FINAL ASIA UPDATE: NOVEMBER 9, 2001
We're
home! Not our final home...we look forward to that day...some day... maybe
soon...maybe later! In the meantime, we can but rejoice in the God of
our salvation. Our hearts are overflowing with praise and thankfulness.
The God of all creation (And there is only One Jehovah God. In our degenerating
pluralistic society, we must be careful to not allow our thinking to encompass
all the gods as God!) revealed Himself to us through Jesus Christ and
drew us unto Himself by His Holy Spirit. For that we are eternally grateful!
And if that is not enough, He established it as a Divine Family Plan,
whereby we can call Him, FATHER.
As we
flew home (a thirty hour time elapsed from rising early in Seremban, Malaysia
to arriving by taxi at our home in San Diego) our thoughts turned many
times to the strength we felt during this five-week ministry trip. And
we are confident that it was in great part due to your prayers. Thank
you for every minute of invested time. I don't understand prayer! But
I don't need to! God established the idea. And we know this communication
with God --somehow--accomplishes His purposes! Therefore, we appreciate
your efforts in intercession for us. In the figurative language of Holy
Scripture, the odors rising from the incense burners as a sweet smelling
savor to the nostrils of God are the PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS. Your prayers!
Thank you! (See Revelation 5:8)
SUMMARY
OF FIVE FABULOUS WEEKS OF MINISTRY
Week One: SINGAPORE ~~~ Three of the five day sessions (10:00-5:30) were
given to us to present the Nothing GOOD Just Happens! Seminar to 104 seminary
students, pastors and mission pastors. In two of the four evening sessions,
we shared on spiritual warfare and a book review of "Too Valuable
To Lose", focusing on how to prevent missionary attrition. One evening
we were treated to a fabulous "night out" with a business associate
of our son's. Saturday we shared "Profile of a Sending Church"
and a "Stimulating Grass-Roots Involvement" discussion for the
TRAC Consultation, the missions leaders of the Singapore Methodist Churches.
We were hosted for the week by a friend, a missions activist in Singapore
and director for Pioneers/Asia. Saturday evening we were driven across
the channel into Malaysia.
Week Two:
JOHOR BAHRU ~~~ After an Indian dinner (served on a banana leaf, to be
eaten with the fingers of your right hand) and being settled into our
hotel, we walked to a nearby shopping center. Sunday morning I delivered
a sermon that I believe God gave me for this trip. I will share it with
you sometime...soon! Sunday evening was given to a two-hour mini- Spiritual
Warfare seminar. Monday morning--after an Indian breakfast served on a
banana leaf (I never was sure if new ones were given each time, or if
they had a way of washing them!)--we were put on a bus to KUALA LUMPUR.
Met by a most gracious Martin Duke, we were taken to our accommodations,
a lovely apartment in the complex where the classes are held. Monday evening,
Tuesday, day and evening and Wednesday, we shared lessons in Spiritual
Warfare with 85+ students of THE SCHOOL OF ACTS. Thursday was a "free"
day--a lot of Christmas shopping got done! Friday was a luncheon meeting
with James Kumar, giving us some details of our last two weeks with the
Tamil Methodist Churches. That evening--YES, eating again! The Malaysians
"love" to eat. Many food courts are open all night. This time
with two students I had taught last year. We discussed some of the problems
of sending churches vs. mission agencies. Saturday we met with a businessman
and his family for lunch and a look around town. Many Christian businessmen
are able to build Godly relationships with otherwise difficult-to-reach
people. Do we appreciate the freedoms we enjoy in America? For all the
rhetoric hitting the media waves, Islam is NOT a religion of tolerance.
In Malaysia, one may share freely with the Tamil (India Indians), the
Chinese and the Eurasians. The Malay people are "born" Muslim.
To share Christ with them means prison or death.
Week Three:
KUALA LUMPUR ~~~ Sunday, it was my privilege to again share that sermon.
This time with the congregation of a large Methodist church. Following
the service, we witnessed a Muslim wedding to which the church leadership
had been invited. Following that, we had a discussion with the church
leadership regarding some "knotty" issues of missions policy.
And then off to the graduation of The School of ACTS students. It was
held in the banquet room of a hotel. Owned by a Christian, the Hyatt of
Kuala Lumpur is the most luxurious hotel we have ever been in! Paul, the
Apostle, would have said, "Yes, I have learned how to abound!"
