Lighting up the Darkest Area

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said let there be light and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1-3)

God spoke, and His Light was established.

The Foot Soldiers/church planters have gone to places devoid of church and believers (light). Through the preaching of these Foot Soldiers, God poured out His grace into the void, and the Holy Spirit has ignited a spectacular church-planting movement. The Foot Soldiers are men and women who boldly and obediently agreed to answer the call to be soldiers in the Kingdom of God effecting change throughout the nation.

Foot Soldiers are trained believers who are thought to have captured the vision to evangelize in unreached villages devoid of Christian (light). They are challenged to evangelize and to undertake personal responsibilities of nurturing or discipling all who receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Despite persecution and life threatening situations, these evangelists are undeterred, having surrendered their lives to the Lord as martyrs. They go where they are called to go, to the most remote villages, some high up in the mountain areas, deep in the jungles, long hours of walking from village to village and even hostile areas where they face harassment and rejection.

 We are now supporting 82 Foot Soldiers/church planters in eight countries reaching out to hundreds of thousands of people in the farthest ends of the earth where most of these areas are void of believers and churches. During the times when they feel alone, discouraged and when they feel like they are labouring alone, the words of the Great Commission hold one magnificent promise.

Matthew 28:20: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The Great commission is great because it comes with the promise of God’s enduring presence.

In 2014, by God’s grace, we were able to channel enough financial resources to support all Foot Soldiers and their families. In the last two years, cost of living has escalated not only in our country, but also in the third-world nations in which the Foot Soldiers are working. We came to be aware of the prayers of the Foot Soldiers asking God to allow an increase in their salaries in order to cope with the cost of inflation. A prayer that was direct to God and not asking us, and since then we too have been asking for His provision to sow more into the lives of the Foot Soldiers, as well as recruit new ones as He is the source of any and all resources who works through His people.

Knowing how much you have already been giving sacrificially into the work, we dare not ask for more. Instead, we only ask God to multiply your seed to enable you to sow more into the Kingdom of God. This year and the years to come will be very crucial for the preaching of the Gospel. As we discern the unfolding of current world events, we sense the urgency to spare no effort in our evangelism with the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ’s eminent return.

Joel 2 28-32 Speaks volumes of the last days where He will pour out His spirit. As much as we see a spiritual awakening in our midst. Let us take heed of these events as we prepare ourselves of His return. Let us be mindful of what we are called to do during our life time whereby all of us are called to make an account of what we have done and what we have not done. To me, I will simply put it as the SIN OF COMMITMENT and the SIN OF OMISSION.

2 Cor 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Would you consider empowering the Foot Soldiers in their effort to carry the Gospel to those that have been blinded by the enemy and have yet to experience Christ’s love? We can demonstrate the love of God toward the world in three ways: going, giving, and praying. We would love to have you join us in service in any of those areas. Our vision is to establish the Kingdom of God among every person in the nations of Asia and throughout the world. Together we will work toward the goal of Reaching, Touching and Changing lives through preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As we start this New Year, I am looking forward to your partnership with God through Asian Outreach to fulfil the Great Commission and seeing thousands being ushered into the Kingdom of God, fruitful and above all glorifying to the Father in Heaven.

FLAMES OF FIRE

Ps Jiwan Rai-AO coordinator Glory Place Prayer Tower Siliguri

Acts 2:3-4

And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

Twelve years ago, God called my brother, Ps Joel to preach the Gospel in the most remote places in the Eastern part of Nepal where they have never heard about Jesus Christ. The Eastern part of Nepal is an untamed frontier, surrounded by the majestic Himalayan Mountains.

Joel loved the Lord but he had been there and knew that area to be a poor area. How was he going to support his wife and two children? He worried about this and prayed to the Lord one day while walking home. Right there on the road Joel heard God speak to him clearly, asking him to read Matthew 6:25-33 “Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life………” He had his answer.

Obedient to his calling, Joel and his wife went to Llam, a small district in Eastern Nepal near the mountains and there he planted his first church with just four believers. He had no financial support but trusting God completely to provide for him and his wife he continued to preach the Gospel. He faced many challenges in the rural villages as people here were set in their ways and eyed him with suspicion.  But Joel persevered and God blessed him. After four years he had planted three churches with a total of 150 believers and another church in the neighbouring village of Jhapa which today has 110 believers. What would have happened to these souls if Joel had not been obedient to God’s call?

