Sauder’s June-July 2015 Prayer Letter

This letter was written by BIO Missionary Justin Sauder

Missionaries in Zambia

Photo of people who were baptized

Recent Baptisms

Dear Praying Friends,
We are so thankful to everyone who has been lifting us up in prayer to our intervening Savior. God has been very good to us. About six weeks ago, we had a young man visit the church. He came after the service and told me he wanted to know more about Jesus. Several days later, after explaining from the Bible the truths found in God’s Word, we saw this young man named Cornelius come to know Jesus as his personal Savior. He has not missed a worship service since that time, and recently we baptized him along with six other new believers.

Photo of new restroom facilities

New Restroom Facilities

Photo of mens meeting

Men’s Meeting

Last week, I received a phone call from Cornelius that his nephew had died. We visited the family and learned that there was really no church involved in the funeral. We used this as an opportunity to minister to this family and preach the Gospel. I believe the Lord used the words that were spoken because the mother of the young boy who died, came to church for the first time this Sunday. Please pray for us as we follow up with this family and that the Gospel will penetrate their hearts!

Photo of funeral service

Mr. Chisanga’s Funeral service

Recently, we have had three funerals associated with our ministry. One funeral was for an older man named Mr. Chisanga. I had many Bible studies with this brother while living in Zambia for the past two years, and Mr. Chisanga always gave a solid testimony of salvation. He had, however, never been Scripturally baptized; and it was my pleasure to baptize him. Sadly, we have had to say goodbye on this earth. We had the funeral service, and probably four hundred or more people came. During the period of time known as the “three days of mourning” in Zambian culture, several people made professions of faith; and for that, we are truly grateful. We rejoice in the hope that we will see Mr. Chisanga again.

Photo of the pastor's house

Pastor’s House

In my last prayer letter, I asked that you pray for Danielle’s health. For the last nine months, we have struggled to get a diagnosis for the type of autoimmune disease she has. After much counsel from other doctors here and in the States, we feel it is best for us to take an early furlough to make sure we get her health back in order. To our knowledge, she has no major damage to any organs or anything; however, if this problem were to flare up, such damage could occur. If we can know for sure what the problem is, we can take measures to mitigate this possibility. We already have purchased airplane tickets for the flight to the United States and should be arriving the end of August. It is our desire that we can return to Zambia sometime in February. Please pray for us as we prepare for this unplanned furlough. God has sent us some special fellow laborers from the Philippines: The Cuaterno family will be watching over the work here in Zambia while we are away. We will be trying to visit many of our supporting churches while we are in the United States. If you would definitely like to have us give an update during this time, please email me.

Thank you for your love and support for our ministry! God is doing amazing things in this world, and we are honored to be a part of it. Seeing souls come to know Him as Savior is indescribable. May we all be actively witnessing in our own realm of influence and seeking to win the lost for Christ.

Lifting Up Jesus

Justin Sauder

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Into All The World: Volume 4, Issue 7

Annual Training School Report

We praise the Lord for a wonderful training school. Our new facilities were a real blessing. They served our purpose well. The Lord met with us in a special way. Thank you to all of who prayed and prepared and participated and to those who provided financially for the kitchen project and the training school!


Middle East Missionaries on Furlough

Jason and Kate Christiansen

Image of mass prayerIt is a joy to have Jason and Kate Christiansen back home with us from the Middle East. They will be stateside for about six months. The Christiansens diligently worked to learn the Arabic language. Now, for two years they have faithfully presented the Gospel to many Muslims in their host country. We marvel at the doors that the Lord has opened for them to communicate the Word of God in a very dark place.

If you would like to learn more about their exciting ministry please e-mail Jason Christiansen. Pray for them as they travel and report to their churches and as they spend time reconnecting with family.

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Into All The World: Volume 4, Issue 6

News From David & Drea White

Missionaries serving in Chile

Trinity Baptist Church has been steadily growing. We have seen several new people from the community begin to attend regularly every week. One man, Sergio, accepted Christ as his Savior recently and has begun discipleship. Please pray for his wife and family and their need for salvation. We also have had many first time visitors. Pray as we try to reach these new people that they will come to have a personal relationship with Christ.

We have also begun an in depth training class one night a week with several of the faithful men of the church. They are currently learning lesson preparation and are giving short five minute lessons during the services. This opportunity helps them to get used to studying as well as preparing them for future leadership as teachers and preachers as God sees fit. Please remember these men in your prayers that they will remain faithful and continue to develop their spiritual lives and service.

