Larry and Jan Martin, Thailand, International Ministries
August 2006
Greetings
From the Martins in warm and muggy (and muddy) Ban Luang. Jan has just returned from a conference where the topic of discussion was planting the seed of the gospel in the context of our various fields and Larry was planting rice in the muddy paddys of our neighbors fields. It is indeed our prayer that as we work shoulder to shoulder with our friends that they will indeed understand the Father’s love for them.
Schools
Continue to be a big part of our lives. We go to a number of schools as part of our regular week. We have both started to put more emphasis on reading as opposed to our former emphasis on pronunciation as the kids need to be able to read to pass exams. This is proving to give us new challenges as we develop new teaching strategies and aids. Through our teaching in schools we have been able to build relationships into the wider community.
Accidents - opportunities
Our Neighbour Tor came off his motor bike a couple of weeks ago giving us opportunities to observe the community in action and minister to the family in practical ways. Tor was not seriously hurt but be was sent to the regional hospital for a week and had to be accompanied by his wife Lon. Leaving their boys (14 and 9) at home but not alone. The neighbors were around providing meals, company and direction. We were able to help out a little with food and looking out for them. It reinforced for us the importance of remaining in community for these people. Tor is at home now but unable to farm this season leaving the bulk of the work to Lon.
Actually the husband of another neighbor got hurt about the same time while he was working in the fields and had to take a few days off to heal. Both the wives came asking if we had any work for them or their husbands to do to redeem the time while they were convalescing. We were happy to provide work for both through a handicraft project we have making ribbon flowers and ornaments. Some of the money they earn may be used to pay people to work for them to make up for the time they lost during this busy time of planting.
Discipleship
Preparing lessons for the new believers at Ban Sra continues to be an exciting challenge for us. Preconceived understanding is being challenged in both directions as our new brothers and sisters are understanding the gospel in the light of their understanding and background and we are too. It is fun to hear them re phrase and re illustrate the stories from the Bible with parallels from their own context.
Team work
We work as part of a team here and for the past few years Jan has been the team leader, both fun and challenging and now it is time to hand over the reins to Paul Gravitis. Paul and his family are ministering in Chiang Mai and will take over the role of team leader in October. Paul and Cathy will bring a new dimension to the team leadership, which will be positive and help us to have more focus.
We will continue to work hand in hand with the others in the rural cluster to see Jesus proclaimed here. We are hoping with the extra freedom to be able to capitalize on some of the relationships we have made over the past few years.
Getting ready to print
Larry has been working on some tracts and is hopeful of getting them to the printers soon. The tracts present the gospel using local festivals as the back ground.
Finally
Thank you for the ways that you have journeyed with us, we are very conscious of your working alongside us in the ministry of the Gospel and we continue to pray you know God’s presence in your lives.
With love in Christ
Larry and Jan
Prayer points.
• Praise God for the new believers and the way they are growing in Christ
• Praise God that Tor’s accident was not serious and pray for a full recovery.
• Praise God for Paul’s willingness to take on the role of team leader and pray for this period of working together towards hand-over of responsibilities.
• Pray for the last phases of getting the tracts ready for press and that they will help people understand how they can relate to the God who both created and cares.
• Pray for a time of refreshment this week as we go to our annual mission conference. (Aug 1-5) Pray for Larry as he has a lot of responsibilities.
e-Bible Reading Plan
I was really surprised at the story of Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20 and Isaiah 38-39. The healing was great – the shadow on the sundial turning back 10 degrees made me wish that I had been there to see that! But Heze’s attitude about the future of Israel being taken into captivity by Babylon and his sons being eunuchs in the palace of Babylon blew me away. It was so cold – I mean he put the religious spin on it – didn’t he? “If God says so, then it is good.” He sure didn’t believe that when he was dying did he? And then to say to himself – “oh well, it doesn’t effect me” is so callous towards his children!
I loved the picture of Jesus in Isaiah 42:1-4!
As I read Isaiah I was really surprised at the number of times the destruction of Babylon and the freeing of Israel was mentioned. It made me wonder if this was written after Babylon had taken Israel into captivity – or is it prophecy? That is my question for the professional Christian in small group this week.
What a blessing 1 Peter is – a lesson on the mature Christian life. But what struck me the most about reading this book is that this is Peter writing this. Speak first – think later Peter of the gospels, walking on the water, sinking below the waves Peter, impetuous, sword-swinging, ear-choppin’ Peter. I don’t know how many years after Jesus’ ascension this was written but the out-of-control disciple of the gospels has been changed into a calm, wise teacher and leader of the church. Praise God for the way the he changes us and molds us to be more like Him everyday!
This week’s readings:
Sonday, July 30…….Isaiah 60-62; John 1
Monday, July 31……Is 63-64, Jn2
Tuesday, Aug 1……Is 65-66, Psalm, 62; John 3
Wed. Aug 2………2 Kings 21; 2 Chronicles 33; Jn 4
Thurs, Aug 3………Nah 1-3; Jn 5
Friday, Aug 4………2 Kings 22; 2 Chron 34; Jn 6
Sat. Aug 5…………2 kings 23; 2 Chr 35; Jn 7
Valerie Rae Hanneman
Philippians 3:14 (The Message) “but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.”
Last September, two days before my 52nd birthday, I was driving to work on Fwy168, doing about 70 MPH. The traffic pattern, like usual, was crowded as we approached the curve into Fwy 180. I was on one of the inside lanes when a truck several cars ahead of me started to slow for the curve. ‘It didn’t need to slow down THAT much’ was my impatient thought, so as I started to slow, I glanced in my rearview & side mirrors intending to move to the outside lane. There was nothing there so I started to turn my head to check the blind spot and noticed that because I had slowed, my drink had tipped in the console. I righted it, glanced ahead of me again and to my horror realized that the truck had really slowed down along with the cars following it. I quickly started to change lanes only to discover that there was a white car in my blind spot, I started to move back, only a small pick-up truck was already coming into the lane I was trying to vacate. In a panic, I slammed on my brakes, lost control of the car, fishtailed, skidded between the white car and the car following her, and headed for the guardrail that was the only thing between me and the steep incline at the edge. I thought I was dead. I slammed head-on into the guardrail fully expecting to crash right through it and go sailing over the treetops and into the ravine. Luckily, Cal-Trans is very good at what they do, and their design of the guardrail saved my life. Instead of giving way, the guardrail had enough give to cushion my impact but held firm enough to stop me. The impact knocked my car sideways and out of traffic. I was even facing in the right direction! After sitting for a minute, gathering my wits around me, I turned the engine off and climbed out of the passenger’s side to inspect my car. The front end was a mess – but amazingly the rest of the car was fine. After waiting about 10 minutes to see if anybody would stop and help me (they didn’t) I climbed back into the car and tried the engine. It started so I waited another couple of minutes to see if any smoke or anything would come out and then drove home.
I have driven that curve for a number of years – I know better than to take my eyes off of it for even a second – and that’s all I did – I was distracted by a tipped cup and I took my eyes off the road for just a second! And the result was several thousands of dollars worth of damage to my car and a bent up guardrail that Cal-Trans billed my insurance company for. It could have been worse – I could have died. I know that Father looked down and said, “Sorry – you aren’t coming home today – I have more for you to do.” And He put His hand around me. That is the only reasonable explanation of how I fishtailed between those two cars and slammed into the guardrail at just the right angle to take my car out the rush hour traffic. I know good and well that I am alive only because He protected me.
I am 10 years in this glorious walk with Jesus. I look back at the woman who I was and I know what a miracle Jesus has done in my life. I am a totally different woman. I don’t live like I used to do – I have a better way of living. I don’t speak like I used to do – I have a better way of speaking. I no longer pursue the things of this world, I pursue Jesus.
