Update!: Asia Missionaries

Howdy All!

I've been threatening to update this blog almost from the moment that I sent the very first note. I have no idea where to start. The last offering I made was more of a rant than anything else. I've got a chip on my shoulder the size of a good chunk of cord wood. I don't know why. The people that have come alongside of what we are doing have been amazing. From all around the world people are lifting what is happening in this place. It's just that it doesn't seem like we are making a large enough impact in a place that is in such dire need of impact. I worry about what may happen to the local groups if the destructive junk they are being bombarded with doesn't find as vigorous a counter point. The stuff that passes itself off as the gospel is a danger to the community and like first century Rome tossing the believers and the Jews out under one name, this country may simply decide to throw out the baby with the bathwater. When the authorities make a decision, it happens.

A few months back, we got on the radar of a group that reports back to the central committee in BZ. It was exciting, flattering and a bit scary. Imagine if the godfather, as opposed to Father God, showed up on your doorstep and said, "I've got a favor to ask you and you can't refuse." It's nice to have friends in high places. It's a bit unsettling to know that you've been investigated by folks in high places. It's flattering to be told, "Over the years, I've seen a lot of people that claimed to be what you claim to be. I've investigated you and talked to a lot of departments and they all say the same thing, you are the real deal." That's as close to verbatim as I can get. I've never had anyone say anything about my walk that brought me closer to tears. Finally, an answer to the old chestnut, "If you were accused of being one, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Apparently the answer is yes. I'm sure that will be very comforting when I hit the bottom of the long drop.

What was it that we were asked to do? They wanted to know if I would be willing to lead an international fellowship. It was explained that I would have my pick of local partners to teach with me. Teach with me? Without saying it out loud, what was implied was that it would be a fellowship of foreign and local believers. It would be "something that had never been done before." Trudy and I just about fell out of our chairs.

What's the latest? Since before Spring Festival, now more than a month past, we haven't heard anything. There were meetings with the central committee that seemed to have gone well and then we stopped hearing anything. With things tightening for the run up to May Day we don't expect to hear anything this week. We'll give it a week past the holiday and then we'll call. In the mean time, please keep us lifted. This could be an amazing opportunity, one that can only be explained by grace. It's certainly not my scintillating personality and good looks. Please lift up continued favor with the authorities, wisdom and direction. It's almost impossible to imagine the impact an unfettered gospel might have in a field as white for the harvest as we have here. Thank you for joining us in this. In the vine, Tim

The Easthams: Laundry Day

We just got our clothes washer installed, and we were ecstatic to do our first load of laundry.  I had also just installed our clothes line outside.  We were thankful that the clothes were completely dried after only two hours.  I folded the clothes and put them in the clothes dresser.  Then I realized my mistake.

Most everything I do in Uganda is at least a little different than how I would do things in US.  Failure to do things the "African way" can have very bad consequences.

My mistake was failing to iron the clothes, even the underwear, before putting them away.  Why?  Ugandans call it the "mango fly"  although it's more properly called Tumbu Fly.  Suffice it to say that this fly lays its eggs in wet clothes as they're drying outside.  Days later, the eggs hatch, and the fly larvae do something nasty to your skin.  I'll spare you the details.  For those with a stronger stomach, you can read about the Tumbu Fly on Wikipedia or this medical journal case report.

This is just one African activity of daily living that we are adjusting to.  In a few days I'll tell you about something else that's causing me to get pulled over by the traffic police.

John Eastham

New Missionary to Uganda

 

 

Another echo from the heart of FRM...

If you want to know more about the hands and feet of FRM visit Cayley Cotcamp's blog. For the last ten years, Cayley has overseen all our accounting and corporate administration. She is an unsung hero who faithfully stands shoulder to shoulder with us as we seek out the lost and strengthen the found all over the globe - reaching as far as we possibly can....

Her testimony of finding grace in the wilderness of life will resonate in your heart...she has found the pathway forged by the Great Healer of Broken Hearts...come and receive grace for your wilderness...

