INTERNATIONAL UPDATE JUNE 2010

Dear praying friends,

Greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ. This week I was expecting to be chairing our International Executive Committee meetings in Atlanta (USA). However, my father at the age of 90 and body racked with cancer finally made it over the line to his eternal reward. It’s been an interesting last few years as he has struggled with health. Various people have come to pray for his healing, but he’s sent them away with a very clear message that he’s not looking for healing, but he’s looking to be in heaven! Well, he’s there now and free of pain, which is a comfort to us all as a family.

I’d certainly appreciate prayer for the International Executive Committee as there are some crucial issues on the agenda as we seek to take the work forward around the world.

I’ve often sought your prayer support for our iConnect computer software project and, due to a very generous foundation who are major partners in the ministry, we have been able to push forward with this project and expect implementation to begin in one or two offices later this year. Thank you for your prayers so far; I would appreciate your continued prayers that this vital project might be kept on time and on course.

Thailand: Although the military has retaken control of key areas of Bangkok, there are localised counter-attacks in many provinces which has caused sporadic violence. Periodic curfews have forced the closing of businesses, creating concern about the economic effect and stability of the country. The OM team is secure and monitoring the situation. Obviously, the unrest has suspended much of their ministry. Continue to pray for peace for the nation.

india

Mrs. Navammal comes from a Dalit background and struggled to care for her family. Originally from Tamil Nadu, she and her family moved to Pondicherry to find work. Because she migrated to another state, she was denied the right to have a ration card and a voter identity card, which inevitably made her life more difficult.

When OM India Economic Development staff members learned of her struggles, they gave her a loan of 10,000 Rupees ($225 US) to purchase a buffalo and begin a milk business. She is now making a steady income of 100 Rupees a day. Please pray for her physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

ships

Logos Hope: Bermuda’s 70th Annual Agricultural Exhibition showcased not only agricultural but also cultural items. A team from Logos Hope went sporting their national costumes, intending to share on stage about God being the Captain of our lives, steering and guiding us. Two performances ahead of them, another group shared in a poem, “I’m the captain of my life,” providing a great contrast. Gabriel de Aquino (Brazil) told of his experience steering the ship, while Miriam Warkentin (Paraguay) explained that “in our lives we’ve found that it’s God in charge.” This challenged the crowd to consider God’s role in their lives. Give thanks for the 24,375 Bermudians who visited Logos Hope—over 35 percent of the island’s population! The new Journey of Life exhibit encourages visitors to reflect on life’s choices and has provided many opportunities for crewmembers to interact with visitors on a deeper level. Pray for ongoing spiritual impact through this new tool.

emerging mission movements

Romania: Of 400 mission organisations working here, only two or three are mobilising the local church for world missions. OM began full-time ministry in January 1992, two years after the fall of the Socialist Regime in December 1989. There are currently 15 Romanians serving OM locally and abroad; by 2015, OM hopes to mobilise the church to send out 100 workers.

Angola: OM runs a Bible school in Menongue to equip leaders with God’s word so they may share with others. Angolans are hungry for materials; unfortunately, out of desperation, they will take materials from anyone. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are also busy in the area; a team member saw a leader of a church holding a Jehovah’s Witness Bible.

The school’s first-year students have completed the year, and 15 have stayed on for a second year. There are already a few new first-year students, but the team is busy recruiting more.

Praise God that a lecture hall and small library were recently completed, but please pray for the cement bags and steel needed to complete the second lecture hall and a small two-bedroom home. Please pray also for more committed Bible teachers.

Poland: At the mission-net conference in Germany last year, Kasia (ex-OMer) met Robert, a Pole who had worked in Russia as a missionary for several years, and now leads a small missions school in Krakow. “The group is small but on fire for God and missions,” says Kasia. “They come from different parts of Poland and meet every second month for the whole weekend. It was a blessing to spend time with that group and answer their questions.” Last month, Kasia and Magdalena (OMer) were invited to speak about missions at a women’s conference in Kielce. Many participants were Catholic and had never visited that church. “The response was incredible,” remarks Kasia. “When I finished speaking, a woman ran up to me, and couldn’t stop hugging and kissing me. Another lady asked for help to find an organisation to sponsor a child. And finally, a shy and humble man approached me and said, ‘I am a poor farmer and don’t have much. But please tell me how can I support missions financially.’”

