INTERNATIONAL UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2010

OM International

Dear partners in prayer,

Surely one of the most incredible promises in the whole of scripture is in Romans 8:31–32: “What shall we say then in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

Paul is arguing from the greater to the lesser. If God did not spare his Son—and he did not; the cross is a fact of history—then surely he is going to give us all things. Yet we do not have all things. Things that I have been very specifically praying for in recent weeks I do not yet have. The promise must be linked with the words “who can be against us?” No one and nothing can be successfully against us. He will give grace for every trial and struggle. Having given his Son, can we ever question that?

In the reports which follow, there are some real trials and some real victories reported. Pray with us that, in all these experiences, the grace that is available will be enjoyed.

Afghanistan: For two weeks they hiked and travelled on horseback, visiting villages in some of the remotest areas on Earth. A team of twelve—four Afghans, eight foreigners—had finished two weeks of eye clinics among the ‘least of these.’
On 5 August, eleven in the team (one returned home via another route) hiked back to their vehicles. After crossing a river, they rested before the lengthy, bone-jarring drive ahead. Suddenly ten masked, armed men ambushed them, first killing the leader, ‘Dr. Tom’, who has served in Afghanistan since 1978. In a few moments, the attackers had killed 10 of the team: six Americans, one British, one German and two Afghans. The attackers marched the one surviving Afghan back to their camp and, after threats, released him.
Most of the team worked with IAM, a Christian organisation committed to serving the poor and vulnerable in Afghanistan through development projects; two foreigners worked with Operation Mercy. Pray for surviving families and for all organisations in the country as they evaluate next steps.

Korea: The Rev John Oak, Pastor Emiritus of Sarang Community Church, is critically ill in hospital in Seoul, South Korea. The coming days will be critical for him. John has been a huge support of OM globally as the OMK Board Chairman from the beginning in 1990 until 2005. Our ministry in South Korea, so crucial to our global ministry, would not be where it is without his input and support. Please pray for our brother and his family and church at this time.

On 18 July, Josh Tong, the 19-year-old son of OM Asian leaders Lawrence and Susan, developed symptoms of ventricular tachycardia arrest (VT) as he underwent a treadmill test to diagnose chest pain and was warded at the National University Hospital in Singapore. Further tests pointed to the possibility of early stage ARVC (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy), a life-threatening condition. Tests are being carried out to determine whether a defibrillator will need to be implanted. Please keep Josh and his family in prayer.

George Verwer, world-class letter writer, also receives encouraging news from around the world:
“Dear George: Back in 1991, after finishing military service,  I was walking the main street of my hometown, Plovdiv. This was during the time of big changes; for me as a Bulgarian it was very interesting to see foreigners. I met a group from OM doing open air evangelism. They invited me for a Bible study and, in that place, for first time in my life I heard of God’s love and Jesus. In this group I saw real people who loved Jesus, and lived their lives with Him. I wanted that same life, and asked Jesus to come into my life. He did that! Now I am working with CCCI in Bulgaria, and serve Jesus with my wife and four kids.  Till all the earth hear, Jordan Hristev”

We are very encouraged by the number of people joining us through our August GO conference. The number at present stands at 257—the largest number since 1997. We often ask you to ‘pray for labourers’ so please join us in thanking God for answered prayer. With OM Ships requiring less people than usual, a much larger number are going to various OM fields, particularly within Europe. Please pray for safety in travel for the teams and for integration into ministry upon arrival.

Relief & Development

Pakistan: Around the OM world, finances and prayer are being raised to support flood relief efforts, including redevelopment work for 200 houses in rural areas. OM staff are working with national believers to provide help and assistance, especially in low-lying areas and villages where the majority are very poor and access is limited due to collapsed roads. In many areas people had not eaten for days and were grateful for free food; some local markets had already doubled their prices.
One man who received a tent for his homeless family shared: “I am here with my young daughters and sleeping in the open air is big trouble for my family. I appreciate your timely help. It was really a dangerous situation to keep the lives of my daughters safe.” The northern team has also been distributing dried baby milk. Infants are even more vulnerable to health problems from inadequate nutrition during the summer months.
Pray for safety: many roads are blocked by mudslides, bridges have been washed away and much of the infrastructure has been damaged. Pray that new supplies of accessible food will be found quickly to enable the food-aid distribution to continue uninterrupted. Pray that more finances will be raised to support the teams’ ongoing relief and development work. One team leader comments, “This is all for the glory of God. One day, many of these people will come to Christ.”
A Sindhi newspaper published an article about OM’s relief activities, pointing out that the aid came from Christians and the team’s relief efforts were commended as the best. OM has provided aid to more than 2,200 families in flood-affected regions. Pray for endurance and wisdom during this strenuous time. Pray that more will come to know the Lord through their efforts. For frequent updates, visit om.org/pakistan.

