INTERNATIONAL UPDATE FEBRUARY 2010

Peter Maiden, International Coordinator

Dear brothers and sisters,

Greetings in Jesus. The tragedy of Haiti has been an enormous challenge to us around the OM world, as I’m sure it has been to you.

There’s always a question of how does a movement like OM respond to a crisis like this? With our hearts we all want to go there and do what we can, but our heads tell us that sometimes such a response would create more confusion rather than be a help.

Our Caribbean Field is responding and has been able to help specifically three orphanages that we have worked with in the past, and also give help in a few other specific situations. The ongoing needs of this nation are huge, and I’m sure you have been spending much time in prayer and will continue to do so. We want to be available as a movement to do whatever God wants us to do in the coming months.

I would certainly also appreciate your prayers as we get closer and closer to our International Leaders Meetings in Thailand. Planning is now well-advanced. Please be praying for an outpouring of God’s spirit upon us and among us as we meet together. May we know the will of God and share the heart of God for this movement as we meet together during these days.

ships

Doulos: A decision will be made concerning the sale of the ship within days. We would value your prayers for the group designated by the OM Ships board as they review offers and make decisions.

The ship has moved to the Drydocks World shipyard to unload equipment, stocks and other items we want to keep or donate. These last weeks have been difficult emotionally as more and more people have left, and boxes and crates have been packed.

The majority of the ship community has now left—some bound for home, some for Logos Hope, and others for service with OM teams around the world. Another group will go to Logos Hope soon. There are about 140 people left on board; by the end of February we will only have the essential crew needed to sail to the final port. We are very grateful for the help and support we have received from many to facilitate this period of decommissioning. Please pray for discernment as the final decisions are made about the sale of the vessel and for the resettlement of the last of the staff and crew.

resourcing

Germany: Despite extreme climate conditions in many European countries in recent weeks, 156 adults and 25 children were welcomed by over 50 staff members at the Global Orientation (GO) Conference in Mosbach in January. “It’s the first time we’ve seen so many families with young children at the conference,” commented Sue Priestley, co-ordinator of planning.

New recruits from 29 countries discovered more about OM, its leaders and the unique ministry God has called us to. Sessions included cross-cultural awareness, team life and security issues in preparation of work on the field, as well as a general orientation to the wider OM family. “Connecting with others and getting a bigger picture of the many opportunities available in OM is probably the most exciting thing about this conference,” adds Elke Hanssmann. “We’re excited that so many people are joining us this year, and trust that our new workers will settle well into their new environments and ministries.”

Claudia Siegenthaler (Switzerland) attended the GO Conference two years ago and, although serving on an OM ship from 1997–99, was no longer an OMer. “I visited a friend who was joining OM,” remembers Claudia, “and while at the conference I heard a person talk about OM’s training in South Africa. After the session, I spoke with her.” A single person, Claudia, learned that the speaker had prayed that God would send singles to OM South Africa’s training base as coaches. God had told her that He would send her the right person! Claudia will join the OM South Africa training staff as coach at the end of March.

india

In cooperation with the UK’s Bigshot Cricket, 200 Dalit children from 17 of OMIF’s Dalit Education Centres participated in a week-long cricket coaching camp. Ten coaches and assistants from the UK trained the Dalit children in bowling, batting, fielding and match strategy. The Dalit children were overjoyed at the chance to hone their cricketing skills, as well as have this brush with internationally famous athletes. Although they hold numerous camps around the world, including in India, representatives of Bigshot Cricket said, “This was the best-organised camp we’ve had in India.” Plans are already underway for a 2010 camp, and the dreams of a future in professional cricket are now alive and well in the minds of many Dalit children.

next generation

Finland: A team of Chinese Christians living in the UK came to Finland on a week-long outreach trip to share the Gospel with Chinese living there. They organised a Chinese festival with a local church, which a young Chinese student attended. The student became interested in Christianity after Christians, who were helping after the deadly Sichuan province earthquake, had touched his heart. The team invited him to a Chinese Bible study later that week. Afterward, a team member asked him if he wanted to invite Jesus into his life. He said yes, and the group prayed with him. He then stood up and kept bowing, saying “Thank you, thank you”. He understood what a privilege it is to start a relationship with God. Pray that more Chinese living in Europe would encounter the living God.

