Friends of Global Missions

Freedom: A gift we celebrate with BBQs and fireworks. A gift we, who have never known anything less, often take for granted.

Bondage: Whether it be debt bondage, sexual bondage, or spiritual bondage, most in Cambodia know nothing else. Poverty itself holds people in bondage.

When does a human life have so little value that it can be sold for a price?

2 Chronicles 16:9 tells us, ‘For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth . . .’ God watches and He weeps. This very child of His, sold to satisfy someone’s lust, or another’s greed, is the child He calls ‘Beloved’. The child He created in His own image, the child He designed to be a temple for the Holy Spirit . . . used so vilely.

Psalm 12:8 says, “The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.”

So the wicked are free to ‘strut about’ and His child is in bondage.

Please pray for Cambodia. And pray for Chomno and the Cambodian Hope Organization (CHO), as they seek to bring freedom to the people of Cambodia. They seek to bring physical freedom for those sold by traffickers. But there is an even greater freedom they share- a freedom that only Christ can offer.

Ezek 34: 27b “They will know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them.”

Through all of its programs, CHO aims to share the gospel and the freeing grace of Jesus Christ. In the next six years, CHO aims to have sixty churches along the long border with Thailand, equipping these churches through the training of church leaders.

That is our prayer for the people of Cambodia; that they might be freed from their bondage, and come to know the God of the Universe, who loved them enough to die for them.

Please join us in prayer for Cambodia. And its people.

On June 26th, Jack Day and the Men’s Team that went to Los Cedros, Nicaragua shared with the class. They built a house for a family in the community, put on a Men’s conference, and presented the church with 20 sets of Bible study materials to lead small groups. Each time the men of Northshore go to Los Cedros they build on existing relationships and encourage the men to love the Lord, their families, and their community well.

Click here to watch a slideshow of the trip.

On June 3rd, Liuba Ceban from Moldova will be speaking. She has been here studying at UW with the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship – Evans School of Public Affairs. Together with five of her colleagues from Moldova’s Civil Society, she received the United Nations Annual Award for Human Rights in Moldova for the best promotion of human rights in freedom of religion in 2010. Please join us at 11:00 in room 141.

After years of prayers, paperwork, planning, and visits, the Burke family welcomes home their new daughter! They leave early next week for Addis Ababa to pick their daughter up. They will return to the States for a time of refreshment and family bonding before returning to their work in South Asia.

Lift up a prayer of praise and thanksgiving for this long-awaited moment. Also remember to pray for this family of three as they transition to a family of four.

If you’re not familiar with AIM, it’s the Adventure in Mission Class that is held each Sunday at 10:45 (11:00 beginning July 5). Show up in room 141 and see what adventure we’re up to next!

On Sunday, June 19th, we were privileged to hear from a PhotoGenx team from Youth With A Mission. The group of 11 photojournalists spent two years traveling the world taking pictures, hearing peoples stories, and opening their hearts to the world’s struggles. They created a book "Act Here. Love Now" in order to inspire us all to reach out to our friends, neighbors, and the world.

On  June 26th we are looking forward to hearing from Jack Day and the Men’s Nicaragua team. They built a house in about 2 days, amazing. Come hear more about what happened on this trip!

Please join us on Sunday, June 19th,  at 10:45 AM, as Savannah Chastain shares in the AIM class.

Savannah and 10 other photojournalists backpacked around the world with the vision of changing things for the better. As they traveled through 36 countries documenting the lives of those they met, they were overwhelmed and disheartened at the need they saw along the way.What they learned was that it was the small, simple gestures of Justice that started to change things around them.

They came to believe that whether we are in our hometowns or across the continents, if we impact our neighborhoods, we will transform our cities. And if we transform our cities, we will change the world.  

Savannah and her fellow journeyers work with photogenX, a non-profit organization within the international organization, Youth With a Mission (YWAM). Photogenx uses media and photography to bring awareness to social injustice issues around the world.

The message Savannah brings is that you don’t have to take an epic trip to make an epic difference in the life of one person. Come hear what she has to share!

Prayer:  The Heartbeat of God
As a parent reads to a child, the child snuggles closer and closer until his/her head rests on the parent’s chest.  The child is soothed by the heartbeat of the parent.  This is the relationship I want to have with my Heavenly Father.  To be so close that my heart beats in tune with His. To hear what He hears.  To see what He sees.  To weep where He weeps.  To hear the very heartbeat of my LORD.

God hears the cries of the enslaved.  His heart is broken as He watches the very bodies designed to house His Holy Spirit, be so vilely abused.  And He weeps.

Hear His words to Ezekiel (Chapter 34)
I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.  I will rescue them…  I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down.  I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.  I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak…  I will shepherd my flock with justice…
They will know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them.

This passage from Isaiah 59: 15-16, both convicts, and challenges, me: 
The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.  He saw that there was no one. He was appalled that there was NO ONE to intervene…
This has been the case far too long world wide as “The wicked freely strut about as what is vile is honored among men.” (Ps 12:8)  It is time that we, who know the Light of the World, unleash that Light into the dark places.