Grace in the Wilderness

Taken to the Extremes of His Glory

We cannot claim to know anyone intimately whom we have not known in the intensity of both agony and elation. Anyone with eyes willing to truly behold Jesus will at times be confused and shocked by what he sees. You see, if we are willing to be taken to the extremes of His glory ....

Whispers Of His Wonder: Taken to the Extremes of His Glory:

The Scotts: Reaching out to college students

Every Wednesday we have the opportunity to worship with, pray with and teach college students in Cape Town. On their lunch break from 12:30 - 1pm, all the students are invited to come and hang out with us in the library. What is really cool is that the college allows us to play live worship music in the library! This is great as must of the students in there end up coming and hearing about Jesus and how to live their lives. 

It started out as an evangelistic outreach, but we noticed that out of the 20 + students attending, most were already saved. With that in mind, we started teaching on the attributes of God. We have seen much fruit from this teaching and praise the Lord that we are there for these students. Many are from other countries and really don't have a strong Christian group of people to be with in Cape Town. 

This was something that really attracted us to Cape Town. We can affect up to 10 countries without ever leaving South Africa! What a blessing this has been! 

Please continue to pray that the Lord would be working in the lives of these students. Pray that they would stand strong in the face of temptation and they would leave this world behind for the glory of the Lord. 

Grace and Peace, 

Bob, Suzanne and Bobby Scott

Cape Town, South Africa

www.bobandsu.blogspot.com  

Sting Underway...

For those of you following our fight against Human Trafficking, thank you for your prayers. After two months of trying to find the authorities with enough clout to close down a recruiting station, we FINALLY see a light at the end of the tunnel!

Yesterday undercover agents made contact with the traffickers. Please pray that today the warrant to search the facility will uncover the thousands of passports, the corruption leaks, and the whereabouts of these innocent women and children. Pray God will give the officers wisdom and discernment and pray the agency will be forever closed!

This agency is one of hundreds...FRMA is committed to keep pursuing them ONE at a time until every slave is free. We need your prayers...please join us in this battle...every ONE person standing brings us ONE step closer to victory.

Rescue & Redemption

The Easthams: Duplicate

Recently, Lily was shopping for padlocks.  For various reasons, we were interested in buying the Solex brand of locks.  The store worker presented Lily with two identically appearing Solex locks in almost identical packaging.  One was $6 and the other was $20.  Living in Uganda is expensive, so only spending only $6 on a padlock is very attractive.  Buy the one with the low, attractive price, right?  That would be wrong.

"Duplicate" is the word Ugandans use for "counterfeit."  For everything sold here, there's probably a "duplicate."  Counterfeit light bulbs, car parts, car safety belts, padlocks, you name it.

Thankfully, Lily and I already knew how to discern between counterfeit and genuine Solex locks (you have to inspect them carefully; http://www.solex.com.my/fakevsreal/).  The differences are subtle, but the implications are huge.  If you want a padlock, you want one that's sure to work, right?  Lily paid the higher price of $20 and walked out with the genuine product.  We now have a Solex lock that is sure to work.

In Uganda, there are plenty of counterfeit churches.  There are Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses.  There are also many churches that teach Biblical unsound doctrine that focus on God making us wealthy.  I will not bet my eternal future on teaching of any of those churches.

There is a lesson for us.  Is there anything in our culture that looks attractive and "Christian" but is actually unbiblical?  It should not be that difficult to find something.  Is what you hear at church actually Biblical or the pastor's opinion?  The only way to identify counterfeit Biblical teaching is to spend time around the real thing.

Paul wrote about the Bereans in Acts chapter 17 that they, “searched the Scriptures daily [to find out] whether these things were so.”  The Bereans did not just ingest what Paul told them.  The Bereans tested what Paul said against the Scriptures to make sure it was true.  Test what you hear against the Bible to make sure it’s genuine.

John Eastham

New Missionary to Uganda

Led back to Jesus....