I have a friend that I have worked with for over 13 years. She knew me back in the day before Christ became the focus of my life. She knew me when I was not so nice – when my language could make a dead sailor blush – when my lifestyle brought no honor to my God. When I first started going though the change to a Christ follower she used to make comments on the change but she doesn’t any more. I guess that she has gotten used to it.
I was in her office one morning and she told me about something our boss had done and I lost my temper. In my ranting and raving, I used a word that I shouldn’t have. The instant it came out of my mouth I was ashamed of myself but I couldn’t call it back. It hung between the two of us like poisoned air. After a spell of shocked silence she said, “Valerie! I thought you were a Christian!”
I am a Christian – but for just a second I took my eyes off of Jesus. I was distracted by my temper, took my eyes off of Him, and used language that is not acceptable in any situation and most certainly not for me. And serious damage was done. I have harmed my witness to my friend. Before I used that word she used to try and temper her language around me – she doesn’t bother anymore. It is obvious that the respect she used to have for my faith just isn’t there any more. I don’t know when I will get it back.
I took my eyes off the road for just a second and did thousands of dollars of damage to my car. I took my eyes off Jesus for just a second and did damage to my witness for Christ and to His Kingdom. Please Jesus, just don’t let it be irreparable.
If you look at my car today you can’t even tell that it was damaged – the body looks just as good as it did. But if you look at the front license plate you can tell that something bad happened. Although the body shop pounded it straight and put it back on the car it is obviously damaged. I had a friend ask why I did just replace it or take it off. No way! Every time I go to my car I see that license plate and I am reminded of what taking my eyes off the road for just a second cost me and how much more it almost cost me.
My friendship is almost the same as it was before – but not quite. Every time she uses language that makes me cringe I am reminded of what taking my eyes off Jesus for just a second has cost me – and how much more it has impacted the Kingdom.
LORD Jesus, I took my eyes off of you for just a second and over something as stupid as my temper. I hurt my witness for You – and that hurts me. Help me to be stronger.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of Fresno First Baptist at Valerie@fresnofirst.org
Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
Had no army, yet kings feared Him.
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
Feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us.!
The love of God is like the Amazon River flowing down to water one daisy.-Unknown
Please pray for Annalisa and Bethany. Annalisa has been taken by her father from Bethany, her grandma. The father says that he is not bringing Annalisa back. Pray for a peaceful resolution that does not harm Annalisa.
From Deborah: “a good friend of mine just wrote that her sons were called up to fight in Lebanon. One is in the elite Eloni Brigade and, should troops go in, he will be a paratrooper leading the way. The boys are in their late teens and early 20s. The family live on the Green Line, Orthodox Jews who believe that God gave us the land. They immigrated to Israel in the 90s, a family of 6. Now, their sons are facing their deaths. Their names are Yonatan Meir Levitt and Daniel Eliyahu Levitt. Please say a prayer for them.”
Please pray for the safety of my co-worker’s family. Most of Ofra’s family lives in Tel Aviv but her elderly aunt & uncle live in Haifa. When she called them she could hear the Hezbollah bombs dropping in the background. They say they are too old to go to a safer location.
Georgette has sent me a series of updates on a young couple in Oklahoma, Jane & Doug. In the first e-mail Doug had gone to work complaining of a headache then came home and went to the hospital where they discovered an aneurism. He was operated on – but the repair was not holding. In the second e-mail the doctor had told Jane & the family that Doug was not going to survive and that they should spend what time they could with him, but by God’s mercy, Doug rallied and made it through the night. In her last e-mail they were planning on taking Doug off his drainage tube because he is doing so much better. But he has a long road to recovery – please keep him in prayer.
We continue to pray for the following: my young friend down at juvenile hall, Dennis Galloway & recovery from surgery, Ivy Huff as she job hunts, Matthew & Lisa as they raise funds for Nigeria, Megan Dineen as she prepares to go to Mexico in September, Khamla & arm pains, Sandy Hall & radiation treatments, Jonathan Rumsey, serving in Bagdad, Ellen Burton, Aunt Pat & cancer, Uncle Dale & chemo, Mike Abbott in Afghanistan, Walt Couch & prostrate cancer, Tony & treatment for prostrate cancer, John Rodgers with cancer.
Pray for our missionaries - Gospel for Asia, Biana Grogg with The Faith Alive Clinic in Jos, Nigeria, Laurie Bethall in Prague, Judy, Faye & Miisaw at the New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, and all the missionaries worldwide.
Pray for our pastors our leadership, our ministries, and Father’s provision for His Church. Pray that we recognize opportunities to share our faith with others
Pray for our country, her leadership and our military.
Great and Glorious God,
You rule over Heaven and Earth in glory and majesty. Praises from the saints, the angels and all of creation rise before Your throne for all of Eternity – for You are worthy of our praise.
Abba, please protect Annalisa through this time, grant Bethany peace. Your will, LORD of All, is sometimes difficult for us to understand, and this is one of those situations. With trust we affirm – You will be done.
LORD God of the Angel Armies, we pray a stronghold of protection around these boys who are fighting for their country. We pray that Your peace can be found in this whole situation. We pray for Ofra’s family, particularly her aunt and uncle as they stay in Haifa, that You will place Your hand upon them.
Great Physician, we lift up Doug before You and ask that You continue to strengthen His ailing body. Grant Jane courage as she stands with Doug during this troubled time. Help her to find her rest in You.
Jehovah-Jirah, provide for those who continue to be on our prayer chain.
We praise You, Jehovah Shalom, for the storms that we pass through in this life because Your promise is ours to hold on . You promised that You will never leave us, You will never forsake us. You have called us Your children and we know that no matter how stormy our lives become or how crazy the world goes around us, we are safe in Your hand and held close to Your mighty heart.
Eternal Rock of Our Salvation, more and more we read of religious extremists attacking Your followers on the mission fields. Holy Jesus, grant them peace and courage as they serve You with their hearts and with their lives.
Comforting Spirit, move upon the lives of our beloved Pastors, grant them a fresh vision of You. Allow them to see clearly how their faithfulness to You has resulted in changed lives. Help us to love them like You love them. We pray for our leadership and for the ministries of our community of Faith – that their focus remains solely on You.
Be with our country and help her to turn back to her God. Be with our leaders, may their hear Your small still voice. Protect our military men and women wherever they are.
Son of God, Beloved Jesus, we watch the events in this world unfold and we wonder when it will end – when will our world know peace? Then we remember You and You alone are the Hope of the World and the Peace of our lives. Only when You stand as Messiah upon the face of this earth will there be true peace. We join John the Revelator in saying, “Even so, Come Lord Jesus!” How we long for that day when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that You, Jesus, are LORD of all. We Love You, Lord – can’t wait to see You.
e-Bible Reading Plan
Don’t you just love the poetry of Isaiah? Some of my favorite this week was Isaiah 32: 1-5 – it made me think of the thousand year reign of Christ – when fools and scoundrels will no longer respected – when it is good to be of noble character. I liked Isaiah 33:1 as well – it read like a promise to satan. Chapter 34 sounds like Armageddon. The prophecy mixed with poetry makes Isaiah so unique!
James starts out with a difficult verse – that we are to consider it joy when we face trials because they help us grow. I know that that is true – it has been born out many times in my life – but to actually feel joy about going through the trials – that’s a tough one! James 3:10 is a verse that I need to read often to help me tame the waywardness of my tongue. Anybody else feel that way?
I absolutely love how the Message translates 1 Peter 1:1 my favorite part is “...writing to the exiles scattered to the four winds - not one is missing, not one forgotten. God the Father has his eye on each of you.” I love to read of how I am never outside of God’s view and protection! In this crazy world – that it a good thing!
