Glad Tidings India 2nd Trimester Report

Dear Bruce,

Enclosed please find the second trimester report covering the work of your church planters In India. Please especially note the following results after just 8 months of being trained and equipped by India Bible Literature.

30 decisions for Christ

1 Baptized

6 Ready for Baptism

3 Witnessing Prayer Cells established (nucleus house churches)

30 Regularly attending worship and Bible study.

Please pray that your church planter will have a long and effective ministry.

Sincerely in Christ,

William D. Teate, Jr.

Al & Mickey Williams' November Praise Bulletin

PRAISE ITEMS:
 BANTOANON SCRIPTURE AUDIO RECORDING PROJECT
Thanks so much for your prayers for our SIL colleagues and the Bantoanons as they made an audio recording of Genesis and Exodus in the Bantoanon language and then recorded some hymns, choruses and praise songs in the language, too. The recording is finished – thanks to your prayers! One of our colleagues (the recording technician for the project) sent us the following: "This big [snake] (about 8' long) decided to come into the house where we were staying for the recording of Genesis and Exodus and songs. After a frantic call to the landlord and his arrival with his 9mm pistol, this guy was history with two perfect shots. Amazing! Only later did we discover that it was a King Cobra!!! Wow, thank you Lord for your protection!”

 IVATAN JESUS FILM LAUNCHING
Our SIL colleagues, Andrew and Melissa, began showing the Jesus Film (that they helped to dub into the Ivatan language) to the people on the islands of Batanes in the northern Philippines. Praise God for good weather for the outdoor showings for four out of the five nights so far. Continue to pray for good weather, good health, and a powerful working of God’s Spirit in the hearts of the Ivatan people through this film and the Ivatan Scriptures. And praise God super typhoon Haima did not hit Batanes last month! 

REPRESENTING WYCLIFFE
Al and I had an enjoyable time on Nov. 5 and 6 as we participated in the missions conference at Reformed Baptist Church in Lewisburg, PA. We had never been to this church before, so it was lots of fun meeting the folks and getting to be a part of their lives over the weekend.

 SECURITY TRAINING FOR ABWE MISSIONARIES
This two-day session in early November was attended by 25 people with assignments from several areas around the world. It was a good opportunity for me (Al) to work with three other trainers I have not worked with before. I trust that the security issues presented will aid each one of these 25 as they soon leave to begin or return to their overseas assignments. 

MICKEY’S HEALTH
Thanks so much for your prayers for wisdom for me regarding the cause of my dizziness in recent months. Over the years, I’ve had many medical tests that have shown me several reasons why I might be dizzy at any given time. But after our last letter went out and some of you began to pray, the Lord prompted me to do some basic things that seem to have helped lessen my dizziness: drink more water throughout the day, eat less salt, and get more rest. Thanks for praying!

PRAYER ITEMS: BANTOANON TYPESETTING
Typesetting of the Bantoanon New Testament (including Genesis and Exodus) has begun and the enemy seems intent on stopping it. Heather (the Bible translator) has been having problems with her computer and the Internet / email that she needs for sending the Scripture files to the typesetter and communicating with her throughout the typesetting process. Pray for God’s protection over the equipment and the people involved in this important project.

OUR SUFFERING BROTHERS AND SISTERS
One of our colleagues, JoAnn, translated the New Testament for a people group in the Philippines that has been very resistant to the Gospel. Praise the Lord there are close to 200 believers now, and several groups that meet on a regular basis for fellowship. But in the past year or so there have been 22 deaths and over 40 hospitalizations among the believers or their family members, one right after another. This is emotionally and physically draining for JoAnn and our Filipino brothers and sisters, yet many new seekers have joined the two fellowships that have suffered most of the deaths. Please pray for God’s strength, encouragement, and protection for them so they can endure and the devil will not get the upper hand.

INVESTING IN BIBLE TRANSLATION
We are deeply grateful to the Lord for all who have been part of our ministry with Wycliffe during the past 32 years, but many of our faithful supporters are no longer able to be part of our team financially. In the past two months alone, two of our original prayer and financial partners were “promoted” to Heaven and another one is in the hospital in critical condition. With over 1,800 language groups still waiting for God’s Word in their language, we want to continue serving the work of Bible translation as long as we can. If God puts it on your heart to ‘fill in the gap’ for those who are no longer able to help us, let us know and see below for details. God bless you!

Al & Mickey Williams' October Praise Bulletin

PRAISE ITEMS:
1. ANOTHER DALLAS TRIP – Shortly after we sent our September letter to you, I was asked to make another trip Dallas to meet with the Human Resources team of SIL and to work with them on new Duty of Care Standards for our staff. Though it was a short time in Dallas, I believe we made good progress on this task and set the foundation for a lot of follow-up work via email and on-line conversations. The travel was nice and safe, too. As always, thank you for your prayers through those miles.

2. DAD (Elmer Shertzer) – I (Mickey) am deeply grateful to the Lord for allowing me to be in the US during this time in my father’s life and to provide help for him when he needs me. On September 25, it was evident to me that God was orchestrating the events of my life and giving me wisdom. I had planned to take Dad to his church, since Al was on a Men’s Retreat from church. Instead, I ended up taking Dad to the emergency room because he was in a lot of pain. I praise God for the doctors who quickly determined the cause of Dad’s pain - blood clots in his lung - and put him on the appropriate medicines. Four days later, I was able to take him back to his retirement home where he eagerly returned to his busy schedule of activities the following day!