But I would ye should understand, brethren,

that the things which happened unto me

have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.

Philippians 1:12

Your disappointments of the past were but steps along the path that led you back to Me. Know that no good thing will I withhold from them that love Me. But when your desires and ambitions led you in contrary ways, I wisely cut them off to safe limits – having always in view that which would ultimately satisfy your deepest desire. That is My wisdom and mercy – it is always in operation, and unrecognized by My children. So your disappointments become inconsequential – except that they are signal points of My overruling hand of mercy on you. Believe this, My child, and count it all joy... There is no loss – no ultimate loss – to you if you will accept My higher gift – the treasure of My love in the secret place of your heart. So few find it! Be one of them, ~ Hal Helms

Canaan Farm by Richard Angoma

Last month we hosted a team of Christian business teachers from Colorado at Canaan farm. The team comprised of volunteers from all walks of life who have a passion for reaching the most remote parts of the world, winning the lost for Christ, discipling believers, and teaching basic business principles.

Fifty women and men attended their first business course ever. The excitement and joy was quite evident during the classes. The course was quite intensive; however, everyone who attended was able to grasp most of the information thanks to the full year of adult literacy classes supported by Far Reaching Ministries. We are blessed to be able to offer everyone these free literacy classes.

Women of Rabuna Fi Masindi learning Basic Business Principles

The goals of the business course were as follows:

1.      Each rural farmer be discipled in their personal journey of faith and invited to begin or deepen their relationship with Christ.

2.      Each farmer be increased their knowledge and understanding of core business principles and incorporate them in their farming business.

Receiving goats as a gift!

At the end of a very hectic two week course, each farmer was given a goat as a new additional business start up. All the fifty enlightened men and women walked home with joy, inspired even more to be a light in their communities and to practice good business.

Interruption or Appointment? By Natasha Chilikina

We were in the city center trying to help ONE of the women being lured by human traffickers. To save time, the team went into the building while I waited for a parking space to open up. In every parking area in town, young men earn a living by “directing” traffic. The funny thing is most of them don’t even drive!

In our lot was Anthony, his eyes were bloodshot and it was evident he drank alcohol heavily.  I could tell he was accustomed to running with a rough crowd. He knew what to say to get what he wanted.

Anothony, our newest brother in Christ

The Lord told me to share the gospel with Anthony. I did and then invited him to come to our church on Sunday. I was shocked to see Antony at our church on Sunday morning. Right after service he said, “I want my life to be changed, I want Jesus, I want to get saved!” It was awesome to lead him in the sinners prayer!

It never ceases to amaze me how the LORD works. I thought no parking space was an irritating interruption to my busy schedule; in reality it was a Divine appointment to save a lost soul! The loving kindness of Jesus leads us to repentance…You never know how the Lord is going to lead you and what opportunities He has foreordained for your path. The key is to obediently follow His lead…when you do, life becomes a grand adventure!

Update for Rees'

 

Update for Tom and Cheryl Rees                                            4-2-12   "Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."   Sunday Service   The teacher is to share with the learner in all good things, thereby helping the learner to carry his burden. In the same way the learner is to share with the teacher in all good things, thereby helping the teacher carry his burdens. It is to build up the body of Christ that we all share in all good things. Each person is to carry their load or responsibilities according to what God has called them to do. All in the body of Christ should be a blessing to one another glorifying our Father in heaven. After the service maize flour, sugar and a packet of juice was given to each family in attendance.   Praise & Prayer Requests:   Thank you for praying for Samuel, he was released from jail, the police had arrested him for being out late and wanted a bribe. Two days later he was released. Pray for Florence as her oldest son, Joseph, came to visit from Nairobi on Sunday bringing Margaret and sharing with the family their desire to marry. They are both Christians and hope to have a long and happy life together.

