Dear friends,
We hope you had a good Easter celebration! This has been a relatively calm month for us, with a long holiday weekend at the beginning and a 9-day vacation in the middle. We are gearing up for a busy May, June and July filled with travel, workshops and preparing our move to Congo. Here is our latest.
An honor for Douglas: Next month, Douglas will be honored as a Distinguished Alumnus by Euclid High School, where he graduated in 1977. This is truly an honor, and we are sorry we won’t be able to attend the ceremony. However, Douglas’ parents Bob and Barbara will make the trip from Greenville, South Carolina to Euclid, Ohio to accept it for him!
Discourse study: From April 26-May 14, Jennings will be attending a course and a seminar on language discourse features as they relate to translation consulting. She will be studying texts in the Tembo language to gain some insight into their discourse structure and to learn how this can help her work with translators to improve the naturalness of their translation. Please pray she will learn well. This training has the potential to positively impact the Tembo translation project, as well as her work with other projects in the future.
Something completely different: As part of Douglas’ 50th year celebration, we traveled to Ethiopia for 9 days this month. We saw beautiful countryside and breathtaking mountains, and we got a taste of the country’s fascinating history, culture and cuisine. We were also able to visit some friends in the capital Addis Ababa on our way back home to Nairobi.
We appreciate your prayers and support so much! We would love to hear what you’re up to and how we can be praying for you.
Douglas and Jennings
Friday, April 30, 2010
Update from Steve Kohl
I am currently working on 3 operatories all exactly the same and other equipment that will go into the clinic. There is a great deal available from many sources. We want to put in equipment that can be used by anyone who comes to serve. In most cases the utilities will come to each chair. All chairs will need air, water and vacuum lines through the floor chase as per plans.
All of the operatory systems that I have looked at are refurbished and in excellent condition. We will also be looking at basic dental equipment for the lab. A computer and record keeping system is one of and maybe the most important things that we can install for the patient and the country. A system that can be interfaced with medical record system to locate endemic areas in Belize. I am working with a man who has a software record system which is extremely simple and easy for anyone to use for third world countries.
As soon as we decide exactly what equipment will be best for the dental clinic and all costs, I will pray and write a letter to a number of people who the Lord will touch to contribute to this very need. Please pray for God's mighty hand in all of this, not the least of which is the construction of the clinic.
There is great interest in Christian chiropractors coming to serve in Belize also. We had donated to Global a mobil table for chiropractic. It's in excellent shape. Also, a chiropractor in Wilmington is considering raising funds for a stationary table to be installed in the clinic. Somehow we will make room. God is going to see that this clinic will be used all the time.
May God's hand continue to be on this project as he guides this team to the finish line.
steve kohl
All of the operatory systems that I have looked at are refurbished and in excellent condition. We will also be looking at basic dental equipment for the lab. A computer and record keeping system is one of and maybe the most important things that we can install for the patient and the country. A system that can be interfaced with medical record system to locate endemic areas in Belize. I am working with a man who has a software record system which is extremely simple and easy for anyone to use for third world countries.
As soon as we decide exactly what equipment will be best for the dental clinic and all costs, I will pray and write a letter to a number of people who the Lord will touch to contribute to this very need. Please pray for God's mighty hand in all of this, not the least of which is the construction of the clinic.
There is great interest in Christian chiropractors coming to serve in Belize also. We had donated to Global a mobil table for chiropractic. It's in excellent shape. Also, a chiropractor in Wilmington is considering raising funds for a stationary table to be installed in the clinic. Somehow we will make room. God is going to see that this clinic will be used all the time.
May God's hand continue to be on this project as he guides this team to the finish line.
steve kohl
Friday, April 16, 2010
Update on Kendall Suh's Ankle Surgery
Brothers and Sisters,
Thanks for your prayers, emails, calls, and cards for me and my ankle surgery, which is the first surgery I have ever had.
Everything went very well. After sawing my fibula and flipping it out of the way for access, Dr. Linz cleaned out the softened cystic and diseased bone of my talus. He stated that it was actually worse than my latest MRI. Dr. Linz painstakingly spent quite a bit of time shaping and molding the bone graft until it fit perfectly. He was excited to show EJ the photos of how well the graft fit in place such that it is hard to even tell that it is a bone graft.
I declined a nerve block for pain control and was able to tolerate the pain post surgically without even taking any pain medication. Although I had throbbing pain, and woke up frequently ,it was tolerable. After 24 hours the pain was much decreased although I was still in a fog from general anesthesia. I have spent time painstakingly camped out in the family room with an air mattress which I use on missions trips as my bed with my ankle propped up on an ottoman. I have kept my ankle above my heart for 99.99% of the time since my surgery so that swelling will be reduced. EJ, Rachel and my mother and father-in-law have sacrificially served me in my incapacitation.
I and my team around me have great faith that the Lord will provide an excellent result so that I can continue to serve Him in medical missions. I thank you very, very much for your care, concern, and most of all, your prayers.
Kendall Suh
Thanks for your prayers, emails, calls, and cards for me and my ankle surgery, which is the first surgery I have ever had.
Everything went very well. After sawing my fibula and flipping it out of the way for access, Dr. Linz cleaned out the softened cystic and diseased bone of my talus. He stated that it was actually worse than my latest MRI. Dr. Linz painstakingly spent quite a bit of time shaping and molding the bone graft until it fit perfectly. He was excited to show EJ the photos of how well the graft fit in place such that it is hard to even tell that it is a bone graft.
I declined a nerve block for pain control and was able to tolerate the pain post surgically without even taking any pain medication. Although I had throbbing pain, and woke up frequently ,it was tolerable. After 24 hours the pain was much decreased although I was still in a fog from general anesthesia. I have spent time painstakingly camped out in the family room with an air mattress which I use on missions trips as my bed with my ankle propped up on an ottoman. I have kept my ankle above my heart for 99.99% of the time since my surgery so that swelling will be reduced. EJ, Rachel and my mother and father-in-law have sacrificially served me in my incapacitation.