3. IVATAN JESUS FILM – Our SIL colleagues, Andrew and Melissa, who recorded the Ivatan voices for the dubbing of the Ivatan Jesus Film in February, just received 500 Ivatan Jesus Film DVDs ready for distribution! The launching of the Ivatan Jesus Film is scheduled for November 11 on the island of Batanes in the northern Philippines. Pray for good weather, since this will be an outdoor showing. Praise the Lord that the Governor of Batanes is enthusiastic about the launching and has requested that the film be shown in each municipality! Pray God would use this film to bring many to Christ.

PRAYER ITEMS:
1. SUPER TYHPOON HAIMA - As we write this (10/18/16), the people in the northern Philippines are bracing for their 2nd typhoon in 4 days! The new typhoon (Haima) is a super typhoon and is predicted to make landfall Wednesday night (i.e. Wednesday AM EDT – Oct. 19). Pray for God’s protection for all who are in the path of this storm – especially for the people of Batanes who are still trying to recover and rebuild after a super typhoon hit there in September.

2. REPRESENTING WYCLIFFE – November 5 and 6 we will be at Reformed Baptist Church in Lewisburg, PA presenting our work with Wycliffe. It is a great opportunity to introduce the many facets of the work of Bible translation and stories of lives transformed through the translated Word of God. This is our first time to visit this congregation and we would appreciate your prayers as we have this time with them.

3. ABWE TRAINING – November 7 and 8, I (Al) will be at the ABWE Headquarters near Harrisburg to assist with a Security training program for their staff. This is another great opportunity to pass along good information and lessons learned to those who will soon be overseas and in challenging environments. This is also a good opportunity to learn from trainers in other organizations as we share training information and skills with each other in the process of providing training to this group of participants.

4. MICKEY’S HEALTH – I have had issues with dizziness since 1978 when I had all of my wisdom teeth removed. Most of the time over the years, however, it has been sporadic, but for the past year I’ve had more challenges with it than in the past. Your prayers for wisdom in finding the cause and eliminating the dizziness, if this is the Lord’s will, are greatly appreciated.

UMCOR Responds to Needs in Indiana

Last month in Howard County, Indiana, eight tornadoes swept through the city of Kokoma in one afternoon and evening. The tornadoes struck the same area that was hardest hit by tornadoes more than two years ago.

 Kokomo is a low-income area, and communities there faced power outages, uprooted trees, blown-off roofs, and severe damage to homes and churches. Several hundred people were displaced from their homes. Miraculously, no one was killed or hurt.

 The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is supporting the Indiana Annual Conference with an emergency grant to assist the efforts of a local mission project, Kokomo Urban Outreach, which is providing recovery support for the outreach center and the community it serves. With the help of United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM), Kokomo Urban Outreach will provide immediate basic needs to tornado survivors, including food supplies, shelter, clean-up supplies, and personal living needs.

 UMCOR is also assisting the Indiana conference with a grant for the city of South Bend, which experienced a heavy downfall of rain in August — 12 inches in two hours. The city and surrounding areas experienced severe flooding in areas that were not expected to flood and not located in a flood plain. More than 1,000 homes were either damaged or destroyed.

 The UMCOR grant will allow the conference to support local United Methodist churches in their efforts to assist their neighborhoods, and will provide supplies to meet the immediate needs of individuals who have been displaced.

You can support UMCOR disaster response efforts in the U.S. by giving to U.S. Disaster Response, Advance #901670.

Al & Mickey Williams' September Prayer and Praise Letter

PRAISE ITEMS:

1. SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 – On that September morning, I (Al) was at the Harrisburg airport waiting for the flight that would take me to Atlanta and on to Dallas, Texas for the Risk Management Network meetings. I couldn’t help but think back to that evening in Manila 15 years ago when I was watching CNN and saw the reports of the airliner hitting the World Trade Center and then seeing the second airliner hit the second tower. I was shocked to see this happening, as I’m sure most of you were, too. It was hard to imagine then the impact this would have on all our lives. Likely most of you also remember where you were and what you were doing at that moment 15 years ago.

The world has certainly changed a lot in those 15 years. For me it has changed from flying an airplane and helicopter in the Philippines to focusing on the safety and security of our staff working in Asia. Even with all the crisis events through these years, I'm extremely grateful to the Lord for all the good things we have seen accomplished and underway across Asia. Many people have received the Word of God in their language, audio and video recordings have been produced and distributed, and many people are able to access their Scriptures via the Internet for the first time. Countless people across Asia have come to know the Lord as their Savior.

There is so much to be thankful for in the midst of concern. The Lord has not called us to lives of fear. Instead, we recognize and prepare for these dangerous times, trusting in the Lord as we seek to serve Him. Mickey and I are very thankful for each of you who have been with us on this journey through these past 15 years. You have each been a great blessing to us as we have sought to see God's Word in the hands and hearts of all people across Asia and see their lives transformed by Christ. Your prayers for us keep us focused on assisting our teams across Asia to deal well with the safety and security issues that face them daily as they work to bring the Word of God to those who are still waiting to see, hear and read it in their own languages.

