2016-winter-v12

Winter 2016
We must travel the road that takes us to the world...

Mission Information Magazine
for
Churches of Christ
Editor: Wayne Barrier
Founding Editor: J.C. Choate
Associate Editor, Design, Lay-out:
Betty Burton Choate
Publisher:
World Evangelism Publications
Team Members and Contact Information:
Wayne and Janet Barrier: 3000 County Road 10, Florence,
AL 35633; Email: wbarrier@hiwaay.net; Phone:
256-766-2807.
Mrs. J.C. (Betty) Choate: 708 Burton Drive, Winona, MS
38967; Phone: 662-283-1192; Website: WorldEvangelism.
org; Email, Choate@worldevangelism.org.
Jerry and Paula Bates: P.O. Box 172, Winona, MS 38967;
Phone: 870-897-2373; Email: jerry@worldevangelism.org.
Louis Rushmore: 705 Devine St., Winona, MS 38967;
Phone: 662-739-3035; Website: gospelgazette.com; Email:
rushmore@GospelGazette.com
Barbara Oliver: 607 Devine Street, Winona, MS 38967;
Phone: 901-517-7274; Email: ba@oliver.net
Edmon L. Gallagher: egallager@hcu.edu
Nathan B. Daily: ndaily@hcu.edu
Joey Barrier: JoeyBarrier@comcast.net
Jeremy Barrier: JBarrier@HCU.edu
What is the purpose of Global Harvest???
What else could it be but to say, throughout its pages, “Lift
up your eyes and see that the fields are white unto harvest”?
These are pivotal times. With technology and communication
being what they are, we have such amazing and
powerful tools for reaching into any country with the Gospel
— even those that seem closed or antagonistic
toward Christianity. God has truly
supplied!
On the other hand, it has been
many years since the world has
seemed so volatile. We could be
on the brink of major conflict, engulfing
humanity in the worst of
wars.
Since the work of the church
is the spreading of salvation
through the preaching of the
Gospel, if we will do our part,
God will overrule to bless us
with opportunity. Let us be praying
for each other!
Are you a part of our
support team yet???
SINGLY, we can’t
do much;
TOGETHER,
we can
evangelize the
world!
We invite submission of feature and report articles from biblically-sound brethren, along with
colored photographs, for inclusion in future issues of Global Harvest.
Disclaimer: We believe that we must answer to God for what we teach and promote. It is our purpose
to be biblical in all that we do and, to the best of our knowledge, we will not promote in these pages
the work of unsound brethren. Because we cannot personally know all that anyone believes and teaches,
we ask your help in guarding against unknowingly publicizing those who are either liberal or fanatical.
If such material is inadvertantly printed, we ask your understanding and cooperation.

Global Harvest Volume 12 Fall 2016
U.S. Activities
Editorials
u Stragetic Plan for World Missions...Wayne Barrier..6
u Let’s Get the Church on the March....J.C. Choate...7
Specials and Services
u Tribute to Jane Hogan ..... BBC..........................4
u Tracts for Evangelism and Growth.................. 12
u Apologetics Press ............................................... 15
u Project Rescue ...... Ronnie Crocker................... 24
u Christian Student Center ...... Gene Gibson..... 27
u World Video Bible School ................................. 40
u Gospel Broadcasting Network ......................... 40
u In Search of the Lord’s Way ....Phil Sanders.... 50
u Just Force Yourself to Do It!... Brad Harrub..... 62
u The Effect of Literature ... Sunny David...Back Cover
Team Reports
u Strengthening the Weak ... Jerry Bates................8
u Moving Ever Forward ...... Louis Rushmore.......9
u In Transition ...... Byron Nichols........................ 11
u Maywood Missionary Retreat...........................13
u World Evangelism School of Missions..............14
u Around the World in 100 Days! ..... B. Choate.....16
Central and South America,
Europe and Asia
u I’m Starting from Zero .... Randal Matheny..... 28
u Living by Faith ...... Daniel J. Araujo................. 29
u “Let the Bible Speak” ... Randy Short............... 30
u Iglesia de Cristo......... Helmut Garcia................ 31
Foreign Activities
