INTERNATIONAL UPDATE FEBRUARY 2008

OM International

By Peter Maiden, International Coordinator

Dear prayer partners,

It was a real privilege to be at the GO conference in Germany in January to welcome 170 newcomers into OM. Their enthusiasm was infectious! Please pray as now they will be seeking to integrate into existing teams around the OM world.

Violence against Christians
Kenya: Post-election violence has left over 500 dead. Machete-wielding members of another tribe attacked and set fire to a church where 400 ethnic Kikuyus, the tribe to which newly re-elected President Mwai Kibaki belongs, were hiding. The deepening tribal conflict is reminiscent of the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Among other Christian groups, team members from Mission Aviation Fellowship have been answering the emergency call for evacuations and humanitarian help to the 250,000+ displaced.

India: Beginning on Christmas Eve, Hindu extremists in Orissa set off a wave of violence called the largest attack on the Christian community in the history of democratic India. Thousands of Christians hid in forests while mobs burned or destroyed 730 homes and 95 churches. At least nine Christians were killed and many others are missing. Federal and state officials have responded slowly to the crisis. The Dalits were the main group affected by the violence. The number of reported attacks on Christians in India during 2007 surpassed 1,000 for the first time since India's independence in 1947.

Pray for peace, and for courage and comfort for our brothers and sisters in these lands.

resourcing
Korea: When 21 Korean workers were kidnapped in Afghanistan this summer, the incident provoked criticism against mission agencies and churches in South Korea. OM's leader in Korea wrote recently,
"We were concerned that [this situation] might cause a decrease in number of workers for this year. But, praise God that we saw an increase for the second half of the year (60 admitted out of 70 applicants)! Please join us in praying that the Lord will continue to use the churches in Korea to send more labourers to different parts of the world."

world faiths
Central Asia: Muslim officials threatened to jail Karina, a Christian from a Muslim background living in a Russian-controlled area, if she continued to coordinate sending Muslim children to our summer camp. After reading a special translation of the Bible for Muslims in Central Asia, the regional governor concluded there was nothing in the Book for people to fear and offered to protect her. Pray for the distribution of the Eastern Russian translation, the Bible the governor read.
Sveta lay in front of her house in a back street of the city, bruised, bleeding and covered in dirt. A worker prayed with her and promised to return with help. An elderly neighbour sat beside her, pleading, "I'm so glad that you came back. She spends every cent she has on alcohol. We do not know what to do. Can you please do something to help her?"
Sveta agreed to travel to a Christian rehab centre located an hour's drive away. A few days later the worker returned to the Centre. "I could not believe the change that had already begun to take place in Sveta," the worker shared. "Her hair was clean and the bruises and cuts on her face had already begun to heal. Best of all she smiled a genuine smile when I walked in."
"Today I read the Bible a little and then I worked in the garden," Sveta shared. Sveta has given her life to Jesus and her life is being transformed.

Turkey: Osman, a Muslim policeman, had asked to meet someone from our church, so I took the risk and met him in a park. I suppressed my scepticism as we shook hands. Osman had been searching for truth for five years. He had begun watching the new Turkish Christian TV channel, joined by his wife and daughter. One night the daughter had a dream in which Jesus appeared to her, and after that she declared, ""I have decided to follow Jesus and I will never turn back."
They told other relatives, and now 10 family members have come to the church!

next generation
TeenStreet: Over 340 attended TeenStreet Malaysia (entitled Contagious) from 8-13 December.  Participants from New Zealand, USA, Philippines, Brunei, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Sweden learnt how to be contagious for Jesus and influence people in their world. 
This year's TNTRace raised over RM 24,000 towards OM's work with people living with HIV/AIDS. One teen raised money through selling hand-made Christmas cards, others baked cookies, whilst others did chores. A prayer time helped teens pray for unreached people groups all over the world and experience a bit of spiritual hunger and physical poverty when they were served with yoghurt, grains of rice and onions after skipping lunch.
"Thx for teaching me what praise 'n worship really mean...only in TeenStreet I began 2 felt the strong presence of God with me...I have made my decision 2 b sold out for God," wrote Jerald.

