Spring Greetings from Jonathan and Tamba

“From the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised”.

Often as I travel across this great land of the United States of America, I find myself singing, America the Beautiful, which first verse states, “O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain. For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on Thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.” This really is a blessed country, a gift of God’s grace, but the thing that will truly keep a country great is brotherhood which can only come through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I thank God for all of you who in brotherly love have invited us into your homes, have fed us, have prayed for us and have encouraged us with your words and your financial support. You have helped us to plant churches in other lands and bless people such as Grace. Grace, a beautiful young girl starting down the road to delinquency came to know Christ as her personal Savior, and in the enthusiasm of her new found faith, led her sisters, mother and estranged father to the Lord. Today she is married to one of our pastors that she met in Bible School and is helping him in one of the toughest neighborhoods of her city. Grace is one example of the blessings we see of God’s love as we share the Gospel with others. Thank you for helping make this possible.

This last month we did another one of those long treks around the country re-acquainting ourselves with churches, friends and family. I saw my oldest brother David who I had not seen in over eight years and his son who I had not seen since he was twelve years old and now is married with three kids. Michelle enjoyed seeing her cousins - something that happens only every 3-4 years. She even saw some she had never met before.

In our absence from the field the work has been going on with many challenges similar to all ministries, yet God continues to bring victory. This last month, they had our largest camp of the year, with teens from all the areas of ministry in Brazil, and 35 gave their lives to Jesus. God is Great!

Plans & Prayer Requests 

In April we will be sharing at 3 WMF Rallies and several churches. Pray for us as we travel to these different places: for safety and to be a blessing to all.

Pray that all our needed support comes in for our salary and travel expenses.

We plan to go back to Brazil in the later part of May. April and Thomas need to go back for official reasons: April, to renew her visa, Thomas, to register for the army (it is mandatory there). Then both of them will return to the US to continue their studies.

Once again, thank you for your much needed & appreciated prayers and financial support. If you want to see how you can be of greater help, contact “aflc.org” for ministry in Brazil, projects and prayer requests.

Kvale Connection-March 2012

Intercession and Missions
Jesus, who unwaveringly intercedes for us, so graciously took the time to teach us how to pray. Paul also wrote, “Bear one another’s burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2, NASB). Likewise, it is the excess burdens which we need to share or confess with one another to make it known how to pray and bear. When these truths are realized in the translated Scripture and trusted as we actually do it, it is unbelievably freeing! May all peoples know it!
 
This is during prayer time with Pastor Rolf and the rest of the students in groups interceding. What a blessing to also share about Bible translation at the Bible School in Plymouth, MN during their 2012 missions week.

Our partner, DOOR International, shares this fun, heartwarming photo.  This is a deaf boy from Tanzania - thrilled with his new DVD Bible in his language, sign language. February 2012.  A Deaf person usually thinks not in terms of words, sentences, or abstractions, but rather in the context of visual, spatial, and concrete thought patterns.  Please continue to specifically pray that the Lord may send out more joyful workers into the harvest field as they respond in their hearts to the needs of sign language translation work for the deaf in every nation.

Please click here to read the rest of the Kvale’s newsletter.

Japan–World Relief

Below is a message from our relief partners at World Relief.

Dear Friend, One year ago a 9.0 earthquake shook much of Japan, triggering a tsunami that engulfed many towns and cities along its eastern shoreline. Over 15,000 lost their lives. In the weeks and months that have followed, the piles of debris and destruction are slowly being removed from sight. However, the invisible yet real pain of grief and loss will continue to weigh heavy on the thousands who lost loved ones and watched their homes and possessions washed away in an instant. Amidst this pain, we know that God has called the Church to stand with the suffering. Many of you answered this call. With your support, World Relief was been able to partner with passionate local organizations and churches to reach the most vulnerable and adversely affected people in remote villages of Japan.  On their behalf and with a humbled heart, we thank you for standing with us. We ask for your continued prayer for the Japanese Church, which is a small percentage of the overall population. Many pastors, now more than ever, feel the great burden to reach out to their churches and neighbors to council them as they grieve. World Relief will continue to support these pastors in this important mission with grief-counseling trainings to better equip them to aid the emotional recovery of so many in their communities. We know that Christ’s peace brings complete healing and whole restoration to broken lives.   This past year, with your financial and prayerful support, you have joined the Church and touched the lives of so many in Japan. From our Japanese church partners, local pastors and congregations, thank you. Blessings to you! World Relief

Del and Karen Palmer Traveling to Brazil

AFLC World Missions director Del Palmer and his wife Karen will be traveling in Brazil for the next two weeks. 