2. RISK MANAGEMENT NETWORK (RMN) MEETINGS – Thank you for your prayers as I (Al) traveled to Texas for this round of meetings. The travel went well, the meetings were excellent, and relationships with others attending were begun and others strengthened.

The RMN meetings provide a great opportunity for me to build on my knowledge and skills as I seek to serve our teams in Asia. It is also an opportunity for me to help others in roles similar to mine in other mission and church organizations as they care for their staff in similar situations. Your prayers and encouragement were great blessings through these days on the road.

3. FINANCIAL NEED – We are thankful for some special gifts that we have received this past month. These have been a great encouragement and blessing in meeting our financial obligations and caring for medical expenses. A heart-felt thank you to each who prays and gives financially for us to continue this work.

PRAYER ITEMS:
1. BANTOANON SCRIPTURE AUDIO RECORDING PROJECTS – Praise God, the recording of the Bantoanon New Testament in the Philippines has been completed and sent to Faith Comes By Hearing for the final edits and addition of sound effects. Please continue to pray for the team as they are now working with SIL recording specialists on the audio recording of Genesis-Exodus. They hope to complete the recording by Oct. 18. Pray that their computers and software will work well, that everyone involved will stay healthy, and that there won’t be heavy rains on their tin roof during the recording sessions (because that would make a LOT of noise)!

2. IVATAN JESUS FILM – Praise the Lord, the master copy of the Ivatan Jesus Film has been completed and our SIL colleagues in the Philippines are making copies for distribution. A premiere showing of the film was tentatively scheduled for November in Batanes province but may need to be rescheduled because a super typhoon hit that area on September 13 -14. The infrastructures and agriculture have been devastated, leaving the people without food, water, or electricity. Praise God, however, reports indicate no loss of human life and the Philippine government’s relief efforts are underway. Pray God will use this difficulty to soften hearts so they will be eager to hear the Gospel.

3. MICKEY’S HEALTH – Thanks so much for your prayers! As it turns out, I ended up seeing an allergist (who put me on a nasal spray to help my nasal congestion) and an ENT (Ear / Nose / Throat specialist) who said my productive cough and postnasal drip were because of something called LPR (laryngeopharyngeal reflux), so I’m taking my stomach pill (acid reducer) twice a day now and am doing better. Praise the Lord!

SVPS Clinic Set to Open in September

SVPS Clinic Celebrates its Opening

More than a year ago, Millersville Community Church (MCC) began discussions with Susquehanna Valley Pregnancy Services (SVPS) to cooperate in reaching out to young women facing unexpected pregnancies. At that time, SVPS operated a clinic on the campus of Millersville University but needed additional space in order to establish a Baby Boutique—a place where moms-to-be could go to obtain diapers, clothing, and other necessities. MCC offered to provide space at First Campus.

Since then, SVPS has lost access to their counseling center on campus, making the partnership with MCC even more important. SVPS staff have been working hard for the past several months to move their entire Millersville clinic to First Campus, and we’ve expanded the space we’re offering to them to two rooms. After months of preparation, everything is in place.

Katie Boatwright, SVPS’ Vice President of Operations, says, “What a blessing it is to partner with Millersville Community Church in reaching moms and dads with the help they need. Thanks to the generosity and support of this church family, SVPS will be serving women and men who are in some way unprepared for parenting. We will be offering prenatal and parenting education and material assistance (through the  Baby Boutique) to both MU students and the larger Millersville community, beginning September 1^st.”

Are you interested in serving the community in this way? Contact Katie Boatwright at (717) 274-5128 x 305 or email her at kboatwright@svps.org for more information and ways you can help.

Al & Mickey Williams August 2016 Prayer & Praise Bulletin

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.” (Romans 8:26-27 NLT) 

   PRAISE ITEMS:

1.      SCRIPTURE CAME ALIVE – Do you know the feeling of being so familiar with a Scripture that you can read it without really being emotionally affected by it? Take the passage above, for instance. I (Mickey) have read it many times in my lifetime, but on August 12 when I read it during my morning Quiet Time, it seemed as if God was speaking directly to me. I sobbed as I realized that the Holy Spirit had seen my distress over the past couple of months – challenges with medical issues, a long To Do List that overwhelmed me, feelings of sadness, etc. - and had gone to the Father on my behalf. I saw Him agonizing in prayer – only able to groan, not articulate, because of His deep concern for me. It was a humbling – and encouraging – experience.

2.      ON-LINE PERSONAL SECURITY TRAINING PROJECT - Thank you for your prayers for me (Al) and the team that are working on this project. We continue to make good progress and we have been receiving good feedback from those who are working through the trial package of this training. We very much appreciate your prayers as we continue to work on the remaining details. There is a lot more work to be done before the project will be ready for our Wycliffe and SIL staff.

