November 2003

Praise items

• Praise that George McBane is back with us for five weeks. He arrived during Workers’ Meeting and was greeted by a lively chorus of praise followed by many hugs. Gail will return with him in early February. Pray for continued progress in raising funds for their own support and that of the ministry to Meghwals.
• Praise for an encouraging village tour with evangelist Lazar. In spite of being busy in cotton harvest a good many women gathered wherever we had worship. A 15-year-old believer, Deena, has tried hard to win his old grandparents, Malu and Ansi, and younger brother Puran to the Lord. They decided for Christ last year but were just now baptized. Ansi, being frail, was worried she might die before taking that step. It was a joy to hear Malu and the boys share clearly about their faith, and to see Ansi’s radiant face after the service.

• Margie had four young Hindu men taking the introductory course “Abundant Life.” They had learned to read as adults and knew little Bible or Christian truth. They seemed so dull at first we wondered how worthwhile it was to attempt to teach them! But soon they sharpened up and took a keen interest. They gave an enthusiastic report back home of what they learned.
• Praise for Patros, the first Parkari-speaking Meghwal Christian who came to Christ largely through reading gospels he bought at Kunri Hospital in 1998. After years of trying to persuade various pastors to take him into the fellowship, he was baptized last month. He has had little contact with any church fellowship and is eager to learn all he can of the Bible. He will join the Timothy class before returning to his job in Karachi. Pray for him to find fellowship there and to be able to win his family who at present are quite opposed.
• Praise for many new hymns that have been composed in recent months. Haima is specially gifted in this, but others are also being used. Praise for a good music conference this month to edit and improve these songs to be put on CD. It was a joy to see the various composers humbly open to changes suggested by others. Pray these will be used widely in outreach to others.
• Praise for new funeral rites worked out by our son Paul and his team to replace the idolatrous Hindu ones. Tribals have been deeply touched by the appropriate hymns, prayers and rituals. They also instituted a “Festival of Light” to enable Christians to celebrate Divali. It’s filled with Christian meaning. Six hundred tribals took part in their first celebration in October. The name of Jesus, the Light of the World, was truly glorified. Their final ceremony was to have each person light a candle from “Jesus’s candle,” take it outside, and put it in various places on the conference grounds. These 600 scattered lights made a thrilling sight, representing the light of Jesus being spread to many as we witness. Pray these new customs will become common practice.
• Praise that Nicky, Esther, and Luke will be joining Ruth and Mark Stoscher in Hollywood for Thanksgiving. Nicky is seriously planning to return to Pakistan next August as school nurse for Murree Christian School.
• Praise that nobody was hurt when a tipped over candle caused a fire in Paul and Pat’s bathroom. Their plastic toilet tank and seat melted in the flames and the whole house was covered with oily soot. They had a major clean-up job to do and some repainting, but no serious damage.

Prayer items

• Pray for an important meeting on November 7 of ARP mission executives with a Christian outreach organization in Pakistan to discuss leasing the New Life Center to them. Pray that this facility will be restored for Meghwal work only if it will best further the outreach to this tribe.
• Pray for three heart patients we are taking to Lahore for testing November 9-11. Resham is a young Hindu girl recently married by arrangement to a Christian boy, Daniel. Her heart has serious defects. The prognosis is poor. She is just coming to faith. Vickrum is the 15-year-old son of a widow and related to several of our workers. He has a hole in his heart that needs surgery. At present he shows little spiritual interest but his mother and sisters came to Group 1 and seem open. Pray too for evangelist Lazar who has been having pain in his chest and down his left arm.
• Pray for Aziz, Lazar’s youngest brother who has repeatedly run away, twice just as a new baby was due. When at home he works well, is a good husband and father; then suddenly disappears for months, leaving the responsibility for his family on Lazar. He came to our Workers’ Meeting for special prayer against this desire. Now he is learning to read and growing in faith. Pray for emotional stability and maturity in faith.

Pray for the following activities in which we will be involved in November:

• November 6-8 - Timothy group of 12-15 young men studying three different courses. Pray for good fellowship and growth in faith.
• November 12-16 - We are speaking at the InterServe annual conference in Lahore. Paul and family will be there leading worship. Pray this will be a refreshing time spiritually for all of us.
• November 17-19 - First literacy exams will be given to eight village literacy classes that were started last July. In the evenings we will have worship services in the villages.
• November 20-22 - Group 1 studying Elijah and the Widow, as they face a lean year due to the cotton crop being devastated by caterpillars. Pray for responsive hearts and a manageable group to match the available bedding. Last meeting had over 100 attending!
• November 19-23 - Saraiki-speaking Meghwal musical group will record a CD of new Saraiki hymns at Paul’s audio-visual center in Sindh. Several instrumentalists are not believers. Pray they come to faith.
• November 25-28 - Workers' Meeting with George able to attend full time. Plans will be made for Christmas and other December programs.

We are very conscious of the power of your prayers upholding us daily.

Many thanks!

In Him,

Fred and Margie Stock

The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 162