Due to the remoteness of this place, Joel had to leave his two children behind with their grandmother in India.  It was a heart wrenching decision for any parent to make and a sacrifice many would be unwilling to make. But they knew they had to be obedient to the Lord. If a man or woman is called of God, it doesn’t matter how difficult the circumstances may be because God orchestrates every force at work for His purpose in the end.

Four years later God called Joel into the Prayer Ministry. Prayer is so essential in the life of a Christian. Without prayer your witness will be far less effective and you will be far more vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. Prayer brings the blessing and support of the Lord. You need to be in fellowship with Him. Prayer makes all this possible. Starting with nine believers in a small cramped rented room, the ministry quickly grew to a larger group. It was amazing to see 30 to 40 prayer intercessors coming from the towns, villages and mountains to mobilize prayers for their nation. As the group grew and the room became too small the local pastors got together and raised funds to buy a small piece of land and a Prayer House was built.    

                                                          It was a simple bamboo building on the outside but a powerhouse of prayer and intercession inside. I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit all around us, such a powerful anointing and I was excited in my spirit. As we stood outside the Prayer House ready to dedicate it to the Lord, we began to pray and some of us started praying in ‘tongues’.  Suddenly someone shouted for us to look and as we looked up we saw a flame of fire shoot down and rest above the heads of the pastors. Everyone there was shaken by the strong presence of the Holy Spirit. Never in my 21 years serving God have I ever seen such an awesome sight.  One hundred and fity over believers witnessed this and I praise and thank God for sending us the Holy Spirit to encourage and strengthen us.

When you share the Gospel you plant the seeds of the Gospel, but it is only God who can cause the seed to take root and grow.

 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”

A miracle working God

Kikon Lotha- Neighbours Mission Himalayas.

Millions of souls are perishing without hearing the Gospel in the Himalayan region. Can you hear the heartbeat of God for those souls perishing? People in this region are lost in alcohol and drug addiction, possession by evil spirits and abusive family lives. Many are sick and hopeless, having no vision for their life. The people there are hungry for the Word of God but are in bondage with their superstitions, fears and Idol worship. They have been Idol worshippers until their lives have been transformed by the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Each one has a powerful testimony to tell

Eph 2:1-10 For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

In 1997 after Bible school in my home country of Nagaland, I moved to Siliguri in obedience to the call of God. God gave me a clear mission…A ministry of church planting-winning souls for Christ. After much prayer and fasting Neighbours Mission Himalayas was birthed to work in the Himalayan regions that borders India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Our ministry is based on Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself”. My wife and I have obeyed His divine calling in our lives to carry out His mission. Praise God that we have been blessed to witness miracles of healing, signs and wonders and His marvellous provision when we submitted by faith to do His calling. I am humbled by the fact that God in His magnificent wisdom and grace has allowed me to get a glimpse into what He is doing in the Himalayan region.”

In February 2015 a young lady, Seema Routh, was brought to our church for prayers. She was in her 7^th month of pregnancy and had a heart problem. She could hardly walk and had difficulty in breathing. Shortly after this she felt numbness in her legs and became paralysed from the waist down. Her desperate mother took her to Hospital and was told that due to her complications of her heart, her paralysis and her pregnancy there was nothing they could do and the doctor informed the family that there was a strong possibility she would not make it. They were poor and going to the hospitals in the city was not an option.  When a neighbour suggested taking her to the Christian church, her parents and her husband immediately brought her. They kept coming faithfully and believed this Christian god could heal their daughter. God in His compassion and love for Seema healed her completely. In April she gave birth to healthy baby girl and both mother and daughter is doing well. She is able to walk and shows no sign of any heart problem. After her delivery Sema accepted Jesus as her Lord and saviour and was born again. Now her husband, mother and two brothers come to church regularly and she is praying that they too will accept Jesus as they Lord and Saviour. When Seema’s doctor heard what happened he did not believe it until she went to see him and even then could not believe that she was completely healed. Seema’s healing has spread around the villages and has brought hope to many. Many lives have been touched through Seema’s miracle.God used this simple uneducated girl to reveal His power, His compassion and His love.

Seema and her baby

In the village of Belgachi, a 44 year old woman fell to the ground in the throes of an epileptic fit. It was a daily occurrence for her, sometimes 4 to 5 times a day. She had spent all her saving trying to find a cure, seeing one doctor after another. When that did not work she sought the help of the Hindu gods and spent all her money on one medium after another until all her money was gone. On the 2^nd of March a Christian neighbour took Ps Suresh Turi, our missionary to pray for her. When the Pastor laid hands on her she felt instantly that she was healed. From that instant she has never had another seizure again. Now she, her husband and 4 daughters have accepted Jesus and been born again.  People who knew her are simply amazed at her healing and many of her neighbours and friends want to know this God who healed her.

