May 3, 2005

Dear Friends,

Praise items

• Praise for a good turnout for the third leadership training session on the Christian home. Harvest was starting, which kept some faithful laypeople away. To our dismay (but by God’s appointment) several new uninvited people came who had not been in on the first two sessions. Prem and Longori with three children were not even believers but were delayed in town for medical reasons. To our surprise they listened intently, learned the meaning of each part of the Christian home chart with its accompanying song, and took special interest in a small box with pictures on it called the “Evangecube.” The gospel is shown in a nutshell as you open and fold the various sides of the box. Using this box, George challenged them to make a personal decision for Christ, which they did. Their evangelist Lazar reports that they eagerly share this message with others they meet in their village, and are busy learning verses in preparation for making a public stand.
• Praise for another Prem, Khatu's brother, who has been active in the lay leadership program. Without pressure from us he has become convinced that he should put Sunday aside for worship and witnessing. He told his unbelieving brothers, with whom he planned to harvest wheat, that he would not harvest on Sunday. He feared they would refuse to include him in their team of workers, but they honored his decision. He has been blessed by going to other villages each Sunday to encourage worship and give his witness.
• Praise for an excellent harvest and no locusts. One retired missionary friend wrote that as she was praying against this plague, she had a vision of a curtain coming down from heaven separating the locusts from the harvest. She was convinced the Lord would save this vital crop. He has! It has been an unusually cool harvest season with fitful rains which have done little damage to the crops but have spurred people on to get the grain winnowed and under cover quickly. We praise God for His protection.
• Praise also for the generous gift of one of the visiting prayer teams, which donated enough money for each family of our workers to buy nearly a year's supply of wheat at harvest time when the price is best.
• Praise for good results from our annual physical exams in Karachi this month. We continue healthy, for which we are deeply grateful!
• Praise for steady improvement in Daud after his operation. Khatu also is greatly relieved from asthma symptoms. Hussu (68 years old) suddenly had a frightening episode of heart pain and tingling all down one side due to high blood pressure. Praise that these symptoms have subsided and did not develop into a full blown stroke. Pray they will not return.
• Praise that Daud’s nephew Bhagwan (father of six children 12 years and under) survived the cerebral hemorrhage that kept him in the hospital in serious condition for much of April. Physically he is greatly improved, but mentally he is still unable to cope normally. He voluntarily threw away the amulets he was wearing to protect him from the evil eye. Pray that his faith will grow strong and he will recover fully.
• Praise that Kyle Scott has completed his courses for a master’s in intercultural studies from Fuller Seminary. Sara and David Treece are hoping to finish their last course this month so that all three can participate in the graduation ceremony in Pasadena California in mid-June. We plan to be there!
• Praise that Nicky’s brother Symen Van Leeuwen has arrived to take up his responsibilities as senior boys hostel parent at Murree Christian School. He is already making himself useful in maintenance, as well as in sharing his knowledge of fire protection (He is a fireman in Australia.) and proper meat cutting from his early training as a butcher. One never knows what skills will be useful on the mission field!
• Praise for a good time in Haiti for Nicky and Esther (17) who went with a church team to serve the people there. They were able to work with a medical team, Nicky using her gifts as nurse-midwife and Esther helping wherever needed. They felt their time there was valuable and fruitful.
• Praise for plans to have a reunion of extended family and close friends near Lake Arrowhead, California, from June 26 to July 1, followed by our golden wedding celebration July 2 at San Clemente Presbyterian Church. Our actual anniversary is September 3, but this date suits the family better. Pray for special blessing on these gatherings.
• We just received word that the conference grounds we had booked for the reunion has become available. A big praise for Margie's cousin, Pat Kellenbarger, who has been able to locate another site close by which is the same price, much more suitable, and can accommodate more people! "How good is the God we adore."

Prayer items

• Pray for the three young men preparing to take a public stand for Christ—Mangala (married to Hussu’s daughter Ruth), his younger brother Punno, and cousin Ajju. (Ruth just gave birth to a baby girl. They have a son named Suliman or Solomon.) Lachman (“Lion of Jesus”), his wife Jano, and Prem and Longori mentioned above are also preparing to take this step. Pray for the right place and time.
• Guman’s mother Nainu has now had 20 radiation treatments for throat cancer. She now can swallow liquids and even eat a banana, though mostly she is fed through a tube inserted in her stomach. She continues quite strong and talkative and is convinced that she is being healed by Jesus. Pray His will be done in her life and in the lives of close family members.
• Pray for the torn cartilage in George McBane’s knee, which is painful and hampers his activities. Pray that if surgery is needed, it can be arranged while they are in the United States in July and August.

Pray for the following programs planned for May

• May 4-7 and May 10-13 - We hope to tour literacy centers to encourage teachers and students. Pray especially for the two new teachers, Muradu and Patros, whose classes are weak because students have been involved in weddings as well as in harvesting wheat. Pray we will know how best to help.
• May 15 - World Day of Prayer will be celebrated by prayer meetings here in Pakistan. McBanes have been actively preparing groups in Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, and Rahim Yar Khan to make this effective. The focus is on praying for God’s blessing on various aspects of life in this country so He can work more freely among us.
• May 19-21 - Timothy meeting for young men to do programmed textbook Bible studies. One group will study Bible Survey and the other will take the third part of the life of Christ, Year of Popularity. The Timothy group was unable to meet in April because the young men were busy in harvest. Pray for responsive hearts.
• May 31-June 2 - Workers’ Meeting to plan for June programs. Thanks for your prayers!

God willing, we plan to fly to California June 3 and will stay at the House of Rest, 784 Santa Barbara St, Pasadena, CA 91101. We hope to be there until July 21 when we will fly to Pittsburgh to attend the 100th anniversary of the New Wilmington Missionary Conference. We then plan to visit Albania again for three weeks, staying with daughter Ruth with her husband Mark Stoscher and four children before returning to Rahim Yar Khan in time for the August Workers' Meeting. We value your prayers for all of these plans and hope we will be able to see many of you during the summer.

We are deeply grateful for your prayers and love to hear from you too.

In Christ,

Fred and Margie Stock

The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 112