June 2, 2005

Dear Friends,

From June 3 to July 21 we’ll be based at the House of Rest, 784 Santa Barbara St., Pasadena, CA 91101.

Praise items

• Praise for the summer ahead full of reunions with family and friends. We leave Pakistan tonight, June 2, and, God willing, will be in Pasadena by tomorrow afternoon (having gained 13 hours on the way).
• Our immediate family will be gradually collecting in the Los Angeles area. All will be there in time for our reunion camp at Arrowhead Ranch from June 26 to July 1. Our golden wedding anniversary will be celebrated with a luncheon at the San Clemente Presbyterian Church on July 2. We are grateful for their hosting of this celebration. Hope many of you can be there. Let Pat Kellenbarger know at (760) 231-9609 if you find you can come and have not yet put your name on the list. We would love to see you there.
• Praise for a good Global Prayer Day on May 15. Each of our workers held daily prayer meetings in a key village for the preceding ten days and then had a three-hour prayer time on the 15th. They reported blessing. In Lahore attendance was limited because of the funeral of Bishop S.K. Dass, our former bishop in Hyderabad diocese. In Karachi they had a record attendance of about 6,000 who enthusiastically worshipped and prayed. Security arrangements were excellent and all expenses were met by local Christians. George McBane took a leading part in that. Pray that a deep prayer concern for Pakistan will continue
• Praise for a good baptismal service for Ruth’s husband, Mangala, and his brother Punoo. Their paternal grandfather, Hussu Bhagat, is a Hindu religious leader and has been hindering the family from taking this step. His opposition seems to be weakening recently. Pray their parents will be willing to step out in faith too and make a public confession. They have received considerable teaching.
• Praise that Daniel’s father and mother Lachman and Jani and the new believing couple Prem and Longori are learning verses preparatory to baptism and hope to take this step during June.
• Praise that Daud, Lazar, Hussu, and Khatu are much improved in health. Your prayers are important! A Hindu Meghwal living in a village near RYK has suffered each summer from an itchy rash that starts on his chest and spreads all over his body. Secretions from it develop a bad odor and stain his clothing. This May the rash started again and he was feeling desperate. A friend shared that he had been healed of another physical problem through prayer in the church in Ghotki (two hours away). He went to Ghotki, was prayed for and was healed! He told our cook, Guman, “I’m going to that church in Ghotki to be baptized. But it is far away and I want you to teach my wife and children so they too can believe in Jesus.” Pray this family will be given the follow-up teaching they need to come to a lasting faith.
• Praise that Bhagwan, the father of six who had a serious brain hemorrhage in March, is steadily improving. He even rode a cycle a short distance. Pray he will soon be able to cope with a job. His wife and children are growing in spiritual understanding. Pray he will be more responsive.

Prayer items

• Pray for Guman’s mother Nainu who is fighting throat cancer. She swallows with great difficulty and is struggling to keep her faith in Jesus. “I keep asking for healing and Jesus doesn’t heal me. Why does He not answer my prayers?” She still refuses to wear charms or to worship idols. Pray she will put her eyes on the eternal gifts Jesus offers her—forgiveness, salvation, eternal life, and peace of mind and heart.
• Literacy teacher, Ayube, was helping lift a steel plow onto a tractor. It fell and injured two of his fingers. One had most of the flesh wiped off and the bone in the top digit of the other is broken. He didn’t get good medical attention for three days so one finger has become infected. Pray for full healing.

Pray for the following programs planned for June and early July:

• June 13-16 - Timothy group. Fifteen promising young men came for Bible studies in May. They covered one half of their courses and will complete them in June. An advanced class will study Ephesians. Pray for Mohib James and two other Pakistani laymen who will teach these courses in our absence. Pray for deepening spiritual maturity in these young potential church leaders.
• Throughout June - George McBane has challenged the evangelists to choose one particular area of their district to saturate with prayer. Teams of workers and concerned laypeople will come at various times to pray with them for that area. Pray this will help defeat Satan’s strongholds in certain villages.
• June 11 - Kyle Scott and David and Sara Treece will receive their master’s degrees from Fuller Seminary. The Scott-Stock clans will have an informal reception for them afterwards. We’re proud.
• June 26-July 1 - Family reunion (including close friends) at Arrowhead Ranch near Los Angeles.
• June 27-30 - Worker’s Meeting to plan for July and August programs.
• July 8-August 20 - McBanes will be in the United States. Pray for needed medical help for them both during this time.
• July 2 - Our golden wedding celebration in San Clemente Presbyterian Church.
• July 4-9 - Stock family campout in Yosemite.

Your prayers mean much to us!

Yours in Christ’s love,

Fred and Margie Stock

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