IN FOCUS: Southeast Asia

Fall 2020

INDONESIAN MISSIONARIES WORK FAITHFULLY AMID RESTRICTIONS THE GOD OF GREAT SURPRISES MISSION INSPIRATIONS: TODAY

IN FOCUS:Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia

Editorial

Indigenous Christian leaders in Southeast Asia face many obstacles such as persecution,

COVID-19 and lack of physical resources. But one thing they have in abundance is commitment—commitment to serve God.

Commitment is something lacking in much of modern western society, from marriage to church involvement. Many people make decisions lightly without reflecting on what the consequences or positive outcomes might be. Some embrace Christianity with enthusiasm, but then abandon their faith when hard times come—not realizing that God is with them and can help them through the rough patches in life.

One thing which impressed me on my mission trip to the Philippines in 2007 was the steadfast commitment of indigenous missionaries there to be faithful to God. Living by faith is a way of life for them. Some of them have given up well-paying jobs to serve God with a limited income. Others even struggle to feed themselves, their families and co-workers.

Nemuel and Ruth Palma have literally put their lives on the line to serve the Lord as leaders of Smoky Mountain Ministries. Despite facing life-threatening circumstances and serious illnesses, they continue to serve faithfully with this Intercede partner ministry based in the slums of Manila, in the Philippines.

Ruth Palma told me, when I visited her family and ministry, that sometimes she calls together her co-workers, saying, “Come on, let’s have [spiritual] warfare. Sometimes we go fasting. We joke with them, we’ll fast because of no food. No, we’ll fast because it is the Lord’s will for us to fast and pray. They say, ‘Okay, teacher, it is fasting time.’” Even when they are short of food, they are not short of faith.

For 43 years, Student Missionary Outreach has been committed to reaching students at schools and colleges across the Philippines with the Gospel. Right now, that ministry has a golden opportunity to do evangelistic work on campuses, because of a presidential decree that has requested

Alan Doerksen, Managing Editor

ABOVE: Student Missionary Outreach workers and youth at the new SMO Promised Land.

COMMITMENT TO SERVE GOD IN

SOUTHEAST ASIA b y A L A N D O E R K S E N

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www.IntercedeNow.ca

moral values to be taught in public institutions such as schools.

This year has been challenging for SMO leader Nenita del Mundo because of COVID-19. She had planned to spend a few months in North America itinerating on behalf of the ministry. But the COVID crisis changed her schedule radically, and she and her son Theonikko were stranded in New York City with her sister and family for several months. Yet despite these circumstances, del Mundo saw the good work God was doing, as you can read later in this magazine.

Risking Persecution and DangerFor indigenous missionaries, Indonesia is a

very challenging country in which to work. This is the land in which thousands of Christians were slaughtered by Al Qaeda-inspired jihadist Muslims in the early 2000s in the Molucca islands; where three Sunday school teachers were imprisoned for two years for their work, and where the government strictly regulates construction of new churches. Yet missionaries with Intercede partner ministry Oneness, Fullness, Witness are reaching out creatively to the unsaved people of Indonesia.

Muslims are a challenging group to reach for Christ, but OFW has found effective ways to do that, and have been seeing hundreds of Muslims become Christians. This ministry is committed to doing a demanding job, which involves some persecution and danger.

Meanwhile over in Vietnam, Vietnam For Christ’s missionaries minister to suffering people of that nation including persecuted Christians, people living with cancer and leprosy, rescued orphans and abused children. Right now VFC’s leader, Daniel Lee, is suffering from cancer, but he continues to serve God faithfully in his 81st year.

LEFT: Nemuel and Ruth Palma, leaders of Smoky Mountain Ministries in the Philippines.

Two Intercede partner ministries based in Thailand and Myanmar are reflecting God’s grace and mercy to the people around them. Thousands of people, including many Buddhists monks, have become Christians through the work of the Holy Spirit and these missionaries over the years.

Although Christians are a tiny minority in Bangladesh, indigenous missionaries partnered with Intercede there are proclaiming the Gospel boldly and strategically in that nation—and reaching many tribes through such means as evangelism, medical work and ministry to children.

What About Us?So, what about us, here in Canada? The

staff and board of Intercede International are committed to serving God and promoting the work of indigenous Christian ministries in Southeast Asia and other world regions. Through our publications, we bring you news about how these national missionaries are serving God faithfully. We assist ministry leaders to come to Canada to share with Christians about their work. We send occasional Mission Action Teams to various parts of the world so that Canadians can help ministries with short-term projects and see for themselves how God is blessing and working through these groups. We send funds to ministries as God provides through His people.

How do you fit in? Your faithful prayers of intercession and gifts are an encouragement to us and to the indigenous missionaries with whom we partner. For ministries reaching out to the poor and persecuted, your prayers and support can help them expand their ministries faster, so that thousands more will be reached for the Kingdom of God. Thank you for your commitment to serve God in these important ways.

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Table of Contents

FRONT COVER:Indigenous Mission of Bangladesh missionary Dr. Ajit Paul baptizes new believers at Mamanpur village, Bangladesh.

