Today we want to say thank you for a gift of £3200 which we have passed on to our partner since 1984 Philippe Ouedraogo in AEADBurkina Faso.
It will mean that many of the 3000 poor children in his 70 village
schools will receive free treatment and medicine in the year
ahead. Almost one hundred children have already been treated for
malaria and recovered. In the next month our friend Jonathan is
going to Burkina to develop his banana plantation that is producing
funds for mission in Burkina. Michelle is going a little later to see
about drilling a well in a Muslim village and another friend John will be also doing his excellent and not to be missed mobile Academy of Mission there in November.
UGANDA CHURCHES FOR THE POOR GET A PASTOR
Our partner in war torn Lira-Uganda since 1995 is George Purkweri. He has a School of Mission, several Banks for the Poor
and numbers of projects to bless the widows and orphans. We are very
good friends. Just this week he was telling me that in the last year he
has opened 20 churches for the poor but when it comes to weddings,
baptisms and giving communion he has trouble persuading the town
pastors to visit his congregations of blind people, lepers and beggars.
George himself is well trained so now Bishop Tom Okello from Uganda is
going to officially ordain George as a pastor. A thousand
congratulations George.
6th October, 2008
ONE FRIEND TO ANOTHER
I
have just hung up. Why did he telephone, why did he e-mail me ? I don't
know! Oh, what's that ? I talked a lot and listened very
little ? Forgive me, Lord, it was a monologue and not a dialogue.
I explained my ideas and did not get his. Since I didn't listen, I
learned nothing. Since I didn't listen, I didn't help. Since I didn't
listen, we didn't communicate. Forgive me Lord, for you connected
us and now we are cut off. Adapted from Michel Quoist
In the Ivory Coast which is still suffering after the 2007 war between East and West Nesson Celestin has already trained 60 church planters and given each one a bicycle. In January Celestin plans to open two Schools of Mission in Duekoue and Man where he is being welcomed by more than 300 interested students.
Matthieu Nshimimana has a School of Mission in Bujumbura, Burundi
another African country still recovering from a terrible war.
Matthew welcomes everyone's support in prayer and is looking for
information on Mauritania and Orissa for his own prayer meetings.
Today has brought some some brilliant news from Mpika, Zambia where Solomon Sibalwa lives. This year Solomon has opened two free Schools of Mission
with 10 students in his own town and with another 15 some 100
kilometres away in Kopa and he says that they have already opened three
new churches and seven home fellowships with 126 people attending.
Solomon's plan is to open two more Schools of Mission and ten
more churches. Finding Bibles for everyone is Solomon's big
problem and so is the cost and difficulty of travel.
GOSPEL ARRIVES IN UNREACHED PAPUA GROUP OF 1000
Some years ago with the help of our friends in Burkina Faso we took some of the Bolon people off the Joshua List
of unreached peoples. In fact they were very grateful that someone came
to their villages with the gospel. These days we don't often hear
that anyone is going or being sent to an unreached people group
but just recently we were reminded that one Indonesian church has
sent a married couple to the really unknown 1,000 strong Aboy people
who live in a remote forested part of Papua. Most Aboy
are uneducated and many children are orphans because untreated malaria
and other diseases cause life expectancy to be so very low. This man
and his wife combine telling the story of God's love in Jesus with
medical help. We can tell you more in private if you write to us.
Pastor Daniel in Kerala, India is one of many of our partners who have a kind of Bank
for the local ladies, widows and orphans, and some men as well, who can
borrow money, seeds, animals, all sorts of things to begin to make a
living. Daniel
says that last week he was able to help 10 ladies by providing
each with a sewing machine to start their own tailoring business which
will be able to support their family. He was very happy to see these
ladies and we are just as happy to be part of the blessing.
