Several weeks ago Pastor told us, regarding missions, that “some people can go, most can give, but all can pray”. The questions now are: “Where can we go?”, “How can we give?” and “What should we pray for?” On missions Sunday and over the past few weeks in Lively Hope we have heard about missions in Batam but what about the rest of the world? Well, in our prayer items for quite a while now we have been asked to pray for IBPFM (the Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions) and the Presbyterian Missionary Union (PMU).  They are both mission agencies that we have ties with.  Mission agencies help to coordinate missions work and act as a liaison between missionaries, churches and governments.  They also promote missions work by visiting churches, sending out prayer letters and providing information on their websites.  We can use this information to find out where needs are that we can pray for and give towards, or maybe even fill. In this article I’d like to introduce you to these agencies and share with you a little of the work they are doing around the world today.

IBPFM

We have had a long association with the IBPFM. Our first pastor, Rev Ed Paauwe and his wife served under the IBPFM when Hope B-P Church was established 25 years ago.  When the Paawues were called to serve at the IBPFM headquarters in Philadelphia, Pastor Ki and his family were sent here to continue to build up our church.

The IBPFM began in 1933 with the sole purpose of sending God’s servants “into all the world, to preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). It was a time of “a momentous struggle between true Bible Christianity and the Christ-denying tenets of Modernism” but the founders had a great desire to promote “truly Biblical Missions”.  Matthew 28:19-20a says, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” and 2 Timothy 2:2 says, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” As such, IBPFM is “committed to the preaching of the Gospel to the glory of God among all non-Christian peoples, the discipling of those who profess faith in Christ as Saviour and Lord, and the establishing of self-governing, self-supporting, and self- propagating churches through an adequate pastoral and evangelist training program.”

At the moment, there are IBPFM missionaries serving in the Andes (Bolivia-Chile-Peru), Brazil, Cambodia, Guatemala, India, Kenya, London and the USA. Some are families with young children, such as the Bjurs, Jaras and Durands in the Andes, or the Yoons in Kenya, ministering in the local churches and seminaries. Then there are individuals such as Miss Judith Collins, ministering alongside a local couple amongst the Rendille people of Baalah, a desert region of northern Kenya. They have set up a Christian school there so that they can teach and reach the children at a young age. In times of famine, such as they are experiencing at the moment, with contributions from donors she is able to provide some famine relief too. Another individual is Mrs Judy Creamer. Some of you who have been worshipping at Hope for more than a decade will remember that she spent some time here with us many years ago. She currently ministers to international students, immigrants and refugees in Atlanta, Georgia.

Rev and Mrs Ricker have been serving under the IBPFM for over 50 years, mostly in Guatemala (Central America). They have a literature ministry with a bookstore. They also help in some of the churches there and participate in door to door evangelism.  Recently they conducted VBS with over 80 children attending. Guatemala is a country with problems of violence and corruption.  Although they have been robbed at gunpoint and threatened by extortionists, God has protected them all these years. The Kang family is also serving in Guatemala. They are helping at a Christian Junior High School and also have an outreach at the local university.

In India, Mr Eapen administers Hope Academy Christian School, leads Bible classes and travels to villages to share the Gospel message.  The Gaikwads share the Gospel through a medical outreach ministry, relieving physical suffering as well as attend to spiritual needs. The Johnsons have a similar ministry in Kenya when they are there but they also help the local churches and visit schools when the opportunity arises.

There are other fields that I haven’t mentioned here but you can visit the website for more information: www.ibpfm.org. The IBPFM publishes a monthly Praise and Prayer Network calendar which I find quite useful. It sets out items to give thanks and pray for each day of the month.  Let me know if you are interested in receiving this or prayer letters for IBPFM missionaries.

PMU

We have ties with the Presbyterian Missionary Union because this is the agency that the Paauwes currently serve under.

“Founded in 1985, PMU strives to assist the Church in fulfilling its missions ministry in the Reformed tradition: zealously heralding King Jesus in all the world, depending upon God’s sovereignty, preaching the whole counsel of our covenant God, and guided by the Doctrines of Grace.” It has a “Home Missions” emphasis so while it has missionaries in Australia, Bolivia, Cambodia and Myanmar, one of its targets is the USA. As part of this it helps “to plant gospel testimonies in North America”.
In Bolivia, Pastor David Quisbert serves with his wife preaching the Gospel and distributing tracts to people on the streets, in markets and prisons.  He also uses the internet, e-mail and radio programs to share the Gospel. They desire to build up their congregation but also to train leaders in church planting that they may reach the Aymaran Indian people.
PMU has a new missionary couple in Cambodia, Rev Mark Baldwin and Wiwin, reaching out to a predominantly Buddhist community. They are teaching English as well as conducting personal evangelism, discipleship and church planting as God enables. A task for them at the moment is to improve their proficiency in Khmer.

The Kim family are PMU missionaries in Myanmar.  They are involved in church planting and have established an orphanage and kindergarten.  Rev Kim is also “training the workers and leaders to be strongly rooted in the Reformed Faith”.

PMU runs a youth missions program called Team Timothy. It organises short-term missions assignments either locally or abroad, providing experience in evangelism, church planting, maintenance and youth ministry. It aims to encourage “a missionary heart and burden for the lost of the world”. Members are taken out of their comfort zone and learn to fully depend on God. Anyone who applies to be a part of the team needs to raise their own funds.
PMU also has a monthly newsletter that you can subscribe to via their website: presbyterianmissions.org.

What to pray for?

It is good to pray specifically and to give thanks to God in the same way.  We can pray for more missionaries, requesting workers to meet the needs made known to us. We can pray for the missionaries that we know to have boldness and wisdom in sharing the Gospel and reaching out to the people where they are serving. We can pray for the health and safety of the missionaries knowing that some live in dangerous places.  We should also remember the people serving at the home offices and on the boards, that they may provide the support and direction needed. Finally we should ask God to show us what we can do to help in fulfilling His great commission to us.

Go, give, pray. Do what you can to further the spread of the gospel.

Deaconess Purdee Yeo

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