This week we continue on with Isaiah & Peter
This week’s readings:
Sonday, July 23…….2 Kings 20; Isaiah 38-39; Psalm 75’ 1 Peter 2
Monday, July 24…….Is. 40-42, 1 Pet 3
Tuesday, July 25……Is. 43-45; 1 Peter 4
Wed. July 26……...… Is 46-49; 1 Pet 5
Thurs, July 27……..…Is 50-52; Psalm 92; 2 Peter 1
Friday, July 28….……Is 53-56; 2 Pet 2
Sat. July 29……...……Is 57-59; Psalm 103; 2 Pet 3
July 20, 2006
Dear Family and Friends,
June and July have been very busy, fruitful months. Praise the Lord for his faithfulness and love for us. He has directed us and strengthened us every step of the way.
Construction of the new hospital building has been primarily completed, except for finish-up electrical, plumbing, and painting work. All seven HIV/AIDS treatment teams, the out-patient department, the pharmacy and the lab are seeing patients in the ground floor of the new building, which is very sparsely furnished. There is no permanent shelving, cabinets, or furniture yet, but a table and a couple of chairs adequately meet the basic needs of each seven person treatment team for now. Counseling, Physiotherapy, Data management, Finances, and Administration are still in the old building. We are thankful for the steady progress that has been accomplished over the past nine months, and are trusting God to provide the resources to complete the finish-up work, furnishing of the building, and opening of the patient wards and surgery center according to his time-table. Your continued prayers during these transitions are appreciated.
Faith Alive Foundation’s Tenth Anniversary Celebration was in June, and was a wonderful time of praising the Lord, remembering the past, envisioning the future, and committing ourselves anew to the work of the Lord. We were blessed to have visitors from around the world join us for this celebration.
We’ve had a number of university and graduate students from California and Wisconsin visiting us over the past two months. They’ve been conducting a couple of research projects, preparing and presenting a systems development training for our heads of departments, visiting an orphanage, and assisting in the lab, counseling department, or social services programs. Their participation has been a joy for all of us.
Dr Chris Isichei, the founder of Faith Alive, left last week to spend about 2 months in London and the USA visiting colleagues and supporters, attending meetings, conferences, and trainings, and sharing the vision and mission of Faith Alive with churches, organizations, and friends. He will be speaking at Fresno First Baptist Church on August 3rd and August 6th. I’d like to encourage you to attend these events to hear the Faith Alive story first hand. You may call the church at 227-8476 for further details.
My son Joshua’s wife Nicole gave birth in Montana to their second little girl on June 26th. Her name is Simone Hope, and from the pictures I’ve received via email she is a cutie. Thank you for your prayers for this growing family. All are healthy and well, and being blessed by the Lord.
May God be with each one of you, and fill you with his love, joy, and peace.
Biana
Valerie Rae Hanneman
John 13:34-35 (The Message)"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are My disciples—when they see the love you have for each other." (Jesus speaking)
This past weekend I had the joy and privilege to serve on the Action Team for a Walk to Emmaus Women’s weekend retreat. It was the first time that I had been able to work on one of the weekends and I was excited to be doing it. Our main job as the Action Team is to serve the needs of the women who are taking their Walk. We set tables, cooked food, did dishes, and cleaned. When somebody at work asked me what I was going to be doing for the weekend retreat I jokingly replied, "I am scrubbing toilets for Jesus" Little did I know that I had the gift of prophecy - because part of the Action Teams duties were to clean the bathrooms - including scrubbing the toilets - four times a day. I scrubbed out a lot of toilets over my weekend - and you want to know what? I loved it!
I loved it because I was serving Jesus as I did it - and my service to Him is my greatest act of love for Him. I have done some pretty unique things because I love Him and serve Him - so scrubbing toilets in His name and for His purpose is not that far-fetched for me.
I loved it because the focus never wavered off of Jesus. There were women who were directly involved with the women taking their walk. There was the Lay Director who was in charge of the whole shebang. There was the table leaders, the clergy and the speakers. And there was the Action team that served in the background and had little contact with the women taking their walk. At no time, either from my Savior and my God or any other woman involved, did I feel that my work in scrubbing toilets was any less valued than that of the Lay Director. Each of us there was focused on serving Jesus and not on the prestige of where we were serving. I laughed as I told a friend that I had experienced the mountains and valleys of serving in Emmaus on Saturday night when we went from a communion and praise service so wonderful that if I had lifted my hand I would have brushed the threshold of Heaven to 15 minutes later standing in a stall - scrub brush in one hand, scouring powder in the other. (And Jesus honoured my heart for Him in both places)
I also loved it because of the women that I was blessed to work with. There was a spirit of love for each other and cooperation with each other that I have not often experienced. There was this one point of time when I was starting to drag a little. One of my sisters asked if I was okay and I told her that my dogs (feet) were so tired that they had quit barking and were just sort of whimpering. You know what she did? She put down what she was working on, put her arm around me and prayed for my FEET! I have been prayed over for a lot of things before - but never tired feet. During the weekend we faced a number of challenges - like the food truck finally showing up a day late. Never during those times did I hear complaints. People just pulled together to solve the situation. There were no complaints about who was doing what or who should be doing what - there was no gossip. There was simply Christians working together to build the Kingdom of God.
This weekend, for me, is what Jesus is talking about in this verse from John. This was the last night of His earthly life. These were the words that were most important to Him - words that were imperative to Him that He pass on. And He told us to love one another as He has loved us. Jesus loved us enough to lay down His life for us - there are some of my brothers and sisters that I have difficulty loving until the end of church service. He hung from His hands on the cross because of His love for us - sometimes I can’t be bothered to lift a hand for another. He defeated death for me because of His love - I can’t even defeat my gossipy mouth. LORD Jesus, Help me to love as You love.
Another thing I loved about my weekend was how we talked together about the ministries we serve in, our pastors, our communities of faith. What we did not talk about was the "right" denomination, the "right" way to baptise, the "right" way to do communion, the "right" way to do anything. I do not know where most of these women that I now love so strongly go to church and to be honest - I don’t care. I don’t need to know the label on the door of their church when I can see so clearly the label on their hearts. Jesus said that the world would know that we belong to Him because of the way that we love each other. When we show the world our denomination in-fighting - the Baptist fights with the Methodist who fights with the Lutheran who fights with the Pentecostal and we all fight with the Episcopalian because none of us can say their name right - what does the world think? When our church has in-fighting over music, communion, and what the pastor wears, when we tear each other down through gossip and this spills into the world - what do they think? They call us hypocrites and want nothing to do with us.
Jesus wants so much more for us. He wants us to love each other. I experienced that love this weekend when a diverse group of women got together and worked together doing what the Eternal Church of Jesus is supposed to be doing. We served Jesus, we kept our focus on Jesus, and we loved each other. Then on our last meeting, we shared tears of joy as the women who were on the walk stood and shared how their Emmaus weekend had changed their lives forever. The Kingdom of God was strengthened, lives were changed because we chose to love as Jesus loves.
We can change what the world sees when they look at us. We can love each other like Jesus loves us and the world will wonder what is going on with us – and they will come to see. But the change has to start in individual hearts and lives before we will make a difference. I choose that change when I love my brothers and sisters more than I allow them to irritate me. I choose that when I reach out with hands of love to others. I choose that when I use my mouth and my words to build up rather than tear down. I choose to love as Jesus loves. I choose Jesus.