u Summer Missions in Aruba ... Tim Henderson......32
u Budapest, Hungary ...... Curry Montague.......... 32
u Continuing ... Poland .. Molly Dawidow...........33
u Loving God in Italy ....... Erin Choate................ 34
u The Work in Romaina ...... Harvey Starling...... 35
u East London, South Africa .... Chris DuPreez.....37
u Southwest School of Evangelism .... Makinde.....38
u Bible Training Center ....... George Akpabli...... 39
u French World Missions ...... Doyle Kee............. 39
u In the Mountains of Myanmar ... Jamie Barrier....48
u Schools and Camps .... Philip VanBiak Lian...... 49
u South Korea’s Work .... Malcolm Parsley......... 51
u Southeast Asia ....... Daniel Hamm..................... 52
u McKee’s 2016 Indonesia Trip .. Colin McKee.. 53
u Philippine Missions .... Priscilla Sellers............. 54
u Micronesia for the Master .... Scott Shanahan.....55
u The Pacific Islands ....... Randy English............. 56
u The Pierce Report ......... Jason Pierce................ 57
u News from Auckland ... John & Lynda Staiger....59
u Palmerston North, N Z ...... Kent O’Donnell.....60
u Porirua, New Zealand... Lance Mosher............. 61
Pakistan and India
u Lahore, Pakistan ........... Asghar Ali.................. 41
u News from Pakistan ....... Shahid Khokhar........ 42
u Activities in New Delhi, India .... Davids.......... 43
u An Exciting History .... Joshua Gootam............. 44
u “Blinds Are Seeing...” ....... Philemon Rajah...... 45
u Continuing Work in Tamil Nadu .... Arjunan......46
u Baptism in the Sea... S. Rajanayagam................ 47
“World Evangelism Publications” [formerly J.C. Choate Publications]
is a service, rather than a business. Yes, we print and sell books
here in the States, written by faithful brethren. We print enough to
sell enough to give away many thousands each year. We know this
part of our work will continue to bear fruit for many decades, after all
of us have gone to our reward. Betty (Mrs. J.C.) Choate

A little quiz from the pages..
4 congregations in what country? Global P. Harvest 35
1. Where in India has much of the evangelism 13. Where are the DuPreez developing __
taken place? P. 8
________ ________ for the church? P. 37
2. In 1967, did the Lord’s church exist in Sri 14. Makinde goes where for Bear Valley Bible
Lanka and in New Delhi, India? P. 16
Institute courses? P. 38
3. In what country are some of the “gods” of 15. Among numerous “preacher training
India made? P. 19
schools” operated by the church, there is
4. What is “that little orange book”? P. 22
one in _________, French West Africa. P. 39
5. An excellent book for teaching others about
16. There are reports from Pakistan. What is
conversion to Christ is _____________. P. 23
the main religion there? P. 41,42
6. What is the “Project Rescue” program? P. 26
17. How many Hindi TV programs are telecast-
7. What is “the secret to success”? P. 27
ed each week for India? P. 43
8. Daniel Araujo was searching for what? P. 29
18. Joshua Gootam wrote about a ten-year history
9. Christians of the Montecarlo church go to
of a woman converted from Hinduism, on P. 44.
what remote places on mission trips? P. 31
19. Philemon Rajah does “camps”, teaching
10. Where in the world is Aruba? P. 32
programs for what people? P. 45
11. What are three goals of Avanti Italia? P. 34
20. Brad Harrub wrote “Just force yourself to do
12. Harvey Starling and others work with seven
it!” What does he want people to do? P. 62
In Memory and Honor of Jane McAuley Hogan
Betty Burton Choate
(March 30, 1925-January 17, 2016)
J.C. and I first met Gordon and
Jane Hogan when we moved to Pakistan
in February of 1962 to begin the
Lord’s church in the city of Karachi.
We were young, completely new to
the experience of working in a foreign
country, and we felt that we could gain
much if we spent initial time with the
Hogans and learned from their experiences.
Thus began a life-long closeness
in Christ, a treasure in our hearts.
“Jane Hogan leaves behind a
remarkable partnership as she and
Gordon led mission work in Pakistan
and Singapore for 33 years.
