Hello Everyone!



Jai Christ! (Praise the Lord!)

Thank you for praying for me and my ministry. Thank you for constantly lifting me up in your prayers.Thank you for helping financially. May God bless you all. Thank you so much for the great love you have for us.

As you know, in the area where we are ministering, the people have only one thought: that this place should be made an only Hindu area. In such a situation, when we preach the Gospel to people, they get angry. They say, “You are doing wrong.” But, we know that we are sharing about the Holy God and the Living God. We want them to be able to get rid of the evil power over them and accept their sins before God. But people here do not want to listen to us.

Some of our brothers, who are pastors, are also working in different areas here. Just now, I met a brother. His name is N*. I told him that we can do the work of evangelism in this area by being in one accord. Even though we are connected with different ministries, our work is the same. We can spread the Gospel in the same way where the Gospel has not reached the villages, and open the eyes of the people from darkness and bring them to the Lord.

Some time ago, God gave me a chance to meet some of my old friends who used to study in the same school with me. We were all in the same class. God can make anything happen during ministry, but I never thought that we would ever meet again and talk like this! But when God is working nothing is impossible with Him!

When we were in school, I used to preach Gospel to all of the students in our free time, because that was the time that I came to know about the Lord. I used to tell people in class at school, “God loves you so much. He wants us all to be saved. If we repent from our sins and go before Him, He will forgive us.”

I was able to meet with some of these same old friends from the past. We had good fellowship together. I again told them about the Lord Jesus Christ, as I used to tell them in school. Today God gave me another chance, to tell them again! R* is close to accepting Christ as Savior in his life and turning his mind from his sins. Every day I talk to him on the phone and visit also. I am praying to God that the lives of these two brothers will be saved and that the lives of their families can be saved through them.

hank God! God gave me a chance to meet a brother pastor who is currently serving in a nearby city. He came near our house. Then we went nearby to a beautiful place in the forest where there is peace. We sat down and sang a couple of songs of praise to the Lord and encouraged each other. S* was also there, who is from our area, but doing ministry in a different place. He asked me, “Very bad treatment was done to you here, wasn’t it? ” We talked about what happened at that time and prayed for each other. We prayed that God, who is here, will open more and more doors wherever the Word of the Lord has not yet been spoken. 

We are hoping to meet there twice a week and share about how God is working in different ways in the different areas that we are serving in. Then we will pray for each other and the areas we are working in.

Thank you for praying for S* and N* and their families who live near us. Thank God that in the last 2 weeks, their families were the only ones from the city at the bottom of the mountain that came to our area. They camped where our church is being built by God. They spent the night and painted the church. Pastor 12* who is from here but serving the Lord at the bottom of the mountains and his brother also came with them.

Thanks to those who visited our area. We talked about how we can do many things, and gathered people around. At night they showed a movie that was in our local language to gather more people and make them excited. We had dinner together and so that together we could glorify and praise the Lord and pray together. Afterward we kept meeting and were able to share the word of God.

Many times when we tell the Good News to people in our area, they do not want to listen because it is us who tell them. When someone new from another place comes, they become interested. They think these people are coming from some other land and will teach us. I pray that in the coming time that God will save more and more people and bring them and we can glorify God and come together in our church building.

Thank you all for praying for us. God bless you.

 Pastor 13*

* Names have been changed or omitted for security reasons.

I hope that last month you got at least a glimpse of how great our trip to Peru was. I’m so thankful for all that the Lord has done. This summer has a lot in store, and I’m looking forward to what the Lord is going to do. My goal right now is to rest in His goodness and be faithful where He’s planted me in this season. We serve a good God who always comes through, and supplies all of our needs. What a good God who knows what we have need of before we ask it!

Summer

This summer there is a lot going on. Mainly with the middle schoolers, but between friends, family, ministry, and work, it is busy indeed. For middle school we’re going to be doing a couple of events a month and we have our summer camp coming up and I’m getting excited for that! Last week we took the middle schoolers to a local mini golf course and had a great time! We’re currently going through the book of John and are going to pick up in John 7 this coming Friday. Please pray for the students, that they would draw near to Jesus, and that they would run hard after Him. 

