Dear HeartCry and supporters,
It’s always great to witness God’s faithfulness in the ministry and His wonderful deeds in the lives of people. I would like to update you on the progress in the ministry we are serving together in different ways. Above all, I thank God for your faithful partnership in supporting materially for the works and in praying for the workers. This quarter of the year is for us a joyous season of harvest thanksgiving. Normally, I would travel from village to village and preach the Gospel thanksgiving services. This year, however, is different due to the known circumstances. Yet, I have not lacked opportunities to serve God in preaching and teaching at home and outside to both believers and unbelievers.
On the 30th October, four people from the new outreach mission were baptized and a new local church was founded. They are the first fruits of the field. We labored hard. But God gave the growth. Praise the Lord. It’s significant because there will definitely be more converts from that village as well as from the nearby villages. I thank HeartCry and all supporters for approving the funds when I proposed this particular outreach plan in May. The outcome is manifold. Along with the conversion of lost souls, the village children have had an access to basic education. They now have good instructions for their social and moral life which they’ve never been taught by their parents. When we first visited the village, many of our stuff was stolen by the kids. They would snatch whatever they can in our absence. On my recent visit, contrastingly, after I had shared a candy to each many came and gave me back the extra candy they got because I said only one each. Just a few months with the Gospel and teachers has made a huge difference to the lives of old and young. They sang the songs and recited the verses and lessons they had learned to us. They’ve also started speaking in their second language. It is foreseeable that those children would make great contributions to the community both physically and spiritually. Please continue to pray for the workers and for the new believers particularly for those who still remain in unbelief, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9).
I’ve also had encouraging reports to share with you from our missionaries in a particular region. Although they had faced discouraging opposition from the authorities, the churches there made it through the difficult circumstances. God has kept his own. One of the church buildings destroyed by authorities has been rebuilt. The work is almost complete. Believers are growing in grace and in numbers. Over ten animistic families have been attending the church in hope of becoming members. They want to get baptized as soon as possible. But the pastor wants to make sure they understand the Gospel and receive genuine faith. Please pray for this church. Another village church which our missionary serves is being relocated to a better place by authority with the other three adjacent villages. The church and our missionary will be in great need of your help with this reestablishment. Nevertheless, the opportunity to preach the Gospel will be greater than ever. Among those being relocated are dozens of animistic families from other villages too. It’s a wide open door to reach to them continuously with the Gospel. Please pray for this church too that it would be a salt and light to all around it, and also that believers would soon settle in. Please pray for the men there and their families as they stand firm in faith and press on with the proclamation of the Gospel under many restrictions.
Please pray for our country “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Tim.2:2). Fellow workers, please do continue to uphold me in your prayers as I oversee organizational operations for over forty churches and mission fields in addition to pastoral works. Being entrusted with so great a responsibility is very burdensome, if not impossible, but by God’s special grace. Since there are many works with few workers especially in leadership roles, I need more grace, wisdom, and discernment every day. God is faithful and I am confident that He will complete the good work He has begun in me and in the gospel ministry (Phil. 1:6). I’m meeting with the other HC missionaries this week (on 23 to 26) where I’m teaching the local pastors and missionaries on 1 Tim. 2:15 with my co-workers. I thank God for their commitment, faithfulness and hard work in serving God on the front line. Last but not least, I’d like to express my heartfelt thanks to your prayers and supports for us and our works. We owe a great debt to you for the fruits we produced in the mission fields, humanly speaking, for without your help we wouldn’t have seen this much in our ministry. Our efforts and resources would have been very limited and less effective. Thank you very much. Let us serve God in our own generation by the will of God as David did until we see our God (Acts 13:36). May God bless you all.
In His glorious service,
Elijah (November 2021)
