Attitude of Gratitude

As I sit here thinking about all those who have had a part in the work of AIM this past year, I feel extremely
grateful. Without the hard work of the Board of Directors, who have given so freely of their time and energy, and the generosity of our friends around the nation, so little would have been accomplished.

If I am thankful for these wonderful people, how much more grateful should I be to the One who has given me life--eternal life. The living God has called me from darkness to light, given me joy, peace, and provided spiritual and physical blessings. Everything I have comes from Him alone. How did God provide for us? Through His faithful people.

During this Thanksgiving, let us not forget that living in this great land of abundance and opportunity is a blessing and a gift from God. Millions of people in Asia suffer due to the lack of clean drinking water. People starve and die without food. Beloved, how often do we think about the goodness and faithfulness of God in our lives? Did we meaningfully give honor and glory to our God during this Thanksgiving season?

We still have openings available for next year's mission trips. Please check out the available opportunities at our website.

$10 Goes A Long Way in India
Will you consider making a year-end, tax-deductible donation this Christmas of at least $10? If you would like to make a difference in a child's life please Donate Now. 

Prayer Points:
Pray for new partnerships to be formed throughout the world in supporting Asia International Mission
Pray for the ministries: Children's Home, HIV/AIDS patients, Widows, Bible Distribution, New fresh water wells.
Pray for a harvest of new believers
Pray about new staffing needs

All gifts are tax-deductible and are used 100% as designated

Comfort vs Comfortable

It's Sunday evening, and I've been thinking about the idea of comfort vs comfortable. For quite some time I've thought about how uncomfortable my life has been. In the last 15 years, God has been deleting the idea that if I was a good Christian my life would be comfortable, and reinstalling the truth; God is the God of all comfort. He promised to be our comfort, but He didn't promise to make us comfortable.

I think most Americans are confused. We operate from the perspective that God works everything out for the "comfort" of those who are called according to His purpose. But that's not how the God of the Bible works. Here is a passage I believe will help us better understand why being comfortable isn't God's goal for us:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."  (2 Corinthians 1:3,4)

Two things strike me about this: "in all our troubles," and "so that we can comfort those in trouble." We can expect all sorts of troubles, but we can also expect Him to comfort us SO That we can comfort others in their troubles. (Ever notice how many So Thats there are in the scriptures?)

The more I come to know Christ, the more I realize how much of this whole journey is not about me. It's not about what I'm thinking, feeling, or going through at any particular moment. It's really about how much I love God and in turn love others, much more than it is about me being comfortable.

I'm not particularly fond of troubles, and I don't think God likes them either. His heart breaks for us when our heart is broken. But, being the God of ALL comfort gives Him an advantage. And being His children means we have access to all the comfort we need. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

What does the difference between comfort and being comfortable look like in your life? Do you spend too much time and energy creating comfort for yourself? Is God asking you to take a step of faith that may leave you feeling uncomfortable?

How does this scripture speak to you? "

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."
(2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

$10 Goes A Long Way in India
Will you consider making a year-end, tax-deductible donation this Christmas? If you would like to make a difference in a child's life please Donate Now.  

Prayer Points:
Please pray that God's name will be glorified in all that we do
That the Word sown in the hearts of the children will bear much fruit
For the completion of the new Children's Home 
Pray that many will respond to the gospel

Please pray for the Addock people of India

Population: Unknown
World Pop: Unknown
Main Language: Tamil
Main Religion: Hinduism
Bible: Complete
Status: Least-Reached
Christ-Followers: Few, less than 2%

Psalm 96:3, "Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples."

All gifts are tax-deductible and are used 100% as designated

Why Do We Give Thanks?

On October 3, 1789, President George Washington gave the first proclamation concerning Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. The first part of the declaration reads as follows:

"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness: Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of the great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be."

Wow, that sure doesn't sound very politically correct does it? Psalm 107:1 says, "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever." Then in verses 21-22, the Psalmist goes on to say, "Let them give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy."

Just as the forefathers of our country gave thanks to the Lord, let us do the same today. As individuals or as a nation,  I believe that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17)



We are now accepting requests for speaking engagements around the U.S. for 2011. Our ministry partner, Pastor Johnpaul Pinapati, and our President, Russ Sharrock, would love an opportunity to come and speak to your church, youth group, or home group. We will be available from May 5-June 20 depending on your location. Please Contact Us to schedule a date.


