Pakistan – August 23, 2010.  More than 15 million people are affected by Pakistan’s worst flooding in 80 years, with at least 1,600 fatalities, according to estimates from the government of Pakistan. While the severity of their needs has not yet been fully assessed, the number is greater than those who were affected by the 2005 South Asia tsunami (5 million), the 2005 South Asia earthquake (3 million), or the 2010 Haiti earthquake (3 million). The estimate of 290,000 homes destroyed or seriously damaged is almost the same as those destroyed in Haiti.

Pakistan need your supports, join hands to save lives.

Evangelist Khuram Bashir

BBC’s Adam Mynott:Reports

‘It’s a catastrophe…and that’s no overstatement’
The worst monsoon rains in 80 years are continuing to sweep from the north-west to south and central Pakistan.

Rivers in Sindh province, home to Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city and business hub, are bursting their banks.

Pakistani authorities have evacuated 500,000 people in 11 districts of Sindh and issued warnings to people in low-lying areas of the Indus river.

Flooding has submerged whole villages in the past week, killing about 1,600 people and affecting another 4.5m.

There is mounting anger at the absence of President Asif Ali Zardari, who left the country for a state visit to Britain to meet the UK Prime Minister David Cameron.

With flood victims bitterly accusing the authorities of failing to come to their aid, the disaster has piled yet more pressure on an administration struggling to contain Taliban violence and an economic crisis.

And the region is only midway through monsoon season, with more rain forecast.

‘Unprecedented’
The situation is likely to worsen as the meteorological department has predicted heavy rains in areas already hit by the floods.

“We’re forecasting widespread rains in the country, specially in flood-affected areas,” Reuters quoted Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry, director general of the department, as saying.

Authorities in Sindh have warned of major floods in the next 48 hours along the swollen Indus river.

“It is unprecedented floods in our history,” news agency AFP quoted military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas as saying. “We do not have the kind of resources to cope with a situation like this.”

Army helicopters have evacuated about 3,000 tourists stranded in the Kalam region of Swat district, which has been cut off after many bridges were washed away by flood waters.

Sixty boats have been sent from Lahore to Multan, in Punjab province, and Sukkur in Sindh province, for evacuation purposes, an army press release said.

Officials say the most immediate needs of the displaced are tents, plastic sheets, food and medicines.

The World Bank said it had set up an aid fund at Pakistan’s request with initial pledges of $80m (£50m).

Meanwhile, 90 people have died in flash floods in the Ladakh region of Indian-administered Kashmir, officials say; nearly 270 people were injured.

The inspector general of Kashmir police Farooq Ahmed told the BBC that the dead included four policemen who had joined the rescue operation.

Siguatepeque Honduras – August 5, 2010. In the last few months we have seen a steady growth of our little church in Siguatepeque. Just this month, we saw three young boys receive the Holy Ghost and be baptized! Romans chapter six tells us that we are buried with Christ in baptism. It is expressly for that reason that we are baptized in the name of Jesus. Acts 2:38 tells us that we must be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins.

We baptized the grandson of the very first lady in our church to receive the Holy Ghost speaking with other tongues. (Acts 2:1-4) Please continue to pray for Honduras!

We would like to thank Pastor Crawford Coon for pledging to pay our new property off. We will now be able to move forward with building our church without the burden of making monthly payments. We have begun to dig the ditches for our retainer walls. (pictured above) With our front room being consistently filled up and with no room to grow, we are in desperate need of a church building. This building will be both a bible school and a church.

Marc and Lori Schreckhise, Missionaries to Honduras

There are so many ideas and misunderstandings about what a missionary is and is not. When I would confide in someone about my calling as a child, I would get a variety of responses. Some would say something meant to humor me; “that’s good son, keep the faith and God will use you.” Others would tell me how dangerous it was and try to convince why America was the place to be. Most of all, I found that there was simply a lack of understanding (through no fault of their own) about the ins and outs of missionary life.

I will soon be returning to Central America for the third time. When I tell people what I do, I still get a variety of responses. How can I explain this burden when I don’t fully understand it myself?