SOME OF INTERCEDE’S MINISTRY PARTNERS

EDITORIAL

Commitment to Serve God in Southeast Asia

FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE: IN FOCUS: SOUTHEAST ASIA

Indonesian Missionaries Work Faithfully Amid Restriction

Missionaries Reach Young Hearts For the Lord in the Philippines

The God of Great Surprises

Vietnamese Missionaries Reach Out to Persecuted and Suffering People

Ministry Couple Works Selflessly Among Manila’s Urban Poor

Indigenous Missionaries Reach Bangladeshis Boldly and Strategically

Partner Ministries in Myanmar and Thailand Reach Thousands For God

MISSION INSPIRATIONS

Today

INTERCEDE NEWS SERVICE

Middle Eastern Ministries Respond Creatively to COVID-19

WORLD HARVEST

INDIA: Church Growth During Lock-Down Period

SIERRA LEONE: Profound Thanks and Appreciation

Supporters Speak

MINISTRY PROFILE

About Intercede International

Sponsor a Child, Save a Life!

Help Missionaries Reach Hidden Peoples

IDOP


Missionaries with Intercede partner ministry Student Missionary Outreach realize that

hearts reached while young will have many years to serve the Lord. So they focus on reaching young people of the Philippines for Christ. “Every Christian student, a campus missionary” is SMO’s motto. And some, indeed, have become fulltime missionaries.

SMO began in 1977 with evangelism clubs on Philippines high school and college campuses. Former director Lolly Robles, who was instrumental in establishing the ministry, led SMO until her retirement in 1995, when Renato del Mundo assumed leadership. Del Mundo had participated in SMO activities since college. After graduating from Bible college, he served as a fulltime SMO worker starting in 1989, and later served as Central Philippines Co-ordinator before accepting the post of director of SMO.

Del Mundo served in an exemplary way as leader of SMO from 1995 until August 2010, when he suddenly suffered an aneurism and passed on to glory. Since that time, Del Mundo’s wife Nenita (Neneng), who had worked side by side with Renato for all those years, has served as the leader of SMO.

Before becoming National Director, Nenita del Mundo had been Secretary of the National Office and a faculty member of SMO Bible Training

Institute teaching Biblical Counseling, New Testament Survey, and Church History. She takes an active role in the Prayer Ministry of SMO and in discipleship of young women.

Her two sons, Ameniel and Theonikko, have been studying in universities. Theonikko graduated this spring from a Christian college in Michigan, and is now beginning to work with SMO’s Bible Training Institute.

Dealing With COVID-19This year has been challenging for SMO because

of COVID-19. SMO’s leader, Nenita del Mundo, had planned to spend a few months in North America itinerating on behalf of the ministry. But the COVID crisis changed her schedule radically (please see sidebar story for details), and she was only able to return to the Philippines in late August.

Meanwhile, SMO’s other missionaries in the Philippines adapted their ministries to help people affected by COVID-19.

“Our missionaries/workers living in areas where an Internet connection is available can minister to their people through Facebook and Messenger since these are the popular online means in the Philippines,” reported del Mundo in June. “Messages and video chats are being done to follow through their disciples online.

ABOVE: A missionary leads an SMO student Bible study.

MISSIONARIES REACH YOUNG HEARTS FOR THE LORD IN THE PHILIPPINES

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“One of our workers, Pastor Ricardo Salceda, who is serving in Naga, Bicol, in the Luzon area, has his wonderful way to continue to reach out to his community. Together with Manna Foods Company, his whole family agreed to distribute hot snacks to the ‘frontliners’ on the streets (policemen), to nurses and even to people waiting outside the hospitals for their confined loved ones. While they were distributing snacks for these people, they would distribute tracts, and Pastor Salceda on a portable microphone would preach the Gospel. A lot of people expressed their desire to receive Christ in their lives as they heard the Gospel.”

SMO has about 11 fulltime and several part-time and volunteer workers operating from 17 SMO centres on the major islands of the Philippines. In one recent year, 19,528 students on 64 campuses regularly attended SMO Bible studies. Of these, 3,248 received Christ as Saviour, and 867 joined Bible-believing churches. This work clearly is fruitful.

Moral Values Program ValuableA presidential decree in the Philippines from

back in 1992 has provided a major opportunity for SMO to do evangelistic work in schools, colleges and universities across the country. As a result, hundreds of young people are coming

to Christ. Eleven churches have opened in recent years largely due to the efforts of campus ministries such as SMO.

“We got our accreditation from one of the most powerful offices of the government—the office of the Ombudsman,” explains Luis Faller, who was a missionary of SMO for more than 25 years. “There is a law, Presidential Proclamation #62: All government institutions and schools under the government will undergo this kind of seminar. We take that opportunity, we take that law as a springboard to share the Gospel. We are allowed to share the Gospel of Christ using Moral and Spiritual Values Formation seminars as tools for evangelism. Right now we are authorized anytime to enter campuses, sharing the Gospel, using the Philippines law.”

Faller helped to develop SMO’s Moral Values Program, which is a Bible-based teaching curriculum used by SMO workers in seminars and special meetings at high schools and colleges. Most of SMO’s missionaries visit high schools and colleges to lead discussions about Christian moral values and have discipleship programs. SMO missionaries also conduct Bible studies at different public primary, intermediate and high schools and colleges nationwide.

Many of these young people who have been saved and trained in SMO are now potential

ABOVE: SMO missionary Pastor Ricardo Salceda does outreach in Naga, the Philippines, during the COVID crisis.