An eleven course dinner! Evening gowns and suits. A fancy occasion. But
most important: Zealous students now ready to go out to share the Good
News of the Gospel. Monday through Friday found us with 21 students in
focused missions training. Malaysian Center for Global Ministry (MCGM)
is the school I taught in last year. You may remember that I had been
asked to help develop the curriculum for this new school. Then they asked
me to come and teach one of the weeks! There were six students that first
year. Note that enrollment more than tripled in their second year. And
as more organizations are hearing about this intense program of missionary
preparation, we are confident next year will be even greater. The good
thing about this year is that they asked Yvonne to come to teach the Interpersonal
Relationships class. She did great! Though they were cultures apart, she
related so well, they asked her to return next year. (They asked me to
"tag" along!) What a privilege to be training these people for
the mission field. You may recall that years ago I had proposed that an
excellent investment in time would be for those of us in the "West"
to train those of emerging world nations who are better equipped than
us to take the Gospel message to the unreached of the world. This is what
we are now being privileged to do! Friday evening, then, we met with that
"businessman" and several of his "business" associates.
We shared on the subject of "The Renewal of the Mind: Romans 12:2".
Week Four
& Five: SENTUL, IPOH, SUNGAI PETANI, KUANTAN, MENTAKAB, and SEREMBAN:
TAMIL METHODIST CHURCHES throughout the country ~~~ For the last two weeks
we were privileged to meet with the pastors of the forty-three Tamil Methodist
churches (at least most of them) at six district meetings. We used the
outline of the Nothing GOOD Just Happens! Seminar as a discussion starter.
What a privilege it was to impact these pastors. Malaysia is emerging
as a missionary SENDING nation. And they are wanting to learn from "our
(England & the USA) mistakes". In evening meetings, then, we
were able to share mini-SERVING AS SENDERS seminars with groups of congregations
in those districts. Sunday services again focused on "that"
sermon. One Sunday evening I had the privilege of sharing a memorial sermon
for the father of James Kumar. The Lord impressed me to share His perspective
of the death of a Christian: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is
the death of His saints." (Psalm 116:15) It takes some real faith
to appreciate His perspective when we are so caught in the emotions of
our loss. One Saturday evening we were invited to a "prayer"
meeting. What it turned out to be was the birthday celebration of a 21-year
old university student! As the pastor and I sat, he said he would like
me to share a few words! Talk about "instant in season and out!"
Fortunately, in all probability because of your prayers, the Lord impressed
me with the prayer of Jabez. I had to do a bit of improvisation, in that
Jabez was a man, but...!
YVONNE'S
SUMMARY: We just got home last night from our 5 weeks in Singapore (1
wk)& Malaysia (4 wks). It did go well & we trust there will be
good fruit from the trip throughout the next months & years. Our schedule
was full, but not TOO full. We did have time to get needed rest &
sleep. We didn't do any sightseeing, but we saw quite a bit of the natural
beauty of the land as we traveled. This travel included a twelve hour
bus ride through the northern States known for their radical beliefs.
It is a very beautiful tropical country, with plenty of jungle - palm
oil tree groves for miles & miles, plus rubber tree groves. The monsoons
started the second week of our trip, so there was a dramatic thunder &
lightening storm with heavy rain nearly every afternoon or evening. Our
health was good throughout & the planes, buses, taxis were all fine.
The food was wonderful - most of it was Indian (from India) which means
very spicy hot. We were surrounded by Muslims most of the time & we
got "looks", but no bad treatment at all.
OF THE
MANY OPPORTUNITIES, THIS ONE IS PARAMOUNT: Anyone you know who might want
to go teach English in a rural area of Malaysia? In public schools with
endless opportunities to share the Gospel with Muslims, as one on one
friendships are made? This is a huge opportunity & school starts in
January, 2002!! But they will take you whenever you can come. Let us know
if this is for YOU or someone you know!
Ministering
by His grace, Neal & Yvonne
PS: From
our Seminar Schedule, you can see that we are "off & running"
again on January 14. If you would like to receive UPDATES from that six
weeks of ministry in Europe and lift us before the Lord in prayer, we
would like to hear from you. Click here: Emmaus_Road@eri.org
and put EUROPE UPDATE in the Subject box.
THE FIELD
IS THE WORLD!
http://www.eri.org
PS: Our WebSite is user friendly! Check it out!
THE REENTRY
TEAM: Caring for Your Returning Missionaries, a new book now available.
A great complement to Servings As Senders
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