I and my team around me have great faith that the Lord will provide an excellent result so that I can continue to serve Him in medical missions. I thank you very, very much for your care, concern, and most of all, your prayers.
Kendall Suh
Monday, April 12, 2010
Seamen Center Update
Exciting things are happening at the Seamen's Center; here are a few:
Because the TWIC card is in force, no one can be on the port without a TWIC card or a person who has one and has taken escort classes, therefore the seamen are prisoners of their own ships if it was not for the Seamen's Center. We go pick the men up from their ships and take them to most places they want to go. Praise be for the volunteers because we would not be able to do this. Here is a few ways we were able to show the love of Jesus.
Around three weeks ago a ship came in, then the same day another. We got a call for help. On one ship was a father and on the other Ship was his son and they had not seen each other in two years. But because of the law they could not get together. We went and picked up the father and took him over to his son's ship. After a few hours we went and picked the father back up and took him to his ship. Praise be to GOD that we were there for them.
A ship came in two days ago; unknown to the seaman, his sister came down from Virgina to see him. The seaman asked for permission to leave the ship, so we went to the ship and picked him up and took him to his sister who was waiting outside the gate. They had not seen each other in a long long while.
The port police have been cut so they have no time to help the seamen; it's left up to us.
Forgive for not keeping everyone informed as to the many exciting things happening at the Center.
We have prayed with the men, shared Jesus Christ with them.
A couple of months ago our preacher was preaching on persecuted Christians. It took me by surprise, because I am able to talk to many of the men where their nation persecutes Christians and have given them Bibles, prayed with them, talked to them about Christ Jesus and many start asking me questions, (I ask the Lord to give me the right words to say. I pray that all the volunteers seek the Lord for answers.) But here we are able to talk freely with the men, where as if they were home we could not. My prayer is that they are filled and that they go home and let others know of the goodness and love of Jesus Christ.
We have such a good way of being able to reach others from lost country's.
Also by us (meaning the Seamen Center) showing all the seamen the Love of Jesus by our deeds, actions and words, it is changing the hearts of the seamen to Christ.
I do want to thank all who are a part of the Seamen's Center. There are many ways to be obedient to Christ and Praise GOD for all in every way that a person serves.
Because the TWIC card is in force, no one can be on the port without a TWIC card or a person who has one and has taken escort classes, therefore the seamen are prisoners of their own ships if it was not for the Seamen's Center. We go pick the men up from their ships and take them to most places they want to go. Praise be for the volunteers because we would not be able to do this. Here is a few ways we were able to show the love of Jesus.
Around three weeks ago a ship came in, then the same day another. We got a call for help. On one ship was a father and on the other Ship was his son and they had not seen each other in two years. But because of the law they could not get together. We went and picked up the father and took him over to his son's ship. After a few hours we went and picked the father back up and took him to his ship. Praise be to GOD that we were there for them.
A ship came in two days ago; unknown to the seaman, his sister came down from Virgina to see him. The seaman asked for permission to leave the ship, so we went to the ship and picked him up and took him to his sister who was waiting outside the gate. They had not seen each other in a long long while.
The port police have been cut so they have no time to help the seamen; it's left up to us.
Forgive for not keeping everyone informed as to the many exciting things happening at the Center.
We have prayed with the men, shared Jesus Christ with them.
A couple of months ago our preacher was preaching on persecuted Christians. It took me by surprise, because I am able to talk to many of the men where their nation persecutes Christians and have given them Bibles, prayed with them, talked to them about Christ Jesus and many start asking me questions, (I ask the Lord to give me the right words to say. I pray that all the volunteers seek the Lord for answers.) But here we are able to talk freely with the men, where as if they were home we could not. My prayer is that they are filled and that they go home and let others know of the goodness and love of Jesus Christ.
We have such a good way of being able to reach others from lost country's.
Also by us (meaning the Seamen Center) showing all the seamen the Love of Jesus by our deeds, actions and words, it is changing the hearts of the seamen to Christ.
I do want to thank all who are a part of the Seamen's Center. There are many ways to be obedient to Christ and Praise GOD for all in every way that a person serves.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Elliott Tepper Update from Spain
Dear Friends,
Greetings. Thank you all again for your many prayers and kind support this years. We would like to send you this short prayer letter, only a few months after our last letter, to keep you all informed of some new developments in our family and in Betel. We would greatly appreciate your prayers.
MINI-FURLOUGH
We have decided to take a short mini-furlough from March 20th through July 14th in America. Our motives are to give Mary a chance to rest and recover in an English speaking environment and in the presence of her family and friends. This last month has been very difficult for Mary. While she has made progress on many fronts after her brain surgery, she is struggling with panic attacks and adverse reactions to the myriad drugs she has had to take, and simultaneously to the associated abstinence syndromes each time her medication is changed. We are told this is not unusual and that, all in all, Mary is doing well. Nevertheless, she does not feel ‘well’ and is often dizzy and weak. She would welcome your prayers.
If Mary finds rest and refreshment in Wilmington at her mother’s home, I will fly to Thailand for two weeks to participate in Intercom, WEC’s tri-annual leader’s conference, in May. I will also participate in Faith Training Center’s Annual Conference the last week of April in South Carolina. WEC Canada has asked me to speak at their Annual Conference in July. Other than those three commitments, I will be in Wilmington. Believe with us that Mary will be comfortable with these short separations. I have been right at her side since last April.
BETEL SPAIN
This last Saturday Betel of Madrid hosted the National Day of Prayer for the Comunidad de Madrid. Each Region of Spain gathered their churches in a large auditorium for intercession and every Region was connected by internet and conference video allowing the entire Evangelical Body of Christ in Spain to pray together. Betel’s auditorium was full to the walls with representatives from most of the Christian streams in our Region. Truly there is a new ‘Spirit of prayer’ rising up in our midst which bodes well for Spain and the nations.
