As you go throughout the world, proclaim the Good News to all creation.

23 Feb 2012

Two-thirds of our world are oral communicators? That's 4 billion people who can't, don't or won't read or communicate by literate means!

Wow, being a 'westerner' I didn't know that! So how do we make disciples of these people when they can't read or study the bible?

Well, at a recent meeting of pastors here in the Philippines I heard of the 'orality' network (http://oralbible.com/) who are teaching 'biblical story telling' as the means of sharing the 'good news' with people. 

Talk about coming a full circle. Its encouraging to hear of these ministries who are learning to once again meet the local needs rather than imposing 'our' way of doing things.

If you have been using this method of evangelism I would love to hear about your experiences.

Please join me in praying that the truth of who God is will be understood in life changing ways as our brothers and sister share God's Story from creation to eternity.

Open Door

18 Feb 2012

On Thursday Feb 16 Pastor Seeva and I met with the Vice Principal and four others at the School of Industries here in Newcastle. This is a State operated school that educates high school age students with serious behavioral issues and those who have committed serious crimes but are not old enough for the adult prison system.There are a total of 25 students. I presented our vision with the soccer ministry at the forefront. However, as we started talking it became obvious there are other opportunities for ministry.  We were told that most of the learners there had never really had any education and very few of them could read and write English. Both Pastor Seeva and essentially at that pint volunteered Deena since that was her area of expertise. Also when I explained to them I had a background in career counseling they indicated that was also a great need. As I began to present I was mindful that this was a state school so even though I told them we were missionaries and  we would be sharing the hope of Christ with students, I was trying to convey this with utmost diplomacy.  Towards the end of the presentation one of the counselors that was present said you speak of sharing Jesus but would you also be willing to pray with the learners because that is something they need desperately.  That gave us a wide open door and needless to say we walked right through. The (Hindu) Vice Principal then indicated to us that he wanted us to share the Bible with the students and asked if there was a way we could provide "nice" Bibles for them that they could study. He also said he believed that these kids needed God and that was their only hope if they were to become good citizens on the outside. It was just an incredible meeting, we are so excited what God is doing and humbled that He has chose us for this opportunity. Deena and I are going to the site on Monday the 20th to meet and spend time with the students to begin the process of getting to know them and assess needs. I made sure I reminded all present that we were leaving on March 10 and probably would not be able to make it back for a few months.  The Vice Principal said that was fine but he wanted us to meet with the learners to start the process so we could hit the ground running when we came back.  He also basically told us we full access to the students and the school would print any materials we needed such as devotionals, reading lessons, counseling guides, etc. Please pray for these kids and the Holy Spirit's guidance as we seek clarity and vision for this important ministry.

Preparing for Full Time Ministry, By Dan Simmons

16 Feb 2012

Our time here for this vision trip is coming to close in a hurry as so it seems. We only have three weeks left in Newcastle and we have a lot to accomplish before we leave. Deena is working frantically on ensuring the reading curriculum is in place prior to March 10, our last day in Newcastle. Please pray for her, the teachers and administration as they work together to make this happen.

I am spending my time developing the soccer ministry organization and preparing us for full time ministry here. It is a lot of work but what a labor of joy!!

Please pray for appointments I have this week and that they will be informative and extremely productive. Pastor Seeva Pillay and I are meeting with an administrator of the School for Industries today. They have invited us to come in on a weekly basis to minister to their 30-40 students. This is essentially a juvenile detention center who houses troubled youth from all over South Africa. Even though it is a state run school we are going to have opportunities to present the gospel, both through the soccer ministry and through individual counseling sessions with the students.

I will also be meeting with two pastors this week to discuss how the soccer ministry will serve them in their efforts to evangelize their communities.

Please pray that both Deena and can complete the work we needed to set the foundation for us to come back, hopefully by the end of the year. We are moving forward at a rapid pace to serve here long term. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will be our guiding force and God will receive the full measure of glory in all that done through our work here.

