October 6, 2009
By an Alliance worker, serving in Indonesia
Editor’s Note: The following was taken from an update by an Alliance worker concerning progress in bringing relief to survivors of the September 30 earthquake in Padang, Indonesia. CAMA (Compassion and Mercy Associates, the relief arm of The Alliance) has been in contact with national church leadership and TALI, an Indonesian relief agency. A team was coordinated to fly directly to the earthquake affected area to determine how best to respond to current needs. Continued opportunities to give are available. Make a donation now.
The devastation is pretty overwhelming. So many homes and families have been affected not only in Padang, the central point of the quake, but also in the outlying areas where help is just now beginning. There had been unrest due to relief supplies not reaching those areas, yet now it seems as if the food and water are being distributed there as well.
At least three or four villages were completely buried in landslides and are lost. The death toll seems to be somewhere above 1,000. Rescue efforts have given way to recovering bodies. My fellow survey team members and I are doing fine. We ask for prayer for the following.
Wisdom
We really need wisdom as to the best way to help. Right now, we are focusing on helping to gather building supplies so people can begin to rebuild their homes and not have to stay in tents, or worse, without shelter. Many of the bigger relief organizations are providing food, water, and immediate shelter. Our team would like to focus on helping people rebuild their lives. This will mean supplies and also people who will be able to stay to help distribute materials and oversee the project.
Personnel
It is very important to be able to place some people in this area to help for a while and to oversee things. Pray for God’s leading in this area and that the right people would be able to go in to help.
Provision
Pray along with us that God will provide for all that is needed here. The church in Indonesia is responding to this need, and we are grateful. We are trusting God for all that will be needed.
Thank you for praying with us and for working alongside of us.
Make a donation now.
October 1, 2009
The Alliance is assisting survivors of two natural disasters that struck the Pacific rim this week. On September 30, 2009, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 shook Indonesia at 5.16 p.m. local time. The epicenter was 53 km north of Padang, and the quake produced a tsunami that has flooded sections of Sumatra. Another strong earthquake hit Indonesia early October 1. “All C&MA personnel are fine,” says an Alliance worker. However, at least 1,100 people have died as a result of both quakes, and hundreds more are believed to be injured, reports CNN.
In Padang alone, the death toll has exceeded 500, with more deaths expected. As many as 1,100 homes have been destroyed. Rains continue to hamper rescue efforts, and roads and bridges from the south suffered damage, making land access to the city of 900,000 hazardous and difficult. Communication is poor, as phone lines and wireless towers are down. “Survivors are in need of clean water, food, and medical supplies,” says an Alliance spokesperson.
CAMA (Compassion and Mercy Associates, the relief arm of The Alliance) has been in contact with national church leadership and TALI, an Indonesian relief agency. A team is being coordinated to fly directly to the earthquake affected area to determine what role TALI, CAMA, and the C&MA should take in responding to current needs. Continued opportunities to give are available. Make a donation now.
Philippine and Vietnamese Typhoon Relief Under Way
Elsewhere in the region, the Philippines braced for the impact of a super typhoon, Parma, just days after Typhoon Ketsana left hundreds dead and most of Manila under water, reports CNN. The storm, downgraded to a tropical depression on Wednesday, also killed more than 100 Vietnamese. Typhoon Ketsana has affected about 1.4 million people and damaged or submerged more than 350,000 houses.
CAMA has responded to the devastating flooding in Manila with a $5,000 donation to the Christian and Missionary Alliance Churches of the Philippines (CAMACOP). This will be used to assist the communities in which Alliance churches are located. Continued opportunities to give are avaialable. Make a donation now.
In Vietnam, CAMA will be working with PACCOM, a government agency, and the Tinh Lanh Church, the latter as allowed by the government.
What You Can Do
Pray that those who have been affected by these tragedies will come to know the love of Jesus through the compassion of our workers and their national colleagues. Also, pray for God’s blessing on rescue efforts and for safety and direction for the survey team.
Allow CAMA to be your hands to a hurting world. Join our workers in helping to change the lives of the survivors and introduce them to Jesus, the source of life. Click here to donate.
September 29, 2009
Alliance staff members reported that demonstrations related to the upcoming elections took place in Guinea’s capital city, Conakry, September 28.
“The United Nations Security Council has condemned political violence in Guinea that reportedly killed nearly 160 people,” CNN later reported.
Alliance Workers Safe
In spite of Monday’s unrest, “our workers stayed close to home throughout the day and felt safe,” said an Alliance staff member on the ground. He requested prayer for peace and protection for Guineans as well as for our workers, indicating they have good contacts keeping them informed of unfolding events.
Learn More
Read about how God is as work in Guinea despite the challenges in this West African nation, one of the poorest in the world.