India

Hyderabad: On 21 August, the National Council of the Good Shepherd Community Churches installed Rev. Alfred E. Franks as its first Bishop. The Good Shepherd Community Church movement, which emphasizes the priesthood of all believers and plurality of leadership at all levels in the Church movement, has a structure suiting the context of the Dalit-Backward caste peoples who have been historically denied the right to priesthood. The Church affirms the Bible as its final authority for faith and practice and the present dynamic work of the Holy Spirit in and through the Church and in broader society, and Jesus Christ as the One Supreme Head of the Church. It is fully committed to the common humanity that Jesus came to create in His Body, the Church.
In a short span of time the Good Shepherd Community Church has grown to about 3,000 churches and is poised for further growth and development across the nation and beyond its borders. The GSCC movement, apart from being involved in church-related activities, is committed to the field of education, economic development, healthcare, justice, and mission mobilisation. The GSCC movement has evolved out of the work of OM India and is in full partnership with the wider work of OM.

Next Generation

Germany: 2060 teenagers from 19 countries converged in early August in Oldenburg for TeenStreet, OM’s international youth conference. Workshops demonstrated how cooking, graffiti art, martial arts, chess, choir, fashion, or filmmaking can be acts of worship. Teens met in small groups to discuss struggles and what they had learnt. This year’s theme, ‘PS XXIII’, drew from the life of David. Worship, workshops, quiet time, and small group activities focused on God’s sufficiency. During the opening session, leaders distributed paper with portions of the psalm e.g. “He anoints my head with oil,” and “He leads me beside still waters”. Each person left with a phrase tucked behind their name tag, just as they left TeenStreet with something new to think about: a renewed faith, new friends, a new understanding of God’s love.

Emerging Mission Movements

South Africa:  Amongst 266 short-term participants to join OM’s Ultimate Goal Challenge outreach in June was a Dutch couple in their late 60s who worked with a local church for two weeks. Its pastor told them there was a lady visiting recently. “She speaks only Dutch,” he said, “and has questions about a book she is reading—can you help?” Much to their surprise, the book had been written by the Dutch woman’s father and she answered the lady’s questions. Teams were sent into the Johannesburg and Pretoria area, as well as to Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban, involved in strengthening rural churches, anti-human trafficking in the inner city, soccer clinics, reaching foreigners and praying for North Korea.

Nepal:  Each spring, high school students take on a summer lifestyle of freedom and boredom roaming the city, playing cards, and getting together with friends. OM offered an alternative for Christian students: a discipleship and outreach camp. Churches sent 19 students from seven districts to study topics including time management, finding a spouse and identity in Christ. Divided into three groups, they were sent on one-week outreaches to the north and east of Kathmandu. Pray that they will continue to share what they learned—and their enthusiasm for outreach—with their churches and friends.

Peru: OM completed its medical outreach in Trujillo from 23–30 July. The team of six Peruvians included a doctor, psychologist, children’s specialist, seminary student and the OM leadership. “We’re completely satisfied to see people surprised by the realization of God’s love and care for them”, shared OM leader Mayelo Gensollen. “Jose Mori is 93 years old. We gave him a wooden cane. My wife, Any, talked with him about Christ’s gift and the need for repentance, but Jose did not respond and left”. Minutes later he returned and asked what he had to do to find forgiveness for sins. He accepted Jesus that day. “We were so joyful to see him walking away, using his cane with a face of joy and thankfulness for what God had done”, recalled Mayelo. “We saw over 350 patients and 60 people give their lives to the Lord. God is good and faithful.”

