A Sweet Announcement

"Smiley Riley", Sheila has called her.
Me? I’m going to shorten Elizabeth to "Betty"!

Before beginning on the report of the work, I just must share the exciting news that our first great- granddaughter has arrived! Riley Elizabeth Kessler was born to Matt and Stephanie (Rob and Sheila’s daughter) April 22, almost a month early. This picture was made when she was only one week old. She seems to be very happy with her new home! The little family is doing well, and I ask your prayers that Matt and Stephanie will be able to bring her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

An Overview of the Work

A brother recently called to ask for a summary of the over-all program of work that we do. It has been suggested that I use my answer to him as part of this report, since it serves as a brief review of what you and we are striving to do together:

“I appreciate your interest in the work we’ve been doing in India and Asia since 1962. Because it has continued to grow through the years, giving a run-down on what is being done will take some time. I will try not to forget anything.

Radio Programs

“The programs are broadcast from Sri Lanka, to Asia, to India in particular. We have 4 weekly Telugu programs, six in Tamil, one in Hindi; and one in Oriya; and for Sri Lanka itself we have one weekly program each in English and Tamil. The All-India programs are $145 each; the Sri Lanka broadcasts are $75. We have had letters and calls from as far east as the Fiji Islands, and as far west as the Scandinavian countries; from the Middle East, from Malaysia and Singapore, and predominantly from the Indian sub-continent.

“In the Philippines we support a number of local programs, sending $2000 each quarter to pay for those broadcasts.

TV Programs

“We have Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam TV programs, telecast on cable from within India. Arjunan has two programs each week; Rajanayagam has two programs on two different cables; Joshua has three or four, and they are also run on one of the cables free of charge. P.K. Varghese has one pro- gram. Philemon Rajah has two. These are creating many contacts, opportunities, and conversions.

Literature

“We help with the printing of Bible courses, books that are offered on the radio and TV programs; song books; Bibles, and eight monthly magazines. We also have 4000 or 5000 copies of The Voice of Truth International printed each quarter in India in English. We help with printing literature in the Philippines and in Myanmar, and have recently sent money to Asghar Ali to pay for the re-printing of The Church of the Bible in Urdu in Pakistan, for use in the churches in Lahore and Karachi, in particular. Though the costs for printing and mailing the magazines are monthly, the needs in the areas of Bible courses and books vary from quarter to quarter. We are asking local congregations in India to assume more responsibility in helping with local printing. For instance, when the Tamil song books were reprinted recently, we asked that each person who received a copy pay half of the printing cost, or if churches received copies that they pay half the cost. We recently helped to print brother V.P. Black’s book, Rust As a Witness, in several of the languages of India, encouraging its wide- spread use in training local Christians to give more sacrificially, in view of the strained economic situation developing here in the States. For their own spiritual development, they need to be working to carry all of the load they possibly can.

Training Schools

“Brother Wayne Barrier has focused on the development of training schools, in which we also share the work and some of the costs. Jerry and Paula Bates and Louis and Bonnie Rushmore serve as teachers; some of the more recent developments in the training programs are in conjunction with Bear Valley. The first school we helped to start was in Myanmar (five weeks of intensive training in the spring and the fall). We also work with schools in Chandighar, Bangalore, Kakinada, India; the Philippines, and Viet Nam, and are in the process of beginning one in Sri Lanka.

Stateside

“Here in the States, the Barriers, Bates, and Rushmores visit supporting congregations each weekend, to make power-point reports about the work being done. All who see these presentations are encouraged with the results gained from the use of mass media (radio, TV and literature) with personalized follow-up, and the strength of leadership from the schools. Many have been won to Christ through the years, with a real brotherhood having now developed in India, the Philippines, Myanmar, and other places where work is being done.

“Literature being printed here is also a major facet of the work from this side. Some of the books published by J.C. Choate Publications are intended particularly for use in mission fields, and many of these are sent free of charge either in packets to individuals upon request or in containers for larger distribution. How to Begin the Church of Christ Where You Are is one such title.

