Our annual convention now complete! It was a huge blessing to be at these services! May God continue to bless our church and country so that we could continue to meet like this into the future.
Thank you to the Hockinson congregation for the wonderful job of hosting the convention. So many people worked so hard to make it all happen. They were so very friendly and easy to work with. Also, thanks to the many people from other western congregations that joined in the work as well. May God Bless you all for you kindness!
It was wonderful to have our many foreign guests with us. They reported that they were warmly received and welcomed. This is greatly appreciated.
The youth gatherings were huge at this year’s convention. Hundreds of youth gathered to listen to messages, sing, and be together. We are so thankful for our youth, as they ARE a FULL PART of our church today, not only in the days ahead.
The Foreign Mission Monthly News and Prayer Requests
• Dennis Hilman is finally getting some rest time in Finland after many months of being in the mission field. The plan is for Dennis to be in America and Canada at the end of July and August. Keep an eye open for him in Michigan (Ironwood youth camp in Watersmeet) and perhaps quick visits to congregations and individuals in the UP. Also, Lord willing, he will be attending the fall services in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada.
• Following this trip, Dennis heads back into the mission field, most likely to destinations in Africa. Exact dates and places to be determined soon.
• This is the time of year that the Foreign Mission has completed the scheduled yearly cycle of trips around the world. They will be meeting to set up a budget and schedule for a new cycle of similar mission trips. Please check the green latest news blog on the website in the coming months to see which trips are scheduled. You can also email: foreignmission@comcast.net for trip information.
• Please be aware that you can read all of the blogs and the Where He Leads newsletter on our main website at www.themissionsite.com
• Pastors please note: “The Weekly Diner” Pastors and other Christians are encouraged to contribute articles for this weekly email publication that goes throughout the world! Articles are in short supply during this busy summer season.
• Church visits are being fully enjoyed by the administrator of the FM. All Sundays are booked until September, as well as certain week nights.
• Thank you to all that visited the Foreign Mission table at the convention. It is always so enjoyable to chat with Christians from around the USA.
• Please remember to pray for the hundreds of congregations and pastors that your Foreign Mission works with, visits and fellowships with across the world. So many desire your prayer support, and they would love to fellowship with you if it were possible. Congregation in India. (Size of congregation 400 No church building, street meetings are held. Very impoverished people. In this congregation a pastor was beheaded about 4 years ago during the service)
Special Projects for this Month
Donations can be specially earmarked for these special causes
• South African Sunday School Teaching with Leona Matson. We are about half way to our goal for funds for Leona’s trip and supplies. Thank you to all who have helped so far. For more info email foreignmission@comcast.net Leona will be in SA from September until November. Please pray for her.
• Juan Ponce, Guatemala. Progress is going well. Continued church building fund. About 60 to 70% complete.
• Bibles, altar books, Sunday school material, Principles of the Doctrine, and other books are being sent out to various countries as needed. The FM desires to continue to do this.
• Thank you to The Masters Mission and individuals for help with the funding of a church building in India. This project is about to enter the 3rd and final phase of construction.
Note: Due to the travel schedule around the USA from late June until the end of August by the author of these reports, they will be shorter during this time frame. Please pray for safe travels! Visiting with many of you has been enjoyed, and with others it is being looked forward to!
May God Bless your summer!
*****************************************************************************
Regular Support Options and Programs
Here are various ways that you can help in the mission field!
• Foreign Mission General Fund. (any amount welcomed!)
• 12 Month Pledge Program ($10 per mo. and up)
• Indigenous Pastor support ($30 per month per pastor) Names and pictures given.
• Full time Missionary support ($200 per quarter) Dennis Hilman
• Orphan and children support ($30 per month.) in ALC Home in India Pictures and videos supplied.
• Bible and other book purchases ($30 min.)
• Bicycles for pastors ($80 ea. picture given)
• Memorial Funds
• Endowment Funds
• Wells in India: $500 per well
• Mission Hospital in India
Email: for more info if desired at foreignmission@comcast.net
You can very easily donate to any above cause, and even set up for automatic monthly payments by clicking on PaySimple below:
To Donate by check in response to this email: The Foreign Mission 1601 NW 4th Avenue, Battle Ground, WA 98604
Website: www.themissionsite.com
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Russia - At last!
(Pictures inserted into article below!)
Four long years. No possibility to visit brothers and sisters in Christ, friends, acquaintances or congregations there. Then a visa was issued, and like faith that admits us through the very gates of heaven, I was suddenly being admitted through the passport control of the beautifully new Ekaterinburg airport. Christian friends met me at the gate and I was back in Russia!! Seven years I had served there from 1999 to 2006. Since then I had often been filled with doubt, trepidation and even fear about returning since my visa had been cancelled. The nightmare of being pulled off that train by the militia just inside the border on my way back to Russia in July 2006 was still very real. But now that was all dispersed, like stepping out of a dark cloud.
(Note: This is quite a long article with many pictures, so please get yourself a cup of coffee or your favorite glass of juice and just relax with me. I am quite confident that you will enjoy it!)
Within a few days after I arrived in Ekaterinburg Greg Greve and Bruce Ruotsala joined me. Greg is a dear friend and most seasoned Russian missionary and Bruce is the 19 year old son of our Foreign Mission administrator John Ruotsala. They were indispensible to making the month we spent in Russia a blessed and successful one. The key to a Russian missionary effort, we have found, is individual contacts. In places like India, for instance, one tends to think in terms of groups - large groups of pastors and thousands of people attending outdoor meetings. In Russia it is contacts with individual people that really make the difference. For instance our congregations that existed before in Ekaterinburg and Izhevsk simply exist no more. But the people still do and therefore one must be armed with the Russian language and a cell phone filled with personal numbers. Greg and I come prepared. Thankfully the German Lutheran Church in Ekaterinburg under the leadership of Pastor Waldemar Yesse (who issued me the official invitation so I could get a visa) has proved to be a spiritual home for many of our former congregation members. It was there I preached on Sunday and we had a reunion of some of these dear brothers and sisters.
A second touching reunion was held in the village of Gagarka. Many of you will remember Marat from Gagarka and how he led a village revival from the age of 13 when he converted from Islam and was baptized with his younger brother Dima. Even their mother came to faith at that time. Imagine singing songs of praise to God ten years later in that same humble room where they were baptized - praying and preaching as we acknowledged the power and grace of Jesus Christ to keep people in the way, the truth and the life. With joy we can testify that Marat and his family are still confessing faith.
Too numerous to mention are the amount of people with whom we had contact in Ekaterinburg but we should definitely acknowlege here the amount of work that Misha Ustuzhanin did to arrange things for our stay. Misha was the teenager who was invited to the Christmas celebration at our church back in 2001 for the first time. That evening he experienced how Jesus was born in his heart and ever since then he has remained with us. Also Denis Zhevlakov, the 17 year old who was the first of many young internees to repent and come to faith at the boys prison in that city back in 2000 is still with us. He is a taxi driver, has his own cars, and drove us many places - like to Gagarka twice. And Lena Ilyenkova, a faithful sister who served as Sunday School teacher and music leader for our congregation there is still an active sister. Our first Sunday School students from ten years ago, Julia and Roma, are still serious Christians. Julia is married and just had her second baby while we were there. After some years of testing his own wings Roma has returned to the faith in a deep and positive way.
In general the spiritual climate was good in the Ekaterinburg area and we are pleased with the work of the German Lutheran Church to provide a home for many of our dispersed congregation. Of course some go to other churches but in most cases the faith has been preserved.
By the new Cathedral of the Blood in Ekaterinburg with my dear friend and travelling brother Greg Greve - the man responsible for most of the pictures with this article. This cathedral was built on the place where the last Czar of Russia and his family were shot in 1918. (Ekaterinburg is more than 1000 miles east of Moscow, behind the Ural Mountains in Asian Russia).
Together again - at the German Lutheran Church with (from left) Nona, Lena, "little Lena" and Roma, the first boy in our Sunday School ten years ago.
Several of our original congregation gathered after the Sunday service. Denis Zhevlakov on the left.
Lena Ilyenkova a dear and faithful sister, originally Sunday School teacher and music leader in our congregation. Ekaterinburg's skyline in the background.
Heartfelt reunion. Seeing Marat again after almost five years.
Together with Marat, his mother Nadya and brother Dima
Typical village home like Marat's in Gagarka.
Greg with Misha Ustuzhanin, the main coordinator of our stay in the Ekaterinburg area
Bruce Ruotsala by the ruins of an old Orthodox church in the village of Galkinskoye, 65 miles from Ekaterinburg.
Greg with Vasily Melnichenko and his son Sasha, our friends and brothers in Galkinskoye who promote living and sustainable villages in Russia, starting in their home area. - 2 hours drive east of Ekaterinburg.
Happy send-off by precious friends from Ekaterinburg as we headed for Izhevsk by train.
Greg and Bruce talked me into taking the "plats carte" car on the overnight train to Izhevsk - about 14 hours to the west. This is an open sleeping car with bunks accommodating six people in each area. Usually I have taken a sleeping compartment with 4 bunk-beds each and a closing door. But no, they wanted "more contact with the Russian people". I was OK until about 3:00 a.m. when the conductor woke me up and told me that a lady who was leaving the train had stored her bag in the box under my bed so I had to get up. It was a bit difficult to go back to sleep after this "contact" but I did manage.