“After 90 years of vibrant
life, she returned to her Creator
peacefully in her sleep early Sunday
morning. She was raised with
six siblings in Savannah, Georgia,
and kept her gentle southern
drawl — a well-known trait to her
friends. Her children and grandchildren
smile as they recall her
and try to mimic her spunky behaviors
and infectious laugh that
was so delightful in her sub-fivefoot
frame. But that small package
delivered powerfully!
“Jane mentored many with
her kitchen prowess, and frequently
acted as nurse or mama
away from home. Her home was
aptly called the “Hogan Hotel”
because of her hospitality.
“She was the doting wife of
Gordon, creating a strong bond of
68 years. Each found the “love of
their life” and created a treasured
home for the family to follow.
“Three children — Beth,
Dave, and Julie — “rise up to call
her blessed.” With their spouses
they added eight grandchildren
and twelve great-grandchildren
who are the progeny for this dedicated
and talented couple.
“Without exception, every
family member — along with a
Gordon and Jane Hogan
multitude of friends and Family
in Christ — will find a tremendous
void in their lives. But all
are very happy for her victory,
which was assured by her dedication
to her Savior.” >

Global Harvest 5
We Need Your Help!
In order to make Global Harvest the informative, useful, and inspiring magazine we envision, we
must have input from brethren, churches, and program projects throughout the brotherhood and all over the
world. We will try to make you aware of services available and of needs you might help to cover.
We need four things from our readers/participants:
(1) Your name, address, phone number, and email address.
(2) Submissions of articles (with accompanying high quality color photos; if sent over the internet, photos
must be at least 200 dpi and 4x5 in size). Articles need to be story-form, rather than general ‘report’ form;
they need to focus on a particular event, specific method of work, some turn of events, an exemplary person,
etc. Writing should be succinct, professionally done, without exaggerations or embellishment of truth to make
a more exciting story, allowing 750 to 1000 words for one page, preferably 11 pt., “Times New Roman”.
(3) Please understand that we cover services made available through brethren of printing, magazines,
and various programs of work. We do not solicit or accept paid advertisements.
(4) At this time it is our intention to print Global Harvest twice yearly, in the interest of helping bretren
to be more aware of what is being done and of what needs to be done. Financial support will be greatly
appreciated from brethren who will make a personal donation to receive the magazine individually, and
from congregations that will pay for bundles to be supplied to their members.
Individual donation:
Congregational donation:
$5.00 per copy
$75.00 per 25 copies;
$125.00 per 50 copies

6 Global Harvest
Editorial:
Stragetic Plan
for
World Missions
Wayne Barrier
The most important and most valuable
organization in the world is the
church established by Christ in the first
century. The New Testament church, as
promised for thousands of years, was established
to provide for the redemption
and salvation of sinful man. Through
Wayne and Janet Barrier
have been involved in mission work
for over 30 years and their work is
overseen by the Double Springs, Alabama
congregation. Wayne serves
as the Double Springs missions’ minister
and directs their World Evangelism
Missions program with work in
Asia, Latin America, and Europe.
The Barriers coordinate integrated
evangelism efforts including mass
media teaching, follow-up campaigns,
and training of brethren for
teaching and leadership. The program
involves a team of 10-12 U.S.
workers and 30 foreign co-workers.
To accomplish training goals, World
Evangelism Missions funds and
directs the operation of 10 Bible
schools in Asia that provide training
to over 500 students yearly. Continuous
campaign efforts to provide
follow-up to mass media programs
are coordinated and supported by
the Double Springs team.
In addition, the Barriers help with
radio, literature, and television programs
directed by the Winona, Mississippi
World Evangelism team.
They also closely cooperate with
Christ one can be a citizen of the kingdom
of heaven and inherit eternal life.
Finding a path from this world to life
forever in heaven is the most important
quest of man. God’s word shows us this
path and guides us to its entrance and
provides instruction for sustaining our
World Missions (Jeremy Barrier,
Madison Church of Christ). Joey
Barrier, who serves as co-director
of World Evangelism Missions, and
Jamie Barrier also work under the
oversight of the Double Springs
congregation.