3.      BANTOANON NEW TESTAMENT AUDIO RECORDING PROJECT – The Faith Comes By Hearing recording specialists and team of Filipinos who are working with our SIL colleagues Heather and Stan Crossley to make an audio recording of the Bantoanon New Testament are halfway into the project now! Praise the Lord for providing the needed voice actors (readers) and their commitment to work this entire month (8+ hours per day; 5.5 days per week). Heather says, “People are coming back whenever they can to read and hear the New Testament being read for the first time in their language. They’ve seen portions of it before but are absolutely thrilled, fascinated, touched (brought to tears, goose bumps and hallelujahs), absorbed, and aware of the seriousness of God’s Word in the translation. As the translator (after 35+ years) I’m also overjoyed to see how good the translation reads.”

When the New Testament recording is finished and all corrections made, it will be sent off for editing and adding sound effects. Then, on September 19, SIL recording specialists will begin a month of recording Genesis and Exodus in the Bantoanon language, so please continue to pray for everyone’s health and stamina and that their equipment will work properly so these projects can be completed and get into the hands of the people. 

PRAYER ITEMS:  

1. TERROR ATTACKS AROUND THE WORLD - As you follow international news, you may have heard of the terrorist attacks in Bangladesh and the bombings in Thailand. These and other significant threats to our staff seem to be occurring on a very regular basis. We are thankful to report that none of our staff members were physically hurt by these events, though some have become very concerned by their closeness. Please continue to pray for the safety and security of our personnel. Also please pray for wisdom as I (Al) consult with and assist them in being prepared to meet these threats. This past month I have been able to provide some specific training to several of them via the Internet. This is one of the areas I’m working to develop further. This way I can hopefully maximize my ability to be of assistance even if I’m not able to be in all of these places in person.
2. UPCOMING TRIP TO TEXAS – In September, I (Al) will be traveling to Texas to attend a Risk Management Network conference. Twice a year we meet as individuals from a wide range of faith based organizations tasked with security and contingency care for our organizations and staff. These are great opportunities to hear from others about the challenges they are facing in their roles as well as share resources and wisdom we each can use to serve our own staff. I have often been blessed to be able to call on one of these friends during the year when I had a specific question. There is a great deal of experience present at these meetings. With so much that we could address in the short time we have together, please pray that our time will be used wisely and guided by the Lord.
3. MICKEY’S HEALTH – This summer has felt like a medical marathon for me (Mickey) with doctor appointments, tests, x-rays, and physical therapy for some chronic problems. I have more tests and doctor visits scheduled in the next couple of months regarding these issues, but my bigger concern at present is the respiratory problem that I’ve had all this month (August). Thanks so much for your prayers for me!

Al & Mickey Williams June 2016 Prayer & Praise Bulletin

PRAISE ITEMS:
1. MAY 22 – A special thanks to you who prayed for us during our final speaking engagement in Michigan on May 22 at Al’s former home church. Pastor Wigand gave Al the entire time to speak during Sunday School, the morning worship service, AND the evening service! Reconnecting with family and friends there and making new ones was a wonderful way to end our month in MI.

2. TRIP HOME – We praise God for a safe trip back to PA on May 24. It was a blessing that during our more than 2,000 miles on the road during this month-long trip, our vehicle had no mechanical difficulty or flat tires. We had some near misses with deer along the way and are thankful that we and the deer survived the excitement.

3. TEST RESULTS – Thanks for praying about the medical tests that I (Mickey) was scheduled to have after our return to PA. As it turned out, I got a call from my doctor’s office after I got home saying the doctor had actually ordered a myelogram (where a dye would be injected into my spinal cord when they did the CT scan). Because I had concerns about having this done at this time, it’s been “put on hold”. The other two tests that I had done (a neck x-ray and a nerve conduction study) did not show any reason as to why my arm goes numb so often, but they did show that my neck still moves properly and the artificial disks are still in place. PTL. Pray that massage and chiropractic adjustments will bring relief to the numbness.

4. WWW.BIBLE.IS – One of the new websites that we’ve recently been telling people about is “Bible.is” – a wonderful place to find the Scriptures in over 1,900 different languages AND where you have a choice on how you access the Scriptures (i.e. printed, audio, or video)! Recently, I (Mickey) was ordering something by phone from a company in Canada. I could tell by her accent that the young woman assisting me was a Filipina, so I said something to her in Tagalog (the national language of the Philippines). That led to a nice conversation about how Al and I lived 23 years in the Philippines helping people to get God’s Word in their own language. When I asked her where in the Philippines she was from, I recognized the name of the town and the language group as one where our SIL colleagues had worked on translating the Scriptures. I asked if she had a Bible in her language but she said no. She was very excited to hear that she could go to Bible.is and get a FREE download of the Scriptures in her own language onto her computer or phone!

PRAYER ITEMS:
1. ANXIETY – I (Mickey) would appreciate your prayers that I would not be anxious or worried about things in life. I know the Lord is trustworthy and that He has my future under control, but it seems that I so often ‘forget’ and allow myself to get uptight and anxious about many things. Pray against the Enemy’s stronghold in my life in this area.

2. FOCUS ON AUSTRALIA – At the request of the Director for the work in Northern Australia, I (Al) have been asked to help them in the development of a crisis management plan. I will be working with the Australia staff remotely rather than making a trip, so good communication by email and voice calls will be very important. Please pray with me that we will have good insight into the details needed in this plan and good communication through this process.