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Annual Training School

It is that time of year again. Please pray for our annual training school. The school is scheduled for June 22-26. It will be held here at our new training center. The theme is Ministering With Excellence honoring the life and legacy of Dr. David Cross. We look to have good participation with missionaries representing five continents present. Please pray that everyone will be equipped, edified and encouraged. Most of all, pray that Christ will be exalted!

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New LAN Missionaries in Asia

Ian & Candace C.

Image showing the 10-40 region.Please pray for newly approved missionaries Ian and Candace as they finish furlough and prepare to return to their field of service as BIO missionaries. They have been working in a Limited Access Nation (LAN) in Asia for a while now with another BIO family. We praise the Lord that He has added them to our growing team. If you would like to schedule them at your church please e-mail them.

The part of the world that Ian and Candace serve in has two unreached people groups. Little progress has been made among these people until recently. There is a great need for more laborers. Our missionaries there could use more teachers. Please pray with us about this great need. Luke 10:2 “…The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”

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White’s May-June 2015 Prayer Letter

This letter was written by BIO missionary David White

Missionaries to Chile

Dear Friends,
This week marks two years since we arrived in Chile. What a blessing to look back and see how God has worked in our lives and in those around us. It is also wonderful to see how many of you have given, prayed, and encouraged our family in so many ways. We appreciate your willingness to participate in reaching Chile with the Good News.

photo of children singing.

The children of Trinity Baptist Church signing for Mother’s Day

Trinity Baptist Church has been steadily growing. We have seen several new people from the community begin to attend regularly every week. One man, Sergio, accepted Christ as his Saviour recently and has begun discipleship. Please pray for his wife and family and their need for salvation. We also have had many first time visitors. Pray as we try to reach these new people that they will come to have a personal relationship with Christ.

We have also begun an in depth training class one night a week with several of the faithful men of the church. They are currently learning lesson preparation and are giving short 5 minute lessons during the services. This opportunity helps them to get used to studying as well as preparing them for future leadership as teachers/preachers as God sees fit. Please remember these men in your prayers, that they will remain faithful and continue to develop their spiritual lives and service.

Annual Men's retreat. About 50 men attend during this wonderful time of training and fellowship.

Annual Men’s retreat. About 50 men attend during this wonderful time of training and fellowship.

In March I was able to make a short visit back to the United States to participate in two missions conferences, as well as visit three other churches. God blessed this short trip and one young man surrendered his life to mission work. We are also very grateful for the new partners that we were able to gain that are now supporting the work here.

In May we began working on a building of a new church plant . Jason Holt, one of our fellow team members, is starting Liberty Baptist Church in another community of Santiago. We have been adding on a simple addition to the rented house that will become the auditorium. Two other churches are waiting for me to work on their buildings as well. I am always excited to use my past construction knowledge here in Chile to further the work of Christ.

In closing I would like to thank all of you that have given recently to special projects that we have had this year. Camilo was able purchase a much needed motorcycle. One church donated towards a printer that is now being used to print invitations and other material for the church. Others have given money towards the purchase a much needed van for our family. Praise the Lord we were able to purchase a 9 passenger van this past week , which will be an excellent tool in the ministry and blessing to our family. God supplies all our needs.

Please know that we appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you for your support in reaching Chile!

The Whites

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Ruth’s Commitment

Ruth 1:16 “And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:”

We know Ruth as the quintessential representative of the grace of God. We see her as a type of the sinner who has found complete redemption and restoration in Christ. But, we also see a bit of the missionary in her.

Follow

Ruth said to Naomi, “Where you go I will go.” The missionary says the same thing essentially. “Where the Spirit of Christ leads me, I will go.” Whether it’s to the heat of the tropics or the frozen polar regions or the crazy metropolises of this world, God calls His people and they, like Ruth, faithfully follow Him to the ends of the earth.

Forsake All

Ruth also said, “Where you live that’s where I am going to live.” It’s one thing to visit a place. It’s quite another thing to go there with all of your belongings and a one way ticket. It may seem romantic at the outset, but a sober reality of permanency will soon set in. Missionaries do this! They leave all and follow Christ; they flee away from family and friends and familiar things.

Family

Finally, Ruth said, “The foreigner, no matter how different they may be, will be my people.” The missionary that is in a cross-cultural ministry eventually settles with the same conviction. At first the people seem wonderfully hospitable and their culture intriguing. But the rose-colored glasses soon come off. Ultimately a missionary realizes that his people are actually sinners, ugly and unfamiliar sinners at that. But then, after an intense struggle, the missionary embraces those ugly people with the love of Christ and prays, “Thy people shall be my people.”

It was the grace of God that led Ruth to and kept her with the people of God and His Tabernacle. It is the grace of God that leads you and I across the world to minister for His sake. It is the grace of God that will keep us. 1 Thessalonians 5:28, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

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