|
Do you recall from April 11, the story of two sisters, Abir and Rana, in a north African country who were nearly beaten to death for their faith by their brother? He was instructed by his father, working in another country, and encouraged by his mother. Their crime was praying and having possession of a Bible that we (you) provided for them and all their fellow believers. (If you don’t’ remember this story, click here for a review.)
Being rescued by their pastor and taken to the hospital, God provided sympathetic doctors to care for them. When we learned of the medical costs you provided for them. Then we arranged for them to escape their family, who wanted them back to finish the job. Their health: There is a great deal of improvement after comas, surgeries, therapies, and medication. Both are continuing their physical therapy and have begun to be able to move better. Their bruises are almost gone from their faces and bodies, and the doctors are examining them weekly. And they are happy with the reconstruction of their faces. Their legal situation: After leaving the hospital unnoticed, they remain in hiding from their family. Their daily needs are being cared for by their church, but the parents still want to sue the church and incarcerate the pastor for kidnapping. With the help of an attorney, we have been able to discourage them from taking action as it will lead to their arrest for the attempted murder of their daughters. So at the moment, all is quiet. We ask for your continued prayers for their healing and safety.
0 Comments
An update from our Local director; I am pleased to inform you that we have started the construction work on widow's House. The recent Youth seminar in Pakistan was a surprise to us. Besides all else that he does, Pastor Shaukat has, for half a year or more, been meeting with a pastor from a different denomination who had questions about our doctrine. As they met week after week, this brother "converted" to our understanding of scripture concerning the gifts of the Holy Spirit and other vital doctrines. So, to re-teach and re-train his young people, he asked Pastor Shaukat to come and speak to them. As you can see in the pictures, the room was crowded. But, what you don't see, is that 30 of these young people gave their hearts to Christ and 20 offered their lives to the Lord's service. Remember, for them, "young people" is not just teenagers; it is anyone aged 12-30. Pastor Shaukat will continue to disciple this other pastor and the leaders in his church. In developing countries, pastors often teach what they have heard on the radio or seen on television. Unfortunately, those mediums are usually Pentecostal or Charismatic. They think preachers in America and Europe know the Bible and view our preachers as the "authority" on doctrine. In fact, they think we all embrace those doctrines because they have never heard a preacher say otherwise. Our emphasis is to train them that the Bible is our only authority. Once that simple doctrine is accepted, it is easy to show the way to those who want to walk in it. Anyway, it was a great conference, and I wanted you to see some of the photos Shaukat sent. Notice most of them are older, and there are as many or more men than ladies. Pakistan is primed to explode with the gospel, and we want to do all we can to light the fuse. Thanks for your help. PS They have a youth camp in July that he has asked help for. I will send you the details in about a week. I hope you can help.  Shaukat preaching. The poster shows him and the host pastor. That is typically a Pentecostal means of advertising and promoting the man over the message. All denominations have adopted that method as that is all they have ever seen.  A close-up showing the ages of the "young people" and the ever-present drum.  Girls who won awards  "Boys" who won awards.  Game time  A Bible was given to every young person that attended. Notice their joy n receiving one and the reverence they show by placing a hand on their heart as they receive the gift.  Part of the crowd  Lunch time  There is no such thing as a miserable Christian in this group. On the contrary, they have the joy of the Lord.
We want to share with you an update from the Enskyys, who are on the ground in Ukraine, so you can continue to pray for them and see how the funds that you have donated are being used.
Another week of war has raged on. Time seems to stand still and fly by at the same time. Thank you for praying for our family and ministry. We praise the Lord for your support and encouragement. This week in partnership with the ministries of Operation Renewed Hope, European Initiative, and Every Nation Education our church received several shipments of humanitarian aid; Bibles (a really nice key chain with a Ukrainian Bible QR code), food, cleaning supplies, and other necessities for keeping our temporary shelter for refugees open and running well. Our staff and refugees were so excited to see these trucks coming to our door and unloaded them with enthusiasm. I cannot underscore what an encouragement this help is to not only our refugees but our church staff as well. As war decimates the already weak Ukrainian economy, food prices rise as salaries are cut in order to send all funds to the army. Everyone is reeling from this horrible, unjust war. Knowing that our brothers and sisters in Christ really care and are helping brings smiles to tired, downtrodden faces.
Right now, our region is experiencing a lull of "incoming" refugees. Last week we were feeding 50 to 80 people a day. We are using this reprieve to better organise the center and deep clean. As the battle for Kharkiv, Mariupol and Kherson ramp up, we expect the next wave of fleeing refugees soon. No one wants to leave their home and most stay as long as possible, some too long and are in need of evacuation. We are partnering with Oleg's seminary brothers in central Ukraine who are evacuating people in these kinds of situations, helping them with food and fuel for their vans.