On March 16th,17th, and 18th we will gather most of the Betel pastors from Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and the UK (Not all of them, but over 50) for a time for us to seek the Lord at our Betania Conference Center in Ciudad Real. Please pray. This will be a very important time. We want to refine our vision and commitments for future advance. We need all of our Betel pastors on the same page and in perfect harmony with the faith declarations we have made and will make at WEC’s Intercom in Thailand in May. We few senior WECCERS who have lead Betel these last 25 years, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, can really give no more than the ‘roar’. It is the indigenous Betel family, born within the house, that has the ‘Lion’s heart’ and makes the greatest sacrifices as we together endeavor to fulfill the Great Commission. Pray. We will discuss and pray over many delicate and difficult internal matters concerning finances, movement of workers, opening and closing centers and churches, families and children, businesses and new ministries and projects.
We need two IT specialists to oversee our worldwide data network for accounting, records, publications, software, and maintenance of our information systems. We also need a sound, video, and TV and engineer, and a graphic designer and media specialist. We have relied for a long time on short term volunteers, but we really need missionaries with these giftings. At least one must be bi-lingual: English/Spanish or willing to study Spanish, as Spanish is the ‘lingua franca’ of Betel in the world.
Give thanks with us. For the first time, after two decades of having to yearly renew our license and certification, the Comunidad de Madrid informed us that they have issued Betel a ‘permanent license’ that will not need to be renewed again. After so many years of semi-persecution and skeptical handling by the Regional government, this comes as a relief and a sign of their respect for our work among the marginalized and addicted. Very few benefic entities have this classification in Spain.
This last Friday I was invited on to the ‘Cesar Vidal’ show in Madrid. It is one of the most watched programs in Spain. He is conservative and Evangelical and one of the best selling Spanish authors, certainly the most prolific modern author (check Wikipedia). He is a cross between O’Reilly and CS Lewis. He speaks 12 languages and is a polymath who knows everything about everything. His appeal and popularity is amazing, especially in the light of the fact that his audience is mostly Catholic and secular. He gave me 20 minutes, which is an eternity on TV, and let me speak to a half million viewers about Betel’s communities, Christ, Missions and my personal testimony.
After the show he called my home at midnight to say how pleased he was with the interview and how positive the audience response was to the program. He suggested we have lunch together and discuss some future projects. Pray.
BETEL INTERNATIONAL
RUSSIA
Pray for Betel of Russia. Demitri and Mario informed me recently that one of our men’s houses in Moscow was intentionally burned to the ground. There was no loss of life, but everything inside was destroyed--our communal property and all the personal belongings of the men. The house was rented from a Baptist Church. It sat near the edge of their property within view of a luxury hotel. The hotel owners had made repeated offers to the Church to buy the house to eliminate the ‘eyesore’. The Church would not sell, so it was burnt down. There is little justice in Russia. We have no recourse. We are rebuilding the house with modular units.
INDIA
Pray for Betel of Calcutta. We are about to lose our only house in Calcutta. The owner of the house we rent has not paid his mortgage in five years and his bank has finally foreclosed on the mortgage. We have been given less than a month to leave. Properties are very difficult to find in that crowded and needy city. Conservative estimates count over 100,000 homeless children on the streets. Who knows how many adults are homeless? If we had five houses in Calcutta, we could fill all five. Pray. A half finished school property is available for $100,000 which would be perfect for a large headquarters and community. They need a miracle. Pray for our ABC (the Asha Bhwan Childrens) Project. Check out our web page for more information. We already have approximately 80 children living in Betel’s communties.
MOROCCO
Carlos and Leticia have obtained a commercial rental property and have incorporated our first Moroccan legal entity for our first tent making ‘business’ in Morocco. We rejoice cautiously. This month the Moroccan government made a sweep and kicked out 42 Christian missionaries from the country. Please pray for Carlos and Leticia and their little flock and also for other missions and missionaries living and working in Morocco. Someone in government has decided to purge missionaries from Morocco or at least to cower them.
BRAZIL
Fran and Monica informed me today that we now have a community of 16 and a waiting list in our Sao Paulo community. Give thanks with us for all the help they have received from the Brazilian Churches in restoring their property. A Church has agreed to build them a new large multi-use building on the land for another dorm and shops.
We close with our love and look forward to seeing some of you face to face soon. We will be spending the first 10 days in America in NYC with Betel of America and David, Naomi, and Gabriel. Peter has just been accepted for ordination in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) and will be ordained in Wilmington at Myrtle Grove in April. We will be there. Peter, Michelle and little Sophia will again bring two teams of Oxford student to Betel Madrid this summer. Jonathan has been very active with his new ventures: ‘Demotix’ and ‘Variant Perception’. (Check out Youtube for ‘Jonathan Tepper” and you can see some of his interviews on BBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Canadian TV, and TV3 of Barcelona.)
In Christ, Elliott and Mary
C/O WEC, International
PO Box 1707
Ft. Washington, PA 19034
USA
emtepper@yahoo.com or emtepper@betel.org
(34) 629 356652
Greetings. Thank you all again for your many prayers and kind support this years. We would like to send you this short prayer letter, only a few months after our last letter, to keep you all informed of some new developments in our family and in Betel. We would greatly appreciate your prayers.
MINI-FURLOUGH
We have decided to take a short mini-furlough from March 20th through July 14th in America. Our motives are to give Mary a chance to rest and recover in an English speaking environment and in the presence of her family and friends. This last month has been very difficult for Mary. While she has made progress on many fronts after her brain surgery, she is struggling with panic attacks and adverse reactions to the myriad drugs she has had to take, and simultaneously to the associated abstinence syndromes each time her medication is changed. We are told this is not unusual and that, all in all, Mary is doing well. Nevertheless, she does not feel ‘well’ and is often dizzy and weak. She would welcome your prayers.
