Monday, October 8, 2012

A Place of Refuge



New Children's Home

“Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14)

It is by the grace of God that some children find a place of refuge in Christian Children’s Homes. They come from poverty stricken homes and off the streets. They have suffered cold and hunger, have been abused by parents addicted to alcoholic or drugs and have suffered many other indescribable abuses and indignities to horrible to list. They have now found safety and direction under the care of loving Christians.
Ashley with children from the home

Here they are given the opportunity for a new beginning. In our Children’s Home they receive loving care, wholesome meals, clothing and a warm bed. They are taught responsibility, respect for others, personal hygiene, they receive an education, and attend church.

Every day after the evening meal they have time for devotions where they are taught how to pray, sing and study scripture. The local pastor has the oversight of the Home we sponsor and all staff members are confessing Christians.

It is our hope and prayer that when these children are old enough to leave the Home, that they will be a positive influence in society and will share with others what they have been taught. It is only through the love of Christ who has inclined many hearts to help, that they have received a new beginning.

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

Come help support the Children’s Home of Tenali, India. Go here to Donate Now



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"The heart of God is too grieved, the path of man is too dark, the cross of Christ is too glorious, for me to quit now." --Anonymous


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Pray for the Unreached Bania, Oswal of India
Population: 796,000
World Popl: 797,000
Main Language: Hindi
Main Religion: Other / Small
Bible: Complete
Status: Least-Reached
Christ-Followers: Few, less than 2%







 




                     Asia International Mission is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) non-profit ministry. 
                      All gifts are tax-deductible and 100% of donations are used as designated

 



Thursday, October 4, 2012

Does Helping Really Help?

Distributing Blankets
For many years the church in the US has been sending short-term mission teams all over the world to do ministry in various contexts. The method of serving has not always been helpful though. In fact sometimes the helping we have sought to do has ended up hurting the long-term ministry on the ground. Because of this many have recently become more aware of the motivation and methods of doing global missions in various contexts.

This past summer we joined up with the church in India and saw how helping helps. Our team was able to do several things during our time there that clearly was seen as help to the local church and ministries in India. I want to share these ideas with you today to challenge short-term team leaders, participants and supporters to ask the right questions that will lead to effective ministry support on the field.

Our partner in Bangalore is Pastor Babu and Mizpah Christian Assembly where we began investing our time, energy, and finances. This servant-filled church has an amazing passion to reach their community for Christ. Through prayer and thoughtful communication, we have been able to hear their heart and see their vision for their people. 
 
Praying For God's Healing
We have been blessed to walk the road of church planting in a village outside the city of Kolkata as we joined with Pastor Paresh and his ministry team to provide biblical teaching to children and teens in this village.

It is such a joy to walk with the local church and allow them to lead the work of ministry on the ground. This is a challenge for our task driven US short-term teams who want to feel "productive" and "busy" for the Kingdom. Yet, the reward comes in watching the faces of children explode with excitement as the pastor comes to their community and loves on them. When these great men and women of the mission church come to these villages of thatch and cinderblock houses the lives they are touching come alive with joy and thanksgiving.

 There are times when our plans do not coincide with the plans of our partners, and we struggle in our hearts as we walk with the local church throughout the week. But what a great God we serve! He had a plan for the team to support the local church in the vision God had already given them for ministry to those villages. He simply wanted to demonstrate Psalm 67 to us by using us to provide resources for His ways to be made known and His salvation to be shared through the local church!

 As I sit at my desk, I have a new understanding of how helping does help. I see in a fresh new way how when there is need within the body there is a provision for that need within the body. I pray that as we continue to serve the church in India, we will help them by selflessly giving to them the resources they need to reach their community!

Distributing Rice to Lepers
Helping helps when we serve the local church and support them as the agent of transformation used by the Holy Spirit to reach their world. Helping helps when we teach His Word to the children and teens of a village who will share what they learn from us to their families and friends and be used by the Father to reach their world.

Helping helps when I am willing to ask the right question, "How can we help you do the ministry that God has called you to do in your community?" Helping helps when we are willing to become the support crew for the local church to fulfill its mission of reaching its world and teaching His Word in their communities to grow the Kingdom!

Helping helps when we are willing to listen to the needs of the local church members! Let's all be willing to help in a way that helps!
 
 
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"If you found a cure for cancer, wouldn't it be inconceivable to hide it from the rest of mankind? How much more inconceivable to keep silent the cure from the eternal wages of death?" -- Dave Davidson
 
 
Asia International Mission is an IRS approved 501(c) (3) non-profit ministry.
All gifts are tax-deductible and 100% of donations are used as designated