They will be discussing future goal and plans for the work in Brazil with the national church.  Pastor Palmer will also be teaching at our seminary there as well as doing a risk assessment for missionary Jonni Sliver. 

Please pray for the Palmers as they travel and minister in Brazil.

Bible Training Ministry in Ukraine and Beyond

The countdown begins! This month marks six months until the first class of students- Lord willing- begins the one-year Bible School program.  Momentum is building as preparations continue. The potential is so exciting! Yet, the
obstacles are certainly present. 

We are reminded that this is the LORD's work. It is only by HIS power and strength that it will come to pass. Yes, there is much yet to be done! But the greatest work is prayer. Would you please join us in praying specifically for the Bible School in the months to come? You can count on one hand our top five prayer requests. Here they are!

Check out what each finger means and how to pray specifically for the Coyles by reading the rest of their newsletter here.

Darwin Jacksons

The Darwin Jacksons are on a leave of absence from mission work with World Mission Prayer League.  Therefore, they will be on a leave of absence as AFLC Missionaries On Loan as well. 

We will not be accepting support for the Jacksons while they are leave.  Please be in prayer for them during this time.

Ambassador Institute: Kamuli Update

We praise the Lord that on February 4^th a new Ambassador Institute class was begun in Kamuli (see previous post on the Jore’s blog “Pray for Kamuli” for the background). Four churches joined together to invite Godfrey to come and train their members. Thirty-five students have been faithfully coming, which makes this the largest AI class we have seen so far. Godfrey reports that they are very interested in understanding the Bible and growing in their faith. Godfrey himself is very excited when he thinks of the impact that this will have in his home area. Thank you so much for your prayers.

I want to share a story that parallels what is going on in Kamuli. As you know, our vision for the Ambassador Institute is that the training be self-sufficient, that is, that it does not rely on outside funding for its continuation. That means that each of the teachers are teaching out of a sense of calling from God, and they are looking to him to provide for their needs. For most of them, the commitment entails about 1 full day a week away from their usual work, as well as transporting themselves to and from the training.

In Godfrey's case, the cost to travel to Kamuli and back is 10,000 Ugandan Shillings (about $5). Assuming a salary of 200,000 / month, (about $100, which is average for this area) and traveling to Kamuli 4 times in a month, that means one fifth of his salary would be spent on transportation to carry the training to Kamuli. Could you spend a fifth of your pay check to go and teach people the Word of God?

Well, we serve an awesome God. At the exact time that Godfrey was preparing to go to Kamuli to train, trusting God to meet his needs, God provided in a miraculous way. Godfrey got a contract from a hotel in Jinja to deliver 280 chickens to their kitchen one day a week. After buying the chickens from the chicken projects and selling them, Godfrey was getting a 2,000 shilling profit on each bird! Do the math! Instead of blessing Godfrey with the needed 10,000/week for transportation, he blessed him with 560,000!

Now there are many people who would become unfaithful when entrusted with such money, but Godfrey sees it as a provision from God to enable him to carry the Gospel to others. I am thrilled to see the floodgates of heaven opened and His blessing being poured out on His servant who trusted Him and yielded himself to His service. It also thrills me that the supply came in a way that is self-sustaining.

Check out the Jore’s blog here.

Brandon Marschner–Missionary Candidate

The World Mission Committee has approved Brandon Marschner as a missionary candidate.  Brandon, from Dickinson, ND has felt a call to world missions for a number of years.  He graduated from AFLBS and Northwestern Collage and is now enrolled in AFLTS. 

Please pray for Brandon as he completes his educations in preparation to serve on the mission field.

Did You Know Cassie Nash is Married?

Our short term assistant Cassie Nash who works at an orphanage in Haiti was married and is now Cassie Jean Louis.  She and Almando Jean Louis were engaged last October and were married in Haiti on February 11. 

You can read all about it in her blog.

