The two men were en route to Haiti with medical supplies when the accident occurred. “I had talked to John just days after the earthquake,” says Southeastern District Superintendent Chuck Hughes. “He had a burden to help the devastated people of Haiti and was trying to find a way to use his skill and the helicopter to help.”

Ward, 43, was a member of Christ Community Church of the C&MA in Fort Myers, Florida. He was a committed Christian and leaves behind his wife, Dawn, and a three-year-old son, Wyatt. Please be in prayer for the Ward family, the family of his employer, and his church family as they offer comfort and help.

Our church’s next-door neighbor, Nee, has been on the hearts of all of our church members for the last year. The small restaurant she owns is right next to our building, and she has warmly welcomed the congregation. One evening last month, Nee was ready—she prayed to receive Christ as her Savior.

Probably everyone in the church had witnessed to Nee at some point in time. But it was Noi Na’s consistent testimony and friendship over the past year that helped Nee feel free to explore Christianity and ask many questions about the Lord.

A Bold Request

Nee grew up in poverty and was unable to complete school beyond second grade. Then she helped her relatives with their food stalls and small shops until she married and had her own family. She always told us she could not read. After she became a Christian, her first prayer request was that she would be able to read and understand the Bible. And God answered!

Nee went home that evening with her new Bible, opened it up, and was amazed that she could actually read it. She told us the next day that she had never been able to read before. She had often tried reading other things over the years, but the words made no sense. Now, she is eagerly studying the Bible with Sue and wants to read everything herself.

It is amazing to see Nee read better each day and understand what she reads. Because Nee doesn’t write, Sue fills in the discipleship book for Nee so she can review the lessons later.

Learn More

Check out Alliance work in Thailand.

What You Can Do

Pray that Nee will grow strong in her faith and that her entire family will come to saving faith in Jesus.

Help keep Alliance workers such as Ed and Sue Danneker on the field. Donate now to Alliance Great Commission Ministries.

I just heard a great story that I want to share with you. I was talking to my good friend, Emira,* who leads the women’s handicraft group here. Part of the Bosnian Handicraft Project, its larger vision is to introduce group members to the God who can provide for all of their needs and give them everlasting life.

Stories like the one I’m about to share are a great encouragement to me and a confirmation that our efforts are well spent.

Ladies Knitting Group

Earlier this month, a city in southern Bosnia was hit with snow and ice. This is unusual, and most residents chose to stay indoors rather than brave the elements. Emira had all but decided to cancel the Monday night meeting, since most of the 30 members are seniors and the slick sidewalks would be treacherous.

Although it is a knitting group, two hours are spent in conversation, prayer, singing, and a Bible lesson. That night’s lesson was to be a clear message on how Jesus made a way for salvation and the forgiveness of sins.

J. S.

As the time for the meeting approached, Emira felt the Lord telling her not to cancel the group. Six ladies arrived that night, including a newer member, “J. S.” She is a quiet woman from an atheistic family and has never volunteered to read from the Bible or pray aloud. On this night, with only six women present, she seemed more comfortable with joining in the conversation and volunteered to read almost every Bible passage for the lesson.

At the end of the lesson, Emira asked if any of the women would like to pray and ask Jesus to forgive their sins and give them eternal life. J. S. said, “Oh, that would be wonderful! I would love to do that!”

Celebration!

After she prayed, the other women hugged her and welcomed her into the family of God as their new sister. J. S. was surprised at their enthusiastic response. “Well, my dear, all of heaven is celebrating! Why shouldn’t we?” Emira replied.

This new sister couldn’t wait to go home and tell her husband about her experience. Although he is a professed atheist, he is very curious about the meetings.

A couple of weeks after J. S. began attending, he asked her if it was boring to sit around knitting with a bunch of old women. She explained that they don’t really knit at the group but have Bible lessons. He insisted that she report to him each week on what their lesson was about. Now he is hungry to hear the lesson and waits at the door of their home for her to return from the group.