“We also work diligently to produce quarterly issues of The Voice of Truth International. Usually, 40,000 copies of these are printed, with about 20,000 sent to 80 countries, free of charge — these printing and shipping costs are covered in the subscriptions and monthly donations that are made by Christians here. The overseas shipping alone is over $8,000 each quarter.

“The eighth issue of The Voice of Truth International in Spanish is currently with the printer. Additional funds for this magazine are still being sought. Telugu and Tamil editions are also printed in India, and a Hindi edition is under consideration.

Volume 64 of "The Voice
of Truth International" features
Prison Ministry in "The Heart
of…" section.

“We have about 25 basic study books and correspondence courses that are made available to WBS teachers, those involved in jail ministries, and any other type of outreach and evangelism, at $1.50 each, often below our printing cost. A chaplain at Lackland AFB uses two of these books in his classes: Why We Believe What We Believe, Vols. 1 and 2. Last week he ordered another 100 copies of each book. We have five books in Spanish, four in French one in Russian, and one in German, as Bible courses.

“A second magazine that we publish (twice yearly, at this point) is Global Harvest, an 84-page, 8.5 X 11, full color mission news magazine. We had printed the first issue before J.C. had the recur- rence of cancer. We have done two more, and I am working on number 4. We are sacrificing in many ways, trying to build support for this magazine because we feel that it is important that the church know what is being done, and what needs to be done, both in the States and throughout the world.

“We have also appealed to our supporters to aid victims in the natural disasters in India, Myanmar, Philippines, and Haiti. They have come through selflessly. Most recently, some brothers in Nigeria, converts from Islam, were attacked with machetes and almost killed. We helped with their emergency hospital and doctor bills, because they had put their lives on the line in obeying the Gospel, and they needed our help.”

Haiti Christian Development Project

Not having direct involvement in the work of the church in Haiti, through our research we chose to send funds to the “Haiti Christian Development Project”, a long term program of the church, involving Dr. David E. Smith in Little Rock, AR and brother Gueston Pacius in Haiti. The following report has been made by Dr. Smith:

“Your outpouring of love and concern for the people of Haiti and for the Lord’s church is amazing and profoundly appreciated. Frankly, I have never witnessed such generosity in my life. In the past, I have always sent hand-written notes to donors. I feel so guilty in not doing this, but I hope you understand as I attempt to update you.

“The responsibility to be good stewards of your funds that I and the board of HCDP feel is overwhelming. You have given generously, and many have given sacrificial- ly. Thank you for your trust. We share the expecta- tions that your funds will be used wisely, and with the help of God, we are committed to doing every- thing within our power to use every dollar wisely. The funding must last for more than two years, and every spending decision is important.

“With no housing, food or facilities, up to 400,000 people left Port au Prince and fled to relatives in the Artibonite Valley where Gonaives, our base of operations, is the major city. Its population has swollen from 200,000 to 300,000 or more in a matter of weeks. The population on our HCDP headquarters has risen from 3 to 65 persons in a few days. Like every other city in Haiti, the strains on already poverty-stricken individuals and fami- lies have been enormous.

“Here is a brief overview of what we are doing:

• Complete food support is being given to scores of refugees in Gonaives, Poteau, and Gros Morne.
• Other food distribution to other refugees of Port au Prince and to the Bois Marchand community (outside of Gonaives and where our development farm is located) and other areas surrounding Gonaives
• Gueston Pacius is coordinating the reception of shipping containers from other aid groups which are load with food and supplies and assisting these organizations in their distribution in the area
• HCDP is identifying and preparing safe and secure areas for support (the incidence of abuse of women is alarming; this must be done before further refugee relocation is completed).
• Providing school support for many children from Port au Prince who had their schooling disrupted in the middle of the year; some were high school seniors about to graduate
• Distribution of tents and tarps donated by various church and aid groups
• Providing selected injured individuals medical, surgical, and emotional and spiritual support while aided at several non-Port au Prince hospitals
• Providing general medical support for local refugees
• Upgrading our farm to provide housing, security, water facilities, and latrine facilities to accommodate refugees from Port au Prince
• Replenished our seed bank and plants support. This provides agricultural families the means to plant food to care for their returning family members
• Have begun training seminars for micro-loan program among the Port au Prince refugees. This is a first step to restoring some degree of self-sufficiency for these masses of unemployed refugees

“We are profoundly thankful for the Judsonia church of Christ and for Healing Hands who have partnered with us extend our aid and influence.