Date Set for Pillmans’ Departure

The World Missions Committee has announced that the Pillmans can depart to following the AFLC Annual Conference in Thief River Falls, MN.

Please pray for the Pillmans as they have a number of things to accomplish before their departure.  Also pray for Patricia as she has been hoarse for a number of months.  She will be seeing a specialist in the next few days.

Traveling in Mexico

Missionary Todd Schierkolk and World Mission Director Del Palmer are traveling in Mexico.  They will be visiting pastors and people in churches.  Todd needs to renew his visa at this time.

Please pray for them as they travel.

The Next New Thing

Almost everything new is exciting—and sometimes scary. That is most certainly true for the children of the Miriam Home! Today we have nine young people and only one of them was with us when school ended for the year, that means eight children are facing a lot of new situations.

Nearly all of the children in the Miriam Home today are 10 years old or over. All of them come from situations where they had to take care of themselves; now they have what probably seems like so many “aunties”. To begin with that is pretty hard all by itself - it feels less like being cared for and more like being bossed around, by everyone! The rules that keep the Miriam Home from falling apart feel very restrictive during the first few weeks. But the loving hearts of our house moms are quickly winning over the children.

The next new factor in the kids lives is a new school year! Soon classes will begin again and, believe it or not, the children are looking forward to it! Many are going to new schools and all in new grades and though summer vacation is fun for a while it is nice to get back to the rhythm of classes, sports and "normal" life.

The biggest “new” in the lives of all the children is the simple unknown. Every child arrives not knowing how long they will stay with us; most have no idea where they will go when they leave. This isn’t an easy “new” to deal with, even as adults. Imagine for a child be they 5, 10 or 17years old! One of the goals of the Miriam Home is to make this stressful time as easy as possible in the lives of the children. Your prayers make a huge difference! The precious gifts so many of you have sent, have eternal impact! We recently received a boxes of mini-quilts. We are in the middle of summer right now and no one needs help staying warm but the children, even the oldest, love these mini quilts! They hold them when they watch a DVD at night, or a TV program, and they feel loved. Sheets and used tennis shoes, Tootsie Rolls and stickers have all been amazing ways for kids to feel hugs from thousands of miles away! Bless you and thank you!

Editor’s note:  To read more about the new school year starting and meet some of the new children you can read Jonni’s entire newsletter here.

AFLC Jubilee–50 Years Slideshow

AFLC Jubilee 50 Years from Karen Floan on Vimeo.

This is the 50th anniversary of the AFLC. Watch the slideshow of all that God has done. Click on the arrows to make it full screen.

Happy New Year from Ukraine

The holiday season here was nice and long as both East and West calendars were celebrated, which means that we were able to celebrate Christmas twice. In many ways, this whole country shuts down during these days. During that time, we had the joy of hosting Monica’s parents for 10 days.

We are finding a new rhythm to life and ministry here in Ukraine, including some new opportunities. Among them is Moriah's new adventure, which begins today, in a Ukrainian elementary school. God has opened the door for her to to attend the only Christian school here in Odessa. Isaiah will also be spending a few mornings a week at a local preschool-type program at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. We are thankful for these provisions as they are comfortable places for our kids to learn language and interact with Ukrainian children. We ask for your prayers, especially for Moriah. She is really excited about this, yet nervous as well. She has been memorizing Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” Experiencing new culture, language, and situations has been a wonderful opportunity for us to help our children trust in God’s strength, grace, and power in the midst of fear.

January has also been an important month for Bible School planning. We will be presenting our formal Bible School presentation to church leadership very soon. This planning has taken much time as there are so many issues to discuss. Please pray that there would be unity and fruitful conversation for our group and church leadership as we focus on this very important ministry. These next few months will also present numerous strategic opportunities to share this school with very important people. For example, in a few weeks, all the bishops serving Lutheran synods from across the former Soviet Union will be gathering in Odessa for a conference. We will be presenting the Bible School vision, as well as facilities, to them. We pray that they would be interested in this work and bring this vision back to their home churches.

Editor’s note:  To learn more about the Coyle’s Russian Language study, Youth Center Ministry and how you can pray for them, click here.

January Update from Paul and Becky Abel

There really is no greater joy than to know that our children are walking in the truth and serving God.  This is our prayer for all our spiritual children as well.  We rejoice exceedingly for the blessed privilege of having the whole family together for a couple of weeks to welcome in a new year and celebrate our great heritage as a family.  We each serve God in different capacities and in different places but we find strength and encouragement through our times together.