Invariably someone will ask the question of all questions; “aren’t there places and people in America that need the gospel? “ The answer, of course, is yes. “Can’t you do missions work here at home?” Again the answer is yes.

Just what is it that compels me to leave my friends and family to travel to a place hundreds or even thousands of miles away? A craving for adventure? No, for that would soon grow old. A desire to feel fulfilled? Although that may be noteworthy, it is not the primary motivation.

Then what is it? What makes me lie awake at night longing for a far off land? A place so real in my mind and yet so out of reach physically.

Perhaps it is a lady named Sarah whom I found in a ghetto in Honduras. Her children came to a Bible study and soon convinced her to join them. I will never forget the hopelessness that drove her to prostitution so that her children would not go hungry. But neither can I forget that radiant smile of peace when she was baptized in Jesus name.

Then there is Jonathan. He was the taxi driver who took me to church and on a thousand other errands. His marriage was on the rocks and he saw no hope for it. His wife did not understand his desire for God. I often wonder if He ever accepted my invitation to the local church.

The list of name goes on. Jose and Maria were alcoholics. Alberto loves God but needs the Holy Ghost. What makes these people any more needy than the lost of North America? Nothing. What makes me anymore special than you. Why should I go to them? I am no more special than others. But God has called and go I must.

I will not be living in a grass hut. I will have a vehicle and will shop in a “modern” grocery store. There will be challenges to overcome. My wife will struggle with the language as I once did. We will pray that we don’t make too many social blunders. It would never do to offend our new found friends.

Yes, there will be times of loneliness. Holidays are the worst. But God’s sweet spirit will be near. We will miss our friends at home. But every new soul born into God’s kingdom will be a new friend to share eternity with. I will have flat tires and power outages. I may even get sick and have to go to the doctor. But in many ways life will go on as normal as possible.

I will miss home, but I would not stay for any reason. I thank God every day for calling me to the foreign mission field. I am blessed beyond measure, for I am a missionary.

Sullivan’s Burden

I am a missionary. I was born and raised in the deep south on a country road and grew up in a “Christian” but non-church going home.

The fourth of four girls born to a military man who liked to travel, I was the daughter who was fascinated with “over there”. The daughter who could talk to anybody.

But my life was not complete. Only when Truth entered the picture was my life made whole. And only after coming to know the One True God has this life made any sense.

God works in mysterious ways. He gave me a hunger to meet people, to see places, and to go somewhere. My education was unusual. A rural boarding school with people from around the world was my norm. Most of the people were from Central and South America.

As God’s grace grew in me, my understanding increased. I realized I had a love for missions. Oh how I would cry when the missionaries came. “Follow the Lord”, they would say. But how? How could I, the fourth daughter go? I was the least of all. How could I make a difference. By being willing and taking a step of faith.

Who knew I would one day marry a man who had a love for Jesus at a young age? A man who felt the call to be a missionary even as a child.

I weep for a place I have never seen. I pray for people I have never met. I am constantly thinking of a country that can not compare to the U.S.

“Why go?”, you ask. Because I see faces of people in my dreams I need to meet. There is work that must be done and God has put if before me to do with his help.

Will it be easy? No, I have a lot to learn. But learn I will. Will it be fun? Life is fun. Living for God is never dull. Will I be lonely? At times, But God is my friend who never leaves. Again you ask, “why go?” Because I am a Missionary.

Gail’s Burden

Sullivan and Gail Jones Are Associates in Missions with the UPCI. They will be leaving shortly to the country of Guatemala as soon as their financial goal is met. If you would like to contribute to the Jones’ Associate in Missions fund they can be reached at : 601-928-8502, sullivanjones@gmail.com, or 105 Jerusalem Dr. Raymond, MS 39154

MS Torch

July 20, 2010.  When I sat down to write this article, the word “grateful” kept going through my mind. I turned to the dictionary to confirm my understanding of the word and found that “gratitude” is “the state of being grateful.” This bland definition caused me to want to go deeper, as words are sometimes used other than intended, definitions change, and a word’s origin gets lost in the process. My first discovery was not unexpected, as this word is derived from the Latin “gratus” or grateful – appreciation for benefits received. But the next discovery caught me off guard, as “gratus” also gave rise to the development of the word “grace!”
This was a point of revelation, because my earlier word studies had shown that in most dictionaries, the first definition given is “unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification.”