Wayne and Janet have served as
adjunct faculty members of several
colleges over the past 40 years, including
Heritage Christian University
and Faulkner University. Wayne
presently serves on the board of directors
for Heritage Christian University
and Janet serves as a Heritage
faculty member. Wayne is Editor
of Global Harvest and a staff writer
for The Voice of Truth International.
Wayne, Joey and Jeremy direct the
Maywood Missionary Retreat, the
World Evangelism School of Missions,
and the newly formed Heritage
Christian University Center for
Mission Training and Information.
The Barriers are blessed to work
together with their children, Jenny,
Jamie, Joey, and Jeremy and their
families. They have seven grandchildren.
The Barriers live in the
Florence, Alabama area.
journey. The purpose and mission of
the church is to bring glory to God by
sharing the message of love, hope and
salvation to every person on earth.
This mission is often confused with numerous
other church functions and its
fulfillment is diluted and minimized.
Careful consideration of examples,
commands, and guidance in the word of
God will direct us to pursue this mission
in an effective and efficient way.
As the church carries out its mission,
evangelism programs should
target areas and populations where
introduction of the Gospel is needed.
Mission programs involve the same
planning functions as any other serious
organization. Plans ultimately describe
specific day-to-day activities that must
be done to achieve objectives necessary
to carry out the mission. A broad set
of strategic plans should be developed
prior to preparation of both long and
short term operating plans. Strategic
plans define general approaches leading
to achievement of the mission. The
church should be delivering the Gospel
to every person in the world. Accountable
people are added every day
to the number to be taught. Millions
die every month across the world that
have never been taught. Our strategy is
not working and our goal is not being
achieved. Is there a better strategy for
us to use? The Bible provides the basis
Continued on page 25

Global Harvest 7
Let’s Get the Church
on the March!
J.C.Choate [Deceased]
J.C. and Betty Choate
moved to Pakistan to begin the
Lord’s church in Karachi in 1962.
Following five years of work, with
six congregations established,
they moved to Colombo, Sri Lanka
to plant the church in that city.
In 1968 they moved to New Delhi,
the capital of India.
In 1974 it became possible to begin
airing the Gospel over Radio
Sri Lanka, “the Giant of Asia”, with
India as the target of programs in
five of her major languages. J.C.
did broadcasts in English, Sunny
David spoke in Hindi, Joshua
Gootam was the Telugu speaker,
P.R. Swamy preached in Tamil,
and P.K. Varghese was the Malayalam
speaker. The printing of literature
— monthly magazines, Bible
correspondence courses, study
books, and tracts — put follow-up
tools in the hands of local preachers
and Christians. The result has
been widespread teaching of the
Truth and a great harvest of souls.
Television has replaced much
of the radio coverage. Preacher
training schools have been established,
as well as a program for
training local Christians to evangelize
[JC School of Evangelism].
J.C. went to his eternal reward in
2008, but the work that he began
continues through the efforts of
the World Evangelism team.
It is nothing new to see a statement
in most any issue of a Gospel paper
telling of a particular congregation
that is on the march. To verify this it is
stated that some magazine is being sent
to every member, or the attendance is
moving upward, or a number of converts
are being made (not as frequently
now as in the past), or a new building is
going up, or a new gymnasium/fellowship
hall is being built, etc. While all
of this may seem to be progress, I have
often wondered why the activity is limited
to only a few congregations scattered
over the country, and why there is
seldom any mention of organized programs
of outreach? Why shouldn’t the
church everywhere be on the march?
Go into any city you choose where
there are several congregations of the
Lord’s body and, if you enquire around,
you’ll find that in most cases one or
two of them are pushing ahead, making
some progress, while the others are
just coasting. Why must this be? Why
shouldn’t all of them be growing and
seeking to do more? Why aren’t more
of them on the march?
In the realm of real evangelism at
home and mission work abroad, you’ll
be surprised to find how few are doing
the work, while the majority are putting
very little of their budget and the
effort of their members on outreach
at home or abroad. Many brethren are
using the same reasoning that some of
our cities are using, and that is, “Spend
your money at home.” But even the
money spent at home is too often on
the building or some fellowship trip or
some other project for the benefit/entertainment
of those who are members.
