JANET ANTHONY: KIDZ AT HEART INTERNATIONAL

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KidZ at Heart International is a non-profit organization that exists to reach kids around the world for Christ by equipping people to effectively evangelize and disciple children in their own communities. “Project Leaders” from North America conduct annual Equipping Conferences in over 20 countries to train local leaders how to do this.

The Honduras KidZ at Heart team has been busy making their final preparations for their trip to Honduras from June 12-22, 2015. During this time, the team will be training attendees in two locations: Tegucigalpa and La Concepcion. This will be the second year KidZ at Heart will train in these locations. Last year’s training was attended by 100 leaders and volunteers, and more are expected this year.

The Honduras team will partner with two local pastors from these two locations: Pastor Alfredo and Pastor Freddy, whose ministry to children in Honduras is extensive. Please pray for these pastors. Not only do they work with the children in their own churches, they also work with more than 200 children in their community through Compassion International.

New elements to this year’s trip to Honduras are:

the KidZ Ministry Equipping Conferences will be conducted only during the two weekends to allow the attendees to do their normal work during the week, which now additionally allows
the Honduras team to work with Heart to Honduras during the week to help build a house for a local family.
Please pray for the Honduras KidZ at Heart team. To join other KidZ at Heart teams on short-term trips, please visit www.kidzatheart.org or email Pat McWhorter at [email protected].

ANONYMOUS, UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

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Hello WCC!!!!!

Prior to leaving WCC, I told P. Danny the request I was asking Father for concerning 2015. The past month-and-a-half has been uncomfortable but life-building for me. It started when I received an email back home saying that my father was rushed to the ICU. Because of the time difference and issues with internet, I wasn’t able to have/receive regular updates from him causing me lots of stress. This was followed by a period of discouragement and frustration with life here; it turns out the language here is difficult to learn (haha!). Lastly, I miss my family and yall so much! I left behind an amazing group in Woodbridge, Irvine. He’s comforted and supported me through periods of loneliness and periods where I start to question his purpose for guiding me here.

However, I’ve likewise been blessed with experiencing His working. The most memorable moment was when my good friend, the one I met 3 years ago, went to his wedding this past February, and who just had twin girls as I mentioned earlier, called and told me he has been indefinitely suspended from his job. As I was trying to comfort him and distract him from the stress of now being a possibly unemployed father of newly-born twins, he said to me that he has wondered about whether or not to believe in the “Son” that I believe in. WOW!! A commitment wasn’t made then but that is a big step from when I last talked to him!!! Please continue to lift him up!

P requests: “just Him!” Not focusing on finding His will or loving Him more. Just J—-. Thanks P. Danny! Also, praise for His grace in my life and answered p. for recovery for my dad. Likewise, I would like to praise Him for the blessing me with an amazingly loving family and friends!

P.S. After much thought, p., and talking with family, I committed to another semester of language learning.AHH！See yall in January. He is good, always! I hope you are well！Goodbye！

FIONA TALLMAN: UNDER THE TENTS OF SHEM, INC.

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It has been a while since I have updated everyone. We received some wonderful blanket donations from the Women’s Retreat from our Church. A big thank you goes out to all those women who made the blankets. They were gone in minutes! Lately it has been quite cold at night on Skid Row. A few weeks ago we had handed out all of the blankets when we came to a woman that had no blankets at all. When she would talk to us her teeth were chattering at the same time. I felt bad that I couldn’t give her anything to keep her warm except layers of clothing and an extremely small moving blanket. I had hoped it would keep her warm through the night. We have also had some wonderful clothes donations as well. They, however are in desperate need of socks.

We got a chance to meet a few new people out on the streets recently. We also got reacquainted with some that has recently been back out on the streets due to incarceration. One gentleman has almost completed his parole. He has met every requirement that has been given to him.I was so glad that he shared that with me. In speaking with him he was so thankful that he is out and getting a fresh start. He told me that he was brought up with the Bible but he was a little rusty. But once we started talking about different stories in the Bible (he brought them up) then I told him that he’s on it. He knows the Scriptures. I believe he said his grandmother always took him to Church. “Train a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he shall not depart from it”. Proverbs 22:6. I spoke with him for quite some time and reminded him of that verse. We had such a great time just carrying on a conversation with one another.

Here’s the thing; Everyone needs encouragement especially when they know they have screwed up somewhere in life and had to pay for it dearly. Nobody escapes this category. God gives everyone gifts and talents and the Bible says that they are irrevocable. So let me leave you with these two questions:

Do you think that the homeless are worth your time? What makes you think that you are any different than they are?