Dan Simmons

Note: We are now preparing for full missionary service, if you feel lead to give to this ministry, you can now make tax deductible donations through our sending agency listed below:

Into all the World,  PO Box 702558, Tulsa, OK 74170-2558, Designated for "Simmons"

 

An Update

15 Feb 2012

Just to let you know that we are settling into the new house ; still putting up shelves, unpacking boxes, but it's such a pleasure to take our time in order to see how things work out. It's also a pleasure to sort through things again. This winter has been extremely cold all of a sudden, so bedding, linen, household goods, clothes have been distributed to those in need. Lamastre is attracting newcomers who are victims of the crisis and needing to find cheaper housing. Welfare families are struggling to make ends meet.

Pascal and I have taken up our 'normal' ministry activities now. I felt like I was coming out of quarantine ! We can't say we were isolated, because so many people helped us and continue to. But all my energy was put into this move and the first settling in and I felt quite cut off from my friends.

Continue to pray for Murielle who is devouring books on different aspects of the Christian faith. Pray for Tanya who is so keen on evangelism, and for her contacts. Pray as I accompany Evelyne and Catherine in their outreach relationships. Pray for the World Day of Prayer organisation, and for our future Bible Vacation Club in April. We really need to be guided as to whom to invite and inform.

Please also pray that the church property in the other village will be sold so the new manse can be paid for.

So life goes on and nothing is ever really predictable. Thank God for God, who watches over us and gives us strength for each day, and for His Spirit which guides us in our choices.

Forgiveness

15 Feb 2012

For Jesus it was important not only that we try to reach these standards of love and sincerity but also that we realise the occasions when we do not. Once we have understood what we have done wrong we can ask for forgiveness, and then make a serious effort to correct our mistakes. It is only when we do this that we can truly be a follower of God.
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:9-14)
The forgiveness of our sins is not without a cost because when we break laws, whether they be civil or divine, we should expect to face some consequences. However the price of our forgiveness was paid in a remarkable, symbolic way when Jesus suffered and died in our place. He explained this sacrifice by using bread and wine as symbols of his body and blood.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:26-28)

All of the followers of Jesus are joined together in a mystical union to make up one body, of which Christ is the head. When Jesus died it was like this whole body of believers died in him, and so his death becomes a meaningful sacrifice for the wrong doing of all believers.

We must humble ourselves in a way that allows us to truly understand what we have done, what we deserve, and what Jesus gave up so that we could be free. When we do this we will finally realise how much God has done for us

God's Work is Usually not Easy but Always Rewarding.

11 Feb 2012

In John 6:28-29 the disciples asked Jesus what work the Father had for them. Jesus answered saying The work of the Father is to believe in the One He sent. On January 30, 2012 after being here four weeks, found out first hand that God's work is not always easy as we endured probably the most trying time in our lives. That morning my wife and I were involved in a jarring car accident (our two sons were not in the car). Later that day our son Micah who contracted a stomach ailment and became very dehydrated. He had to be rushed to the hospital and was there for four nights. These unforeseen incidents basically brought our ministry to a quick halt for an entire week. There was a point we started questioning our calling and in our weakest moments we thought of packing it in and going back home. However, we quickly realized that God has called us to this place and he was going to use us to bring glory to Himself. God never said serving Him would be easy and any setbacks we endure in this world are minute and insignificant when compared to God's eternal plan. We prayed that His word would find fettle ground (as Jesus taught with the parable of the sower) and that we would persevere and be productive till the end in accordance with His eternal will and calling. This week as I researched and began to write the constitution and rules for the soccer ministry we are starting I could not help but think how much of a privileged it was for God to call us to this place at this time and trust us with such an important work. Even with the immense challenges we have faced since we set out on this journey January 1st. I can't imagine anything being more rewarding than to work exclusively for our eternal Father till our last breath not matter what misfortunes this life may bring. We so dearly appreciate your prayers for His provision as we serve out the rest of this trip and as we prepare to come back to serve full time! Dan Simmons

Still here!

10 Feb 2012

Hi everyone,

If you've been following our blog you might wonder if we're still around. We are! Our holiday by the beach was a great time of doing very little but building sandcastles (Sean blogged on this on the WEC website - http://wec.com.au/story/building-sandcastles-planting-churches). Now we're back into the swing of things.

Clarissa started school this week, she is going to the same school as Georgi (Enfield Public). She is happy to be there and easily relates to other kids there. Georgi is in year 5 and settling in a bit more slowly but is still happy to go to school which is great.