The time in Izhevsk was again very people oriented. Our faithful sister Diana opened her home for the three of us while we were there. She is the professor of English at the university whose home we visited the first time many years ago because she was interested in speaking English with us. God then touched her heart deeply with the Gospel and she has become one of the most true servants of the living God since then. Some of you remember our dear old "matching babushkas", sisters Raiya and Klava, who are both still doing quite well. We got to see them on more than one occasion, especially when we visited Sasha (Klava's son) and Katya Tumanov. We also had a short but meaningful visit with Sasha Smirnov, the former pastor who since has been removed because of irregularities in his service. Unfortunately this means that there is no shepherd for this flock in Izhevsk, but we did mange to have a fairly well attended Sunday service at a local Christian bookstore.
On Saturday we hired a van and took a group of people on quite a long journey to the village of Verkh Uni where we used to have an active congregation and regular services. Anatoly, the man responsible in that area was only able to gather very few people for the service. It was the first communion service there in five years. The other village we visited later, Gureis Pudga had a well attended service because there is a full-time pastor trainee there who serves the local church most conscientiously. Very encouraging! This man, also named Marat, is sponsored so far by the Ingrian Lutheran Church but would definitely need our support since he is also trying to revive the congregation in Izhevsk, 1½ hours away.
Teatime in our open "plats carte" sleeping accommodations on the train to Izhevsk.
Diana, professor of English, our faithful hostess and Christian sister in Izhevsk.
Sunday evening church service in Gureis Pudga. An active little rural congregation whose church was built by Finnish Christians.
And speaking of people, Shekino, our next stop south of Moscow, is a lovely people place. Here is where Bruce Selin got a congregation started some years ago together with Misha and Natasha Krupinov. Bruce has been the driving force behind most of our congregations in Russia. Now one of the first members, Vitaly Praslov, who initially vociferously maintained that the only church necessary in Russia was the Orthodox Church, is now the ordained pastor there. Pyoter and Irina Bagrayntseva are still probably the main anchors in Shekino. Pyoter and Vitaly took us to the boys' detention center where every one of the 15 boys who attended our service humbled themselves before the mighty hand of God and asked to hear the blessed gospel of the forgiveness of sins. We blessed each one personally in the mighty name of Jesus and the power of His blood.. What joy and peace there was then in the room - a room that they had all entered rowdy and laughing, and now where they were completely gripped by the Spirit!
***************************************
Archive photo from the boys' detention center in Shekino with Pyoter and Greg. This time only 15 of the oldest boys were able to attend our service.
With friends in Shekino.
Placing flowers on the monument commemorating the thousands of victims of Stalin's repression - for many a reign of terror - in the Shekino area.
Lastly we come to Rzhev, about 150 miles northwest of Moscow. Here Pastor Valery Antipov and his wife Natasha have served for many years. Here also is a beautiful church which was completed about four years ago and basically sponsored by the Russia Project Ministry, again spearheaded by Bruce Selin. The congregation has not grown noticeably but it is still very much alive. The thing that really interests Greg and me in all of these areas, but maybe especially Rzhev, are the lost and faltering sheep. We often work the fringes of these congregations.
Let me tell you about one particular little sheep. Maybe some of you remember an article I wrote from Rzhev about six years ago called "Little Prince of the Streets" about a small Gypsy beggar boy Roma. Since leaving Rhzev almost five years ago I have had no contact with this boy but I have prayed for him regularly through the years. Gypsies - also often "despised and rejected of men" - are not people who live in one place. I knew that Roma and his family would have moved all over the place since then, begging for their livelihood. When I returned to Rzhev I just prayed that in some miraculous way I would find him and let him know that God still loves him and his family. One day Greg and Bruce and I decided to just go out and comb the streets and bazaars of the city in the remote chance of finding him. We prayed as we returned to our hotel from the church by car to begin this mission. As we pulled up to the hotel and I looked up - there was Roma coming around the corner!! I just gasped and cried out, "Look who we have here!!" It was totally incredible! But there he was, now grown to a boy of 14 but easily recognizable. In the days that followed we spent many times together, at the church, at his home or just sharing time together. He really hit it off with Bruce and now he wants to be baptized. Then his family packed their bags and were off to a new destination. We had met like satellites in the realm of space and just as suddenly he was gone again. God's miraculous hand is, however, not shortened.
While in Rzhev we attended the church on many occasions. Once they asked me to show my mission pictures with a testimony of faith. On two occasions we attended a concert of spiritual music there and on Sunday I preached at the Holy Communion service. On Sunday evening I spoke and showed my slides at the Baptist Church where our dear friend and brother Mikael Soloviov is pastor. All in all we had a very active time in Rzhev - especially among the weak and straying sheep.
******************************************
Roma the little gypsy boy as he looked when I first found him six years ago.
.......and now "our miracle" as he looks today.
Roma with his little brother Artur and sister Maria.
Congregation gathered after the Sunday service in the Rzhev Lutheran Church.
The church in Rzhev as it stands today. It is the direct result of support that was channelled from brothers and sisters in America through the Russia Project Ministry, which has since become a part of the Foreign Mission of the ALCA.
The month in Russia was a truly meaningful and uplifting experience - except for the constant need to register and re-register our visas as we travelled from city to city which caused us more than its share of headaches. But all in all it was just great to be in that huge country again and to travel with Greg and Bruce Ruotsala. Greg is such an incredible missionary communicator. His Russian has improved very much and his blessed people skills just get better. Bruce, the novice, quickly found his way around, picked up Russian like it was seeping through his pores and was an avid student of my communication lessons on our long train rides. I believe God blessed us all and now I look forward once more to another mission trip to Russia sometime in the future.
I so well remember how Bruce Selin first said to me years ago, "Dennis, I want you to go with me to Siberia." How that invitation changed my life. On this trip I often thought of Bruce and how he trail-blazed the way to Russia for so much of our mission there.
In God's love and peace,
Dennis Hilman
Four long years. No possibility to visit brothers and sisters in Christ, friends, acquaintances or congregations there. Then a visa was issued, and like faith that admits us through the very gates of heaven, I was suddenly being admitted through the passport control of the beautifully new Ekaterinburg airport. Christian friends met me at the gate and I was back in Russia!! Seven years I had served there from 1999 to 2006. Since then I had often been filled with doubt, trepidation and even fear about returning since my visa had been cancelled. The nightmare of being pulled off that train by the militia just inside the border on my way back to Russia in July 2006 was still very real. But now that was all dispersed, like stepping out of a dark cloud.
(Note: This is quite a long article with many pictures, so please get yourself a cup of coffee or your favorite glass of juice and just relax with me. I am quite confident that you will enjoy it!)
Within a few days after I arrived in Ekaterinburg Greg Greve and Bruce Ruotsala joined me. Greg is a dear friend and most seasoned Russian missionary and Bruce is the 19 year old son of our Foreign Mission administrator John Ruotsala. They were indispensible to making the month we spent in Russia a blessed and successful one. The key to a Russian missionary effort, we have found, is individual contacts. In places like India, for instance, one tends to think in terms of groups - large groups of pastors and thousands of people attending outdoor meetings. In Russia it is contacts with individual people that really make the difference. For instance our congregations that existed before in Ekaterinburg and Izhevsk simply exist no more. But the people still do and therefore one must be armed with the Russian language and a cell phone filled with personal numbers. Greg and I come prepared. Thankfully the German Lutheran Church in Ekaterinburg under the leadership of Pastor Waldemar Yesse (who issued me the official invitation so I could get a visa) has proved to be a spiritual home for many of our former congregation members. It was there I preached on Sunday and we had a reunion of some of these dear brothers and sisters.
A second touching reunion was held in the village of Gagarka. Many of you will remember Marat from Gagarka and how he led a village revival from the age of 13 when he converted from Islam and was baptized with his younger brother Dima. Even their mother came to faith at that time. Imagine singing songs of praise to God ten years later in that same humble room where they were baptized - praying and preaching as we acknowledged the power and grace of Jesus Christ to keep people in the way, the truth and the life. With joy we can testify that Marat and his family are still confessing faith.
Too numerous to mention are the amount of people with whom we had contact in Ekaterinburg but we should definitely acknowlege here the amount of work that Misha Ustuzhanin did to arrange things for our stay. Misha was the teenager who was invited to the Christmas celebration at our church back in 2001 for the first time. That evening he experienced how Jesus was born in his heart and ever since then he has remained with us. Also Denis Zhevlakov, the 17 year old who was the first of many young internees to repent and come to faith at the boys prison in that city back in 2000 is still with us. He is a taxi driver, has his own cars, and drove us many places - like to Gagarka twice. And Lena Ilyenkova, a faithful sister who served as Sunday School teacher and music leader for our congregation there is still an active sister. Our first Sunday School students from ten years ago, Julia and Roma, are still serious Christians. Julia is married and just had her second baby while we were there. After some years of testing his own wings Roma has returned to the faith in a deep and positive way.
In general the spiritual climate was good in the Ekaterinburg area and we are pleased with the work of the German Lutheran Church to provide a home for many of our dispersed congregation. Of course some go to other churches but in most cases the faith has been preserved.
By the new Cathedral of the Blood in Ekaterinburg with my dear friend and travelling brother Greg Greve - the man responsible for most of the pictures with this article. This cathedral was built on the place where the last Czar of Russia and his family were shot in 1918. (Ekaterinburg is more than 1000 miles east of Moscow, behind the Ural Mountains in Asian Russia).
