Welcome to The Aussie Outpost Wider Church Prayer Letter for February 1, 2003. What progress have I made in getting the prayer letter into a format that can be easily printed to distribute to others? Well, none really - yet I think the current format can be easily printed out and given to others. I'll keep experimenting and hopeful something else will eventually turn up (freeware).
Contents:
Bulgaria:
Bulgaria appears to be the latest of the former Communist countries seeking to restrain Evangelical churches. The government is currently seeking to legislate a new law that is designed to protect the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Non-Orthodox churches will then be required to gain Bulgarian Court approval in order to exist and operate within the country.
Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Oregon, USA - 'DJ' Dickey:
Young Jason Weller's (12 years old) Cleft Palate correction surgery is now scheduled for January 29. This will involve placing marrow from his hip into his jaw. The 'plan B' approach will be to sew his tongue into the place to be repaired, where it will need to remain for some time. Clearly 'plan A' is the preferred option. Please pray concerning this operation, for Jason and his family.
Cuba:
An issue to be prayed about in regard to Cuba is the fact that public evangelism is illegal.
Uzbekistan:
A Baptist Christian was recently sent to jail for 10 days in Uzbekistan because he held an illegal unregistered church meeting in his home. Please pray for this man and our brethren in this country.
The gospel can only be legally preached in Uzbekistan in the Russian language, however, most people speak only the Uzbek language. It is also illegal for Muslims to convert from Islam to Christianity.
Vietnam:
It is believed that three Christian were recently executed in Vietnam. Vietnam had been seeking to eliminate Christianity before the close of 2002. This of course has not happened, but the government is continuing its crackdown on Christians. Some 1 000 people have fled to Cambodia, with more than 350 churches destroyed and some 50 pastors having disappeared. For more information, visit:
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/vietnam.html.
Recently noxious gas was used to break up a church meeting among Hmong Christians in the Dien Bien Dong area. Some of the brethren are extremely ill as a result.
Christian areas are now heavily guarded, church services prevented and all Christian literature destroyed. Christian homes without pagan symbols are fined, families arrested and poisoned food distributed among Christians.
Guatemala:
The New Testament is available to the people of Guatemala who speak the Cakchiquel language. Now the Old Testament translation in that language has been completed and is ready to print. As good as this news is, the difficulty is that the government changed the alphabet during the translation work and so many people now need to learn the new alphabet in order to read the new translation. Please pray about this matter, that the Lord in his providence would bring his people understanding of the new translation.
Heilbronn - Germany:
There are only three German speaking Reformed Baptist churches in Germany and an additional 3 English speaking Reformed Baptist churches for American forces in Germany. The Heibronn Reformed Baptist Church has both German and English services.
The city of Heibronn has a population of over 130 000 people and the church is trying to reach these in its evangelistic efforts. However this takes a fair bit of money and the church is asking for prayer concerning this. The church is seeking to place tracts in every letterbox in the city. The church also seeks to witness to the population of Heibronn via a book table, street preaching and working with the homeless and drug addicts. Also needed by the church are songbooks in German.
The church also has a German Chat Room Bible Study which currently has 15 to 20 people regularly tuning in to the studies.
Visit the church online at:
http://www.fb-gemeinde.de
North Korea:
In North Korea, 'unworthy citizens' are being sent to secret torture camps where they are subject to water torture, sexual assaults, beatings and psychological abuse. One camp alone holds 50 000 people. Christians should remember that such unworthy citizens include Christians, with some 100 000 thought to be imprisoned in these camps.
Poland:
Some 39 million people call Poland home, with some 80% being Roman Catholics. Evangelicals make up less than 1% of the population. Of concern is the fact that many are becoming more interested in the various heretical and cultic groups. Missionary and church planting activities are underway.
Mexico:
Publicaciones Farode Gracia is a non-profit Spanish publishing ministry seeking to provide both pastors and churches with good Reformed literature. To find out more about the ministry of Publicaciones Farode Gracia, visit:
Also in Mexico is the ministry of David and Tommi Sitton. From June 6-13, a mission will be held in Mezquital. They are seeking a team of some 45 people, who will minister on the Island of Men, Media Luna Island and Fish Town. The cost will be $310.00 US for the week. There will also be a mission to Matamoros. For more information on these missions, visit:
India:
Two new churches have been started in Orissa State. Please remember Pastor Raju Athawale, Sunil Kathale and brother Bhattacharya ministering in the Nagpur area. Weekly Bible studies are also held at Sonba-nagar, Defence Colony, Mhada Colony, Korardi, Tekdewadi and Yogendra-nagar. There are also many other meetings and services. The Grace Bible Institute in Nagpur is slowly progressing, with funds needed for further construction work.
