News, December 2011

We have been so encouraged by the increased response from students on the website www.lifeismore.net. Dina, an Iraqi woman from Canada wrote to us:

 “I have finished all your available courses and need your help to start a home Bible Study group”. She has been so strengthened in her faith as a result of the studies that she was witnessing and talking to other Iraqi immigrants and it was they who suggested that she start a Bible Study. So we sent her 20 copies of What the Bible Teaches and she started the weekly study group at the beginning of November in her home. Pray for her husband who is not a believer but is not opposing her, to come to faith and for there to be lasting fruit from this group.

Another student, Rita wrote to us from Egypt

 “I need to talk with someone about a problem that is destroying my life, nobody else will listen” How do we respond to that cry for help? She is a believer and studied 13 of our courses. She asked for prayer and counsel for some difficult family problems. Pray that the Lord would work in her situation and give her a real peace that He is in control. Mustafa from Iraq writes:

“I have taken the Lord Jesus Christ in my heart and truly believe in Him and He is living in me. I want to be baptized during my visit to Jordan. Can you connect me to some Church elders there and give me some more Bibles studies.” He is only 18 years old but he has given his life to Christ since his believer friend, who had witnessed to him, was killed in an explosion. Of course that would be dangerous for him to be baptised in his town, since he is from a Muslim background, so we are linking him up with a brother in a neighboring country, where he is going for medical treatment. We hope they will meet up and he can be baptized there and encouraged in the faith.

These are some of the believers that we know about personally but there are many more all over the world, who are coming to faith through the courses and experiencing various trials and persecutions. Pray for them. They face challenges that we could never imagine ourselves going through. Pray for wisdom for Shaul and George as they give counsel.

Two more books have recently been added to the website for more advanced Bible study.

Becoming Wise men (and women) for God with our Resources

By the time you receive this, the new edition of One Day at a Time devotional will be out of the press in Jordan ready for distribution before the New Year. It has been a long labour through the summer to finish the corrections but we are glad that it has been ready in time and pray it will be a blessing to many as it will now reach the surrounding countries. Bible distribution is on the increase and we are seeing more demand – praise God!

We praise Him too for a recent gift to reprint the 125 Childrens Bible Story book, which has proved very popular and so we are now out of stock. We are now in the process of doing corrections and proof reading to improve the translation before printing it. This book we will also make available to print in Jordan.

We will be reprinting some tracts also. Thank the Lord for all the books and tracts we have been able to complete this past year.

We need the Guiding Star for a new Venture in Ministry 

For some time we have been considering how we can reach out more to the local community and one of the needs here is for extra tutoring for children to help them with their studies. We had planned to do this in the new Center but we thought why to wait until it is built, when we could begin now using the assembly rooms.  English is one of the subjects most in demand and so we plan to start English classes and then later add other subjects as we see the need and as the Lord provides qualified teachers. We may also add classes for adults too. There is the idea to do an English Summer School for 4 weeks for children. This is still in the planning stage and so we need your prayers for the Lord’s leading and for teachers who are believers to be ready to work with it.

God gave the ultimate gift for us– His Son. What can we give Him? Our time perhaps…

We have a young volunteer from the States, Micah, coming in the New Year, who has done an English teaching course and so she will be able to help in this as well as with the youth ministry.

We would like to have more volunteers for this teaching ministry, especially for the Summer School as well as help with the youth, children and music. If you know anyone who would be interested to come for a month in the summer or longer, please have them contact us to arrange the timing.

Our Dutch friend, Leonora, is with us once again to help us this during December – she takes her annual holiday to come to Nazareth and we appreciate her very much. She shares about the Emmaus work in Holland also and is a member of the Emmaus Nazareth board in Holland. Pray for Shaul and Nuha and especially for good health for their 3 daughters this winter.

“Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” Romans 5:1 Finally our highest goal for Christmas this year is to bring the message of Peace with God to a world filled with conflict and strife. Will you pray for us and this ministry to reach the lost in the Middle East?

Wishing you God’s Blessings and Joy this Christmas season