Together again - at the German Lutheran Church with (from left) Nona, Lena, "little Lena" and Roma, the first boy in our Sunday School ten years ago.
Together with Marat, his mother Nadya and brother Dima
Typical village home like Marat's in Gagarka.
Greg with Misha Ustuzhanin, the main coordinator of our stay in the Ekaterinburg area
Bruce Ruotsala by the ruins of an old Orthodox church in the village of Galkinskoye, 65 miles from Ekaterinburg.
Greg with Vasily Melnichenko and his son Sasha, our friends and brothers in Galkinskoye who promote living and sustainable villages in Russia, starting in their home area. - 2 hours drive east of Ekaterinburg.
Happy send-off by precious friends from Ekaterinburg as we headed for Izhevsk by train.
Greg and Bruce talked me into taking the "plats carte" car on the overnight train to Izhevsk - about 14 hours to the west. This is an open sleeping car with bunks accommodating six people in each area. Usually I have taken a sleeping compartment with 4 bunk-beds each and a closing door. But no, they wanted "more contact with the Russian people". I was OK until about 3:00 a.m. when the conductor woke me up and told me that a lady who was leaving the train had stored her bag in the box under my bed so I had to get up. It was a bit difficult to go back to sleep after this "contact" but I did manage.
The time in Izhevsk was again very people oriented. Our faithful sister Diana opened her home for the three of us while we were there. She is the professor of English at the university whose home we visited the first time many years ago because she was interested in speaking English with us. God then touched her heart deeply with the Gospel and she has become one of the most true servants of the living God since then. Some of you remember our dear old "matching babushkas", sisters Raiya and Klava, who are both still doing quite well. We got to see them on more than one occasion, especially when we visited Sasha (Klava's son) and Katya Tumanov. We also had a short but meaningful visit with Sasha Smirnov, the former pastor who since has been removed because of irregularities in his service. Unfortunately this means that there is no shepherd for this flock in Izhevsk, but we did mange to have a fairly well attended Sunday service at a local Christian bookstore.
On Saturday we hired a van and took a group of people on quite a long journey to the village of Verkh Uni where we used to have an active congregation and regular services. Anatoly, the man responsible in that area was only able to gather very few people for the service. It was the first communion service there in five years. The other village we visited later, Gureis Pudga had a well attended service because there is a full-time pastor trainee there who serves the local church most conscientiously. Very encouraging! This man, also named Marat, is sponsored so far by the Ingrian Lutheran Church but would definitely need our support since he is also trying to revive the congregation in Izhevsk, 1½ hours away.
Teatime in our open "plats carte" sleeping accommodations on the train to Izhevsk.
And speaking of people, Shekino, our next stop south of Moscow, is a lovely people place. Here is where Bruce Selin got a congregation started some years ago together with Misha and Natasha Krupinov. Bruce has been the driving force behind most of our congregations in Russia. Now one of the first members, Vitaly Praslov, who initially vociferously maintained that the only church necessary in Russia was the Orthodox Church, is now the ordained pastor there. Pyoter and Irina Bagrayntseva are still probably the main anchors in Shekino. Pyoter and Vitaly took us to the boys' detention center where every one of the 15 boys who attended our service humbled themselves before the mighty hand of God and asked to hear the blessed gospel of the forgiveness of sins. We blessed each one personally in the mighty name of Jesus and the power of His blood.. What joy and peace there was then in the room - a room that they had all entered rowdy and laughing, and now where they were completely gripped by the Spirit!
***************************************
Archive photo from the boys' detention center in Shekino with Pyoter and Greg. This time only 15 of the oldest boys were able to attend our service.
With friends in Shekino.
Placing flowers on the monument commemorating the thousands of victims of Stalin's repression - for many a reign of terror - in the Shekino area.
Lastly we come to Rzhev, about 150 miles northwest of Moscow. Here Pastor Valery Antipov and his wife Natasha have served for many years. Here also is a beautiful church which was completed about four years ago and basically sponsored by the Russia Project Ministry, again spearheaded by Bruce Selin. The congregation has not grown noticeably but it is still very much alive. The thing that really interests Greg and me in all of these areas, but maybe especially Rzhev, are the lost and faltering sheep. We often work the fringes of these congregations.
Let me tell you about one particular little sheep. Maybe some of you remember an article I wrote from Rzhev about six years ago called "Little Prince of the Streets" about a small Gypsy beggar boy Roma. Since leaving Rhzev almost five years ago I have had no contact with this boy but I have prayed for him regularly through the years. Gypsies - also often "despised and rejected of men" - are not people who live in one place. I knew that Roma and his family would have moved all over the place since then, begging for their livelihood. When I returned to Rzhev I just prayed that in some miraculous way I would find him and let him know that God still loves him and his family. One day Greg and Bruce and I decided to just go out and comb the streets and bazaars of the city in the remote chance of finding him. We prayed as we returned to our hotel from the church by car to begin this mission. As we pulled up to the hotel and I looked up - there was Roma coming around the corner!! I just gasped and cried out, "Look who we have here!!" It was totally incredible! But there he was, now grown to a boy of 14 but easily recognizable. In the days that followed we spent many times together, at the church, at his home or just sharing time together. He really hit it off with Bruce and now he wants to be baptized. Then his family packed their bags and were off to a new destination. We had met like satellites in the realm of space and just as suddenly he was gone again. God's miraculous hand is, however, not shortened.
While in Rzhev we attended the church on many occasions. Once they asked me to show my mission pictures with a testimony of faith. On two occasions we attended a concert of spiritual music there and on Sunday I preached at the Holy Communion service. On Sunday evening I spoke and showed my slides at the Baptist Church where our dear friend and brother Mikael Soloviov is pastor. All in all we had a very active time in Rzhev - especially among the weak and straying sheep.
******************************************
Roma the little gypsy boy as he looked when I first found him six years ago.
.......and now "our miracle" as he looks today.
Roma with his little brother Artur and sister Maria.
Congregation gathered after the Sunday service in the Rzhev Lutheran Church.
The church in Rzhev as it stands today. It is the direct result of support that was channelled from brothers and sisters in America through the Russia Project Ministry, which has since become a part of the Foreign Mission of the ALCA.
The month in Russia was a truly meaningful and uplifting experience - except for the constant need to register and re-register our visas as we travelled from city to city which caused us more than its share of headaches. But all in all it was just great to be in that huge country again and to travel with Greg and Bruce Ruotsala. Greg is such an incredible missionary communicator. His Russian has improved very much and his blessed people skills just get better. Bruce, the novice, quickly found his way around, picked up Russian like it was seeping through his pores and was an avid student of my communication lessons on our long train rides. I believe God blessed us all and now I look forward once more to another mission trip to Russia sometime in the future.
I so well remember how Bruce Selin first said to me years ago, "Dennis, I want you to go with me to Siberia." How that invitation changed my life. On this trip I often thought of Bruce and how he trail-blazed the way to Russia for so much of our mission there.
In God's love and peace,
Dennis Hilman
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Russia!
One month is not nearly enough time to meet and fellowship with everyone we would like. It takes some significant timing and effort to coordinate so much into the very few days we have in each place. One of my sincere prayers for the future, and the prayers of many friends I am assured, is that the Lord would allow me more significant time to spend in Russia. There is yet a great need for the gospel to be heard in Russia, but also a great need to encourage, teach, and share the word with other living faith believers.
I’m not sure when next I will personally be back in Russia. The present economy in the USA is still reeking havoc with our Foreign Mission resources, which is something we each need to pray sincerely about and act on when called to. If everyone contributes just a little to the cause, the work will definitely go on.
For now, please know how very much I have appreciated your prayers and personal support for the gospel work we were doing this last month in Russia. May our Father’s love uplift and encourage each of us in our own daily, personal walk. We are not alone; we have Christ and we have each other.
Your brother and fellow labourer in our Lord’s gospel love,
Gregory
"Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours." John 4:34-38
Monday, June 14, 2010
From the Mission Field in Sri Lanka
Then I see it and it’s defiantly heading my way. White and broadly curved upward at the corner. The smile I had come to know in Massachusetts. It greets me with “Jesu Piti” (God’s Blessing), a hug and “welcome to Sri Lanka”.
That was the beginning of my first foreign mission trip. One filled with so many blessings for both Carl and me. Blessings 1 and 2 met us at the airport in Colombo. Pastor Lynton Sylva ( Mr. ‘Smile’) and his wife Iona. I didn’t know it at the time, but blessing #3 was just a van ride away. And what a ride it was.
I want you to picture something in your mind. A small town main street with one lane of traffic in both directions and some parallel parking. Now on this street there are cars, vans, pickups, delivery trucks, motor cycles, bicycles, 3 wheeled taxies, hand carts and buses that stop for anyone who puts their hand out. Oh yeh, I forgot something. Dogs, cats, chickens, mongoose, monkeys and COWS! Not the sacred ones. And remember all those people I saw at 5 in the morning, well they are fallowing me and meeting up with family, friends and strangers or just walking to work. Can’t forget the armed guards and check points along the way. And they drive on the wrong side of the road! It’s kind of like rush hour traffic in a zoo while running Grandma’s Marathon! This is in the capital city. The country roads are narrower and almost as much traffic. We got into the habit of saying a prayer for safe passage before leaving home and a prayer of thanks each time we made it safely back, especially when traveling up into the mountains. Thus, blessing #3.
