April 29, 2011
Following the recent outbreak of tornados throughout the Southern states, Alliance chaplains are on the scene in several areas in order to help and encourage victims of the storms. Chaplain Rich Gorman, the Spiritual Response Team coordinator for the Red Cross National Disaster Response Team, is in Alabama, where more than 200 people were killed and thousands left homeless. Chaplain Gorman is well acquainted with serving in the midst of disaster, as he participated in the 9/11 chaplaincy team and has been involved in national disaster response teams several times during the past nine years.
Alliance Chaplain Paul Northcut with Cross and Shield Ministries in Russellville, Arkansas, is in nearby Vilonia, where tornados leveled the community of 3,800 and killed four. “So much pain and destruction,” says Chaplain Northcut. “So many families experienced overwhelming loss. Pray that God will use these situations to draw folks to Himself. Pray for us, as chaplains, that we would have wisdom, protection, and provision and that we will be the hands and heart of the Lord to the victims.”
Frank Smith, relief director for the Southern District, says, “As far as we now know, no Alliance structure was damaged and no person in the district churches had major losses, but several family members of people in our churches did.
“The district is assessing what the [Alliance] response would best be, so that we can minister in a manner that most effectively uses the limited resources we have available to us. We must depend upon the One whose resources are limitless, and we must be good stewards of what He gives us to use.”
Smith, who coordinated Alliance relief efforts in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina decimated the Gulf Coast, added, “This is a great opportunity for the Church to do what it should do best-represent the love of Christ in a tangible way to many hurting people.”
What You Can Do
Pray for Alliance chaplains as well as local Alliance believers who are providing relief aid as well as encouragement to victims of the tornados.
If you would like to help, beyond prayer, contact the Southern District office at office@southerncma.org or Frank Smith at frankdsmith@southerncma.org
Learn More
Read about Alliance relief and development work after Hurricane Katrina.
New Hope (Alliance) Church Community hosted its annual Easter Fest at City Park-the oldest neighborhood park in Vallejo, California-Saturday, April 23. Nearly 300 people packed the park to enjoy a day of free Easter activities. “The purpose of the event was to bring joy into the lives of our children,” says Pastor Terrence Nichols. “These are difficult times for everyone, so we wanted to do something special for the children in our community.”
The day was filled with free games, prizes, and, of course, the much anticipated Easter egg hunt, which brought smiles to children of all ages. Separate hunts were held for different age groups, giving all the children an opportunity to find the colorful treasures. ”Everyone left with baskets full of plastic eggs that were filled with delicious candy treats,” says Pastor T, as he’s known to his congregation. ”We have some awesome merchants in Vallejo, and we are thankful for those who donated various items to make this a successful event.”
After decades of decline, City Park had an amazing resurgence when several neighborhood groups, including New Hope, worked tirelessly to renovate the “city jewel,” says the pastor, “opening events like this one to everyone in the community.” Throughout the park, the church had trained evangelism team members who passed out tracts that explained the Resurrection story. They talked to at least 30 people about the real meaning of Easter and prayed with several people who were depressed or discouraged. ”It was a powerful way to share the love of Christ,” Pastor T says.
New Hope Church Community has recently formed Hands of Hope Ministries, which is the outreach arm of the church. Hands of Hope provides food and clothing for the needy as well as organizing community events, such as the Easter Fest. ”God has called New Hope to be a light in the Vallejo community,” says Pastor T. “What better way than through the eyes of the children?”
Learn More
Read more stories about what U.S. Alliance churches are doing to reach their communities for Christ. www.cmalliance.org/news/topics/gochurch
What You Can Do
Pray that God will open doors to share the gospel as New Hope members build bridges of trust in their city. Give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries, which supports Alliance initiatives worldwide. www.cmalliance.org/give
The following is an excerpt of a letter from an Alliance international worker, who serves at the Ringjallja Community Center in Gjilan, Kosovo, a city with only about 60 believers.
Happy Easter from Kosovo! We had a great day here—a big Easter service in front of the city theater in Gjilan that included churches from all over Kosovo. It was the culminating event of a week-long evangelistic outreach program.
All week long, the volunteers from all churches wore yellow shirts with the name of our outreach—Life for Kosovo—on the back. The front of the shirts read, “Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’” Each day of the outreach we were involved in projects, such as drug awareness seminars in the schools, repairing a city park, so the children can play there, and a blood drive. We cleaned up some city streets, as well as the yard of the city hospital and the university across the street from the Ringjallja Center.