GLENN & SUE KENNEDY: CHRISTIANS IN ACTION MISSIONS INT’L.

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Praise God for those who are out in the mission field helping others to meet, know and follow Jesus. Back in March 8, Pastor Glenn visited WCC and gave a short report of God’s work. The Kennedy’s are church planters under Christians In Action Missions International (CINA) based in Okinawa, Japan. Pastor Glenn also takes part in medical missions through Asian Relief Medical Services (ARMS), which is one of the ministries under the umbrella of CINA.

Sue reports that she and Glenn have “felt the spiritual atmosphere changing” and the need for “keeping our eyes on Jesus”. Here are some of the highlights that are going on with them. They shared a few praise and prayer requests which included a vacationing Chinese father of a congregant to his first visit in church. Praise that the hand of God led him there and pray that this father will, in time, be saved. They wrote about an ARMS trip to Palawan (Philippines) where a Muslim migrant fishing village turned down an offer from a Muslim group to have a mosque built. Why? The village wanted to work with the Christians instead. This village will be one of the sites for an ARMS visit this year. Please pray for those who will be planning and going on that trip. More prayers are asked by Pastor Glenn and Sue for the planning and conducting of a medical mission trip by a team to Guatemala. Praise was shared about how the CINA headquarters continues to become more financially and organizationally sound. This will translate into more opportunities to train missionaries, which in turn will help grow the Kingdom of God. Prayer is asked for one of the sub-organizations of the ARMS ministry that the Lord will clearly lead them to bear additional fruit over and above what it is currently producing. Pray as well for miraculous healing of a Japanese woman battling cancer who insisted on being baptized. In a similar manner to what was just voted on at WCC regarding total immersion baptisms, she had to be sprinkled (generously) with water in baptism. Praise was shared for a resolution to a personal issue regarding a contractor’s repairs at Glenn and Sue’s home that ended favorably for them.Pray for Sue as challenges come with being the Chairman of the Board for Okinawa Christian School International (OCSI). Lastly, please pray for one of Pastor Glenn’s translators who has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

In one of Pastor Glenn’s trips to Cambodia which is a predominantly Buddhist country (Nov. 2014 through ARMS), a breakthrough took place. There is a story preserved in their ancient writings where Buddha prophesied of a Holy One who would come and save them from their sins. Pastor Glenn and his fellow ARMS missionaries brought to them The One who is able to forgive and save people from their sins. The group witnessed that the “truth” of Buddhism does in fact lead to Jesus Christ. Now that is quite a praise report!

BENJAMIN & JUDITH MUSYOKA: BREAKTHROUGH PARTNERS, NAIROBE, KENYA

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Dear friends,
Our country is once again in a state of mourning because of terrorism. Last week on Thursday, April 2, at least four heavily armed terrorists invaded a public university with 850 students at 5:30 am while most of them were asleep and killed 142 students plus five other people. This university is a 4-hour drive from our own. The first group of students killed
were 12 university Christian union leaders who had just gathered at the university chapel to
pray. The terrorists separated Muslim students from the Christian ones & then mauled down
the Christians with their machine guns. Our country declared three days of national
mourning.

Scott Christian University where I am serving as the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs is a small one with about 600 students but growing. Being a Christian university makes
it stand out as a possible target. Our students & staff are worried but so is every other
university in Kenya (private or public). Please continue to pray with us.

Church leadership training

Despite the challenges we are facing, we know God is in control and we will continue to do the work of the ministry as if nothing is happening. On March 28, I had an opportunity to conduct a one day leadership seminar for one of the largest and oldest Africa Inland Church in Machakos County just 60 kilometers from Nairobi. I explained to them that the local church ministry should, for all practical purposes, have three areas of ministry to focus on: Outreach to non-believers; Discipleship of believers; and Community services to all for the common good of humanity. I asked the leaders to list all their local church ministries. They listed 11 of them. I then asked them to place those ministries into the best category where they fitted and all the 11 fitted into the category of discipleship. They discovered that their local church placed no emphasis on outreach or community service!

Pray that these leaders will catch the vision for outreach & community service for we are the light of world called to reach the world not merely through biological growth but through aggressive evangelism and service to humanity.

Transport challenges

Continue to pray for our transport needs. Just about two years ago we bought a used truck which is now 9 years old but a type that has a proven record of reliability in the most hostile terrains like the ones we often find ourselves in. At this time something went wrong with our truck and we need to raise around $4,000 to replace the dead engine.

