Welcome to the latest issue of the Wider Church Prayer Letter. In this issue we kick off information regarding the ‘Outpost BookAid’ programme and how you can help. If you don’t yet know, Outpost BookAid is a ministry enabling you to provide support to needy Christians and churches around the world by sending Bibles and Books to them, whether they be new or second-hand Bibles and good reformed books. For more information on the ministry and on how you can get involved visit the Outpost BookAid site at: http://particularbaptist.com/wider/bookaid.html. You can also register by joining the mail group (and receive regular ministry updates). There are three ministries mentioned in this current prayer letter, others will follow shortly as I get the information together, etc.
All you need to do in order to support the ministries in the Outpost BookAid programme is collect second-hand (or new) Bibles and Reformed books, and then send them to the ministry you wish to support. Contact details are given on our web site via links to each ministry (noted above). Simply post the books to the ministry concerned and let us know when you have done so. You can do so yourself or organise a parcel of books from your church. This is a ministry that will provide important support for the churches listed.
To view the Aussie Outpost Wider Church Prayer Letter in PDF format you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader that can be downloaded from the Adobe website at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
GHANA - SHALOM INDIGENOUS FOUNDATION (BAPTIST MISSION)
Shalom Indigenous Foundation (Baptist Mission) is located in Africa, being led by Pastor Noah Quarshie. This ministry is also listed with the Outpost BookAid programme. The ministry is described below by Pastor Quarshie:
‘The goal of our ministry here is to make the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ known to Ghanaians and Africans as a whole. To establish New Testament Baptist Churches, to provide relief services to the needy. This is accomplished through Evangelism, Christian Education, Church planting, Youth ministry, Orphan ministry and general relief ministry. The ministry is guided by a Director and an Executive Board here in Ghana and in the USA.’
To find out more about the ministry of Shalom Indigenous Foundation and to read an account of the life of Pastor Noah Quarshie and the ministry, visit the BookAid web site for Ghana at: http://particularbaptist.com/wider/ghana.html.
SOUTH AFRICA - BETHESDA OUTREACH MINISTRIES
HAMMANSKRAAL - RENE AND SONIA EINFELDTAnother house is being prepared at Bethesda Village for the orphans, with Rene Einfeldt involved in work on that. The village seeks to provide accommodation and other needs of orphaned children (especially due to AIDS), with the view of leading them to Christ. In other news at Bethesda there are zoning problems with the new site for a village.
Current national house parents at the village are Pastor Elias and Mamitjie Mateni (who have just taken up the role) and Jones and Lenah Phago. Christina Motsisi is an assistant to the house parents. Please pray for them in these roles.
Sonia Einfeldt has cut back her involvement with Bethesda to a couple of days each week in order to pursue outreach in the community. She has a number of useful contacts and is developing literature for distribution. Opportunities have opened up for Rene to assist in the evangelisation of several French-speaking people also. Rene is also working on a tract that he can hand out.
The latest news from South Africa has the Muslim dominated government seeking to outlaw the reading of the Bible, prayer and speaking of God in all schools. Please pray about this disturbing development.
In a recent outreach event to the poor and homeless, the police raided the meeting. Apparently some were selling illegal homemade brew, but most were simply poor. The meeting was being held in a field which the police set fire to, driving the poor and homeless off. Needless to say the meeting could not go ahead.
The Einfeldts’ are attending a small church to the north of Pretoria, where Sonia is playing the piano.
SAN MARINO
San Marino is one of those very small countries in Europe. This one is within Italy, with a population of 28 000 people. Most of the population is Roman Catholic as you would possible expect.
There is freedom of religion in San Marino. However, evangelisation is frowned upon in San Marino. There are no Evangelical churches in the country. Christian missionaries have been deported for preaching in the country.
INDIA - FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
India has a population of some 1 billion people, made up largely of people of Hindu (81%) and Muslim (12%) belief. Christians are said to make up 2.3% of the population. What this means is that there are about 999 000 000 people in India that are unsaved. Pastor G. Raj Kumar of the First Baptist Church at Bethany Pet, Bhimavaram in India, has asked for us to pray for the work of God in India.
The work that Pastor Kumar is involved in is located in southern India They are seeking to evangelise throughout the area, as well as providing food and shelter to the poor.
INDIA - BIBLICAL BAPTIST CHURCH
Pray for the church's building project and for the spiritual growth of new converts in the church. The church has gained a loan enabling them to put a roof on the new church meeting place. More funds are still required to continue the rest of the building project and to meet loan repayments.
INDIA AND MAURITIUS - JASON AND JEMIMA DEUTSCH
The Deutschs’ have been ministering for the last couple of months on the island of Mauritius, with Jason preaching on the Sundays and also training the elders of the church plant there. In other interesting news from Mauritius you may remember how Jason was being slandered as a ‘cultist’ for his reformed teaching. The man who began this slander has now apologised and sought Jason’s forgiveness.
Meanwhile In India the church has been hit by some difficulties and has dwindled in size. Please pray for the church.
IRELAND - REFORMATION IRELAND
The Reformation Ireland website has undergone 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.
Richard Bennett will be visiting the Greater Belfast area between May 11 and 13, 2003. Reformation Ireland will have a bookstall at some of the meetings to be held. More information is available from the Reformation Ireland website. Please pray about these meetings.
For photos of the Reformation Ireland team in action and to meet the team, visit:
http://www.reformationireland.com/gallery.htm
http://www.reformationireland.com/committee.htm
KENYA - TOM AND KAREN RICHARDSON
The Richardson family had been hoping to begin missionary work in Kenya about now but this has not been possible. In the meantime Tom will be teaching drafting and construction at The Master’s Mission. When this is completed in August, the Richardsons’ hope to be near ready to leave for Kenya. They hope to be living and working in and around Nairobi. Please pray about all of this as they wait on the Lord’s will for them.