During the afternoons, some volunteers held soccer and volleyball tournaments while others delivered food packages to poor families or handed out flowers and invitations to the Easter service. A Saturday evening concert was a big hit for youth. All of these projects were covered in times of prayer and worship.
Sunday morning as I was getting ready to go to the service, I reflected on the week, thinking that it has been one of my best weeks in Kosovo so far! I enjoyed building relationships with the believers from other churches in Gjilan and other parts of Kosovo. I enjoyed the momentum of the week and the energy of everyone helping out with all of the various projects. The week was energizing; it was filled with blessings.
One of those blessings happened when a teenage girl, who had been helping us out with the drug awareness program in the high schools, expressed her desire to accept Jesus as her Savior. We had the privilege of praying with her before lunch one of the days. Three young men also raised their hands to accept Christ at the youth concert Saturday night.
As the time drew near for the Easter service to begin, people began to crowd around the theater. Volunteer ushers wore their shirts again, so they could be easily spotted. The blessings rose to a crescendo when approximately 300 people attended the Easter service. We praise God, who was definitely at work in us, among us, and through us this week!
Learn More
Read more stories of Alliance work in Kosovo.
What You Can Do
Pray that the new believers in Kosovo will grow strong in their faith and share the message of hope with their friends and family. Donate to Alliance Great Commission Ministries. In doing so, you partner with Alliance workers in Kosovo and in more than 60 other countries around the world.
April 28, 2011
The following is an adapted excerpt from international leadership couple Jeter and Laura Livingston’s recent update about West Africa Alliance Theological Seminary (FATEAC) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Flying into Cotonou, Benin—on the first leg of our journey back to Abidjan from Dakar, Senegal—we saw our Easter sunrise. With good news to tell on many fronts, this feels like a week of resurrections.
We arrived without incident and are delighted to be settled back into our own home—in spite of the dead rat rotting in the guest room and the drug-crazed man who insists on living in our front yard. Order is slowly returning to the country, although there are still frightening and dangerous pockets of resistance. Cooking oil is still unavailable, vehicle fuel is hard to obtain, and banks are not yet open.
A Wreath of Smiles
Thanks to your generosity, we were able to give the students their full allowance—plus a food supplement. It felt like the campus was wreathed with smiles when your gifts arrived. Students who had food had been sharing with those who had none, but now everyone can purchase something.
We received word this morning that Rachelle Keita has obtained her visa in Guinea, enabling her to accompany her husband, Isaac (FATEAC dean), to the United States for his doctoral graduation, May 9. I will make that trip to attend his graduation and that of our son, Joshua, who has finished nursing school.
Trauma Healing Needed
Pray for Jeter, who will stay behind to begin an accelerated teaching schedule for FATEAC in order to finish the school year in a timely fashion. As soon as I return, I’ll be looking for opportunities to start trauma healing ministries.
Côte d’Ivoire’s road to peace and reconciliation is going to be long and hard-won. For example: one member of our church here, a former government minister, was captured and saw all of his body guards killed before his eyes. His own life was spared when one of his captors’ leaders turned out to be a relative; this fractured family’s situation is multiplied over and over throughout the country.
Please continue to pray for peace. And thank you again for walking this long, hard road with the FATEAC family.
Keep struggling with us (Romans 15:30),
The Livingstons
What You Can Do
Donate to Alliance Great Commission Ministries. In doing so, you partner with Alliance workers-like the international FATEAC team-to ensure that God’s healing grace and provision reaches those who have no hope.
April 27, 2011
By Ken and Kathy Young, serving in Japan
The following is an adapted excerpt from Ken and Kathy Young’s recent prayer letter.
“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:16, NLT).
The tragedies that have struck Japan during the last few weeks have dominated the news—mammoth earthquakes throughout northeastern Japan with continuing aftershocks (at least 800 as of this writing); a series of devastating tsunami waves all along the Pacific coast of that region; and the ongoing effects of the nuclear power plant accident in Fukushima.
More than 20,000 people have died, with hundreds of thousands displaced. And, who knows how many millions have been severely affected—emotionally, economically, and in many other ways?