If Mary finds rest and refreshment in Wilmington at her mother’s home, I will fly to Thailand for two weeks to participate in Intercom, WEC’s tri-annual leader’s conference, in May. I will also participate in Faith Training Center’s Annual Conference the last week of April in South Carolina. WEC Canada has asked me to speak at their Annual Conference in July. Other than those three commitments, I will be in Wilmington. Believe with us that Mary will be comfortable with these short separations. I have been right at her side since last April.
BETEL SPAIN
This last Saturday Betel of Madrid hosted the National Day of Prayer for the Comunidad de Madrid. Each Region of Spain gathered their churches in a large auditorium for intercession and every Region was connected by internet and conference video allowing the entire Evangelical Body of Christ in Spain to pray together. Betel’s auditorium was full to the walls with representatives from most of the Christian streams in our Region. Truly there is a new ‘Spirit of prayer’ rising up in our midst which bodes well for Spain and the nations.
On March 16th,17th, and 18th we will gather most of the Betel pastors from Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and the UK (Not all of them, but over 50) for a time for us to seek the Lord at our Betania Conference Center in Ciudad Real. Please pray. This will be a very important time. We want to refine our vision and commitments for future advance. We need all of our Betel pastors on the same page and in perfect harmony with the faith declarations we have made and will make at WEC’s Intercom in Thailand in May. We few senior WECCERS who have lead Betel these last 25 years, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, can really give no more than the ‘roar’. It is the indigenous Betel family, born within the house, that has the ‘Lion’s heart’ and makes the greatest sacrifices as we together endeavor to fulfill the Great Commission. Pray. We will discuss and pray over many delicate and difficult internal matters concerning finances, movement of workers, opening and closing centers and churches, families and children, businesses and new ministries and projects.
We need two IT specialists to oversee our worldwide data network for accounting, records, publications, software, and maintenance of our information systems. We also need a sound, video, and TV and engineer, and a graphic designer and media specialist. We have relied for a long time on short term volunteers, but we really need missionaries with these giftings. At least one must be bi-lingual: English/Spanish or willing to study Spanish, as Spanish is the ‘lingua franca’ of Betel in the world.
Give thanks with us. For the first time, after two decades of having to yearly renew our license and certification, the Comunidad de Madrid informed us that they have issued Betel a ‘permanent license’ that will not need to be renewed again. After so many years of semi-persecution and skeptical handling by the Regional government, this comes as a relief and a sign of their respect for our work among the marginalized and addicted. Very few benefic entities have this classification in Spain.
This last Friday I was invited on to the ‘Cesar Vidal’ show in Madrid. It is one of the most watched programs in Spain. He is conservative and Evangelical and one of the best selling Spanish authors, certainly the most prolific modern author (check Wikipedia). He is a cross between O’Reilly and CS Lewis. He speaks 12 languages and is a polymath who knows everything about everything. His appeal and popularity is amazing, especially in the light of the fact that his audience is mostly Catholic and secular. He gave me 20 minutes, which is an eternity on TV, and let me speak to a half million viewers about Betel’s communities, Christ, Missions and my personal testimony.
After the show he called my home at midnight to say how pleased he was with the interview and how positive the audience response was to the program. He suggested we have lunch together and discuss some future projects. Pray.
BETEL INTERNATIONAL
RUSSIA
Pray for Betel of Russia. Demitri and Mario informed me recently that one of our men’s houses in Moscow was intentionally burned to the ground. There was no loss of life, but everything inside was destroyed--our communal property and all the personal belongings of the men. The house was rented from a Baptist Church. It sat near the edge of their property within view of a luxury hotel. The hotel owners had made repeated offers to the Church to buy the house to eliminate the ‘eyesore’. The Church would not sell, so it was burnt down. There is little justice in Russia. We have no recourse. We are rebuilding the house with modular units.
INDIA
Pray for Betel of Calcutta. We are about to lose our only house in Calcutta. The owner of the house we rent has not paid his mortgage in five years and his bank has finally foreclosed on the mortgage. We have been given less than a month to leave. Properties are very difficult to find in that crowded and needy city. Conservative estimates count over 100,000 homeless children on the streets. Who knows how many adults are homeless? If we had five houses in Calcutta, we could fill all five. Pray. A half finished school property is available for $100,000 which would be perfect for a large headquarters and community. They need a miracle. Pray for our ABC (the Asha Bhwan Childrens) Project. Check out our
MOROCCO
Carlos and Leticia have obtained a commercial rental property and have incorporated our first Moroccan legal entity for our first tent making ‘business’ in Morocco. We rejoice cautiously. This month the Moroccan government made a sweep and kicked out 42 Christian missionaries from the country. Please pray for Carlos and Leticia and their little flock and also for other missions and missionaries living and working in Morocco. Someone in government has decided to purge missionaries from Morocco or at least to cower them.
BRAZIL
Fran and Monica informed me today that we now have a community of 16 and a waiting list in our Sao Paulo community. Give thanks with us for all the help they have received from the Brazilian Churches in restoring their property. A Church has agreed to build them a new large multi-use building on the land for another dorm and shops.
We close with our love and look forward to seeing some of you face to face soon. We will be spending the first 10 days in America in NYC with Betel of America and David, Naomi, and Gabriel. Peter has just been accepted for ordination in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) and will be ordained in Wilmington at Myrtle Grove in April. We will be there. Peter, Michelle and little Sophia will again bring two teams of Oxford student to Betel Madrid this summer. Jonathan has been very active with his new ventures: ‘Demotix’ and ‘Variant Perception’. (Check out Youtube for ‘Jonathan Tepper” and you can see some of his interviews on BBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Canadian TV, and TV3 of Barcelona.)