“Although our primary thrust is development, this crisis has reordered our priorities for a season of time. This is unfortunate for everyone, but we are committed to working through these difficult times with much prayer and commitment to do His will. We need your prayers as we seek to do His will in all things.

“Again, thank you, thank you, thank you, … … . . and for His Service, David, E. Smith, MD (www.hcdp.net)”

Persecution of Christians in Nigeria

Ruth Orr, who recently returned from a trip to Nigeria and Ghana, to study with World Bible School students, conveyed this news concerning some men converted from Islam in Nigeria:

Ritilan, after the first attack; a few days later
he was attacked again and was hospitalized
for three weeks.

“Ron [Pottberg] and I had left to go to Ghana to work when Isaac called to say that 65 more Muslims from the mosque had been baptized but persecution was coming to many of them. Their possessions were destroyed and their Bibles burned. Then the news came that the two we had taught had been attacked and were in the hospital and not expected to live. It seems they were reading their Bibles and doing their last lesson just given to them when someone saw them. They took a machete to them and left them for dead. If not for Isaac finding them, they would have died for sure. He got them to the hospital and called me. We imme- diately got money together for blood since they had lost so much, and for hospital stay. They were unconscious for days and not expected to live but prayers went up from all over and God has spared their lives. After more than three weeks in the hospital they have been discharged and are in a safe place, we hope.

“I wondered why just these two were so brutally beaten and cut up. We found out that they were the top two instructors in their [Islamic] school system. Ritilan had written me that if God allowed him to live he could help convert hundreds to Christianity. The next day is when they tried to kill him. These are the words he wrote after coming out of the hospital. ‘Persecution has come upon those of us professing to be Christians but we are thankful God has spared our lives.’”

Ruth had personally borrowed $2000 for the hospital bill and other expenses. I called our elders and asked if they could give their approval for some of the “emergency” money sent to help people [in Haiti] to be used in this situation of persecution of Christians. They felt, as I did, that those who have given the funds would want to come to the life-or- death aid of new brothers who have knowingly put their lives on the line for their faith in Christ.

Tornadoes in Mississippi

Just south of Winona, a brother in Christ (of the Durant congregation) was killed in a car wreck on Thursday before a tornado on Saturday (April 25), demolished the family’s trailer. The homes of numerous others in that area were destroyed, and also in Yazoo City and in the Weir/French Camp area. To our knowledge, no other Christians lost their homes. We collected clothes and also took some funds for food for those who are currently living with relatives until their own housing situation can be remedied. The Liberty elders approved $500 from the emergency funds that were on hand; others gave also, enabling us to take $1320 to the Durant church to aid those who lost everything in the storm.

If anyone objects to this money ($2000 for the brothers in Nigeria and $500 for the widow and daughter in Durant) being used in this way, please feel free to let me know and I will personally repay whatever you gave. I don’t want anyone to feel that we would choose to “misuse” funds, but these situations were immediate emergencies, and my conscience would not let me turn a deaf ear to the needs.

Graduates

Proud graduates of our first two-year World Evangelism
School of Missions, held monthly here in Winona.

On a happier note, we were thrilled to award certificates of graduation to eight students in our mission training school on April 22. All of us had inspiring and uplifting days at the May Missionary Retreat in Hamilton, AL at the Maywood Bible Camp, May 13-15. If you could plan to come next year, you would not be disappointed.

We enjoyed a short visit from Salvador and Jenny Cariaga, to pick up books to be shipped in their container to Philippines. He is sending a truck for more.

Oh me … Space is gone, and so many things yet to share! God bless you.

I love you. Betty (J.C.)

The Angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them (Psalm 34:7) He does!