Dear Partner in Missions,
Warmest Christian
Greetings!
As I look back at the past
year (2013) I am truly amazed at the
faithfulness of God and how God was able to supply all our needs for our 2013
budget. During the first half of 2013 it cost me some grave concern and to a
great degree worrying on how we were going to raise the funds needed to help
the Foot Soldiers put food on the table for their families and to sustain the
various ministries the Lord directed us to start.
Praise the Lord for hearing
our prayers and thank you for your unwavering support in terms of prayers and
financial partnership; we were able to support them for yet another year. This
means so much to me as these Foot Soldiers are very special people to me. I may
not meet them often but I know how they are doing and what they doing through
their respective leaders. I know when they need urgent prayers, I know the
challenges and hardships they face in their respective countries and sometimes
even the dangers such as persecution and life threatening situation to
themselves and their families, all for the sake of the Gospel.
Who are these great and
dedicated men and women of God? I call them great because their passion and
love for the Lord which is their driving force. They do not worry about
themselves and they do not focus on what they themselves or their families are
going through but keep their focus on
the one who has saved them and given them ‘New life’. When I think of them I am
constantly reminded of 2 Cor:5 15, “And
He (Jesus) died for all, that those who live should no longer live for
themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.”
The Foot Soldiers are from
Third World countries like Bhutan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Vietnam, where
Christianity is not welcomed and
preaching the Gospel is often dangerous and difficult which could land you in a
lot of trouble. They are mostly simple hand working people from various
backgrounds who themselves were touched
and saved by the saving grace of God and their desire is to see the families,
villages, towns and nations saved also.
Pastor Moses one of our Foot
Soldiers who leads the Violet Apple Star Ministry in Ho Chih Minh has a street
ministry, ministering to the poor, street children, beggars, prostitutes, sick
and drug addicts. With his team of 40 volunteers and part timers he searches
the city looking for those who need help and there are so many. They go into
the overcrowded hospitals seeking out the lost, giving them the hope and love
of God. Prostitutes and drug addicts see the tangible love of God through the
Foot Soldiers and see Hope that their lives can change too by accepting Jesus
as their Lord and Saviour. The Leper colony welcome the team as many including
their own families are afraid to visit them. The stigma of Leprosy is still
apparent and the Leper patients are shunned by
their families and the
community. Ps Moses and his team reach out to make a difference in their lives
by loving them and sharing the Gospel.
In the town of Siliguri in
India, Lotha Nzanbembo and his team of Foot Soldiers work in the mission fields
of Bhutan and India. Bhutan, a country extremely hostile to Christianity, is a
challenging and difficult place to evangelize.
The Foot Soldiers have been attacked and one was even severely beaten up
and left to die. Christians not only face pressure from the authorities but
also from the community. There are spies everywhere trailing Christians and
their activities, waiting to report them and the people fear to violate the
laws resulting in reluctance and afraid to talk. Our Foot Soldiers often have
had to change the time of fellowship or camouflage water baptism as having a
picnic by the river. But these simple men of God never give up; the fire in
their hearts for the Lord burns passionately
Lotha himself has a four
year old son Jaazaniah who suffers from epilepsy and has fits four to five
times a day. Does he sit back and ask why me Lord? Am I not serving you
faithfully? His faith is such that he never even thought to question the Lord.
His response is…” Our Lord has already
healed us in our inner being though we go through physical and emotional
struggles; our God is always good to us even though we do not deserve it.
Sickness and suffering are part of our lives on earth and we have to accept
It.” says Lotha. What immense faith….
Please join us to pray for
the Foot Soldiers. Your prayers encourage them and your financial support helps
them to do what God desires of them and feed their families as for most of
them, being a Foot Soldier is a full time job. Like you and me they have
concerns for their children and how to provide for their families. But their
trust is always on the Lord and that does not waver, no matter what their
circumstances.
Hebrews 6:10
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love
you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
(NIV)
May the Lord continue to
bless you and your family as you continue to sow into His Kingdom
Your partner in missions
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