Shanti healed from Epilepsy

God is moving in such a powerful way across the Himalayas reaching, touching and changing lives.  People in the Himalayas are coming to Christ with openness to the supernatural demonstration of God’s power especially through miracles, signs and wonder. A spiritual harvest has began and God is calling His people back to Him.

Heb 2:4

And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

Prayer Request

1. We pray that God will raise up more workers for the harvest fields of the Himalayas so that

    every person in this region will be able to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

2. May the Lord continue to bless the two women, Seema and Shanti that through the testimony

     more people will come into the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

3. We ask the Lord to bless the foot soldiers and church planter in the Himalayan region and God

    provision in their lives and the needs of the ministry.

AOM YEAR-END REPORT 2015

John 9:4
“We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is
coming, and then no one can work.”

In the twinkling of an eye a season slips by like a breeze; another blink the year slips by like
oil slipping through our fingers. Yet sometimes in another blink a long awaited opportunity is lost because we are too slow in responding, we hesitated too long and the moment was gone. Have we seized every opportunity that God has put in our hand? The time is short and God given opportunities are precious. God often opens doors of opportunities to Share the Gospel, opportunities to minister to someone who is hurting or in need, opportunities to make an influence on the world around us, opportunities to give financially and opportunities to stand alongside and pray for those in the mission fields. If we allow these opportunities to pass by (perhaps because we are waiting for something easier to come along), we may miss out on them altogether resulting in self-denial, robbing ourselves of the joy and fulfillment of being used by God.
Gal 6:8-10
“Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

The Bible is full of missed opportunities. In the Old Testament the Israelites missed out on
the opportunity in entering the Promised Land because they were rebellious and stiff necked and as a result they wandered 40 years in the desert. In the words of Jesus, in the parable of the ten virgins, five were foolish and did not bring enough oil and when the bridegroom finally arrived they missed out on the opportunity of attending the Great Wedding Feast.

As I reflect on this year’s ministry, I think about how true these two important elements
have come to shape our work, God’s timing and God’s given opportunity that has brought
about the great harvest in the nations we are working in. There is so much to share with you here, but due to space constraints, may I draw your attention to just the following highlights from our ministries in Asia.

Foot Soldiers - AOM supports some 76 foot soldiers in Asia, mainly in Bangladesh, China, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), Myanmar, Philippines and Vietnam. They are local man and women who work full time in ministry, moving freely in areas restricted to outsiders and are accepted because they blend in well and live among the community. Each one of them has had a profound encounter with the Lord that has changed their lives completely and this makes them passionate in their service for God and they carry a burden to see their own people saved. They have endured torture and vicious beatings, have had their families threatened and harassed and attacks on their home and family. They don’t know who to trust. They have walked for miles on foot, deep into the jungles or up the treacherous mountain paths to share the love of Christ to those who do not know Him yet. Often they are alone with only the bible as their companion but that is all they need. For they do not walk alone and they know that the One whom they preach about is with them. I call this motivational faith resulting in hundreds of souls being saved. Their reports have not been negative or complaining but all giving praise to God for what He is doing through them. Miracles signs and wonders follow them. In May of this year our Bhutan foot soldier shared an awesome testimony of healing.

44 year old Shanti had been suffering from Epilepsy for the last 12 years and she had 5/6
attacks a day, throwing her to the ground in the throes of violent fits. Desperate she came
for a healing service and during the altar call she felt instantly healed. She has never had
an epileptic fit since then.
Ps Praveen, one of our foot soldiers in India was accused of forcefully converting Hindus
and was arrested. On the day of his trial not one of his accusers turned up and to his
amazement the 50 newly baptized came forward boldly declaring that they willingly
believed in Jesus Christ.
A father finding his son in excruciating back pain after loading cement bags at work called
our co-worker in Bangladesh asking for prayers. He was told to lay hands on his son and
pray and immediately he did that. Within a few minutes the pain left his son. In Sabah, our
foot soldier reports of a new believer who accepted Jesus but his wife was skeptical until
one day while driving home they hit a motorbike on the road and saw the bike and rider
somersault in the air before landing heavily on the road. As the rider lay motionless on the
road this believer started to pray and lay hands on the rider. To everyone’s amazement the
rider got up and walked away without even a scratch on him.

they are in full time ministry they depend on your support to put food on the table for their
family and to see to their other needs. We all have families of our own so we can understand how they feel.