Ecuador: They couldn’t wait to get in! Twenty-two children and teenagers living in the orphanage Maria Reina in Guayaquil experienced a day of great fun. The OM team took them to a local pool, where they swam and played until the water made them shiver. Some of them had never seen a pool before. The day before Mother’s Day is one of celebration for many children in the country, but is sad for those who have no mother. These kids enjoyed the love of a volunteer for the entire day as they watched a movie, sang songs together and listened to a volunteer telling about what Jesus did for them. And they ate as many sandwiches as they could! The teenagers enjoyed the undivided attention and talked with OM team members about their dreams for the future. They learned that Jesus has plans for a bright future for them. Please pray that these children and teenagers will grow to know Jesus personally.

muslim peoples

Turkey: Over many years, the team has discovered seekers by placing advertisements for a Bible Correspondence Course in national newspapers. Their visits to receptive contacts have taken them to provinces faraway from the office in Istanbul, often to where there is no church. One day, the team was travelling to Amasya, and a call came from the office telling them that a fellow by the name of Chelebi was very interested. It turned out that he was from Amasya. As the team neared their destination, they called Chelebi, who was excited to meet them and welcomed the team joyfully when they arrived. It wasn’t long before he came to true faith in Jesus and began studying the Bible. Every time they visit, he invites people to hear the gospel. Since then, about 30 people have heard the good news in this way. His wife has also accepted Jesus, and recently they were both baptised. The team continues to visit the couple and a small meeting has started in their home.

Sudan: Over a year ago, a large container of children’s books arrived in the South through the help of another organisation. Three workers are planning a training event that will help with distribution. Pray for this training so that many children will learn about Christ and meet people with a great love for God.
South Sudan is not an easy place to live and work; the team has faced numerous challenges in preparing for this event. Please pray for strength and grace. They also need about 2,000 USD for the training and distribution of these books. Please pray for these necessary resources.

Germany: A young couple we met at the Xenos-Café are from Central Asia. Both are in their early twenties; the wife is pregnant. For the past four months, they have resided in Germany, having crossed the border illegally between cardboard boxes stacked tightly in a lorry. When the wife saw an Arabic Bible at the café, she exclaimed, “Such a Bible I had at home!” She had met secretly with a lady to read the Bible and, in the anonymity of the city where she had studied, had attended church too. Religion was not important to her, but rather that she had a place to pray. The fear of being discovered had been great: “In my heart and home I am a Christian, but I can’t tell anyone.”Her husband tolerates her faith. What he seeks in Germany is security. Members of his family were kidnapped at home, and then set free for a ransom; others were murdered due to delayed payment. Fear and mistrust is part of their lives. Pray that this family would come to know the freedom and safety found in God.

relief & development

Guatemala: Only one Christian family lives in Piedra Pintada. OM team members chose to visit this small, and nearly unreached, village in Jutiapa. They surprised 150 families each with a bag of food and a conversation about the word of God. It hasn’t rained for a long time in Piedra Pintada and thus families don’t have crops to eat and sell. OM recognised the need and raised money for the food donation. “I give thanks to God, because He allowed me to see His goodness for families that don’t have anything,” says leader Pilar Castro, who appreciates everyone who donated to this outreach. She recalls the words of Psalms 27: 13, saying, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Please pray for the rain to fall in Piedra Pintada, not only physically, but spiritually as well.

europe

Greece: Mark*, an OMer, approached the market and heard his ‘apple man’ mutter to himself, “I feel so bad.” Searching through the apples, Mark asked what was wrong. “I see no light,” replied the man. He explained that the economic crisis had caused him much trouble. Mark told him that he knew someone who had called Himself the Light of the world. The man looked puzzled, and so Mark continued, “Jesus Christ.” “I don’t believe in people,” he retorted. “Neither do I,” Mark replied, “but I do believe in God!” “I don’t believe in priests,” he fired back. “Same for me,” agreed Mark, “but I’m not talking about religion. I’m talking about a relationship with Jesus.”