Lord Jesus, my Savior and God, Help us to love one another as You have loved us so we can reach this dying world in your name. And let it begin with me.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-ministry of Fresno First Baptist at Valerie@fresnofirst.org
Grace is when God gives us what we don't deserve and mercy is when God doesn't give us what we do deserve.-Unknown
Dr. Chris Ishechi, founder of the Faith Alive Aids clinic in Jos, Nigeria is going to be at Fresno First on August 3rd for a luncheon in his honor and on August 6th for a celebration of his ministry. What an exciting opportunity to meet this incredible man and to hear him speak! Please pray for Dr. Chris as he travels – and make your reservations with Jessica for both of these events!
Mission teams to Nigeria and Prague are beginning to form and be planned. Please pray for these outreach efforts of our church.
Please pray for my young friend. She has gotten herself into a real mess and is currently down at Juvenile Hall. Please pray that while she is in there Father will send someone to her to turn her attention to her Father. She is so loved by her Father God – she just doesn’t know it yet.
We continue to pray for the following: Dennis Galloway & recovery from surgery, Ivy Huff as she job hunts, Matthew & Lisa as they raise funds for Nigeria, Megan Dineen as she prepares to go to Mexico in September, Khamla & arm pains, Sandy Hall & radiation treatments, Jonathan Rumsey, serving in Bagdad, Ellen Burton, Aunt Pat & cancer, Uncle Dale & chemo, Mike Abbott in Afghanistan, Walt Couch & prostrate cancer, Tony & treatment for prostrate cancer, John Rodgers with cancer.
Pray for our missionaries - Gospel for Asia, Biana Grogg with The Faith Alive Clinic in Jos, Nigeria, Laurie Bethall in Prague, Judy, Faye & Miisaw at the New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, and all the missionaries worldwide.
Pray for our pastors our leadership, our ministries, and Father’s provision for His Church. Pray that we recognize opportunities to share our faith with others
Pray for our country, her leadership and our military.
Jehovah Shalom,
Thank You for being our peace when the world around us is in chaos. Prince of Peace, there just doesn’t seem to be a corner of our earth where there is peace. Although events around us are disturbing – we have no fear because You are with us.
LORD of the Angel Armies, we lift Israel up before You and ask Your protection on her. We lift up the terrorist organizations and countries that support them and ask that you touch them with wisdom so that they can see that the death of innocent people is not the path to justice.
Merciful Spirit, we ask Your blessings and comfort on Dr. Chris as he travels and seeks support of his mission in Jos. Provide for his needs while he is here, protect Faith Alive and its workers while Dr. Chris is away.
We pray for the mission teams that are now forming – that you will send the right mix of people.
Jesus, my Savior and God, I lift up my friend before You and ask that You use somebody to reach out to her in Your name. She acts so big and hard, but inside, Abba, she is just a little girl. Please, Spirit of Life, touch her and comfort her.
Your love for us, Holy God, just astounds us. We read in the older testament about how often Israel turned her back on You, we read of Your heartbreak as she turned to false gods time and time again, we hear Your cry to Israel for her to turn back to You and You will forgive her and start anew because You love Your people with a never-ending, relentless love. I turn my back on You, too. I may not pursue Baal or Ashtoreth but I sometimes lose my mind and pursue money and power. Thank You for the call You put on my life, the call that says to just come back to You and You will forgive me and restore me. And You always do. Thank You for loving me like You do.
We pray for the friends and family who remain on our prayer chain and ask that You continue to work in each situation.
We pray for our pastors and ask Your mercy on them. We pray for the leaders and the ministries in our community of faith that we always turn our hearts and our faces to You.
Abba, help us to recognize opportunities to share Your glory with this aching world. Give us the courage to stand fast in our faith.
We pray for the missionaries around the world and ask that You build a hedge of protection around them.
We pray for our world, LORD God on High, and ask that Your gentle touch of healing be felt on her. We pray for our country, that she will turn back to You. You are our foundation. We pray wisdom for our leaders and protection for the men and women who bravely serve.
Thank You for the quiet times when we rest in You. Thank You for the storms when we cling tightly to You for safety. Thank You for the times of praise and times of sorrow. Thank You for being our all-in-all. Your love for us always has been, always is, and always will be. Our love for You always will be. We love You, LORD.
Inspirational speaker and writer Sanjiv Sharma likes to share the story
of a group of Notre Dame alumni, highly established in their careers,
who got together at their alma mater to hear a guest lecturer and to
visit their old university professor.
Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and
returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups -
porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive,
some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:
"If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up,
leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you
to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your
problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself, adds no quality to
the coffee in most cases, just more expensive and in some cases even
hides what we drink.
What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you
consciously went for the best cups... and then began eyeing each other's
cups.
Now consider this: Life is the coffee, and the jobs, money and position
in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life,
and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of
Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to
enjoy the coffee God has provided us."
God brews the coffee, not the cups... enjoy your COFFEE.
Valerie Rae Hanneman
Romans 1:1 (The Message) “I, Paul, am a devoted slave of Jesus Christ on assignment, authorized as an apostle to proclaim God's words and acts. I write this letter to all the believers in Rome, God's friends.”
My favorite drama TV show is “CSI, Las Vegas” I enjoy watching all of those CSI shows. I really like the ones, like “Forensic Files,” that are based on real cases. I think that I like them so much because I am a linear person who really likes the details. My kids think it’s because I read too many “Nancy Drew Mysteries” when I was younger.
I was watching one CSI episode where Brass (the detective) was interviewing a politician about his championship ring that had been found at a crime scene. The politician explained that a couple of years before he had been a drug addict and that at that point in time nothing had mattered to him but that next fix and so he had pawned his championship ring to get it. He then continued that he was now a believer in Jesus Christ and all that was behind him. I am telling you that my jaw hit the ground. For a moment I thought there was going to be something positive about a Christian on a mainstream show. That hope was dashed when Brass rolled his eyes. The politician defended himself. “I know what you are thinking – I am an addict and you think that my faith in Jesus is just my new addiction.” (or something like that)
That statement blew me away! I had never heard anything like that and I wondered if there was a school of thought that actually believed that an addict is just changing their addiction to drugs for an addiction to Jesus. Am I addicted to Jesus? I thought that I would do a comparison between a drug addiction and a Jesus addiction to see how they are different – and how they are the same. So – with your indulgence – I present:
CSI – Fresno First Baptist
The first thing that we need to establish is that I have an addictive personality. When I discovered the party scene in my 20’s I started out with wine but quickly ramped up to drinking 151 Bacardi & coke. That, my friend, is some serious drinking. My drug use was occasional and for the party. When my children’s father and I moved in together, the drinking stopped, but my drug use became a daily thing. At first, it was marijuana but by my late 20’s I was fully addicted to amphetamines (crank). I was an addict for the next 12 years, then Jesus reached deep into the sewer of my drug life to fish me out. For the past 11 years I have served Him. Now, as Grissom says, let’s look at the evidence:
When I was a drug addict I couldn’t quit the drugs. I hated being on them but I couldn’t be free of it. As a Jesus addict I can’t quit Him either. I absolutely love being addicted to Jesus and the day will never come when I want to be free of Him.
I was a slave to the drugs and I was ashamed of it. I went to great lengths to make sure that nobody had a clue about what I was doing, that that part of my life was hidden away from everybody. I am a slave to Jesus, too. It is my greatest joy and I will shout my slavery from the rooftops. I want everybody to know that I am addicted to Him – may every breath I take, may every word I say, may every action and every thought – everything I am proclaim Him as my Master and myself as His willing slave.
When I was a drug addict everything else took second place to my addiction. I was a neglectful parent, a poor friend, a marginal employee, and a miserable human being. I was absolutely self-centered on my need. As a Jesus addict everything is still second place to my addiction. – but the results have undergone a radical change. I realize that in serving in these other roles – parent, friend, employee – I am actually serving Jesus. Because I am serving Him, I am no longer a self-centered, miserable human being, instead I am a Christ-centered, outwardly directed human being of incredible joy.