Sweden: A TeenStreet re-union in January for teens that attended TeenStreet in Germany last summer drew more than 80 teenagers and leaders with a focus on how to live a contagious Christian life. "On Friday and Saturday we experienced God's presence in a very special way. Teenagers were challenged for world mission, touched by the Holy Spirit," shared Daniel Berglund. "On Sunday all participants met up in the local community centre for a Sunday service. We were encouraged to see so many joining this re-union event from many parts of the country."

ships
Logos II: The decision to send the ship on a literature-promoting voyage to the Caribbean was made for several reasons: making the many books currently on board and in warehouses available to people; the high demand in the region for quality educational literature; and the financial sense of having Logos II in operation rather than laid up during the Logos Hope outfit phase. The primary focus will be on the book fair and literature distribution. Leaders hope that the opportunities for personal and community development will continue as always. Deck and engine ratings, as well as others are still urgently needed to complete the Logos II team.
If you have previously sailed on board any OM ship, and are available at short notice, we would love to hear from you!

Logos Hope: A Passenger Ship Safety Certificate (PSSC) is required before active service, which entails the completion of essential outfit works and the continuous maintenance of engine room machinery. Priority attention is being given to these over the next few months.
One of three generators onboard will be replaced with a larger yet more economical one. This will be delivered to Kiel next month and be overhauled by our engineers before installing it at the end of April.
We have been encouraged with many gifts-in-kind that will be a significant help. A Swiss church and friends donated carpentry tools valued at over EUR 2,000. A company in the USA donated a plasma cutter making the preparation of steel much more efficient. A church in north Germany has taken on the responsibility (manpower, finance and material) to build the stage for the auditorium on Deck 3. A UK couple unable to come and practically help with the project made a financial donation equivalent to two months sponsorship plus travel costs.

europe
Austria: OM prepares for a summer outreach linked to the European Football (soccer) championships in June. Churches in Innsbruck, Klabenfurt and Vienna have requested teams to work alongside in reaching out to thousands of football fans. Organiser Martin Podobri writes, "We need 60 people for different outreaches-please send people (or come yourself)."
Further details of "Kick off 2008" @ www.om.org/short-term-opportunities/#Austria

UK: During the Lifehope New Year Outreach, twenty-three homeless people came to Birmingham Christian Centre for a meal and a creative Gospel presentation. Mirjam from Germany shared, "I did not know that I could talk with homeless people, but I had a really good conversation". One of the homeless said, "As soon as I came in through the church doors, I was welcomed, accepted as I was. It was the best night I have ever had!" The team members were encouraged to connect with some of their guests a few days later when they were doing open airs.

France: Hundreds of French teens have experienced friendship with Jesus through TeenStreet over the years. Now teens in Nantes will be able to experience some of the TeenStreet dynamic in a new regular inter-church youth event called LinkUp five times a year-a discipleship opportunity for young adults leading small groups of teens. According to Ger and Phoenicia van Veen, "It's all about relationships-relating first to God, and then to each other". From this platform of stronger relationships between teens, they hope to see new opportunities for teens to serve in mission. This year there is a project underway to take a group of teens from Nantes to the Netherlands. Four TeenStreet alumni from Nantes joined the South Africa training team in January, proving to local Christian youth that there is a place for them in mission. Events will be held in March, May, October and December.