The past three months have been loaded with activities.  In both the Bateias and Mighty Fortress churches we formed an adult choir and a children's choir.  We practiced separately and then joined together for the Christmas programs in both churches.  I like trying to make Christmas special for others and always emphasize that our greatest desire is to honor and praise God for his great Gift to us - Jesus!

Editor’s Note:  For more information on the Abel Family Christmas, Bible Camp, Children’s Camps, please read the rest of the newsletter here.

A Visit from Kevin and Pam Olson

We loved having Kevin and Pam with us for 10 days this month. What a blast of encouragement they brought with them!

While they were here, a special event was held in Butagaya with all 8 Ambassador Institute classes in attendance. Kevin and Nate both shared with the students (about 80 in attendance, along with many family members), and each of the classes shared a drama and/or a song. At the end of the day, we shared a meal together. What a fun day it was.

Pam taught a Bible class for kids on two separate mornings at a nearby apartment building. Both times there were about 60 kids that showed up, many of them Muslims. Pam was able to share the message of Christ with the kids in a very clear way, and at the end of the 1st class 10 kids prayed to receive Him as their Savior. We are praising God for these new believers! Please pray for them with us that they would be able to grow in their young faith, and remain strong in their commitment to following Christ. A few of them come from Muslim families.

Kevin and Nate took 8 of the Ambassador Institute teachers, along with Hans and Micah, on a 3-day trip to Sipi Falls, a beautiful area up on a mountain a few hours from our home. They enjoyed times of relaxing together (playing Dutch Blitz, eating good food, hiking up waterfalls), as well as times of teaching and prayer. We are grateful for the commitment of these men to teach the Word of God in their villages. Please pray for them - that they would grow in their love for Christ and they would stay strong in their desire to bring glory to Him alone.

Kevin and Pam not only blessed all of those they met with and taught, but they blessed our family in a great way. All of the time they spent playing and laughing with our kids was a sweet gift. And all of the time they spent encouraging our hearts as they asked us questions and listened and shared their wisdom while washing dishes or eating a meal together or sitting by candlelight... thank you, Kevin and Pam. We love you dearly.

Editor’s Note:  You can view a slideshow of their visit on the Jore’s blog here.

January Mission Devotional

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.  Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not”  (Is. 53:3)

Respect, Obedience, and Honor – words that seem to be lacking in our lives and those around us.  Jesus Christ, our creator, who gave us life, and loved us so much that He suffered the most horrific death so we could have eternal life with Him deserves them.  It should pain us greatly when there is sin in our lives, yet quite often it is made light of and excuses are made.

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!” (Phil 2:5-8)

He bore it all, He understands, and He gave His life through humbling Himself and becoming man.  He lived among us as a perfect example on how to live.

While reading through more of Isaiah 53 we see how Christ was treated even though He did no wrong.  He was despised and treated badly, yet He still loved us and continued with His Father’s plan to save us from our sin and iniquities.   “For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Is 53:12) Jesus knew that He would have to suffer and die yet He still went through with it.

When times come to stand up and suffer for our Lord, do we go through with it or chose the easy way out?  There may be rejection, but if we are right in the Lord and leave it with Him we shouldn’t worry.  Let’s stand up for what is right even if it means a little uneasiness and discomfort.  It may even cause us physical pain or death.  What better cause is there than to die for our Lord and Savior and join Him in heaven!

Let us not forget the love Jesus has for us and the importance is He desires all to be saved and come to Him.   Jesus – the perfect example.

Respectively,

scott f. erickson

Pray for Kamuli

This past Christmas Godfrey was among the many Ugandans who head back to their home village to celebrate with their extended families. When the pastor of Godfrey's home church in Kamuli heard that he was coming, he asked him to preach on Christmas morning.

In his youth, Godfrey had been a member of a notorious gang who had robbed and even killed many people from his village and the surrounding area. In fact, the transformation that has taken place in Godfrey's life all happened after he left the village. Many in the congregation were surprised to hear that Godfrey was the visitor who was going to preach that morning. He shared his testimony with them of how God had brought him out of the life he once lived to a new life of walking with Christ. He likened himself to Zacchaues who had been a wicked man but had been transformed after his encounter with Jesus. He went on to preach for 4 hours, sharing several of the Bible stories he had learned in our Ambassador Institute training. Following his message, he asked if anyone wanted to receive the gift of salvation and leave their lives of sin. Two young men responded to the invitation!

