Partner School Prayer Requests – March/April 2020
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Please continue to pray for the teams, staff, students in the following countries.
Tiranus Bible Seminary – Thanks…
Thank you for the funds for TBS used to top up faculty and staff salaries.
Teaching and learning for students of Bachelor program have just finished last week. Twelve students have passed their comprehensive exams for their Sarjana Theology degree (according to Indonesian higher education system).
There are about 21 candidates for the Bachelor program being processed. We do hope they will come assured by God’s calling and that they also have financial support. The next semester program for the Bachelor students will begin in August.
At the moment from June 15 to July 18, faculty teach graduate students through online learning. There are 47 students.
The local government has given the community to adjust with the new normal but schools and colleges are still advised to continue online learning.
Dr Samuel Sidjabat
Principal of TBS
MEGST, Myanmar – message of thanks…
Several current and previous LeaDev-Langham ESOL volunteers have generously given to supply MEGST (Myanmar) faculty and staff with new laptops. They are delighted to be able to use these new tools in their teaching. More funds were also raised to purchase a suitable printer.C.K, the principal of MEGST writes, “Kio Ora! Hope you are fine and doing well. As for us, we thank God for his protection and care. Just to express word of thanks for providing us very high-quality laptop computers for all teaching faculty members. May the Lord bless you and all that put hands to donate. We bought 13 pieces. Each faculty member has signed that they belong to MEGST’s property.
Update from CLTC – Christian Leaders’ Training College – Papua New Guinea
The computer labs have been very fully utilised as some of the training has shifted to online mode involving overseas teachers.
To read their latest newsletter, click here.
Greetings to you from KCBC, MYANMAR
First of all, thank you for your concern.
I hope that you would have heard the news from Myanmar. Early this morning, The Government of Myanmar announced that there had been two-person Covid-19 positive. One is in Yangon. and another is in the Teddim township.
It was reported that this person came from the US for marriage. He came and stayed in Kalaymyo (the city, where we are staying) for pre-wedding photo shooting, after which he went to the village where he was then found with this virus.
Because of that in Kalaymyo and Tahan, most people do not go outside. Most of the shops (stores) are start closing today. Most of the offices and churches were close since last week. We are asked to stay at home only. We are curious this person would have contacted many people in the city while his stay.
So, Please,
Pray for us that the disease would not spread
Pray for us that people would have enough provisions while we are being home quarantined
Pray for us that the Government would be wise in taking necessary actions.
Pray for that that we would be able to start our school (colleges) by June
Greetings from MEGST! MYANMAR
We pray for you that God will protect you from the Virus and continue to serve God’s mission..
So, we are fine. We have closed the SES until the end of May, 2020. Depending on the situation, the decision can be changed. School is also closed, but the refurbishment work is going on which Lian and I have to be with the workers.
As 2 cases are newly found, Myanmar is in great panic, worried that we may be lockdown. Pls, remember us in your prayers for God’s protection.
Thanks for your great concern for us and standing with us at this challenging time.
Centre for Graduate Studies SRI LANKA
We really appreciate all that you have done for us at the college and agape love God has put into your hearts on behalf of the college and the ministry at large in Sri-Lanka.
We truly are grateful and despite the tumultuous times we are live in, we so appreciate you standing with us.
In Christ our Lord
Warm greetings from CCTB! COLLEGE OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY, BANGLADESH
Thank you for your word of encouragement and prayer.
We are blessed to have LDL with us in empowering and equipping the people of God in the context.
We are also praying for you.
Greetings from PAKISTAN
Thank you very much for your prayer and encouraging words. Zarephath Bible Seminary is closed for two weeks but we trust in the Lord in all situations. We are also trying to go for online classes and this is a good experience for us. We are spending more time in Prayer and regular Fasting at our home in this situation as well as doing some writing projects to complete by our faculty. I personally write an important course of Theology of Suffering and Persecution in Context which Lord willing I will teach in July to our M. Div class as well as to the Evening class of our pastors, leaders professional and laypeople. This painful situation is very helpful for writing something about suffering.
We know God has a great purpose in this situation and soon He will make a way to restore all things.
We appreciate your great concern, love, and prayer
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Greeting to you and the LDL team. Thank you for checking on the effect of covid-19 on my country, family and me. In my country, there was only one case and the person happened to be a foreigner, an employee of one of the mining companies who travelled from Spain. As soon as the person recovered, he was medivac to Australia. After that case, the country went into lock down for 14 days and national state of emergency was declared. The police and defence force under the Police Commissioner are taking charge of the security of the country. Currently there is no case but our government is very concern and wants to make sure that there are no cases in the country. The 14 days lock down period will end on Easter Monday. After Easter Monday, the government will decide whether to extend the state of emergency or not.