I saw Emira last weekend and asked her for an update on J. S. and her family. She said J. S.’s husband continues to be delighted with the “second-hand” Bible lessons but that their children were wondering if they have gone off the deep end.  Let’s pray the whole family follows them over the edge!

*Name has been changed.

What You Can Do

Please pray for J. S. in her newfound faith and for the rest of her family’s salvation. In your prayers, thank the Lord for Emira’s obedience to hold the meeting as scheduled.

Donate to Alliance Great Commission Ministries; ensure that Alliance workers are able to continue sharing the gospel in the far corners of the world where many have never heard the good news.

Learn More

Read “Sharing the Good News in a Rich Culture,” a recent article about cross-cultural ministry during the holidays among Bosnia’s nonbelievers.

If you would like to host an exhibit of the Bosnian handicrafts, contact Mary Jo Kowalewski at New Life Fellowship in Saratoga, New York, where the stateside inventory is housed.  Note: Clicking on this link will take you off of the C&MA Web site.

A prison ministry has been introducing many incarcerated people to the gospel, and they are evangelizing their home villages upon their release. EQ, a former inmate who now serves with Team Isaan, has led at least 12 people in his home village to the Lord. In the following excerpt from the team’s recent prayer updates, read about how God continues to use EQ and other former prisoners to spread the good news near and far.

It has been more than a year since Don was released from Sawang Daen Din (SDD) prison to return to his home country, which is closed to traditional missionary work. He received Christ while participating in the second men’s group at SDD and had a hungry heart to learn more about God throughout his remaining time in prison. He has been in touch with us ever since.

About a month ago, Don called to tell us about the spiritual harvest field he found upon arriving in his country of origin. He said there are 12 families eager to learn about the Creator God. He asked Montri, another former prisoner who ministers with our team, to send a CD of his music so that Don can use the songs to teach these seekers about who God is. We hope to send Montri and EQ to visit Don in the New Year in order to encourage him and also to implement a plan to train him for what the Lord is calling him to do.

 A Life Prolonged

 Meanwhile, God continues to work through EQ to point his family to the hope that Jesus offers. In late November, EQ went with some of his relatives to visit his uncle, who was on the brink of death. The doctors had told his family to take him home to die in peace because there was nothing they could do for him. He was not eating and couldn’t even talk, so it was clear that the end of his life was imminent. In addition, many family members had dreamed about a black dog eating his spirit; according to folklore, this meant he was about to die.

 When EQ heard about this dream, he prayed a spiritual warfare prayer over his uncle. In just a short time, he began to talk a little. Once EQ and his family had returned home, they heard from his uncle’s household that his condition was improving to the point that he had started to eat. He continued to grow stronger and eventually said that he believes in God. This caused a big stir among the other family members, who welcomed EQ back to their village. EQ brought his mother and several other believers to the village, and she shared how God has been changing her life.

Although EQ’s uncle eventually died of cancer, God’s power has still been recognized as legitimate. The local witchdoctors had predicted that his uncle would die three weeks ago, and the hospital doctors had said he would last only about two weeks. The Lord God sustained him for about one month against all odds. We still have hope that his family members will receive Jesus into their hearts after they have had time to grieve. Please continue to pray that God will open the door in this place that is a dark stronghold of the enemy.

Learn More

 Check out our Alliance work in Thailand.

 Read an alife article about Team Isaan’s ministry.

What You Can Do

Pray:

• that the family of EQ’s uncle will be drawn to Jesus and receive His gift of eternal life
• that Team Isaan’s ministry will continue to lead lost people to new life in Christ
• that new believers such as Don will be trained for leadership and have a lasting impact for God’s Kingdom

 Help keep our international workers in Thailand on the field—support Alliance Great Commission Ministries.

Tim and his wife, Huyen, are medical doctors with Compassion and Mercy Associates (CAMA) in Cameroon. The following is an adapted excerpt from their January 2010 newsletter about Aminatou,* a former patient.   