It’s time to leave the big city and travel up into the central part of the country into the lower mountains to Badulla where Lynton and Iona live. The countryside was beautiful. The rainy season had just ended and everything was green and lush. The only thing to mar it’s beauty are all the Buddhist temples and statues and Hindu shrines. But I thank God that there are people like Lynton and his team that are bringing light into those dark places of idol worship. BLESSINGS BLESSINGS BLESSINGS BLESSINGS
It will take us all day to get there. The distance isn’t that great, the country is about the size of Rhode Island, but the roads are so bad the average speed is 20 MPH. Remember, the rush hour traffic in a zoo while running a marathon will be with us all the way. And a lot more COWS!
Sunday services are always at Pastor Lynton’s home church even if he is traveling to other areas. There were about 150 people in attendance the Sunday we were there. Church starts at 10:30, but people start arriving around 8:00. Bus service you take when it’s available and for those walking, they want to do it in the coolest part of the day. Some of those arriving early that day brought vegetables, rice, tea or fruit as an offering or to share with those in need. Thanks were given for these gifts during the service. Each week a person or family is chosen to receive these BLESSED gifts.
They have six Sunday school classes, preschool thru New Life in Christ (40-45 children and young adults), a women’s prayer group and an adult study class. There are eight active couples in the ministerial team helping Lynton and Iona to share the gospel of Christ. Each couple has a job within the team; hospital ministry, seniors and elders, administrator, housekeeper and handyman, errand runner and bill payer, evangelists in remote villages, family counseling and accountant. These dedicated men and women leave their children with grandparents or other family members to travel to the seven other house churches or to homes for prayer services. Almost everyone in the congregation has some part in the running or maintenance of the church or the service.
During any church service or home service, anyone led by the Spirit to pray does. It might be a member of the team (male or female) or other person attending. At the close of all gatherings, people come forward with prayer requests. They have seen the power of prayer. When Lynton and Iona’s son Lewllyn was in the hospital with cancer and told there was nothing else that could be done, God heard the prayers of his people and he walked out of the hospital the next day cancer free! When George’s wife Rizmih, formerly a Muslim, was poisoned by her mother because she became a Christian, the congregation prayed over her and God took the poison from her body! Nateeka was going blind and received her sight. They truly live by faith believing if they ask in prayer, God will answer.
Every week on Sunday, house services for the fallowing week are posted. Locations, days and times are never the same two weeks in a row. This is done to protect the people. Don’t let anyone tell you Buddhist are a peace loving people. They rule the country and declared “emergency law” when the war ended. They can arrest you without charging you for 90 days.
Everyday we traveled to at least one House Church or had a prayer service. Going to and from these we would stop for home visits. One of these home visits was high up in the tea hills. The mother (a tea picker making $1.00 a day), her daughter and grandchild (husband kicked her out when she became a Christian) and another child (found by the mother after someone had thrown him away in the tea plants) live in a two room house with dirt floors. They carry water from a spring down the hill. The mother’s prayer was that her son-in-law would come to know the Lord and be reunited with the family.
There would be so many more blessed stories to relate about our trip, but let these be written so that you might know that our brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka walk by faith in The Lord Jesus Christ.
Lynton and Iona will be traveling in the States before the convention and will be at the Foreign Mission presentation on Saturday of the convention. If you have the opportunity to visit with him, do so.
Unforgettably Blessed, Carl & Carol Lamppa
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Short Note From Russia!
Young brother Bruce Ruotsala and I stood quietly together under the star filled Udmurtian night sky just outside the doors of the remote village church where we and our group had been given places to sleep. What drew us out and held us there in the deepening darkness was the most exotic liturgy of bird song that I have ever heard. Often I am asked by Russians if the Canadian landscape is very much different than the Russian one. I answer that our landscapes are very similar and that sometimes it’s difficult to see any difference at all. I tell them that what really reminds me that I am in a foreign country is not the landscape, but the songs of the birds.
One of the myriad lessons that foreign mission work teaches us is that we are not exclusive, that God is much bigger than the personal boxes we tend to place him in. Too often missionaries have stepped into foreign lands with the idea of conforming culture rather than working in that culture to present the gospel in ways that the local inhabitants can empathize with and grow thereby. There is a very good reason Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9 that “I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some.”
Encapsulated in this vast landscape of Russia are many cultures, and though in this modern age of global communication the cultural differences between us are perhaps lessening, there is still great need to present the unchanging gospel in a way that each person and people may grasp.
I hope that each of you who are able will continue to remember brothers Dennis Hilman, Bruce Ruotsala and I as we travel here in Russia for two more weeks. Pray the Lord of the Harvest that He will grant us His Spirit of wisdom and love and that we would recognize always that we are in a foreign land and that the songs are different here, and that we need to continually be sensitive to them.
In His love always,
Gregory
One of the myriad lessons that foreign mission work teaches us is that we are not exclusive, that God is much bigger than the personal boxes we tend to place him in. Too often missionaries have stepped into foreign lands with the idea of conforming culture rather than working in that culture to present the gospel in ways that the local inhabitants can empathize with and grow thereby. There is a very good reason Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9 that “I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some.”
Encapsulated in this vast landscape of Russia are many cultures, and though in this modern age of global communication the cultural differences between us are perhaps lessening, there is still great need to present the unchanging gospel in a way that each person and people may grasp.
I hope that each of you who are able will continue to remember brothers Dennis Hilman, Bruce Ruotsala and I as we travel here in Russia for two more weeks. Pray the Lord of the Harvest that He will grant us His Spirit of wisdom and love and that we would recognize always that we are in a foreign land and that the songs are different here, and that we need to continually be sensitive to them.
In His love always,
Gregory
Friday, May 21, 2010
From Russia
Young Bruce Ruotsala and I arrived safely to Moscow on the 16th. Since I was here last, Sheremetova Airport has opened some of the large additions they have been building and so I was a bit confused when we arrived, but we were able to orient ourselves and make our way to the Kasanski Train Station in downtown Moscow via bus, express train and subway. A few hours later we were both soundly asleep on the night train from Moscow to Cheboksary, the capital city of The Republic of Chuvashia.
In Cheboksary we fellowshipped with the small group of brothers and sisters that comprise the local Lutheran Church. Guided by Brother Konstantin Subbotin, Bruce and I also had the privilege of visiting the language section of the city’s main university and spent the day meeting with different groups of students and teachers sharing our lives and the gospel with them. Like most institutions of the kind, sharing of the gospel in this kind of environment is not necessarily permissible, but this is Russia, as one of the university teachers said to us, and so the rules are often fluid. Afterwards, we agreed together that the Lord had been with us and our visit to the university had been blessed. By His grace, we were able to encourage the few Christians we met in the groups, but also were able to plant seeds of life into many young hearts. During our visit to the university we were introduced to the Dean of the Language department and were subsequently invited the Dean’s home that evening for dinner, which we readily accepted, sensing the Lord’s hand in allowing this very important contact and key to future visits.
From Cheboksary Bruce and I bused to Yoshkar Ola in the neighboring Republic of Mari El. While there we stayed at the Lutheran Mission House, which was built with the love and help of Finnish Christians, and is a welcome haven for many. During our stay in Mari El, we fellowshipped and visited many of the local Christians, and worked with Deacon Sasha & Annya Mitukovu in a nearby village, visiting homes and holding a service in the Lutheran village church. We also visited and spoke with the psychologists and volunteer staff of the Yoshkar Ola Crisis Centre, something we have been doing for a number of years now, and to which I always look forward.
Now it is very early morning and Bruce and I are on a train heading for Ekaterinburg. Bruce, as well as everyone else around me in this open train car are sleeping, but outside our windows the sun is shining down on the villages and countryside streaming by, melting the thin layer of stubborn spring frost.. When I look out on the scintillating country side passing by, I can’t help to feel sad for so many in the world who do not recognize our Lord in this beautiful creation, but I realize too, that it is only by His grace that I myself can see it. May God work though us, as He has ordained, to open the eyes and hearts of those around us, not only to His presence, but to His great love, grace and eternal salvation.
God’s grace and peace to each of you,
Gregory
In Cheboksary we fellowshipped with the small group of brothers and sisters that comprise the local Lutheran Church. Guided by Brother Konstantin Subbotin, Bruce and I also had the privilege of visiting the language section of the city’s main university and spent the day meeting with different groups of students and teachers sharing our lives and the gospel with them. Like most institutions of the kind, sharing of the gospel in this kind of environment is not necessarily permissible, but this is Russia, as one of the university teachers said to us, and so the rules are often fluid. Afterwards, we agreed together that the Lord had been with us and our visit to the university had been blessed. By His grace, we were able to encourage the few Christians we met in the groups, but also were able to plant seeds of life into many young hearts. During our visit to the university we were introduced to the Dean of the Language department and were subsequently invited the Dean’s home that evening for dinner, which we readily accepted, sensing the Lord’s hand in allowing this very important contact and key to future visits.
From Cheboksary Bruce and I bused to Yoshkar Ola in the neighboring Republic of Mari El. While there we stayed at the Lutheran Mission House, which was built with the love and help of Finnish Christians, and is a welcome haven for many. During our stay in Mari El, we fellowshipped and visited many of the local Christians, and worked with Deacon Sasha & Annya Mitukovu in a nearby village, visiting homes and holding a service in the Lutheran village church. We also visited and spoke with the psychologists and volunteer staff of the Yoshkar Ola Crisis Centre, something we have been doing for a number of years now, and to which I always look forward.
