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December 2002
Praise items
Praise that Paul and Pat Stock and family arrived safely back
in Pakistan on December 3. We enjoyed some days together in Karachi
as they got over jet lag and prepared to take up their ministry
at the boys' hostel and with the audio-visual department in Mirpurkhas.
Paul spent some weeks preparing a CD of English songs he has composed,
entitled "As Long as You Give Me Breath." Pat and Lois
Scott joined him in some songs. Listening to them is a true worship
experience! We will let you know where these can be obtained when
they are ready. Pray for them as they face the mountain of work
and problems that have piled up in their 14 month absence. On
the evening of December 11 a program is planned for friends to
come and mourn with them for Dale's and Cory's deaths.
Praise for a responsive group of 50 people who attended Group
One, 15 of them for the first time. We were especially blessed
by a middle-aged couple who came to be baptized. Usually baptisms
are done in the village in front of neighbors as a witness. However
a radical group is located in their village so they came to the
New Life Center. Lalla has been an exorcist and charm maker, opposed
to the gospel. His wife, Shanti became seriously ill with TB.
He begged us to pray for her, which we did. We also started her
on TB treatment. She has steadily improved through prayer and
pills. Their evangelist gave them a hand-wind tape player through
which they learned basic Christian teaching and memorized several
verses. As they were leaving home for our center, an old client
came requesting a charm to combat severe shaking in one leg which
hindered his walking. Lalla said, "I don't make charms any
more but I can pray for you in the name of Jesus." The man
agreed. Lalla, who had never prayed aloud before, folded his hands
and said, "God this man needs to be healed. Please heal him
in the name of Jesus." The man's leg stopped shaking and
he walked with them to the bus stop! We all rejoiced as they openly
declared their faith.
At the AD 2000 Seminar in October people were encouraged to choose
an unreached ethnic group in their area, start praying regularly
for them and see if any contact could be made. In November we
were encouraged by story after story of unexpected opportunities
people had to befriend and witness to members of the special group
they had chosen. Praise that new awareness of such groups surrounding
us has enabled God to open new doors of witness. Try it yourself.
Pray the Lord will guide you to some member of a new ethnic group
in your community whom you can befriend and see what He does.
Praise for a joyous dedication of the Kutchi Gujarati New Testament.
Several songs and poems were composed to express the joy they
felt in having the Bible in their own language. Many copies sold
that night.
Prayer items
- Pray earnestly for the future of this ministry in Rahim Yar
Khan. It has been heartbreaking to have to face the probability
of the New Life Center being closed down and this fruitful ministry
severely hindered because of the Arp Mission decision to stop
funding it after January 31. Pray for the 18 full-time workers
and their families who are facing great financial hardship because
of this decision. Pray for the steady stream of interested inquirers
and new believers who have been coming for regular teaching,
that they will continue to seek the Lord and that we will find
ways to follow up on what teaching they already have.
- Pray that the New Life Center will not be closed for even
a day, and that the Arps will be willing to lease it to some
other group so that the ministry can carry on.
- Pray for George and Gail McBane who feel strongly called to
return to work among the Meghwals. Pray they will be able to
find another sending group willing to take them on, and churches
who will support them in this important ministry. Pray for grace
not to be bitter against those who have made these hurtful decisions.
Pray for the following programs planned for December:
- December 12-15 Boys Rally for literacy
students who can read the Bible. We expect 35 boys and young
men to attend. Pray for William K. Din. who very ably runs these
rallies. Pray it will be a time of decision and spiritual growth
for these enthusiastic young fellows.
- December 15-17 Timothy group. Key
educated young men come and study Bible courses. Four of them
(Haima, Keval, Rattan and Muradu) are advanced students and
developing into able young leaders. Several new Christians or
inquirers will be taking a basic survey course of the Bible.
- December 18-20: Group One for inquirers
and new believers. We expect a good group of 50 - 80 to come
since farm work is slack at this season. Pray the events of
Christmas will have new and deeper meaning for us all. Pray
especially for those who will hear it for the first time. It
is always fun to watch their expressions as they listen!
- December 21: Christmas party for
all workers and their families. Pray for them as they carry
the Christmas message to many villages during the rest of the
month. We are disappointed that we have been told not to personally
go on village tours this year for security reasons. So we will
celebrate here.
- December 26-31: Time together with Paul and family at Karachi
beach.
- January 2-4, 2003: Workers' meeting
to plan for the last month of ministry under the auspices of
the Arp Mission. Much time will be spent in prayer for guidance
concerning the future of this work. God will build His Church.
Pray we will be sensitive to His will and purposes in all future
planning.
Many thanks for praying! Your prayers and notes are so encouraging
to us!
To each of you a joyous Christmas season and a blessed start
to 2003.
In Him,
Margie and Fred Stock
The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, page
162.
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