Aminatou is back. You might remember her from a letter we wrote about a year ago. Because she was shot through her face with an AK47, she had an ankylosed jaw (locked jaw) and a huge palatal fistula (a hole in the roof of her mouth), so she talked with a pronounced nasal tone.

More than a year ago, Huyen and I performed surgery to try to open her jaw, but it opened only about .5 centimeters (less than a quarter of an inch), and her jaw broke in the process. So we repaired her jaw and sent her home a tad better, but disappointed. We also had several opportunities to share the gospel message with her. Aminatou was amazingly interested in what we had to say and spent a lot of time talking with our hospital evangelist.

Another Chance

A few months ago, while spending time on the Mercy Ship, we worked on some fairly extensive oral and maxillofacial surgeries. (Mercy Ships is a global charity that has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978.) I got some new ideas, learned some new techniques, and got more gutsy.

Last month we did a more aggressive surgery on Aminatou that included extensive scar and bone excisions. (She had bony fusions throughout her jaw and cheekbones.) After a few hours of rather hard work-voila! Her mouth opened to nearly 4 cm (about 1.5 inches)!

Christmas in January 

Using muscle from the side of Aminatou’s head, I could finally get to her palate to repair it. She recovered just fine, and the next day she opened her mouth wide but couldn’t close it all the way. Did I dare be too picky?! Aminatou didn’t seem to care, since she had told me, preoperatively, that all she wanted for Christmas was to be able to open her mouth.

I think Aminatou actually is closing her mouth on the muscle with what jaw she has left, and it’s stopping her from closing all the way. We’re going to fix this as soon as the hole in the palate is healed. I’ve also been doing speech therapy with her, with the help of a speech pathologist I met last year in Cambodia.

One must become a Renaissance doctor here.

We have talked some more about Christ with Aminatou, and she has become friends with our hospital evangelist. But I think now she is in a period of thinking about what we’ve said. We probably won’t see her again, so she can use your prayers.

* Name has been changed.

Early in the service, Haiti’s national anthem was sung by Haitian attendees, conveying a sense of longing for the healing of their land as well as hope for its future. Immediately afterward, the United States national anthem was sung. It symbolized the partnership of two nations and the joining of the U.S. Alliance church to the people of Haiti for their support.

Alliance President Dr. Gary Benedict and Rev. John Soper, vice president for U.S. C&MA Church Ministries, attended the event and offered words of comfort. John encouraged those present with Psalm 100, “The Lord is God, and the Lord is good.”  Dr. Benedict stated, “When one member of the Body of Christ hurts, we all hurt.”  He affirmed that the Alliance family is responding with prayer and resources to join the global effort to bring hope to Haiti.

One participant said, “We see the pictures on the television, we hear the numbers in the thousands of those who have died and are unaccounted for. And yet each number represents a son or daughter, a father or mother, a friend, or a loved one. Even as they are buried in mass graves, they had names-they will not be forgotten. As the world responds to care for and join the Haitian people in rebuilding a city, even a nation, we pray that God will be their shelter, their strong tower.”

Pictures of Haiti before the earthquake and after were presented, showing the faces of this tragedy. After the program as people lingered, they shared experiences-those who had been there and endured the earthquake, those who had heard from family and friends, and those who still were hopefully waiting for news.

The next morning, Gary Benedict and John Soper visited four of the Haitian C&MA churches in the Southeastern District, offering encouragement to the Haitian believers and assuring them they are not alone in their suffering. When asked in one church how many had lost friends or loved ones, nearly everyone in the congregation raised their hands.

“In spite of the incredible suffering and pain,” says John, “I want to report that the brothers and sisters are strong in their faith and full of the hope that can only come from a faith rooted in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There is great unity among these people and an incredible sense of gratitude for what the rest of the Alliance community has already done for them and has promised to do going forward. ‘Now I really know that I am part of the Alliance family’ was a comment that I heard over and over again.”