Prayer Points:
Pray for the HIV/AIDS patients who are shunned by society 
Pray for the Women and young girls trapped in a life of prostitution 
Pray for an increase in the number of monthly givers to allow us to reach a greater 
number of people with the gospel 
Prayer for continued giving to complete the building of the new Children's Home

 

 

All gifts are tax-deductible and are used 100% as designated

How To Prepare for Next Summer's Mission Trip, Now

I realize it's only November, but there are several things you can do to prepare for next summer's mission trip now. To get the most out of the week or two you'll spend on mission next year, here's what you can be doing between now and then to get ready:

Pray
It may be a "given", but it doesn't hurt to remind you to be praying about every aspect of your trip. Now's a great time to start praying about where God would send you and what you can be doing to prepare.

Research
If you haven't decided on a destination or with what organization, then now is the time to begin your research. Don't forget to check out the mission trips we offer at AIM. Find out about the different needs around the world and what God is doing in the nations through the various mission websites, and then join Him there.

Plan
November is a great month to begin making plans about next summer. Once you've prayed and done the research, it's time to decide on the right trip for you. Even if you haven't made the final decicision on where to go yet, odds are you can still make initial preparations, such as a passport, etc.

You can start drafting a "support letter" to let people know you're going on a trip (to see if they might be interested in supporting you), plan a fundraiser, find a packing list, learn even more about the country or area you are considering. The week before the trip will be here before you know it, so now is the time to start planning.

Stay informed
Don't disconnect from the organization. Continue to research and stay in touch with the sending organization. Subscribe to their newsletter or blog, or anything that will help you be prepared.

And pray some more

We harp on this a lot, I know. But prayer is important. Continue to pray for the participants, the people to whom you will minister, and for God to use you.

If you haven't already, you can become a follower of this blog and subscribe to our newsletter. That's a good way to prepare, too. 

If you can't go, but would like to help change a life in India, please consider sponsoring a child for only $30 a month, or donate now to complete the building of our new Children's Home.

Prayer Points:

Pray for a new harvest of believers
Pray for more workers for the field and at AIM
Pray for the financial needs of the ministry
Pray for our Board members as they seek God's wisdom in planing for the upcoming year

All gifts are tax-deductible and are used 100% as designated

The Compulsion of Divine Love

We need a new sense of divine love. There's nothing more powerful in the whole world than the power
of love. Love will motivate and empower people to do what nothing else can cause or compel them to do. In  Song of Solomon  8:6 we're told, "For love is as strong as death." Death is the one power that is universally recognized as superseding all human power.With all our knowledge of medical science, and in all we know about human existence and the human body, we are still helpless before the power of death.

Why is it that, relatively speaking, the "church" is doing so little in getting the gospel to unreached peoples around the world? Is it because we have lost our sense of compulsion from divine love? If the church is to accomplish the evangelization of the world, this one essential motive must be present in the believer's heart, and in the church.

Remember that Christ's love in us gives us a burden for the souls of men, and compels us to go to them with the message of salvation.

Remember the Apostle Paul who was consumed for his own people because the love of Christ was in him. In Romans 9:3 he said, "For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers..." In the previous verse he stated, "I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart." Paul was constantly burdened for his own people, and in chapter 10:1 he says, "...my hearts desire and prayer for the Israelites is that they may be saved." This was not merely the love of a normal man, it was the divine love of God in the heart of a spiritual man. Love is the first evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, and anyone filled with the Spirit is filled with the love of God. The two experiences always go together.

David Brainerd, one of the earliest men to carry the gospel to the Native Americans of North America, was found one morning on his knees in sub-zero weather. With perspiration dripping off his face, he was crying out to God for the souls of those people he had learned to love and sought to win for Christ. He was compelled by love in his own heart, put there by the Holy Spirit.

This is exactly what it takes to be a missionary. Human love alone can not do it, but God's own love is sufficient to drive us anywhere to proclaim the gospel of Christ to men. It was the love of Christ that moved Him to come into this world and go to the cross to provide salvation for sinful man. And it must be His love in us that motivates us to take up that cross and bear it to the ends of the earth for His name.

If you would like to partner with us to help proclaim the gospel to Asia please Donate Now, or if you would like to go on a mission trip, we are still accepting applications for next spring. Just go Here Now to download and complete the application form. Please read all the information carefully.

