2011 Year End Ministry Report

 Another year has gone and a new one has arrived! Our hearts are filled with awe and gratitude for all that God has done in the ministry of Missions: East Asian National Support by His grace and through working in the hearts of ministry partners like you. This past year, MEANS has:

1. Provided Training for Pastors and church Leaders – MEANS had the privilege to serve 150 ministry partners, church and youth leaders by sponsoring them to attend the Global Leadership Summit held at Metro Manila. The summit aims to “transform Christian leaders around the world with an annual injection of vision, skill development, and inspiration for the sake of the local church.” Our goal is to send 200 Christian leaders to this training in November 2012.

2. Tagalog Bibles to high school students . We partnered with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship of the Philippines to give 400 New Testaments to high school students in Mindoro for their small bible study groups. Many students cannot afford to buy even a New Testament. Imagine the effect if we teach a child to read the bible? It can create a ripple effect in the child’s family and the community where they belong. Our goal in 2012 is to give out 1,000 bibles to high school students in the Philippines.

3. The Back Pack Project - MEANS gave backpacks to indigent students in Good Shepherd Fold Academy and Orphanage in Guimaras Island, Iloilo, Philippines. Each child was given a backpack full of school supplies, like pencil, notebook, crayons, ruler and more; tooth paste, toothbrush, bath soap, face towel, and Christian literature. Imagine the glow and smiles on the faces of these children after receiving their very own back pack. The backpacks were distributed to students during their Christmas Party.

4. The Thongs Project - (Flip-flops) are simple resource for protecting children’s feet from rough terrain, infection, and soil-based diseases. Thongs are less expensive to purchase in the Philippines and other Asian countries but at the same time not a priority to many of the poor families. We had distributed 1,000 thongs in partnership with churches in the Philippines and Elpis Ministry in Maesot, Thailand.

5. Student Assistance Program in a Muslim Community – Currently MEANS employs 5 student assistants through a ministry partner based in a creative access area. Imagine the impact this will make in the lives of students who will be employed and trained in the program. The student assistants will experience working with members of the Christian community in a student center setting. Our goal in 2012 is to increase our assistance to ten (10) deserving Muslim students.

6. Aid to flood victims in Central Luzon and Northern Mindanao – It is sad that in the midst carrying on with our MEANS projects, we have been diverted by the visit of two typhoons that wrecked havoc in the lives and properties of many Filipinos in 2011. One was in September in Central Luzon and another in December in Northern Mindanao where a lot more people died and many are still missing. Financial aid was given through our ministry partner, APPEND, so that immediate aid could be given to 65 families in Central Luzon. MEANS help to flood victims were done in partnership with Zion Community Church in Bulacan and Philippine Mission Associations in Zambales. In Northern Mindanao, financial aid was sent through Intervarsity Christian Fellowship of the Philippines. MEANS will continue to send help to flood victims in Northern Mindanao (Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City).

God is transforming individuals and communities, but there is still so much work left to be done. Thank you for praying and partnering with us as we trust God for 2012.

“Our God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home.”

WHAT CAN $10 DO?

      

 

  

     

We pray that through these projects, they will experience God’s love and compassion, as we collaborate with our ministry partners in some parts of Southeast Asia and the Philippines.

“and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry  and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness,   and your night will become like the noonday. ¹¹ The LORD will guide you always;  he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land  and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden,    like a spring whose waters never fail.”

Isaiah 59: 10-11

SMALL AMOUNT. BIG IMPACT.

$10.00 for 5 New Testament Bibles – What a gift to a high school student, to have her/ his own personal Bible in her / his native tongue – Tagalog!  It has the power to transform lives by teaching, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). This Bible can be a lifeline to growing in faith. Give a gift that will go to many places and reaching out to families. Imagine the effect  if we teach a child to read a Bible? We have reached out to a family.  This creates a ripple effect. Your gift of $ 10.00 will provide 5 New Testament Bibles.

$ 10.00 for a Back Pack -    many children go to school with plastic or paper bag to bring their school stuff. Buying a Back Pack is not a priority to most families in urban poor communities. Imagine the glow and smiles on the faces of these children when receive their very own back pack. MEANS will help provide for each child a back pack filled with school supplies, like pencil, notebook, crayons, ruler and more; tooth paste, tooth brush, bath soap, face towel, and a New Testament Bible. Your gift will put a smile to a child’s face. Maybe to some, this will be their first backpack. Your gift of $ 10.00 will provide 1 sturdy back pack.

 $10.00 for 5 Pairs of Thongs for 5 children – The thongs (Flip-flops) are simple resource for protecting children’s feet from rough terrain, infection, and soil-based diseases. And some soil-based diseases not only cause physical symptoms, but create cognitive impairment too, crippling a child’s long term potential. Many children in the Philippines and other Asian countries grow up barefoot especially in remote barrios. Whether at play, doing chores or going to school, these children are at risk.  Thongs are less expensive to purchase in the Philippines and other Asian countries but at the same time not a priority to most of the poor communities. Your gift of $ 10.00 will provide 5 Thongs for 5 children in need.