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leaders in their respective churches. Some have been called to serve the Lord in full-time ministries. Others have been pioneering or pastoring churches in the Philippines. A few of them are serving as SMO workers and staff.

Successful Training ProgramsSince 2000, SMO has run its own Bible Training

Institute with five full-time and two part-time instructors. SMO’s Bible Training Institute trains young men and women who are ready to be on the frontlines of campus ministry—with SMO or other missions.

Currently, SMO-BTI has six full-time students staying at SMO’s Promised Land campus, and 10 part-time students taking up modular classes at the SMO Centre in Bacolod City.

SMO also runs classes for out-of-school youth at the SMO Centre. Around 100 students attend every Monday and Wednesday. Missionaries conduct Bible studies with them. Missionaries hold Bible Study Classes also for regular Public High Schools every day at the SMO Centre. Workers staying at the SMO Centre minister to around 50 students daily.

SMO missionaries also conduct regularly Jail Ministry and Bible studies with policemen and government offices in Naga, Laguna, Mindanao, Visayas, and also in Bacolod City.

SMO’s Promised Land The new SMO National Training Centre (or

SMO Promised Land) is an answer to prayer for this ministry. The centre was formally dedicated to the Lord on May 16, 2015 in a simple,

meaningful Dedication Service led by Nenita del Mundo.

The facility, which is situated on a three-hectare donated property in Murcia, Negros Occidental, is being used for training future missionaries through the SMO’s Bible Training Institute. SMO has been hosting camps, trainings, seminars, and conferences here.

Since the location is agricultural in nature, SMO has been growing sugarcane in the area so that funds from the harvest would also help in the funding of BTI teachers and students.

“Please pray for a fruitful harvest from all our crops, vegetation, herbs, and the 150 fruit-bearing seedlings at the SMO Promised Land,” requests del Mundo. “Proceeds for these projects will help support our Bible school students and teachers for their everyday food and transportation allowances.”

SMO is currently developing two two-storey buildings made of wood and native materials which will serve as male and female dormitories. “Our Bible school students have been helping out with the construction of our dormitories,” reported del Mundo. “Our students are also conducting Bible studies for young people and children in the place.”

Thank the Lord for SMO’s missionaries and their faithful service as they reach out with the Gospel to young Filipinos.For more information and bimonthly Intercede Field Praise Reports, contact Intercede mentioning this Intercede project code: 801SMO.

WE WANT TO SAY THAT OUR HEAVENLY FATHER HAS PROVEN TO US THAT HE IS JEHOVAH JIREH—HE IS OUR PROVIDER.

RIGHT: SMO leader Nenita del Mundo leads an Alternative Learning System class.


b y A L A N D O E R K S E N a n d N E N I T A D E L M U N D O

This year has been

challenging for Student Missionary Outreach leader

Nenita del Mundo because of COVID-19. She had planned to spend a few months in North America itinerating on behalf of the ministry. But the COVID crisis changed her schedule radically, and she and her son Theonikko (Nikko) were stranded in New York City with her sister and family for several months. Yet despite these circumstances, del Mundo saw the good work God was doing.

Here is Nenita’s story in her own words:“Most people would like to get surprises

especially from people they love. Receiving surprises make us jump for joy, cry in tears, burst into laughter, or maybe sigh in grief or disappointment. Whatever reactions we may have, it is an indicator of the condition of our hearts.

“The purpose of my coming to the U.S.A. from March to June 2020 was foremost to attend my son’s graduation for his M.A. in Religious Studies and secondly, to attend Mission Conferences, visit families, friends, and churches to introduce and share the SMO ministry. I planned everything, talked to people, coordinated flights, arranged accommodations and itinerary for a three-month Mission Trip. I and my son, Nikko, were excited as we looked forward to do everything as planned, including going to different places we’ve never been to before.

“Then came God’s great surprise… the COVID-19 Lockdown. My reaction? Honestly, I was disappointed! ‘Why, Lord? This trip is for Your glory and for Your ministry. We prayed and prepared for this for almost a year. We already spent our resources, time, and effort for this. What now, Lord?’

“Silence... Instead, another great surprise… A test of faith! Were we infected with the virus? Symptoms after symptoms, everyday became a struggle—especially when the old gentleman who lived on the second floor of our apartment died of COVID-19.

“Then the Lord replied, ‘I am able to protect and to provide healing for your body and soul.’ True enough, we were healed and tested negative for the disease. As I sought God in His Word and in prayer, He opened my eyes to see the beauty of His great surprise. I failed to appreciate it because I was so selfish thinking about my own plans, aspirations, and pleasure. With God’s gentle rebuke, He showed me that His plan, purpose and timeline are far greater than mine.

“Actually, God’s surprise was to give me a ‘Sabbath rest’ from my 35 years of ministry service. In the Philippines, I didn’t have the opportunity to spend quality time for meaningful moments in personal Bible meditation and intimate prayer without the necessary ministry interruptions. God seemed to tell me, ‘Your service is good, but I need your full attention, your time, and affection, more than your service.’ God is more interested with who I am becoming (Christ-like) than with what I am doing. Who would have thought that God would send me as far as the U.S.A. just to enjoy sweet fellowship with Him—with all my needs provided, my life protected, without unnecessary interruption? We are thankful to God for His wonderful, unexpected blessing – the quarantine period.