“Grace to help us when we need it most”
We need His grace now. We in Japan, particularly those in northeastern Japan, need rescue, repair, restoration, food, housing, clothing, health. But, most of all, the unreached 99 percent of the people of Japan, who are despairing under all this pressure, need to find the grace of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Recently, the Lord has shown us one more of the hidden needs: helping the helpers. Although fairly isolated from the devastated region, we see the effects of these past weeks on the helpers. Through our various contacts, we hear of the trauma felt by rescue professionals and volunteers after returning to the safety of their homes. We see the stress in the faces and actions of people who have friends and relatives in the region. The first topic on the lips of people in churches is always the same: the continuing disaster. We also sense stress and weariness building in ourselves, but more especially in our fellow workers serving in the regions nearer to the devastation.
A God-Ordained Opportunity
Although not directly related to the present crisis, God has given us a way to help some of the “helpers” in Japan. Last week we began a group at the Higashi Hiroshima Medical Center called EMAC, or “English Medical Assistants Club.” Every day many foreigners, who do not speak Japanese but do understand some English, receive treatment as outpatients in hospitals throughout Japan; and Japanese medical personnel are usually incapable of communicating with these patients.
Through the introduction of a Christian nurse in one of our local churches, Ken has been able to begin a “club” within the national hospital in our town with the primary purpose of helping health care experts with medical English conversation. Six doctors (mainly surgeons) and one surgical nurse attended the first meeting (three who intended to come were too busy with patients).
Of course, since this is a national hospital, laws restricting religious teaching must be obeyed. But, any questions raised by the students can always be answered!
The other day the leader of the group asked Ken, “Since another 10-20 doctors and nurses would like to attend, would you be willing to lead at least one more club?” We have no idea where this rare opportunity will lead. But, at this point, at least, we can help some of the helpers in a small way.
Friends, be assured of this—all Alliance field workers, Japanese pastors, and Christians are committed to helping others as much as possible. But, even these servants need help.
What You Can Do
Pray for Alliance international workers and their national partners as they share His grace with those around them and in the Tohoku region.
Give to the Great Commission Fund, which supports the work in Japan, and to CAMA, the relief arm of The Alliance.
And when conditions in the region stabilize, please come and help with the restoration and aid to the millions affected by these events.
Thank you for your faithful support of God’s work in Japan!
Ken and Kathy Young
April 21, 2011
The following report is based on updates from Alliance international staff—Randy and Deanna Harrison and Laura and Jeter Livingston—serving West Africa Alliance Theological Seminary (FATEAC) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Due to violent fallout from the country’s political unrest since last year, the FATEAC team has been living in Dakar, Senegal.
“Since Côte d’Ivoire’s former president has been arrested, people are slowly, cautiously venturing out of their homes. . . . Violence seems to be gradually abating, and order is slowly being restored,” wrote Laura Livingston on Monday, April 18. The Livingstons are the FATEAC international leadership couple.
In light of this encouraging news, the Livingstons plan to return to Abidjan on Easter Sunday; the Harrisons will return a week later. FATEAC classes are scheduled to resume on May 2.
Hungry Children Fed
In a recent update, the Harrisons shared additional encouraging news: “We learned that [FATEAC] students living on campus were finally able to get to our house on Monday (April 11) to obtain the food that we had stocked up because of the unstable political situation.
“We’re thankful the students were able to feed their families; they had been unable to buy food for more than a week, and the children were crying because of their hunger.”
“Food is beginning to appear in Abidjan’s stores and markets this week,” a thankful Livingston later observed. “It will be a very long road to stability, but first steps are being taken.”
What You Can Do
Praise God for the gradual restoration of order that is taking place in this war-torn, West African nation; that FATEAC classes are scheduled to soon resume; and that international FATEAC team members are able to plan their return to Abidjan!
The team also requests prayer for:
- A complete restoration of law and order, especially in Abidjan
- Warring factions to lay down their arms and flee
- Peace and reconciliation to begin between rival ethnic groups
- Banks to reopen and roads secured so that food and other supplies can get to markets and stores
- The continued protection of seminary students, faculty, and staff
- Relief from aid agencies to reach displaced, injured, and hungry people in Abidjan, and throughout Côte d’Ivoire
One More Thing You Can Do
Donate to Alliance Great Commission Ministries. In doing so, you partner with Alliance workers, like the international FATEAC team, to ensure that the liberating, healing news of God’s grace and provision is powerfully exhibited among people blinded to His truth.
By Kathy Eikost, serving in Bosnia
Mira grew up in a small Bosnian village in the 1950s—when horses were used for farm work and a fourth-grade, country school education was considered plenty for girls, especially for one like Mira, whose name is derived from the word “mir,” which means peace. But there was no peace for Mira.
