E (Other Lands)
E came to the Lord when he was 15, and was discipled while a student at High School by T (another FBC missionary) while T was an intern in the class of '75-76. Through involvement at the monthly missionary prayer meeting, and books such as True Discipleship by William MacDonald, E sensed God calling him to a life in missions, and particularly to serve the spiritual needs of the Unreached people.
E and his wife-to-be got acquainted while on an Operation Mobilization year program of outreach in Germany, in 1982. After another year of long- distance courting in America, they married. The following year E enrolled in the Discipleship Intern Training Program. Eventually he began to serve the Lord at Fairhaven full-time, assisting the elders in pastoral work, training class curriculum development, and outreach programs.
E and his wife were commended to the work of the Lord in "other lands" in 1988, and began their language study and ministry in that country. In 1991 God opened the door for them to settle among the unreached peoples in a remote area, where there was no evangelical church, and only one professing believer from a false religion background. Their oldest child was two, and the next was an infant when they left for their destination country in '88. Some of their children have received a local education until now, which equipped them linguistically to benefit greatly from the involvement with both the children' and the adults' worship in the house church in their destination country.
In 1994, when an untaught, isolated believer moved from his village to the city, the work of the Lord took a step forward. A dedicated himself to discipleship and witness. E lead a Bible study in his home, and one by one souls began to be saved and to reach out to others. Two missionary sisters ministered to the women and children, and families began to be included in the fellowship. By 1997 a house church had come into being, with mid established midweek meetings and a Sunday worship with hymns, prayer, the breaking of bread, and the ministry of the Word, as well as an offering. The saints attend conferences, camps and children' camps for extra edification, and run a book store for New Testament and Bible distribution, drop-in fellowship and witnessing opportunities. A has responded well to E's training, and together with H, C, and HD, is ministering actively to the flock.
Thanks, Praise, and Prayer Requests:
- For all the safety, health, and tranquility we have had in a place known for the danger, sickness and instability.
- For the souls who have been saved and baptized over the last three years. The house church often crowds the living room, and the sense of warmth and family in the Lord is strong.
- Pray for the missionary sisters who have just been expelled from the city unjustly for their testimony for the Lord. They hope to go back.
- Pray for a few brothers and sisters who are going through slumps in their spiritual life, or who perhaps need a fresh encounter with the Lord.
- Pray for the book store outreach, and for the scriptures that are distributed.
- Pray for the us, as this furlough is a transitional time. We need light as to where to move on from here.
- Pray for H and Gl, who are not in the remote area any longer. H is exercised about full-time discipleship and service to the Lord; there are others like him, and E needs wisdom and strength to help the Unreached in his ministry to establish ministries of their own.