Following the Christmas service, the pastors in the area requested Godfrey to come back again the following week to preach for the final night of a 4-day Crusade they were holding to bring in the New Year. Godfrey did not preach as long this time. He focused his message on the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. He warned the people that those who do not repent of their wicked behavior and turn to Christ will hear those same words, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt 25:41). Following his preaching, people were invited to come forward to receive salvation. 150 people responded and the next day they were baptized. Praise His Name!

Godfrey testified that many of those who were saved were delivered from demons. He told us the story of one of them. “Frederick” had been ordained by his clan members to keep the clan witchcraft at his home. He had been repeatedly disturbed by the demons and wanted to be free. He converted to Islam after being promised that he would be freed from his demons if he did, but the demons stayed. After Frederick got saved, Godfrey and others went to his home to burn the witchcraft. When the clan members discovered why they had come, they pleaded with them not to burn it. “If you burn it, the demons will attack our children,” they said. Godfrey told them that the one who had been keeping the witchcraft wanted to be free from it. He asked whether anyone else was willing to keep the witchcraft at their home. They all declined and in the end, they burned it and the man was delivered. Praise Jesus for those in Kamuli who have been delivered from darkness to light.

The story is not over. After hearing Godfrey's preaching, the church leaders and members asked him how he knew the Bible so well and how he learned to teach that way. He told them about the Ambassador Institute training that he is taking. After much dialogue,Godfrey was invited to come and train the believers of his home area. The Spirit of God is at work in this area (about 45 miles north of Jinja). Please join us in prayer for the new believers and for the new class that will begin there in the near future.

A New Baby…A New Year

Dear Family and Friends,

How excited we are to welcome in year 201 2, and we anticipate that this year will be as exciting, blessed, and stretching as 2011 was! We hope you enjoyed celebrating the gift of our Savior this season along with spending time with family and friends.  We certainly appreciated the opportunity to slow down and reflect on God’s goodness to us, demonstrated in so many tangible ways.

As Patricia’s due date neared, we took some time off for some much needed rest and preparation at home in December. On December 19, we welcomed into the world our precious, healthy baby boy, Nathanael Paul. The labor was difficult, lasting close to two days and nights, but God gave Patricia (and everyone else!) endurance and strength for the entire labor.  What joy we felt when we could finally hold our baby and gaze into his chubby face!  We find ourselves blessed indeed to be given the charge of such a special bundle, and we look forward to the lessons we will learn along the way as we begin to train Nathanael in the ways of the Lord.

To read the rest of the Pillman’s newsletter and find out how you can pray for them, please click here.

Infinitely More

What are you expecting this year? What are you hoping for? For many of us, the answer to those two questions would not be the same! The chaos in the world around us leads our minds to expect the worst; our hearts hope for better things. This internal tug of war isn’t new; Jesus actually promised it—”In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” It is because of God’s grace we are able to look to 2012 with excitement, knowing that God is faithful to do infinitely more than we can ask or think!

Last month I asked prayer for two special and precious young people in the Miriam Home, Maria and Josivaldo. Here is the next chapter in their stories.

You already know that Maria has had several opportunities to join new families, but real bonds never developed. Well, just a week before Christmas Maria received a wonderful gift; a home. Recently Maria had made friends with Jacira and had actually visited her home several times; just day trips, little get-aways. Then, less than a month ago, Jacira asked Maria if she wanted to join their family. For the first time, Maria said yes, and before Christmas all the documents were filed with the Juvenile Courts and Maria had her own room, brothers and sisters, mom and dad, even grandparents. One important element for Maria was that her new family understand her concern for her father. Before the holidays they went with her to visit him and bring him Christmas presents. Maria’s dreams are coming true, but adjusting to being part of a new family is challenging. Please pray that Maria will see herself more and more as a “daughter” and not a “visitor” in the family.

Editor’s note:  To hear the next chapter of Josivaldo’s story, click here to read Jonni’s entire newsletter.