Where is the outreach?
What is needed more than anything
in this world of lost souls is for the whole
church to be on the march — and yet it
is not enough just to be “on the march”.
Some are marching all right, but they are
going backward! The church needs to be
on the move, with vision and deliberate
purpose. Business meetings should be focused
on effective programs designed to
educate and motivate the church to reach
every home in their community/city,
and to be involved in reputable foreign
works. We need to be united in our commitment
to get the Gospel to our nation
and to every other nation under heaven.
What are some projects that
need to be developed?
u Organize a schedule of doorknocking
by the members to pass out
tracts, invite people to a Gospel meeting,
or kids to VBS, or to some other planned
activity of the church. Do this repeatedly
so the church becomes known.
u Have a class to train the members,
step-by-step, how to teach the
Gospel to individuals in home studies.
u Get permission to set up a display
on a monthly basis outside Walmart
or some other popular store, to offer
tracts, Bible courses, and home studies
to interested people who stop by.
u Make a list of all sick, elderly
and delinquent members, and set up
volunteer groups to make weekly visits
to those in need or who are absent from
the assembly.
u Involve the young people in
service projects for the community.
Continued on page 36

8 Global Harvest
Strengthening the Weak
The church
is present to some
extent in almost every
country of the
world, and that is
much different than
the situation just 50
years ago. About
that time, there was
a meeting of missionaries
sponsored
by the Sunset School
of Preaching, and
it was reported that
in approximately
100 countries of the
world, the church did not exist. Now the church exists in
every country of the world except for maybe one or two.
That is great news; however, we need to realize that in many
nations the church is extremely weak with possibly only a
very few congregations meeting. Even in countries in which
numerous congregations exist, many are often grouped together
in a relatively small geographical area, leaving large
portions of the population unevangelized. It seems that this
should lead one to conclude that we are devoting huge resources
in places in which the church is fairly strong while
devoting relatively small amounts in places where it is weak.
Notice just one example of the above situation. Churches
are aware that many people participate in mission trips to
Jerry and Paula Bates
Jerry and Paula Bates: Jerry attended Freed-Hardeman University and
Mississippi State University. After beginning preaching, he earned his MAR
from Harding Graduate School of Religion in Memphis, TN, and now holds
an M.DIV from Heritage Christian University. He has been preaching for 25
years, working with churches in Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
Since 2007 Jerry and Paula have been working with World Evangelism
in Winona, MS, associated with the late J.C. Choate and his wife, Betty. He
serves as Associate Editor of The Voice of Truth International, and Paula
also works daily in the office, serving as the bookkeeper. In addition to printing
and distributing vast amounts of literature, World Evangelism sponsors
many TV/radio programs and Bible schools, primarily in India. Jerry and
Paula make 3-4 mission trips each year, working with the TV speakers, Bible
schools, and national coworkers.
Jerry’s passion is teaching in Bible schools, and he also serves as instructor
in some Bear Valley Bible Institute’s extension schools. He has taught
courses in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Nepal, Myanmar, Viet Nam, and India.
India annually. We have talked with numerous short-term
missionaries, and with few exceptions, all go to the places
where the church is the strongest, namely the states of Andra
Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. While there is nothing wrong with
that, it would seem that a wise use of resources would be
to devote more time and effort to help the church in places
where she is the weakest rather than trying to help the church
in places where she is the strongest.
Within the last few years, we, personally, have become
increasingly involved in locations to which relatively few
missionaries travel. We continue involvement in the two
states mentioned, as we have since we began this work.
However, one of our co-workers, Philemon Rajah, travels
every weekend to various cities in India, conducting evangelism
seminars, often in places where the church is weak.
We continue to work in Manipur, a state in extreme northeast
India, bordering Myanmar. Several congregations exist in
A graduation of students of
JC School of Evangelism in Kochin, India
that predominately Baptist state, but they
are usually small and, unfortunately, do
not cooperate with other congregations
very much. We have been working with
Thang Lien and printing literature in
their language, as well as The Voice of
Truth, for the last 3 years. We have made
several personal visits there, but due to
the threat of violence within the last year
or so, Thang recommended that we not
come again until things calm down. The
situation is better now, so we have a visit
to Manipur in our future plans.
