South Asia 2019
In less that a week, P Trent and I will be leading a team to South Asia. All of us on the team would appreciate your prayers.
The country we are going to is one of the top 10 worse countries to live in if you are a believer. A vow has been made by the leaders of this country to eradicate Christianity from within their boarders.
While we are there, we will be visiting 3 of the 4 Bible colleges, some of our remote church plants, and we will be holding 3 conferences for leaders and workers. Because of the current climate in the country, these conferences have to be held securely and somewhat secretly. There is a certain danger for those who are attending.
This picture was taken last year. It is a picture of a couple I met in the middle of the jungle. That is their house behind them. This man and his wife had been living there, with not another soul in sight, no running water, zero creature comforts, for the last 40 years.
One of the things I think the Lord has been impressing upon my heart recently is, “How far it too far to Go?” How far is too far to go to bring the gospel to someone who has not heard that there is Salvation in the name of Jesus? What inconveniences to us are too many, too much, that would keep us from going to those who are lost? What price is too high of a price to pay to see souls saved and our Lord glorified?
Isaiah wrote, “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” I am certain, without any doubt in my mind, the Lord is still asking “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Just like Isaiah, my heart immediately cries out, without hesitation, without a second thought, “Here am I! Send me.”
Would you please be praying for us?
Of course, we need you to pray for us for traveling mercies, that each of us on the team would not get sick during the trip, that would would have God’s protection as we travel. But would you also please press in for us and pray for divine appointments, the ability to speak into the lives of those we will meet. That each of us on the team would have a unique anointing that would allow us to minister effectively and prophetically to those we meet, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
You may have noticed Tina in the team photo. She is going with me on this trip. It will be her first trip to South Asia. She is a seasoned servant, but like most people going on a trip like this one, she is wondering what the Lord has for her, what her role will be? I am looking forward to seeing Jesus shine through her like never before. You may be aware that Tina has had some health concerns recently. I’d ask you to hold her up in your prayers. Pray for good health, strength, and for that special ability to minister to women the way only another woman can.
One thing I am looking forward to the most may not be what you think. I certainly enjoy teaching the word in a conference and classroom setting. That is always great. I trust the Lord will show up and speak His heart through me. But what I am looking forward to the most is hanging out with the students I have been teaching via Skype for the past 2 years. I looking forward to spending time with them, playing games, getting silly, having fun and loving on them in the name of Jesus. I am looking forward to those one-on-one discipleship moments that are God appointed.
I am also looking forward to sharing with you great things that God will accomplish on this trip. I’m looking forward to bring back fruit we all will rejoice over. I want to thank you for your prayers in advance, knowing that you are with us in spirit.
All for His glory! No matter the cost.
Gary and Tina
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May and June 2019
This last month and a half has been ridiculously busy and blessed! As you know, I am working full time for the Army in the middle of the Mojave desert, but the Lord has blessed us with an abundance of ministry.
Starting in May, I had the opportunity of sharing at The Pursuit Christian Fellowship in Gilbert Arizona. This was an extra special blessing because Tina and I got to hang out with a couple of our best friends, Tim and Jenny Lee, and Greg and Lori Ward. Tim pastors The Pursuit. Tim and Jenny haven’t laid eyes on Tina for close to 20 years. So you can imagine the blessing that reunion was.
June 2nd I was asked to share at another friends church, Calvary Chapel Paradise, in Las Vegas Nevada. I gave a brief highlight of our current ministry with Saving Grace Worlds Missions and then shared on the Purpose of the church.
I find it interesting that the purpose of the church is to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have yet to hear it. With an estimated 3 billion 234 million people who have never heard of the name of Jesus, much less the free gift of salvation offered in His name, I’m surprised so many of us in the church are not engaged in taking the gospel into all the world. In reality, if we don’t do it, who will?
Jesus in Mat 7:12 “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
What Jesus is basically saying is put yourself in the other guys shoes and treat him the way you would want to be treated should the tables be turned. I know, knowing what I know now, if I were unsaved I would desperately want someone to share Christ with me. I’m so thankful for those who did share the love of Christ with me when I was lost.
I know that we are not all called to be missionaries, but we are all called to care about the state of those who are dead in their sins and trespasses, with no hope of heaven.
The message finished with a gentle invitation to get involved. Everyone has a part to play in the Great Commission. We all can do at least one of three things.
- We can Pray first and foremost. There is a lot we can do after we pray but there is not much we can do of any value until we pray.
- After we pray we can go. I invited everyone at The Pursuit Christian Fellowship and Calvary Chapel Paradise, and I invite everyone reading this update, pray about going on a trip to South Asia or the Middle East with me. We’ll visit the colleges I oversee and spend time ministering and pouring into the students there.
- Finally, for those who can’t go, but would really like too, they can send. Some people have the means but not the time. Some, have the time but lack the means. When a person serves as a “Sender” they share equally in the rewards.
If we will be involved in the Great Commission is any combination of these ways, we will hear from our Savior, “Well done good and faithful servant.”
I have started to lay the ground work for a new Bible College in the Middle East. I’m really excited for this work to get off the ground. I had hoped it would start this semester but there are a few more things we need to work out before we launch it. I have spoken to a number of people who are interested in teaching and we have approximately 20 muslim background believers waiting for classes to begin.