Czech Republic: From January 21, OM has started eight weeks of fasting and prayer to seek God's direction and vision for ministry. Each team member will take turns to pray and fast for a day, writing down what they believe God is saying.
There are many issues: disabled children kept in cages in care homes with little human contact, children trafficked through this country, women working as prostitutes in border regions, alcoholism, that evangelical and Pentecostal churches are often viewed as cults, the number of children put into orphanages, the increasing number of single
mothers, the many in debt, the discrimination against Roma-Gypsies-what should OM focus on? Please pray that the OM team will hear God's voice say "This is the way, walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21).

emerging mission movements
Thailand: The Book of Hope organisation recently produced a film, A Father's Love, which moves from Creation to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Thai people have no knowledge of a creator God, say workers in that country, and the film presents the story accurately.
"The Book o f Hope has provided us with great equipment, and have sent teams to go out with us. We equip rural churches to reach out and effectively share the story of Jesus. A network is developing, and we will continue to follow up in these areas where we can clearly see God drawing people to Himself. To date we have shown the film in about 50 different locations, and over 10,000 people have seen the film in our region. Over 2,000 have made decisions for Christ. God is at work in NE Thailand!"

Mongolia: In 1992 Batuzhii joined OM ships as a deckhand-an unusual step since Mongolia is landlocked! Bat met Ruth on board, daughter of German missionaries, and they married. Bat and Ruth are now leaders of one of the fastest-growing churches in Mongolia, having pioneered seven church plants so far. They have even had their own boat ministry, taking rubber rafts along the rivers to reach nomadic people living in isolated yurts.
Last July, the couple were appointed OM representatives. They welcome workers and also send Mongolians to be trained in OM overseas. Pray for the ministries of this committed pair. Also remember the teaching ministry of Myrna from the Philippines, who has been OM's only worker in this Buddhist nation for a number of years! Ask the Lord to send reinforcements.

Two prayer initiatives for 2008

Cryout: This prayer initiative calls for believers from all corners of Earth to pray and fast for people and cities in Lebanon, Syria, Jordon and Iraq. History started in the Middle East and everything that happens there is on the front pages of the world's media. God is directing His people to pray for these nations! Visit www.cryoutnow.org to sign up and join your prayers with many others for this part of the world.

Year Of Prayer For Bosnia-Hercegovina: Together with the Pentecostal Church, OM has declared 2008 a Year of Prayer (YoP). A website www.pray4bosnia.co.cc provides information to help people pray throughout the year, updated regularly with current Praise and Prayer points.
OM Leader Annelea Blignaut shared, "I am very excited about this year, and as the church in Bosnia-Herzegovina we are committed to pray. Throughout 2008 we will be having three prayer conferences: January 25-27 in Mostar, June 20-22 in Sarajevo and December 5-7 in Tuzla. We need people who will champion this country in their church, cell group or Bible study and get other people praying. Maybe you can come to Bosnia-Hercegovina for a week or two or a few months to pray with us in the different cities where we have churches and where we want to see churches planted, or maybe you will decide to give financially towards the Year of Prayer. Please get involved!"

People to pray for
Austrian leader Philipp Eschbach writes of Brenda Babcock's health situation: Brenda went to the Korneuburg Hospital to have a polyp successfully removed and was informed that the polyp was cancerous. He recommended a second operation as soon as possible for a full hysterectomy and removal of lymph nodes. She underwent this surgery and is recuperating. Pray for Dave and Brenda, as this could bring major changes in their lives. Let's join together in asking God for all they need at this time.

Because of stress-related illness, Steve and Sandie Davies, field leaders in Bangladesh, have returned to the UK. Their children remain in boarding school in south India. Please pray for Steve's recovery. The remaining team in Bangladesh is now carrying a much greater load. Area Coordinators Phil and Jenny Bushell moved to Bangladesh in late October for four months to provide leadership back-up there while maintaining their area responsibilities.

Once again, thank you for your faithfulness and encouragements as God enables us to press forward together in 2008.

Peter Maiden.
-----------------------------
Think again
Whom do you trust?

By David Greenlee

Trust is one of the most taken-for-granted values underpinning society, generally ignored until fraud or tragedy strikes. I place my trust in countless individuals and organisations every day, confident that-whatever the combination of motivations that drive them-they will not intentionally harm me.