Thank you for continuing to support our ministry financially. Your funds go to keep our building warm, clean and offering physical and spiritual shelter to those fleeing active war zones. Please pray for the literature, Bibles and spiritual counsel offered to these vulnerable people to be taken in the spirit it has been given. Pray for the seeds of the Gospel to find fertile, prepared heart soil! Please continue to pray for peace and revival in Ukraine, safety and health for our family, and wisdom to make quick decisions as war makes for very fluid and unexpected situations. Sincerely, The Enskyys As of this morning, the need has been met. Praise God! We give our thanks to Him and to you, His people, for meeting this need. In Glory, you will delight to meet these two sisters whom you have given life to and all those they will bring to Christ!
There is no doubt that other expenses will arrive. We learned yesterday that the doctors have had to put multiple pins in the hand of the one girl, and the other has had her jaw wired shut for it to heal. As a result, she will be on liquid foods only for six weeks. Then, of course, we cannot return them to their home, and it will be illegal for them to be on their own at those ages, so we will have to find a place to secure them and provide for their needs for a time. Please pray for their healing, safety, and safety of all our churches from Morocco to Pakistan. And pray that we will continue to reach millions of Muslims for the glory of Christ. -Jon (If you missed the original need you can read it here)
Is that a typo? Not at all. Jesus fed the 5,000, but we got close with 4,500 (500 families), and ours is not a one-time meal but food for two months. Our Magnificent Lord said we would do greater things than He did, and our Lord allowed us together to do so. With Him, all things are possible!
In late January, I wrote you about the suffering and starvation of a region in central Asia where we have many house churches whose combined total is 500 families. An average of nine per family adds up to 4,500 people, without food, without blankest, and without gas to cook or heat their tiny apartments. Yet, you gave abundantly as if the need was your own, doing for others what you would want someone to do for you and your family. Here is a summary of what we purchased for the 500 families on the brink of starvation in central Asia. Each family was given:
For your pleasure and better understanding, I requested that we receive a report from one family so that you can read a testimony of what your giving accomplished. So here is what one of our pastors sent us: One of the five hundred families we helped had neighbors who lived near them. This family consists of five children and their parents. The father works five days weekly far away and returns for two days to spend time with his family. They are a Muslim family and are under the care of a religious man (Imam) who helped him to find work. The desperate wife received no help from the Imam. So, she began to ask her neighbors to help her and her children, to keep them warm and fed, but no one could because everyone was going hungry and cold. But, when she knocked on the door of our Christian family, the wife told her, "bring your children, and come stay with us, and I trust my God will provide for all our needs." So, she brought her children and stayed with them for twelve days. In the house, there were eleven children and three adults. The Christians shared with them what we had given for their family. At every meal, the Muslim woman watched them pray before eating and saw how they read their Bible and prayed before going to sleep. This was one of the Bibles you smuggled into our country for us. On the third day, this Muslim lady asked about the book, why they read it every night, and why they pray differently from the memorized Muslim prayers. Of course, these new Believers shared with her the answer to all her questions, and she became under great desires to have a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. Then, on the eighth day, she came to the knowledge of salvation and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her savior. Now they are working to reach her husband for Christ. There are reasons for our suffering. There has been a "perfect storm" of conditions that prompted this need:
Meeting the needs of others, especially your Christian family, as the book of James teaches us, is an ongoing need, especially now with the situation in Ukraine. Although it may seem overwhelming to us, hearing of so many needs in so many places, this is, in reality, a constant. Our Lord will sort it out by leading some to help with one need and others to help the others. Our responsibility is to let you know the needs and let those who suffer know that they are neither forgotten nor abandoned. After all, it could be us in need, waiting for affluent Believers elsewhere to relieve our suffering. One last word… What we raised was to carry these families through the remaining winter months of February and March. Now that Spring is here, there is hope that seed can be planted and a harvest comes, alleviating their suffering. Then all they have to be concerned with is losing their lives for the cause of Christ. But, until that is evident, they still need our help. So many of you are giving to other needy causes, but if the Lord should direct you to help these Believers in Afghanistan and their neighboring lands, please do so. On February 18, we informed you that our men in Pakistan needed five motorcycles (see the original email here). Then, after our email was sent to you, we were told that their need had grown to seven. Rather than send out a correction, we waited to see what you would give, and by February 23, we had received enough for all seven motorcycles. Our marvelous, all-knowing Lord moved in your hearts even though you did not know the entire need. Serving Him keeps getting better and better. It takes time to process your giving and wire it to the receiver’s bank. Then it takes a few days for them to clear the international wire and release the funds. So, about a week ago, we received a photo of the five motorcycles for the Lahore church planters, and last night Pastor Shaukat sent photos of the two given to desert church planters. Along with the photos, Pastor Shaukat sent this message:
Please keep praying for us because it is a very hard task for us to reach more lost souls and win them for the Lord Jesus Christ.