Missions

As far as missions is concerned, I will not be going to Uganda this time around, but am hoping to go to at least one upcoming conference this Fall. Please pray for the team from the Rock going to Uganda late July—it’s going to be a sweet time for them, and I’m excited to see what the Lord is going to do with their time there. Please continue to pray for wisdom and guidance as there are some opportunities on the horizon! I’m excited to see what the Lord will do and trust that He will put me right where He wants me. In the meantime I will be seeking to finish some things up here at home to be ready to go when the Lord says to.

How to Get Involved

As opportunities arise, I will definitely let you know as there will be needs that come up. Until then, if you would please partner with me in prayer, that would be incredible! I am so thankful for your prayers and support and I am thankful to have your help in that way. I pray that your heart would be encouraged and strengthened in your faith!

Updates on Dad

While we were in Peru, my dad had to go back into the hospital because his incision became infected. Good news though, as of yesterday, his surgical wounds are healed! He’s been doing a lot of physical and occupational therapy and is working really hard. If you would please pray for his heart to be encouraged in this season and to see what the Lord has for him to do in all of this, that would be much appreciated! His doctor told him he would have a 50% chance of being able to go back to work, and my dad is eager to see that happen. It’s undoubtedly a long road toward recovery, but the Lord is good, and whatever comes I know He will sustain my family in the midst of it all. Your prayers are beyond appreciated. 

Please pray for me that I would manage my time well. That I would serve faithfully in every aspect of life, that He would continue to give me the mindset and drive needed to get done what’s needed—and that the name of Jesus would be glorified in all I do!

Thank you all so much, much love,

-Jordon

Hello family! I want to begin by saying it was a pleasure celebrating another Resurrection Sunday with my Saving Grace family! I am so thankful to be praising with you all, the One who made a public spectacle of sin and death by rising on the third day; and because of that, the tomb is empty and we are full! To those of you who joined us for our Easter breakfast, I am thankful for the opportunity to have helped fill your bellies. It has been a tremendous blessing how God has used my passion for cooking to serve my brothers and sisters in the Lord. As a brother had told me, so much fellowship takes place around the dinner table, and it’s a joy to fill the plates and create those opportunities. The idea has been put on my heart of using this as a ministry opportunity overseas, especially regarding the highly relational Muslim culture I’m praying about serving in.

For our mission studies I continually try to add new cuisines to my skill set, and three of our last four studies I made Middle Eastern dishes. I love how it has me shop at Fresh Choice, a Middle Eastern market, and has given me the opportunity to connect with a Lebanese woman while picking out grape leaves, and with a Palestinian checker by responding to his Arabic greeting in Arabic. Besides the cooking I have been blessed with the stewardship of our Middle East care team in place of our dear brother who will is now on the field! I’m so happy to be organizing a monthly family meeting where we talk to “Dad” on behalf of our dear brothers and sisters breaking ground on this amazing new work. Prayer is so powerful for the empowerment of God’s angelic armies, and we want to support them as best we can considering the spiritual strongholds over this part of the world. I also am excited to see how God moves through this stewardship regarding my own calling to the Muslim people.

Our departing brothers and sisters had a yard sale to get rid of more of their belongings and earn some money in the process, and it has stoked my own fire to do likewise. I’ve had thirty plus years of things I’ve acquired in a small storage unit and have begun clearing it out. I cannot justify paying rent for things I cannot hold onto, especially with what I’m feeling called to do. I’m looking forward to further downsizing and hopefully making some money in the process, especially to help clear up some credit card debt which is certainly an obstacle to any further steps.

Regarding daily life, work has been good! It’s definitely a blessing to be at a company which is so lenient with requesting time off for any and all trips I take, the last of which was Israel just a few weeks ago! It was amazing to spend the time touring the Holy Land and to have the Bible open up to me in new and marvelous ways! There were definitely special moments with the Lord and with the team that I’ll have to share in my next update. As for special moments here at home, God gave me such a sweet word in my morning devotions. I got caught up reading Esther (too good to put down) and stopped about five chapters later, finishing in chapter 8. Then right after I had the Messianic Psalm 110 where something struck me profoundly, and that was, yet again, the message to GO! Psalm 110 describes how Christ will judge among the nations at His second coming, and Esther 8 says:

“The couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the king’s command. And the decree was issued in Shushan the citadel.”
‭‭Esther‬ ‭8‬:‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

If the couriers had not gotten the message to the Jews in time, they would not have known that they could defend themselves from their impending doom; and the king hastened them. Christ our king, in his final commandment and great commission, tells us to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observes all things that He has commanded us. When we know that people are dying without Christ and going to hell every second this Old Testament story is a great illustration of how dire the situation really is. People across the globe, especially in the 10/40 window, need to know that there is a means of deliverance from their impending doom. Just this morning in my quiet time I had a vision of an ominous shadowy figure, mostly amorphous but with a distinguishable evil grin and clawed hands. It was flying through the air and parallel to innumerable Muslims on their faces praying, as if eager to snatch them. After praying for the people I saw a veiled skeleton looking up and disintegrating, with the veil falling to the ground. My first impression was the fate of the people, but then I felt the Lord tell me it meant that death is fading and the veil will fall.

Prayer Requests

• That the light of the gospel would tear through the darkness of the Islamic stronghold, and that the veil would indeed fall
• That the Lord would bless the roots being placed in the Middle East, and that I would be sensitive to the guidance of His Holy Spirit for the perfect will He has for me
• That I would be diligent and faithful with all the stewardship He has blessed me with here and now
• That the Lord would provide, should He desire me to go to Peru in September, to help with and attend the mission conference

Praise Reports

• I’m an uncle! My sister Nicole and brother-in-law Arron had a precious little boy named Maddox (also please pray for their salvation, that God would use parenthood to draw them near)
• The fifth year of the Calvary School of Missions is about to begin! (Please pray for full surrender from the students, clear direction from the Lord regarding missions, and blessing and refreshment for the saints who will be assisted and served)
• I will be in the wedding of a dear brother who moved to the east coast. (Please pray for all to go according to plan and for a blessed time of fellowship and reuniting)

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Luke 24:46-47

Felicidades! Thank you for opening our newsletter! We’ll catch you up on some things from the past two months, and include prayer requests and pictures below, as always!

WE WRITE TO YOU FROM OUR NEW HOME IN TRUJILLO, PERÚ!

By the grace of God, we flew in this past weekend and are staying at our pastor’s house for a month to get acquainted with the city and the ministries here at Calvary Trujillo and CBI Perú. Soon we will move to a shared house with our own rented quarters.

Thank you all for encouraging us, praying for us, and supporting us through our time in the States these past few months! A lot of things needed to happen for us to get where we are currently.

Big praise reports: our flights were very affordable, our daughter Amalia’s passport came in time, and our sister-in-law Andrea got to fly with us and help make traveling with a baby and all our bags go smoothly.

The month of May was full of new partnerships, and fun with family and friends in Southern California. So many great memories as we enjoyed our “lasts” of many things in America for a while. We were also blessed to attend the internship class with Calvary Chapel Saving Grace in our time in SoCal. There we hung out with future/current missionaries, prepare and teach 15 minute messages from the Bible, and participate as students in a class through the Book of Acts. The internship really helped us stay focused during our time in America.

We also got to share at the church we grew up in, MVCF, in San Diego and host a dessert gathering to share more specific details about the work we’re endeavoring to do in Perú! Thank you to those who came and asked such great questions! MVCF also joined in a special way by praying over us and sending us out the Sunday before we left. This church really played a huge part in both mine and Racquell’s childhood and youth group ages, so continuing that connection now is a huge privilege for us.

We also had an opportunity to meet new friends and share at Calvary Chapel Escondido, in California. The Lord has been giving us with great connections and amazing people who have encouraged us and spurred us on. Thank you, friends, new and old!

We’re especially excited to be in Trujillo now, because a team from Calvary Chapel Lihue (Hawaii) will be visiting in just a few days! It will be great to reconnect with them in Perú…kind of like two worlds colliding for our family! We’re praying it is a sweet time and that God uses this trip mightily in the lives of those coming, and the lives that they impact while they’re with us in Perú. We’ll work alongside them a lot in the next couple weeks, with construction projects at the CBI campus and in local outreaches.

“Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”” (Luke 24:46-47 NKJV). Friends, the saving message of Jesus hasn’t changed, and His commission yet remains for the Church to obey. As the work began in Jerusalem and spread through the earth these past two millennia, Jesus is continuing His work of saving souls TODAY, using the Church as His ambassador.