Now it is very early morning and Bruce and I are on a train heading for Ekaterinburg. Bruce, as well as everyone else around me in this open train car are sleeping, but outside our windows the sun is shining down on the villages and countryside streaming by, melting the thin layer of stubborn spring frost.. When I look out on the scintillating country side passing by, I can’t help to feel sad for so many in the world who do not recognize our Lord in this beautiful creation, but I realize too, that it is only by His grace that I myself can see it. May God work though us, as He has ordained, to open the eyes and hearts of those around us, not only to His presence, but to His great love, grace and eternal salvation.
God’s grace and peace to each of you,
Gregory
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Matthew in Liberia
"I have a burden for mission work in Africa!" On January 22 a young man from Chassel, Michigan wrote to the Foreign Mission about his interest in the upcoming mission trip to West Africa. His statement was simple and convincing. A short eleven weeks later we met Matthew Niemela face to face at the airport in Accra, Ghana where we boarded a flight together with Pastor Frank Famiyeh of Ghana to Monrovia, Liberia. Matthew's trip preparations were at times hectic, he says, and even a bit hair-raising (he got his passport back with the necessary visas in it just a day before departure) but his solid determination to go to Africa on a mission trip never wavered.
Liberia's capital city of Monrovia, which had been devastated by civil war only a few years back, provided the first impressions of Africa for Matthew. These impressions took a deeper turn, I'm sure, the next day when we drove 12 hours across the country on a bumpy dusty mostly gravel road all the way to the eastern Liberian town of Zwedru - a town that had been completely wiped out by the war at that time.
We enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of our brothers and sisters in Zwedru for two days before we headed out to our final destination of Ziah Town on the Ivory Coast border. We travelled in a van intended for 15 and packed with 25 (four on the roof baggage rack) on a narrow jungle road that in many places did not appear passable at all. Actually it took us four and a half hours to cover those 55 km - but it didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the congregation members aboard who sang non-stop the whole way at full volume.
Matthew rode ahead of the van with brother Christian Bowah on his motorbike. I could just see him oh-ing and ah-ing at the lush vegetations, hornbills flying overhead and enjoying all the scents and sounds of a tropical forest as they puttered along. Of course I took a picture of them at the nicest part of the road but you will just have to imagine all the ruts and gullies and "lakes" we manoeuvred laboriously through and around along the way.
A rest stop in a village along the way. Shortly after we started again from here a back spring busted on the van. At the next village about half of the passengers had to get out to ease the load and wait for the driver to come back and get them later. They finally all made it by 2:00 a.m.
Matthew took to Ziah Town, in all its primitive simplicity, like a fish to water. He loved the children - singing with them, playing with them and coming especially close to this little tyke.. Wherever he went he was in the middle of the action and made friends at every simple abode he stopped at. God truly blessed this young man with the personal and social skills that any aspiring young missionary would benefit from.
The main focus of our week in Ziah Town was the conducting of the seminar in the local church for the area pastors and church workers. At one point they decided to honour us with the presentation of a goat which was then slaughtered and prepared for a feast the next day (although we wondered at the size of the goat compared with the size of the hungry appetites).
By Saturday afternoon the six days (!) of the seminar had been completed and everyone got their certificates of attendance - a very important practice in Africa. The seminar, although the longest I have taught, was truly blessed and I think we all felt that God had been true to His Word and promises. In addition to the seminar which was held during the days, four evenings were set apart for a crusade, too, which reached out to everyone in the community. While it might have appealed more to the young, people of all ages participated and it was very well attended and blessed, too, I feel.
One night before I spoke, Matthew and I sang two songs, The second one "There is Power in the Blood", really went home with the crowd of about 500 people and they sang along enthusiastically on the chorus. After I spoke we sang "Amazing Grace" in harmony.. You could really tell how appreciated the message and the songs were. Throughout the week Matthew took an active role in both saying the prayers, holding short witnesses and in singing. He definitely has a clear understanding of Scripture and for singing a strong baritone voice.
Yes, Matthew loved the tropical forest. I can still see him walking through it's lush greenery exclaiming in real awe, "Beautiful.....just beautiful!" Here with Christian Bowah from Zwedru on the day he was installed as an evangelist of the Apostolic Lutheran Church of Liberia.
Before our return journey from Ziah Town to Zwedru the old van broke down completely so a little caravan of motorbikes was arranged to carry us and our luggage back.We had to get to Monrovia in time to catch our flight. a couple days later. Matthew and I rode with Christian on his bike. The trip would only have taken about two hours on the bike but Christian had a flat tire and had to repair it which took the better part of an hour.
Matthew Niemela, "I have a burden for mission work in Africa!" Indeed he does!
P.S. Cape Coast Castle. Through this ignominious fortress passed over 4 million slaves, living and dead, on their way to plantations in the Americas during the years 1640 to 1840. Since Matthew had a layover of a few hours in Ghana on our return from Liberia we decided to visit this castle on the southwest coast, one of the most famous places in Ghana, The tallest part of the building behind Matthew and me is the English Church. There the keepers of the castle sang praises to God while up to 1000 slaves at a time languished in indescribable filth and suffering in dark dungeon rooms just below them!!!
We visited the dungeons and tunnels and "Door of No Return" through which uncounted chained slaves, women and girls, men and boys, went out to the waiting ships and an even more frightening and humiliating trip to the New World. For almost 300 years over 200 million human beings from Africa were "possessed" and traded like cattle providing riches and wealth for uncountable merchants. Oh the depth of man's inhumanity to man. A sobering conclusion to Matthew's "African adventure" I'm sure. No wonder Apostle Paul complains, "Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Praise God there is still that wonderful hope and promise, like he says, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Matthew has returned safely home to Michigan.
I do want to say that I have fully recovered from my bout with food poisoning and am in good health once more. The first days in Liberia I felt kind of weak but my strength returned and the seminar went well. This week I am spending several days of rest and relaxation here in the clean, calm and up-beat city of Accra, Ghana. I will return to Finland on May 7th. .
May the riches of God's love and peace be with each one of you!
Dennis
Liberia's capital city of Monrovia, which had been devastated by civil war only a few years back, provided the first impressions of Africa for Matthew. These impressions took a deeper turn, I'm sure, the next day when we drove 12 hours across the country on a bumpy dusty mostly gravel road all the way to the eastern Liberian town of Zwedru - a town that had been completely wiped out by the war at that time.
We enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of our brothers and sisters in Zwedru for two days before we headed out to our final destination of Ziah Town on the Ivory Coast border. We travelled in a van intended for 15 and packed with 25 (four on the roof baggage rack) on a narrow jungle road that in many places did not appear passable at all. Actually it took us four and a half hours to cover those 55 km - but it didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the congregation members aboard who sang non-stop the whole way at full volume.
Matthew rode ahead of the van with brother Christian Bowah on his motorbike. I could just see him oh-ing and ah-ing at the lush vegetations, hornbills flying overhead and enjoying all the scents and sounds of a tropical forest as they puttered along. Of course I took a picture of them at the nicest part of the road but you will just have to imagine all the ruts and gullies and "lakes" we manoeuvred laboriously through and around along the way.
A rest stop in a village along the way. Shortly after we started again from here a back spring busted on the van. At the next village about half of the passengers had to get out to ease the load and wait for the driver to come back and get them later. They finally all made it by 2:00 a.m.
Matthew took to Ziah Town, in all its primitive simplicity, like a fish to water. He loved the children - singing with them, playing with them and coming especially close to this little tyke.. Wherever he went he was in the middle of the action and made friends at every simple abode he stopped at. God truly blessed this young man with the personal and social skills that any aspiring young missionary would benefit from.
The main focus of our week in Ziah Town was the conducting of the seminar in the local church for the area pastors and church workers. At one point they decided to honour us with the presentation of a goat which was then slaughtered and prepared for a feast the next day (although we wondered at the size of the goat compared with the size of the hungry appetites).
By Saturday afternoon the six days (!) of the seminar had been completed and everyone got their certificates of attendance - a very important practice in Africa. The seminar, although the longest I have taught, was truly blessed and I think we all felt that God had been true to His Word and promises. In addition to the seminar which was held during the days, four evenings were set apart for a crusade, too, which reached out to everyone in the community. While it might have appealed more to the young, people of all ages participated and it was very well attended and blessed, too, I feel.
One night before I spoke, Matthew and I sang two songs, The second one "There is Power in the Blood", really went home with the crowd of about 500 people and they sang along enthusiastically on the chorus. After I spoke we sang "Amazing Grace" in harmony.. You could really tell how appreciated the message and the songs were. Throughout the week Matthew took an active role in both saying the prayers, holding short witnesses and in singing. He definitely has a clear understanding of Scripture and for singing a strong baritone voice.
Yes, Matthew loved the tropical forest. I can still see him walking through it's lush greenery exclaiming in real awe, "Beautiful.....just beautiful!" Here with Christian Bowah from Zwedru on the day he was installed as an evangelist of the Apostolic Lutheran Church of Liberia.