 

Blame Me not

Pastor Arie shared this poem while expounding on Romans 6:

Blame Me Not

Ye call Me Master and obey Me not,

Ye call Me Light and see Me not;

Ye call Me the Way and walk not;

Ye call Me Life and desire Me not;

Ye call Me Wise and follow Me not;

Ye call Me Fair and love Me not;

Ye call Me Rich and ask Me not;

Ye call Me Eternal and seek Me not;

Ye call Me Gracious and trust Me not;

Ye call Me Noble and serve Me not;

Ye call Me Mighty and honor Me not;

Ye call Me Just and fear Me not;

If I condemn you BLAME ME not!

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:18

Let us be men and women of integrity,

                     speaking forth the TRUTH, and then

                                                   DOING what we say!

                                                            He is worthy of nothing less...

Asia: First Blog

Howdy All,

A blog.  I have wanted to do a blog for a long time and here is my opportunity.  The country I serve is a forgotten place.  That may come as a surprise.  As you read this, you may say, “I hear about that place all the time.  Don’t they just about own America and aren’t they next in line to rule the world?”  That’s the rumor spread by the media.  They’ve got to sell space and that’s a sure fire way to do it.  “If it bleeds, it leads!”  It’s a lot easier to sell stories that proclaim the sky is falling.  Things are certainly rosier for most of the population here but “rosier” is a long way from rainbow stew and free Bubble Up!  This country has overcome massive hurdles since WW II.  Even now, everywhere I turn, they are in the midst of major development.  Yet, like any developing nation, there are many more hurdles that must be cleared.  Among those is the problem of religion.  For three generations, religion of any persuasion has been forced into a single bin marked “Untenable Superstition.”  Pursuing any religion has been difficult.  Certainly, there has been very little value in doing so.  If fact, not so long ago, the pursuit of faith could end very abruptly and finally. 

In the decade that I have been here and the two decades that I have been associated with this country, much has changed politically, economically and spiritually.  My first trip across the border in 1991 was to a major city.  Of that city, very little remains today.  Great districts of what amounted to turn of the century colonial architecture are gone and replaced by sky scrapers of concrete and gleaming glass.  The two lanes of bicycle traffic so heavy they required traffic control officers have been replaced by multilaned roads and modern auto gridlock.  When I visit today, it’s almost impossible to believe that it is the same place.  Only the area around the railroad station, a few scattered blocks and the familiar form of what had been a tumble down temple (now preserved and made pristine for the tourists)is left to confirm that it is indeed the same city.  Even as the focus of the nation has turned toward economic development, there has also been a loosing of the restraints on religion.  The result?  A spiritual awakening is taking place. 

I said at the outset that this nation is a forgotten place.  Though it occupies the news and may even sit as a threat in the back of our minds, what is forgotten is the body of would be believers that every day grows by leaps and bounds.  No one knows the number of people that have made professions of faith but the percentage the government bandies about puts the number at more than 130 million that would be our brothers and sisters in Christ.   It is a body of confessors that long ago outstripped its trained leadership.  Why not say a body of believers?  It is difficult to say what the people believe about who is Christ and who they are in Christ.  They are so poorly prepared with the word of God that many have simply pulled Buddha off the shelf and replaced him with Jesus.  “Well, if Jesus will make me prosperous and happy then we’ll stick with Jesus.”  After a while, when it’s clear that the promises of prosperity and happiness are hollow, many people simply replace their Jesus idol with one more familiar and acceptable to the community. 

In addition to Buddhism, there are ancestral religions and Christian cults that pull the undiscipled from their profession of faith.   Every whacky cult from the West is here.  We have met Mormons, Jehovah’s Witness and prosperity preachers of every ilk from a half dozen different nations.  As dangerous and nasty as anything are the domestic cults.  “Jesus is back!  She was born here in 1981 and she’s coming to your town soon.  Throw away your Bibles.  You don’t need them.  She has a new gospel!”  Since Jesus is back, there is no more sin.  This may be why kidnapping and mind control are perfectly acceptable evangelism tools for this group.  With so much wackiness in the mix, is it any wonder that publications can find new stories and pictures of “Christian” churches being bulldozed and leaders arrested?  A lot of those places need to be closed.  They are dangerous to the community and everyone involved.