IRAQ
Though the war in Iraq may be all but over, there are still many prayer concerns relating to Christians. A number of Iraqi men are training to fill pastoral charges in the Reformed churches of Iraq. The church in Basra now has an Iraqi pastor after he was trained in Egypt at the Presbyterian Theological College.
RWANDA
The small country of Rwanda is in eastern central Africa, surrounded by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Congo. It is populated by 7.3 million people, including the Hutus and Tutsis peoples. The country was the scene of the worst ethnic cleansing attempt in living memory, when Hutus attempted to wipe out the rival Tutsis in the 1990s civil war begun by the Tutsis people.
After the atrocities of the 1990s it is hard to believe that 90% of the population claim to be Christian. 20% are said to be Evangelical.
Prayer points include the obvious racial tension that continues to this day (especially tensions involving Christians). AIDS is also a major concern for Rwanda, as it is for most African countries.
JAPAN - BRIAN AND YOKO BROADDUS
Brian and Yoko are currently attending Kariuzawa Horizon Chapel while at language school. The church is a new church plant by Kikuo and Yuki Nishioka, who are only a young couple. There are only a few attending at this stage, so please pray for the church as it establishes.
SEYCHELLES
Some 80 000 people live in the island nation of Seychelles. The 100 or so islands are found in the Indian Ocean, with many of the people professing Christianity, but it is feared that this is largely a nominal profession of faith (90% are Roman Catholic, 5% Evangelical). There is freedom of religion in the island nation. There is need for further missionary enterprise in the Seychelles, especially the more remote islands.
IVORY COAST
It would appear that the situation has quietened down in the Ivory Coast, not that the civil war danger and situation is over. Rebel forces currently control a large area of territory. The small numbers of Reformed churches are continuing to minister in trying situations. Please pray for the brethren in the country.
SAMOA
Samoa is an island nation northeast of New Zealand in the Pacific Ocean. The nation has a population of some 180 000 people, mostly native to the islands. It is an extremely poor country, relying on foreign aid for survival.
Samoa has freedom of religion with most people professing Christianity of some sort. However, Mormonism claims some 35% of the population. The church in Samoa is largely nominal.
Please pray for believers who are seeking to witness in their communities and for those that have moved elsewhere as missionaries.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - UKARUMPA - COLIN AND DIANNE LORD
The Lords’ are attempting to learn the trade language known as Tok Pisin in order to effectively witness to the people. They are also considering becoming a support couple for those in the field doing translation work.
Dianne is also expecting baby number 7 (due in November).
ISRAEL - VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS
Through the use of an advertisement in a local Russian newspaper (remember many Jewish people returned to Israel from Russia) some 290 responses were received in the towns of Shterot, Ashdod and Beersheva. Voice in the Wilderness is looking at starting a work in the Shterot area. Shterot is often hit by missiles fired by local Palestinian fighters. Please pray about the situation in this town.
ISRAEL - GRACE AND TRUTH
For all the latest on Israel’s Grace and Truth congregation and to sign up for the prayer letter, visit the website at http://www.graceandtruthbulletin.org.
SENEGAL
The West African country of Senegal is home to 10.5 million people, who are largely Islamic. However, there is freedom of religion. There are very few Christians in the country, despite missionary effort. Some 4% of the population are Roman Catholic, with 90% being Muslim.
In recent times there have been several Bible translations made available for several of the language groups in Senegal. Bible Schools have been set up and some indigenous people are now training for ministry in the country. However, large areas of the country have still not been reached with the gospel.
PHILIPPINES: CUBAO REFORMED BAPTIST CHURCH
The Cubao church is continuing to grow with several having become members or soon to become members in recent times. Part of the outreach at Cubao is street meetings on Saturday afternoons aimed at reaching the children. These meetings occur at Benitez St in Cubao and Agham Road. Also new Bible Studies may soon begin at Benitez Street and Miami Street, both near Cubao.
Grace Ministerial Academy is also growing with some 43 students currently enrolled, many having left a large Pentecostal denomination. Among the students is Ronald Santos, who was the director of the Pentecostal College.
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE
Sao Tome and Principe are small islands off Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. The 170 000 population is predominantly Roman Catholic. There is however freedom of religion. Evangelicals make up a small portion of the population with only a couple of small churches and missions operating. There is clearly a need for a growing Evangelical witness and pastors, with some areas being unreached by the gospel at this stage. Apart from these various meetings, Cubao have many more Bible Studies and outreach ministries going on. Please pray for this church.
SPAIN - GANDIA - IGLESIA BAUTISTA EMANUEL (Emanuel Baptist Church)
The Emanuel Baptist Church is hoping to conduct open-air meetings in the nearby park, as many Spanish people go for walks in it during the warmer months. Please pray about this outreach effort.
Recently a number of brethren were baptised, Fernando from Colombia, Angel and Caridad from Cuba, and Rosa who is Spanish. The pastor is Francesco Reale, and his wife is Luciana.
SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia is in some ways a terrible place if you are a Christian. In this country only Islam is allowed and Christians meet together in fear, for they face execution. 23 million people live in the country. Some think that there may be several thousand Christians in Saudi Arabia, but these are mainly among the foreign workers who have gone to the country to work. These also are not allowed to practice Christianity. The only methods currently available to reach Saudis is via radio and television broadcast from outside of the country.
VISIT US ONLINE
Please visit The Aussie Reformed Baptist Outpost online at:
http:/particularbaptist.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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