After learning to read and write on a slate, she was put to work. A girl from a poor background, she had no claim to family property but was shuffled from uncle to cousin as a farm hand, suffering every imaginable kind of abuse by the time she was in her early teens. As soon as she was old enough, she married a man who was several years her senior—on his way to the city to work in a factory.
Mira calls him “Raka,” a shortened version of his last name. She says that Raka was never abusive physically; he was passive. But he did drink away most of his wages and left her with little to live on-much less to feed their four daughters.
The Hard Road
Mira functioned more as a working single mother, doing what she knew best-physical labor. She helped make ends meet by cutting wood and hauling water, living all the while as a tenant laborer. For a woman, being a tenant as opposed to a homeowner is one of the worst fates one can have in Bosnia—there is nothing to inherit from her or her husband’s family.
Mira dreamed of the day that Raka’s last name-not the landlord’s-would be next to the door. For years she slept on straw mattresses covered with discarded bedding, always telling herself that someday she would have a better life. When Raka finally got a “real” job that included a three-bedroom apartment for his large family, Mira could hardly believe it. She would go in and out the front door to look at the nameplate and try her key, making sure the place was really theirs. Now, maybe Mira would have peace.
By the late 1980s life was pretty good. Raka and Mira owned their home; the girls were all in school, and the oldest was getting married soon. Then the war came in the early 1990s. Because he was a member of a minority group, Raka was sent to serve on the front lines and was killed in action. Their wonderful, spacious apartment was in disputed territory and hit by many artillery shells. Windows, furniture, and one wall were destroyed. It seemed like everything Mira had worked for was slipping away.
New Life
But then the gospel came to Mira’s home. Her daughter’s best friend had recently trusted Jesus as her Savior and was telling all her girlfriends about it. Mira’s two middle daughters wanted to get baptized. She went to the service, gave her life to Christ, and a new world opened up for Mira. Amid war and the grief of losing her husband, Mira found peace—the ultimate peace found only in Jesus.
Today, Mira is a faithful member of a local Body of believers and frequently hosts our home group. She is still praying for the salvation of her other two girls. In spite of her rudimentary education, Mira loves to read God’s Word and share its truths with her neighbors. She also has a tender heart for the poor, and has worked as a cook in the church’s soup kitchen for years.
I am so thankful for a dear sister like Mira. Coming from a rural area myself, I can relate to many of her farm stories, which sound like ones my dad used to tell. I may not have been the one to initially share the gospel with her, but I am very glad to walk beside Mira and help her grow.
Would you join us in praying for the salvation of her two daughters, “D” and “L”? “D” lives at home and is frequently in contact with people of faith, but there is some “wall” that still needs to come down. ”L” is now married and living in Belgium, where she has met several vibrant believers. Pray that Mira’s daughters will receive the gift of true peace [this Easter] in Jesus.
Learn More
Read more stories about Alliance work in Bosnia. What You Can Do
Pray for the salvation of Mira’s daughters.
Give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries and partner with Alliance workers, like Kathy, who shine the light of Jesus into the lives of people like Mira.
The following is from an Alliance worker in Indonesia, April 16, 2011.
I just received a text from one of the GKII/C&MA pastors in Enarotali. His church building, in the process of being rebuilt, was burned down this morning by members of a group that broke away from the C&MA. This is the sixth time his church has been destroyed by arson in the last five years.
Twenty-eight GKII/C&MA churches have been burned by those who used to call church members brothers. Please pray for peace. Also, pray that members of the Yerusalem Church in Enarotali will not respond in kind. We met with the pastor last month and were humbled by his loving, forgiving spirit.
Please pray that the local officials, who read a public statement in February that criminal acts would be punished, will uphold justice.
Learn More
Read more background information about the church breakaway situation.
What You Can Do
Give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries. In doing so, you partner with Alliance international workers around the world, including those in Indonesia, to share the good news of Christ’s reconciling power with those desperate for peace.
April 12, 2011
“Laurent Gbagbo, one of two men contesting the presidential election in Côte d’Ivoire last year, surrendered today, April 11, and was taken into custody,” reported Jeter Livingston on Monday. He and his wife, Laura, are the international team leaders for West Africa Alliance Theological Seminary (FATEAC) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
“This brings a ray of hope to the situation, hopefully bringing an end to the war destroying the city and country.”
