i) Mission Fields

ii) Message from Echoes of Service

iii) Support for "unsupported" missionaries - J.Benjamin

Mission Fields

AFRICA

NIGERIA: Tom and Lois Wheeler: "The water well project has seen advancements in 2005. Last week a spokesman for one of the villages where two wells were dug came in to thank me for the relief and thoughtfulness of helping them. Now that the rains have stopped here this is the only source of water for a very large village." [MSC]

EUROPE

AUSTRIA: Scott and Leslie Walt: "Our focus of seeing young leaders raised up has begun to happen [our goal is for 50 new leaders]. Not so that the church in Baden can have 50 leaders, but that we can send many out to be a part of new works that the Lord is and will be raising up. Since we are still the only evangelical church of any kind in our county of 120,000 people, the thought is, 'If we don't reach our county, who will?'" [MSC]

POLAND: Mark and Tami Swaim: "We have purchased a house where the assembly will meet in 2006. It is currently under renovations. We plan to live in the building and use the first floor for the assembly. This will give the assembly a more permanent home and more visibility in the community." [MSC]

AMERICAS

BOLIVIA: Enoel and Leisa Suarez: "Last week I went to Baures for a conference. There were over 200 people. Some accepted the Lord, some committed their lives, and 14 were baptized. I had the privilege of baptizing them at the same river where I was baptized 30 years ago. It was with great emotion to see how faithful the Lord is." [MSC]

CHILE: David and Evelyn Jones: "The radio program continues and soon it will be 43 years it has been on the air daily. Each day I write a 500 word meditation for use on our assembly website and around 235 people have subscribed to get a copy via email. Letters from some of the recipients have been encouraging and enlighting." [MSC]

URUGUAY: Robert and Cecilia Russell: "Please pray for the upcoming camp sessions during the month of January, and a new one, in the month of February, for the deaf people in our area and a couple more adjoining towns." [MSC]

Message from Echoes of Service

As we reflect on the events of this past year, we have much cause to praise the Lord. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking you for your prayerful support on behalf of the missionaries that we serve. In this final bulletin of the year we are focusing on general aspects of missionary service, and would ask you to pray about these matters.

MEDICAL WORK: The opportunities to reach people for Christ through this particular ministry are unparalleled. Most medical personnel work under considerable pressure and it is not always easy to balance the practical and spiritual demands of this service. It is estimated that over 50 million people are now infected with AIDS, two thirds of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr Terry Gilpin and the staff at Murchison Hospital are dealing with an increasing number of cases on a daily basis. Many of their patients have a very short life expectancy, and we are asked to pray that the medical teams, despite a heavy workload, will be able to share the love of Christ with them.

EDUCATION: Christian schools have enabled many families to remain on the mission field in the knowledge that their children are being brought up and educated in a healthy Christian environment. Many schools struggle to maintain a full complement of teaching and administrative staff, and rely heavily on short-term workers to meet their staffing requirements. Please continue to pray for the staff at the Lebanese Evangelical School, Ain Zahalta, Hazmieh and Tyre; Hebron School, India; Murree Christian School, Pakistan; Amano School, Chengelo School and Sakeji School, Zambia. All of these schools have ongoing teaching and administrative vacancies. Is this an area of service where you can help? Further details can be obtained from the schools or from the Echoes office.

SOCIAL: This year has seen an increase in the number and scale of natural disasters. The response of the Christian public to the South East Asian Tsunami and the Pakistan/Kashmir/India earthquake has been unparalleled. Whilst such events are no longer ‘front page news’ many are still suffering as a result of the loss of homes, possessions and loved one’s, and we continue to remember them in our prayers. During the past year monies in excess of £317,000 have been sent from the Echoes Disaster Fund to assist relief operations and help meet social needs in Andaman Islands, Angola, Congo, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Niger, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Please pray for those who continue to be involved in the ongoing relief operations in these countries, that they will be able to use these opportunities to present the love of Christ.

SHORT-TERM WORKERS: During the year we have been pleased to add 38 names to our short-termers’ list. These individuals have been involved in a variety of ministries in 10 countries of the world. In every case this period of service has benefited the individual concerned and the missionary that they have been working with. Lasting relationships have been formed, gifts and abilities have been developed, faith has been tested and strengthened, and in many cases the resident missionary has been released to undertake other tasks. The opportunities for short-term service are increasing. Is this something you can do? Why not contact the Echoes office and obtain details of the current opportunities, or visit our website www.echoes.org.uk.