                Our foot soldiers in India and Bhutan praying and sharing the Gospel

Children Homes - In Myanmar AOM supports the House of Hope with 44 children and the New Generation Centre with 50 children. These children have been abandoned and are from broken homes or from single parents who cannot afford to keep them. These children are the fortunate ones as they have a safe environment, food and clothes and a chance to go to school. The children also have daily bible study and are nurtured in the ways of the Lord. If not for the homes these children would join the ranks of the thousands of street children aged between 4 and 13 who are begging on the streets. They eat out of rubbish dumps or steal food for their daily survival. According to reports, these street children who can’t produce IDs are recruited into the Burmese army. The house parents of the two homes are so grateful for your support and for giving these children an opportunity for a better future.

     

The Children Homes in Myanmar-House of Hope and New Generation Centre                                                  
Slum Ministry serving the Dalits in India and Nepal - The Dalits are a group of people who are shunned, rejected and repelled by society because they are of the lowest caste. They work mostly as menial laborers and are treated inhumanely; the women are forced into prostitution and the  children into child labor. They live below the poverty line in slums that are filthy and lacking basic necessities.

AOM jointly operate 3 centres in India and 3 in Nepal with our partners there. These centres operate as a day care for the children giving then a safe place to come after school and get a free meal (for many their only meal for the day). They are given tuition, thought manners, hygiene, moral and biblical values. The centres keep them off the streets and away from danger such as drug pushers and child traffickers.

In India we have a total of 175 Children in the 3 centres and in Nepal we have 125 in the 3 centres. Sadly we cannot take in more children at this time as we do not have the budget to expand or open more centres. Every child deserves an opportunity regardless of race, color or caste and I pray in 2016 God will make a way for us to help more of His little children.

 

             The Dalit Day Care Centres in India and Nepal

Bible schools in Myanmar, India and Sarawak - Bible students are vital for the growth and extension of God’s kingdom. Workers for the Harvest fields have come to a dangerously low level. As it is written in Luke 10:2 "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” The responsibility to churn out workers have encompassed upon you to raise funds to finance their studies.

AOM supports 6 bible students in India, 3 bible students in Sarawak and 23 students in Myanmar. Most of these students come from small villages and towns in rural areas and their families are often too poor to support them through bible school. In Myanmar, our coordinator who is the principal of the bible school shares his own home with some of the bible students to reduce their cost of living expenses. The need for workers is huge that our coordinator is prepared to lose his family’s privacy for the Kingdom’s sake. Praise God 4 of his previous students (under our foot soldiers support) are involved in church planting, 3 in the Chin state and one in the countryside of Yangon.

Leper Ministry Vietnam - Praise God this year 3 adults and 21 children have been baptized in the 5 Leper Centres. The Leper Centres are located far from the city, about 2-3 hours by motorbike (as society still ostracizes them) and yet our co-workers have been faithful visiting them, conducting bible classes and have started fellowship amongst them. In some centres the staff and director welcome them, giving them the opportunity to even share the Gospel with them discreetly. Unfortunately this is not the case in all the centres. They are harassed, even having the police called in to question them. But the foot soldiers love for these rejected people keeps them going back to give them hope that even though their families have abandoned them God has not. Recently a Leper patient was diagnosed with Prostate cancer and was passing out blood and in pain. As he is a Leper patient he was not sent to any other hospital and received only minimal treatment for his condition at the centres. After our co-workers prayed for him continually for 2 weeks he was totally healed, Praise God.

Vietnam has the highest rate of abortions in Asia and our missionaries, Dave and Pushpa, in Vietnam are reaching out to the many women in Hanoi to counsel them against having an abortion. Cards with the ministry phone number are placed in public places in the hope that women who are contemplating an abortion can seek help and counseling. Help is also given to those who intend to keep their child especially the many single girls who are desperate and rejected by their families. Women who are struggling with past abortions also call to find forgiveness and reconciliation.

Tibetan Ministry based in China - We praise the Lord for opening the door for our missionary couple, R and S (not their real names) to be involved with the Tibetan students in a local university. Their passion to share the Gospel and bring the Tibetan people to salvation has led many students to the Lord by faithfully sharing, loving and encouraging them. They also travel to the Tibetan villages along the border to share the Gospel with them and to train and encourage local Tibetan house church leaders. It has been an amazing journey for them to see how God uses them through His word to reach, touch and change lives and we praise God that though facing many challenges in the ministry and even in their own personal life, their zeal and love for the Lord’s work has not faltered.