In Christ, Elliott and Mary
C/O WEC, International
PO Box 1707
Ft. Washington, PA 19034
USA
emtepper@yahoo.com or emtepper@betel.org
(34) 629 356652
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Kendall Suh Update from Thailand and Prayer for Surgery
Dear Praying Brothers and Sisters,
I highly value your prayers for my Ankle surgery now scheduled for Monday April 12 at Mercy Anderson Hospital in the Cincinnati area by Dr. John Linz.
Dr. Linz will have to do an osteotomy to saw my fibula bone near the ankle to remove it to get access to my talus bone which has a large osteochondral defect. This relatively rare injury was caused by my foot being on the brake pedal when the 18 wheeler pulled out in front of us causing us to crash at 65 mph 16 months ago. Once the talus bone is exposed, he will have to remove the diseased and damaged bone. Then he will transplant and screw in a freeze dried cadaver talus bone graft after shaping part of it to fill in the hole created.
Please pray for wisdom and skill for Dr. Linz and for the anestesiologist. Please pray for my rapid and excellent healing without complications. Please pray that I will be able to resume my work in medical missions as soon as possible. Apparently the healing and rehabilitation can take an extended period of time, up to 1 to 2 years as my bone incorporates with the bone graft. I am planning to go to Thailand in September for evangelistic church planting medical clinics and Nicaragua in November for evangelistic medical clinics. Please pray that I will be able to GO. I have faith in the Healing and Saving power of Jesus Christ! Thank you for your effectual and fervent prayers.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I have returned from Chumphon and Surat Thani, Thailand and our evangelistic medical clinics. We had a great week treating patients in five different locations. The physicians and the medicine are the "smelly fish bait" which attract masses of people. Then each patient is sent for spiritual counseling where a fellow Thai and former Buddhist who is now a Hope of Thailand Church member shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ one on one for 15 to 30 minutes. Most are trained in Evangelism Explosion. This leads to many Thais praying to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 200 people (about 30 to 40% of patients) made decisions for the Lord in this nation of 1-2% Christian! Praise the Lord! In two areas we are praying that there are now enough new believers to plant two churches.
We are like a catalyst which is a unique substance which transforms a slow weak chemical reaction into a strong and explosive reaction. We saw Pastor Saman and his church members catch a fresh vision for how the Lord can use this medical ministry to pioneer new areas in Thailand for Jesus Christ. We went to some new areas and have plans for this September and next March to hit many new areas with this new found fervor to pioneer new and unreached areas for the Gospel. We believe these are historic works for the Gospel and God is really using the Hope of Thailand churches to transform many, many Thai people.
All this would not have been possible without your fervent and effectual prayers which really do avail much. Everything went smoothly during this whole trip.
I passed through Tokyo for a day and was impressed with the cleanliness of the large city and the politeness of its people where cellphones must be turned off in subways which are quieter and as safe as libraries. I also visited the Tsujiki fish market where the 200 to 400 pound Bluefin Tunas we have caught in North Carolina waters end up. The auction is quite a spectacle with dozens of huge tuna being inspected and bid upon every day. The whole fish market supplies all of Japan with seafood which is their prime protein source. The bustling warehouses have all varieties of fish, crabs, eels, shrimp, shellfish, squid, and octopus in a giant facility the size of at least two football stadiums.
Thank you again for your prayers!! Interestingly, my ankle gave me very little trouble UNTIL the hours after finishing the final medical clinic. Since then, it has had progressive pain, which confirms my need for surgery. Upon my return home, I have been running around getting pre-surgery examinations and clearances. I will have to miss the Uganda medical trip with ORH to the Pygmy tribes in May but am hopeful to be healed enough for evangelistic medical clinics in Trinidad and Tobago in July. Please pray that the Lord would heal me through His power and the Gifts of medicine. There are so many people to reach with the saving grace of Jesus Christ!
Thanks for being prayer warriors for me!!!
In His service,
Kendall
I highly value your prayers for my Ankle surgery now scheduled for Monday April 12 at Mercy Anderson Hospital in the Cincinnati area by Dr. John Linz.
Dr. Linz will have to do an osteotomy to saw my fibula bone near the ankle to remove it to get access to my talus bone which has a large osteochondral defect. This relatively rare injury was caused by my foot being on the brake pedal when the 18 wheeler pulled out in front of us causing us to crash at 65 mph 16 months ago. Once the talus bone is exposed, he will have to remove the diseased and damaged bone. Then he will transplant and screw in a freeze dried cadaver talus bone graft after shaping part of it to fill in the hole created.
Please pray for wisdom and skill for Dr. Linz and for the anestesiologist. Please pray for my rapid and excellent healing without complications. Please pray that I will be able to resume my work in medical missions as soon as possible. Apparently the healing and rehabilitation can take an extended period of time, up to 1 to 2 years as my bone incorporates with the bone graft. I am planning to go to Thailand in September for evangelistic church planting medical clinics and Nicaragua in November for evangelistic medical clinics. Please pray that I will be able to GO. I have faith in the Healing and Saving power of Jesus Christ! Thank you for your effectual and fervent prayers.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I have returned from Chumphon and Surat Thani, Thailand and our evangelistic medical clinics. We had a great week treating patients in five different locations. The physicians and the medicine are the "smelly fish bait" which attract masses of people. Then each patient is sent for spiritual counseling where a fellow Thai and former Buddhist who is now a Hope of Thailand Church member shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ one on one for 15 to 30 minutes. Most are trained in Evangelism Explosion. This leads to many Thais praying to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 200 people (about 30 to 40% of patients) made decisions for the Lord in this nation of 1-2% Christian! Praise the Lord! In two areas we are praying that there are now enough new believers to plant two churches.
We are like a catalyst which is a unique substance which transforms a slow weak chemical reaction into a strong and explosive reaction. We saw Pastor Saman and his church members catch a fresh vision for how the Lord can use this medical ministry to pioneer new areas in Thailand for Jesus Christ. We went to some new areas and have plans for this September and next March to hit many new areas with this new found fervor to pioneer new and unreached areas for the Gospel. We believe these are historic works for the Gospel and God is really using the Hope of Thailand churches to transform many, many Thai people.