Please pray that this apple seller will feel God’s love and come to know Him personally. Pray that the current economic crisis in Greece would bring the people back to God’s message of hope. Pray that people would join the OM team to shine their light in this country!

Our Field Leader writes, “Greece is going through a very difficult economical time that impacts all areas of society. There is great unrest, anger, frustration, despair and pessimism. Greece, from where the gospel spread into Europe, is at a major crossroads. The evangelical community in Greece is very small (0.2%) and often very divided, even within denominations. We thank God for different churches that have seen the needs in communities around them and are serving and reaching out with His love. Pray for a transformation of the heart, a time of rebirth, for God’s Spirit to work amongst the churches, in individual lives, in the hearts of leaders and people in authority.”

pioneering initiatives

Spain: Plans to open an art studio in the south at the end of May are well underway. Artists were able to touch deeper areas of the heart and spirit of North Africans through art. The same artists saw the potential to reach out to the North African immigrant community with a message of hope in Christ, and promote healing between the different cultures. The art studio is open for artists and non-artists alike, a place where true community based on Christian values is built and lived out. The property, ideally located in the centre of town, makes it possible to offer affordable creative workshops and cultural events to the community. Artists can exhibit their work, and believing artists will have the opportunity to display their creations, inspired by the Creator. Please pray for the in-house artists as they build this art centre. Pray that the centre would become a place of light, restoration and hope between cultures and to the community.

Pakistan: OM’s sports ministry is working hard to dub The Prize—Chasing the Dream into Urdu to give out during the World Cup 2010, from 11 June–11 July. The DVD features six football heroes—Kaka, Lucio, Oscar Ewolo, Nicola Legrottaglie, Marcos Senna and Cyrille Domoraud—who have reached the highest levels, and discovered that the real prize is not found in a ball, match, or even the sport itself, but in a person. The OM team will produce 5,000 DVDs for nationwide distribution to everyone interested in the sport, including general film distributors, sports leaders, football players and pastors. Please pray that those who see these sports heroes will also find the eternal hero, Jesus, for themselves.

A new OM Pakistan brochure is available, which shares an overview of the work of OM and their passion for people since 1978. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

B4t: For many Christians, business and God’s kingdom don’t have much in common: one is done six days of the week, and the other on the seventh. John, founder of b4t (business4transformation) thinks differently. “Since the most common public community is the business workplace,” says John, “b4t seeks to invest in, mentor and establish new businesses that will impact communities socially, economically, environmentally and spiritually.”

Over the past few months, connections have been made with potential partners, and business opportunities evaluated, with varied success. “There are several businesses which we decided not to pursue and were thus spared from expensive failures,” says John. “It’s been encouraging to discover that the processes we are using in b4t are robust enough to help us identify key weaknesses before raising capital for them.”

In collaboration with a South African micro-enterprise group, b4t is developing a pilot project to set up 50 such enterprises over the next 18 months, from which 10–15 viable businesses should emerge. If you would like to be a coach or help set up accountability boards for new businesses, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Macau: By day the area buzzes with tourists seeking bargains and locals shopping for food; the place full of noise, talk and crowds. By night the dark closes in and a different product is for sale in the rooms upstairs. Commercial sex workers stay in dingy guest houses around the side streets of the shopping precinct, away from the glittering casinos. They awaken late, having worked through the night.

A group of women in Rahab Ministries meet outside the guest houses in the early afternoon to pray. They climb dimly lit stairs and find the girls whiling away the hours playing mah-jong, waiting for customers to arrive. The team longs to befriend them and share a hope yet unknown to them. They distribute gospel tracts and tell the girls of a free clinic on Thursday for STD check-ups and hopefully further connection with them. As the women leave, some of the girls are reading the gospel tracts.