3. ON-LINE PERSONAL SECURITY TRAINING PROJECT – For several years I have been working with a team on this project and we are getting down to the last few hurdles in making this training available to Wycliffe and SIL staff around the world. The preliminary training package is in testing now with a variety of our worldwide staff and the feedback has been encouraging. Please pray that we will be able to bring this project to completion soon so that it will help our staff to be better prepared to meet the security challenges they are facing.

4. BEASLEY FAMILY CRISIS – You have heard me mention Norm Beasley as one of the people I have worked closely with in my Security and Contingency Preparedness role. Early in the morning of June 11, Norm and Cathy’s son Jacob was involved in a very serious five-car accident near their home in Waxhaw, North Carolina. Jacob and the driver of another car died in this accident. Please be in prayer with us for the Beasley family and their many friends who are grieving with them through this time. Jacob loved the Lord and that is a comfort.

5. INCREASED SUPPORT NEED – We praise God for all of you who are part of our Wycliffe ministry financially and prayerfully. During the past two months, several dear friends have told us they are increasing their monthly giving and one church has joined our Wycliffe ministry team. Please pray with us that more individuals and churches would join our Wycliffe ministry team so we can continue serving the Bible translation work in Asia.

Inspiring News from Glad Tidings India

Recently, a Glad Tidings board member went to India and while there, interviewed several partners working among the unreached people. He shared the following information.

A ministry leader in Maharastra felt led to go into an area notorious for attacks by radical Hindus on Christians. Previous evangelists who'd traveled to the region had been beaten. Because of that, evangelists have since avoided the area. This leader's own pastor tried to persuade him not to go, but he responded, "During my former sinful life, I could have been killed several times due to my foolishness. God spared me. I would now count it a privilege to die for taking the Word of God to this area."

After one year of conducting Bible literacy classes in 15 villages, this evangelist has averaged 6-8 new converts to Christ in each village. Eight have been baptized.

He asks for our prayers. There is still much persecution and harassment.

This is the sort of work that we support through our financial commitment to Glad Tidings and via the pastors that have been trained and deployed as a result of our contributions. The latest trimester report from one of our many church plants contained the very good news that another 25 people have committed their souls to Christ and a total of 43 are regularly attending Bible study and worship.

Al & Mickey Williams Praise Bulletin: May 21

PRAISE ITEMS:
MICHIGAN TRIP
Our month-long Michigan trip is nearly over. We left PA on April 26 and are scheduled to return to PA on May 24. Praise Him with us for: Safety in travel Our vehicle working well Good times of sharing about our ministry with Wycliffe Mickey’s father doing well back in PA Mickey’s health being pretty good most days on our trip Good visits with family and friends

AL’S CHURCH YOUTH GROUP REUNION
On May 13, some of Al’s former church youth group members (and the youth pastor and his wife) got together for a reunion. It was an evening filled with laughter as memories were shared of days long ago; but it was also a sobering time as we learned of the struggles and hardships some of our friends had faced during the past 40+ years. Yet, over all, we could see God’s hand at work in each of our lives and we gave Him praise.

MINI FAMILY REUNION
On May 19, we joined three of Al’s sisters and their husbands for an evening of laughter, food and fellowship. It was the first time we had all been together in many years.

SPEAKING AT CARO FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
This Sunday, May 22, we will be with the folks at Al’s home church in Caro, Michigan. Al will be speaking during Sunday School, the worship service, and the evening service. Pray for wisdom for him as he prepares, and pray that God would use us to be a blessing and an encouragement. If you’re in the area, we’d love to have you join us! The church is at 1535 W. Gilford Road the services on Sunday are at 9:30 & 11 AM and 6 PM.

MICKEY
Before we left for Michigan,I (Mickey) saw a neurosurgeon regarding numbness in my arm and pain in my neck. On May 26, I am scheduled to have an x-ray and a CT scan done. Please pray the tests will be done competently, with clear results, and an accurate interpretation, so I might get the proper care needed to alleviate the problems.

TRIP BACK TO PA
On Tuesday, May 24, we plan to drive back to PA. We would appreciate your continued prayers for safety, that our vehicle would work well, and that we would be an encouragement to folks we meet along the way.

INCREASED SUPPORT NEED
In order to reflect the rising costs of living and ministry, Wycliffe recently revised the budgets for all of its missionaries. In order to meet this new budget, Al and I need additional financial partners. We praise God for those of you who are already part of our support team and have recently sent in special one-time gifts or even increased your monthly, quarterly or yearly gifts toward our Wycliffe ministry. If you aren’t already part of our financial team but feel God prompting you to join, thank you! There are instructions below regarding how to do that. And if you aren’t financially able to help in this ministry, we do hope you will pray for us so we can continue to help our colleagues as they translate the Scriptures for the people groups in Asia.

Send a Romanian Youth to Summer Camp

As you know, we are looking for sponsors to help with the project of summer camp this summer. We'd like to take youth again who are curious about their future, and ready to listen to what God has to say about it. We have currently 29 sponsorships for these youth, and are looking for 36 more, for a total of 65. These youth are from the Casa Ray, Elena Doamna & Ion Creanga Orphanages, and villages of Garcina Negresti, and from our church. The camp is in the mountains 2 hrs north of us, and the theme will be "God Cares for You."