Lastly, we are about to start a new Semester at the Bible Colleges in South Asia. This will be the first semester we be teaching via Skype to the Northern and the Central campus simultaneously. This semester we have many returning students, as well as number of new students. The student body is growing. We have teachers teaching via Skype from Pakistan, Oregon and across Southern California. The classes this semester include Church History, The Prison Epistles, The Pastoral Epistles, and The Book of Proverbs, which I will be teaching this semester. Our staff on the ground will be teaching the book of Hebrews, the Gospel of Mark, New Testament Survey III (Matthew – Acts), and Practical Christian Ministry. On Thursday nights we have various Calvary Chapel pastors teach a Chapel via Skype. This semester the topics that will be covered are Missions: The importance of taking the gospel to the world, The attributes of God, and a Biblical View on the Spiritual Gifts. It’s going to be such an exciting semester.
My last lastly is this, I have applied for a 10 year visa and I will be returning to South Asia with a group of pastors sometime mid October – November. We will be holding a pastor’s conference for the local national pastors serving in South Asia. Our prayer is to refresh and equip them for the work of the ministry. We will also be holding a Leadership conference for the leadership and staff of the three Bible Colleges. We will be pouring into them fresh vision and strengthening them in the work. Lastly, half the team will continue on to Nepal for a pastor’s conference there while I take a team of pastors to the south to finish out the semester at the Southern Campus. I will have the pastors with me teaching block classes and interacting with the student. Imagine having a group of pastors hanging out with you for a week and you can ask them anything and just sit and soak up all their teaching. It’s going to be a glorious trip. Please be praying
If you are not currently a financial supporter, I would invite you to please pray about joining us in raising up pastors and missionaries who will take the gospel place we could only dream of going? Our ministry is to raise up men and women and send them out to the truly unreached people of the world.
For those of you who are standing with us in the work, thank you. Tina and I are so thankful for your prayers, love, friendship and support. I hope one day you’ll be joining me on a trip that will change your life and spoil you for ordinary living.
And for my last lastly, If you would like me to come to your church and share a message on missions and God’s heart for the unreached of the world, I would be more than happy to do so. Please just email me and we can make those arrangements.
God bless,
Gary and Tina
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CCBC South Asia
I wanted to let you know the latest and ask you for your prayers.
The new semester at Calvary Bible College South Asia is under way. It started November 15. The 16 week semester will continue through the month of March.
This semester the classes offered are: Ezra & Nehemiah, 1st & 2nd Samuel, The gospel of Luke, The book of Acts, The book of Romans, 1st & 2nd Corinthians, and Practical Christian Ministry.
We have pastor Chuck’s tapes translated into a local language that the students will listen to and study through. At the end of the two year program, each of the students will have studied through the entire Bible with pastor Chuck. This semester they will be going through the second half of the Old Testament, Psalms through Malachi.
On Thursday evenings we will also be starting an Evening Chapel where the students will learn the Calvary Distinctives and the Doctrines behind them.
It’s going to be an exciting semester!
I have pastor Caleb from Calvary 
Chapel Fullerton teaching Ezra & Nehemiah. Pastor Caleb was the director of CCBC Europe, in Hungary, for many years.
Pastor David, also from Calvary Chapel Fullerton, pastor Caleb’s assistant, will be teaching through 1st & 2nd Corinthians..
Pastor Tim, from Calvary Chapel Saving Grace and the assistant director of Saving Grace World Missions, will be taking the students through The book of Acts.
Pastor P, our National Director, and his staff will be teaching through 1st & 2nd Samuel, and The gospel of Luke. They will also will be teaching the class on Practical Christian Ministry and overseeing the Old Testament Survey II (Chuck tracts).
The Evening Chapel will be taught by a number of Calvary Chapel pastors from all around the United States.
I have the privilege of teaching through the Book of Romans.
Please be praying for the students, for the national staff, and for the state side pastors. The enemy isn’t happy at all with this work and will attack in various ways throughout the semester. The work of training up these students, and then sending them out to reach the unreached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a great work, which seeks to take souls for the Kingdom of God and make them disciples. The devil just won’t stand idly by and let us do it. But thank God, though, we are more than conquerers. Thank God that the prayers of the saints avails much.
So please stand with us in the work and pray. I sense this semester the Lord wants to do a greater work than any of us could imagine.
Pray for insight into the word for each of the teachers. Pray that we, through the mighty Spirit of God, would speak prophetically into the lives of these students. Pray that the world in which they live would be radically changed through the teaching of God’s word, through raising up these students and sending them out.
As always, thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your love, friendship, and support. Your prayers mean more to us than you could ever imagine
God bless,
Gary and Tina
Below are a few pictures of the Bible College.
This is the front of our Building.
This is a picture of the kitchen.
This is a picture of one of the dorm rooms.
The Bible College cost nothing for the students to attend. They each receive housing and meals while they are engaged in studying the word. It’s a big under taking, but we serve a big God. All glory and praise to Him! Amen.
Posted in Update by Gary Barrow with 1 comment.