Continue to also pray for our personal monthly financial support. It has been shrinking even though our work has been expanding!

MARC AND PATTY RUTTER: CRU INTL

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Have any of you ever taught or mentored someone and then had them contact you many years later in order to let you know that what you said and did for them truly made a life changing impact? For Marc and Patty Rutter of Campus Crusade for Christ International (Cru), this was a not just a dream but a reality that was shared in a recent letter to the WCC Missions Committee.

Sometime around 1984 or ’85 they had been leading a campus ministry at a major university in Pennsylvania. As part of their work they took some of these students to a weeklong conference during the spring break. Little did they know that during this time on the university campus and at this conference they would have a profound effect on one particular student. Fast forward to 2015 and a letter that they received gave proof of this. This former student shared a matchbook from the hotel that they all stayed at along with a message letting them know that their encouragement set the foundation for him as he is now a professor at a university in Ohio doing for his students what the Rutters did for him.

The Rutters have been with Cru for over 36 years serving Christ. Their key phrase that they use in their letterhead is “Connecting Lost People to Jesus – Reaching the Next Generation of Leaders”. They currently provide direct leadership and development to all Cru ministries in the U.S. Marc and Patty have four children ranging from ages 22 to 28 and Marc is a former graduate of UCI. This latest letter used the story of the former student to set the stage for their current prayer request. Cru has held onto the tradition of holding these spring break conferences, now called Big Break. This spring there will be two conferences in Panama City, FL and Los Angeles, CA respectively. The mornings will entail training and practical experience to share the Gospel. Each afternoon they’ll be encouraged to apply that training while they go to the nearby beaches, campuses, and communities. The evenings will provide them with Biblical teaching and worship.

The Rutters are asking us to pray for the thousands of students who will participate in these conferences. Please pray for all involved (students, teachers, and those who will receive the invitation to meet, know, and follow Jesus by way of dialogue with these students). Pray that this experience will impact the lives of the students, just as was the case of the former student from way back in ’84 or ’85.

ANONYMOUS, UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

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Hey WCC!

Every time I turn on my computer I see pictures of the great times and amazing people I left in Irvine and it can be hard at times to not be overcome by the feeling of nostalgia. It’s been more than a month since I left, but since then, I have felt blessed to have seen and experienced His love in tangible ways. During my first two weeks, I lived with my buddy in a rural town south of where I am and celebrated with him his marriage ceremony and the New Year. Toward the end of my stay, I sat down with him and continued our conversation about the Son saying that I wished him happiness in his marriage, hope for healthy twins and smooth birth (his wife is due in April), but more than anything I shared with him how to know the Son and have a relationship with him. After that, not much discussion followed and it was a little awkward. I ask for boldness and request for His grace to work powerfully in my friend’s life.

Following the time with my friend, Father has encouraged me during difficult times of physical illness and nostalgia by sustaining me and sending people to help me transition to life in this city. From meeting friendly people at train stations and airports to being welcomed at a local fellowship and connected to an on-campus Word study, His love and provision is felt; Even today He has blessed me through recently acquainted friends who bought me cake and presents to celebrate my birthday.

Requests:

If you would please be lifting up my studies of the language, that would be great. Wisdom from Him that language acquisition would come smoothly. Likewise, there are over 3,500 foreign students at the university who all speak English pretty well and I have met a good number of them. I believe this is the field I need to work in; there has already been “What’s the purpose and meaning of life” conversations with them. Please join me in requesting opportunities for impactful conversations!

Missing you all immensely but I am joyful for the blessing of being here and serving in this capacity! Thanks for joining me in His work.

JARED HALL: FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHELETES

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Jared Hall has what some might call an unlikely mission-field. He can hardly believe what the Lord has done since way back in 2007 when he first joined the Orange County staff of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), the largest Christian sports organization in America. Partnering with Christian students and coaches to help them reach their schools with the gospel, FCA uses the medium of sports to draw many to Christ who have never stepped inside a church. Nearly 8 years after that first summer, Jared’s mission-field stretches across 7 local high school and currently includes 100 student leaders, 12 coaches and 2,500 students hearing the gospel weekly.

In his latest newsletter, Jared gives glory to God and rejoices in the continued growth FCA has been experiencing in staff and students reached with the message of God’s love.