Racquell and I are praying that Jesus uses our lives mightily for His name here in South America. That many disciples are made and Bible teaching churches are planted throughout the world. People need to hear the gospel.

In months past we’ve updated our newsletters with our financial status…and we want to share that thanks to many of your generous ongoing monthly support and one time donations, we can afford to live in Trujillo with our basic needs covered! We will continue to update you with specific needs as they come.

We know that those who give are taking a step of faith along with us. Thank you for your generosity and faith in God in this area. We hope to be a blessing to people in Trujillo and beyond, on your behalf. Really, we’re an extension of the Body of Christ reaching from all over the globe, to continue the church planting and disciple making movement in South America.

Prayer Requests for our family:

• For our BODIES, MINDS, AND SPIRITS:
  • We need to press on and continue with love by the Holy Spirit.
• STARTING WELL in our new home and with the ministries here in South America

Praise Reports:

• We’ve been FOCUSED.
• God is giving us great friendships and partnerships.
• We’ve been BOLD in sharing the gospel.
• WE MADE IT TO PERU!

Ways to get involved:

• Pray for us. We will need ongoing prayerful support as we settle into our new home country.
  • Join our Care Team. It’s a group of people that meets once a month in Kauai to pray for us specifically.
• Tell a friend or family member. Help share the vision that the Lord has given us with people or churches you know. It takes an army of people to send a missionary out! If you know anyone who is interested in partnering with missionaries who are church planting, we’d love to connect with them!
• Become a financial partner. God has been providing immensely for us to take this big step of faith, and you can help us to be a blessing to more people.

To check out the ministry we are serving with, please click the link:

Calvaryperu.com

By the grace of Jesus and for His glory,

The Stratton Family

One of the greatest honors that we have as missionaries, is to share with you what the Lord is doing with His Church in the place that we will be serving. While we couldn’t possibly share with you everything going on in the Japanese church, because we witnessed just a small part of it, we are excited to share the stories that we were privileged to see and hear during our trip.

Alishia sat down with her friend, Shiho, while we were in Osaka and recorded an interview. Most of us don’t have any experience with living in a culture where you don’t personally know any other Christians. Where family pressure makes it difficult to accept what is viewed as a foreign religion, it’s not suitable for a respectable Japanese person. Where the spiritual supports (sometimes crutches) of being surrounded by a body of believers is absent in your desire to walk with the Lord. So, we are excited to introduce you to Shiho and some of her testimony in this video.

As we return to Japan, we hope to be able to create more of these videos. Sharing with you more of Shiho’s story as well as the stories of other Japanese Christians. There are hundreds of these stories in Japan, each one beautiful and unique and encouraging in their own way. The Church in Japan is small, but it is not insignificant. Be praying for the believers there to be powerful witnesses to those around them, and be blessed by the testimonies of what God is doing there.

We are preparing for our return to Japan in Montana at our church. As soon as our monthly support is in place, we are ready to go. In the meantime, we will be leading a short-term missions trip for the church this fall, as well as a trip to Japan for prospective co-laborers this winter. Please pray for us and those that go on these trips with us. We will be in Nebraska with Daphne for July, and we’re very excited for that time as well.

Prayer requests:

• For the church in Japan and the believers there.
• For the Lord to provide for our financial needs.
• For our trips this fall and winter.
• For Daphne and our time with her this summer.
• For our Japanese language learning.

As temperatures start to cool and fall arrives in Mazatlan, we start welcoming back friends from areas in the US and Canada that are escaping their icy cold winters. It is also time to prepare and re-start many of our mid-week ministries for our English speaking community at Calvary Maranatha. 

But, this year, while friends started arriving, I was preparing for something new.

In December, following the Lord’s recent promptings, I made new plans to return to California. Over the past years, my visits back to the US were typically just a few weeks at a time to see family and renew my visa. But, this time the plan was to stay longer. My hope was that this longer home stay would provide added time to reconnect with family and friends, a chance to visit a variety of local churches and support teams as well as being available to help my mom as her rehabilitation continued from a bad fall she had in August.

Saying goodbye was difficult! 