Please do continue reading…………

Training and Equipping - Pastor and leaders in the developing countries in Asia are often untrained or have limited Bible knowledge or ministry skills to lead their local churches. Access to the internet or on-line learning programs are often limited or not available to many. There is an urgent need for relevant training for the growth of the Kingdom to equip and mobilize the Church in the developing countries. AOM recognizes this needs and our trainers have conducted training in India, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Cambodia.

Our Trainers are not paid so we have to solicit funds for their airfare, local transportation, and accommodation. As most of the participants cannot afford to pay, funds have to be raised for the rental of a venue for training, food, accommodation and all relevant materials needed. In some cases accommodation for the participants from outstation too. We solicit your prayers and financial support so that they can continue to impact, empower, encourage and change the lives of the poor leaders and pastors in Asia to be more effective in sharing the Gospel in their churches and communities. Thousands of pastors and leaders have been blessed by the training programs. Many have testified how the training has renews their minds and given them a new understanding of God and His Word, challenging them to change their lives, making them more effective in their ministry.

Community Projects
Bangladesh - Many poor villages in Bangladesh have never had electricity and our pastor there appealed to us for solar panels that could light up a fan and 2 bulbs. The pastors and leaders lacked adequate lighting in their homes during Cell meetings, bible study and Sunday night services. All they had was the glow of a candle (kerosene is too expensive). When you choose to sow into the lives of these people it enabled us to provide 158 solar panels which could light up a fan and 2 light bulbs. A simple gift but to those who lived without electricity all their lives it was a miracle. A 93 year old lady whose son was one of the recipients of this gift knelt down and with tears streaming down her face she praised God when the bulb was lit up, thanking Him for allowing her to see this before she dies.

Solar Panels given to the Pastors and leaders in Bangladesh

People in a fishing village in Bangladesh desperately needed toilets (there was not even one in the entire village) and wells. Again we reached out to you and you showed these people the tangible love of God by enabling us to build 10 toilets and 6 wells. The whole village came together to help build the toilets and wells and it was amazing to see such community spirit.

Nepal - The slum dwellers on one of the centers were urgently in need of clean water for drinking and cooking. They had been using the water from a nearby river which was so filthy and strewn with rubbish and even animal carcasses. These poor people were falling ill especially the little babies and children and our co-worker asked us to help. There was no question that we would not and we asked for your partnership. Now praise God 2 water tanks containing 1000 liters of water each come in every week, bringing water to be stored in tanks for the slum dwellers consumption.

Clean water for the slum dwellers in Nepal

In April this year Nepal was rocked by a powerful earthquake that shook the nation to its very core. The devastation was enormous killing almost 10,000 people and rendering hundreds of thousands homeless. Villagers were flattened and in the city building came tumbling down like pieces of Lego. The Nepalese had never experience such devastation and were totally unprepared for it, throwing them into a state of utter chaos and terror.

When we had managed to contact our co-worker in Nepal, his immediate response to my call was “Please help my people”. Praise God for your partnership which enabled us to distribute urgent relief supplies to the villages most badly affected, near the epic center of the earthquake. Blankets, food, water and tents were rushed to those who needed it. Our Foot Soldiers were the first people to bring relief supplies to some of the remote villages and they told them that they had given up hope of receiving any kind of help. The tangible love of God shown to these victims by our foot soldiers has altered the villagers thinking of Christians as people not be to trusted. Now the people are responsive to the Gospel and receptive to the foot soldiers.

The outpouring of your love and generosity in response to my appeal letter overwhelmed me and praise God we have already provided 21 families with new homes. Unfortunately due to the political situation (Re-election of a new PM and amendment of the constitution) l we have had to temporary stop work till we can reapply for new Government approval.

Myanmar - Many poor villages in the Chin state are overlooked by authorities for any development project because they were mainly Christian. The villagers appealed for help to get a regular supply of water brought into their village from a river 11km away. Their only water supply was from a small river that dried up in summer and water had to be constantly rationed. Praise God again you partnered with us to answer this cry for help and we were able to build a pipe to carry the water from the river 11km away into two big tanks where the water could be stored. Another community project made possible through your partnership.

Myanmar-In July, 2015 Myanmar was hit by terrible flooding which caused massive destruction and left more than 500,000 people displaced. Livestock and farms were destroyed and even whole villages flattened. The areas most affected were the Chin, Rakhine and Shan states. These were the poorest states in Myanmar, suffering not just poverty but ethnic wars and rebellion. I hesitated to send out an appeal letter as I had just sent out a letter for Nepal but I trusted the prompting of the Holy Spirit and two months after the flood we were able to build 10 homes for the flood victims. Many more are in dire need of a home and I pray that we will be able to raise funds to build at least 100 houses at a cost of USD700 per unit.