INDONESIA: HUGE HARVEST FIELD, FAR FROM EASY
We can't always tell you the names of our partners because of the risk to their safety and Indonesia
is one of those places. We have heard this week about one training
school that has graduated 400 students over the last ten years and it
seems that most of them have gone to open new churches in the east. One
of our own partners is focusing on the west with a one year intensive
DCI School of Mission course. People in Indonesia talk about a move of
God even in Aceh which is a stronghold of the 150,000,000 strong
majority religion and where that terrible tsunami came
ashore. Our partner was telling me that in 2007 almost 300 churches were closed, destroyed or burned in Indonesia and over the years thousands of believers have lost their lives.
This
information changes every day
Leaders, students and graduates of DCI Schools of Mission or training centres linked to us should see this page for help to start new projects of church planting, unreached peoples, training and blessing the poor.
29th September, 2008
INDIA: HANG YOUR HEAD IN SHAME
Two
eye-witnesses, trusted men from one of our partners in Central India
have returned from Orissa to send us disturbing news of open
slaughter, gruesome and inhuman torture, and harassing of believers
whilst the authorities do nothing to help. They report that one young
pastor was forced to watch his own mother being dismembered in front of
his eyes and attempts are being made to poison the water tanks in
the refugee camps where thousands of people seek shelter and
safety. No foreigner is allowed to enter, nobody carrying aid, food or
clothes can reach there, hundreds of people are hiding in the mountains
with little to eat.
FIVE ORPHANAGES BURNED AND LOOTED: ORISSA
Another
partner from South India has made a special journey to see for
himself what is happening. He told me this morning that over 5000
houses are damaged or destroyed including 136 houses belonging to his
own church members. More than 100 Christians have been killed, 50
of whom are missionaries and pastors. Five of his own orphanages
have been burned and looted and the children have fled to the
refugee camps despite the danger of poisoned water and food.
Thousands of other Christians have fled into the forests to save
their lives, including pregnant women who can only give birth under the
trees. Pastor's wives and children are being kidnapped
and forced to reveal information. Villagers are told to reconvert
to Hinduism if they want to return home. Our partner estimates that it
will cost US$50,000 just to restore the homes, clothes and belongings
of his own orphanages, children and church members in Orissa.
26th September, 2008
AFTER TWO YEARS IN IQUITOS: PERU
Christiam Manrique is 34, married to Rosa and they live in Iquitos,
the gateway to the Amazon in Peru. You can only get there by boat or
plane. Since 2006 they have been following the call of God and in just
two years their life and faith has attracted whole families to follow
Jesus. From very small beginnings in their own street they now have a
beautiful building and people talk about God's blessings on the church.
Well done, Christiam, next month you can meet our friend Rolando Canazas when he visits Iquitos to open a School of Mission program.
THE WORLD'S NOTICE BOARD
Want to see what the people look like anywhere in the world? Earth Album will
show you some stunning photos and maps. Just click somewhere on the map
or write a city name in the search box. Click on the results for larger
photos. Try Iquitos, and see the people that Christiam sees every day.
If you live near Pelotas - RS, in Brazil then Pastor Fabricio Avila
wants to start a School of Mission and I am sure that he will make you
very welcome. Pastor Fabricio has lots of other good resources and
articles as well.
There's a church planting seminar in Man, Ivory Coast, November 10-14, with more than 20 denominations already represented. Pastor Doueu Zianssieu Patrice would like to invite you as well.
24th September, 2008
THIRD SCHOOL IN TWO MONTHS OPENS: NEPAL
It was only a few weeks ago that we told you about the new free School of Mission opening in Chitwan, Nepal under the leadership of Pastor Prem and his wife Elisa, who have three daughters of their own and 28 orphans in their home. Click here to see Nepal and Prem.
Prem told me today that he has started a third School of Mission at
Santi and he has 22 excited students there. All are ladies who are
so often neglected, but not here in the shadow of Mount Everest.