In other news, the growing movement for a Pro-Hindu state is growing in momentum, especially in regions such as Gujarat. In Gujarat, Christians that seek to evangelise a regarded as committing a public outrage. Hindu extremists have also attacked missionaries working among the Dhakti Bhils people in the Thar Desert region.
In the Madras region a group of 10 000 people who were seeking to be baptised was broken up by Police, with quite a number arrested. Soon international journalists and press arrived, allowing some of the group to actually be baptised when the Police backed off. Thousands of Indians belonging to the lowest class of Hinduism are attempting to reject Hinduism in favour of Christianity. However, a growing movement of fanatical Hindus are moving against those seeking Christian conversion, including a move to fine those who convert to Christianity with a 100 000 Rupee fine and four year jail sentence. Some Christians have also been killed.
Portugal:
There are some 10 million people living in Portugal, with some 75% of the population professing Roman Catholics. There are not so many actual practicing Roman Catholics however. There are some 5% of the population said to be Evangelical. Of concern is the growing number of people becoming interested in the various cultic groups.
There is a great lack of Evangelical work in many areas in Portugal, with a need for trained pastors also.
Philippines - Cubao Reformed Baptist Church:
There are some 84 million, largely Roman Catholic, people in the Philippines. There is freedom of religion in the Philippines, with some 15% of the population regarded as Evangelical. There is also a strong Islamic area in the south of the Philippines, which is seeking to become a separate Islamic state. This Islamic region is largely unreached with the gospel.
Meanwhile the Cubao Reformed Baptist Church now has some 10 evangelistic Bible studies, with 70-80 people attending them. The number of people attending and joining the church itself is also growing. On Wednesday nights after the prayer meeting, an evangelistic team visits the shopping area in order to witness and distribute tracts. Each Saturday a group visits the local hospital and there is also a children's meeting held in a large squatter area.
On the 9/1/03, a large fire broke out in the nearby squatter area, leaving some 2 500 people homeless. The Cubao church is seeking to give as much assistance as possible to the people who have suffered the loss of everything in the fire. This may also be an opportunity to bear a greater witness to the people in the squatter area.
The Grace Ministerial Academy has seen a growth in numbers attending, including the eleven students who were formerly attending the Pentecostal denomination. Many of these students find it difficult to meet the financial requirements of the course, etc. If you would like to help Cubao and a student of the academy, please contact Brian Ellis at btellis@info.com.ph .
The book ministry of Cubao Reformed Baptist Church continues to struggle along. It has made a loss for the last three years and obviously it can't continue in this way. Please pray about this situation.
In other news from Cubao, Matthew Gamston from Trinity Baptist Church, Gloucester, England, will be going to Cubao in July to serve as a missionary.
You can visit Cubao Reformed Baptist Church online at:
Ireland - Reformation Ireland:
The Reformation Ireland website is soon to undergo a makeover. Keep an eye on the website at:
http://www.reformationireland.com/
A new Reformed Baptist work has begun in southern Dublin, with seven adults and four children attending. The group is known as the 'Ballinteer Baptist Meeting.' On Sunday evenings the group is studying Acts, while in the mid-week meetings the group is studying John.
Russia - Grace to Russia:
Grace to Russia has had to change its operations structure, though it remains committed to its mission among Russian speaking people. Learn more at the website at:
Lebanon - Mike and Maha Ghiz:
Christian witness in Lebanon appears greatly threatened. A missionary was killed in November 2002 and the government is not renewing many foreign work visas. However, in a Saturday Bible Club for kids, over 100 children are regularly attending. More workers are needed.
Madang - Papua New Guinea: M'Liss Spero:
M'Liss Spero has recently completed her course in Pidgin in order to work as a missionary in Papua New Guinea. She is still learning to speak the language fluently. She is also about to spend two weeks with Judith and Eric Hedeen among the Mualamunda tribe in order to pick up vital skills for missionary life in Papua New Guinea. Visit her site at:
http://wwwshilohcommunitychurch.org/mliss/
VISIT US ONLINE
Please visit The Aussie Reformed Baptist Outpost online at:
http://particularbaptist.com.com/index.htmlThe Outpost Wider Church Awareness Site can be found at:
http://particularbaptist.com/wider/widerindex.htmlFor email contact and further information regarding aid to the various ministries mentioned in the prayer letter, Kevin can be contacted at:
nrbcpastorkev@yahoo.com.auIf you are of Reformed Baptist persuasion and would like to add news of your church or work, or add requests for prayer to this prayer letter, please contact Kevin on the above Email address.
For 'snail mail,' write to 'The Aussie Reformed Baptist Outpost, 27 Middle Street, Cardiff South, NSW, Australia, 2285.
We thank all sources of information that have made this prayer letter possible and ask the church at large to commit to praying for one another. Brethren, please pray for us.
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