Thank you for your partnership of prayer and finances that has empowered these men and women of God to go out and share the Gospel. Their strength and perseverance despite all the persecution and challenges they face shows how passionate they are for Christ. In present times Christians everywhere are persecuted so they need your prayers more than ever. Your partnership has also been such an encouragement to me personally that drives me to keep on going that extra mile. I thank you again for being our partners in Christ and together we will be able to reach, touch and change lives in Asia through the saving power of Jesus Christ. I don’t know what plans God has for this ministry for 2016 but we will seize every opportunity He has given us for His kingdom’s glory.

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”.

ay the Lord bless you and your families and continue to use you to be His beacon of light giving hope to the down-trodden, lost and the suffering. As you shine your ‘light’ before men may you see the glory of God in your own lives. My prayer is that you will take advantage of the God given opportunities before you so that you will be filled with joy and fulfillment. On behalf of the AO staff and the foot soldiers I wish you and your family a very joyous and blessed Christmas.

VIETNAM LEPER MINISTRY  -   David and Pushpa 

Mark 1:40-42

A man with Leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging Him to be healed. "If you are willing you can heal me and make me clean"  he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him “I am willing,”he said. “Be healed!”  Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.

Despite the triumph of modern medicine, leprosy is still largely misunderstood and somewhat feared in Vietnam. Most leper patients today are elderly and contracted the disease before medicines were available for them to be cured before the disease damaged their bodies. Every year there are some new cases although these now generally are cured before physical damage occurs. Leper patients not only have suffered terrible physical hurt, but also have often felt great loss and rejection by family and society as they were put into centers away from those they loved.

From many years ago the government established these leper centres, usually far from the cities, where the patients live in simple buildings with basic amenities. Most patients have been cured of leprosy, but they continue to live with the physical deformities and health related issues that accompany leprosy. The most visible deformities are the hands with fingers amputated, legs amputated and facial disfigurement. It is moving to see a man with all his fingers and both legs amputated chatting with you as if there was no difference between you and him.

The government gives the patients an option of either receiving two free meals a day or they can get their own meals and are given $21.USD per month.  In some centers the patients have land to cultivate crops and vegetables for their own consumption but because of the severe deformities (loss of limbs and fingers) they find it difficult to work in the fields. In some centers the ground is too hard.

Today you will also find the children and grandchildren, (not affected by the disease), of the Leper patients staying at the centers. They live in simple houses separate from where the leper patients live and together they make up the whole community of the leper center – elderly leper patients, their adult children and grandchildren.

Our co-workers work in 6 of the 14 leper centers in North Vietnam. They have impacted the patients who are touched by our workers love, as they were not repulsed by their disease but who continued to regularly visit them, touch them, eat with them, fellowship with them and care for them. The ministry also supplies some groceries to the patients for which they are very grateful for.

Hien and her Team of 3 local co-workers are very dedicated and passionate in their work and have brought many patients to the Lord. Hien first visited one of the leper centers in 2002 and she felt sad to see their loneliness, (hardly anyone came to see them), and to see the bleakness in their faces. They lived from day to day resigned to their life, not expecting or hoping for anything more.

In 2008 after seeking the Lord’s guidance she formed a partnership with an ex-patriot couple and her AG church leadership, and began to work full time in the Leper communities. The centers are far from town and Hien and her team must travel 2-3 hours by motorbike, but she has a heart for these Lepers and desires to bring the peace, love and joy of Jesus into their lives. Initially she faced a lot of opposition from the authorities at the centers and she was not allowed to share the Gospel, so just visited bringing food parcels and being friendly. They watched her and praise God He opened the door for her to work in the centers.

One center had been closed for several years, not allowing her to share with the patients. For two years we prayed, - highlighting this as a prayer need in our prayer and newsletters. Then unexpectedly the center director called and asked if she would do a Christmas presentation that year to the patients and children. This was a miracle as this man used to be so against her. But he has changed and now the gospel is shared openly, even to the staff, patients are placing their faith in Jesus, and about 30 children meet for Bible study each week.

The past two years over 30 children from this center have attended the AG church summer camp with many being water baptized there. The center director also enjoys attending along with the children and is most helpful, always encouraging the children to behave well, to pray and participate in all the activities. We truly thank God for this man.

In another center there is also a group of about 30 children and youth who meet every week for Bible learning, singing and fun games, along with many adults who continue to be discipled there. A new generation of young people hungry for the Word of God are discovering the truth and finding meaning in life through knowing Jesus Christ.