All this would not have been possible without your fervent and effectual prayers which really do avail much. Everything went smoothly during this whole trip.
I passed through Tokyo for a day and was impressed with the cleanliness of the large city and the politeness of its people where cellphones must be turned off in subways which are quieter and as safe as libraries. I also visited the Tsujiki fish market where the 200 to 400 pound Bluefin Tunas we have caught in North Carolina waters end up. The auction is quite a spectacle with dozens of huge tuna being inspected and bid upon every day. The whole fish market supplies all of Japan with seafood which is their prime protein source. The bustling warehouses have all varieties of fish, crabs, eels, shrimp, shellfish, squid, and octopus in a giant facility the size of at least two football stadiums.
Thank you again for your prayers!! Interestingly, my ankle gave me very little trouble UNTIL the hours after finishing the final medical clinic. Since then, it has had progressive pain, which confirms my need for surgery. Upon my return home, I have been running around getting pre-surgery examinations and clearances. I will have to miss the Uganda medical trip with ORH to the Pygmy tribes in May but am hopeful to be healed enough for evangelistic medical clinics in Trinidad and Tobago in July. Please pray that the Lord would heal me through His power and the Gifts of medicine. There are so many people to reach with the saving grace of Jesus Christ!
Thanks for being prayer warriors for me!!!
In His service,
Kendall
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Douglas and Jennings Boone Update from Congo
Dear friends,
Thank you for your prayers for our recent trip to Congo! It was a very eventful trip, involving translation checking in Goma, a week of visiting and scouting in Bunia, and a week of group meetings at a retreat center outside Bunia. We went with a lot of questions, and came back with some encouraging answers.
Jennings in Goma: Over the past year or so, we have given news from the Tembo translation team (photo below). They are unable to live in their home area because of militia attacks there, and so they work on a displaced basis in the city of Goma. I (Jennings) was very excited to have the chance to visit them in February, to check part of Matthew’s Gospel. It was my first solo trip into Congo and my first trip to Goma, and it was quite amazing. Much of the city is built the lava left by centuries of eruptions of the volcano Nyiragongo. It looks as if someone poured asphalt everywhere but didn’t smooth it down. For their translation work, the Tembo team are using adaptation software which creates a rough draft of Scripture based on a related language. The translators then modify it to fit the natural discourse of their language and check it with speakers of the language to see that it is clear. My job, then, is to check accuracy with them, to ask about naturalness and clarity, and to discuss whether the style will be acceptable to the churches. We made excellent progress, completing more than half the book of Matthew. During break times and on the weekend, I got to learn more about Tembo culture and their current events, and to visit the city. War has dispersed the Tembo community throughout the North Kivu region. On Sunday nights, there is a Tembo language radio show broadcast throughout the region. The show includes songs, Scripture reading and a sermon. At the end, people are encouraged to call in to the station to greet friends and family in other areas, keeping the Tembo community connected. So far, only Luke and Genesis are available in published form, and Tembo pastors are very eager for more. The head translator, Masumbuko Shabani, says that when they send portions of Matthew to the villages for checking, the pastors do not want to send them back; they want to use even the rough drafts in services. I was greatly encouraged by the hard work the Tembo translators are doing, and moved by the strength of their community, even in war. I look forward to working with them again.
Moving into Congo: One of our big questions prior to this trip was about moving to the town of Bunia. We spent a week there in February, visiting friends and colleagues (including Bagamba Araali, below) and getting a feel for the town and housing possibilities. We already knew “why” the move made sense: it puts us much closer to our work and to our Congolese colleagues. They are encouraged to have more of us expats living “in country” with them. The time seems right. What we didn’t know was the “when” or “where”. And now we think we have answers! Friends working in Bunia have asked us to house-sit for them from late July until mid-October of this year. That fits perfectly with the timeframe we were thinking of for our move, and it gives us a “base” in Bunia from which to look for our own housing! We are very grateful for this answer to prayer. Please pray for wisdom and stamina as we plan this move to Congo in July, and all the packing, logistics, and other preparation that will go with it.
Future of our group: Eastern Congo Group spent a week at a conference center outside of Bunia to talk about our structure and the future of the group. We had seen for some time that our activities were out of balance with our resources (personnel, financial, etc.), and that we needed to adjust. We voted to relinquish our charter, which puts much of our administration and governance in the hands of the Africa Area department of SIL. This will free up more of us to focus on the language work that we were called here to do. We are grateful for the leadership of our director, Tim Raymond, our Executive Committee Chair Jill Brace and Francophone Region leaders Gary and Glenys Sweetman who led these meetings. Please pray for this time of transition, for increased unity in our group and shared vision with our partners. One day during that week of meetings, we invited Congolese church leaders to join us, so we could hear their vision and concerns about Bible translation and share with them SIL’s vision and role. It was encouraging to hear these Congolese partners take increased ownership for this ministry, and to hear how using mother-tongue language Scripture creates excitement and better understanding in their churches.
Douglas’ work: These days, I (Douglas) am working on two main fronts: planning research in the DRC, and designing sociolinguistics training for use across Africa. March 31 is the deadline for me to submit Research Department plans (activities and budget) for the next fiscal year, which begins in October. It was very helpful to talk with Bagamba Araali last month about these. (He and I are the department; we both have other responsibilities as well.) Now I'm looking forward to the closer collaboration that our move to Bunia will make possible. On the "training" front, I am the lead developer of an introductory course in sociolinguistics to be offered—in French—in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in October and November. We expect about thirty students in four "tracks": Linguistics, Literacy, Bible translation, and Scripture Use/ Missiology. To do their work in these fields, they need to understand the role of language in society. I'm preparing the framework that the teachers will use in six months' time: suggested readings, learning objectives, sample assignments, etc. The tasks on both fronts are stretching me, and I appreciate your prayers that I'll learn and grow while doing a good job on them all.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Douglas and Jennings
Thank you for your prayers for our recent trip to Congo! It was a very eventful trip, involving translation checking in Goma, a week of visiting and scouting in Bunia, and a week of group meetings at a retreat center outside Bunia. We went with a lot of questions, and came back with some encouraging answers.