“God is using online technology to connect us to family members and friends. Busy ministry responsibilities won’t allow me to do it in the Philippines, but given the quarantine period, people are available for counseling and hearing the Word of God. Delay in man’s plan is actually God’s perfect time.

“Surprises? It works well when we learn to submit our plans to God and allow Him to make changes and work His way on us according to his timeline. After all, God’s plan is always perfect and for the good of His children. Proverbs 3:5 says it well: ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.’ Let us have the right response when God seems to surprise us with what we do not expect—because the purpose is to make us more like Him in Christ-likeness.”

THE GOD OF GREAT SURPRISES

LEFT: SMO leader Nenita del Mundo addresses a group of students.


Nemuel and Ruth Palma have literally put their lives on the line to serve the Lord as

leaders of Smoky Mountain Ministries. Despite facing life-threatening circumstances and serious illnesses, they continue to serve faithfully with this Intercede partner ministry based in the slums of Manila, in the Philippines.

Back in the 1980s, the Palmas were working with a church in the Tondo area of Manila, when the dump site then called Smoky Mountain caught their attention.

“We decided to penetrate ‘Smoky’ and felt compassion on the children,” explains Ruth Palma. “Many of them could not afford early schooling. Yet it was becoming more apparent that before any child could be accepted in a public school, he or she must have already learned basic counting, writing, and reading.

“By April of 1984 we had already bought our first Vacation Bible School materials and three pieces of plywood to serve as sitting places for the children of Smoky. On that ground full of garbage and infested by flies, we sat our first VBS students. After another three days, we were able to secure a tent to shield us from the sun. From then on, attendance in our tent increased. Parents of our students eventually also got interested and some of them even attended the VBS, singing the songs and participating in the interaction. We then thought about holding a Bible Study for parents.”

So, Nemuel started a Bible study for the parents, while Ruth handled the children. The work so flourished that the children and parents prayed

for a bigger place to hold the Bible classes. This was answered through some gifts that praying Christians in North America sent through Intercede. A small wooden shed was put up in one corner of the dump, and was named Lighthouse Nursery and Kindergarten School. The building is also used as a worship hall for Grace Christian Church, composed of those who have come to know the Lord Jesus through the Palmas’ ministry. Nemuel began to pastor Grace Christian Church, which continues its ministry.

“Early on, we met problems natural to the ministry but nevertheless daunting, because we were operating in an area that is considered to be the poorest among urban settlements in Manila,” explains Ruth Palma. “Our target was the seemingly hopeless squatter population, who are poor and hungry, who are into all sorts of crimes, vices. We were particularly touched by the condition of the children—who were dirty, without slippers and trousers, and generally feed on trash.”

Since that small beginning, more than 500 souls have been brought to the Lord’s feet through SMM. One church member offered his house for a regular men’s group meeting for discipleship training. This group also grew, and an extension was built to accommodate them.

The women’s group, composed of mothers and led by Ruth, has established more than 10 Bible centres for children in the outlying slum areas. Whenever provisions are available, these children are fed by the Palmas and their co-workers.

MINISTRY COUPLE WORKS SELFLESSLY AMONG

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ABOVE: Ruth Palma hugs a little girl. Much of SMM’s ministry focuses on children in need.


Many of the couples who had been living together for years without the benefit of marriage came to the church to be married after receiving Jesus into their lives. Nemuel once officiated at a marriage ceremony for 16 couples at the same time!

These families are witnesses for Jesus, not only to their children, but to the entire community. They serve as lights in the dark place known as the Tondo dump.

In 1993, the government closed the dump, planning to begin a commercial development in this part of Manila. While citing the health benefits of the closure, this took away the slum dwellers’ main way of earning an income. To meet this challenge, the Palmas began vocational training for the parents of the children in the Lighthouse School. They purchased sewing machines, opened a motor workshop and started training in rug-making.

Currently, there are hundreds of children aged four to seven involved with SMM’s preschools and kindergartens. SMM also teaches some older children, who the public school won’t accept because they don’t have birth certificates. These kids are treated as inferior because they come from Smoky Mountain. Once children are educated at the preschools, the public schools will accept them, Ruth Palma explains. “We’ve helped more than 2,000 children already.”

On Saturdays, SMM holds Bible studies in the alley of Buildings 10 and 28. In these dark alleys, they often feed 200 or more children, after telling them stories about Jesus and His love.

“The biggest needs of the ministry are support for feeding for our children,” reports Ruth Palma. “They really ask for food. And the allowances for our teachers. I am praying that through your financial support, we can train and delegate the work to more volunteers so many more can be saved.”

Nemuel Palma’s vision for the coming years is to bring more souls to Christ. For this task he has trained many of his elders. Several are now working alongside the Palmas. SMM currently has three churches: one in Cavite, one in Bagong Silang near Novaliches, and one in the Tondo dump area.

Paying a Personal PriceBut the Palmas have had to pay a price for the

privilege and the joy of bringing the Gospel to the garbage dump dwellers. As they grew up, their children frequently got sick from respiratory

ailments, such as whooping cough and pulmonary tuberculosis—the results of breathing in the pollution of the dump.