These past years serving alongside Pastor Tony and Angela Carranza have been filled with lots of amazing and fulfilling experiences. I’m grateful to have been a part of the variety of ministry provided at Calvary Maranatha…conferences, missions teams, outreaches, bible studies, vacation bible schools, plus all our weekly church events.

What an amazing time these past 5 years have been! I am so thankful for all that I have learned and especially for each person on the Maranatha ministry team.  I will always be honored and grateful to be part of the team that makes the name of Jesus famous in Mazatlan! 

My final Sunday before traveling back to California Pastor Tony presented me with a plaque of appreciation while the Pastors and church body prayed for me, sending me out with their blessing and the Lord’s protection.

New things in the New Year

During my stay in California, I’ve had the opportunity to spend time over at the Saving Grace World Missions headquarters in Yorba Linda. The Pastors and staff have been so helpful providing wise counsel, prayer and encouragement as I navigate this time of change. 

I’ve had the opportunity to attend various bible and missionary intern classes provided at the headquarters. What an encouragement it has been to be around so many young people excited to pursue their purpose of serving the Lord in this world.

These classes have provided me with a rich time of learning that has challenged and replenished me as I have been adjusting life back in the states. In addition to classes, I’ve been blessed  to come alongside and mentor a few young gals during their final months of preparation before leaving for their field assignments. 

Meet my friend Macey! 

Macey has graduated from the Calvary School of Missions hosted by SGWM in Rosarito Mexico, and has been serving in the mission’s internship program at SGWM’s headquarters. I’ve enjoyed getting to know her and have had fun sharing experiences from my years serving in Mexico. I’ve been encouraged by Macey’s commitment and pursuit after all the Lord has for her as she prepares for her field assignment.

Reconnecting with good friends!

I’ve appreciated the unrushed time I’ve had to visit with old friends, meet new ones and connect with ministry partners in Orange County. It has been great to be back at my church home in Irvine, Voyagers Bible Church. The VBC church family who prayed for me when I was entering the mission field 8 years ago, have welcomed me back with open arms. In addition to Sunday services, I’ve been able to join into the women’s bible study on Tuesday mornings. What a joy it has been to study God’s word together with these women, many of whom have been a vital part of my prayer support team since I started serving in Mexico.

Returning to Mazatlan, but not on my own…

At the end of April, I was blessed to lead a team from Voyagers Bible Church down to Mazatlan. As I introduced  the VBC team to my church family at Calvary Maranatha, I felt like I was introducing distant relatives at a family reunion. What a joy it was to make these introductions realizing that the VBC group was seeing the fruits from their support and prayers for me over the years.

We all had a great time with Pastor Tony as he toured us around the Calvary Maranatha ministries in Mazatlan. We had an opportunity to be involved several midweek evening events and Sunday church and baptism service at centro,  as well as visiting a few church plant locations, and having an opportunity encourage and pray with several pastors and church planting students. In addition, the VBC team provided all the paint and supplies need to help transform the exterior of Maranatha Centro.

What a rich and action packed time we were able to spend together. The VBC team’s investment of their time, finances and skills made a great impact on my heart and a lasting impression on the Calvary Maranatha church family in Mazatlan. 

New Opportunities…

This summer I am excited to share that I will be joining in with the Calvary School of Missions.

Classes and training will take place in Mexico from July 9th- August 20th and will involve multiple levels of hands-on experiences and biblical training from Calvary Chapel pastors and missionaries currently serving on the field. 

I am honored to be serving as this year’s Director of Outreach as well as participating in the daily class program provided.

During these weeks, I am confident that the Lord is going to use this rich opportunity of training and serving together to guide us toward the paths He has next for us!

As His word says:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Please join me in prayer for:

• The continued ministry of Calvary Maranatha, Mazatlan and their future church plants
• God’s wisdom and knowledge as I follow on His paths.
•  Health and provision through this time of learning.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

Ephesians 6:18

Dear Friends and Family,

We want to thank you all for your prayers.  I know many of you have expressed concern about what has been happening in Sudan.  The fighting there continues but we are very far from Sudan and safe in Uganda. 