Last week, there was a youth evangelism in our town and to our surprise, 95 youth attended. It was put on by Luis Palau team of evangelists and hosted by the Christian churches. Lucian went along with some youth we know, and was available for discussions during the event. Some were only slightly interested, but some were listening and had some questions. This shows the need this generation has for social activity, and curiosity some have in learning about God. We pray this camp can meet the needs as well, providing answers and some support.

If you are interested in getting involved with camp, please send your $120 donation by June 15 to:

My Brother's Keeper
PO Box 11 Roxbury, PA 17251

Please write "Avadanei Summer Camp 2016" on memo line.

-Becca Avadanei

Update from the Avadaneis

Hello friends,

We hope your spring routines are going well, and you can enjoy the birds, flowers, and all of God's green creation. :)

We've been getting used to a slower pace, as Rebecca is 7 months pregnant (its a girl!:) and is doing less. May will be even less activities as she will resign from most of the English lessons (she has been going 3x/week but will start back up in the fall) and will just help with planning. We are preparing things for the hospital and necessary document. We are also preparing for our youth camp here, (baby will be a month old, so Rebecca may stay home...:) We've already picked the leaders, and started meeting with them at our church. We've picked the theme "God Cares" and the verse from Jeremiah 29:11. Each day, we will learn from subcategories: God cares for you, your sins, your relationships, your sufferings, and your future. We are still looking for sponsors for our camp. The donation is $120/camper. We need a total of 65 full sponsorships to cover the participants, leaders, and materials. So far, we have 14. We want to take 65 participants and 20 leaders. Some of the participants will be paying half their wa, (that is those from our church), and some will not pay at all. The breakdown of participants will be similar to last year, with some being from the Elena Doamna, Ion Creanga, Casa Ray Orphanages; some from poor villages; and some from church. Send checks to: My Brother's Keeper Ministries, PO Box 11, Roxbury PA 17251 and write "Avadanei Summer Camp 2016" on memo line. Thank you for your help !

If you would like to come to Romania to serve with your group, there are 2 options this summer: come with the Heisey's VBS team to Casa Ray Orphanage, or join us at our week of camp. Email me if interested. Check out our blog if you haven't been in awhile! We've made some changes including pictures and stats! ;)

UMCOR Aid for Syrian Refugees

In a district north of Damascus, the Syrian capital, UMCOR is working with a trusted regional partner, International Blue Crescent (IBC), to supply some 1,000 displaced families with urgently needed food packages.

For the full article or to donate, click here.

Al & Mickey Williams Praise Bulletin: April 20

Al & Mickey serve Wycliffe Bible Translators from Elizabethtown, Pa.

PRAISE ITEMS:

1.    The Reality of Easter– As we celebrated Easter this year, I (Al) was reminded of Easter Sundays gone by and the wonderful reality of the gift we have been given in our risen Lord.

I was especially reminded of a trip I made to Bangladesh that allowed me to be there for Easter Sunday and to attend a Sunrise Service with several hundred Bangladeshi believers. It was quite moving for me to be in that majority Muslim country and know that in addition to those I was with, there were many more gatherings around the city of Dhaka and throughout the country celebrating our Lord. A very moving testimony to the Gospel spreading throughout this land.

I hope your Easter celebration was a wonderful reminder of our Lord’s completed work on the cross and the joy and hope that brings. I know it is for my friends in Bangladesh.

2.  SAFETY DURING A STORM – The other week Al and I were driving to church for the Wednesday evening prayer meeting. It was raining when we left home, but within minutes we found ourselves in the middle of a severe thunderstorm with blinding rain and strong winds. Suddenly a telephone pole fell to a 45 degree angle in front of us and then bounced back up, allowing us to pass by unharmed. If the pole had fallen a moment later, we might not be here to tell the story!

Several days later, I took these photos to document God’s hand of protection in our lives. Later, when looking at the photos on my computer, I was in awe at how God had actually left His ‘mark’ at the scene (i.e. the cross in the picture to the left -  below the orange flag / to the left of the pole) to confirm that HE was the one who had spared our lives! Thanks so much for your prayers! They are effective!

PRAYER ITEMS:  

1.    MICHIGAN IN APRIL AND MAY – In just a few days we will be on our way to Michigan. We greatly appreciate our many friends, family and supporters who call Michigan home and are looking forward to visiting with as many of you as possible. We will also be at the following churches during this trip.

April 27 – May 1      Five Points Community Church, Auburn Hills, MI
May 9                        Colonial Village Baptist Church, Lansing, MI
May 15                      Evangelical Free Church, Cass City, MI
May 22                      Caro First Baptist Church, Caro, MI

We will greatly appreciate your prayers for safety in travel and good health for both of us during these days of travel.

2.  MICKEY’S HEALTH – For the past couple of months I have had episodes of dizziness and vertigo almost daily. Allergies are part of the problem but the doctor feels my need to gain more weight is also a big factor. I find it difficult / challenging to get all the calories they say I need daily, because of other medical issues and food allergies that I have. Your continued prayers would be greatly appreciated!