The team goes downstairs, regroups and prays that God’s Word will achieve that which He has sent it to do. Many of the ladies come from mainland China and other Asian countries on 2-week visas. When the Rahab team return next week, they know they will find different faces. 

resourcing

OM EAST’s ministry partner from the Roma Bible Union was visiting a conference, when she met the assistant pastor of the largest Arli church in Serbia. He was seeking someone to produce a ‘little red book’ (referring to My First Bible) in the Arli language. The Roma Bible Union had just received freshly-printed Bayash versions of My First Bible from OM EAST. Soon the Arli translation began. Just before Easter, a team from the Roma Bible Union and OM EAST travelled to Serbia to deliver 1200 copies of My First Bible in Arli to the Arli church. They began talking about the possibility of Arli full-time workers among the Bayash in Croatia, who have no church but individual believers (some still teenagers) have visions for their people. Pray that God would raise more workers with a vision for the Bayash Church in Croatia.

Once again, on behalf of over 5500 workers from over 95 countries working in over 110 countries, I thank you deeply for your prayers and support.

Your brother in Christ,
Peter Maiden

• names changed for security reasons

Think again

The values at OM’s heart

Recently some friends were telling us about people they knew, and where they had gone since university days. At a reunion of some sort, one former classmate had informed the rest (without particularly being asked) that her goal in life was simple: to make as much money as she possibly could. It seems she was doing fairly well in fulfilling that dream, abundantly enriching her material net worth but evidently at significant cost in relationships.

That story made me think of Jesus’ parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13–21), a man whose actions and business strategies were destructively driven by the things that defined his life: money and pleasure. Building on the parable, Jesus spoke to his disciples about the importance of the heart. What we value will drive us. As followers of Jesus, though, it is God’s kingdom that is to be at the heart of our values, not clothing, food, and drink, even though the Father himself recognizes them as necessities (Luke 12:29–34).

Values that drive organisations

It is not just individuals that have values that drive their activities and structure; organizations do as well. One global corporation writes that “Every organisation has a set of values. These values are very important: they shape the way an organisation is set up and run. More importantly, they influence the impact or effect an organisation has.”

Just prior to that statement was the affirmation that “underpinning everything [we do] is a set of values and responsibilities that mean [we] will do all [we] reasonably can to protect our environment.”

What organization had posted that self-description of a carefully-cultivated, eco-friendly image?

BP.(1)

Accidents happen, but…

Even the best drivers and pilots can cause an accident—that is why they are called ‘accidents’. Unforeseen circumstances wreak havoc, even on the best-prepared organisations. While the media and government agencies dramatically press for immediate answers, if we ever find out to what extent BP’s values statement matched their corporate structure and decisions, or to what extent there was negligence and disregard leading up to the oil spill, it will be long after the flow of crude into the depths of the Gulf of Mexico is stopped.

Does it smell like OM?

In late March, OM’s International General Council met—the first time we gathered as a representative body on behalf of all long-term OMers. As we considered our key structural documents, there was a strong sense that we needed to include in our Memorandum of Agreement (our basic relational document) our statement of OM’s core values that, until now, was recorded elsewhere:

• Knowing and glorifying God
• Living in submission to God’s Word
• Being people of grace and integrity
• Serving sacrificially
• Loving and valuing people
• Reflecting the diversity of the body of Christ
• Evangelising the world
• Global intercession
• Esteeming the Church

These values are now recorded at the beginning of that Agreement just after our Statement of Faith and OM’s short Purpose Statement. Why such prominence? There are many appropriate ways to set up a board of directors or arrange for funds to be transferred. We, though, want to be sure that our structures and strategies, the relationships between OM fields and among individual OMers, remain congruent with these values, values we sense God has built over the past fifty years into OM’s shared DNA.

More important than reproducing these values in documents and on websites, though, is our need to reproduce them among ourselves so that individually and together, our actions and structures keep this ‘smell’ of OM.

Stress-tested values

Will knowing and reinforcing these values guarantee us a trouble-free existence? Probably not. But, like what the high-profile media coverage of BP’s response to the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster reveals about that energy firm’s environmental values, the strength of OM’s core values will be most clearly seen in how we respond to a crisis, even more than in our day-to-day activities. (end)

Dr. David Greenlee is OM’s International Research Associate. Comments are welcome at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

(1). http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=9019521&contentId=7035883