Pioneering Initiatives

Australia: With 2000 languages still without the Bible (350 million people), OM Australia and Wycliffe are partnering to raise awareness. On 24 August, Dave, Carnsey and Sav began walking 2000km, from Cairns in Far North Queensland to Stanthorpe in the south, holding meetings along the way. Each kilometre they walk represents a distinct living language without the Word of God. They plan to arrive in Stanthorpe on 11 November. Follow them on the2000walk.com or at facebook.com/The2000walk. Please pray for protection and perseverance during their journey. Pray that many will be open to their message.

AIDSlink: OM Nepal, AIDSLink International* and Business for Transformation joined hands 14–26 August to train AIDSLink Nepal’s HIV support group in starting small businesses. Health challenges, along with stigma and discrimination, make it very difficult for those with HIV to find and keep employment. This training, which teaches how to start a business with just a few dollars, and empowers participants to earn enough to live on and eat properly, thus breaking this cycle of ill health and poverty. Pray that more will reach out with God’s love to those living with HIV.

*OM partners with AIDSLink International to make a difference in the worldwide HIV and AIDS pandemic

SportsLink: Over 100,000 World Cup tracts (including 45,000 32-page pocket guides in six languages and smaller tracts in five languages) were distributed during evangelistic outreaches. Over 2000 copies of The Prize DVD were used at big screen showings at churches, open air gatherings, and other venues. OMers partnered with local churches and short-term workers to conduct community sports outreaches to share the Gospel, testimonies, the basics of faith, and to demonstrate the love of Christ through acts of compassion in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Madagascar, Moldova, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, France, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and onboard the Logos Hope.
Muslims, Hindus, and those of no faith came to realize that Christ is the way and the truth, that God loves them, and wants a personal relationship. Others adopted new values of purity; whole youth groups from churches began emphasizing Biblical values and leading an uncompromising life. Competing teams changed their behaviour on and off the field. Over 4,600 made a commitment to follow Christ.

Resourcing

UK: Torleif Sorlie, from ICT Carlisle, spent a week in the OM booth at the Keswick Convention. An Indian asked about OM outreaches, interested in involving his whole family. From a Hindu background, at 16 years old he met OMer on an outreach in Birmingham who led him to the Lord. Since then he has followed God and, because of the impact that outreach had on his own life, he wanted his family to participate to be a blessing to others. Praise God that this man’s life was changed many years ago. Many outreaches are currently underway; please pray for long-term impact in the lives of the participants and those they meet.

Muslim Peoples

Kyrgyzstan: OM workers evacuated as violence between Kyrgyz and Uzbek groups boiled over into ethnic rage in five cities and towns along with looting, raping, killing and burning that targeted Uzbek neighbourhoods. Houses with ‘K’ or daubed with a red slash (the Kyrgyz flag is predominantly red) were spared. Houses with a turquoise slash or ‘U’ were looted and burnt. Organised convoys took away looted goods as interethnic violence broke out, resulting in atrocities and deaths on both sides.
Diane, in her first year here, was packing when she heard frantic pounding on her door. She opened it to find an Uzbek couple whom she’d met briefly before. They begged her to take their four children to safety, but she was flying within the hour and would not be allowed to have the children. She and other workers returned after less than a week to help the survivors, including that family. Tension remains high in southern Kyrgyzstan, with widespread despair among the Uzbek community. Pray for protection, wisdom and compassion for team members.

Europe

Transform 2010: 400+ participants and staff were sent on 40 teams to various destinations around the Mediterranean. Outreaches ranging from 2–3 weeks included sports, arts, and dance, English lessons, building bridges, and children and youth events.
The team in Split, Croatia began with two Dutch young ladies and a Croatian family, but grew to include many local believers, which encouraged the local church. The team distributed books and tracts to locals and tourists. “We had encouraging talks with locals; most were happy to receive free books about Jesus! A few times we were cursed at. Sometimes the language was really a burden, but God provided young people who could speak English; it was great to share personal stories with them. They were really open and interested,” related the Croatian team leader. “We could write 30 pages about things we did, saw, learned and more. Surely God was with us…He provided when we didn’t know what to do. He sent us people whom we could help, and also people who could help us!”
Pray for the Croatian family as they follow up many contacts made during Transform. Pray also for the hundreds of people who were exposed to the Gospel, perhaps for the first time, through a Transform team around the Mediterranean. For more info, visit www.transform.om.org.