Our family will have completed 29 months of deputations at the end of July 2010. The wisdom of our elders/mentors taught us that approximately one-fourth of our ministry would be to the American church. With this in mind, we approached every service as a chance to give of ourselves to the hosting congregation, seeking to see God’s purpose achieved in every service. Because of this, we witnessed true grace at work as many received miracles of physical and emotional healing, numerous backsliders return to Jesus, and new babies born into the kingdom.

We connected with countless people along the way, some of which will become lifelong friends. Over 1,600 people have joined Finland’s Intercessor Team, 300+ people have committed to financially support God’s vision in Finland, and many expressed a desire to become in the AIM program. This would have not have happened without deputation. Combine this with the personal growth that has occurred in my family, along with a greater understanding of His love and power, and the picture becomes even more clear.

Our family is truly grateful for the opportunities we have had to watch Jesus change lives. Yes, we can see God’s grace at work. Without His call, we would not have met you. Because of His grace, many of you have chosen to reach for a country without a church; with your help, this will no longer be the case! Your efforts and support of missions truly causes the Great Commission to be fulfilled. Because of God’s work through you, a country with no voice of truth will be able to experience the same love you and I know so well. And that, my friends, is the fulfillment of God’s grace.

Mark Alphin
Missionary to Finland

Costa Rica – July 20, 2010.  Our outgoing Youth President, Robert Fazzalore, and I took twenty-two young people from West Virginia on a mission trip to San Jose, Costa Rica. It was the first youth mission trip to ever take place in West Virginia.

It was their annual regional General Conference, and we all came with high expectations of what God was going to do. Their worship was powerful, and God responded. Thirty precious people were filled with the Holy Ghost. We also preached in the church in Pavos (Cento de Evangelismo), but the one thing that topped off the whole trip was the church in Puriscal. We had to walk approximately two hundred yards up a muddy hill just to get to it. When we arrived we could hear music playing, and there were smiling faces standing there greeting us. It was in a man’s house. It had metal frames wrapped in tarps; it had gravel and mud for a floor, but the people were so beautiful. There were forty-five people packed in that little house. They had prepared something special for us; their kids’ choir had made military hats out of paper and colored them blue and white .They began to sing “I’m in the Lord’s Army,” as they marched in place. Then their worship leader began to sing and play with his guitar, and God began to move among us. The Bible says, “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20); and two people were filled with the Holy Ghost. Our group is forever changed.

Thirty-four people received the infilling of the Holy Ghost, and there were many great miracles that took place on this missions trip. To God be the glory!

Brother Rivero and his family were great hosts, and everyone fell in love with their children. He has asked us to come back. The youth team and I are already planning a trip for next year and in great anticipation of what God is going to do through our youth.

Written by David Bounds

Honduras – July 13, 2010.  With so much of our country without the Gospel, we find it imperative to begin to train up men who can take it to their people. Recently we were excited to have our very first Bible school session with four of our men. As we began to study the work of God, It was great to see the truths of God’s word sink in. For three days, we studied about the oneness of God and God’s nature. From each morning prayer session, to the last teaching session, we felt the mighty hand of God upon this training session. Please help us pray that God will continue to send us men who will preach the Word.

A PROJECT ON THE MOVE
The work on the church property continues. We are now starting to build the first of three retaining walls so that we can level off the land and begin to build our church/bible school facility and a home for us to live in. We want to say a special thanks to all of you who have continued to give towards this project. It is because of your giving spirit, that all of this is happening. May God richly bless each of you!