 Background:
We have received word regarding your help in feeding a village of people in the Middle East. You will recall that the Governor, a man who previously persecuted our people, asked if these same persecuted people would help to feed the people of his village. It is incredible a governor would have to ask for help in the first place, and it demonstrates the dire situation in his country. But even more so, to ask for help from Christians. It was, of course, American believers who gave the money, but it was channeled through Believers in his land who provided the food. In this way, God gets the glory. We cannot let people know that American Believers are the funding source.) If you need a reminder of what this was all about, click here to see the original request from a few weeks ago. Update: Our Director for the Middle East and North Africa sent the following email: "I just arrived in *********, safe and sound, and am ready to preach over the next four days, all day, to the house churches and meet with some pastors that have been referred to me. But I wanted to send you this short note about feeding the Governor's family and neighbors in his hometown. We prepared the basic necessities of daily life and were only hindered by the Coronavirus, spreading rapidly and the severe cold weather. However, we were able to take care of 125 families, which was 1,365 individuals. We gave each family milk, oil, burgal (an Arabic grain similar to rice), cans of meat, bread, and 5,000 liters of water. We also gave each family 600 liters of oil to warm their houses and blankets. Besides this, the Governor fulfilled his promise to allow us to distribute Bibles and evangelize. We distributed 1,737. As we distributed the food and started preaching, many neighbors came to listen to us, and so we gave 400 additional Bibles to those families. By our Lord's grace, many of them were surprised to see a group from a church come to serve Muslim families. First, we were able to show them the love, mercy, and care of Christ; then, we shared the gospel of Christ with them and explained the reason for our Savior to come to the earth. In the four days that we were in their village, more than 3,681 people came to listen to us under the Governor's protection. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough Bibles to give everyone who attended, but by the grace of God, we saw 72 individuals accept the Lord as their Savior. I'll tell you that this area will surprise us very soon. We are planning to revisit all those families again and explain the gospel to the rest of the families in the village. And we plan to provide Bibles to give to each family as we visit." Final Comment: In my initial letter to you, I expressed that we intended to win souls and plant a new house church. That was accomplished. The reality is, it will take a huge house to hold all the new believers. As with most of our churches, they will have to attend by schedule so that everyone can be taught. Many of our house churches have seven services a day. Those who attend one may never meet those who attend the others. Because of some things happening in this country, and the fact that God has given us favor in the eyes of the government, before long, who knows – they may even let us build a Baptist church in their village. (Sorry, but that's all I can say for now.) Those who received help were so grateful that they sat and listened for days to the preaching about our loving Father and His son Jesus, who brought them the bread and water of life they have lived for thousands of years with no knowledge of. Like water poured out on a desert, the gospel was consumed by their thirsty souls, and a new body of believers has been formed. We asked for $10,000, and you ultimately gave $10,004. The extra $4 was used to buy one of the Bibles that was distributed. Once again, you made a difference. We asked -- you gave -- and now Christ is reaping the glory! Thank you for praying and giving and for making our beautiful Lord so appealing to those who had only heard wrong about Him. As you know, because we are perpetually raising funds to print and smuggle Bibles in the Islamic world where they are forbidden, we felt that we also needed to give attention to the rest of the globe. After all, everyone should have a copy of God’s Word to read. So, in August, our home team scheduled which projects we felt we would concentrate on for the remainder of the year. That in itself is no small task, as we receive requests probably at the rate of more than once a day. We have criteria for making our decisions, and the need for Bibles met that criteria. However, I wanted to get the other projects fulfilled first, and as always, you rose to the call. In fact, every project we adopted in 2020 and 2021 was fully met. If that is not a miracle, please tell me what is.