While we are far away and safe, there have been many missionaries and even chaplains who have been stuck in Sudan and have had trouble getting out and to safety. Thankfully the Lord has provided for us to be able to help in different ways.  One of the ways was to help one of the South Sudanese chaplain guards and his family to get to safety.  Abraham is one of the chaplains who came to help us with security after our robbery in 2019.  Due to covid he and the other chaplains ended up spending many months in quarantine with us in Uganda.  That time of quarantine brought us all close together.  Abraham had been in Sudan serving near Dafur when the fighting broke out.  His wife was north of Khartoum about to deliver a baby.  Via Facebook he was able to keep us informed of what was happening up until he was finally able to secure  transport out of the danger area and to his wife. Here are some of his communications.

A praise report on top of thanking the Lord for Abraham’s safe escape from the danger zone, is that once he was reunited with his family, his wife gave birth to a healthy baby girl. 

Another praise report from Sudan is the safe rescue of an American pastor and his mission team that happened to be in Sudan when the fighting broke out.  Many of you know that I have been babysitting a little boy called Jesse, until he can join his family in the States.  The pastor and mission team were from his families’ church.  The team had been on a missions trip elsewhere in Africa and had only intended to be in Sudan 2 days before heading back to the USA.  Fighting broke out and that 2 days turned into 13 days. Miraculously, they were able to get help from an Arab tv station that put them in their van and got them to the coast where they were able to board a ferry to the safety of Saudi Arabia.  We thank the Lord for their deliverance and for the many others who have been able to get to safety.  We continue to pray for those who are still trying to get out and for the fighting to stop.

In Uganda we have been safe from fighting but many people have been affected by the rainy season.  This time of year is what we normally call the small rainy season but this year the weather has been severe. It has been raining almost nonstop and many places have flooded. This has caused roads to wash away and many accidents to occur due to the deep holes in the roads that become hidden when covered with water.  It also has increased the cases of malaria due to an abundance of mosquitos. Pray for the rain to stop and for health and safety for the people of Uganda.

Arise Christian Fellowship has not been untouched by the sicknesses brought on by this rainy season.  It is with a very sad and heavy heart we tell you of the passing of Evat.  It was just over a year ago I was writing of his marriage and the birth of his child.  A very brief but deadly sickness took him at his home.  Many members of the church traveled the 6+ hours to his families village for the funeral and burial.  We celebrate the fact that he is with the Lord but we mourn his loss here to his wife, baby, and all who knew and loved him.

Thank you for praying for our family and for the ministry to the people of Uganda and Sudan.

In Him,

Brian, Jill, Luke, Laylee and Liana

PRAYER REQUESTS
– We are so thankful for the many ways the Lord has blessed us and for everyone who supports us and the ministry in Uganda.
– Please pray for an end to the fighting in Sudan and for the evacuation of those who are in the fighting danger zones.
– Pray for Abraham and his family to remain safe and for their new baby girl.
– Pray for the missionaries who have been evacuated from Sudan to recover from the things they have seen and experienced.
– Pray for the rains in Uganda to let up and for people to be safe from sickness and on the dangerous roads.
– Pray for the Family of Evat and for Arise Christian Fellowship as they mourn his loss.
– Pray for the Kanyike children to get called for their citizenship interview.
– Pray for Brian as he pastors and leads the ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship.
– Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.

Dear Pastors, Partners, and Leaders

Greetings to all of you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ! I thank God the Father Lord Jesus Christ that until now God has kept me safe and that He is using me in my state. Even though people are being persecuted all over our country, there is very little persecution in my state. In our place, only the people of the village and neighborhood persecute us. We do not have any kind of problem with the law or political leader. This is all an answer to your prayers. Because of your prayers, people are having a deeper understanding of God’s Word and have surrendered everything to God. By the grace of God many villages have church fellowships and Bible studies.

God has given an American a unique heart for my city!

Today, I am going to share the testimony of a man who left his country and came to my district for the sake of the Gospel of the Lord and to serve God. The man’s name is S*. He is from a country in Central America. Nowadays, the pastor lives in our city with his wife on a tourist visa. They are teaching people how to spread the Gospel. They try their best to teach in our language. He runs a home church in a village, and travels with his wife on a motor bike. Despite the unbearable heat, he does not hesitate to do the work of the Lord. His wife is always suffering from some or the other disease like a stomach ache, fever etc., yet both of them are engaged in the work of the Lord. I met him at a local pastors’ meeting and invited him to my wedding. He came to my wedding even though it was summer and prayed for our marriage to be blessed. 