From these two leper centres Hien has over 70 children attending the summer camp. What a blessing God has given to Hien – who has no family (her parents and only sibling (a brother) all died when she was in her mid-teens), – and yet she will be called ‘blessed’ in heaven by many!

Our Leper ministry raised funds to give 27 of the poorest children scholarships to help them with their school fees. The children and their families were overjoyed.

When other volunteer groups from the Buddhist faith have come to evangelize them, the believers stood firm in the Lord refusing to even receive  their gifts of CD’s and biscuits, sweets and other goods. They declared that now they know the Lord, they will follow Him alone. They told them that since they have known Jesus their lives have changed and they are happy and filled with peace. The most amazing statement was “We know we will have a new body when we go to heaven so we will rejoice with what we have now.”

Last year, just before Christmas, a Malaysian team came to visit these two centres. In one centre the team cooked lunch for the patients and had fellowship with them. A simple gesture, that meant so much to the patients who were deeply touched by the tangible love of God shown by the team. Later many were greatly encouraged by the film of Nick Vujuvicic (a Christian man with no arms or legs) and by the sharing of the team. Many patients were seen with tears rolling down their cheeks. We hope more teams will come and share the love of God with these people.

     Praise God for His favour and open doors, and the partnership of supporting churches and organisations, which enables our co-workers in the Leper Ministry to reach, touch and change the lives of the people in the leper centres.

               

                                           

EXPERIENCING THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT.

Erik Cheong, (Mission Team member to Nepal–December 2014)

Everything made sense and I connected all the dots when I began life as a born again Christian. Even as a non-believer, God shone His light on me, looked out for me, guided me through my many challenges, granted my heart’s desires and gently led me along the path straight to Him. Being a young Christian, I was privileged enough to be part of two mission trips, Myanmar in 2013 and more recently, Nepal in December 2014. The trip to Myanmar was in the capacity of a photographer, when I was still a non-believer. There is no other way to describe a non-believer going on a mission trip, other than it being all part of God’s plans. It was a fulfilling purpose being able to capture images throughout the mission trip, more so when on landing back in Malaysia from my first mission trip ever, to Myanmar, Ps Eric Fung prayed for me and I invited Jesus into my heart right there in the arrival hall of the airport. Praise the Lord!

My recent trip to Kathmandu, Nepal is still very vivid. Kathmandu is surrounded by poverty; you can see it and feel it everywhere you go. From the intermittent blackouts, the brown water, the dusty streets, poorly paved roads, to the street kids working for a meal a day; it was always a feeling of hopelessness and despair from any first impression. Thapathali Slum, or what I would call the “slum of all slums”, is located right in the heart of Kathmandu under a bridge and right next to the Bagmati River. Now this heavily polluted river has human excrement, factory waste and dead animals floating in it and yet this is the Slum Dwellers only supply of water. Their homes are shacks literally made out of plastic sheets and cardboards. What we call rubbish is what the slum dwellers call home. Winters can be harsh without electricity and clean water and I am simply unable to comprehend the hardships and struggles of the people here. Similarly in Myanmar, underlying all the doom and gloom, I find a lot of hope and optimism, with God working out His plans for these people.

 Our mission trip included the distribution of donated blankets, winter wear, food and chocolates for the children. In the middle of the slum lies a Church established by Asian Outreach and National Mission Commission (NMC) of Nepal. The Church blends in to the surroundings, maybe different by being slightly larger than their huts. Once inside however, the place was filled with warmth and love as I saw about forty kids of different ages, diligently learning their lessons of the day from devoted teachers and writing on to their writing pads intently. Yes, all this in a slum. As the mission trip ventured into another slum (Godawari), local ministries and churches, one thing was prevalent and that was the selflessness and devotion of the pastors, volunteer teachers and all of God’s faithful servants. They work tirelessly and relentlessly, by sowing the seeds of Love, Faith and Hope. Instead of wandering aimlessly with no apparent future the kids now have a ‘Safe Haven’ where they can be nurtured —physically, emotionally and spiritually. I can visualize God’s will, as my first year relationship with Him continues to grow and I learn and reflect from the Nepalese people and the awesome mission team, praying and aspiring to the attributes in:  Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." 

LORD HERE I AM SEND ME! 

Tan Luan Kyee, Missionary 

The 2-week trip between July and August 2014 was my 14^th trip to the Himalayan region of Siliguri in West Bengal, India. From my non air-conditioned minivan taxi, I watched the congested traffic and the inevitable ear jarring honking of cars and the familiar scenes and sounds suddenly brought an exhilarating sense of home-coming to the place which had been home to me for a number of years in the past.

