2008 summary
As I reflect back on the last nine years it has and it has not been as planned and expected.
Primarily the in the church work things have progressed much as we anticipated.
But in the region the number of serious disasters on our watch has been dramatic.
Going back to 1980 and on a relief team for refugees of war in Vietnam and war in Cambodia several of us reading Matt 24 and the state of things as the end of human histroy races forward disasters are going to be on the increase in frequency and in intensity and Christians need to be prepared to show and share the Love of God in these times of national trauma. We talked in those days about making Christian response teams.
Starting in 1999 because of a rice crisis affecting more than 100,000 people we incorparated All Nations relief and development that we used also in the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 the Pakistan Earthquake of 2005 and now for the months of May June July Aug and Sept of 08 we have been developing local NGOs in MYN in response to the Nargis Cyclone. Our monthly reports give the numbers and scope of this national tradgedy.
Borneo- Kalimantan South and Sabah North
After the Southeast Asian Prayer Consultation in Indonesia this year, Craig had the wonderful priviledge to travel thru Jakarta and then to Kalimantan which is the Indonesian governed Southern two thirds of the Island of Borneo. The top or Northern one third of the Island includes the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah. Sandwiched in between these is the muslim sultantate of Brunei. Craig has prayed and held a vision for Kalimantan and the river tribes of the tropical rainforest for more than 30 years. We have also known many workers with WEC and other groups that have worked there. In particular the Dyak people have been a people we have studied and prayed for. Actually earlier this year while studying the migration of the trips in SE Asia we discovered that many of these people groups came to Borneo after being driven out of Southern China in the Mongal invasions of the 1200's just like all the other tribal groups in mainland SE Asia. In our study of Revival in Asia we also have observed for years that Borneo (different peoples and different places) have had noteworthy and historically significant revival moves of God. We have for years been in newsletter contact with the Borneo Evangelical Church groups and their Bible Schools there. WE have met leaders and teachers at their schools in Malaysia and Singapore at various conferences and gatherings. We have had invitations but did not feel the timing was right until this year. We are still in the exploratory stages of finding the churches that are on the cutting edge and that are envisioned to be national and international church planting movements in these seasons of outpouring in SE Asia and beyond.
SE Asian Prayer Consultation Indonesia
This year Sea Pac was held on the Indonesian Island of Battam. It is only a one hour rolling shuttle boat ride away from Singapore. Battam is actually six Islands connected by new modern bridges with a land area slightly larger than Singapore but less than a third of the population. The development of the area is a good thirty or fourty years behind Singapore too but it is very modern and enterprising from Indonesian standards. We had prayer leaders and representatives from all the 11 Asian nations except for Laos. (If I had known we could have arranged for some.) There has been increased survellience and repression of Churches and leaders in 2006 once again. It seems to go in cycles but along with Vietnam is the most down on the Church in SE Asia. The Burma delegation where all long time friends of ours. All the foreigners from Cambodia where too. Also this year Holly and I were able to get the highest level of representation from Thailand that has gone in the four years of Seapacs existence. Namely we had the chairman of the Bless Thailand prayer movement from Bangkok. And we had the pastor and his wife from one of the flagship churches in Chiangmai. He is also very active and well respected on the Bless Thailand, Chiangmai group. This year for the 40 day period of prayer and fasting for Thailand (Oct 1 to Nov 9) they printed and distributed 70,000 prayer manuals. The Prayer focus ran to the 9th of Nov but on Sunday the 12th of Nov was celebrated with the Christian's National day of Prayer. There were special meetings and worship throught out Bangkok. In Chiangmai at December's pastor and leaders meeting there was a move and scheduling to get prayer partners meeting on a weekly or bi monthly basis in geographical affinity groups. This is to help facilitate relationships that will help Thai leaders with the concept and practice of prayer and accountability groups. There has been a emphasis on this all of 2006 and some of the top leaders are moving ahead with this. With all the stumbles and falls in the Church around the world we certainly have the encouragement to band together that anyone of us not be the next to be targeted and tripped up by the enemy of our souls. Thanks for joining us all in supportive prayer and words of encouragement.
Thailand 2006
It was a joy to get back in the old stomping grounds of western Thailand and out among the pastors and leaders and some of the churches, Bible Schools and Children's homes along the Burma border. We had the great joy of hosting friends returning or at least getting caught up a bit with coworkers no longer on the field but returning for a visit an checking in with friends and communities out here while they have pursued ministry on the home end. During the WEC annual conference this year. Keith Bensen from Brisbane Austrailia was over and John Murtha whose family stayed the longest of the three Murtha brothers and their families that came out here from 1982 onward. John also brought a surgeon friend from Case Western there in Cleveland Ohio that has been volunteering with one of the larger Aids orphans children homes here in Chiangmai. All these families have kids that were born on the field that are now in homeside Bible Schools, colleges or Universities even as our Julee hopes to be in 2007. In December we hope to have a repeat visit from the Watson boys from New Zealand who were our closest co workers among the Karen since 1987. They are canidate directors for WEC International back in NZ now and have been for the last five years or so. John will have two of their four boys Scott and Julee's age will be coming also. In the coming year we want to continue to press into Burma from the Northernmost part of Thailand Maesai. We want to invest in the Churches Bible training centers in Western Thailand and Chiangmai and Bangkok. We also want to pioneer some outreach in Thailand along the Cambodian or eastern border of Thailand in a the place of Arnanyapattet a place where Craig worked with refugees in 1980. We are working on organizing and deploying teams from the North here that will spear head these efforts.