I took the drugs because they made me feel good about myself. I felt powerful, in control and able to do just about anything – but it was a lie. In my Jesus addiction I feel good about myself because I know that I am highly valued by God. I am powerful because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I am in control of my life because I have willing turned over my life to Jesus
As a drug addict I put death up my nose and into my body. I was so weighted down with chains of hopelessness that I couldn’t hardly put one foot in front of the other. My face showed that I was the walking dead. As a Jesus addict I have only life in my body and soul. I am bound to Him by chains of love that cause me to dance on feet of praise. My face is alight with the glory of my abundant life found in God
There was no hope, no future in my drug addiction – only death. My addiction to Jesus is my hope, it is my future – and it brings me eternal life in His presence
There are similarities between my drug addiction and my Jesus addiction. – but even greater differences. I could not quit my drug addiction – although I wanted to. I cannot quit my Jesus addiction – and I never want to quit Him. I was a slave to the drugs and they tore down my life and relationships. I am a slave to Jesus and in Him have found my greatest freedom to be who He has meant me to be in both my life and relationships. The drugs made me feel good – but were a lie. Jesus makes me feel good about myself and it is the truth. Drugs weighted me down with chains of hopelessness, Jesus lifts me up and binds me to Him with chains of love.
Drugs were the impending death of me – Jesus is the eternal life within me.
LORD Jesus, the world says that I am addicted to You as a replacement for being addicted to drugs. They don’t have a clue one. I choose to bind my life to You because You are the only source of life there is. If that is an addiction – then so be it.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry at valerie@fresnofirst.org
If there are two persons praying, there are three. If three meet to pray, there are four praying. There is always one more than you can see. -S.D. Gordon
Bill Clem was in services this past Sonday, looking good and – according to him – feeling great!
Mission teams to Nigeria and Prague are beginning to form and be planned. Please pray for these outreach efforts of our church.
Please pray for the women’s Walk to Emmaus weekend. I will be at the Walk on a background crew – and I am really excited to be given the opportunity to serve God in a new way. (I’m a little worried about having to get up so early and how it is going to impact my personal time with God – which is the backbone of my life)(But He will work it out!)
Dennis’ dad, August Wajckus, passed into the arms of His God this past week. Please keep the family in prayer as they mourn this good man’s passing.
Please pray for the people hurt in the terrorist attack in India – I grieve this insanity – but am relieved that it happened away from our brethren at Reaching Hand Society.
We continue to pray for the following: Dennis Galloway & recovery from surgery, Ivy Huff as she job hunts, Dennis & Bette Hunt as they mourn the loss of Dennis’ father, Kirt, Matthew & Lisa as they raise funds for Nigeria, Megan Dineen as she prepares to go to Mexico in September, Khamla & arm pains, Sandy Hall & radiation treatments, Jonathan Rumsey, serving in Bagdad, Ellen Burton, Aunt Pat & cancer, Uncle Dale & chemo, Mike Abbott in Afghanistan, Walt Couch & prostrate cancer, Tony & treatment for prostrate cancer, John Rodgers with cancer.
Pray for our missionaries - Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, Gospel For Asia, Biana Grogg with The Faith Alive Clinic in Jos, Nigeria, Laurie Bethall in Prague, Judy, Faye & Miisaw at the New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, and all the missionaries worldwide.
Pray for our pastors our leadership, our ministries, and Father’s provision for His Church. Pray that we recognize opportunities to share our faith with others
Pray for our country, her leadership and our military.
Father of All Life,
What a joy it is to know that we are Your children. We think of our own children and the depths of our love and commitment to them and we stand in awe because Your love and commitment to us is even deeper. We sing Hallelujah – praise to our God and Father.
With hearts of joy we praise You for the great news on Bill Clem, and we ask Yahweh, that You continue to heal him.
We ask Your blessings, Jehovah Jirah, on the mission teams that are coming together. Put those whom You have chosen on each team.
We pray for the women on the Walk this weekend. Open their hearts and minds to You. It is going to be a busy time this weekend, LORD of my life – help me to find time with You.
We pray for Dennis and Marion as they grieve the passing of August, we ask that You comfort them and their entire family.
Righteous Judge, I pray for those in India whose lives have been devastated by this terrorist attack. God of Mercy, I pray that somehow these terrorists can be reached for You. Nothing is impossible for You – not even giving new life and sanity to these dead twisted souls. We pray for their salvation, LORD God.
Holy Spirit, breathe new hope into the lives of those who remain on our prayer list.
We pray for our pastors. Your promise is that if we pray in agreement, then nothing will be held back from us. We pray for our pastors LORD. These are great men and women who have dedicated their lives to You – but they are all too human and I think that sometimes we who are blessed by their leadership forget that. We pray in agreement for our pastors – that no good thing will be withheld from them and that we will continually support them with our prayers and with our love.
Jesus, Giver of Life, we pray for our communities of faith, the ministries that serve You and the servants who serve You through the ministries. We pray for our missionaries who serve you around the world – protect them.
Guide the steps of our country and our leaders as we are in these difficult times.
Abba, we love You so much. Your Name – the Name above all names, is the Name we sing in praise & joy. Your Name is the one we whisper when storms threaten. Your Name is the song we dance to as we dance through this life. Your Name is the one that brings us peace. Your name is the name that will stand for all eternity, perfect, never changing, never leaving. Your name is the rhythm of life. And You call us Your own. Thank You, Father.
In 2 Kings 15 I ran across an interesting set of verses #11-12 about the promise of God being fulfilled to Jehu – that his sons would sit on the throne of Israel for 4 generations. Jehu was the man (2 Kings 1) who brought down the remaining family of Ahab and destroyed the temple of Baal. But he didn’t stop the worship of other idols – which brought about the overthrow of his family from the throne.
The tone of Hosea was set in the very first verse when it says “This whole country has become a whorehouse. The next chapters are a scathing commentary on Israel’s unfaithfulness to God – but then the 14th chapter when God calls to His people to return to Him even to the point of saying "I will heal their waywardness. I will love them lavishly. My anger is played out. I will make a fresh start with Israel.” When I read this my heart just breaks because I am no better than Israel – but God always takes me back – His mercies are new every morning.”
Jude was an interesting call to stay faithful to our faith. I read verses 17-19 and recognized our times in it. I am still considering Philemon – it doesn’t seem to say much about anything – but God wanted it in the Word – maybe this is my question for the professional Christian for this week!
Willie’s sermon this morning on Hebrew 1:1-3 was extraordinary. And then in Hebrews 3 – this statement: “So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He's the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do.” I hope that Willie continues in a series on Jesus – and I hope he gets to these verses! (hint, hint, Doc)
This week’s readings:
Sonday, July 9…….. Micah 1-4; Hebrews 6
Monday, July 10….…Mic 5-7, Hebrews 7
Tuesday, July 11……Isaiah 8-10, Heb. 8
Wed. July 12………....Is 11-14; Heb 9
Thurs, July 13…..……Is 15-18; Heb 10
Friday, July 14….……Is 19-21; Heb 11
Sat. July 15……...……Is 22-24; Heb 12
I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones.
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?
Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't ever have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill!