“Unleashing God’s people to accomplish God’s purpose in the world requires that we devote ourselves to relentless prayer.” (David Platt)
Relentless prayer. We must begin to pray in earnest for those enslaved.
I am asking you to join us on Saturday, June 25^th – 6:00 – 8:30 PM, for an ecumenical prayer gathering, to be held at Catholic Newman Center at UW.
For more information please check out these sites:

http://hopeforseattle.org/events/

Catholic Newman Center at UW
4502 20th Ave. NE
Seattle, WA

Negros Occidental

How lovely on the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who announces peace
And brings good news of happiness,
Who announces salvation,
And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Isaiah 52:7

The words of the prophet Isaiah echoed in my mind as the team from Northshore climbed the beautiful Mount Canlandog in Negros Occidental, one of the southern islands of the Philippines.

It was Saturday May 28th and the culmination of a week that I will keep in my heart for many days to came.

Our partner in the Philippines, Pastor Noel Banasing, is a good friend and a faithful servant of God. I have known him for 11 years and he always inspires me to keep going in ministry, even when circumstances seem to say it is time to give up.

Years ago, he invited me to be on the board of his nonprofit organization, Redeemer of Life Ministry. I turned down the invitation, not because it wasn’t a noble cause, but because I felt that the ministry had to be Filipino led and owned. Noel agreed and now a board of six pastors and leaders from the island of Negros leads this organization that is committed to sharing the gospel in remote areas of the island where other people will not, or cannot, go to plant a church.

Noel partners with and supports local pastors from those remote areas with the help of Northshore Baptist. I am honored and blessed to report from the seven churches in the Philippines (it sounds so apocalyptic and prophetic!).

It will be hard in a few words to express all that the team from Northshore experienced in the 10 days we were on the island. As it has been said, a picture is worth a thousand words . . . so please enjoy and praise the Lord for what he is doing around the world.

*Click on pictures to enlarge

NORTHSHORE CHURCH PLANTING IN NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, PHILIPPINES

Pastor Noel Banasing, Founder and Director of Redeemer of Life Ministries, focuses on church planting, reaching the poorest and most-isolated communities with the gospel. He reaches out with social assistance in the form of disaster relief, feeding programs, preschools, adult education, pastor development, and micro-business enterprises.

Noel and Jackie Banasing, Pastor of Silay Grace Baptist Church (70 members) and Kabugwason Christian Community church (38 members).

PASTOR NEMUEL AND DAISY CAAGOY, GUINSANG,
DIVINE GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH

Recently married, this couple serves in a village situated around a river in the sugar cane fields. It is a very poor area which was damaged by recent floods. Northshore also supports a preschool and feeding program for 15 children there and sent reconstruction funds to help with the rebuilding of the bamboo houses.

PASTOR NORBERTO AND RENELYN ALFARO, CANLUSONG MOUNTAIN

About two hours from the city, he travels to his birthplace with Pastor Noel each week to hold services there.

A VBS was held this year with 70 + children attending.

PASTOR JESUS AND FLORADEMA MONSERATE,
CAMANG-CAMANG BAPTIST CHURCH, ISABELLA

This is a remote neighborhood in the town of Isabella in the southern end of the island.

A group of 24 children meet under a bamboo structure.

PASTOR RECARDO AND HYLEEN GRACE,
JIRED BAPTIST CHURCH, MAMBAGID

This young couple ministers in this fishermen’s community so isolated that the only way to reach the place is by walking or train cart.

35 regular attendees and a great group of young people.

PASTOR NORBERTO AND RENELYN ALFARO

Pastor Alfaro and his wife also pastor Emmanuel Christian Community Church and preschool in the relocated slum of Bon-Bon in Silay City. They have 49 members and a thriving preschool that needs our help.

PASTOR NESTOR AND TEODORA VEGAFRIA, MOUNT CANLANDOG,
VICTORY BAPTIST CHURCH

The most remote church plant of Redeemer Life/NSB is found on a mountain top—beautiful people with many needs. The only way to reach the village is by horse or walking. Currently, the children of the village do not receive an education and this is a great burden for their pastor.

PASTOR MARLON AND JOY TICAR, BACOLOD CITY,
GOD’S WORD BAPTIST CHURCH

Situated in a poor neighborhood, he ministers three times a week to 75 people.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRIP

Our team members: Ken Moore, Philip and Julia Carmichael, Jim Lindquist, and Pastors Ben Izzard and Hilario Pardo, presented a two-day teaching program about church multiplication based on servant leaders. This Pastors’ Conference was organized by Redeemer Ministry and Northshore Baptist.

The teaching was well received and we enjoyed interacting with pastors of different denominations, ages, and ministry types.

Great food and fresh mangos each day

But the most significant parts of the trip were the visits to the churches and experiencing, once again, the heart and the love of my dear brother and friend Noel Banasing for his people.

No doubt that AIM (Adventures in Missions), our Sunday School Class, will be happy to know that we lived out the name on this “adventure” to the ends of the earth, to the remote areas in the Visayas, the most southeastern part of the Philippines.

If you want to know more about future “Adventures in Missions” please sign up for our GLOBAL MISSIONS BLOG.

Thanks,
Hilario Pardo
Global Missions Pastor