CULTIVATING THE TREE OF LIFE
One of our readers asked about our way of doing things so we we drew this illustrated diagram
for him, in English. There are hundreds of these trees of life in
session around the world each giving its own fruit of new leaders,
supporters and senders for the call of Christ. We call them free Schools of Mission.
22nd September, 2008
CHURCHES FOR POOR SPREAD LIKE A BUSH FIRE
It was only last month that we bought two huge oxen and ploughs for two of George Purkweri's
ten Ugandan Churches for the Poor. George is now so excited
because the people have told the story over and again about this
coming of God's mercy and blessing. So much so that he has opened
seven more churches in Aromo, Okwang, Adwari, Walela, Ayago, Apala and
Orum. George says that faith is moving like a bush fire over
the land. We are looking forward to buying more oxen and ploughs so
that Uganda's poor can cultivate acres of fallow
land abandoned during the 19 year war, now ended.
ONE FRIEND TO ANOTHER
Have
you ever thought about the words "to them" in Genesis 1.28?
Before that on eight occasions "God said" and many things happened but
it wasn't until He made man that He could say: "to them." The
grass could be under His feet, the fish, birds and cattle could
come to His feet, but only man could sit at His feet and listen to His
word. What a difference and how happy He must have been to have have
someone who could listen to Him and speak with Him.
19th September, 2008
KINDNESS TURNS TO TRAGEDY OVER $4
On
the last day of Ramadan in Indonesia a kind businessman began to give
$4 to the poor. Within minutes a crowd of 5000 people gathered and in
the crush twenty-one mainly older women died and many others were taken
to hospital. As our partner there said, " Please keep on praying for my
country. There are so many things to do here for the sake of the
Kingdom and the people." Next week we hope to sponsor the start up of
five new micro-businesses for young people so that such a tragedy never happens to them in the future.
THE WORLD'S NOTICE BOARD
Here are twenty four free information sheets
(in English) covering everything you need to know to get
started or to keep going in overseas mission. Our thanks to Mike Frith of OSCAR which is the UK's finest mission information site.
Karen Hawkins of Bible Pathway says that she loves this page and can't wait to read it. Karen can offer you a Daily Devotion in Arabic, English, French, German, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Norwegian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Tamil and Telugu.
From Chambly in France Gerard Bourdage wrote to ask if we could help him find an evangelical church in Madrid, Spain. Here is a list to choose from, Gerard.
17th September, 2008
SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL IN PERU ANDES
Take a look at these photos from the high Peruvian Andes and you will see Rolando,
our partner in Lima making a number of extraordinary wheelchairs out of
plastic patio chairs. Rolando has given the gift of mobility to
these disabled people who up to now could only lie down all day.
When Rolando saw this he said how he began to pray for a way to
help and was startled when God answered him immediately with this
very cost-effective solution.
WHEN HURRICANE IKE CAME DOWN THE STREET
At last our friends in Camaguey, Cuba, Ranledis and Marilee are back in touch after Hurricane Ike
came onshore down their street. They have stories of 245 kph (150 mph)
winds hitting them for hours on end. Many buildings collapsed, roofs
were ripped off and the sea came in. After seven days with little
food, no power and only contaminated water to drink amazingly both they
and everyone at church are all well. Sadly a neighbouring village
has only four of the thirty two houses still remain standing. Food
is hard to find but the BBC reports that Cuba is working hard to get things to normal again after it's worst storm ever.
15th September, 2008
SPANISH MEDICS TO TREAT THOUSANDS FREE
We have known Dr Angel Olmo
and his wife Abigail for over 25 years, he is an eminent surgeon in
Spain and she is his theatre nurse. This December their mission which
is called EMSI is taking a team of 48 people to give free medical treatment and surgery for thousands of poor people in Burkina Faso
and every one of them will hear the gospel and be offered prayer. There
is considerable excitement that some totally deaf children will hear
for the first time. This month EMSI have shipped a 4x4 truck and a van
filled with surgical equipment, medicines, toys, clothes and a bottling
machine to set up a clean water micro-business. The DCI Trust is
truly proud to support this mission.