3.  MICKEY’S DAD – We praise God that my Dad’s health has been reasonably good and we would ask you to join us in praying that it would stay that way while Al and I are in Michigan for a month. Dad really enjoys the rolling walker he got last December and uses it to go for walks around the outside of the entire Mennonite Home facility when the weather is good. Thanks to your prayers, and his diligent practice, he has even been able to play his guitar more to lead singing and to entertain the other residents. We praise God!

Latest News from UMCOR

In this issue of the UMCOR Hotline, learn about UMCOR’s partnership with the Malawi United Methodist Church to provide food relief to communities affected by drought; and watch a video produced by UMCOR partner GlobalMedic on our joint response to flooding in India.

NEWS:
Alleviating hunger in Malawi
India Flood Response

For the full newsletter, click here.

A Thank You from The Seekers

The Seekers small group would like to say "Thank You" to everyone who donated food items to The Conestoga Food Bank outreach project. The food bank is currently serving 30 Penn Manor families in need. We are overwhelmed by your generosity and willingness to partner with us in this outreach effort. Last week we delivered just under 450 nonperishable food items and $61 in cash donations to the food bank. The cash donations will provide milk and bread for the families.

We are truly grateful for your help in meeting the needs of the food bank. Once again, The Seekers and The Conestoga Food Bank say "Thank You".

We are BETTER TOGETHER!
Blessings, The Seekers

New Meals Ministry Co-ordinator

Due to the commitment required to keep the Cancer Care Ministry running smoothly, Shelby Foster will be stepping down as the co-ordinator of MCC's Wellness Meals program. I want to personally thank Shelby for sacrificing so much of her time and energy over the past two years. I initially turned to her simply for advice on how best to manage this program, and at that time she said, "Don't sweat it; I'll manage it for you." I can't remember when I felt a greater relief!

For the next six months, Jill Billman will be co-ordinating our meals ministry on a trial basis. This ministry provides hot meals to members and guests who are temporarily incapacitated due to illness or a recent surgery, coping after giving birth, etc. If you would like to benefit from our Wellness Meals ministry, let our pastors or lay pastors know of your need and we'll refer you to Jill.

-Pastor Bruce

Melissa (Kroll) Weissenberger Update

Twenty four hours after me, my husband Chris has shown the same symptoms. We both had blood work done today--his blood cell count and platelet count are still normal. My platelet count has dropped below the normal threshold. We both have Dengue fever and God has given us wonderful doctors to monitor us. Keep praying friends! The medicine is abating the fever and pain, but our bodies are fighting.

And it’s with great joy that we announce the birth of Kylie Grace Sherack; she is the daughter of John and Lyndsey and the sister of Natalie Marie. Kylie was born at 9:47 this morning and weighed 8 lbs. and 1 oz.

New Ministry Leader Sought

For the past few years, Shelby Foster has been filling in as the coordinator of our emergency meals program, which provides hot food to members and guests who have been incapacitated by recent surgeries, etc, and who find it difficult or impossible to cook for themselves. Shelby took on this responsibility in addition to the similar work she manages as leader of the Cancer Care Ministry, but has found that her growing workload no longer makes in feasible to handle both duties.

In order to keep serving our members and guests the way we'd like, we therefore need a new volunteer coordinator whose duties would include recruiting volunteers to prepare and deliver meals, and to be the point of contact for people requesting this service.

If you feel willing and able to serve, please contact Bruce Heydt.

Emergency Prayer Request for Melissa Weissenberger

Melissa just came down with some strong symptoms that suggest a mosquito-borne virus, possibly dengue. She has been experiencing unusual levels of fatigue these past few weeks, but today she woke up with paralyzing back and foot pain. She has now developed a high fever and a full-body rash, and overall feels pretty terrible whenever she moves. Melissa contracted dengue last time she was in Bolivia.

Please pray that God would miraculously heal her, and that she can continue to do God's work here in Bolivia.

Expanding Our Reach Into India

Last month I share the exciting news that our partnership with Glad Tidings India had yielded two new church plants, and I asked you to keep our first new pastor,  Phupendra Dubey, in your prayers as he begins his ministry in Uttar Pradesh.

Since then, our outreach to India continues to grow. As a result of a special Advent offering, as well as the commitment by one of our members to match donations dollar-for-dollar up to $3,600, not just one but two new missionaries have been deployed into the rich mission field of India, bringing our total to three new churches since late in 2015!

The second of these will be shepherded by Simon S. K., who will serve Christ in the State of Karnataka, where the population of 61 million is currently only 1.9 percent Christian. This is a region desperately in need of the Good News. More than 50,000 women from the “Untouchable” caste are forced into temple prostitution in Karnataka, and attacks against Christians number more than 1,000 per year. Pray most especially for Pastor Simon’s safety as he strives to bring hope to these poverty stricken people.

The third congregation will be led by Pastor Pawan, who will serve Christ in Delhi, India’s capital city. Delhi is crowded with more than 11,000 people per square mile, and its population is expected to increase by more than 50 percent over the next five years. Less than 2 percent is Christian.

We can continue to support the work of our missionary pastors not only through prayer,  but by collecting Bibles that they can share with their congregations. If you have used English-language Bibles that you no longer need, please consider donating them to our brothers and sisters in India. We’ve already sent more than 1,200 Bibles to India, but as our ministry to the sub-continent expands, so does our need for Bibles. Please find me at my office at First Campus if you have Bibles you’d be willing to offer.

