Impact195 Global Update - October 2012

by Ali Kaun | November 7, 2012

HAITI

This past September, Phase II of our work in Haiti began. One of our team's main goals was to start a six-month discipleship program for Haitians in Jeremie, with graduates from the program ready to fulfill the Great Commission, not only in Haiti, but beyond the island's borders! The team, by faith, picked a launch date for the school trusting God to provide an actual location for the discipleship school to be established. Just days before their chosen date, God did provide! One of the Rock Ambassadors, an i195 grad and native Haitian himself, found out that his family had actually helped the owner of the school to acquire the facilities our Ambassadors were trying to rent from him. This brought the rental price into a much more reasonable range. The team agreed to dedicate portions of their budget to be used for the school and classes are now in session! The team had hoped to launch with a minimum of 15 students and God brought 33!

Please pray for God to abundantly bless and protect these 33 Haitians now studying daily! Pray for God to continue to strengthen and encourage our Rock Ambassadors as they oversee the school and teach their new students. Pray for continued funding for the school, since the number of students grew significantly from what our team had expected. Pray also for supernatural wisdom for the team; a Haitian widow friend of theirs is on the verge of passing away - she has 3 children under 13 and they are very close friends to our Ambassadors. Pray that God would reveal to our team how they can help and comfort the family at this time.

AFRICA

Our teams continue to persevere in their work to translate the Bible stories for use in oral cultures in Africa. Some of the stories have now been translated and recorded; and our Ambassadors have entered into a new phase of their work. As they share these stories in the native language of their people groups, they are seeing many breakthroughs with people seeing the light of the Gospel for the first time! One of our Rock Ambassadors was able to share many scriptures with her translator helping to explain the difference between Abraham's sons Isaac and Ishmael. It was a huge moment for that translator! Other members of our team have battled through many sicknesses, including eye infections, staph infections, malaria and various other maladies; but they have continued to stay the course. Their love of the children in their people groups continues to compel them, as many of the children have suffered with similar ailments as well.

Please pray for continued opportunities to demonstrate the love and kindness of Jesus and for our teams to literally be the hands, feet and face of Christ. Pray also that God, as the Great Physician, would touch our Rock Ambassadors and heal them physically. Pray for a continued awareness of Jesus' presence in their lives, for His unfailing protection over them and for God to grant the people groups they are working with the ears to hear His Holy Spirit.

ASIA

God has been opening some beautiful doors with our two teams in Asia! A few weeks ago, one of our Rock Ambassadors was asked to lead a woman's Bible study after only attending the group one time. Apparently, these women had been meeting for many years, the last three years on their own. They had been praying for someone to come and lead them in study and guide them in the truth. When our Rock Ambassador visited the study and did a devo there, all of the women began to talk amongst themselves in their native language. When they were done, a translator spoke up and said that the ladies decided that this Rock Ambassador was the answer to their three years of prayer! Humbled and honored, our Rock Ambassador graciously accepted the offer in addition to other opportunities that have been coming her way. Our team's brand new baby is continuing to get better every day after her premature birth. Their small group is also going very well. Recently, a lady attending felt compelled to go home and remove all the idols she had in her home!

Please pray for our Rock Ambassador's baby to be granted a passport. Pray that God would provide financially for plane tickets so that they may visit home in the next few months. Pray also for God to continue to bless all conversations and get-togethers as our teams forge on with the patient work of building relationships.

PHILIPPINES

Our Rock Ambassador teams have continued to host their weekly ministries including dance classes, Bible studies and computer classes at a location they now refer to as a "Global Impact Center". They also host devotionals at the local public high schools! More and more adults and their families are opening their hearts to them as these Ambassadors make time to visit with them and pray. One of the Ambassadors recently wed a native Philipino man and the two are now planning future ministry together. Ministry is continuing to grow and develop, but is also in a phase of transition as several of the Ambassadors who went there initially are now returning home.

Please pray for the team's transition as one of the initial Ambassadors return home after her year long commitment. Pray also for God to bless and strengthen the recent marriage. Pray for God to continue to usher people into salvation through our team's visits into homes throughout the community. Pray that God would raise up more Rock Ambassadors to move to the Philippines and continue the work there.

ROMANIA

Our Romania team has recently settled into their new home. While one member of the team has returned home to the U.S. for her wedding, the others are plowing ahead with the plans for this ministry. Matt and Steve are planning to host a Men's BBQ with the aim of forming good relationships with men in the community. Amy has continued on, teaching the women's Bible study in a nearby Gypsy village. Sierra is continuing to teach worship classes for the younger girls as well. They have just started doing outreach events on Wednesdays before the weekly Bible study to pray for people and invite them to join the study. Sometimes they are blessed with a translator on these outreaches, other times they go without one and continue to marvel at the power of God to transcend the language barriers!

Please pray for God to continue to grant unity within the team and that love and grace would abound for one another. Pray for safety and wisdom for Matt and Steve as they host a men's BBQ. Pray that men would come, solid relationships would be formed, and these men would be drawn closer to Christ. Ask God to bless Amy and Sierra as they continue to teach! Pray that God would raise up more male Ambassadors to join the team in Romania! Pray for the hearts of the Romanian people to be taken out of religiosity and brought in to freedom in Christ!

JAPAN

Our teams in Japan are doing well. One of our teams is continuing to lead locals from their young adult ministry into evangelizing outreach events every Saturday night. The locals they are training to evangelize are starting to grow very strong in it and are getting comfortable leading other locals to Christ! Their Saturday night ministry is continuing to draw more Japanese people to the church and they are seeing people come to Jesus and being refreshed with joy. A few weeks ago, they got the opportunity to speak and serve at a junior high camp. One night during the camp, they felt compelled to have an altar call and many students came forward to pray the prayer of salvation! One of the Japanese boys that got saved that night was a cynical atheist and his teachers were excited and very surprised to see the instant change in the boy's behavior after accepting Christ. Our other team in Japan is safely home after much travel to the states and back. They are expecting their very first child, baby Isabella! Their home church continues to strengthen their bonds with one another!

Please pray for God to raise up local Japanese evangelists and church planters to win many to Christ under the teaching and influence of our teams. Pray for God to bring revival to the young college students in Japan through them. Pray for the safe arrival of baby Isabella and for God to bless efforts to organize a toy drive by one of our teams. Pray that there will be favor with the pastor in Hawaii who may be willing to translate Miles' McPherson's book Do Something: Make Your Life Count into Japanese. Also pray that believers throughout Japan would be willing to reach out to their communities in Jesus' name as a result!

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