“Our health deteriorated, and my children became asthmatics,” explains Ruth Palma. “Both my husband and I now have weak lungs as a result of being exposed daily to smoke from the dumps. Similarly, the people, not conscious of proper grooming and hygiene, suffer illnesses that normally would be cured but, in their poverty, would always prove fatal.

“The children are hungry and in order for them to learn their ABCs they must be fed first. Since our volunteers are themselves poor, we cannot afford to just have them work without giving them some amount to live by. God provided our early finances through supporters, mostly through Intercede.”

Intercede and its supporters helped out SMM in 2009 by sending an Overseas Material Aid shipping container of needed goods to SMM and two other Philippines-based ministries.

“Please pray for our health, and my husband’s conditions with having two times a week hemo dialysis,” requests Ruth Palma. “He is in his stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease. I have chest pain with maintenance medicine for my heart. Truly the body is weak but the spirit is strong because of God’s Holy Spirit.”

Their Lives Endangered

Both Ruth and Nemuel have had their lives endangered while working with SMM.

“I thought I’d be dead in 2001 when a truck hit me,” declares Ruth Palma. “I thank God I’m still alive.”

At that time, Palmas were living in temporary housing. “I was hit by a truck and was underneath the truck.” That accident left Ruth with a badly broken arm. Part of the bone has been replaced with metal, and she has since had to learn how to write with her left hand.

Another time, a

BELOW: Nemuel Palma is released from hospital after recovering from COVID-19 in March 2020.


religious leader made false allegations against Ruth and she was arrested. “I was in prison three nights at the city jail,” she testifies. “Our people went there and had a rally for me and shared money for my bail, and it was displaced because it was baseless—just to destroy me.

“Nothing is impossible with God,” Ruth states. “All I have to do is stand firm in His Word. How can I leave these people, who are relying on me? How can I forsake my God? The Lord is still there. The big challenge is to show my faith and the power of truth and righteousness, and with the love of God, and humbling myself as a servant. I’m willing to lay down my life for them. I love the people.”

Some years ago, the Philippines government decided to shut down the Smoky Mountain dump in Tondo, and forcibly remove its residents. Nemuel Palma was in the dump when policemen arrived and started shooting at people there. Some Christians Palma knew of there were shot in the chest or the hands. One policeman aimed his gun at Palma, but just at that moment, a TV cameraman ran by and was shot (but not killed). The government sent in 1,000 police and army troops to clear people out of the dump, and also shot teargas.

“It was a terrible experience,” Nemuel Palma recalls. Yet, “we felt we were strong because of our hope in the Lord.”

“Our journey as a squatter settlement ended in 2012, when the government through the National Housing Authority allotted us 500 square metres of land,” reports Ruth Palma. “But we don’t have enough budget to put up a permanent building due to the fact that we don’t have regular support. The good news that we have slowly developed that land. Thank God and thanks to everyone for remembering us.”

“I have dedicated my life to Jesus—every day,

every hour,” affirms Ruth Palma. “We’ll fight Satan [who is] suppressing the people. All the teachers, I told, ‘We are warriors for Jesus’—not only workers, not only missionaries. We really need help—prayers. We thank God that in spite of the pressures, in spite of the conflicts, our people are soaring up spiritually. Even the youth, the preschool are warriors for Jesus.”

In recent years, several Intercede prayer partners have had the opportunity to visit Smoky Mountain. In early 2014, Intercede prayer partners Audrey Pihulyk and her family visited SMM. They were “invited to climb the mountain to meet the pastor and the waiting congregation,” she reported to Intercede. “The trek to the top was quite an adventure—very dusty, steep, and in some places somewhat unstable. The inhabitants are of various ages, from small babies to those who are aged. The church on Smoky Mountain is of simple construction, but radiates like a beacon of hope in a dry and thirsty land. Many children, and a few adults, sat orderly in their simple attire–so precious in God’s sight!” declared Pihulyk. “Truly, we view the opportunity to visit Smoky Mountain as a huge privilege, and now we know firsthand the challenges and the blessings that Nemuel, Ruth and their staff face in serving God at Smoky Mountain in Manila.”

Despite the hardship and challenges, when asked what she thinks of Smoky Mountain, Ruth Palma replies without hesitation, “This is like heaven, because this is where God is.” With your prayer and financial support to undergird them, the Palmas and their co-workers will continue to build God’s Kingdom in the Tondo dump and other poverty-stricken neighbourhoods of the Philippines.For more information and bimonthly Intercede Field Praise Reports, contact Intercede mentioning this Intercede project code: 801SMM.

www.IntercedeNow.ca

BELOW: Ruth Palma (right) with some of the people of SMM’s God's Grace Community Christian Church in Cavite, Philippines.


After a long and productive Christian life, my father, Antonio Herrera Centeno, passed on to glory on June 10, 2020. In my plans I would visit him after a mission trip to my native El Salvador. I came back on March 1, and I postponed the visit. Then COVID-19 happened. Canada and the United States closed the borders, and I could not go over to Depew, New York, where my Dad lived and died. Hence I did not attend his funeral service—I just sadly watched a video stream of the service. All my plans and millions of peoples’ plans changed because small micro-organisms that at the time of this article are still affecting lives daily.

My father’s favourite verse was Matthew 6:34: “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof”—a certainty he abided by.