Recently on Feb. 15, (2015) FCA hosted its 13th annual Night of Champions at Mariners Church, welcoming 1,100 junior high school and high school students. The invited speakers – St. Louis Rams wide receiver Nick Johnson, Biola University men’s basketball forward Andre Murillo, two-time United States Olympic swimmer Chloe Sutton and former Washington Nationals prospect and current FCA Baseball staff member Sean Rooney gave their testimonies. Pastor Andrew Schey of Rock Harbor Huntington Beach then delivered a message of God’s truth and salvation through Jesus Christ. 48 students committed their lives to Christ, and 100 more rededicated their lives to Him. The students who made decisions were then connected with youth pastors from their area who can help them plug in with local churches to continue their spiritual walk. It truly was a night of champions and they give all the praise and glory to the Lord God Almighty!

Jared’s prayer request is simply this: “Please keep Woodbridge, Northwood, Beckman, University, Mater Dei, Irvine and Foothill in your prayers.”

GLENN & SUE KENNEDY: CHRISTIANS IN ACTION MISSIONS INT’L.

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Pastor Glenn & Sue are missionaries to Japan & Asia with Christians in Action Missions International (CINAMI). Glenn served in the US military for 21 years as a pilot & Sue is a Registered Nurse. Both have pastor(ed) Yomitan International Church in Okinawa, Japan for 21 years now. The couple has 7 children (2 biological & 5 adopted).

Pastor Glenn is the VP of CINAMI, the Far East Director & the Field Director for Japan. He oversees 2 other churches in Okinawa & 12 other churches in Asia. Both Glenn & Sue are affiliated with 3 pastor organizations in Okinawa. Sue also heads the Board of Directors for Okinawa Christian School (the only international Christian school on Okinawa).

Pastor Glenn is also the director of Asian Relief & Medical Services (ARMS) which conducts medical & dental outreaches to the poor & needy in Asia. They regularly go to the Philippines & Cambodia each year providing medical & dental care along with the gospel message to over 5-6,000 people annually. They have reached out to over 100,000 people in the course of 20 years & seen over 50,000 people accept Jesus Christ as their Lord. Their efforts are key in supporting poorer churches, missionaries & planting churches wherever they conduct their outreaches.

Recently, they have expanded their ARMS missions into Latin America & South America. This past year they sent a team to Columbia & ministered to over 2,500 people. This year in April they will travel to Palawan & minister to a Muslim nomadic fishermen tribe & to original mountain tribes of the Philippines. In August they will reach out to the poorest of the poor in Guatemala. In the near future they will go to Myanmar in support of the Christian churches. Their goal is to expand ARMS into Africa, Lord willing.

Japan (pop: 129 million) is one of the least reached nations in the world with less than 1% Christian. It is heavily influenced by Buddhism & Shinto-ism (basically emperor & ancestor worship). The churches on the whole are very small and to some extent ineffective. The language is very difficult to master & provides a challenge for any outsider. We work with translators & train Christian workers to reach out to the Okinawan & Japanese people.

Pastor Glenn and Sue are deeply grateful for your prayers & support.

ERIC AND LYN TAYLOR: KANALANI KIDS, KAUAI, HI

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Makanalani’s mission is to enable children with few opportunities to have a free holiday in a tropical environment and to experience God’s love and the love of others. Through this life-changing experience they will see that there can be much more to life than the circumstances in which they live, and they will go home with the seeds of their future growth and new hope for life.

It has taken many years to achieve this dream. We are finally now able to open our home and share our lives with these children. How did this dream become a reality? More than ten years ago Lyn accompanied a friend to Kauai and they spent fabulous days exploring the island. It was her first visit to Kauai and she knew that it would not be her last. The magnificent scenery and the aloha spirit of the people on Kauai stole her heart. She had always wanted to have a place where she could bring disadvantaged children together and offer them a free week away. It was to be set in an environment where they could experience life in a different way from their current situation, and in that way they would come to see that life could be different. Never had we dreamed that this would be in Kauai, but after her visit Lyn realized that this would be the perfect spot.

In 2005 we purchased 130 acres on the north shore and started the process of
developing the land. After several years, the 130 acres now has a large barn, an agriculture processing building and a home with a water well and solar power for the whole property. We have fenced the property, added roads and bridges and planted hundreds of fruit and hard wood trees. Mini donkeys, sheep and horses from Arkansas now live happily in the farm.

Offering children a chance to spend some time on a working farm where they can learn about the land, harvest fruit and vegetables, feed the animals, etc. is a great way to create opportunities for these children to grow and learn to be good stewards of the land. Each child is unique and special and we want them to know that God loves them. Just as they will have the opportunity to plant seeds in a vegetable garden and pick the produce to eat, our hope is that the time that they spend in this environment will plant the seeds for their future growth.