I don’t want to say that we saved the best project to last, but we intentionally met the other needs before announcing our final project of 2021, with the prayer that it, too, would be met entirely before Christmas. In late September, Pastor Steve Ware at Tabernacle Baptist in Orlando contacted me, saying his church wanted to give $10,000 to buy Bibles for the rest of the world. To me, this was confirmation that we were clearly under our Lord’s guidance, so we accepted their funds as $10,000 of the $25,000 that we had targeted. As a result, I adapted our plan, asking you to donate only $15,000 -- and you did. In fact, you gave $15,416.00 -- two days before Christmas! So then, we have been able to provide the number of Bibles per our initial request with a surplus of $416. So, that too will be used to purchase Bibles. Over the next month, as emails and photographs come to us, we will share them with you. But, until then, I think we will let you rest for the final week of the year -- unless something changes. In the meantime, expect us to have another Bible Project before summer. I would like to see us do this at least twice a year until our Lord returns. Oh, and by the way, during the last month, we also smuggled more than 25,000 Bibles into various countries where the Bible is banned, and having a copy brings the death penalty. We also raised $120,000+ for more illegal Bibles. So, I think you will agree; it was time for us to turn our attention and yours to giving Bibles to the rest of the world—Thank you for enabling us to do just that. From Him the power to Him the glory! Jon Nelms and the entire global, Final Frontiers team If you would like a reminder of this project from its initial announcement, then please see below; 12/15/2021 For thirty-five years, I have been recruiting like-minded Believers to help me support national church planters. The blessings that God has showered on those donors and me are incredible as we have followed the light He shined on our paths. These gallant servants of God, who serve where we cannot and probably would not, live humbly. I sometimes refer to their "houses" and wonder if you know what kind of structure they live in. To be sure, it is a house, but it may be less than 100 square feet (10' x 10') and be made of mud and sticks or bamboo. Yet, they are thankful for their "house" and feel incredibly blessed by God. And they are. Sometimes they ask for help so they can perform their ministries more effectively. For example, they may need a bicycle ($125) or motorcycle ($1300). Others may request help for a necessary surgery or to help to pay a hospital bill. Others request travel funds to plant a church in a remote village or rescue them from imprisonment because of their faith. We even get requests to help bury a pastor, his wife, child, or a church member who has passed and had no provision for such. Once, we had to bury forty-eight young people who three men shot with machine guns as they were praying in their house church. Their needs are as vital to them as our needs are to us. As Americans, the difference is that our needs are often our wants, whereas their needs are precisely that, -- they don't even dream of acquiring a want. Yet, through all these years and in every country (the 90+ where we have served them), there is one item they all ask for, and they ask continually. That need is for Bibles. We expend a lot of time and effort to raise funds for Arabic and Farsi Bibles as we strive to cover North Africa and the Middle East with Bibles; in the last week, we took 25,000 Bibles into just one country in that region. Their response was, "When can we get more?" They are not trying to stack copy upon copy on their bookshelf. They are merely hoping to get enough so each family in their house churches can have one and to have a surplus to give to the new converts. Imagine turning from Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or Animism, where you have been indoctrinated with the nuances of those faiths all your life. You have rejected them, and perhaps your family has rejected you. Yet, you have no Bible with which to learn about your new Lord and Savior. Therefore, we must provide these converts with a Bible. In August, we decided to dedicate our efforts to raise funds to purchase Bibles, not for the Middle East but the rest of the world. So I wrote to some of our national directors scattered globally, asking them the prices and number of Bibles they need. The prices range from $3 to $10, and they ask for thousands of copies. In this effort, we will be ignoring Latin America for the most part, as there are so many missionaries there who can get Bibles donated and shipped to them. So instead, we are going to concentrate on those regions where Bibles are available, but the people cannot afford one. $3 is not much, neither is $10, but when your average monthly income is only $4, you cannot afford to give a month's income to buy one. In addition, you may need six months' income to travel to the closest Bible bookstore. So, as a Christmas present to our Lord, I ask you to help us raise at least $15,000. You can donate online by giving through our donations page and selecting "Special Projects" and then "Christmas Bibles", or by mailing in a check and designating it to "Christmas Bibles". We hoped to raise $25,000, but Tabernacle Baptist in Orlando already gave $10,000, so we have already purchased several thousand Bibles for Kenya, Pakistan, and India. What will we do if you give more than the $15,000? -- We'll buy more Bibles. -- Personally, I hope you will give $50,000 for this project. When Christ was born, the angels declared that His birth would be good news for all nations. So, let's join with them and do what we can to declare that good news to those who have neither heard it nor had the opportunity to read about it. Imagine the tens of thousands of Believers who will this Christmas, for the first time in their lives, be able to sit and read the story of our Lord's birth in Luke, chapter two. They will be as amazed as the shepherds! Thank you for making that possible for them, and Merry Christmas! |
Archives
March 2023
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
|
|
|
© 2025 Final Frontiers Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved. Final Frontiers is a registered Trademark of Final Frontiers Foundation, Inc.
All donations are tax-deductible and non-refundable. Your donation gives Final Frontiers Foundation permission to use the gift for any exempt purpose.
Learn more about our financial polices in our policy section.