The Mix-clubs started in January have become popular. The mother of an 8-year-old boy called and said, “The Mix-club is my son’s favorite hobby. He memorises each week’s Scripture verse and we talk about it at home.” These clubs reach children and teenagers with no other Christian connection and are run in partnership with the local church. Miika Parkkinen, the ministry leader, was fixing a mess caused by teenagers, while 30 teenagers waited in adjacent room for the evening’s spiritual part to begin. “Hey, when will the Jesus-thing start? We are already waiting,” the teenagers asked. “These teens are not easy to handle, but beneath their restlessness, is a hunger for truth and love,” says Miika. “After one of the Teen Mix-meetings, teens hung around outside the building talking with some of the volunteers. That evening, five teenagers prayed to ask Jesus into their lives.”

europe

Greece: “We were disappointed when only a small number of Albanians turned up for our Christmas celebration,” said Kees, who is based in Larissa for nine years. Ten thousand Albanian immigrants live in Larissa, but they seem more closed than ever before. “When we first came to Greece during the Albanian crisis of 1997, it was very different,” remembers Kees. “Albanians were very eager to hear the gospel. Over the years many attended our meetings regularly. Yet those who considered themselves religious have stopped coming to the meetings, often not wanting to be challenged. There is also much distrust among Albanians against anything different and/or unknown. With the current economic crisis, immigrants’ needs are enormous.”

Moldova: Football activities continue despite the colder weather. The teams involved in last year’s competition met one another in a mini-football tournament this month. The tournament was called Prietenie which means friendship. “Our goal is to help children get in contact with God’s Word through visits, training, tournaments, games, sport camps and other activities,” said Andrei. “We were also able to tell participants about Jesus during the tournament.” One way was through the story of the Great Champion. Although a new champion is selected at the World Soccer Championship every year, Jesus has remained the Great Champion for 2000 years. “After the story, we encouraged participants to join Jesus’ team. By accepting Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, they too can be like the Great Champion.”

Austria: In December, in collaboration with local churches, Field Leader Philipp Eschbach and over 20 church members donned Santa Claus costumes to share the real meaning of Christmas on the streets of Linz. They sang on trams, interviewed passersby, distributed literature and engaged in many interesting conversations, seeing some people willing to receive prayer. “Not all Austrians are clear that Christmas is actually a celebration of Jesus’ birth!” said Philipp. “We value your prayers that Jesus would become known and loved in this land as we share the truth about Him in different and creative ways.”

Bosnia: (OM EAST) Christine, a former team member, continued to have a heart for the forgotten peoples of Eurasia. The Sunday school kids of her church packed bags with gift items like crayons, pencils and foam airplanes and included a personal note. The two boxes arrived in Austria in spring 2009.

When OM EAST took schoolbags to Bihac in July, they also took these boxes which included Christian messages and stickers. Christian tracts had been a problem for the Muslim school director they had worked with before, so they withheld them until they knew what to do. The Roma community later asked for school supplies for 53 kids…the exact number sent by the Sunday school kids from the USA! The Roma kids were so special to God that He planned a personal gift for every one of them. Please pray for these children to understand God’s love for them.

Slovakia: (OM EAST) At the beginning of December, Gordon and Judith took a load of toys, clothes, household materials, towels and shoes to Levice, and prayed with our partners from Miesto v Dome who were very encouraged, because other organizations had stopped supporting them. Edwin, the head of OM EAST’s Relief & Development Department, is now seeking creative ideas to advertise the need for more materials in the future. Please pray for ideas about how to advertise the need for more material, finances and people to work alongside Miesto v Dome. Please pray for opportunities to not only meet physical needs but also to share the life-saving message of the gospel.

emerging mission movements

Guatemala: Leader Pilar Castro reports, “We worked in 20 schools, giving talks about values and sharing God’s love in creative ways with 6,179 students. In all, 1,632 of them chose to follow Jesus Christ! We saw miracles in the lives of these young people. We also gave training to 153 Guatemalan pastors and leaders, and had a medical campaign attended by 1,484 people. Among these, 268 adults and 150 children are now believers.” Ninety people from various churches participated in a missionary breakfast, and the team distributed food to 280 indigent people in a Too Valuable to Lose project.