Jennings in Goma: Over the past year or so, we have given news from the Tembo translation team (photo below). They are unable to live in their home area because of militia attacks there, and so they work on a displaced basis in the city of Goma. I (Jennings) was very excited to have the chance to visit them in February, to check part of Matthew’s Gospel. It was my first solo trip into Congo and my first trip to Goma, and it was quite amazing. Much of the city is built the lava left by centuries of eruptions of the volcano Nyiragongo. It looks as if someone poured asphalt everywhere but didn’t smooth it down. For their translation work, the Tembo team are using adaptation software which creates a rough draft of Scripture based on a related language. The translators then modify it to fit the natural discourse of their language and check it with speakers of the language to see that it is clear. My job, then, is to check accuracy with them, to ask about naturalness and clarity, and to discuss whether the style will be acceptable to the churches. We made excellent progress, completing more than half the book of Matthew. During break times and on the weekend, I got to learn more about Tembo culture and their current events, and to visit the city. War has dispersed the Tembo community throughout the North Kivu region. On Sunday nights, there is a Tembo language radio show broadcast throughout the region. The show includes songs, Scripture reading and a sermon. At the end, people are encouraged to call in to the station to greet friends and family in other areas, keeping the Tembo community connected. So far, only Luke and Genesis are available in published form, and Tembo pastors are very eager for more. The head translator, Masumbuko Shabani, says that when they send portions of Matthew to the villages for checking, the pastors do not want to send them back; they want to use even the rough drafts in services. I was greatly encouraged by the hard work the Tembo translators are doing, and moved by the strength of their community, even in war. I look forward to working with them again.
Moving into Congo: One of our big questions prior to this trip was about moving to the town of Bunia. We spent a week there in February, visiting friends and colleagues (including Bagamba Araali, below) and getting a feel for the town and housing possibilities. We already knew “why” the move made sense: it puts us much closer to our work and to our Congolese colleagues. They are encouraged to have more of us expats living “in country” with them. The time seems right. What we didn’t know was the “when” or “where”. And now we think we have answers! Friends working in Bunia have asked us to house-sit for them from late July until mid-October of this year. That fits perfectly with the timeframe we were thinking of for our move, and it gives us a “base” in Bunia from which to look for our own housing! We are very grateful for this answer to prayer. Please pray for wisdom and stamina as we plan this move to Congo in July, and all the packing, logistics, and other preparation that will go with it.
Future of our group: Eastern Congo Group spent a week at a conference center outside of Bunia to talk about our structure and the future of the group. We had seen for some time that our activities were out of balance with our resources (personnel, financial, etc.), and that we needed to adjust. We voted to relinquish our charter, which puts much of our administration and governance in the hands of the Africa Area department of SIL. This will free up more of us to focus on the language work that we were called here to do. We are grateful for the leadership of our director, Tim Raymond, our Executive Committee Chair Jill Brace and Francophone Region leaders Gary and Glenys Sweetman who led these meetings. Please pray for this time of transition, for increased unity in our group and shared vision with our partners. One day during that week of meetings, we invited Congolese church leaders to join us, so we could hear their vision and concerns about Bible translation and share with them SIL’s vision and role. It was encouraging to hear these Congolese partners take increased ownership for this ministry, and to hear how using mother-tongue language Scripture creates excitement and better understanding in their churches.
Douglas’ work: These days, I (Douglas) am working on two main fronts: planning research in the DRC, and designing sociolinguistics training for use across Africa. March 31 is the deadline for me to submit Research Department plans (activities and budget) for the next fiscal year, which begins in October. It was very helpful to talk with Bagamba Araali last month about these. (He and I are the department; we both have other responsibilities as well.) Now I'm looking forward to the closer collaboration that our move to Bunia will make possible. On the "training" front, I am the lead developer of an introductory course in sociolinguistics to be offered—in French—in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in October and November. We expect about thirty students in four "tracks": Linguistics, Literacy, Bible translation, and Scripture Use/ Missiology. To do their work in these fields, they need to understand the role of language in society. I'm preparing the framework that the teachers will use in six months' time: suggested readings, learning objectives, sample assignments, etc. The tasks on both fronts are stretching me, and I appreciate your prayers that I'll learn and grow while doing a good job on them all.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Douglas and Jennings
Steve Kohl's Update from Belize
Annette and I are grateful and privileged to go to Belize in His service. We especially thank you all in making it possible for us to go. It will be our policy to honestly and accurately share the challenges and situations we face in all areas of this ministry.
Here are some pictures of the Belize dental clinic as work is progressing. We will be working to secure equipment and everything needed to operate as it is getting finished. I will doing some interstate traveling to attend auctions and make stateside arrangements to ship dental equipment such as chairs, x-ray equipment and supplies to Belize. For now, much of my work will be working closely with the ministers of health in Belize to get as much duty free equipment into Belize as possible.
This past week I attended a dental clinic in the village of Red Bank, an all Mayan Indian Village about 15 miles into the bush from Independence where I received training in serving people in need of dental work. We pulled at least 200 teeth and drilled and filled some and taught dental hygiene. I learned how to manage teams and organize for the work that was done.