More than 1,000 young people attended a four-day youth conference last week in Pyramid, Indonesia, located in Papua’s highlands. “Dozens made decisions to receive Jesus, dozens more brought fetishes to be burned, and still dozens more committed their life to serve Christ full-time,” says Alliance worker Barry Jordan, who ministered at the retreat. “Praise God, and thank you for praying!” Initially, about 600 youth were expected to attend.
“On the final night [of the retreat], the bonfire event was put off until 1:30 a.m. because of rain in the evening,” says Barry. “When it stopped raining, everybody woke up for it!”
Between 500 and 1,000 youth are expected to attend an October 6-9 retreat in Ilaga. “Pray that the Lord will speak His words through me to these young people who are so hungry for God,” says Barry.
Learn More
Check out our Alliance work in Indonesia.
What You Can Do
Pray that Christian youth in Papua will impact their country for God’s glory and stand for His truth.
Donate now to Alliance Great Commission Ministries! Help to ensure that workers like Barry Jordan can continue to share the love of Christ with those who are hungry for God.
September 24, 2009
By Betsy Blanchard, serving in Granada, Spain
The following is an adaptation of Betsy Blanchard’s recent update about the Cinderella’s House ministry, her God-given vision to address the overwhelming needs of Spain’s sex-traffic victims.
An estimated 350,000 women in Spain are hidden behind the doors of more than 2,000 legal brothels called “Alternative Clubs.” Mostly illegal immigrants, these women are enslaved to satisfy the appetites of an estimated 40 percent of Spain’s male population who seek their services regularly.
Prayer!
I have been doing intensive research and strategic planning to best meet the needs of these women in crisis. God has given me many important insights. What has been overwhelmingly clear is that when God calls one to this ministry:
- He opens doors that no man can close
- It’s slow and hard work; and
- In order to succeed PRAYER, PRAYER, PRAYER is needed.
If you embark in this type of ministry, make sure you have many praying people supporting you in this spiritual battle! This is the only way forward, for it is only Christ who can break the bondage and bring new life among those ensnared in the sordid sex-trafficking business.
As I continue to learn about the horrors of sexual exploitation and the situation in Spain, God has reminded me as well of two things I’d like to share with you.
Our Biblical Heritage
In the late 1800s, Alliance founder Dr. A. B. Simpson was moved by the unmet needs of the marginalized. Leaving a lucrative pastorate in a well known church, he established the Gospel Tabernacle in New York City. God led the church to embark on new approaches for that day to reach the lost, including a number of street prostitutes. Many of these destitute women found new life and hope in Jesus as a result.
My prayer is that Cinderella’s House will follow not only this heritage, but the mandate of our Savior, who also loved and cared for prostitutes!
Divine Healing for the Whole Person:
Dr. Simpson also believed whole-heartedly in Jesus as our Divine Healer; this, too, is part of our Alliance heritage. Women caught in prostitution and sex trafficking-the overwhelming majority of whom have suffered physical, emotional, and especially childhood sexual abuse-desperately need Jesus’ healing touch.
Lied to from their earliest memories, many of these women have distorted thinking that has trapped them in a cycle of hopelessness and vulnerability hard to understand and harder still to break. Since their life experiences define “love” in destructive ways, the “Good News” is a concept almost beyond their comprehension. A lasting demonstration of God’s love through a deep, divine touch from the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of their hearts and to heal the most damaged places in their lives is desperately needed.
Prayer and Fasting
In order to break such bondage our Heavenly Father calls us to fast, “to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness,” (Isaiah 42:7).
The 4th Annual International Weekend of Prayer and Fasting for the Victims of Sex Trafficking is September 25-27. Will you join me and believers worldwide to fast and pray for at least one meal that weekend on behalf of the victims of today’s slave trade-sex trafficking? If you are led to do so, please pray for
- God’s leading in the building of the Cinderella’s House ministry, and
- Freedom through Christ amongst the 350,000 women caught in sex trafficking in Spain.
Your faithful giving to Alliance Great Commission Ministries allows me the privilege and joy to serve in Spain, as we “Live the Call Together!”
You can also donate online to the Cinderella’s House project to help make this vital ministry a reality!
Learn More
Read another article about the Cinderella’s House ministry.
For additional suggestions on how to pray Sept. 25-27, check out the Salvation Army Web site
Please note that by clicking this link you will be leaving The Alliance website.
September 22, 2009
West Africa’s rainy season has caused extensive flooding throughout the region this year, reported Stan and Jaynee Walker, who serve with The Alliance in Senegal.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, many have contracted waterborne diseases, and more than 160 have died.