We are living in a world full of fear and uncertainty. The Lord has been impacting my life since 2019 with the same thought over and over: TODAY. We found in the parable of the rich farmer who sowed an abundant harvest, and asked himself what he would do now with this grain; then he found a solution, a plan of what he would do in the future. Then God spoke and said, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (Luke 12:20).

I am not suggesting living a life without a purpose or a plan. Yes, God has a purpose for us through our journey from here to heaven, but in the meantime we should consider that today is all what we really have.

God is requiring from us to make the most of the day that He has provided. Events like the Coronavirus attack only remind us of how fragile we are. Most Christians believe that we are living in the last days. The Gospel tells us that when these things start to happen, lift up your heads because your redemption is drawing near.

We are living in a world of despair and confusion. The Lord encourages us to be witnesses of His glory and mercy, and to show compassion and love. The Apostle Paul in Ephesians wrote of a revelation he received. He describes three very important things for us believers. First he reminds us that we the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel. Secondly he states that we are members together of one body, and thirdly that we are sharing together in the promises in Christ Jesus.

We Are The Body Of ChristWe need to recognize that as we are the body

of Christ, we are the visible part of the Lord. The only Jesus that many will see is ourselves. Hence the importance of living a daily life with purpose, knowing that today is the day of salvation, and

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TODAY

Mission Inspirations


that being heirs of the promise in Christ we have the answers that many are seeking.

In my personal life, after being lost for most of my young life, a simple honest answer changed my path: do you know Jesus? My answer was: no, I don’t. After almost 31 years of following the Lord, I have also come to the revelation that knowing Him is not enough. I need an intimate personal relationship with Him, so His full presence can be manifested in my life, as part of the Body--the only visible part of the Lord for now.

Our Lord gave us specific commands. For example we found in Matthew chapter 19, go into the world and preach the Gospel. He also reminds us in the same book, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

As a result of the virus crisis we have witnessed the power of the media. The Church was forced to extend the walls of their building, and many including myself starting sharing the Word of God to the world using the Internet. I can say that now there are fewer people who have not heard the Gospel.

Out of a bad situation, God allowed something good to happen. Many of my friends who don’t know Christ listened to my sermons and music. It

was so awesome to hear from some of them whom I have not seen for more than 40 years calling and saying, “we are listening.”

Yet the Bible states that things like this plague will be happening, yet most of us were caught unprepared. Also the Bible tells us that this is just the beginning of sorrows. Please understand me that I am not trying to infuse fear or terror. Let’s be encouraged, and be reminded of the true message of the Bible.

I don’t know when Christ shall return for the second time–only the Father knows. My duty as a Christian is to be ready TODAY. As times passes, my memory of my father becomes more precious. Antonio was a man of faith, and a missionary to El Salvador, Mexico, and also to Central and South America. His dedication to the Gospel affected many. His legacy continues. By God’s grace the call in my life has touched hundreds of lives around the globe, and my Dad had a great influence on mine.

I am adopting the verse that my father practiced. I know I only have today to serve Him, to share His grace and mercy. Tomorrow is an uncertainty.

Let’s take advantage of Today!

“Take therefore

no thought for

the morrow:

for the morrow

shall take

thought for the

things of itself.

Sufficient unto

the day is the

evil thereof ”

ABOVE: Eliud Herrera (right) with his father, Antonio, and sister, Mirna.


Intercede News Service (INS)

“...help at least 500 of the most affected beneficiaries of both, the pandemic and economic disruptions with food parcels as our Lord provides for that." | "...Thank you for your love and prayers..."

JORDAN (INS)—As the world adjusts the COVID-19 pandemic, three indigenous ministries based in the Middle East have been taking creative approaches to helping people in physical and spiritual need.

“Over the course of the lockdown in Jordan, we’ve reached out and helped a few individuals and families with the limited resources and mobility since the beginning of the curfew,” reports Isam Ghattas, leader of Manara Outreach Ministries. “We are compelled to reach out to more and more people and we feel the urgency of these exceptional times; a time for us to act in love, restore hope and provide help in practical ways. Our team has recently obtained the needed permission to move during the nationwide lockdown and we plan to help at least 500 of the most affected beneficiaries of both, the pandemic and economic disruptions with food parcels as our Lord provides for that. With current market condition, the package price is $85. Due to the exceptional circumstances we are currently experiencing, not only us, but the whole world is groaning; we believe in the sovereignty of our Lord and His creativity which is a great motivation to find new ways to share the Gospel. The Youth Ministry team have continued to work and have gone through the first experience of training leaders online. We’ve hosted two speakers from Egypt and Lebanon in an interactive webinar for 100 young leader over two sequential days from all over Jordan.”

Manara is also orchestrating aid and the hope offered by the Gospel Message for the suffering people in Beirut after the huge devastating explosion disaster that occurred there on August 4.