P.S. Cape Coast Castle. Through this ignominious fortress passed over 4 million slaves, living and dead, on their way to plantations in the Americas during the years 1640 to 1840. Since Matthew had a layover of a few hours in Ghana on our return from Liberia we decided to visit this castle on the southwest coast, one of the most famous places in Ghana, The tallest part of the building behind Matthew and me is the English Church. There the keepers of the castle sang praises to God while up to 1000 slaves at a time languished in indescribable filth and suffering in dark dungeon rooms just below them!!!
We visited the dungeons and tunnels and "Door of No Return" through which uncounted chained slaves, women and girls, men and boys, went out to the waiting ships and an even more frightening and humiliating trip to the New World. For almost 300 years over 200 million human beings from Africa were "possessed" and traded like cattle providing riches and wealth for uncountable merchants. Oh the depth of man's inhumanity to man. A sobering conclusion to Matthew's "African adventure" I'm sure. No wonder Apostle Paul complains, "Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Praise God there is still that wonderful hope and promise, like he says, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Matthew has returned safely home to Michigan.
I do want to say that I have fully recovered from my bout with food poisoning and am in good health once more. The first days in Liberia I felt kind of weak but my strength returned and the seminar went well. This week I am spending several days of rest and relaxation here in the clean, calm and up-beat city of Accra, Ghana. I will return to Finland on May 7th. .
May the riches of God's love and peace be with each one of you!
Dennis
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
April 2010 FM Monthly News Report
Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15)
As your Foreign Mission endeavors to be obedient to these words of our Lord, here are just a few of the many questions that are asked and can be asked, together with the answers from God’s Holy Word. The Holy Bible contains all the answers to life’s questions.
WHO SENDS US INTO THE MISSION FIELD?
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
(John 20:21)
WHAT ARE WE TO PREACH WHEN WE ARE SENT?
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47)
WHEN WILL THE END OF THE WORLD OCCUR?
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14)
Did You Know?
- Almost 8000 different “people groups” have not been exposed to the gospel? (A people group has its own language and culture.)
- This year approximately 82,000 people will die each day without ever having heard the gos¬pel.
- Americans spend more on dog food than on helping to share the gospel with the lost.
The Foreign Mission Monthly News and Prayer requests
* Pastor Colin Kinnunen and Pastor Raymond Hilman together with Dave Niemela have completed the trip to the Philippines. Numerous services were held including one with 15 churches gathered together. Pastors Training was also a top priority. Many Bibles were passed out to people that have never had a bible before. God surely blessed this trip. There are pictures of this trip at www.aalchurchma.org Just click on the picture tab!
• Pastor Dennis Hilman is currently in Liberia with Pastor Frank Famiyeh from Ghana, and Mathew Niemela for the U.P. of MI. Please pray for this last leg of Dennis’ West African tour of duty. Dennis fell ill to severe food poisoning and was hospitalized for 4 days in Ghana after getting home from Togo. Pray that the Lord will provide strength enough for him to finish in Liberia and then return to Finland to rest for a couple weeks before he leaves for Russia!
• The good news is that Dennis was given a Russian visa for the first time in many years! We and the people of Russia are thanking God for this gift! If you recall, Dennis was taken off a train under gunpoint and sent out of the country directly, without even his belongings. He had lived there seven years prior to being sent out by the authorities. The enemy often attacks missionaries in many various ways, so please be in pray diligently for all missionaries.
• Special services are being planned in Guatemala on April 24 and 25. A first “Convention” for our 3 churches in Guatemala. This is also being held to hopefully attract people from the community into church for the first time. Scott Niemitalo who is the FM Board person with responsibility for Guatemala, will attend these services.
• Many new requests for us to preach God’s Holy Word have been coming in from around the world. Please pray for wisdom that we would go forth according to the leading of our Father in Heaven. A very lengthy dialogue is entered into with the new contacts by the administrator before any recommendations is made to the board to visit. This process takes a minimum of 6 months but can last up to 2 years or more. If the contact after this process seems to have a true spiritual interest, then the full Foreign Mission board is notified and shown the whole contact history, so the board can decide whether or not we should venture forth with a mission trip to these new locations.
Example of Letters: note: I have communicated with these two Pastors as administrator for over 2 years. They receive the weekly blog which is what they are referring to when they mention letters and teachings. (You can view the blog by clicking on the orange blog button at www.themissionsite.com )
Dear Pastor John! God 's peace !
I'm so happy to send you this letter.I enjoy reading your letter.
I'm strongly sure that right now it is a very time to make a trip to Haiti.
All my churches would like to see you come down and share the word of God with them. As a matter of fact , the international airport is fully functional and the atmosphere is absolutely normal I wish that your presence among us will be a subject of blessing. May the lord be with you as always.
Pastor Nicholas, Haiti
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Brethren and sisters in Christ,
Greetings in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our savior and redeemer who
grace and peace comes from. It is our first time to write you this letter,
after visiting your website which is so interesting we come across your
email address and youre your teachings in the website are very interesting.
We are from Kenya Kisii-Kenyenya district; we are a group of People who are
seeking the truth from God. We are worshiping under shades with some
believers whom God has brought to join us in prayers as we are also praying
for you God to open ways for you and all your friends so as you bring the of
God to us and we shall be happy to work with you in your ministry. And pray
for the orphans who are here who hails from disparate families.
We welcome you to share with us the word of God as we are continuing praying
for us here in Kenya. God bless you as we hope to hear from you in Jesus
name.
Yours faithfully Pastor Charles
After receiving this note I contacted him and here was his response!
Dear Brother John,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Many thanks to hear from you .It will be joy when we share God's gospel together with us, we believe now onwards, we will be strengthened through the teachings we will be getting from you. Our prayer is that through His timing is to make a missionary visit here in Kenya. We will keep you in our prayers and we also need your prayers more especially in His word and the little ones who we care for.
God bless you all. We hope to hear from you according to God His will.
Yours in the Lord, Pastor Charles Onduso, KENYA
• For all other Foreign Mission news, feel free to check in at anytime during the month at www.themisssionsite.com or at any of the other links below and click around! You are most welcome and encouraged to take part in the Mission! New articles are regularly posted on the blogs!
• Also, a new feature has been added to www.themissionsite.com Each day, you will notice that a new unreached people group appears on the right side of the website. This is here so you can pray for the groups that they would be sent preachers so that they would hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the first time in most cases! By reading this daily, you will learn how much work there is still to do in this world when it comes to preaching God’s Word!
• Please remember that April is the last month in the Fiscal year of the Foreign Mission. If God lays it upon your heart to help support, this would be a perfect time to do so!
The Foreign Mission is so very thankful for your contributions to the work in the Lord’s Vineyard. May God Bless each of you!
CLICK HERE TO DONATE Here you can very easily donate electronically from either your checkbook or credit card. You can also set up recurring monthly donations should you desire.
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As your Foreign Mission endeavors to be obedient to these words of our Lord, here are just a few of the many questions that are asked and can be asked, together with the answers from God’s Holy Word. The Holy Bible contains all the answers to life’s questions.
WHO SENDS US INTO THE MISSION FIELD?
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
(John 20:21)
WHAT ARE WE TO PREACH WHEN WE ARE SENT?
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47)
WHEN WILL THE END OF THE WORLD OCCUR?
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14)
Did You Know?
- Almost 8000 different “people groups” have not been exposed to the gospel? (A people group has its own language and culture.)
- This year approximately 82,000 people will die each day without ever having heard the gos¬pel.
- Americans spend more on dog food than on helping to share the gospel with the lost.
The Foreign Mission Monthly News and Prayer requests
* Pastor Colin Kinnunen and Pastor Raymond Hilman together with Dave Niemela have completed the trip to the Philippines. Numerous services were held including one with 15 churches gathered together. Pastors Training was also a top priority. Many Bibles were passed out to people that have never had a bible before. God surely blessed this trip. There are pictures of this trip at www.aalchurchma.org Just click on the picture tab!
• Pastor Dennis Hilman is currently in Liberia with Pastor Frank Famiyeh from Ghana, and Mathew Niemela for the U.P. of MI. Please pray for this last leg of Dennis’ West African tour of duty. Dennis fell ill to severe food poisoning and was hospitalized for 4 days in Ghana after getting home from Togo. Pray that the Lord will provide strength enough for him to finish in Liberia and then return to Finland to rest for a couple weeks before he leaves for Russia!
• The good news is that Dennis was given a Russian visa for the first time in many years! We and the people of Russia are thanking God for this gift! If you recall, Dennis was taken off a train under gunpoint and sent out of the country directly, without even his belongings. He had lived there seven years prior to being sent out by the authorities. The enemy often attacks missionaries in many various ways, so please be in pray diligently for all missionaries.
• Special services are being planned in Guatemala on April 24 and 25. A first “Convention” for our 3 churches in Guatemala. This is also being held to hopefully attract people from the community into church for the first time. Scott Niemitalo who is the FM Board person with responsibility for Guatemala, will attend these services.
• Many new requests for us to preach God’s Holy Word have been coming in from around the world. Please pray for wisdom that we would go forth according to the leading of our Father in Heaven. A very lengthy dialogue is entered into with the new contacts by the administrator before any recommendations is made to the board to visit. This process takes a minimum of 6 months but can last up to 2 years or more. If the contact after this process seems to have a true spiritual interest, then the full Foreign Mission board is notified and shown the whole contact history, so the board can decide whether or not we should venture forth with a mission trip to these new locations.
