December 2006

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music…I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.” Psalms 57:7, 9-11

Stories from the December 2006 InterKnit newsletter:

Christmas Greetings From the Director

"Wishing you peace, love, and joy as you celebrate the coming of the savior, Christ the Lord. And may you be found singing and praising wherever you go that all may hear the Glad news of salvation."
Annette L. Jones

Christmas — The Season For Sharing

Clothing to distribute to needy widows of the area Even in some of the least evangelized nations, Christmas is recognized as a festive time of gift giving, of colorful decorations in public places, of seeing Santa Claus in some of the stores, and of recognizing that their Christian compatriots consider this the birthday of their God. Many non-Christians attend Christmas parties and some even exchange cards at this time of year. Since many of their non-Christian neighbors are willing and eager to attend holiday programs, our partners go all out to make these events as attractive and meaningful as possible and to invite all who will come. The Christmas season is also the time when they make an extra effort to provide for the special needs of those in the community who suffer due to poverty or other difficult circumstances. The photo shows clothing which will be distributed by one congregation to the needy widows living in their area. They value our partnership in making this kind of outreach possible. Thank you for your part in helping us to “serve those who serve.”

Evangelist and Church Planter in South India

SH is serving children and young people in his area by holding a weekly Sunday school which is open to all who will come. Many residents of the area have heard the gospel for the first time in this setting and will have an opportunity to bring their friends and family to a special Sunday school program on the 23rd of December. He hopes to be able to provide festive food and to give out simple gifts to the children at this event. SH also holds a weekly worship service attended by both Christians and non-Christians and has an active evangelism and church-planting ministry especially in nearby training institutions. EWI assists by meeting equipment needs, providing study and teaching materials, as well as with occasional funding for special needs such as the Christmas programs.

Pray for those who came to hear the Christmas message at the Sunday school program on the 23rd of December.
Pray for those who came to the Christmas gospel meeting on the 25th of December.
Pray as well for the health needs of SH (asthma) and his wife (slow recovery from major surgery).

Director of Children's Home in India Writes:

Dear Sister Annette Jones,
Greetings in Jesus name. We praise God for we are kept safely by his grace from the last Christmas to the present Christmas. The children are working well with their books and in spiritual things as well. Last Sunday, we had a street preaching conducted by our church in Narsapur. We and the children all participated in singing and sharing of our short testimonies and distributed Christian literature. The children are of good help to us in our outreach programs. Their short testimonies and sweet gospel songs are a great help. Many people have been blessed by this event.
Yours in Christ,
David

In addition to caring for children, David is actively engaged in evangelism in remote areas. He wrote recently that the ministry among tribals is progressing in spite of dangers perpetrated by the majority group fundamentalists. Three churches have been established through the outreach efforts of the home and continue to provide partial support from their own meager funds to sustain the evangelists that serve in these unreached areas.

Christmas in KGF, India

KGF Team distributes food to the hungry Christmas is the time for much activity at the KGF churches. There are always a variety of Sunday school and youth programs, special events for the vocational school students, activities and gift giving for the hundreds involved in the ministry to widows, a special “feed the hungry” program [photo shows a team distributing food in a desperately needy area near the church], and gifts and special events for the children in the five mission homes and day care centers. Special meetings at the churches draw hundreds that normally would not attend a church or any other Christian event. They value our prayer for every meeting and activity and for the follow-up efforts as they minister to those who respond to the messages.

Please Pray:
For the health needs of Pastor Frank and his wife;
For the young people from the mission that are studying at nearby Bible schools preparing to return to assist in the ministry.

Film Ministry — Effectively Communicating the Good News

The Gift of Film

Evangelism and training programs using film have proven to be very effective in many regions where our partners serve. Films attract an audience that might otherwise not attend a church service or lecture, and have been instrumental in the establishment of new churches and Sunday schools and have been important in some of the training programs being offered. We are very excited to have been given a significant number of full-length feature films available in several formats to accommodate almost any need, for distribution to our partners.

It is a struggle for those wanting to do film ministry to obtain films, buy or rent equipment, and transport all to the site of the showing. Rented equipment is often in poor repair and frequent breakdowns leave them unable to continue and without recourse. EWI has provided new equipment for several partners and is currently considering additional requests that will enhance the outreach efforts of the ministries.

The Film Outreach Ministry of Good News Theological College and Seminary (GNTCS) in Ghana

Setting up for film night at GNTCS

A professor from Good News Theological College and Seminary wrote to tell us, “We rented a video projector and organized a film show on campus for the Good News community, some Valley View University students, and the surrounding communities. The film was entitled ‘40 days in the Wilderness.’ It was about a mission work in a village and the source of powers of some ministers. The response was very great.”

Please Pray:
For opportunity to show the films;
For the safety of the film evangelists as they conduct the showings;
For equipment that will not malfunction; and
For a positive response to the gospel message.
Praise the Lord With Us:
We are grateful to the International Film Ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for its donation to EWI of full-length feature films for distribution to our partners.

Children's Home in Guinea, West Africa

When asked what he needed, Abraham, the founder and director of a children’s home in Guinea, West Africa, advised, “All they want for Christmas is a bathroom.” The children have been able to "rough it" in one unfinished bathroom, but it has been difficult. Now, because funds have been promised from several sources, Abraham can finish the bathroom with tiles and fixtures in time for Christmas.

Thank you for making it possible for us to participate in encouraging Abraham and the children in this way. We expect to receive a detailed report and an additional list of projects that need completion, and to share that with you in a future newsletter. In the meantime, Abraham asks that we continue to pray for them.

Book Report

Speaking of Gift Giving —

“We want to thank you soooooooooooo very much for your great help and support in enabling us to train national leaders. These books truly help us in leadership development for the nation.” Note from the librarian of a Seminary in India

A Bible school administrator in India wrote to thank us for books and then told of numbers of evangelists trained by their graduates who are serving in some of the most difficult areas of India. They recently held a conference on campus for 300 new believers, representing the fruit of the ministry of some of their graduates.

Another evangelist and trainer in Hyderabad, India reports that the the study center he opened is being used every day, usually by pastors who do not have their own study materials and depend on this library resource to prepare sermons or to study for their own improvement. In addition to being able to access study material, most of which has been provided through your generosity and shipped by East West InterKnit, he provides them with writing paper, pens, staplers and other material that they do not have and cannot afford.

He completed six books of his own in 2006, and had them printed and placed in Christian bookstores. He distributed many free copies during evangelistic outreaches or seminars. Though he may not always be sure of the results that come from the reading of the books, he knows that many have been encouraged and challenged and that there is request for additional printings. He has additional manuscripts waiting for printing as funds become available.

Thanks to all who have contributed gently used quality books for use by our partners and to those who have helped fund the cost of new material and of shipping the books. The Bible schools, training and counseling centers, individual pastors and evangelists all express grateful thanks for this help. Books are tools in the hands of our partners and greatly enhance their ability to preach, to disciple, to train, to witness, or to attract those who need to hear the gospel message.

Prayer Corner

Pray for guidance as we evaluate every aspect of the work this coming year and make decisions concerning each partnership and each special project.
There have been requests for on-site training and assistance extending much beyond the usual one or two week short-term efforts that we have been able to offer. Pray for wisdom and direction in seeking those who may assist in this way.