Things to
Come Mission
News You Can Use...for Prayer
January/February 2008
Gardner Improso
– Kenya We had a first hand experience of the tension while traveling home
from Nakuru to Eldoret on New Year’s Eve. A group of more than a hundred youth
barricaded the central road in a town called Iten, some 50 km before Eldoret.
This is the most common way of showing protest so as to paralyze transportation.
As we begged to pass, some of them agreed while most would not. Those who
did not want us to pass took stones while others started banging our car.
Our kids started to cry in panic, while we constantly prayed for the Lord
to take over the situation. Just before the first block landed in the windshield,
a policeman came and asked the crowd to give us way to pass. He advised us
to stay in a nearby lodge and promised to give us an escort to Eldoret. We
were told that those who did not want us to pass were robbers who took advantage
of the situation. We passed the next 50 km the next day through over fifty
other road blocks. What frightened us most was the sight of burning houses
and people with terrified faces along the road. There were youth waving machetes
while chanting war cries. The Lord certainly took over. We were amazed to
see many people inside our compound when we reached home. They were displaced
families taking shelter with us. We received them with open hands and shared
the food and medicine that we had.
Ruddy Akay – Indonesia: I will go to Balikpapan next week to have a consecration ceremony of the new Grace Bible Church (GAA) congregation and ordination of new leaders/elders of that church. There are 2 congregations now in Balikpapan. This new congregation is in a place called Ring Road. The total members are 35 adult members plus 15 administrative members. The former/other GAA church is in Rambutan Hill. The total members in that church are about 100 people. The next day I will continue by flying to Tarakan, a place very near Malaysia, where there is a GAA church with more than 100 members. From Tarakan I will continue to Sesua village in Central Kalimantan. I will go by high speed boat to a city called Malinau and then another 2.5 hours by car to Sesua. Ev. Revol Tumengkol is our pastor there.
Dr. Ruth Improso – Philippines I am very happy that you agree with my decision to work with the Mahilums in Cambodia. I have decided to finish my training at Asian Center for Missions. It will end the 2nd week of December. On January 4, 2008, I will go to Cambodia and stay for 2 to 3 months (depending on my resources) for exposure. After the exposure trip, I will come back to the Philippines to attend the TCM-Philippines 50th Anniversary and will be able to talk with the TCM leaders about my plans. While on the exposure trip I plan to find out if there is any foundation which I can work with so that when I get back to Cambodia after the conference then I will be able to get a working visa. I also plan to hold medical missions together with Pastor Mahilum and other missionaries there so that we can have more contacts for evangelism.
Luz Gaddi – Uganda This month I was invited to teach a one-day seminar in a remote Bible school in Entebbe. The road going there was bone-breaking, but was worth it. There were 104 students, some came from Burundi and Rwanda, but most were Ugandans. I was asked to teach on “How to Lead Children to Christ,” and “How to Teach Memory Verses.” The scheduled teachers’ training seminars will be: January 11 in Mutungo, close to our church; January 15 in Jinja; and February in Tororo, near the border of Kenya. I hope to make contacts through these to opportunities to share the Grace message. Vincent, a young Ugandan pastor will be assisting me.
Pastor Peter
Kagwi – Kenya I spent some time with Peter Tawa during my last visit
to Mombasa. I was able to share more of the Grace message with him. I am encouraged
with this man who is very active in ministry. I regularly communicate with
him through mobile phone and e-mail. It is my ministry vision that in the
next 5 years the Coast region will have about 10 Grace churches. He attended
our National Bible Conference in Thika this year. Since then he has planted
two more Grace churches so this means there are now three Grace churches in
the coastal region.
Pastor Nestor Dapat – Philippines After months of waiting, Pastor Dapat had his kidney transplant Nov. 27. He was discharged Dec. 4 but after 3 days had to be re-admitted to the hospital because the kidney was being rejected. He is out of the hospital now and will take anti-rejection medicine the rest of his life.
Pastor Jun
Pielago – Philippine TCM Director Part of my schedule this month
brought me and my wife Deb to Overland, Bohol for their church anniversary
and thanksgiving celebration. More than 300 people attended the services.
My last visit in this place was 20 years ago. This church was the first established
congregation in the island province. Their church history mentioned “1964”
when someone from the place heard the TCM-sponsored “Hour of Grace” broadcast.
Through this church, other daughter congregations were planted and established.
There are now 18 Grace churches on the island. The church in Overland has
the largest church building and has a membership of more than 100.
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