Within the last year, we have begun
a new work in the state of Maharashtra,
Continued on page 10

Global Harvest 9
Moving Ever Forward
Louis Rushmore
Since the last edition
of Global Harvest
magazine, I spent eight
weeks in four Asian
countries (Singapore,
Myanmar, Sri Lanka and
India) and five weeks in
Guyana, South America.
I have continued to publish
Gospel Gazette Online
monthly, now in its
18th consecutive year,
and I have continued to
participate in the quarterly
publication of The
Voice of Truth International.
I have hauled tons of Christian literature to a shipper
in Nashville for shipment to Guyana.
In addition to participating with others in the publication
of various books, I published three books of my own,
Christianity Explained and Preaching the Whole Counsel
of God to the Whole World, Vol. 1, and Biblical Diversity:
God’s View of the Roles of Men and Women. Call me
at 662-739-3035 or write to rushmore@gospelgazette.com
for prices and to place orders.
Louis Rushmore
Louis and Bonnie Rushmore accepted the invitation
to become World Evangelism team members in 2007,
and they moved to Winona, MS to participate in the dayto-day
operations.
Louis is Editor of Gospel Gazette Online, a monthly
Internet journal, and of The Voice of Truth International,
a quarterly Gospel magazine, and he writes for Global Harvest
magazine. He helps proofread all literature in production,
and assists with shipping and receiving. He has traveled
extensively stateside and abroad to teach the Gospel
and report on mission work. Foreign work includes Myanmar
(Burma), India, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Guyana.
The year 2013 was a celebratory one for the Rushmores.
July 14th they observed their 40th wedding anniversary.
October 20th Louis noted that he has been preaching
now for 40 years. Louis expects to continue with World
Evangelism alongside other team members in spite of the
tragic loss of Bonnie to pancreatic cancer in May of 2015.
Between these episodes, I traveled stateside through
several states, speaking at congregations and at the India
Mission Workshop. My travels took me through Mississippi,
Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio,
West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
One of the highlights of the intervening
months between the last issue of Global
Harvest and this one was cloud hopping
over the tropical jungles of Guyana
to remote villages where precious souls of
Christians and non-Christians truly thirst
for the Gospel of Christ. At least twice I
consciously thought to myself, “I’m having
the time of my life!” Once, I actually
flew over the top of a rainbow! How cool
is that? One antique, little plane in which
I flew a couple of times (considered the
BIG plane, holding seven people) provided
free face and foot washing. When
flying through rain clouds, water came in
around the window glass and got my face
wet, while more water came in around
the bottom of the door because of a missing
gasket and washed my feet. We could
count the numerous rivetless holes in the
aircraft to amuse ourselves inflight when
we weren’t sufficiently mesmerized by the
beautiful scenery. The GPS fastened to the
yoke of one of the little airplanes helped us
arrive at our far-flung destination.
Aside from the disappointments
and loneliness without my soul mate and
helpmeet, I know that I am wonderfully
Continued on page 26

10 Global Harvest
Strengthening the Weak
Continued from page 8
the state in which Mumbai is located.
We are now working with Amul Bansod
to translate The Voice of Truth in
the Marathi language. The first issue
has only recently been printed. Amul
is the co-director of the Aurangabad
Bible College. There are many congregations
in this state, yet few American
missionaries visit there.
Since Mumbai is a major city, it
has had the help of several Americans
throughout the years, but Aurangabad
is an hour’s flight outside of Mumbai,
and a different story can be told there.
The only American missionary that I
know who goes to this school and area
regularly is Russell Bell. Amul and the
other area preachers were so appreciative
that I would come there. In the
future we plan to visit again to encourage
them and, hopefully, The Voice of
Truth will be a great encouragement
and benefit to the church in this area.