Example of Letters: note: I have communicated with these two Pastors as administrator for over 2 years. They receive the weekly blog which is what they are referring to when they mention letters and teachings. (You can view the blog by clicking on the orange blog button at www.themissionsite.com )
Dear Pastor John! God 's peace !
I'm so happy to send you this letter.I enjoy reading your letter.
I'm strongly sure that right now it is a very time to make a trip to Haiti.
All my churches would like to see you come down and share the word of God with them. As a matter of fact , the international airport is fully functional and the atmosphere is absolutely normal I wish that your presence among us will be a subject of blessing. May the lord be with you as always.
Pastor Nicholas, Haiti
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Brethren and sisters in Christ,
Greetings in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our savior and redeemer who
grace and peace comes from. It is our first time to write you this letter,
after visiting your website which is so interesting we come across your
email address and youre your teachings in the website are very interesting.
We are from Kenya Kisii-Kenyenya district; we are a group of People who are
seeking the truth from God. We are worshiping under shades with some
believers whom God has brought to join us in prayers as we are also praying
for you God to open ways for you and all your friends so as you bring the of
God to us and we shall be happy to work with you in your ministry. And pray
for the orphans who are here who hails from disparate families.
We welcome you to share with us the word of God as we are continuing praying
for us here in Kenya. God bless you as we hope to hear from you in Jesus
name.
Yours faithfully Pastor Charles
After receiving this note I contacted him and here was his response!
Dear Brother John,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Many thanks to hear from you .It will be joy when we share God's gospel together with us, we believe now onwards, we will be strengthened through the teachings we will be getting from you. Our prayer is that through His timing is to make a missionary visit here in Kenya. We will keep you in our prayers and we also need your prayers more especially in His word and the little ones who we care for.
God bless you all. We hope to hear from you according to God His will.
Yours in the Lord, Pastor Charles Onduso, KENYA
• For all other Foreign Mission news, feel free to check in at anytime during the month at www.themisssionsite.com or at any of the other links below and click around! You are most welcome and encouraged to take part in the Mission! New articles are regularly posted on the blogs!
• Also, a new feature has been added to www.themissionsite.com Each day, you will notice that a new unreached people group appears on the right side of the website. This is here so you can pray for the groups that they would be sent preachers so that they would hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the first time in most cases! By reading this daily, you will learn how much work there is still to do in this world when it comes to preaching God’s Word!
• Please remember that April is the last month in the Fiscal year of the Foreign Mission. If God lays it upon your heart to help support, this would be a perfect time to do so!
The Foreign Mission is so very thankful for your contributions to the work in the Lord’s Vineyard. May God Bless each of you!
CLICK HERE TO DONATE Here you can very easily donate electronically from either your checkbook or credit card. You can also set up recurring monthly donations should you desire.
Contact Information
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http://www.foreignmissionnewsblog.blogspot.com/
FM Spiritual articles: sent to foreign contacts via email
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Africa
The article posted in this slot that was written by Dennis Hilman had to be removed for technical reasons. If you desire to see it, just email foreignmission@comcast.net
Monday, March 29, 2010
"Whatzit Like?"
Many have wondered what it's like to travel around the world full time and share the Gospel of Christ with people in many countries. Well, first of all, I've got to tell you that there is somebody who is very aware of what I am doing and that is Satan himself. Before a major trip he invariably pulls out all the stops in his "Resistance Plan" like I call it. This time when I arrived in Ghana I was feeling pretty pummelled. Returning from breakfast at my hotel the first morning I saw that the door to my room was open and I wondered what was going on! Then I heard the sweetest melody coming from inside. It was the maid, little and very black Joyce, singing to her heart's content a song of praise to God as she did up my room. "Do you believe in God?" I asked almost unecessarily. "With all my heart!" she said enthusiasically. That changed everything! The clouds were rolled away, the sunshine of God's grace flooded over me again. After that I called her "Re-Joyce".
I often stay in modest hotels when I travel here in West Africa since it is usually totally impossible for the locals to accommodate us in their humble homes. Meals served outside the hotels and restaurants are an experience. The basic staple here is rice. This is usually served with some kind of thick grainy sauce which is dark brown, dark green, or black with chopped up chunks of chicken or fish in it, bones and all. It staves the hunger.
Maybe I don't always have the best appetite for the local food but the locals do seem to have a great hunger and thirst for the Word of God. The seminars God has given me to teach are about themes such as God's Plan, God's Will, Salvation (new one this time around), Spiritual Conflict, the Holy Spirit and so forth. He also gave me one on "Lasting Change" that seems to make the greatest difference practically. I think I've mentioned before how I have everyone write down on a paper a list and explanation of their current difficulties, doubts, fears, guilt and especially sins. Then in groups of about six each person chooses one or more of these things to make an open confession about to the group. The other members of the group then lay their hands upon him/her and bless him/her in the almighty name of Jesus and the power of His blood. It has proven to be life changing as the participants learn and practice the office of the keys and the washing of the feet and leave their burdens to Jesus in the process. That's why I call it "Lasting Change". The papers and everything upon them are then committed to the Lord and subsequently destroyed - into the sea of grace.
The circumstances of these seminars,however, are not always ideal. Last Friday and Saturday I conducted one with Pastor Frank Famiyeh, a most faithful servant of the Lord here, at the Liberian Refugee Camp in Buduburam, Ghana. Sixty people were in attendance in a church where the electricity had been shut off. That meant that the fans, lights and PA system were not working either day. The temperature was easily 120 degrees. Already by the second hour it looked like I had taken a shower in my shirt, but when the blood of Jesus began speaking and souls were washed and cleansed by His Spirit there was no longer a power shortage!.
This week I am now out in western Ghana conducting two seminars with Pastor Frank - one for two days and another for three in the city of Tarkwa. The venue is a beautiful big church in the city - with fans that work. There are almost 200 pastors and church workers attending. A very special experience. I will include some pictures taken today. Starting next week we will also be holding similar seminars, but this time in Togo and then later in Liberia, if God so wills. Speaking of God as you know He is incredibly good! Before going to bed last night I flipped open the Gideon Bible on my nightstand. Hebrew 6 verse 10 kind of jumped out at me::
"For God is not unjust to forget your work and labour of love which you have shown towards His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.!"
THAT'S WHAT IT'S LIKE!
In God's love and peace,
Dennis (please see pictures below)
Pastor Frank Famiyeh, President of the Apostolic Lutheran Church of Ghana, with his translator Cecilia at the seminar. He spoke in English, which most of the people understand. She translated into Akka, a language common to the people in that area, who also have their local dialects and languages. I also spoke in English of course and then Pastor Frank translated for me most of the time.
Group shot of many of the almost 200 pastors and church workers who attended the seminar in Tarkwa.
The ladies present wanted a photo with me. A real thorn among the roses!
I often stay in modest hotels when I travel here in West Africa since it is usually totally impossible for the locals to accommodate us in their humble homes. Meals served outside the hotels and restaurants are an experience. The basic staple here is rice. This is usually served with some kind of thick grainy sauce which is dark brown, dark green, or black with chopped up chunks of chicken or fish in it, bones and all. It staves the hunger.
Maybe I don't always have the best appetite for the local food but the locals do seem to have a great hunger and thirst for the Word of God. The seminars God has given me to teach are about themes such as God's Plan, God's Will, Salvation (new one this time around), Spiritual Conflict, the Holy Spirit and so forth. He also gave me one on "Lasting Change" that seems to make the greatest difference practically. I think I've mentioned before how I have everyone write down on a paper a list and explanation of their current difficulties, doubts, fears, guilt and especially sins. Then in groups of about six each person chooses one or more of these things to make an open confession about to the group. The other members of the group then lay their hands upon him/her and bless him/her in the almighty name of Jesus and the power of His blood. It has proven to be life changing as the participants learn and practice the office of the keys and the washing of the feet and leave their burdens to Jesus in the process. That's why I call it "Lasting Change". The papers and everything upon them are then committed to the Lord and subsequently destroyed - into the sea of grace.
The circumstances of these seminars,however, are not always ideal. Last Friday and Saturday I conducted one with Pastor Frank Famiyeh, a most faithful servant of the Lord here, at the Liberian Refugee Camp in Buduburam, Ghana. Sixty people were in attendance in a church where the electricity had been shut off. That meant that the fans, lights and PA system were not working either day. The temperature was easily 120 degrees. Already by the second hour it looked like I had taken a shower in my shirt, but when the blood of Jesus began speaking and souls were washed and cleansed by His Spirit there was no longer a power shortage!.
This week I am now out in western Ghana conducting two seminars with Pastor Frank - one for two days and another for three in the city of Tarkwa. The venue is a beautiful big church in the city - with fans that work. There are almost 200 pastors and church workers attending. A very special experience. I will include some pictures taken today. Starting next week we will also be holding similar seminars, but this time in Togo and then later in Liberia, if God so wills. Speaking of God as you know He is incredibly good! Before going to bed last night I flipped open the Gideon Bible on my nightstand. Hebrew 6 verse 10 kind of jumped out at me::
"For God is not unjust to forget your work and labour of love which you have shown towards His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.!"
THAT'S WHAT IT'S LIKE!
In God's love and peace,
Dennis (please see pictures below)
Pastor Frank Famiyeh, President of the Apostolic Lutheran Church of Ghana, with his translator Cecilia at the seminar. He spoke in English, which most of the people understand. She translated into Akka, a language common to the people in that area, who also have their local dialects and languages. I also spoke in English of course and then Pastor Frank translated for me most of the time.