KENYA TO MALAWI, NOW INTO ZAMBIA
The leader of the free Schools of Mission in Malawi is Pastor Moses Aringo who himself is a graduate of the Nairobi EAPTC School of Mission.
Moses says that he was amazed to see students coming all the way from
from Zambia who soon asked if Moses would take the teaching over
the border because many others were waiting to learn but couldn't
afford to leave their jobs. Moses said Yes, and now there is a new
instant School of Mission in Myombe, Zambia.
12th September, 2008
ORISSA ASKS FOR YOUR HELP
Our trusted partner in India Pastor Daniel
has shocked us with his news that 111 homes of believers that attend
his churches in Orissa have been burned to the ground in the recent
wave of persecution and people have lost everything. Even three of his Mercy Homes orphanages have been looted and wrecked. He has heard that the people are desperate for food, clothing and soap.
THE WORLD'S NOTICE BOARD
People living in the tropics may like to know that the world's most active pyrethroid anti-malaria spray is said to be Suspend SC from Bayer.
If you suspect that stress is making you ill don't wait till you burn-out. Mike Frith of OSCAR, the UK's finest mission information site recommends the free diagnostic question and advice sheets from the renowned Headington Institute.
10th September 2008
AFTER THE HAITI CATASTROPHE: CUBA
Since our friends in Camaguey,
Cuba sent us a hastily written e-mail on Monday to say that Hurricane
Ike was due to come ashore any moment precisely where they live we
have heard nothing, except to say we have seen these frightening BBC pictures of what happened there. We are waiting anxiously for news of the many children and elderly people who Ranledis and Marilee tenderly care for.
SACRED FOREST LOSES SECRET FOLLOWERS: IVORY COAST
There is a free School of Mission in Danane, one of the remotest parts of the Ivory Coast and Diongbeu Hermann Tiemoko
is a recent graduate from there. Diongbeu wasted no time in
opening a new church at Bouleu where he says God is doing some
wonderful things. Forty-seven villagers are growing in their new faith
in Christ having turned their backs on worshiping the spirits of the
nearby scared forest. Now they are looking at ways of defeating
poverty by creating new jobs and businesses.
ONE FRIEND TO ANOTHER
One
thing I have asked, one thing I do, one thing I think, one thing I need
is the message of Psalm 27:4, Luke 10:42 and Philippians 2:1 and
3:13. It seems that the Lord prefers that we who love Him listen
to Him that we may know His desire, rather than do things for Him
without knowing His will.
8th September, 2008
THE COURAGE OF THE TAXI DRIVER: PERU
We have a friend in Lima, Peru. He is Juan,
the taxi driver. When he finishes work at midnight he takes food and a
few words of God's love to street people, and prays with many of them.
Just lately he hasn't found anyone willing to go with him on Thursdays
into what he admits are dark and sometimes dangerous places, like the
street where the male prostitutes gather but Juan told me that they
listen to him carefully and treat him well. He is sure that some will
soon decide to follow Jesus. For 3 years Juan has also
visited a forgotten village called Picapiedras where he speaks in
the parks and baptises people in the open air.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE SOME OF OUR PHOTOS? Click here
for Schools of Mission around the world Click here
for Banking for the Poor projects Click here
for projects to help orphans and the poor Click here
to see some of the people in the DCI family Les
and Pilar
Leaders, students and graduates of DCI Schools of Mission or training centres linked to us should see this page for help to start new projects of church planting, unreached peoples, training and blessing the poor.
Thousands of other Christians have fled into the forests to save
their lives, including pregnant women who can only give birth under the
trees. Pastor's wives and children are being kidnapped
and forced to reveal information. Villagers are told to reconvert
to Hinduism if they want to return home. Our partner estimates that it
will cost US$50,000 just to restore the homes, clothes and belongings
of his own orphanages, children and church members in Orissa.