I will trust in whom?
Last month I referred to Duane Elmer's excellent book Cross-Cultural Servanthood(1). A vital step in becoming a true servant is to build trust, defined by Elmer as "the ability to build confidence in a relationship so that both parties believe the other will not intentionally hurt them but will act in their best interest."
When I deposit my money in a bank, my choice is based on the bank's reputation backed up by government regulations. If my trust proves unmerited I may lose my money, but not my life. When I choose an airline, much more is at stake. Unmerited trust in pilots and mechanics could prove fatal. Ironically, I give far less thought to one of the greatest dangers I face every day: the drivers who speed toward me in oncoming traffic. Far too many drivers who do not merit such trust have been the cause of wrenching tragedy.

I will trust in You!
God gives his people good reason to trust in him. In a time of near disaster, "the Israelites saw the great power of the LORD displayed against the Egyptians; the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant" (Exodus 14:31). In the days and in generations that followed, though, repeatedly they were stiff-necked and failed to trust God when he had indeed shown himself worthy of trust (2 Kings 17:14).
David declared that he would trust in God's unfailing love even when he felt that God had hidden his face and forgotten him (Psalm 5). Would he have had such trust if earlier he had not known what it was to be led by quiet waters, to know God's presence in the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23)? God had delivered him before; therefore when new crises arose and his enemies hotly pursued him, David could declare that "When I am afraid, I will trust in you" (Psalm 56).
Jesus called on the heart-troubled disciples to "Trust in God; trust also in me" (John 14:6). Aware of the crisis about to break, on what basis did Jesus expect the Eleven to trust him? His amazing demonstrations of divine power and life-giving teaching are part of the answer. More basic, though, is relationship. "If you really knew me..." [their] trust would be sure.

Should I trust you?
Early in a leadership assignment, after too quickly bringing up an important but sensitive issue, I needed to apologize to one of my teammates and ask if we could start over. With a godly spirit he had written to me (more or less) "You are new. I know about you, but I don't know you." Coming into my role with a good reputation was not enough for my colleague to believe that I "would not intentionally hurt him but act in his best interests." Put another way he was asking the legitimate question, "Why should I trust you?"
Things would have gone better from the start if I had thought of Elmer's observations. Trust takes time to build-there is no instant trust. Trust needs to be nurtured; it must be built from the other person's perspective. Even with relationship, trust involves risk.

Keeping trust in OM
Trust underpins society. It is vital to the Church, to mission and in our witness, an aspect I hope to consider in a future column.
Trust is vital within OM. We need to be worthy of trust and willing to give trust. As we grow numerically, as large projects and massive ministry openings arise, clear structures and good practices will help us continue to merit trust. But good structures alone are not enough when pressures grow. Godly trust grows from relationship, from knowing each other.
May God give us the desire, and help us take the time, so that we keep on knowing each other, nurturing relationships, listening to understand. From time to time, pressures will be strong. May God make us ready for such moments, ready to keep on taking the risk of a love that always trusts (1 Corinthians 13:7).

Dr. David Greenlee is OM's International Research Associate. Comments are welcome care of This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

1. InterVarsity Press 2006, p. 46-47.

----------------------------------------
If you no longer wish to receive this Update by e-mail, please contact < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it >.
If you no longer wish to receive this by mail, please contact your local OM office. This update is classified (N)-No Restrictions.
OM International Update is a publication of OM News & Information (OMNI) through which the International Co-ordinator highlights timely developments, important issues and concerns for prayer and response worldwide. It is issued monthly in digital form. Feedback, questions and ideas are welcome. (c) 2008

OM International ¥ Peter Maiden, International Co-ordinator
PO Box 27, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 1HG, United Kingdom
Tel. (+44) 1228-615100
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ¥ www.om.org

Credit: OM International
© 2008 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it