Group shot of many of the almost 200 pastors and church workers who attended the seminar in Tarkwa.
The ladies present wanted a photo with me. A real thorn among the roses!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
To God Be the Glory
This was the song that our group sang to the Indian people many times! Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, let the earth here His Voice, Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!....... They could catch the Praise the Lord phrase after a couple times and some would join us for that part. What a joy!
We are thankful that the entire group that went to India has safely arrived at home! All Glory and Praise be to God for His great grace afforded to us on this trip. We pray for those left in India that the work that was done on the trip would be a blessing to all. We know that God does the work in the heart, not man, so we pray that He would continue to work in their hearts.
This trip was so wonderful in so many ways. It had times of large services with up to 2000 people like pictured below, and it had times of individual praying and speaking to people one on one. There is so much spiritual movement in India that each moment is another oppurtunity to share and witness of Jesus Christ. Many times this can be to people that are Hindus and have maybe never heard the name Jesus. In all about 10,000 people attended the services. Around 300 pastors were in the pastors training classes. About 800 to 1000 people received help at the free medical camps. Please thank the Lord for His great grace during this time, and pray that God would continue to work in the hearts of the people in India.
It was during one of these large services that a Hindu man came with a stick and chased his wife home. So sad to see. We preached also at another church, (no building but a street church) where just a few years ago a pastor was beheaded during the service in front of the congregation. When he was caught by the police, he still had the pastors head with him. There are very real enemies in India, but God knows this and He is surely present. The level of dedication of the true believers is something that we in America know nothing about.
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Bicycles were supplied to five pastors with money donated by the individuals on this trip. These are such a blessing to poor pastors who prior to this had to walk up to 25 kilometers to hold services or visit congregation members. With a bicycle, so much more work can be done. You can help by donating a bicycle. The cost is $80 each. Just email foreignmission@comcast.net if interested! You will be supplied the pastors name and you will receive a picture once he gets the bicycle.
The below was taken during a session at the pastors training called lasting change. In the below picture the pastors are blessing each other in prayer and or the forgiveness of sins in Jesus name and blood. Many pastors testified that they were relieved of burdens after they confessed their sins to their fellow pastors and they heard the assurance of forgiveness through Jesus Name and shed Blood.
The colors and smiles are so beautiful. The default position of the Indian Christians faces is a smile! How wonderful!
Eleven new Christians were baptized. It is such a life changing event when one repents and believes in Jesus Christ, coming from the darkness of those false religions so prominent in India. Once they are believers, they are baptized in due time. Becoming a Christian can cause them to be considered outcasts, and they are often in even physical danger. Therefore, a public baptism in this way is a huge event in their lives. It is so good to know that they do not fear man, but rather they want to share the good news!
These water buffalo came during the baptism. It is quite fitting though, because they are everywhere, and they are a very meek animal, which is a good picture of how a Christian is. Remember, meek is not weak, it means under the control of another, God in the case of a Christian.
There is so much more to see and learn about India. Feel free contact us for more information, or if you would like a presentation done at your church! foreignmission@comcast.net is the email.
Carl Lamppa also had a wonderful trip to Sri Lanka. We will post here about that trip when it is ready. Alslo, Pastors Colin Kinnunen and Raymond Hilman are now in The Philippines. Please keep that trip in prayer as well.
Monday, March 1, 2010
India from the eyes of Dennis!
Hi everybody and here's the latest from the most populous "peninsula" in the whole world.
Jesus is Lord! Dennis
Team India!
Note from JR. (I am sorry but for safety concerns, for the online version all last names had to be removed.)
Things are going great here in India, by the great grace of God and with the addition of a wonderful team which arrived here on February 18th when we began serving together in Pastor K's area. Heading the team is of course John, the administrator for the Foreign Mission of the ALCA. His son Bruce has also joined us - a young man with an awareness, interest and perception of everything happening around him that is par none. Then came Emily from Canada, and Carmelle, a nurse from WA.. And of course there had to be more of my relatives, Terri Ann from Canada who is also a nurse as well, and Shandra, currently from Idaho, completed the group.
Team India, from left to right Terri Ann, John, Bruce, Carmelle, Dennis, Emily and Shandra
Talk about powerful!
Youthful exhuberance and energy on a firm foundation - a stockpile of a million or so bricks at a brick factory where all is done by hand.
The women at the well in their new saris arranged by Pastor K's wife Ruth
Now all of the pastors seminars have been completed - in four different areas.- the largest one being with over 150 pastors. The response to them has been very inspiring and encouraging. This year I included sessions on (1) "God's Plan" (for our lives, ministries and salvation), (2) "Living in God's Will", (3) "Lasting Change" ( a participant-oriented walk through of confession, forgiveness and absolution), (4) "Spiritual Conflict", (5) "The Office of the Holy Spirit" and as an inspirational conclusion (6) "The Example of Daniel". One short seminar and a big meeting was even held in Pastor MP's area.
Smallest pastors seminar in Vizag. Pastor K and his wife Ruth on left.
Another area that the young team has been particularly involved in is the Medical Clinics.that we have had in many areas. In each area one or more doctors have been involved to diagnose the needy (and colourful!) groups of those lining up for the free medical services. The young ladies in our team have then dispensed the medicines prescribed with the nurses taking blood pressure and administrating the necessary injections. "Making people cry", like Carmelle puts it. Over 500 people have been treated at these five clinics, which have always been arranged in conjunction with services. "The Great Physician was so near, the very healing Jesus!"
In readiness for one of the many free medical camps - this one on a housetop.
Some of the over 500 people who have lined up and been treated at these free medical services in the many different places.
Terri Ann - a shot is serious business. "Making them cry"
This week we have been serving in Dr. Kumar's area. Big meetings and clinics will continue until we leave on Friday, March 5th. Keep us in your prayers. There are many hair-raising drives still ahead of us, the need for health and rest is always before us, and so is our daily dependence on our Heavenly Father to open His Word and make the reality of Jesus love living each day in our own hearts and in the hearts of our listeners. We have been encouraged to find out that our audiences often consist of up to thirty percent "outsiders" - mostly interested Hindus invited by Christian friends.
Dr Kumar diagnosing a patient at his hospital where free medical clinics will also be held.
All in all both Pastor K and Doctor Kumar, their wives and staffs have demonstrated great compassion towards us and almost amazing skills at coordinating our schedule, arranging meetings and being ultimately responsible for the Pastors Seminars. We owe them a great debt of gratitude!
Team India in traditional dress with the every present flower garlands - draped around our necks as a sign of welcome and honour on virtually every occasion.
May God keep you in His peace and love!
Dennis
India
Jesus is Lord! Dennis
Team India!
Note from JR. (I am sorry but for safety concerns, for the online version all last names had to be removed.)
Things are going great here in India, by the great grace of God and with the addition of a wonderful team which arrived here on February 18th when we began serving together in Pastor K's area. Heading the team is of course John, the administrator for the Foreign Mission of the ALCA. His son Bruce has also joined us - a young man with an awareness, interest and perception of everything happening around him that is par none. Then came Emily from Canada, and Carmelle, a nurse from WA.. And of course there had to be more of my relatives, Terri Ann from Canada who is also a nurse as well, and Shandra, currently from Idaho, completed the group.
Can you imagine opening one of those many huge outdoor meetings - with up to 2000 people in attendance - and having this very engaged team of young people each come forward with a greeting and/or a Bible verse and all of us joining together singing "To God Be The Glory" through the powerful PA system, with the whole audience involved. And then as God opens His word with John or I preaching - just having all of them backing us up in prayer on the dais behind us is a wonderful feeling. When the sermon is over that is not all. At the end of the meetings the whole crowd comes forward and we pray for them individually!
Youthful exhuberance and energy on a firm foundation - a stockpile of a million or so bricks at a brick factory where all is done by hand.
The women at the well in their new saris arranged by Pastor K's wife Ruth
Smallest pastors seminar in Vizag. Pastor K and his wife Ruth on left.
Another area that the young team has been particularly involved in is the Medical Clinics.that we have had in many areas. In each area one or more doctors have been involved to diagnose the needy (and colourful!) groups of those lining up for the free medical services. The young ladies in our team have then dispensed the medicines prescribed with the nurses taking blood pressure and administrating the necessary injections. "Making people cry", like Carmelle puts it. Over 500 people have been treated at these five clinics, which have always been arranged in conjunction with services. "The Great Physician was so near, the very healing Jesus!"
This week we have been serving in Dr. Kumar's area. Big meetings and clinics will continue until we leave on Friday, March 5th. Keep us in your prayers. There are many hair-raising drives still ahead of us, the need for health and rest is always before us, and so is our daily dependence on our Heavenly Father to open His Word and make the reality of Jesus love living each day in our own hearts and in the hearts of our listeners. We have been encouraged to find out that our audiences often consist of up to thirty percent "outsiders" - mostly interested Hindus invited by Christian friends.
All in all both Pastor K and Doctor Kumar, their wives and staffs have demonstrated great compassion towards us and almost amazing skills at coordinating our schedule, arranging meetings and being ultimately responsible for the Pastors Seminars. We owe them a great debt of gratitude!
May God keep you in His peace and love!
Dennis
India
March 1, 2010
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