“The Manara youth team has been working towards a digital outreach strategy for the past

two years,” explains Ghattas. “The vision has always been to reach the unreached, deliver the Gospel, offer discipleship and spiritual growth, and delivery creative content that responds to the human need for God. The challenge recently has been extending it into the digital space. The ongoing COVID-19 situation has accelerated our plans and we are now heavily working on a mobile app… that targets youth in Jordan and across the region with the Gospel. We are thrilled and very excited about this transition. We have a lot of content already lined up as we also work on new content through our network of volunteers who are passionate about this field of ministry; this network would be a production hub of writers, photographers, producers, singers and others to create content that speaks to the lives of the youth. The mobile app will also be used to train and refine the talents of young leaders as we believe that this will not only impact the social media platform audience but youth and churches in our entire region as well. We will also soon share with you out latest digital ministry platform reaching women in the region. It currently has 220,000 followers and averages two unique Bible downloads per day. Praise the Lord for this! We believe with many around the globe that 2020 is a year for the church to rise up and be radiant; a time for great grace for great harvest, salvation and healing of great multitudes. Your support and contribution would make this happen impacting

RIGHT: Manara leader Isam Ghattas meets with refugee children. Manara has been helping pandemic victims with relief supplies, and also helping people in Beirut, Lebanon, after the explosion.

Middle Eastern Ministries Respond Creatively to COVID-19


“...help at least 500 of the most affected beneficiaries of both, the pandemic and economic disruptions with food parcels as our Lord provides for that." | "...Thank you for your love and prayers..."

LEFT: In March Netivah printed out 600 T-shirts with the encouraging message: “Keep Calm, God is in Control.”

not only our nations but all nations in our region.”

Netivah Deals Creatively With Challenges

“In Israel, we are facing daily challenges with increasing restrictions as our leadership attempts to contain the virus,” reports Joel Goldberg, leader of Israel-based Netivah Christian Ministries. “However, more people are getting sick and many elderly and those with underlying health conditions are at risk of losing their lives.

We celebrated Passover, each one under mandatory lockdown in their own homes unable to travel to extended family or friends. Our prayer is that we will come through this crisis stronger and built up—as we place our hope and security in Yeshua [Jesus] our Lord. At Netivah we are working under many restrictions and are unable to function as usual running conferences and gatherings. Even meeting as a staff in the office is limited.

“However, we are optimistic as we are finding new ways to connect and communicate with youth and youth leaders, and find ourselves very busy,” Goldberg explains. “We are working on

projects at the Netivah office that have been put off for months, and summer programs that need to be rethought and planned out. We are learning to use new tools such as Zoom meetings, live broadcasts and video clips, so we can continue to support and encourage the youth during this time.

“Some of our latest activities and projects are: Weekly Live Broadcasts; Weekly Video Contest ; Support of Youth Workers. We are keeping in touch with youth workers and doing our best to provide relevant and helpful communication as we want to encourage and support their relevance and connection to their youth. We printed shirts that say ‘Keep Calm, God is in Control.’ We are delivering them to youth all over Israel. We then asked the youth to send us a picture with the shirt so that it can encourage others and help keep them connected.”

Netivah also has been reaching out to soldiers. “Many of the soldiers are not able to leave their bases and are in need of encouragement,” reports Goldberg. “We are sending a weekly Bible Study to encourage them and reach out with topics that are relevant to the current situation. Thank you for your love and prayers for us and for the work of Netivah in Israel.”

Reaching the Poor in Egypt “The world nowadays is facing one crisis at the

same time. Reaching All Egypt has been affected by Coronavirus,” reports Rev. Zaky, leader of RAE. “According to the instructions of the state, some group activities of the ministry have temporarily ceased to keep the beneficiaries safe. We have started to focus on other activities such as spraying the poor villages with disinfectant, and helping the daily wage earners, the elderly people and the widows who cannot meet their monthly financial commitments. Reaching All Egypt has 220 staff who are working very hard to reach the categories of poor people who are severely affected by this crisis.”

Please keep these missionaries in prayer as they assist people affected by the Coronavirus.

Gift Codes: 420MOM, 410NCM, 408RAE.


INDIA: Church Growth During Lock-Down Period

INDIA—God has blessed Orissa Follow-Up’s ministries recently despite COVID-19 and natural disasters.

“After COVID-19, each individual family has become a church,” reports OFU leader Bishop Hrudaya. “When

family churches begin to worship and pray in their homes daily, the neighbour families are curiously participating—hence growth is taking place. This is a good opportunity for family churches to motivate their neighbours and help them as possible. Pastor Tej has been cultivating new strategies to reach out to his geographic area through prayer and worship evangelism and is experiencing positive responses. Likewise, we have been receiving reports from various fields, particularly where the OFU School of Education graduates are engaged. As a result, we have seen 3,750 individual family churches in operation.”

Cyclone Amphan and a tornado created havoc in spring in India, and the damage was huge. “We have been asking the Lord for His provision to help 2,000 believers and field staff families but we could not avoid non-believers as well,” reports Hrudaya. “We had to extend our helping hand as much as we could. We thank God for the Lord’s

provision from various sources who considered coming alongside with us so that we could meet the partial needs of the pastors as well as believers. We were able to help 75 Muslim families.”

Gift Code: 640OFU

SIERRA LEONE: Profound Thanks and Appreciation

SIERRA LEONE—Mitford Macauley, leader of New Creation Ministries, is grateful to God and to Intercede prayer partners.

“I am feeling much better today,” Macauley reported in a June Field Report. “I must say that I am overwhelmed with a lot of emotions. I feel that I belong to a very loving and caring community of brethren. Thank you so much for your prompt response to my appeal. I have been discharged from the hospital, as the surgeon saw that I am fit to return to my country. We are also thankful to God again for His faithfulness and for all He used to provide the funds we so desperately needed. Though we spent a lot of money, we thank God that we had positive results for that.

