April election goes well.

Will it be fair? We hope so."

For those who don't know, Burma (or Myanmar) had been ruled by an illegal military junta since the 60's. It was considered the second most repressive regime in the world. Last year that supposedly changed and they are now ruled by a nominally democratic government. It's a very far cry from a true democracy--the election, for example, was rigged so the government party won, but even still things are beginning to change for the better. We hope and pray the change continues and reaches to all areas of the country!

The team spent just a short time in Myanmar and enjoyed seminars, a graduation ceremony, and lots of fellowship. Here are a few pictures of our time in Myanmar!

                                                  A time of singing before the seminars started.

                                                   The graduating students at the Bible College.

                Local kids who were drawn to the weird foreigners...and the free soft drinks!

                                           Many locals still worship here at the Buddhist temple.

 We enjoyed lots of fellowship!

God is always with us!

Greeting from Asia! It's wonderful to be here. The small team here have enjoyed our time and the fellowship of our brothers and sisters. Several things have surprised us since we have arrived. For one thing we have never felt unsafe or in danger. The people have been welcoming and even the people in the street have been helpful and interested to talk to us.

The fellowship have been very blessed. It's been wonderful to share in fellowship here! Here is a small gathering in a home which was planned last minute but there were still enough people that the room was overflowing!

One thing that has been a wonderful surprise is the participation of men! So often it seems like there are very few men in the churches, but here we have seen many men--young and old--involved in the fellowships.

Please continue to pray for us! We will leave here and head east tonight.

India by Ariann

We are coming close to the end of our time in India. Once again, it has been a wonderful trip. Here are a few pictures and comments by Ariann sharing some of her memories:

These are the ladies that presented us with our flowers

at the first of the many church services.

This is at another service. I just love all their colorful clothes!

We were able to take some of the kids from the orphanage

in Dr. Kumars's area to play with them on a piece of land he owns.

All of the boys played cricket while us girls played kabiddy.

This little boy came with his mother to one of the

 Bible studies we held.

This is at the baptism 5 young people.

 So amazing to witness.

Ansten Tretten just left for home this morning, but John Ruotsala, Tom Lappi, Leona Matson, and Ariann Somero will continue for another few days. Ken Helmes has joined us as well. We all covet your prayers!

Indian dowries

A very interesting thing took place one evening after the service. A young lady, maybe 16 or 17, came to talk with us.  She was a Christian and a member of one of the local churches that Dr. Kumar and other local pastors serve. The reason she came to talk with us was rather surprising. Her parents had decided it was time for her to get married and had found an acceptable young man. She and a young man were planning to get married, but the young man and his family were demanding a $20,000.00 {US dollars} as a dowry! This is very common in India.  It puts great pressure on families with girls, especially families of modest means.  To my way of thinking this does not make any sense at all. After speaking with her for a short while and sensing her quiet, pleasant manner it made less and less sense.  If anything the payment should go from the man and his family to the young lady and her family!

The young lady currently serves as a Sunday School teacher to these children.

 This concept of dowry is one of the reasons the Word of God is needed in India as well as every other country on the face of this earth.  This concept of dowry puts pressure on couples who are expecting a baby to determine the sex of the unborn very early. Many people who learn that their baby is a girl decide to abort their little one for financial reasons. 

Please pray for us as we proclaim the Word of God, that the Spirit will reveal the things of Christ to all who hear it. Paul explains that in the Kingdom of God there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female.  How much this makes me praise God for what we have been taught from our childhood, concerning respect for all who have been created in the image of God. When Lori and I were expecting our children it didn’t matter to us in the least if our newborn was to be a boy or a girl. We put all of that in the hands of God who knows everything we need, and we can look back with more praise in our hearts and on our lips when we see that he does all things well. 

God’s  Peace.  Tom Lappi