December Foreign Mission Monthlly News

Goers and Senders "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" Romans 10:14-15  Your Foreign Mission wants to thank each one of you for your support in 2013! That support helped Christians serve in dozens of places around the world. The Bible tells us that those missionaries that go out cannot do so without being sent and your prayers and donations are an essential part of that sending process. We pray that God would continue to lead you to send us out in 2014. God's Peace be with you all this blessed holiday season.	Word from the field: We, the Lutheran Church of Christ of Togo...wish you, your family and to FMB/ALCA Merry Christmas…. In the same way We wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014. May this year bring us Good Health, Strength to work hardily in God's vineyard as We do it. May He fill us with His Grace and His benedictions. Extend our Greetings to everyone. Rev Nestor (President Lutheran Church of Christ of Togo)	Support options  Email or click on the Donate link above for regular support options. Special projects Only funded with earmarked funds > Church building fund The building fund helps congregations build their own place of worship. any amount gladly accepted > Bible fund Many Christians around the world have no Bible. ~$10/Bible *Pictures and other feedback supplied, if desired.
Upcoming events > There will be a trip to India in January. > If anyone congregation needs information for upcoming annual meetings, please contact the FM Administrator who will be happy to supply detailed reports. > Trips to over 10 countries are being planned for 2014. Contact the FM Administrator for more information.   Prayer and praise > Thank God for the work done He has allowed your Foreign Mission to do in 2013. > Pray for Christians around the world this holiday season. > Pray that God would give clear direction for where the Foreign Mission should go in 2014. > Thank you to the Ashburnham Apostolic Lutheran Church congregation. When they did renovations on their own church building, they also donated a matching amount of money to help build a church overseas.

FM Monthly News November 2013

Endeavoring to obey the Word of our Lord...Go ye into all the lands and preach the Gospel to every creature. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Name and Blood of Jesus Last year when we went to Kenya, our team met the Archbishop of the Nambii Christian Church of East Africa and promised to visit and preach at some of his churches. To fulfill that promise, we attended a special seminar this year. This church has many ancient customs and beliefs. Having no idea what to expect when we arrived, God quickly revealed to us to preach repentance and remission of sins in the almighty and powerful Name and Blood of Jesus. Traditionally, their practice of repentance was to sing and chant and try to scare the devil and sin out.  After up to two hours of loud chanting, they beat drums and physically chased the devil, sin, and evil spirits out the door of the church. All praise be to God that after preaching there, these wonderful people heard the voice of the Good Shepherd, causing many coming to hear for themselves that their sins were forgiven in the Name and Blood of Jesus. After the service, the vice archbishop got up and said, "We will now begin to pray and have religious reeducation meetings to study the Word, so that we can begin to preach these truths to our people." God is good! Please pray for this church, and we hope to follow up with a large convention with them next year. Word from the field: For several days our team taught at a Christian school in Kenya (one of many classrooms pictured above) where many of the children are AIDS orphans. In response to a question of what it means to be blessed, one ten-year-old girl responded, "To be blessed is to be delivered from sin, and to be shown how to find the right path to follow God. Another young child said, "Follow God in all situations" in answer to the question of what was meant by the story of the fiery furnace.  We are so thankful that these children are being taught the truths of God! May God Bless them all! Support options  Email or click on the Donate link above for regular support options.   Special projects Only funded with earmarked funds > Church Building for Kenya $1200 > Widow and orphan support in many countries in any amount > The Bible fund is low at the time.  Any amount > Disaster Relief Fund. Any amount (see note about the Philippines under Prayer and Praise below) ALC Churches Worldwide Here is the view from the pulpit looking into the congregation at Pastor Sylvester's church in Kenya Upcoming trips > Trip to India on January 21st to Feb 7, 2014. We have room for one or two more people, if you are interested. > Trip to Myanmar and Pakistan in Fall 2014. > Trip to West Africa in February 2014. Prayer and praise > Please pray for the people in the Philippines who are still struggling after the hurricane hit several weeks ago. If you wish to support the Disaster Relief Fund that allows us to respond quickly to such disasters, contact the FM Administrator. > Praise God for the successful trips to South Africa and Kenya. Both mission teams thank you all for your prayers and support! God blessed the teams with good health (except for some minor stomach issues) and safety. Updates can be found in the blog by clicking here. > Please pray for upcoming trips. > Please pray for the people hearing the Word around the world. > Pray for Bibles for poor Christians around the world. The Word of God is food! > Especially give thanks and praise to God this Thanksgiving Season for all of His provisions and blessings! www.themissionsite.com | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Mailing address for DONATIONS: The Foreign Mission of the ALC 1601 NW 4th Avenue, Battle Ground, WA 98604 Mailing address for CORRESPONDENCE: The Foreign Mission of the ALC 63 Poor Farm Road New Ipswich, NH 03071     unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

Schools and churches

Just over a week ago the girls and I made it to the third main area we are visiting on this trip: Pastor Charles’ area near Gucha, Kenya. Here is a recap of our last few days alone before we were joined by Dennis Hilman and John Ruotsala:

We visited two more schools while with Pastor Charles, bringing the total up to eight schools since arriving here in Kenya! Here is the last school where all of the several hundred students gathered out under the trees while we taught them.