“I am still in Ghana and I thank God for His mercies and healing on my body. It is my hope and faith that His healing shall be perfected upon me soon and that I shall return home as soon as the borders between our countries are open and flights are resumed. Please continue to pray for me as I am still believing God to restore the perfect functioning of my kidneys.”

Gift Code: 530NCM

ABOVE: Orissa Follow-Up missionaries distribute survival food packages for 100 families in Kandhamal, India.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, God bless your ministry. ~ From Handley in Ontario

God is faithful through every storm. My soul, you are not alone. Behold, rest. He holds the universe in His hand. Through troubled waters He won’t abandon. God bless you all.

Take courage. Praying for you all. ~ From Abram & Maria in Manitoba

Thank you so much. Intercede. Yes, Jesus is our Saviour and will never depart from us, even though we may go through turmoil just now. As we pray for many who are hurting now, God is with them to receive recovery and health. God bless you, Intercede, with amazing assistance all over the world. ~ From Randy in Ontario

Supporters Speak


Supporters Speak

When making a donation to Intercede International, the donor acknowledges that the gift will be pooled with all other donations and disbursed by Intercede according to its financial policy for donations. Restricted gifts are deemed by Intercede to include a share of direct expenditures incurred by a ministry project. When gifts exceed a need or if the project for which the gift is designated becomes inactive or unassignable for any reason, then those gifts or any overage shall be used to meet other needs. Assigned and general gifts are expended at the discretion of Intercede. Gifts will not be accepted for purposes that are not within Intercede’s objects. Intercede shall at all times strive to provide comprehen-sive information about its work and organization to all inquir-ers. Remuneration of staff and representatives is not based on gifts or commissions. Donors are advised to seek independent professional counsel before committing to a large gift or endow-ment to Intercede International. Gifts are acknowledged, and where applicable, receipted with an official receipt for income tax purposes at year end. For Albertans: Intercede International is planning to raise an estimated amount of $100,000 or more in Alberta this fiscal year for all projects and campaigns. It will cost our organization an estimated $11,000 to raise this. The funds raised will be going to share the Gospel message with in-digenous missions and bring relief to the poor and the vulner-able and to provide disaster relief and educational opportuni-ties worldwide and in Canada. For further information, please contact James Eagles. Address: 201 Stanton St. Fort Erie, ON L2A 3N8. 1-800-871-0882.

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Our StandardsIntercede International partners with ministries that hold to the fundamental doctrines of historic evangelical Christianity. Our accounts are audited by a Canadian Chartered Accountant and Intercede is governed by a Canadian Board of Directors. Intercede is a Certified Member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities (CCCC) and adheres to the Members’ code maintaining high standards of ethical integrity and financial accountability. Our Statement of Faith and Annual Report are available on request.

How We WorkOperating in Canada since 1953, Intercede International is an evangelical mission board that provides headquarters services, programs and ministry in cooperation with indigenous evangelistic mission boards based in countries of poverty and persecution. We locate, evaluate and partner with indigenous ministries that agree to carry out our ministry programs, and recommend these for prayer and financial support to individuals and churches in Canada. We also provide detailed information to Canadian Christians and Churches to help build their vision for mission. Contributions are collected and support is sent on behalf of our programs being carried out by each indigenous ministry. For closed lands where missions are not yet established, Intercede International encourages the discipling and equipping of future leaders from among overseas students, foreign visitors, refugees and immigrants in our midst.

How You Can HelpPRAY and SERVEOur Volunteers across Canada provide services that will impact souls for eternity. By praying according to knowledge provided by Intercede publications, you are serving and interceding - "Standing in the Gap" for the Lord's people in many nations. Call or write today for our VIP Volunteer Pack to get started as an area volunteer, or for Prayerline, our bimonthly prayer digest.

ADOPT AN INDIGENOUS MISSION BOARDChurches Discover New Missions Strategies. Churches can adopt one or several native mission boards and any of the many evangelical programs they carry out. They can also support evangelistic outreaches that target unreached people groups in a given country. As a relationship with Intercede develops, visiting the mission field overseas through our MISSION ACTION TEAMS program is an option. Contact us and request our strategic DISCOVER program for Canadian churches.

SPONSOR AN INDIGENOUS MISSIONARY OR A NEEDY CHILDNational Missionaries can be co-sponsored by individuals or by churches on average for as little as $50 to $150 monthly. Sponsors may receive the name and photo of the missionary they support, and information about the indigenous ministry with which they serve as well as annual updates. Hundreds of needy and orphaned children are being cared for by indigenous missions. Those who sponsor a child for $30 a month will receive a photo and information on the child and annual updates on the child’s progress.

OVERSEAS MATERIAL AID CONTAINERSThe Overseas Material Aid program (OMA) sends shipments of needed goods and equipment to ministries in other countries. Contact us for details.

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MISSION STATEMENTTo establish, encourage and strengthen an indigenous, New Testament witness for our Lord Jesus Christ among all nations, by providing material and spiritual aid to Christians who are impoverished, few or

persecuted; and to encourage Christian witness and ministry to the international community in Canada.

ABOUT INTERCEDE INTERNATIONAL~ SINCE 1953 ~

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IN FOCUS: Southeast Asia

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