In neighbouring Peru, volunteers made a considerable impact by working with local churches to tell over 1,000 people about the Living God; several hundred opened their hearts to the Lord. During the most recent Leave Your Mark campaign in November-December, food was given out in a drought-stricken area, and 157 individuals came to faith.

Ecuador: OM partners with its prayer team to provide meals and conversation to people living on the streets of Guayaquil. The team ministers mostly to men, nearly all of whom moved to the city seeking employment. Most of the men work in a nearby goods market, and nearly all have alcohol or drug problems. Jorge Limenzo left his family in another city to seek employment in Guayaquil. He works in the market, spends his nights in the streets and sends his money back to his family. His routine has not changed much in the last 12 years. When asked if he wanted prayer for anything specific, he simply asked the team to pray for his family. He has a wife and two children; they live two hours from the city. He only occasionally has the opportunity to return home on weekends to visit them. Pray for Jorge’s safety and for provision for his family, and for the OM team to find ways to make a lasting difference.

pioneering initiatives

Run4theWorld gears up for the fourth global fun event on 8 May to raise awareness and funds for needy projects around the world. From Guatemala to New Zealand, over 1000 people have taken part in the 5KM fun run/walk since 2007. “It’s not just a win-win but a three-win situation,” enthused Andy in Borneo. “First, you get fit; then you give money for great projects; and thirdly you take part with people from every continent.”

SportsLink International, a pioneering initiative of OM has resourced ten projects during the past four years. Each run can also choose a local charity to share the proceeds with. Moldova benefitted in 2007 with a sports court laid outside the OM training base. Football teams involved in the national youth league, that OM helps to run, were challenged to take part themselves and give so that others could benefit. In 2009 funds were raised for HIV work in Nepal and an orphanage in Zimbabwe. 2010’s projects include sports camps around the globe, meeting the needs of HIV sufferers and an art centre in southern Spain that bridges the gap between North Africans and their European ‘hosts’.

SportsLink International Director Silas Mullis heartily endorsed the run at its recent launch. “Participation is key. We want to see thousands involved around the globe in small runs that add up to something much bigger on 8 May.” As a tool for your community, R4TW offers a chance for churches to join together, eases interaction with neighbours in a fun social setting, and shows that Christian communities want to make a difference. Organisers of these runs/walks are still needed in various locations. Gather together some friends, register on the website, and see your community make a difference worldwide! www.R4TW.org

muslim peoples

Pakistan: The team held Christmas programmes for both believers and seekers from the majority religion in 7 cities; 113 men, women and children heard the entire Nativity story, and received gifts. Those who came were mainly from the correspondence school and contacts from the women’s ministry.

Instead of opening her gift as soon as she received it, a nine-year-old girl took it home with her. She told the Nativity story to friends and neighbours, performing it as she had seen it, and then, at the end, opened her gift and shared it with everyone—an amazing impact for a simple story! These programmes gave local women the opportunity to come out with their husbands and other family members to hear the true meaning of Christmas in a friendly, accepting environment. It was a topic of family conversation when returning home for days afterward.

The men’s travelling teams go into markets and bazaars, bringing literature and spiritual conversations. In spite of the dangers, God has kept the team safe from serious attack. In some areas, literacy levels are low, so audio materials and films are helpful: in one area, over 1,000 such items were given away. The correspondence course is always popular and religious students want to discuss the merits of holy books with team members; one said, “The Bible has the greatest stories ever told. It is not changed, but it does change lives.” The team also used Pilgrim’s Progress to highlight the various difficulties a Christian faces during life. One young man said, “I was very depressed with struggles after coming to Christ. After watching ‘Pilgrim's Progress’, I am now encouraged and ready to face anything for Christ, and I am hopeful to reach the Celestial City”.

Bangladesh: One southern island of 500,000 people is only accessible by a 12-hour launch ride. Ten team members took a week and, loaded down with New Testaments, Gospels and Scripture selections, went to the island. They returned worn-out but also almost sold-out, having spent their days in the village markets selling books, giving out literature and talking with people. Today, alongside many market vendors selling everything from rice and vegetables to clay pots and plastic toilet brushes, some men are sitting, reading books they have never held before, especially the Word of Life. Pray that these seeds will produce a rich harvest in dozens of small villages, and prepare the way for further witness for Christ.