We spent a lot of time teaching the children at Pastor Charles’ Bible lessons, but we also had time to just play as well! Here are Fanny and Anna-li playing volleyball with some of the kids.

 We also had time to join in on a few chores…like fetching water from the spring. The kids can easily carry a full bucket of water back on their heads without holding on…we didn’t do so well! Johanna did manage to balance it for this picture, but you can see that she also lost some of her water a few times while trying to get it right!

One of the lessons we taught the children was a basic gospel message. We followed up by making gospel bracelets. Black for sin, red for the blood of Jesus, white because we are washed clean, etc.

After we had been with Pastor Charles’ for four days, John Ruotsala and Dennis Hilman joined us. Here are a few pictures of what we’ve been up to since they arrived:

We visited all three of the churches in Pastor Charles’ area during our time with him. None of the churches have buildings; instead they worship under makeshift shelters made of sticks and leaves. This is the church of Pastor Sylvester who some of you may remember as the pastor who had a tumor removed from the back of his head several years back.

 Here is Pastor Charles’ home church. The girls are singing songs with the children. Pastor Charles hopes to build a permanent church here soon. He already has bricks, sand, and rocks waiting. When they are able to purchase the rest of the supplies, they will begin building.

Here are Dennis and the girls praying for people in the third church we visited. We reached the church by taking some very treacherous roads full of rocks! We were glad it didn’t start raining while we were here or we may still be there as the roads would certainly be impassable! 

We are now preparing to head out to Pastor Fredrick’s area. We ask that you continue to pray for us as we continue to minister here in Kenya.

“Don’t forget us!”

“Everyone has said to us, ‘Don’t forget us!’ and I promise that we never could!” Anna-li said to the Injuni congregation on Sunday morning. “We have been so changed by Kenya and the people we have met. We will never forget you!”

She is right. We have been in Kenya for several weeks now and it has been busy and life-changing. Our first week with Pastor Timothy was a wonderful introduction to this beautiful country and our recent time with Pastor Fredrick in Injuni has been just as blessed. Our time there was short but busy. Here are a few pictures from our time there:

We visited the local primary school and told the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den with the help of some of the kids. Here are the 120 Princes bowing before Prince Darius.

On Saturday afternoon, after we held lessons for the kids and the youth all day, we went for a walk to the local soapstone quarry.

The church was full for the service on Sunday morning with many youth and children in attendance.

On Sunday afternoon we went to the school field to play with the kids. They enjoyed racing us and, no, we never won!

We are in Kisii town now but will head out to Pastor Charles’ area tomorrow and then on Saturday we look forward to seeing John Ruotsala and Dennis Hilman who will join us for the rest of the trip. Please continue to pray for our time here!

 

SCARING THE CHILDREN!!

 

"We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world." Eph. 6:12

 

When the Lord sends us to preach the gospel of reconciliation to the uttermost parts of the earth the enemy often shows his resistance.  In the industrialized countries of the world satan puts on a difference face than he does in the African countries.  But he has the same purpose.  He is a deceiver, a liar, a thief and a murderer and wants that none would be saved.  When he places souls in the shackles of sin and fear and darkness he will resist when the Prince of Peace sends his servants into the domain of the  prince of darkness. He uses his diabolical powers to retain his grip.  For instance he uses alcohol as a tool to control many, along with witchcraft and ancestor worship.  When the power of the gospel - the forgiveness of sins in the name and blood of Jesus - is brought forth many are set free.  

 

When the preached word has touched hearts and God gives the strength to repent and believe, satan growls like a lion to remind of his power.  He especially wants to frighten children because he desires to possess their souls.  In the ministry of the United Lutheran Church many schools are visited and the Word of God is freely spoken to the children. We,  Pastor Dennis Hilman and myself, Pastor Bob Maki, have confronted satanism first hand in a number of schools.