Valerie Rae Hanneman
John 15:13 (21st Century KJV) “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Recently Care Fresno Kids Klub went to Cayucos for a day of fun in the sun. I cannot even begin to tell you how much fun it was. For three of our parents it was the first time that they had ever seen the ocean. I wasn’t expecting that. I knew that a bunch of our kids had never seen the ocean – but parents? What a joy it was for me to be part of watching them play in the ocean. We rented a bunch of boogie-boards and let the kids go wild. The expressions on their faces as they got their first taste of the ocean was classic. I don’t know – maybe they didn’t realize it would be as salty as it is. When we were done in the ocean we feasted on BBQ hamburgers & hot dogs. There were 74 of us who went. There were a slew of kids and young people, a bunch of parents, and myself as the lead volunteer. And then there was Char Cole and Norm Baird. The kids were there because they had earned the Kids Kash to go. My leadership team (Jr & Sr High, mostly) were there because they faithfully volunteer throughout the year and earn their way on our adventures. A bunch of parents went to spend the day with their kids and many of them drove their cars to help me to get kids up there. I was there because I am the lead volunteer for this ministry; I put the trip together, so I was kinda responsible for the whole thing. But why were Char and Norm there? Oh, I know what their responsibilities were. Char took responsibility for the BBQ for 74 people. Norm drove the church bus greatly alleviating my transportation problems. But why were they there? Unlike the rest al the adults, neither one of them have children or grandchildren who are part of the Kids Klub program. They both lead busy, active lives – so it wasn’t like they had nothing better to do with a Saturday than to spend it with a slew of overly – let’s see, how do I say it politely – rambunctious children. Why were they there?
Usually when we read these words of Jesus we know that He was speaking of Himself and His great love for us that compelled Him to lay down His life for us. But I wonder, what more can we see in this verse if we take a different look then that which is usual.
My best friend is Jesus, I love Him more than anything and I would gladly lay down my physical life for Him. Seriously speaking, if somebody were to put a gun to my head and say, “Deny Jesus or die!” what is the worst that is going to happen? They shoot me in the head and I am on my face at Jesus’ feet before my empty body hits the ground – never to leave Him again. Oh, yeah, that’s a bummer – NOT! So I think that this verse could also mean our laying our lives down for our best Friend.
What if it also means laying down our lives on a day by day basis? That is why Char and Norm were at the beach on that Saturday. They were laying down their lives at Jesus’ feet. I am sure that they both had things that they should have been doing. They should have been mowing their lawns, washing those clothes, cleaning the living room, or bathing the dog. They had things that they could have been doing – watching the game, going to the movies, having dinner with friends. But they laid down what they should’ve or could’ve been doing with their lives and chose to serve Jesus by going with a bunch of kids to the beach.
They lay down their lives often. Char cooks for Kids Klub throughout the year. She works up at Camp Sugarpine – winter & summer -to provide scholarships for kids to go to camp. This past winter Char was in and out of the hospital with serious health problems. When I would go to visit her, her biggest worries were about not being able to cook for Kids Klub, and not being able to work at Sugarpine for those scholarships. Norm drives for Kids Klub anytime we need him, often changing his own schedule to do so. He drives for any ministry that asks him to. Wednesday he drove the bus to Magic Mountain not getting home until 2:30 am. This weekend he has laid down his life to volunteer his time and abilities on a weekend Emmaus retreat.
On a day-by-day basis Char and Norm lay down their lives that the world says they should live to pick up a life that the world simply doesn’t understand. And they are not the only ones. Our Community of faith has many ministries that are accomplishing great things for God because of a group of extraordinary people who lay down their lives for Jesus. They choose to serve. Even as I type this, their faces fill my mind, and I praise God for their service that is changing this lost world with the hope that is Jesus.
They don’t do it for the fame – ‘cause there isn’t any. They don’t do it for the money – there sure isn’t any of that. They don’t do it for the power – because they have no power when they serve.
This group of servants lay down their lives because they love their Friend Jesus. Someday they may be asked to lay their physical life for their Friend, but until that day, they will continue to lay down their lives on a day-by day basis.
And they will change the world.
LORD Jesus, I praise You for those who lay down their lives before You every day. They are my heroes of the faith. Help me to be like them. I lay my life before You.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of Fresno First Baptist at Valerie@fresnofirst.org
Feed on Christ, and then go and live your life, and it is Christ in you that lives your life, that helps the poor, that tells the truth, that fights the battle, and that wins the crown.
-Philips Brooks
Kirt Hunt went home to be with His new-found LORD and Savior about a week and a half ago. Kirt was an unusual statistic – a man who found new life in Christ as his earthly life was drawing to a close. He has gone to join his wife around the throne praising God forever. Praise God that He welcomes one who accepted Him late in life with as much joy as one who accepted as a child. Please keep Dennis & Bette Hunt in prayer
Dennis Galloway is home and doing okay. There were some problems with low blood pressure, but he is better. Please continue to pray for a complete healing.
Bill Clem will be having surgery tomorrow for the blood clot in his leg and something done on his shoulder. Please keep this hard working man in prayer. It is going to drive him nuts to have to stay down for awhile.
Georgette’s friend Pam Galendo is doing great following her shoulder surgery. She sends her thanks for our prayers.
Please pray for Ivy Huff as she looks for another job.
Dennis’ dad, August Wajckus, had a massive stroke on June 29th. He will be having an MRI to determine the extent of the damage. On a brighter note, Dennis’ mom, Dorothy is doing much better with her therapy. Please keep this beloved family in prayer as they face this multitude of challenges.
74 people went on the Care Fresno beach trip. It was awesome! Three of the parents had never been to the ocean before. A whole slew of kids saw the ocean for the first time. I praise God for the privilege of serving Him through this ministry – even though it drives me nuts sometimes.
Keep our beloved Biana in prayer as she grows in her faith and in her knowledge in Nigeria.
We continue to pray for the following: Matthew & Lisa as they raise funds for Nigeria, Megan Dineen as she prepares to go to Mexico, Khamla & arm pains, Sandy Hall & radiation treatments, Jonathan Rumsey, serving in Bagdad, Ellen Burton, Aunt Pat & cancer, Uncle Dale & chemo, Mike Abbott in Afghanistan, Walt Couch & prostrate cancer, Tony & treatment for prostrate cancer, John Rodgers with cancer.
Pray for our missionaries - The Reaching Hand Society in India, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, Gospel For Asia, Biana Grogg with The Faith Alive Clinic in Jos, Nigeria, Laurie Bethall in Prague, Judy, Faye & Miisaw at the New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, and all the missionaries worldwide.
Pray for our pastors, our leadership, our ministries, and Father’s provision for His Church. Pray that we recognize opportunities to share our faith with others
Pray for our country, her leadership and our military.
Holy God of Israel,
We have longed to be with You in the quietness of prayer, and finally we are here. Our words are so weak, Holy Spirit, search our hearts for the truth of what we are trying to say.
We pray for Bette & Dennis Hunt as they grieve the passing of Kirt. Comfort them with the sure knowledge that they will see him again – this is just a temporary parting.
We pray for the continued recovery of Dennis Galloway. Heal his body and comfort his spirit, Great Shepherd
We pray for Bill as he undergoes this surgery. Guide the hands of the surgeons. Hasten Bill’s recovery.
Jehovah-Jirah, God our Provider. Provide the job that You have chosen already for Ivy. Give her a place where she can shine with her love for You.
We pray for August, Dorothy and all of the Wajckus family as they work through this difficult time. Grant them peace each day. Speed the recovery of both August and Dorothy.
Jesus, our God and Savior, we lift up Biana as she is in Nigeria. Put Your arms around her, as she faces the many challenges her work there is bringing. We love her and miss her, but rejoice in her heart of service to You.
You reign in splendor, Mighty God. You are our God and we are Your people of joy. We join all of creation to sing praises to You. We desire more than just a song of praise – we want our lives to be praise of You, our thoughts to be praise of You, and our actions to be praise of You.
Spirit of Life, touch the lives of those who continue on our prayer chain. Bless our pastors as they lead us on the paths that You would have us go. Bless our communities of faith as we serve You with joy and gratitude. We offer You everything that we have with open hands and willing hearts. Provide for our ministries – bring us the people that You would have work in them. We pray for the finances of our communities of faith, that Your people will know the joy of serving You from our hearts and our finances.