A man suffering from strange disease from birth dedicated his life to the Lord! 

I thank God that God provided Audio Bibles which I was able to give to many people who needed them and to whom I was led to let them listen to the Word of the Lord. I want to share the testimony of one more of the today. His name is S*. I have sent newsletters and prayer requests about him many times. He has been coming to our church for about 12 years. He is suffering from a very strange disease. His hands and feet start bursting on their own and blood starts coming out. His nails also become very big and hurts when bitten. I tried many places to get him treatment and took him to many hospitals so that he could be cured but he could not recover as much as he should have. He recovered a little with treatment at a hospital. The treatment was very expensive, so I helped him financially get some more treatment. Because of this disease, many people hated him. They were afraid to even talk to him lest this disease would spread to them as well. The poor thing tried to commit suicide several times. But I thank God that He gave me the opportunity to understand through the Word of God that He loves him very much. Last week, I gave him an audio Bible because he does not know how to read or write. He has never went to school. Ever since I gave him an Audio Bible, he always carries it with him day and night and listens to the Word of God.

Our day of fasting prayer ended after dinner!

I thank God that by faith my church is getting stronger day-by-day in faith and in God’s Word. Because of the name of the Lord, they are persecuted day by day, yet their faith does not break and they are getting absorbed in the Lord. We planned for many days for fasting prayer. So our whole church family organized a fasting prayer meeting on June 2nd. 30 to 35 people came. We all together prayed for the whole world from morning till evening. We offered prayers for the missionaries who are imprisoned and suffering for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the believers to be steadfast in their faith and to be wise in the Word of God, for the church to be strong in persecution, and that the Good News can reach every corner of the earth etc. 

From morning to evening we prayed in many ways. We prayed all together, and also prayed in small groups. Having fellowship with God and with people was a reason for us to be very excited. We arranged dinner for them before they went home in the evening. I thank God that everything went well.

Prayer Requests:

• Please pray that God meets each and every need of ours.
• Please pray for our church. The heat is so fierce that we often have to finish our services early.
• Please pray that God enables me to safely take my wife on a journey to visit her mother’s side of the family this month..
• Please pray for rain here. Due to the lack of rain, all the rivers and streams have dried up, so I am not able to baptize the new believers. The baptism tank which we had built in the church is broken.
• Please pray for S*. May God heal him from whatever strange disease he is suffering from.

Thanks for your love, prayer support, and  partnership in the Gospel.

God bless you all,

Pastor 11

*Names and faces have been changed or omitted for security reasons.

Praise the Lord!

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you, dear partners, for your prayers and financial support. We are praying for your family and your country. By the grace of God, my family and I are doing well. God has kept us safe.

Last month we got a chance to visit a different state with family. We had a good time meeting with cousins. We were able to have fellowship with them and share the Word with them. 

We also got the chance to visit a blind hostel run by Swedish Missionaries. There are about 200 students there. Some live there as resident students. Others, who are from nearby villages, go back to their homes after school. It was our privilege to spend time with them and pray for them. The manager shared a testimony about God’s provision for the blind school. During Covid, they did not have any funds for the school, but the staff stayed without getting a salary and the local people raised some money to feed the students. Now, a Swedish mission has been helping financially for last two years to run the school. Praise God for such committed Christian workers who Christian worked without receiving a salary.  

Since the Bible Institute is closed for summer brake, we are focusing on church ministry. We do home visitation in the evenings since during the day it is very hot.

In the morning we are cataloging the books of our Bible Institute library.  The new Bible Institute session will start the first week of July.

Since schools are out for summer break, we had a VBS that was attended by around 400 children! 

Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for my children to grow in the Lord’s fear and knowledge.
• Please pray that the Lord will intervene in the problems the world is facing.
• Please pray for the village ministry in our local area. May the villagers grow in Lord’s Word.
• Please pray M* (the niece of one of our students). She is suffering from Chickenpox.
• Please pray for our state believers, as they are facing persecution.  

Blessings,

Pastor 16* and Family

* Names have been changed or omitted for security reasons.