All Nations Vision Statement
ALL NATIONS-- Vision Statement September 2000 Purpose The specific purpose of this organization is to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ around-the-world and to establish churches and fellowships of churches especially in the most unreached, under resourced, and now most responsive people groups of the world. All Nations is a missionary fellowship that exists to Love, Worship, and glorify God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as governed and directed by His Holy Word -the Bible. We purpose to see the evangelization of this generation, the instruction and edification of Believers, the planting and establishing of Churches and the equipping and empowering of God’s people to multiply church planting movements worldwide. Vision All Nations is working to develop and maximize the synergistic impact of strategic partnerships resulting from relationships of leaders, ministries and churches committed to see the Bride of Christ (the whole Church) loving, worshiping, and glorifying God and as a result of this reaching and teaching others to do the same. The Biblical pattern is of evangelism, discipleship and enfolding into vibrant, vital, visible expressions of the Body of Christ that minister the Love and compassion of Christ and result in abundant life and Salvation in targeted population segments of a dying world. Strategy 1.TRAIN national and international church leaders to plant and multiply churches. 2. PLANT reproducing churches that are committed to multiplying church planting movements. 3. SEND, equip, and empower national and international servants of God to see the fulfillment of the Great Commission in our generation. 4. EVANGELIZE this generation, disciple new believers, and gather them into solid New Testament reproducing churches. 5. Fuel the flames of REVIVAL and AWAKENING globally. 6. Promote National and International Partnerships to the benefit of these partners and the furtherance of these programs and activities. 7. Administer Relief and Aid Projects especially feeding, clothing, housing, occupational assistance and medical teams for the poorest of the poor, children at risk, seniors without support and sufferers and victims of HIV/AIDES related tragedies. Reporting In support of this strategy All Nations will send reports of progress in the above stated activities by regular internet phone calls, monthly emails, and quarterly mailings to interested friends and churches that will be invited to participate with prayer, finances and sending teams. We will present specific project proposals to supporters and churches and will receive gifts and offerings from these sources.
Summer or Rainy Season Travels
Summer or Rainy Season Travels
We had the great priviledge to have an invitation to the NE of India for the Global day of Prayer in June of this year.
There are seven states up in that corner of India that borders Bangledesh to the south- Tibet China and Bhutan to the North - and Burma to the East. There is a population of 40 millions in these seven small states. The exciting part for me is that I have been working with the peoples from the states of Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland for the last 15 years or so in our work in Burma. So it was very exciting to be in the capitol of MHYL state in the run up to the prayer gatherings in three states that had a reported 200,000 people uniting their prayers with hundrends of millions around the world on that day.
Ofcourse any prayer event is in itself not as inspiring as lifestyle changes inleaders and churches regarding the worship and prayer aspect.
It was a tremendous time of meeting like-mindedand hearted people that have been sending and want to increase their sending oftheir people (including their own sons and daughters) to the nations with theGood news of regenerated lives and transformed societies in Jesus Christ. Abit of missionary heaven in some ways. WE hope to work with one of thesignificant networks of churches across the seven states to get a missiontraining center going before the end of the year based out of NE INdia.
Also, we have a pastors and leaders trainingconference planned for November of this year on the border of Sikkim,Bhutan and Nepal area the district of Darjeeling,India.
While school was out this summer we had thechance to attend a couple evenings of the family camp with one of the mainchurches we fellowship with in Chiangmai. We also had the news of good friendsof ours and ministry partners the Clarks were leading a team primarily fromAzuza Pacific University to the south and then to the North of Thailand in July.
Craig and a worship leader new friend fromNashville headed down to Hatyai in the south to meet with friends that recentlymoveddown there fromChiangmai and to meet up and coordinate with the team fromUSA.
Great to meet the folks and appreciate theircontinued investment here. Craig and David headed south for some passport andvisa work in Malaysia. In contacting some church friends there we were invitedto the Tri ennial international gathering of the Christian Artists and Musiciansheld in the hills east out of Kuala Lumpur. It was an amazing time of prayer,performace and networking especially for David who has the vision to startnetworks of Christian Artists and Muscians here in the N ofThailand.
Craig also did some visiting in Penang the Islandcity of Georgetown whichis probably the second city for church life inMalaysia. We have not been there for several years but this year at variousconferences and consultations have been getting reaquaintedwith the changingchurch scene and foreign communtiy based out of Penang in thisseason..
It was now time to call Holly and kids down toMalaysia to catch the final concert of the International Christian Artists andfrom there to visit Borneo which has been on Craig.s heart for the last 30years. It was a lovely introduction. While walking on the beachfront oneafternoon an aquaintence was made with a whole group of the recently retiredmovers and shakers there in N Borneo who spend the afternoons lounging aroundthe "yacht club"..
Upon visiting a church on Sunday I noticed thePastor looking at me in a bit of anunusual way. He was saying that he knewme from somewhere. Then it dawned on both of us that he had been on theMalaysia team that visited us for one afternoonin Pakistan Kashmir last Nov tobring finances to help with the medicines we were usingwith the Earthquakecrisis team. It is amazing to us that this was not in our planning or thoughtsbut it lead to some precious time with some of the small group leaders there.
AS a family we came up thru the S of Thailandback to Hatyai and visited the other influencial churches in the city andreconnected with leaders in our past who are now married and serving there.Along with the troubles in the south (2,500 people killed many thousandsmoreinjured and traumatized)we believe that God will do a great thing thatwill be heard around the world in the coming season there.
Since our return Craig and Holly have finishedthree tours of the three main circuits that Craig does here in the N ofThailand. Great to renew relationships and check in on investments and input toleaders and families and there ongoing and thriving ministries.
Wondering how your summer oftravels have been?
Blessings,
Craig, Holly, Julee and Scott
Denney
ph 66 53 839 419
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