Tens of Thousands of Senegalese Affected
According to the United Nations, the Walkers said, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal, and Sierra Leone are among the worst hit countries. “Here in Senegal, more than 260,000 people have been affected by this rainy season’s flooding.” Each rain reportedly brings more flooding.
Even in normal conditions, access to water and proper sanitation is limited in many parts of Africa, the couple added. Although malaria outbreaks are always a risk during the rainy season, the flooding is expected to cause even greater risk of disease outbreaks.
Churches Respond to Needs
In Dakar, Senegal’s capital city, churches have responded, opening their doors to offer shelter to those in their neighborhoods forced out of flooded homes.
“Pray that this testimony would be a light to many who do not know Him, yet seek this shelter,” the Walkers concluded. “What a wonderful opportunity to extend God’s grace.”
Pray for . . .
- the many who are displaced by West Africa’s floods
- local churches as they work to show God’s love to those who are suffering
What You Can Do
Because Alliance workers are in place around the world, God’s people are available to assist in times of crisis, like the current flooding across large portions of West Africa. Giving to Alliance Great Commission Ministries ensures that our dedicated workers can continue to faithfully share Christ’s hope and compassion with those who are suffering.
Burkina Faso’s government has placed land markers on the four corners of the Alliance-run Dorcas House property, reports Amy Nehlsen. “Praise the Lord with us! We have been praying for this for three years, since this assures that the property is secured and is officially ours.”
The Nehlsen family serves with The Alliance in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Life-Saving Assistance
Fifteen young women live in the home in Ouagadougou where they receive literacy training and Christian discipleship as well as vocational skills training. Nearly 80 percent of females in Burkina are illiterate and face a life of deep physical and spiritual poverty without interventions like those Dorcas House offers in Jesus’ Name.
Amy asks for continued prayer and protection for house residents. Last week a five-foot snake was killed in one of the dormitories on the property. “We rejoice in the protection of the Lord on the girls,” she concludes.
Learn More
Read about the spiritual awakening at Dorcas House earlier this year.
Check out our Alliance work in Burkina Faso.
What You Can Do
Donate now to Alliance Great Commission Ministries! Help to ensure that workers like the Nehlsens can continue to share the love of Christ with those who are destitute and without hope.
September 21, 2009
By an Alliance worker in Indonesia
On September 16, followers of the GKIP, a group that had broken away from GKII (the C&MA national church in Indonesia), burned down a GKII church and two houses in Enarotali. In addition, an Alliance church service in Dekai was disrupted when a number of youth from the breakaway group stormed into the church. There were no reports of violence, but the service was stopped and the congregation left.
The GKII has planned an October 13-16 conference in Enarotali where Alliance missionaries will speak. The buildings that were burned include those that were going to be used for housing the conference and the speakers. We don’t know what the GKII will do now, but we ask you to pray for the church situation there. Pray that new facilities will be secured if God wants the conference to take place there. Please pray for the church in Dekai also.
In desperate attempts for power and authority, members of the breakaway group continue to reveal the intent of their hearts by their actions. Pray for confession, repentance, and revival in the church for God’s glory.
In the middle of these challenging times, God is doing an amazing work in refining His Body. Two [groups of believers] interior valleys have rejected the breakaway group and returned to the GKIP. I just heard recently that one GKII church in the Baliem Valley concluded its mission conference with an actual cash offering to missions of more than $10,000US. In the midst of trial, we do not lose heart but rejoice in Christ.
Thank you for remembering the needs of the Church in Papua.
Learn More
Click here read about the exciting history of Alliance ministry in the Baliem Valley.
Check out our Alliance work in Indonesia.
September 8, 2009
Heavy rains caused severe flooding in and around Burkina Faso’s capital city, Ouagadougou, Tuesday, September 1.
“Some 150,000 people are now homeless, and the death toll is rising,” reported Alliance international worker Karen Wolters, whose family home in Burkina sustained some flood damage. Alliance workers Alice and Pete Brokopp were able to assist the Wolters family and others caught in the storm and its aftermath.
Devastation
“The magnitude of the flood was shocking,” Alice said. “Water covered almost two lanes of the divided four-lane highway. Cars parked in front of a garage on a nearby service road were almost completely submerged in water. This is the worst flooding since 1922″
Concerns were high for friends and workers living on the outskirts of the city where houses are made of mud bricks. “During a particularly strong rain last year, many of these houses crumbled,” Alice continued. “I dreaded to know what was happening during this rain and prayed specifically for our workers’ homes.” God heard those prayers. “Only one home one was cracked, and another eroded only a bit!”
While visiting the poorest area of town, Sector 30, the Brokopps distributed bags of rice to flood survivors. “We stopped at our church there, which had taken in 70 refugees, and gave more rice.” Remarkably, Alice added, “men had gone immediately to work to salvage what bricks they could and rebuild their homes. One man explained: ‘We do what we have to do.’”