We had a planning meeting with our teammates in Sydney last week which helped to put focus into this year for us all. Among other things, we'll regularly relate to students in local Bible Colleges; run several Missionary For a Weekend experiences, a couple of Testdrives; organise some nights to help people interact with 'real life' missionaries from Cambodia, West Asia & Asia; Jan will continue on our WEC Australia Board & of course we'll continue in our role as Team Leaders - infact Sean will spend a lot more time on this aspect of our ministry in the year to come, especially resourcing the team to do ministry well.

Last week, Sean shared with a group of Koreans visiting Australia on what WEC is, a very different experience - and he will do so again next Thursday (16th). Next week Jan will be attending a 'Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills' Course here in Sydney, every day 9-6 makes for long days!

Sean is also doing a course over the next 8 weeks 1 day per week on 'Biblical Storytelling for Cross-Cultural Church Planting', telling stories is something he's always been good at (;-)) but this will help frame stories that can be used as a tool to help people think about Jesus.

A longer blog this time, but we do say thanks for your prayers and support. We'll blog more often again now - whatever that may mean!

At The Sound of Your Name

09 Feb 2012

 

We have been here less than two weeks and already we have experienced the power of His name..... in an earthquake!

Having lived through an earthquake now (and over 200 aftershocks) I can’t but reflect on a couple of things:

·         He is God, we (humanity) need to be reminded

·         What we take for granted as stable is not always so

·         I spend little time meditating on the power of who God is (His Name).

·         What lays dormant in our hearts come to the surface in times of trouble ie fear, prayer etc

I wonder if many people have continued to reflect on the fragility of life and determined to seek to know God. Were they reminded that Jesus is returning soon and there WILL be an enormous earthquake :“There were flashes of lightning, voices and peals of thunder; and there was a massive earthquake, such as has never occurred since mankind has been on earth, so violent was the earthquake”.Rev 16:18 CJB

What does it take to get humanities attention?

 This song reminds of His Majesty: Shout To The Lord by Chris Tomlinson 

Why we can be optimistic?

07 Feb 2012

I am excited that every people group in Peru will be reached for Gospel. Though we may play only a tiny part in God's plan, I am confident that hundreds of thousands of people in Peru who currently do not know Jesus will one day worship Him as Lord and Savior. Am I just a silly optimist? Is this just a crazy dream?

There are a couple of very good reasons why we can be confident. Patrick Johnstone, editor of Operation World, explains this in detail. He gives two reasons why not just Peru but the world will be reached by the gospel.

Firstly, Jesus promises it. The job he gave us to do will be completed. In Matthew 24 Jesus promises that the gospel will be preached through the whole world. Also in Revelation 7:9 we read about "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb".

Secondly, the statistics demonstrate that this is actually happening. While the church in Europe and other parts of the west have been in decline, in Latin America, Africa & parts of Asia the church has been growing strongly. Globally there was a hard patch in the mid 20th century where we had 60 years of stagnation but in 1950/60 something dramatic happened. This continued in the 1970's with massive growth in Latin America. In the 1980's it was China and now it continues in India.

Patrick says that while he is optimistic there are still dangers and challenges. He sees the main danger being the fragmentation of the evangelical church over secondary issues. A challenge is that we need to have a long term perspective. Anything that is done quickly is not necessarily going to get quick results - let alone the long-term transformation of a culture.

See the full interview with Patrick Johnstone here. 

Patrick Johnstone Part 1 of 2 from U.S. Center for World Mission on Vimeo.

So bringing this back to Peru - we're seeing the church continuing to grow. We also see so much potential. In our ministry area with university students there is currently only a single full-time Christian staff worker for all of southern Peru - which is a massive area. What would happen if we could have a staff worker for each city and even each University? We also see an openness to the Gospel and people are willing to discuss Spiritual issues.

Here in Peru there are dangers and challenges too. The danger I see is with rapidly growing churches that teach that the Bible promises prosperity and health. The subtle message they promote is that God solely exists to fulfill our needs rather than our need to submit to Him. The challenge on the other hand is to have Bible based churches working together and supporting each other. These are exciting times and also times for prayer.

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