 $10.00 to provide Student Assistance Program – We have partnered with an organization* who is managing a very strategic Student Center nearby a College with 90% Muslim student population. The student assistants will help in the computer services. They receive financial help to support their tuition fees, school supplies and other needs. The staff help  in small time intervention such as on the job training, friendship, counseling and tutorials while connected with the center. Most of them have been successful after graduation from college. The cost is $25.00 per student per month. * Organization serving in creative access community in the Philippines. Your gift of $10.00 will make an impact in the lives of these student assistants

$10.00 to provide Training Pastors and church Leaders – MEANS is sponsoring some ministry partners in the Philippines to attend Global Leadership Summit (GLS). The annual GLS Philippines aims to encourage & train Christian leaders and pastors to enable them to become more effective in their services to the Lord.  Imagine how the leadership experience will impact his/ her and those that they serve.  Imagine one person encouraged and challenged by the Leadership Summit. What effect will this have when he/she returns to his/ her community?  These leaders will leave a lasting impact on their communities for Christ. Your gift of $ 10.00 will provide training for a church worker or pastor.

BANGKOK FLOOD

BANGKOK

Yesterday was the last day of this weekend’s high tide and our district has been dry throughout.  Authorities said the high tide was lower than expected (!) which prevented a major overflow in Bangkok. But after half a day of elation, disturbing news emerged. Residents in some flooded communities were fed up with having to be “sacrificed” just so central Bangkok could be spared. So angry groups pulled 10 meters of sandbag dykes down to free the waters from their roads to flow into other canals, causing other flood-free communities “to share” the flooding.  An angry mob demanded that a floodgate be opened wider and the PM gave in. This has now put the whole of Bangkok at risk of flooding.

WHERE WE ARE

We are on the west side of the River and waters are coming down from 2 provinces directly to our north. It is difficult to know when exactly the waters will come to our district as situations can change very quickly, e.g., people venting their frustration and anger and causing more widespread damage. It is now predicted that the whole of our area will soon be flooded (but we still pray that it won’t enter our house).

CHURCHES

We heard some stories that brightened up our days. One church in the New Life Group with which we work, Srinakarin Church (formerly called Bangchak Church), reached out to help the community where  Bangbuatong Church is (we reported last time that this church was already flooded and now all the members’ houses are flooded). The Srinakarin Church cooked food one Sunday afternoon (23 Oct) and distributed 500 food boxes to residents who were stranded in their homes. Government boats and officials failed to go to some communities and these residents had not had food for 3 days already when help from these 2 churches came. These Christians improvised a raft to carry the food boxes and bottled water while they waded in chest-high waters pulling the raft. They want to do this again.

We heard of one church in a province up north, Pitsanulok, which was one of the first provinces affected by the flood in August. The church there is pastored by one of our alumni. He related how many months ago, the church decided to raise funds for water treatment equipment to be used to serve the community when any time of famine and drought comes. They also designated one room in the church to be a storage for dried food like instant noodles, rice, etc. This was months before the present flood crisis came. So when their community went under the floods, the church was able to provide clean drinking water and thousands of packets of noodles to the needy.

BANGKOK BIBLE SEMINARY

It was just decided today that we will go ahead with the opening of the second term on Monday, 7th November. But instead of sitting in class-rooms, the students and faculty will be organized into teams and go out to serve the community. Where possible, some will go by boat to remote areas to distribute food to folk who have been without food for days. Some will help in evacuation centers. As the water recedes some will help in the clean up operations (co-ordinating with local churches in the affected areas). We plan to have the teams operating up until the Christmas break and then start normal classes early January (with a later than usual end to the term). Some students will need to stay in their own flood-affected towns and villages, but we expect to have a workforce of around 100.
* IF THE LORD LEADS YOU TO GIVE to help support these relief efforts then please give through MEANS  (tax deductible in the USA)
http://meansusa.wordpress.com/donat/
Please state it’s for Steve & Flor Taylor  (Recipient Code: R1158). All gifts to us through MEANS received in November and December 2011 will be given directly to this relief effort. We’ll be able to acknowledge any gifts once received.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. Government – for wisdom from God as to how to speed up the draining of the water into the sea before the next high tide comes (mid-November)
2. Thai churches to rise up and seize this opportunity to serve their neighbours
3. BBS faculty and office staff as we coordinate this relief operation – wisdom from God (e.g. how to teach our students in dealing with hazards like crocodiles and snakes in the water, electrocution, emotionally-loaded situations, etc)
4. BBS students and churches we will affiliate with – for protection, wisdom, spiritual and physical strength
5. For us – The suspense of it all (4th week now) has started to wear us down. But our Lord has wonderfully given us PEACE. We have decided to stay in our house if ever water comes to our neighbourhood. We are taking some measures to protect the car and the inside of our house from flood waters. But please pray it won’t enter!
***Please pray for spiritual and physical stamina for both of us.

Thanking you all for your prayers,

Steve and Flor