This is an update as to the work currently in progress. I would ask for your prayers continually as I have had some difficulties with other missionaries and that God would be with Annette and I as we continue to prepare and raise a team who will partner with us as we are sent to Belize. We do not seek our own increase but, are free to serve when we seek the increase of others.
sincerely,steve kohl
Doug Wright Update from Congo
Dear friends and family,
Most of you heard of my bouts with food poisoning and then malaria during my travel home from a very successful translation consulting trip with the Logo team in Isiro, DR Congo. I want to let you know that I sensed the power of your prayers and got progressively stronger from my lowpoint Thursday night in Bunia (with a 102 degree fever). I was amazed to see how God answered your prayers by sending people to help at every turn, from the Logo team who laid hands on me and prayed in Isiro, to John Vandermeer who took me to the airport and saw me off, to the sometimes-nasty-turned-nice Isiro airport officials who had compassion on me, to the British doc who gave me Immodium, to MAF pilot Joey who tried to give me and the other passengers the smoothest flight possible through thunderstorm-filled skies, to the University of Shalom pastors who met me at the airport, to Kent and Kim Rasmussen who took me into their home and cared for me, to Pastor Anguandia who came and prayed for me, to Ted Whitmer who took me back to the Bunia airport when my ride fell through...well, you get the picture. I arrived home Saturday night as scheduled despite some other BA flights being canceled due to a cabin crew strike. The way Beth greeted me at the Wilmington airport, you would've thought I'd been gone for more than a month or something (oh, I guess I was!). Each day since, I've gotten stronger - even enough to take a walk on the beach yesterday with Beth.
During my three days of travel with little sleep, I had a lot of time to reflect on the trip and the way it ended. From the great relationships among the Logo team members and me, the good translation checking progress, the many obstacles overcome through prayer, the deep spiritual discussions and growth among all concerned, it was obvious to me that my trial was a parting shot by the enemy (allowed by God, of course). But why, you might ask, would the enemy try to keep me from getting home? I found my answer in reflecting back to my low point with food poisoning. Now I don't know about you, but I don't do the nausea/throwing up thing too well. In fact, it's pretty repulsive to me. And the thing is, that's how I started looking at the whole trip - exactly what Satan wanted! That would of course made the next trip look like a pretty tall mountain, and the one following that, etc. So now I realize that your prayers were more about fighting the spiritual battle alongside of me, than just about getting me home safe and sound. And I can tell you the Lord has already replaced those feelings of repulsion and doubt, to blessing and satisfaction. The Lord is good, and his love endures forever! And blessings on all of you who continue to fight the battle with us, until the Logo people and many others have God's Word in their own language!
Here's what the Lord accomplished through us all:
• Two Catholic translation candidates evaluated, and Madrakele recommended as third full-time translator;
• Four more epistles checked and pretty much ready for publishing - rest of 1 Corinthians, Philemon, Jude, 1 Peter and beginning of 2 Peter (we've now final-checked about 73% of the NT);
• Times of deep spiritual challenge and growth for the Logo team members and me;
• Discussions with local church leaders and other partners to continue planning and providing for the Logo team's support;
• Broader meetings with my Eastern Congo Group colleagues and Congolese church partners to plan for the expansion of Bible translation work in north-eastern Congo;
So that hundreds of thousands in Congo may hear God's Word in their own languages for the first time, understand, and be changed...forever!
In Christ,
Doug
Most of you heard of my bouts with food poisoning and then malaria during my travel home from a very successful translation consulting trip with the Logo team in Isiro, DR Congo. I want to let you know that I sensed the power of your prayers and got progressively stronger from my lowpoint Thursday night in Bunia (with a 102 degree fever). I was amazed to see how God answered your prayers by sending people to help at every turn, from the Logo team who laid hands on me and prayed in Isiro, to John Vandermeer who took me to the airport and saw me off, to the sometimes-nasty-turned-nice Isiro airport officials who had compassion on me, to the British doc who gave me Immodium, to MAF pilot Joey who tried to give me and the other passengers the smoothest flight possible through thunderstorm-filled skies, to the University of Shalom pastors who met me at the airport, to Kent and Kim Rasmussen who took me into their home and cared for me, to Pastor Anguandia who came and prayed for me, to Ted Whitmer who took me back to the Bunia airport when my ride fell through...well, you get the picture. I arrived home Saturday night as scheduled despite some other BA flights being canceled due to a cabin crew strike. The way Beth greeted me at the Wilmington airport, you would've thought I'd been gone for more than a month or something (oh, I guess I was!). Each day since, I've gotten stronger - even enough to take a walk on the beach yesterday with Beth.
During my three days of travel with little sleep, I had a lot of time to reflect on the trip and the way it ended. From the great relationships among the Logo team members and me, the good translation checking progress, the many obstacles overcome through prayer, the deep spiritual discussions and growth among all concerned, it was obvious to me that my trial was a parting shot by the enemy (allowed by God, of course). But why, you might ask, would the enemy try to keep me from getting home? I found my answer in reflecting back to my low point with food poisoning. Now I don't know about you, but I don't do the nausea/throwing up thing too well. In fact, it's pretty repulsive to me. And the thing is, that's how I started looking at the whole trip - exactly what Satan wanted! That would of course made the next trip look like a pretty tall mountain, and the one following that, etc. So now I realize that your prayers were more about fighting the spiritual battle alongside of me, than just about getting me home safe and sound. And I can tell you the Lord has already replaced those feelings of repulsion and doubt, to blessing and satisfaction. The Lord is good, and his love endures forever! And blessings on all of you who continue to fight the battle with us, until the Logo people and many others have God's Word in their own language!
Here's what the Lord accomplished through us all:
• Two Catholic translation candidates evaluated, and Madrakele recommended as third full-time translator;
• Four more epistles checked and pretty much ready for publishing - rest of 1 Corinthians, Philemon, Jude, 1 Peter and beginning of 2 Peter (we've now final-checked about 73% of the NT);
• Times of deep spiritual challenge and growth for the Logo team members and me;
• Discussions with local church leaders and other partners to continue planning and providing for the Logo team's support;
• Broader meetings with my Eastern Congo Group colleagues and Congolese church partners to plan for the expansion of Bible translation work in north-eastern Congo;
So that hundreds of thousands in Congo may hear God's Word in their own languages for the first time, understand, and be changed...forever!
In Christ,
Doug
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