EAST: Within OM internationally, there is overwhelming consensus to fight the evil of human trafficking. A local ministry said to us, “You are in an international organisation and have people in most of the ‘source countries’ where women here on the streets and in brothels come from. You should be a voice for them, warning those thinking of joining an agency offering ‘jobs’ in Western Europe and America, and see if shelters can be provided in different countries”. Out of this was born our Anti-Trafficking network (ATn). The church, working with other NGOs, can be a network for good, effective in fighting trafficking, seeing people set free, and dignity restored. People shouldn’t be bought and sold. The evil in some areas is so strong you can feel it; to stand against this, we need an army of prayer warriors raised up. We also need to see qualified labourers joining us, sensitive enough to touch lives but strong enough to cope with the emotional pain.

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

Your brother in Christ,
Peter Maiden
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Think again

Living in submission to God’s Word

This article is one of a series by various OMers from around the world, offering personal reflections on our core values. Herein are reflections by a Nepali and a Westerner serving with OM Nepal.

All of us in OM would say that we want to deny ourselves and follow Christ—but how do we know what to follow? Passionate commitment to God is of little value if not firmly rooted in an understanding of His will, as expressed in His written Word.

Living in submission to the Word of God is a common struggle for any Christian. The church in Nepal is working to overcome remnants of Hindu and Buddhist worldviews in a culture raised to blindly follow a religious system, not to read and study scriptures. Many Nepalis come to Christ as a result of healing and thus are attracted to miraculous signs more than to the Bible itself. A lack of focus on God’s Word creates Christians who do not prioritize Bible study in the midst of everyday life, pastors more committed to working for God than obeying His Word, and churches that teach a partial gospel.

Life gets in the way

In many cases, Nepali Christians do not live according to God’s Word simply because they do not understand it. In remote areas believers often cannot read well, do not have a Bible, and must walk for hours to be taught by a pastor who, in far too many cases, has no training. Many educated Christians also do not understand the message of God’s Word. They grab their Bibles on the way to church, but spend the rest of the week trying to get a good job and caring for their families. Necessity distracts them from applying the message of the Bible in their everyday lives.
Lack of Bible study does not necessarily reflect a lack of commitment. Many Nepali pastors are passionately devoted to pleasing God by serving Him, but sometimes in their zeal they neglect to study the full message of the Bible, basing their ministry and teaching on individual verses taken out of context. If their vision does not materialize, they are discouraged and their passion dies.

Seeds are maturing

Sometimes the situation of the Nepail church looks discouraging, but this is a young church, and God is changing people’s hearts and minds as they read and listen to His Word. Training programs, Bible translation, literature distribution, and oral teaching methods are bringing the message of God’s Word even to the most isolated Christians. More and more churches in Nepal are beginning to value Bible study. Our challenge as Christian workers in Nepal is to help believers see the Bible not as a religious book just for church services, but as the final authority in decisions, relationships, and everyday lives.

This challenge is not unique to OM Nepal. Christians all over the world, including us as leaders, struggle against misunderstanding, apathy, distractions, worry, and a lack of resources and teaching. We have experienced the Word of God. We believe it. We quote it. We submit ourselves to its message. And then we close it and start our day.

Over the years, OM Nepal has trained hundreds of Nepali Christians, providing focused Bible teaching free from many distractions of everyday life. As we watch our graduates re-enter ‘normal’ living situations, we can see whether they have truly developed a hunger for the Word of God and an attitude of submission to what they read. How do they live? How do they make decisions? How different are they from their community? Does the world see the difference?

And we ask the same questions of ourselves as an organisation and as individuals. Are we willing to stop our work for God and consider whether our lives conform to His Word? Do we take the time to yield to His will? Or are we too busy serving God to study the things that are most important to Him? Is submission to God’s Word one of OM’s core values only a theory, or is it the standard of every conversation, every decision, every day and, as such, truly a defining characteristic of OM?

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