It's certainly good to be back home but we had an excellent First Season of Ministry this time around. I left on 1 February for the Indian subcontinent and Ann joined me on 18 March for the last couple of weeks in India. We visited several of our partner churches in the United Kingdom and the United States taking the long way home. As planned we joined up with our family in San Jose, California as they were making their final preparations to move to Australia. Scott our son and his wife Stacy with little Havyn and Luka travelled back with me on the same flight from San Francisco to Brisbane on 1 May 2013.

We have certainly enjoyed having the extended family staying with us at our home in Brisbane. Scott and Stacy will be staying with us as long as they need to get settled in and start again. Scott is rebuilding his Wedding and Real Estate Photography business. Even now he is beginning to make some real progress, although he is not out on the hustings yet, as all the set up side of the business is to be finalised.

On 12 June I am scheduled to undergo surgery to remove a cancerous spot that was related to thyroid cancer that was treated for some two years ago. We have been expecting the appearance of this cancerous spot as the blood tests were showing that there are malignant cells developing. We are actually grateful that we can now locate this activity and surgically remove the affected area. The site is very accessible and it is expected that I will be in hospital for one or two days but it will take two or three weeks to recover from the immediate surgical procedure. Therefore I have had to cancel everything on my itinerary for June in New South Wales but I hope I will be able to fill those appointments in November. Please continue to pray for us.

My itinerary for July will be visiting churches in Victoria and Tasmania and then I return back to India for August and September. 

Newly built Ministry Centre to reach out into remote regions of Sri Lanka

The RPC church-planting work is pressing far into remote areas of Sri Lanka.  Along with this, well-trained pastors are being prepared to take on this new work.  They are following the strategy of building a church facility for the purpose of Gospel ministry and establishing this ministry through evangelistic outreach into obsessively Tamil-speaking communities.  

 

Since the long drawn-out civil war (mainly in the north of Sri Lanka), there has been a mass exodus of Tamil-speaking people; and it has been difficult to get stable leadership in the churches, as most people who are well educated choose to leave Sri Lanka, if they can, rather than live under a rather capricious and ruthless centralised government, if not a near-on one party state that is becoming stronger by the day with a very strong military and police presence.

 

Last year we gave a series of studies on 'Covenant Theology' with the pastors, but this year they requested an English phonics seminar to train their workers for teaching English at their various mission stations so that they can use English as a medium for evangelism in those areas.  This is giving a more effective evangelistic outreach, as many more people will come forward for English training using the Bible as the basic textbook than if they simply went out door-to-door in 'cold turkey' type of evangelism.

We can give thanks to our Lord for the excellent leadership and the dedicated commitment of the pastors and students for the ministry as they pursue this work.

 

There is also a very dedicated Canadian-Dutch couple working as missionaries with RPC called Arie and Janet Droogendijk.  They report that:

 

'We just came back from one of the missions in Trincomalee and found out that one of your students, who had a pass for the phonic test, is implementing the program in a school where she is teaching.  This was very encouraging.'

 

Although I was not able to visit the Free Church (Continuing) missionary work known as the 'Reformed Protestant Mission' in Vavuniya in northern Sri Lanka, all the reports are very encouraging and Parthee and his wife Dino are progressing well in this church-planting ministry.  As well as this, Parthee's ministry is proving to be very helpful for the wider church in the area.

 

 

  Prayer points:

1. While we give thanks to God for the steady progress in the work of the Gospel through RPC and RPM, pray for protection for all those ministering the Gospel in Sri Lanka as persecution and the unsettled capricious nature of the Sri Lankan government weighs heavily on everyone
2. Pray for the various mission stations of RPC and the leadership that is given through Pastor Vijayenthiran and his wife Thanuja
3. Continue to pray for Parthee and his wife Dino as they are given wisdom and understanding to proceed with the new mission work in Vavuniya (in the mid-northern region of Sri Lanka) and for their influence through teaching sound doctrine and Biblical exposition to the wider community of believers in the area. 

 

SOUTH INDIA 

 

Presbyterian Church of South India (PCSI) throughout Andhra Pradesh

 

The leadership is now being shouldered by Joseph Boddu and his wife Vidya who are currently living in Vijayawada.  Though new in the job, he is receiving general and warm support from all those in the field.  Joseph is already a good friend and is an easy person to work with.  His godly and sincere commitment to the work of the Gospel is everywhere evident.

 

  

 

 

 

Prayer points:

1. As we give thanks for the progress in the work of the PCSI, let us pray for the ongoing on-the-job theological education program, and safety for the pastors as they travel long distances to attend the lectures each month.  Pray that they will be given wisdom and understanding as they fulfil their assignment commitments in between attending the lectures each month.  Pray for the group leaders as they deliver pastoral advice and lecture curriculum that is laid down for the one-year diploma course and the three-year bachelor's course.
2. Pray particularly for Joseph Boddu and Vidya as they help in the overall leadership of this very encouraging missionary church-planting work.

 

Tragically Pastor Moses' godly father had a stroke the day before we arrived, which eventually led to his passing away to be with the Lord some weeks later.  This loss has hit the family hard and particularly Pastor Moses' surviving mother; but she will be cared for by the family and probably stay where Pastor Moses and Hepzibah live.

 

The partner church helping to support this work is Cornerstone URCNA in Grand Rapids; and it was a great privilege to be able to visit this church on my return trip to Australia.  They have been mutually encouraged at the progress of CRA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer points:

1. As we give thanks for the progress in the work of CRA, pray now that they will develop their leadership so that new church-planting work can proceed.  Pray for the students for the ministry who are currently studying at PTS Dehra Dun and that the 'Lord of the Harvest' shall send out labourers into the harvest.
2. Pray for Pastor Moses and Hepzibah with their three girls as they come to terms with the passing away of Moses' father and that Moses' mother will feel and know the care of the saints and the help of the Lord in her loss.

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

Prayer focus 

 

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Ephesian 6:18).

1. Please continue to pray for this Mirik Project and for the shortfall in its financial needs.  There still needs to be a third and fourth floor built to provide for student accommodation and a conference centre on top; but we have an excellent start for this project for which we can be thankful to God. 
2. Please pray that the application will be successful for PresAid Appeals and that we can get started with the CRA Capital Building Fund and the first building project in Ramachandrapuram.

3. Give thanks to God for the financial support that has come in to provide an independent stipend for Rev Hiralal Solanki as he begins his work has Pastoral Coordinator to come alongside the church panting pastors and to assist them toward church growth and development. 

4. Please pray for these two theological students and their families as we go through the selection process.
5. Please keep this work before 'the throne of grace' in prayer, not only for the publication of this material, but also for the training process of key members of the Nepal Campus Church, and that the Lord may give openings for the Gospel for them.

• Pray that the Nepal Campus Church may find a partner-church through the Nation 2 Nation programme.
• Give thanks to God for the way Pastor Uma Sharma has been given help and guidance in re-establishing the new Ministry and Worship Centre that has been now completed.
• Give thanks to God for the newly translated and published Christianity Explored material which is now completed and paid for.
• Pray that as Pastor Uma Sharma is now  training people in his team to use Christianity Explored. 
• Pray that open doors into the hearts of the university students would be granted to them. Pray also for his remote areas programme that is on their hearts as well.

1. Pray for the Delhi Education Centre Ministry. We can thank God that we have a small foundation fund for this project; but we need someone who can carry this vision through.  Please pray that God would provide staff for this project.  

1. 'Solanki's Vision'.  But it is a big-ticket item and is a major project.  Could I ask you to make this a matter of prayer; and if we are found praying surely our Lord will answer our prayers and this vision of Solanki's may be fulfilled.