 

One middle school was traumatized a few months ago during the school day when a large black bird flew overhead dropping things on the children.  The children were frightened out of their wits and many passed out from sheer fright.  The bird then flew to the roof of the school and the roof collapsed killing many children!  This week when we went to that same school a thousand children were assembled in front of us.  They first sang Christian hymns and prayed.  The Christian principal then introduced us and Bishop Mphahlele from the ULCSA and we began to preach God's word, naming the name of Christ.  

At that moment  a black cloud appeared in the midst of the children and frightened them badly.  All of them ran towards us on the platform in front of them. If it had not been for the quick thinking of the Bishop in opening the two doors into the school corridor many would have been trampled and hurt.  The principal quickly took control and with God's strength and Word calmed the traumatized children.  We all comforted the children and assured them that greater is He who is in them that he who is in the world.  That He is always with us and His perfect love casts out all fear. Then with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, we were able to fend off the evil one and continue with the service.

Pastors Dennis Hilman and Bob Maki

My Sheep Know My Voice!

 

 

The call went out to reconvene at the pastors' and church leaders' seminar near Randfontein and these two sheep came trotting.

Participants in the seminar for pastors and church leaders gathered at the church called Bethlehem for a day long seminar. Virtually every one of them heard the voice of the Good Shepherd and wanted to hear the blessed gospel of sins forgiven proclaimed in the name and blood of Jesus

Participants in the seminar for pastors and church leaders gathered at the church called Bethlehem for a day long seminar. Virtually every one of them heard the voice of the Good Shepherd and wanted to hear the blessed gospel of sins forgiven proclaimed in the name and blood of Jesus

In the week that followed we spent much time in the village of Maskiet in the Northwest Province. Many were the homes we visited praying for people. Here with the Bishop at the home of a church elder Ishmael.. We also visited many home of people who are not attending the church

We served Holy Communion to 98-year-old grandmother Lydia. Her memory has largely gone, but not her sharp grasp of living faith.

The Bishop encouraging a young mother and her children.

This dear sister Pini is totally blind but testified that she can see Jesus very clearly!

A little girl pulling the head off of a large bodied winged ant. These creatures emerge from the ground after a heavy rain like we had yesterday. The children delight in collecting their inflated bodies which are considered a real delicacy when fried. Yumm!!

A common sight in the village of Maskiet - along with many wandering donkeys, goats, cows, chickens and stray dogs.

On Sunday morning the Bishop and Pastor Bob got ready for church with a dear friend brother Martin. This is the "lost sheep" God led us to last year after a long time 'away in the mountains' with no contact. In spite of everything his faith had been preserved and now he is truly committed to following Christ. He is married and the father of four children.

Pastor Bob in preparation for the Holy Communion service in Maskiet to begin in the tent which was specially rented and erected for this occasion

 

 Pastor Bob preaching powerfully on the Prodigal Son with the Bishop translating into Tswana just as powerfully.

The tent was nearly full and to our great joy there were many men and young men in the back half. This is quite unusual in South Africa.

The message went home by the power of the Holy Spirit, with many many following the Prodigal Son into the arms of the Father!!

Back in Radfontein at one of my very favorite places - Boys' Town - for boys with a difficult or even non-existent family histories. Only seven boys were in that night to hear about the example of young David (like David's seven brothers) but all but one of them came forward to be blessed by the personal message of the Gospel. You could call it a real revival.

 

Jumbo! Greetings from Kenya!

Johanna Akerlund, Fanny Snellman, Anna-li Snellman, and I have been here for just a week now and it has been a great time! We have been working in the public schools as well as with the children here at Pastor Timothy’s home. Here are some pictures of the girls at work during the last week:

Fanny teaching the story of the Good Samaritan with the help of Johanna and Anna-li. We taught in this school for two days. It is one of two public schools in the village where we are staying.

Johanna playing football (soccer) with the kids. The girls donated the football to the orphanage. A few days later the kids were using it as a volleyball, so it’s become quite a versatile ball!

Anna-li and Fanny with Andy and Linea the puppets. The kids LOVED the puppets, though they felt a lot better about them after one by asked, “Are those dolls really talking or what’s happening?!” and Anna-li showed them how it worked.

Johanna teaching the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 in another primary school. This public school is in a near-by village. Both of the schools are sponsored by Pastor Timothy’s ministry.

We all helped the kids with the corn harvest on Saturday. Here is Anna-li, Fanny, and Pastor Timothy’s youngest daughter, Karen.

We will continue to a new area tomorrow with Pastor Timothy, then three days later to a different part of Kenya. We will be here for a total of six weeks.  Please pray as we continue to serve in this beautiful country!

Leona