MISSIONARIES MARC AND LORI SCHRECKHISE

Tanzania, Africa – June 27, 2010.  As missionary kids, we face so many different things that most people do not even think about. From the beginning, our lives begin in a constant state of the “unknown.” The journey of missions, for many, begins either when we are babies, or when we are in middle school. Our parents have started to begin the process with application and much prayer. Family members are prepared and slowly the reality of this dream sets in. This is the life we lead as global nomads.

The decision has been made: we need to go. The paperwork is in, and we are waiting for the one agonizing call that will change our lives forever. We’ve been summoned for interviewing; the approval has been made. We warned them, they should know by now; it’s obvious, right? What else would our family be thinking as we frantically pack boxes, rushing to get rid of the “extra stuff” and put the non-essential items in storage? WE ARE GOING!

The travel begins, and at first it’s the fresh reality of a dream that we really are missionaries traveling on deputation. The excitement then wears off and it becomes tedious work that must be endured until the end. Mile after long mile, the end seems so far away. Questions like “Will you live in a mud hut”? “Do you speak Mexican”? “Is it true that French girls don’t shave their underarms?” and “Can you drive there?” are frequently answered with longsuffering. The tedious work of dragging in a footlocker of display items become a daily work-out session; a good service is no longer determined by how many received the Holy Ghost, but by how many items were sold off the display table.

As the road seems to grow longer by the mile, we ask ourselves, “Are we really ready for this? Can I really survive life in a third-world country?” The barrage of questions seems to grow continuously as the departure date looms ahead. Our final months in America are here; the countdown has begun. The last General Conference for four years is the one that we will remember forever. It is at this meeting, God willing, where we will be fully funded. Our name has been presented before the people, and we wait anxiously to know the outcome of the conference. The crowd erupts in spontaneous cheers as we fight the onslaught of tears. We made it! We are fully funded!

The busiest months have arrived as we pack a container in which all our personal belongings will sit for a few months. Suitcases being shipped on the plane are packed and are soon full and bulging to their utmost capacity. The layover in an airport terminal makes the longest flight we have ever embarked upon seem so much longer; but at last, we have arrived in the country of our calling. We have made our grand debut.

Through the crazy months of settling in, we try to make our home as “American” as possible. The fact that a bottle of Heinz ketchup can cost more than twelve dollars is appalling. It is to be pulled out for special occasions only! The reality has yet to set in … are we really here? Electricity becomes a precious amenity; and our laptops become our most prized possession in a world filled with blogging, IM, and emails as we try to stay connected to the “outside” world. Words like adapt, change, and flexibility become the foundation of our vocabulary as we try to sort out our lives on this side of the ocean. The times are changing, and so must we.

Here come the lonely months in the form of culture shock. What were my parents thinking when they dragged me here? Just exactly what am I supposed to do besides schoolwork? I’m not fluent in the local language, and it’s not exactly safe for me to be walking around the neighborhood. I can’t exactly go door to door sharing the Good News. It’s in this time where we question just about everything that was ever taught to us as kids. The only thing we have to stand upon is the fact that we are not the only ones going through this, although sometimes we wonder.

This is our last year here, the next few months we will be saying goodbye to the thousands of people that we prayed for, the countless babies we touched on the cheek, and the endless amounts of people with whom we shared “a moment” with while at the market. You see, we are now facing more unknowns—USA and college. It’s the home of our birth, yet we are strangers in a foreign land there. Here, in our country, we are at home. We first left “home” to come to a nation that had a name we barely knew how to pronounce, and now we are leaving the home of our hearts. While over here, we are white, yet, in America, we are African, Spanish, European or Asian, whatever country we are coming from; people assume that is our culture. We have no culture, so we make our own. A bond so tight, a stranger can walk up and say, “I’m an MK,” and we instantly ‘know’ them. There is a connection; we have a bond. We are a family. I am an MK!

by: Kandra Robertson

MK to Tanzania

Kandra is the daughter of Missionaries to Africa, Jim and Latitia Robertson.

Iquitos, Peru – June 27, 2010.  We’ve landed safely in Iquitos, Peru and we have checked into our hotel. We are preparing to go to lunch in Iquitos. After lunch we will be returning to the hotel and preparing to go to Bro. Flores’ church in Iquitos.