Office Damages, Outreach
The worst damages to Alliance property appear to be at Alliance office headquarters in the capital. “Our office was knee deep in water,” Alice said. “Electrical cords were submerged, a fridge knocked over, the file cabinet saturated, and debris was floating around. Most files and a computer were saved, the copier was sitting high, but many papers and books were destroyed. We are still working to salvage some hard drives.”
ACCEDES, the development arm of the C&MA in Burkina, is distributing aid through Alliance churches to help feed and clothe 500 flood survivors.
“This disaster is an opportunity for us to show the love of Christ,” Alice concluded. “Pray for opportunities to touch hearts and offer not only physical help but spiritual help as well. Pray against illness-malaria, cholera, typhoid-that could ravage the flood displaced who are huddled in close quarters.”
What You Can Do
Because Alliance workers are in place around the world, God’s people are available to assist in times of crisis, like the recent flooding in Burkina. Giving to Alliance Great Commission Ministries ensures that these dedicated workers can continue to faithfully serve.
Retired missionaries reconnecting? The idea first came to Sarah Liu when a missionary friend suggested a get-together of retired missionaries. “It seemed overwhelming to me,” says Sarah, who is the volunteer coordinator for Caleb & Co., a ministry to connect missionaries with 25+ years on the mission field with each other and with current mission initiatives. “Where would we have it? Who will speak? Will retired missionaries be able to afford it?”
Not too old for ministry
Retirement from missionary service can be an emotional and spiritual struggle for workers as they learn to accept the fact that they are no longer involved in full-time ministry.
“Coming back home to a church where one is surrounded by a younger generation that may consider us too old to be useful is a bitter pill to swallow,” says John Schultz, who served in Irian Jaya with his wife, Janine, for 40 years. “Whereas on the mission field, national pastors would ask us to preach whenever we showed our face, people now show us benign neglect.”
Trailblazer
Desiring to reunite the disenfranchised missionaries in an effort to include them in ministry, Sarah eagerly took on the administration of the new ministry. “I started as the volunteer coordinator for retired missionaries in 2007,” she says. “Nobody else had filled that position, so I basically was writing my own job description and trusting God for direction.”
Sarah is no stranger to ministry or to the principle of relying on God alone for provision. Growing up in Calcutta, India, with her missionary parents, David and Mary Lamb, Sarah learned early in life that God keeps His promise to provide for those whom He has called to serve. Also, her husband, Kenneth, pastored Centerville (Ohio) Community Church (C&MA) for 30 years. Her early childhood experience and adult years as a pastor’s wife prepared her well for this new ministry in which she would be a participant as well as administrator.
Sarah began with the ministry’s first newsletter, defining ministry objectives as well as explaining its name. “Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 13:30) were the two who came back with a good report after spying out the Promised Land. In the same way through the many years of service these missionaries have rendered, they have claimed the “Promised Land” that God gave them. And like Caleb of old, they are back-giving exhilarating reports of what God has done. They are in good company with Caleb.”
A Step in Faith
Plans were made for the first get-together to be held at General Council 2009 in Louisville, Kentucky. But the dilemma of including missionaries who could not afford travel to such a large event weighed heavily on Sarah’s heart, and she sought God’s direction. When her daughter, Sharene offered financial help for one missionary couple to attend, Sarah was encouraged. “It was like God was telling me, ‘Okay, go for it.’”
In the next issue of Caleb & Co. newsletter, Sarah told the story of her daughter’s offer to help. Readers responded enthusiastically, and soon every retired missionary who indicated a need for financial assistance to attend the event was covered.
The Caleb Connection
“The first Caleb & Co. event was a wonderful time of fellowship, and of course, a delicious meal,” says Linda Sauve, who attended the event with her husband, Ted. The Sauves served on the Latin America field for 40 years. “It was a unique time for us to be, once again, united with fellow missionaries.”
Nancy Pierce also attended the reunion. Having served in Mali, West Africa, for more than 40 years, she said, “It was a delight to connect with our Alliance leaders and hear the burden of their hearts. Now we need to take up the active work of prayer!”
Until their next get-together, planned for Council 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri, Alliance retirees will stay connected via Internet, phone calls, and U.S. mail. “I call each one of them on their birthdays or send them cards of encouragement,” Sarah says. “In the meantime we pray for each other and Alliance work.”
The need for these seasoned veterans of prayer in The Alliance is great. Retired missionaries know well the spiritual battles on the field that must be overcome through the power of prayer. Current international workers can advance their mission to push back the darkness with confidence, knowing their spiritual backs are covered by the prayers of those who have gone before them.
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