Next Several Days “Crucial”
A great deal needs to happen quickly, Livingston cautioned. “For lasting peace to be established [Gbagbo's] supporters must accept defeat and lay down their arms. Basic necessities of life must begin to flow again; law and order must be reestablished; banks must reopen—if these [things] are accomplished quickly, the country will have a chance to survive. The next several days will be crucial for the country.”
The news comes none too soon.
FATEAC Family Suffers
On Friday, April 8, Laura Livingston wrote: “The following is an excerpted translation of an e-mail I’ve just received from FATEAC Dean Isaac Keita to mission leadership.”
We are at the end of two weeks of high tension in Abidjan. Well before this time the banks closed, and the possibility of money transfers was nonexistent. As we write this letter, the price of basic foodstuffs has quadrupled.
Yesterday I bought three baguettes for $2.25 (normally $1.00), and I had to go all the way to Akouedo to find them. I had to literally fight to obtain a bag of charcoal for $33.35, instead of the usual $8.90. Frankly, FATEAC is going through a very difficult time.
. . . We just gave each C&MA family $111, but given the reality of the situation here, that is an insignificant amount. Because 85 percent of our personnel and students are from other countries, it’s difficult, even inadvisable, for them to circulate in town. It is heart wrenching to see the hungry children on the campus. We remain confident that the Lord will provide.
President Ouattara gave a promising speech yesterday, and we all gave a sigh of relief. But the effects of that speech will not be felt immediately. In the short term, while waiting, we must find relief for the seminary. We greet you, and we reassure you of our deep gratitude for your prayers for us and for your incontestable solidarity with us. May God keep you in the palm of His hand. . . .
Two Things You Can Do
“Pray that a lasting peace will be established, that reconciliation will take place, and that the necessities of life will be restored quickly [in Côte d'Ivoire],” Jeter said.
Give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries. In doing so, you partner with Alliance international workers, like our teams in Africa, to share the good news of Christ’s love with those desperate to know that God cares for them.
Read more about the crisis on CNN. Note: Clicking on this URL will take you off of the C&MA Web site.
April 10, 2011
By Harry Landaw, team lead with Japan Alliance Mission
We are still having a number of aftershocks. In fact, I feel one right now. All churches in the non-affected areas are working hard to continue their assistance to the churches and Christians in the northeastern region. For those of us in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area, ministry continues with many more opportunities to share with people about the uncertainties of life and the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a great time of opportunity for us to share the gospel message with people who seemed too busy to listen prior to March 11. Now, however, they are listening intently to what we have to share from God’s Word.
Thank you for your prayers for those who are suffering from the earthquake and tsunami devastation in Japan’s northeastern region. Thank you, also, for your donations which are coming in through CAMA, the relief arm of The Alliance. Your donations are being sent to CRASH Japan (Christian Relief Assisting Support and Hope), the relief organization here in Japan with which we are partnering. Our Alliance team here is partnering with CRASH, volunteering to do whatever we can to help at the command center located near us in the Tokyo area.
As the days go by, we are hearing many interesting and amazing stories of God’s protection. Pastor Itoh, president of Japan Alliance Church, has a son who is a surgeon in Fukushima Prefecture, where they are having problems with the nuclear reactor. When the March 11 earthquake struck, Pastor Itoh’s son was performing surgery on a patient when the electricity went off. All life support systems shut down, and there was panic as everyone scrambled to start generators that had hardly been used.
Praise God that Pastor Itoh’s son was able to safely complete the surgery without lights and life support systems. Because he is a doctor, he has remained in the Fukushima area near the nuclear reactor, but his wife and children have been evacuated to Yokohama and are staying with Pastor and Mrs. Itoh. Please pray for Pastor Itoh’s son, Taisuke, as he has remains in the radioactive region around the nuclear plant to help people who are hospitalized.
It is an awesome task that we have before us and our human resources are so limited. It is only as we partner together with other like-minded churches and missionary organizations here that we can ever expect to have a lasting impact on this needy country.
Please continue to pray with us as we consider how to use our resources in the best possible manner. We are confident that there will be many who come to a saving knowledge of Jesus as a result of this tragedy. Thank you for your prayers for each member of our team as we come alongside our Japanese friends and point them to Jesus, the only One who can calm the storms that come into our lives.
What you can do:
Read now » Read news from the field as it becomes available.
Give now » Make an online donation at on camaservices.org
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