Bill Teate, our contact at Glad Tidings India, advises that this is an especially critical time for mission in India. The government has been to tighten its enforcement of restrictions on Christian outreach, so it is increasingly difficult for pastors to do their work. Please pray for God to open doors and to protect our pastors’ ministries.

Peace,

Pastor Bruce

Good Soil: Glad Tidings India Update

Ministry in Christ’s name often entails moments of rousing success, coupled with some bitter disappointments. That’s the way it is when you offer the Good News to people with free will. Sometimes they will receive the gospel gladly; at other times it falls on deaf ears.

Throughout my years of ministry, but particularly in those times when our best efforts yield meager results, I’ve lifted my spirits by asking myself a simple question, and remembering the answer. The question is: “How much is a soul worth?” The answer is, “If it takes all our money and all our effort to persuade just a single soul to follow Christ, then the investment was well worth it.” A soul, you see, is priceless.

Still, when I received a report from Glad Tidings India this past September, indicating that our most recent church plant (funded by last year’s Luke 19 Project) has yielded only five new decisions for Christ and six regular worshipers during the preceding four months, I admit to feeling somewhat deflated. I’d hoped for more.

So what a joy it was last month when I received our third and final report on the progress of our 2015 church plant. Between September and December, our church has really turned a corner, realizing 33 more decisions for Christ, while worship attendance has grown from six to 83. Praise God. This seed certainly has fallen on good soil.

But that’s not even the best news. Since late in 2015, several members of Millersville Community Church have felt called to do more. Some felt moved to quietly give out of personal conviction. Others responded to the special offering request that went out during the Advent Season. One member even offered to match everyone else’s donation dollar for dollar.

As a result in 2016 Millersville Community Church has already be able to fund the launch of two new churches among the unreached population of India. A pastor has already been assigned to the first of these. Please Pray for Bhupendra Dubey and for the success of his ministry. A second pastor should be deployed within just a few weeks.

Pastor Bhupendra is serving Christ in Uttar Pradesh, a state in northern India where only 0.3 percent of the population is Christian. In fact, if Uttar Pradesh was its own country, it would have the world’s third largest unevangelized population. It is also a region of rampant disease and political corruption, so Pastor Bhupendra has some hard work ahead, and faces very real dangers.

The latest Glad Tidings newsletter indicates that they have receive requests for 450,000 English-language Bibles to give to local worshipers. Many years ago I challenged Grace Church to contribute 1,000 Bible to Glad Tidings over the course of one year. The members came through and exceeded that amount in just four months! In light of the ongoing need, this might be a good time to see how many more we can collect. If you have new or gently used Bibles that you no longer read, please consider passing them along to someone in desperate need  of God’s word. You may leave them in a clearly labeled plastic bag in the lobby of First Campus,  the Servant Center at Grace Campus, or the workroom at Hope.

Peace,

Pastor Bruce

Al & Mickey Williams’ Prayer & Praise Bulletin, March 19, 2016

PRAISE ITEMS:

1.    GOD’S PROVISIONS – It’s been a while since we updated you on our financial situation. We are excited to share that God has brought several individuals and one new church to join our partnership team. Praise God with us, but please continue to pray for God’s provision of additional partners to join our team.

2.    AL’S TRIP TO THAILAND – Your prayers were answered in smooth flights that took me to Bangkok and back to Pennsylvania. The security team had few problems to deal with. The most serious problem was of a person traveling to Bangkok on his own who became confused and stranded for a bit at the airport. We were able to see that resolved (to his great relief and that of his daughter at home).

In addition to the main meetings which focused on the work of Wycliffe and SIL in Asia, the group that I serve with, the Asia Shared Services Team had a day of meetings to focus on our service to the work in Asia. One of the realities we are facing is a significant reduction in funding for our team. Please continue to pray for wisdom as we face this continuing challenge.

3.    IVATAN JESUS FILM – Thanks for your prayers for our colleagues in the Philippines who have been dubbing the Jesus Film in the Ivatan language.  They are completing the final edits before sending the audio to JAARS in the US to do a quality check and mastering of the film. Once this is done, the team in the Philippines will duplicate and package the DVDs and take them to Batanes Island for distribution.  Due to interest generated by this project, the Ivatan New Testament will also be reprinted! Pray the Jesus Film will help bring the Scriptures to life for the Ivatan and draw many to faith in Christ.

4.    MICKEY’S BIOPSY – Praise the Lord: the biopsy done on the tissue removed from my leg during the Feb. 9 surgery came back clear (i.e. free of any potentially harmful skin cancer cells) and I am off of ‘couch arrest’ and back to normal activities.

5.    JUSTIN BACK TO WORK – Thanks for your prayers for our son Justin. He has been back to regular-duty work now. His foot still hurts, but he says it’s improving.

PRAYER ITEMS:  

1.    MICHIGAN IN APRIL AND MAY – We are looking forward to being in Michigan during late April and much of May visiting with our many prayer and financial supporters and friends. This is our schedule so far, but if you’d like to have us come and share with your church or group, let us know.

April 27 – May 1       Five Points Community Church, Auburn Hills, MI
May 22                       Caro First Baptist Church, Caro, MI

We are looking forward to seeing you soon!