What is forgotten about this church of 130 million?  We have forgotten to make disciples.  We have forgotten the commandment of Christ to go and make disciples, baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teach them to obey the commandments that Jesus taught His disciples.  In short, we have forgotten to send disciples to make disciples.  The door is opening, has been open, for the disciples of Christ to be in this place.  We ought to be standing 10 deep to get into this country.  We ought to be occupying every teaching position and every student berth available in this country.  We ought to be here, living as disciples and making disciples.   The field is white for the harvest but the workers are few.

What do I want you to glean from this blog?  What result to I want to see?  I want every man, woman and child that reads this to pray.  I want them to encourage others to pray.  That’s it.  Just pray.  Go boldly before the throne of God and ask Him what you should do about the more than hundreds of millions that have professed a desire to know Christ.  Most of them find themselves as lost as the Ethiopian eunuch with no one to explain the one he is reading about.   Are you sent?  Are you a sender?  Only God can reveal to you what season of life you occupy.  No matter what season of life it is, please remember the people of this nation.  Lift up those that have made professions of faith.  Lift up those that have not.  Lift up those that serve in this place and those yet to come.  You may be sending or sent someplace else but please don’t forget to carry this nation to the throne of God.  Keep your eye on this blog.  I’ll try and keep you informed about how we are seeking to carry out the great commandment in this place.

In the vine, Tim and the crew

The Scotts: One Generation Away From Extinction

A great Christian leader said "The church is only one generation away from being extinct." What does this mean? Are we taking the time to teach our children about the Bible, God, Sin, Man, Jesus, etc? Are we simply entertaining them so we can get through the day? 

The Bible speaks of a time like this, in Judges 2:8-10 "And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel." Then in verse 11 the climax hits...the children served other Gods and did evil in the sight of the Lord.

In South Africa 38% of the population is under the age of 18 so we feel it is prudent to receive much training regarding ministry to kids. 

One of the largest children's ministry organizations in the world is Child Evangelism Fellowship. They have operations all over Africa, including South Africa. When I inquired about a need in the area that we lived in, they told us that there was nobody doing work there. This was a surprise to us as they have so many operations all over South Africa. They said that were we live is a heavy English speaking area and they have really only trained Afrikaans's speaking people. This was a joy to hear! 

I (Bob) went to the training on a Saturday, it was all day from 8am to 6pm about 30-45 minutes away from where we live. I was the only non-Afrikaans speaking person in the class of about 50, so they had to do the whole thing in English! I apologized but they were more than happy when I tried to recite Acts 1:8 in Afrikaans, needless to say I still need some work!

The training consisted of everything someone would need to know when training children. There were people there who were training 1000's of kids using this program. It is really amazing and I would encourage anyone looking for a great Bible based curriculum to take a look. I was blessed that I made the trip to meet and talk with such wonderful people. 

This training will set in motion several outreaches we have been praying about in our area and will also give us a strong kid's ministry when we plant our church. Please pray for the kids, wherever you are. Pray that Godly men and women will take the time to teach them about God so they don't do evil in His sight. 

Grace and Peace, 

Bob, Suzanne and Bobby Scott

www.bobandsu.blogspot.com 

Wes equipping the Senior Chaplains

Wes and the Senior Chaplains are going through the biography of Jonathon Goforth, missionary to China. In a day and age where the world trains us to take the path of least resistance God is calling upon men willing to lay down their very lives for His sake. Wes passionately believes Jesus is worthy of our absolute allegiance, unquestioning obedience, and our deliberate and immediate action…thankfully these men believe it too! Please pray for the chaplains of South Sudan, especially those in heavy combat zones along the northern border

African bush roads.... by Vicky Bentley

Wes and I drove from Kampala to Nimule yesterday. It was smooth and light traffic until about 20 miles from the border. Sunday night there was heavy rain making the roads look like one big mud pit. Trucks and buses were lined up for miles...Praise God we made it through!