It was in 2012 that I had the privilege to work with Kikon Lotha, founder and director of Neighbours Mission Himalayas (NMH), a church planting ministry he started in 2010 by faith in obedience to God. Within a short period of time, the work to reach the unreached in suburban and remote villages has greatly multiplied in Siliguri, Indo-Bhutan, Indo-Nepal and South Bhutan.

On my last trip, we went to Shompok Village in Darjeeling where church planter, David Baraily is ministering. Our transport was a tough rugged 12-seater land cruiser. Leaving the crowded humid city behind, it was lovely to feel the cool refreshing air and be fascinated with the enchanting scenic view of changing landscapes as we travelled on the mountainous road. The further we go, the road becomes more narrow and winding but the 90-degree bends were skilfully manoeuvred by the driver as we continued ascending. The few small towns we passed by, are no more than two rows of small cubicle shops on both sides of the single narrow road with the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (Toy Train) passing through them. There was a brief stop for passengers to get off and time enough for a stretch before more passengers packed the seats and atop the vehicle. Passing a huge tea garden, the gravel road suddenly seemed deserted and became even narrower as we continued in the pitch dark quiet mountain. When we finally saw David outside the gate waiting to greet us, it was past 8pm. We were the last passengers to be dropped after six hours on the road. There were no street lights and with a torchlight, we made our way to David’s small two room house.

Prior to joining Neighbours Mission Himalayas (NMH) in 2013, David and his family lived in Kathmandu, Nepal for 7 years where he was a church planter. Then two years ago David heard of this village, Shompok which did not have a single Christian believer and David felt the Lord calling him to go there.  He was told that 2 years ago, some missionaries who went there encountered great resistance and hostility and were eventually chased off. God’s favour was upon David and when he came in 2012 to hold a Christmas celebration and medical camp, the villagers welcomed him and he won his first convert. There are now 15 baptised believers. David’s whole family are involved in ministry. His 14 years old son, Asish, goes to school in Sikkim but every weekend he walks one and a half hours home to help his father lead worship on Sundays and teaches Sunday school to about 35 children. He walks back to school on Mondays. 12 years old daughter Anuja loves to sing and worship and is a graceful dancer.

 

                                  

The next morning, David left early and we joined the rest of the family later to go church.  After about half-an-hour the steep descending path and the sweltering heat had all of us sweating profusely, I couldn’t resist asking how much farther to go and was told it would take one hour to reach. Church on that Sunday was under a temporary tarpaulin shed on a small plot of land belonging to Mr Bishal, the first believer in this village. On the edge of the land is a 10 feet long two room wooden hut, the slightly bigger 6 x 8 feet room is used as church where about 25 people cram in every Sunday. Smartly attired in his Nepali outfit, David and his son, Asish led us in lively worship. We were delighted to enjoy a variety of performances by Sunday school children dancing graceful Nepali dances in solo and groups. For the children, the highlight was receiving a goody pack each which we had brought for more than 80 of them. It was humbling to be asked to share the Word with them and I felt more encouraged by them. It must be past 2pm when we ended and, as if on cue, the intermittent rain turned into a downpour but the small crowd remained jovial and after many photos, all of us enjoyed a simple lunch together. The way back was more difficult as I had to pause for breath going uphill. I was hugely relieved when after about one and a half hours I emerged from the jungle path and was heading home.

 In the evening we were told there about an impending  3-day strike where all roads will be closed and we would have to travel back via Siikim, the neighbouring state. Next morning we were up at 4.30am for the first part of our journey . We drove for sometime and the road ended at the edge of the jungle. There we had to walk for about 40 minutes to reach the road on the other side to board the next vehicle. We walked and crossed a bamboo suspension bridge and out of nowhere suddenly there was a lone little church atop a hill and we stopped for rest before we continued on. There were at least 15 of us in the vehicle as we headed to the bus terminal to take another vehicle for the last leg of our journey. In all it took about 10 hours when the adventuresome journey ended as we reached Siliguri.

 It was a humbling experience meeting David and his family. I was deeply touched to see his selflessness, dedication, commitment and love for God and his people. You could see the joy he had in giving and serving God together as a family.

Matthew 5:14. 

 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Prayer Request

(1)    Financial support for David and his family. He is getting USD50 per month and half the amount goes to paying his house rent.

(2)    For God’s provision for land to build a church and a room for Sunday school. Flat land is scarce and costly.

(3)    For funds to support local workers so that more can be sent to reach the un-reached in rural areas.