We pray for our missionaries around the world, that You will keep them safe and provide for their needs
We pray for our troubled world. LORD God, pour a fresh spirit among Your people, give us the courage to speak Your name with boldness.
We thank You for the freedom that we have in this country and ask You to bless her again. But We thank You even more for the freedom that we have in You. You are our strong tower our refugee in the times of trouble. We fear no evil for our God is with us, and if our God is with us, whom then shall we fear? We love You, LORD. Can’t wait to see You on Your throne.
My Dear Prayer Partners,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
It is because of your constant prayers and sacrificial giving that is helping us to send our missionaries for training in various fields, which is equipping them to be very effective in their work.
PLEASE PRAISE GOD FOR:
1. Our missionaries could attend:
a. Training on community development conducted by Vijaya institute at Raygada
b. Training by CBC for the teachers - on child evangelism at Malkangiri.
c. Prayer conference - at Malkangiri , Sukma, and at Nowrangapur. Conducted by other mission agencies.
d. The annual leadership/ annual conf. by IMA at Azewal - Missionary Romesh Khosala represented IMA and had experience of flying form Calcutta to Azawal for the first time. He has the talents to write projects, which we are floating for funding. Please pray that the needed finance comes through for all these projects.
e. Church Growth Association conducted a training for all missionaries at Malkangiri and at Nowrangapur on :
i. Present trends in missions.
ii. Need of a change in the methods of evangelisms.
2. We have an official invitation from the government to start work in the next 2 district jails at Koraput and Jeypore on Prisoners rehabilitation programme. This work has just started in June 2006.
3. Please praise God for protection form sickness for all our missionaries and evangelists and protecting Prakash's father form a viper bite when the viper crawled near his head while sleeping in the night. Missionary Rukmani got up suddenly in the night and saw this and woke up her husband missionary Prakash who killed this. A narrow escape for Prakash father from death.
4. Praise God for the untiring work of our treasurer Mr. Sunder Singh these past 5 years.
5. Praise God for the offer of a JOB for our Chennai office assistance Michael, by our auditor as soon as he is relived form RHS.
PLEASE PRAY WITH US FOR :
1. For God to provide the bride for our missionaries:
a. Romesh Khosala,
b. Dilip Bhagh.
c. Niranjan Goroda.
2. For God to provide the right bridegroom for:
a. Dilip Bagh's sister. She has no father and now her mother is recovering form a major cardiac arrest,
b. Raba Mangi a koya beliver from Rhabhaguda village.
3. For wisdom for the 2 New Board members:
Mr. Sabapathy, A.M.I.C. retired recently form being the Divisional Engineer, Raiways. and
Mr. Ramakrishna Rao who was the- Materials Manager - at Port Trust. Both are from Vizag and they will look after the needs at the RHS Vizag office.
4. For the smooth shifting of the office from Chennai to Vizag.
5, Visit of Mr. Aappavu and Mr. Sunder and their willingness to stay even in interior villages and their assurance to financially support our work in the future.
Dear Partners in Ministry
Greetings from Ban Luang. Right now weather is hot and humid, the views are beautiful, the farmers are busy with planting both corn and rice and we seem to be busy.
June has been a month of celebration for Thailand. The King is the longest reigning monarch of any country in the world, and by the way, he was born in Massachusetts. King Phumipol celebrated 60 years on the throne and royalty from around the world joined the party. Thai people all over the country donned yellow shirts (royal colour), public holidays were declared and fireworks lit the skies. The major celebrations are over but we will wear the yellow shirts for the rest of the year.
Jan turned 50 and whilst it was celebrated it was definitely more modest. We went over the border to Laos and had a short vacation. It included a little denial as we lined up for the “Torture Tour” that involved mountain biking, hiking and kayaking. There’s still life in the old legs.
We said good bye to Jan Traill or “Jan 2” as she was known by the students. Jan spent a couple of months with us and helped with teaching and developed a phonetics course that she taught and now we are using as part of our English classes.
Our Saturday evening discipling over with the group at Muana and Villy’s is continuing and going well. We present a Bible story and try to have only one main point which we try to illustrate in a way that is relevant to the context we are in and then we open it up for discussion. As part of our service we have a time where we go over a simple statement of faith, chant a prayer of Thanksgiving and pray for each other and for others in the community. Please continue to pray for the new believers as they grow in their understanding of who they are in Christ.
July seems to be filling up. We are hoping to make a trip to Bangkok to visit and encourage a new missionary in language school attend a meeting, return via Chiang Mai to call in on folk there and a budget meeting. Then later in the month we have a team meeting in Chiang Rai and Jan will go on to a Team Leaders meeting in Chiang Mai. Apart from traveling and going to meetings we’ll be making our rounds of the local schools and spending as much time as we can sharing with our neighbors. We appreciate your prayers for safety and energy in what looks to be a busy month.
Thanks again for your partnership in bringing the gospel to Thailand and specifically Ban Luang. Please pray specifically for a break through, it is our hearts desire to see people here turn to Jesus.
May God continue to work in you and through you.
Larry and Jan
This past week we read one of my favorite stories – Jonah. I wonder – did he ever get the smell of fish out of those clothes?
Joel was a downer book wasn’t it? All those locust and what they were going to do! I was getting depressed right there until the end of chapter 2 when God’s mercy to His people was again revealed – “Return to Me with all your hearts” Amos was another sad book of judgment on Israel. Can you imagine being Amos and hearing God say that the time is ripe and He will spare Israel no more? (Chapter 8) But even then – the last chapter is God’s promises of restoration. It amazes me how patient, how loving and how forgiving God is with His people of Israel. Time and time again they leave Him. Time and time again, He forgives and takes them back. Sorta reminds me of how graciously He treats me.
In the finish of 1 Timothy Paul continues to teach this young pastor – even though Paul is in jail in Rome. In 2 Timothy the instruction continues along with encouragement to be faithful. Then in Titus, who is in Crete at Paul’s direction to finish establishing the new-born churches, the instructions on the lifestyles of the Christ-followers continue. I particularly liked the simplicity of Titus 3:1-2 “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”
This week we continue in Isaiah (wonderful wonderful book!) go into Hosea, read all of Jude, Philemon and into Hebrews.
Sonday, July 2……………….Isaiah 4-5; Psalm 115-116; Jude
Monday, July 3………………Is 6-7; 2 Chronicles 26-27; Philemon
Tuesday, July 4………………2 kings 15-16, Hosea 1, Hebrew 1
Wed. July 5………………….Hos 2-5, Heb 2
Thurs, July 6…………………Hos 6-9, Heb 3
Friday, July 7………………..Hos 10-12, Psalm 73 & 1, Heb 4
Sat. July 8…………………….Hos 13-14; Psalm 100 & 102; Heb. 5
Valerie Rae Hanneman
Luke 6:38 (NIV)”Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Sometimes I think I was crazy to ever get involved in Care Fresno Kids Klub. It is a hard ministry. Sometimes I think that the only thing that I have done in my life that was harder was to give birth. (Steven was 9lb 15 oz at birth. The ol’ wives tale says that you forget the process of giving birth in the joy of the child. Maybe so, but when you give birth to a Christmas turkey sized child – you don’t forget that.)