South Asia: As the group of nine young women met for their first devotion in the discipleship programme, there was a flurry of excitement and a tinge of embarrassment in struggling to find the reference in 1 John 3. How wonderful that such a group of young believing ladies has joined the three-month residential course: learning computer and office skills in the morning, while doing Bible study, memorization of scripture and enjoying fellowship in the afternoons and evenings.

One of the greatest needs of slowly-emerging fellowships from the majority background is to see women come to faith and learn God’s Word. Our training assists them in finding their place in the local fellowships, equipping them to take their stand in the expanding Kingdom of God, while giving them practical life skills.

Turkey: Ezgi expressed a desire to go to an English-speaking church in Istanbul, so we arranged to meet her at the International Church in Kadikoy. After a long wait, we texted her and she replied, “I’m in church. My dad said he knew where the church was so I let him bring me.” It soon became apparent that she was in a Turkish-speaking fellowship, and perhaps in the right church after all! Pray for more people to be drawn to the Turkish churches, and for more ‘divine encounters’ for our workers.

In December there was a ‘get to know one another’ meeting at a Christian cultural centre in Istanbul for contacts through the Knowing God website. Turks, Kurds, atheists and agnostics, male and female, business people, students and the unemployed were there. Literature was given to those eager to learn more.

Yunus was the first person to arrive and the only one who had become a believer before this meeting. He had not shared his testimony, yet while he talked with others I heard him defending the Bible and Jesus. We want to spend more time with him to help him grow in faith in the coming days. Pray for God’s blessing on the internet ministry of the Bible Correspondence Course.

Afghanistan: When Faruza began talking about marrying a follower of Jesus, her mother was very upset—this man was not a relative. She feared rejection by the larger family. This boy seemed to have nothing, didn’t even come with his parents, but said that he would trust God. Faruza’s mother wondered how this could work, but her father agreed to the marriage. Shortly after this, another daughter married a relative. However, at this wedding, there was a terrible fight among the guests, coming close to shedding blood. Faruza’s mother said, “I trusted in the relatives and look what happened; this stranger trusted in God and look what happened.” Pray for more believers to marry one another and make Christian homes.

Iran: Farhad was introduced to heroin by Ali, his older addict brother. One night Ali found Farhad lying dead in the street from an overdose. Overwhelmed with guilt, Ali vowed to do likewise. A young girl, a complete stranger, gave him a New Testament, where Ali read about Jesus who freed those with legions of demons. He was saved from the searing guilt of his brother’s death, and from bondage to heroin. Today he serves Christ. Pray for Christians involved in rehabilitation centres in Iran.

world faiths

Nepal: The Winter Outreach Programme lasts for three months. Ninety participants formed thirty teams to go on outreach to the midwest. One writes, “We walked for seven days to reach our destination. The journey was more than worth it, as God opened many doors for us to minister to people. We stayed for 21 days and visited 22 different villages to preach and share. We were able to help one church establish a Sunday school programme. It was a great time of encouraging people and praying for the sick.”

Teams also held open air programmes in bazaars, together with church youth. The aim was to teach the church how to build bridges with the community as a way to share Jesus, as many local people have a very negative attitude towards Christianity. One team shared, “We began our programme with drama and teaching about HIV/AIDS and drug abuse. One man stood up and stated he had HIV and told how HIV had affected his life. The combination of our programme and his story softened the people’s hearts, and we were able to share Jesus with them. They said, “We can now see that Christians are good people.” During this trip nearly 1,000 people heard about Jesus.

Once again, on behalf of over 5,500 workers from over 95 countries, working in over 110 countries, I thank you deeply for your prayers and support.

Your brother in Christ,

Peter Maiden

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. Copyright 2010
OM International
Peter Maiden, International Co-ordinator
PO Box 27, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 1HG, United Kingdom
Tel. (+44) 1228-615100
peter.maiden@om.org

Credit: Peter Maiden, International Coordinator
© 2010 OM International