Even in the midst of the shock and grief of this devastating event, the constant theme was one of hope in God and that Haiti will be rebuilt. As one speaker said, “[Haiti] will be a beacon of light.”

What You Can Do

Partner with CAMA by donating to the Haiti Relief Fund.

 By Soeuth and Syna Lao, serving in Cambodia

Happy New Year! It seems that we were just getting ready for December’s activities, and already it’s the end of January 2010. We trust you had a wonderful and blessed Christmas holiday.

The eight church sites (plus guests) came together on Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Jesus. About 600 people attended and stayed throughout the two-hour service! Everyone had a wonderful time enjoying the Christmas songs, dances, skits, and testimonies, followed by a powerful Christmas message.

Unfortunately, we experienced some electrical shortages just before the time for the altar call. But the main message was shared and heard. Pray that God will reveal Himself to those whose hearts have been touched by the truth that evening.

Ever since the November 28 baptism service, we’ve been witnessing more people coming forward to receive Jesus every week! I am not sure of the exact numbers, but at least two or three people come to know the Lord weekly.

From Darkness to Light

Some even came willingly to have the spirit strings from around their bodies cut off. (For Khmer people, wearing spirit strings around their waists or wrists signifies that they fear and belong to the Evil Master of this world.) As a result, more new believers are signing up for discipleship classes.

Lately, we’ve been discussing that if only we had some extra help, we could easily start three or four new discipleship classes. Looking back, all eight young churches in the Poipet and Malay areas experienced some hard times toward the end of 2009. But clearly, as we have seen, God was preparing the fields for harvest right now. Please pray for more workers to join us in Poipet ministries.

Learn More

Check out our Alliance work in Cambodia.

 What You Can Do

 Help keep Alliance workers such as Soeuth and Syna on the field. Donate now to Alliance Great Commission Ministries.

Funeral service will be held at the First Alliance Church, Lexington, Kentucky, on Saturday, January 30, at 11:00 a.m.  Viewing at 10:00 a.m.  Rev. Ronald Gifford will officiate.  Rev. Vincent Mungillo, Jr., former missionary and colleague, will represent the C&MA’s International Ministries.  Condolence may be sent to: Rev. Gordon Larson, 201 Summit Drive, Deland, FL  32720-5847.  In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to Approved Special, Western Dani Bible Translation.

Peggy is survived by her husband of 63 years, Gordon Larson and four children-Marlene (Larry) Anderson, Romaine (Jim) Webber, Daniel and  David (Shelayne).

I’ll confess. I watched more NFL football this year than the last five years combined. This was in part because I had more free time than I have in the past, but it’s also because it was a good year to be from Minnesota. Continue reading this article on www.alliancelife.org.

Alliance international workers on the ground report that all agencies providing relief in the Likouala area have been stretched beyond their capacity to meet the crushing needs. Medical workers at Pioneer Christian Hospital (PCH), which partners with The Alliance, continue to labor around the clock to care for the wounded.

Critical shortages of food and medicines are further hampering relief efforts. A lack of rain has contributed to decreased local food production and additionally made it impossible for necessary supplies to be shipped via the Ubangui River, which has receded. The Ubangui borders the DRC and northeastern Republic of the Congo.

Dr. Joseph and Rebecca Harvey, with Global Outreach Mission, established the 50-bed Pioneer Christian Hospital in January 2006. A number of short-term missions teams from Alliance churches have helped to construct the 30-building facility that is situated on a 17-acre campus. The hospital is an integral part of the Congo missionary community.

What You Can Do

Pray for . . . 

• the fighting in the DRC to cease
• food and medicines to reach relief agencies, including PCH, to treat and assist the  wounded
• the Lord’s abundant protection, strength, and wisdom for PCH medical workers
• rains to fall across the embattled region 
• hospital workers to boldly proclaim the love of Christ to those who seek help

Learn More

• check out our work in the Republic of the Congo