Care Fresno takes a lot of my time. I don’t just show up on Friday nights for a couple of hours and play with kids. I keep records, addresses, do newsletters, send out permission slips and plan activities. Most of my financial offerings (not my tithe) go to support the “Handy Dandy Candy Grab” the “Brain Bucket” and the “Super Soda Slurper” It takes a toll on me physically. When I leave Kids Klub on Friday nights I make it through my front door, to my recliner and then to sleep (quickly). It is difficult on me mentally. I am so blessed by the number of volunteers that are there every Friday, and they work so hard – but ultimately having 60 neighborhood kids running around in Fellowship Hall can only be described as (almost) controlled chaos. And let’s not even get started on the toll that this ministry takes on my heart. Some of my kid’s families face major challenges of finances, housing, substance abuse, physical abuse, mental abuse and sexual abuse. Several of my kids have parents that are incarcerated – one parent is incarcerated for life. Most of my kids struggle in school. And they tell me about their problems – and I listen. And although I listen calmly, my heart is weeping for this child and the heavy burdens that they should not be forced to bear.
So here is the $64,000 question: If this ministry is so hard – if it takes a toll on my time, my finances, my body, my mind and my heart – why is it the one ministry I can not imagine not doing? Why is it a source of my greatest joy?
We have all heard today’s verse before - usually when the preacher is preaching on our privilege to serve God through our finances. It is God’s promise that whatever we give Him will be returned to us. In my own life I have seen time after time when I give to God through my finances with a willing and loving heart and somehow the bills always get paid.
But I don’t think we should limit this verse to just finances. I think that maybe finances are the smallest part of the promise of this verse. The verse doesn’t say “Give money and it will be given to you.” It just says to give. And then it goes on to promise that it will be given back to you - a good measure, pressed down and shaken together. In other words, what we give to God is going to be given back to us – with interest. Of course, there is a catch to this – and that catch is where your heart is when you give to God. God’s promise says that the measure that we use to give to God is the measure that God is going to use to give back to us. If we give to God because we “have to” or because we are looking for that reward – if we give from the smallness of our heart – then God is going to give back with that same measure. But if we throw our hearts wide open and give ourselves in willing and joyful service to our God, then Father is going to give back the same way.
I give time to Care Fresno – Father has given me eternity. I give my finances to Care Fresno – God has given me a mansion on streets of gold. When I am physically exhausted, Father reminds me that I have a new body in eternity that will never be tired again. When those kids are driving me crazy on Friday, He reminds me that He gives me a peace that passes all understanding.
And He gives me so much more here on earth. He gives me Dwayne who is active in the Youth group and in choir. He gives me Miko who left FFBC, then came back years later to be baptized and to make a change in his life. He gave me Ryan and Anisa who continued on to our Jr. High program and whose families attend services. He gave me Debbie & Mikki, parents of some of my kids, who came over to see what was going on and ended up staying – then being baptized. He has given me so many children who have gone up to camp and come back in a new relationship with Jesus. He has given me the opportunity to see my kids come charging into church on Sonday mornings. There is simply not enough space for me to tell you all that He has given me. I give my heart and my love to these kids, and Father lets me know that my heart and love is His heart and love as well. I give Him the joy of my service and He gives me the abundant joy of seeing how He uses my service to change lives. It is unbelievable what I have received from Him.
This ministry is the source of my greatest joy because my service in it is the source of God’s joy in me.
It doesn’t matter where you serve – in the pulpit, chasing kids around on Fridays, teaching a class, washing dishes or mowing lawns. Do it with a heart of service and love and stand amazed as Father gives back to you and then some. Interest that is pressed down, shaken together and running over into your lap. Prepare for joy.
Father, sometimes I think that Care Fresno is going to be the death of me – but the joy You give me is something I cannot describe. Thank You for allowing me to serve You, and for being the life of me.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of FFBC at Valerie@fresnofirst.org.
Valerie Rae Hanneman
Luke 6:38 (NIV)”Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Sometimes I think I was crazy to ever get involved in Care Fresno Kids Klub. It is a hard ministry. Sometimes I think that the only thing that I have done in my life that was harder was to give birth. (Steven was 9lb 15 oz at birth. The ol’ wives tale says that you forget the process of giving birth in the joy of the child. Maybe so, but when you give birth to a Christmas turkey sized child – you don’t forget that.)
Care Fresno takes a lot of my time. I don’t just show up on Friday nights for a couple of hours and play with kids. I keep records, addresses, do newsletters, send out permission slips and plan activities. Most of my financial offerings (not my tithe) go to support the “Handy Dandy Candy Grab” the “Brain Bucket” and the “Super Soda Slurper” It takes a toll on me physically. When I leave Kids Klub on Friday nights I make it through my front door, to my recliner and then to sleep (quickly). It is difficult on me mentally. I am so blessed by the number of volunteers that are there every Friday, and they work so hard – but ultimately having 60 neighborhood kids running around in Fellowship Hall can only be described as (almost) controlled chaos. And let’s not even get started on the toll that this ministry takes on my heart. Some of my kid’s families face major challenges of finances, housing, substance abuse, physical abuse, mental abuse and sexual abuse. Several of my kids have parents that are incarcerated – one parent is incarcerated for life. Most of my kids struggle in school. And they tell me about their problems – and I listen. And although I listen calmly, my heart is weeping for this child and the heavy burdens that they should not be forced to bear.
So here is the $64,000 question: If this ministry is so hard – if it takes a toll on my time, my finances, my body, my mind and my heart – why is it the one ministry I can not imagine not doing? Why is it a source of my greatest joy?
We have all heard today’s verse before - usually when the preacher is preaching on our privilege to serve God through our finances. It is God’s promise that whatever we give Him will be returned to us. In my own life I have seen time after time when I give to God through my finances with a willing and loving heart and somehow the bills always get paid.
But I don’t think we should limit this verse to just finances. I think that maybe finances are the smallest part of the promise of this verse. The verse doesn’t say “Give money and it will be given to you.” It just says to give. And then it goes on to promise that it will be given back to you - a good measure, pressed down and shaken together. In other words, what we give to God is going to be given back to us – with interest. Of course, there is a catch to this – and that catch is where your heart is when you give to God. God’s promise says that the measure that we use to give to God is the measure that God is going to use to give back to us. If we give to God because we “have to” or because we are looking for that reward – if we give from the smallness of our heart – then God is going to give back with that same measure. But if we throw our hearts wide open and give ourselves in willing and joyful service to our God, then Father is going to give back the same way.
I give time to Care Fresno – Father has given me eternity. I give my finances to Care Fresno – God has given me a mansion on streets of gold. When I am physically exhausted, Father reminds me that I have a new body in eternity that will never be tired again. When those kids are driving me crazy on Friday, He reminds me that He gives me a peace that passes all understanding.
And He gives me so much more here on earth. He gives me Dwayne who is active in the Youth group and in choir. He gives me Miko who left FFBC, then came back years later to be baptized and to make a change in his life. He gave me Ryan and Anisa who continued on to our Jr. High program and whose families attend services. He gave me Debbie & Mikki, parents of some of my kids, who came over to see what was going on and ended up staying – then being baptized. He has given me so many children who have gone up to camp and come back in a new relationship with Jesus. He has given me the opportunity to see my kids come charging into church on Sonday mornings. There is simply not enough space for me to tell you all that He has given me. I give my heart and my love to these kids, and Father lets me know that my heart and love is His heart and love as well. I give Him the joy of my service and He gives me the abundant joy of seeing how He uses my service to change lives. It is unbelievable what I have received from Him.
This ministry is the source of my greatest joy because my service in it is the source of God’s joy in me.
It doesn’t matter where you serve – in the pulpit, chasing kids around on Fridays, teaching a class, washing dishes or mowing lawns. Do it with a heart of service and love and stand amazed as Father gives back to you and then some. Interest that is pressed down, shaken together and running over into your lap. Prepare for joy.
Father, sometimes I think that Care Fresno is going to be the death of me – but the joy You give me is something I cannot describe. Thank You for allowing me to serve You, and for being the life of me.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-Ministry of FFBC at Valerie@fresnofirst.org.