Fifteen people departed GBFPC on Monday, June 21 for Iquitos, Peru. The purpose of the trip is to hold crusades in Iquitos and to promote the local churches.

Day two is in the books. Today, we toured the Iquitos Training Center where the last team from GBFPC helped to construct a back room that now has a stove, two sinks, two full restrooms and running water. The back room also houses a satellite campus of the Lima Bible College.

Later in the evening, our team visited a smaller church in Iquitos that is pastored by Bro. Florez. Both Bro. Bradford and Bro. Brock ministered and the young people ministered in song.
Tomorrow, the team will be headed into the Amazon to visit a snake farm and have dinner on the floating restaurant.

Days three and four of the Peru Missions Trip are complete. While on a boat tour of the Amazon River, the team visited a snake farm complete with monkeys, snakes, birds and other animals. After the snake farm visit, the boat tour took the team into remote areas of the Amazon near Iquitos to get a glimpse of the villages on the Amazon.

After the tour of the Amazon River, the team headed back to the hotel to prepare for one of the highlights of the trip: eating dinner at the world famous floating restaurant on the Amazon River.

Today, the team visited the Iquitos Zoo and an Indian church located in the Amazon that is pastored by Bro. Miguel Angelo. There were several first time visitors in service tonight and many of them were young children. The GBFPC young people led them in two Sunday School songs and one worship song. Bro. Chad Bradley did a Word Shot and Bro. Jeremy Brock preached.
The team will be helping the headquarters church in Iquitos with outreach for crusades on Friday and Saturday. Please continue to keep us in your prayers and check back for more updates.

Day five of the Peru Missions Trip concluded with a crusade and a powerful move of the Holy Ghost at the Training Center in Iquitos. The crusade opened with Bishop Nix asking those who were sick to come up to the front so the ministry could pray for them. A first time visitor came to the front and began to pray. She received the Holy Ghost and later took off her neck brace while testifying that she believe God healed her.

Bro. Bradford ministered and at least one other person received the Holy Ghost and many of the local members were renewed in the Holy Ghost.

Earlier in the day, the team visited local churches and prayed that God would send the churches great revival.

Greater Bakersfield’s First Pentecostal Church

So far, we have been able to give almost $3,000 to 13 Pastor families whose homes were damaged or destroyed. Most of this money went to buy sheet metal and wood to make repairs or at least make the home liveable. We have been able to give almost $4,000 to 27 familes of faithful church members who either lost their homes or had severe damage to their homes, including the Bible School cook’s home. Over $3,000 was spent on basic food, medications, bottled water, blankets, etc.

TOTAL spent to date: $9,900

Projected amount needed to meet recovery efforts: $7,000 – which is based on the immediate needs of 6 church familes and 3 pastors who lost their homes and all they own, as well as the continued effort of meeting the needs of some of the church families who are presently living at the churches or looking to the churches for food and basic needs as they get back on their feet. These projections are also taking into consideration what the local churches and government are doing as well to help.

THANK you all so much. We are very, very grateful for what you all have done to bless and help Guatemala.

God bless
Brad Thompson

*** To contribute to this effort, please CLICK HERE

Siguatepeque Honduras – June 8,2010.  Little David has been legally blind from birth. He can only see shadows and bright lights but otherwise he is blind. While I was preaching one night on the necessity of Jesus Name baptism, He began to cry and weep in the presence of the Lord. After service he came up to me and quoted without an error Acts 2:38. He said, “Pastor I want to be baptized in the Name of Jesus for the remission of my sins.” I was so touched that this young blind boy would have such a knowledge of his need for God.

Jesus said, “Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?”

It was a few services later that we all went down to the river and there had an open air service to baptize little David in the lovely name of Jesus. To God be the glory! We have seen God do amazing things in the last few months. Please continue to pray for our work here in the nation of Honduras. May God richly bless you all!

Marc and Lori Schreckhise Missionaries to Honduras