From Don and Caroline Armstrong in Chang Mai, Thailand
One of the projects we talked about is the work that the Church of God is doing in the very large brothel in Daulatdia, Bangladesh. It’s not a house, as you might think, but rather a series of narrow passageways that all connect, forming the brothel. This picture shows one of the passages. Behind each door is a single room, where a sex worker lives and works. And her children live there too. With approximately 1,600 sex workers in this brothel, there are a lot of children.
Although the church provides many services for the ladies, especially the ones who are pregnant and unable to work, the main focus is the children. The church’s aim is to keep them in school, make sure they are healthy and well fed and also expose them to the gospel and options for their future that exist outside the brothel.
From the Kihms in Budapest, Hungary:
We have had quite the unexpectedly eventful month! So many great things happened while we were in the States this summer, and then one day before we were to fly back to Budapest, we learned that our application for a residency permit (that we had submitted in March) was denied. A week before that, our landlord called (from Kazakhstan) early in the morning and told us that the neighbors had returned home to a watery mess and discovered that a pipe had burst in our garage/basement! Most of the homes in our 6-row-house building were affected. So, to say we were apprehensive when we flew back to Budapest is a massive understatement.
But we are thankful for several things.
One is that despite the rejected residency permit, we were able to re-enter Hungary and start a new application the week we returned. Sofie was able to return to school and had a great start on her 8th grade year.
Please continue praying for the permit process. We are hoping to hear something positive by mid October.
Photo of leaders’ mtg. in Hungary
Karvin Adams included this list in the Partners- in-Missions Chasqui newsletter.
Extraordinary Sacrifices of Christ Followers
Mary Slessor, a missionary to Africa, faced life-threatening illnesses and hardship, but never considered giving up.
Adoniram Judson, a missionary to Burma, was imprisoned and tortured, but he never gave up on his God-given calling to lead the people of Burma to Christ.
Hudson Taylor, a missionary to China, faced illness and personal loss but never wavered in his faith. He once said, “All of God’s giants have been weak men who accomplished great things for God because they relied on His presence with them.”
Amy Carmichael was a missionary in India who suffered from neuralgia. Despite often feeling weak and enduring significant pain, she followed God’s call to India and spent the rest of her 55 years there. She became a mother to many of India’s orphans.
Jim and Elisabeth Elliot were missionaries in Ecuador. Jim and four other missionaries were killed by the tribe they were trying to reach. Elisabeth later returned to the same tribe and spent two years ministering to them.
Russell Deibler and Darlene Deibler Rose were missionaries in Papua New Guinea. During World War II, they were captured and sent to separate concentration camps. Russell did not survive, but Darlene did, and she continued serving as a missionary for many more years.
David Livingstone, a missionary to Africa, spoke of “foregoing the common conveniences and charities of this life.” However, he insisted that it wasn’t a sacrifice, but a privilege. He was quoted as saying, “I never made a sacrifice.”
Eric Liddell was a missionary to China. His final written words were, “It’s complete surrender.”
The sacrifices these and many others made were significant, but the privileges they enjoy are even greater. Great is their reward!
From the Global Strategy Calendar of Prayer:
An All-India conference is scheduled for October 17-18. It will be hosted by Church of God ecclesia in Mawlai Mosyiar Church, Shillong, India. This biennial gathering of Church of God leaders from 7 assemblies in India is a time to renew relationships, learn, and worship together.
We are asked to pray for the gathering that the Church across India will be strengthened and encouraged.
Pray also for the first international All Latin American women’s convention to be held in San Jose’, Costa Rica in November. More than 250 women from 16 countries across the region will be attending for worship, fellowship, and encouragement.
Thank the Lord for their contagious enthusiasm and for the leaders making preparations for this special event.
Photo of baptism in Bolivia’s chilly water
Missions Ministry Teams;
The many travel restrictions that came with the Covid pandemic ended many of the planned missions’ ministry teams. That prevalent feature of Church of God congregations and individual leaders’ mission’s outreach had not yet recovered from the ‘time-off’. Yet there are a few groups going to Uganda, Barbados, Guatemala. Global Strategy can help plan.
