Praise and Prayer from South Asia

We received this news from our partners in South Asia this week. Please rejoice along with them as God powerfully moves and pray for God's continued work.

Sunday we were out in a nearby village visiting "Sam" and his family. Sam is "Weaver" who has done well for himself. He owns both power looms and hand looms, which are operated on the ground floor of their house. He is married, has a son, 2 daughters (one adopted after his sister died 3 weeks after giving birth), a daughter-in-law, and his first grand-child on the way. When Sam visited our home here we shared with him the story of Zaccheus. Sunday, we shared with him the story of the Pharisee and the Tax-Collector (Lk. 18:9-14). Pray for God to move mightily for his glory in that home. Pray for Sam and his entire household to trust in Christ. Pray for a church to be established in that house. Pray for wisdom and grace as we seek to continue to invest in this family.

Last time we wrote we asked you to pray for "Raphael." Those of you who have prayed for him: thank you! Saturday evening he and a friend stopped by our house for a visit. It was our family day / day of rest, so we had some books out in the living room. One was Humility by Andrew Murray. Raphael picked it up and asked what it was about. So... we talked about humility and read Matt. 11:28-30 and Col. 3:12-14. We again shared the story of the Pharisee and the Tax-Collector from Luke 18:9-14, which ends with Jesus telling his hearers, "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Pray for God to continue his ongoing work in Raphael and his family. Raphael's friend was bewildered and intrigued by this book I had pulled out of a wooden box and green cloth. Raphael requested another Bible (but couldn't take with him Sat evening the one I handed to him) since the first one we gave him somehow found its way into the library at his local mosque, and had not been returned. We know God's Word does not return to him void. Pray we would hear in heaven about how God used this Bible (that is missing in action) in the life of someone yet unknown to us. Praise the Lord with us that "Raphael" wants a new Bible. Continue to pray for this young man who seems to love to hear stories from Gospel.

Yesterday evening, I got a long overdue haircut from "Bob." While he cut and I sat, Bob and I discussed the "holy books" and in particular a couple of verses from the Zaboor Sharif, Ps. 119:89 "Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens," and Ps. 119:11 "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." Bob began cutting hair 17 years ago after completing the 5th grade. He can write his name, but is basically not able to read and write. Before yesterday, Bob had not so much as even heard of the Injil Sharif (the standard Qur'anic title for the New Testament / Gospels). We are surrounded here by people who not only live in ignorance of the good news of the Gospel, but have had no opportunity to hear it in an understandable way. Please pray for God to send out his Word in this place. Pray for many here to embrace, by grace, the message of God's Word in their hearts, that they might not sin against him, and that they might find life.

Your ongoing prayers for "Irving" (a MBB) and his family are appreciated. Right now they are working through the difficult issue of marriage. The oldest brother is in the process of getting engaged to a Mslm girl. The family sees two options: either our children marry Hindus (meaning by that Hindus that now trust in Christ - maybe truly, maybe only claiming to do so), or they marry Mslms, and we pray they will be influenced by our lives and God's grace to trust Christ as well. They believe one of the stumbling blocks for Mslms in their village coming to Christ is the belief that if they do trust in Christ their kids will never be able to marry, have kids, carry on the family name, care for their aging parents, etc. It is a very real concern. We had a talk about God's purpose and desire that believers marry believers. Pray for them. These issues are neither simple nor easy. Please pray with us particularly for "Irving's" little sister that the Lord will raise up a godly GOOD man to marry her and lead their family. Please pray specifically and with great faith for the three brothers and one sister of this family. Please pray as specifically as Abraham's servant did by the well. This is a heavy and difficult issue but we serve a God who loves his children and CAN do the impossible.

We thank you for your faithful partnership with us in this work. To God be the glory for what he's doing and what he will do in this land!