All schools, sporting events, church gathering and any public gathering and etc have been stopped. We at the college suspended class for two weeks and will resume next week Tuesday if the government lift the state of emergency and 14 day lock down period.
My family and me are safe and we are praying for the world and our country in this difficult time. May God in his gracious intervene and save humankind from this pandemic. May God have mercy on us all.
Bethlehem Bible College
Thank you so much for your kind words in the face of this Coronavirus crisis.
I wanted to be sure that you were made aware of our situation during this
We appreciate your prayers and pray that you and your families remain safe during this challenging time.
Many blessings for health and safety,
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[ neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ( Romans 8:38-39)
Dear friends, family and prayer partners around globe,
We bring you special greetings from the Holy Land and pray that you are all keeping safe in light of the Covid-19 pandemic that has hit the world in a way that none of us expected. Bethlehem has not been spared this calamity, as you probably know. So far, over 40 cases have been reported in Palestine. When things happen globally, we tend to think that the problem is far from us. That illusion has been shattered. Several of the local cases are people we know personally, including one of our dear staff and a few of our graduates. That’s how close it is to us! We praise the Lord that they are all recuperating
Most of the staff and faculty of BethBC have been working from home or quarantine due to the commands of both governments. We are trying as much as possible to continue with the semester and deliver online classes to our amazing students who have been very cooperative.
Bethlehem has probably been one of the hardest hit cities in terms of lockdown. Most of the entrances to towns within the Bethlehem governate have been closed by the Israeli military. We understand the need for taking such measures to contain the virus, but it is causing a dramatic humanitarian need. Probably 60% of Bethlehem’s economy depends on tourism. With all of the hotels, restaurants and shops closed, you can imagine how many people are jobless – and who knows for how long.
We at BethBC will be affected financially too. We have always depended on income from our guesthouse, gift shop and lectures. All of that has stopped for the foreseeable future. In this global crisis, everyone is suffering but some areas are being harder hit than others.
If it is within your means, may I ask that you would consider giving to the college so that we can continue providing salaries and delivering classes to our students? And finally, I appreciate your prayers for:1. Continuous healing on our staff and graduates that were infected by the virus.
2. Pray that we will be able to continue the semester and teaching our students.
3. Pray for protection over our country, the people, so this cloud will pass in a minimum effect.
4. Pray for finances to come and cover our needs during these hard times.
5. Pray for us to be a clear witness about Jesus’ love for the nations and that he will use us to bring people closer to him.
Asian Theological Seminary PHILIPPINES
Greetings in Christ! Hope you are doing fine. We uphold you in our prayers as well.
We were all taken off guard by the major disruption COVID19 spread has caused to our lives — to our families, our work, our current roster of classes, and studies at Asian Theological Seminary. We are now on the 3rd week of enhanced community quarantine or ECQ (almost a lockdown) here in Metro Manila and throughout the big island of Luzon. So far, the Philippines as a whole has 3246 cases and 152 deaths caused by the virus. The national government is considering extending the quarantine by 2-3 more weeks.
I was not able to give you an update right away. As principal of the seminary, I had to ensure first that administratively and academically, we are still able to function enough to continue with what God has called us to do for such a time as this. It was quite a challenge at first, but the Lord never ceases to amaze me with His faithfulness and all-sufficient grace as the Good Shepherd who tends and cares for us and the whole seminary community.
So far, I have not received any news about a member of the seminary community dying because of the virus. This is despite the fact that some of us are part of the communities under extreme ECQ. Thankfully, too, we are able to provide for the salaries of the faculty and staff for the month of March and this month of April as well. By God’s grace, and as God continues to provide, we will do our best to do the same until the ECQ is lifted. Let us continually pray for provision.
Our key response to restricted gatherings due to ECQ is to keep doing our mission of equipping God’s workers by maximizing online learning in pastoral and contextual ways. We hope that we will really maximize technology to connect, learn from, and minister to each other. The church never stops and will never be quelled by ECQ.
Let me end by saying we are, indeed, in a difficult and trying situation, but a season that is still within the ambit of God’s care, wisdom, and guidance. God knew beforehand that this was going to happen, and He continues to equip us to do what He has called us to do in ATS and LDL for such a time as this (cf. Esther 4:14).