Prayer Points:
Pray the Lord will bring more youth and adults to get involved with international mission outreaches.

That God will continue to work mightily in the land of India.

That the Holy Spirit will speak clearly to the people and that many will turn to the Lord

Pray for the Unreached Addapu Singa
Population: Unknown
World Popl: Unknown
Main Language: Tamil                                          
Main Religion: Hinduism
Bible: Complete
Status: Least-Reached
Christ-Followers: Few, less than 2%

All gifts are tax-deductible and are used 100% as designated

The End of the Road?

A writer once said that more than one soul dies in a suicide. That seems to be the case in the home of
Neha Sawant. The atmosphere in the tiny apartment was heavy with a sense of grief ever since the
11 year old was found hanging from the window in their apartment. Her parents were still in shock
after several weeks, and Neha's grandmother said in a broken voice, "Our brains are not working. We still cannot believe it."

Neha, at 11, is probably one of the youngest people in Mumbai to commit suicide. It's difficult to find the most recent figures, but reports indicate that more and more teenagers in India are committing suicide than ever before. In Mumbai alone, during the first twenty-six days of January this year there were 32 suicides--that's more than one a day.

Suicide is the second highest cause of death among youth and adults in the world. According to a BBC News report, more than 100,000 people in India commit suicide every year. And the British Medical Journal The Lancet, reported that the suicide rates among 15-19 year olds in Tamil Nadu were148 per 100,000 women, and 58 per 100,000 men.

Though most families overcome problems, the younger population appears highly vulnerable to suicide. Some of the many reasons explored are their inability to bear shame, anger, humiliation, hopelessness, and fear of rejection by others. But we must remember that suicide is preventable.

Death is inevitable, but when we live for God and His purposes, life takes on new meaning, and is filled  with hope and promise even beyond the realm of death. Shouldn't we act before another life is snuffed out?

In joining with us as partners, you help to bring the only true source of hope and promise to these people--Jesus Christ. Donate Now

Please check out our Website for more information on who we are and what our mission is in Asia.


Prayer Points:
-Pray for God's blessing on our India partners
-Pray for new partnerships to be formed throughout the World

-Pray for the funding of projects and continued favor from the

  Lord in the days to come

-Pray for the ministries: Children's Home, Widows, Lepers, Pastors, Churches, funding for new water wells,

 food Distribution and reaching the lost in India

Why Help Indigenous Ministries?

Primarily, because there is no one else who can take the gospel to unreached peoples as effectively as
they can. Many countries no longer allow American missionaries to work where as many as 90% of unevangelized people are living.

It is true that some Christians can still do "social work," but they must first sign an affidavit promising not to "propagate their religion" in a given country. Native ministries do not face such restrictions. They may be persecuted and face opposition from radicals, but they cannot be put out of their own countries for preaching the gospel.

We are grateful for the American missionaries who have gone out over the past 200 years and sowed the seeds of God's Word in many countries. The thousands of native pastors and missionaries who are now doing the work are the fruits of their labor. But the situation is completely different today.

Ministry Partner

As much as 90% of all pioneering  mission work is now being done by native ministries, but they need our help. In India, 75% of all people live on less than $1.00 a day. That's where we come into the picture. We help provide resources to raise up a new generation of healthy, educated believers who can impact their culture in a far deeper and wider ranging way than we ever could.

This is done through Children's Homes where the cast off and abandoned of society can learn what it means to have the hope of Christ in their life and a new beginning. It's accomplished by providing God's Word to everyone seeking the truth about God and the purpose of life. It's accomplished through prayer and providing pastors with the training to effectively witness to, and disciple new believers.

With your help, their work can be greatly multiplied. We only need to give them the tools, and by God's grace they will finish the job.

You can help by Donating Now to provide Bibles ($100 will buy 25 Bibles), complete the new Children's home, basic necessities of life for widows and lepers, bicycles for pastors ($125), or sponsor a child now for $30 a month which provides for food, medical care, education, housing, and the opportunity to hear the gospel.

If you would like to experience India and be a blessing to those you serve, then check out our mission trips scheduled for 2011. Or if you would just like to learn more about AIM check out our website Here

Prayer Points:
Pray for strength and wisdom for the pastors
That hearts would be open to the preaching of the gospel
Pray that many will give to complete the new Children's Home

All gifts are tax-deductible and are used 100% as designated