Thank you again for your partnership in the Gospel. We’re praying for God’s wisdom, guidance, protection and provision for LDL, its leadership and the schools you are supporting. We’ve participated in the global day of prayer and fasting, as well as the national week of prayer and fasting just last week. Our thoughts and prayers are with you for God’s intervention to arrest the spread of the virus not only in New Zealand but in the rest of the world.
May the Lord continue to guide, protect, and bless us all.
Shalom
AGST Nepal
Greetings in the name of the giver of life!
Thank you very much for your mail reiterating the bond and partnership with us at this crucial hour. Yes as the majority of people of the world are indoors, we also are locked down for the last three weeks. There is a lot of commotion and anxiety for survival in India where I come from. Nepal is rather calm at present comparatively. There are 9 positive cases and no death reported until now. We are not sure whether that official figures and the statement the government officials are making are right or not. However, we believe our lives are in the hands of the giver and redeemer of life.
Yes, Coronavirus affected us maximum. All Bible colleges are indefinitely closed. Some of the colleges would have completed their academic year by this month ending or middle of next month. We had to cancel one module as the visiting professor from New Zealand had to cancel his trip due to Corona. The other module was stopped in the middle. Now we are learning how to use modern gadgets and offer online blended modules. Somehow we have completed the incomplete module. As the saying goes, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’, we are inventing or discovering the IT or internet usage techniques to offer online modules. We need your prayers.
Please pray for the safety of the citizens and Christians of Nepal. If the epidemic goes out of gear, the causality will be beyond control as towns and cities are crowded and the medical facilities are not up to the mark. Villages are scattered without basic medical facilities and transportation.
We are also floating another consortium for TEE which was supposed to take off on the 17th of this month. We had to indefinitely postpone. We were about to start a blended TEE BTh program in about 8 centers. We would have launched this church-based TEE program that would cater to the needs of untrained village and town pastors who cannot go to seminary. Please pray that the movement that temporarily came to halt would be revived again. Please pray for the ongoing curriculum preparation.
Please pray for us as family. I and my wife Esther are Interserve missionaries to Nepal from India. Please pray that our supporters will be able to support us continually financially. We already heard from two of the supporters that they may find difficult to support us or they may reduce their support. Please pray.
Besides these concerns, all the Bible colleges are apprehensive about how the institutions will survive financially after the pandemic stops.
Please pray for one of our alumni and current ministry partners. The financial situation hit them so hard that he went into hiding and the wife does not know how to cope up with the situation. I appreciate your prayer prayers for them.
I would be glad to talk more in the proposed zoom meeting Rev. Russell is going to arrange.
May God bless you all in the office and others connected with Leadev, and Langham partners in this difficult phase of time!
Once again thanks for the encouraging mail. God bless you and stay safe!
In His Service
ZBS, PAKISTAN
Yesterday I went to buy some grocery and I had to search for two hours to get some items of groceries. When I checked the prices of the basic food items, they were so high.
When I was buying some vegetables, a lady who wears a veil (Burka) came to me and asked me to help in buying some of the items of groceries and vegetables. she does not look like a beggar, but she shared with me that she has five daughters at home who are hungry for two days. we do not have anything to eat.
She said she is the only person to earn for the family but because she is a daily wager, she was not able to find any work because of the complete lock-down in the country. I looked at her she was weeping and begging for help.
I could not control my tear and immediately I cut short my items of grocery and vegetables and gave her a good amount of food items.
A thought came to my mind what about my family and my children who are also in great need of these things in this difficult time and they are waiting for me. Thank God that I rejected this thought of selfishness and I believed that God would provide to me and my family and I was happy to help her. She was jubilant and thankful and went to her ways saying a lot of blessings and prayers. I prayed in my heart to God asking God to continue to help her and her family in this most difficult time in the country. I also prayed to numerous people poor people who are most affected by Corona Pandemic and the lock-down.
I came back with a small number of food items and grocery and before my wife and three children would ask, I told them this story. They were so happy that I was able to help her.
God taught me that we need to be ready to help others.
Friends I want to encourage you to be ready to help others even within our limited resources. Our Lord Jesus taught us ‘’It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Holy Bible Acts 20:35) it does not matter how much we give it mattes how happily, generously and sacrificially you and I give. It’s not about quantity it’s about helping attitude/lifestyle.
This is the finest time to show your Christian love, care, and testimony without any gender, religion and cast discrimination. God would bless all of us, our country and our world and give us freedom from this CV pandemic. Amen
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