We also regularly visit and work
with the Davids in Delhi and Earnest
Gill in Chandigarh, an hour’s flight
north of Delhi. The church is very weak
in the entire northern half of India; thus,
much work needs to be done in those
states. The World Evangelism team has
been printing literature in Hindi, the national
language of India, for many years,
and within the last 3 years we have begun
working with Earnest to translate
and print The Voice of Truth in Hindi.
In addition, he has translated and printed
some Bible correspondence courses and
other literature. The Davids have also
printed many tracts recently. All of this
literature has a wide distribution as these
brethren are well known throughout the
brotherhood in India.
Ernest also has been directing the
North India Bible College for several
years. This is the only school in the entire
northern half of India, as far as we
know. World Evangelism is currently
supplying the funds for the school so
that it can continue to operate.
For the last two years, we have
also made annual trips to Vietnam. Prior
to the Vietnam War, many congregations
of the Lord’s church existed there,
but as you might expect, after the Communists
took over the country, Christians
were greatly persecuted. Nevertheless,
many held on to their faith, but
the church is now
much weaker and
more scattered
than previously.
Few American
missionaries
travel to this
country to help
the church, and
we are glad to be
part of this small
group to work
in this neglected
country. We are forced to work somewhat
underground since the government
officially forbids Americans from meeting
with the Christian groups to teach
them. Nevertheless, we do, and usually
no problems come from it. The native
church leaders are hard workers and
travel extensively, meeting with various
church groups to encourage them.
Our mode of operation is to have
the church leaders with whom we work
to invite a group of interested individuals
to a hotel or rented house for 2-3
days of teaching. Most of them are
not New Testament Christians, so there
are many questions about basic Bible
teachings such as baptism. We feel this
is now an important part of our work,
again because few people travel to this
Communist country to encourage the
brethren there.
We are always conscious of the
fact that we need to use the Lord’s
money wisely. That means we should
endeavor to put it to use in places in
which it is most needed. That is often
difficult to determine; nevertheless,
we try to do that. It seems to us that a
wise use of funds is to help the church
in places where it is the weakest. We
hope to continue this approach and
trust that God will bless us as we seek
to serve Him. >
Church gathering
in Viet Nam
New Book!!!
Simple Sermons
that Teach
Jerry Bates
For prices and to order, call:
World Evangelism Publications
662-283-1192

Global Harvest 11
In Transition
Byron Nichols
J.C. Choate was in the midst of another
one of his dreams for the spreading
of the Gospel and the strengthening
of the Lord’s church. It was during
that time that I contacted him to discuss
mission work in general, and he
and Betty invited Gay and me to come
down to Winona, MS for a visit and to
discuss the subject.
Our visit wound up consisting
mostly of J.C.’s sharing his growing
desire to produce a magazine (probably
to be published quarterly) that would
be worldwide in scope. It would be
somewhat similar in size and in variety
of content to The Readers’ Digest. Its
definite purpose would be to provide
biblical teaching for people all over the
world, while also containing material
to assist in the growth and strength of
Christians and congregations here in
America. He already had a name for
this publication that was still unborn at
that time – it would be called The Voice
of Truth International.
I certainly didn’t know just how
all of that could or would come about,
but I quickly developed a real interest
in maybe having a part in such an undertaking.
Our meeting culminated in
the Choates inviting me to be the Managing
Editor of this new publication. I
called J. C. a few days later to let him
know of my appreciation for and acceptance
of that offer.
This all took place in 1991. Such
an undertaking required much preparation,
and the first issue became a reality
and started being distributed in May of
1993. We recently published the 89th
issue!
The magazine has been praised
by many, with a great deal of the credit
belonging to the outstanding writers
who have made the contents of every
issue so enlightening, encouraging, and
challenging, with the ever-present emphasis
on what the Bible says.
With the unfortunate passing of
J. C. in 2008, I was asked to assume
the role of Editor, which role I have had
until now.
A New Role
However, 25 years have passed
since 1991, and I have felt for some
time the need to better adapt my responsibilities
to be more in keeping
with my age and energy level.
I announced to our magazine
group in July that I would be retiring
from being the Editor, but that I would
continue in a lesser support role under
the title of Editor Emeritus. I will no
longer have any actual editorial responsibility,
but I will still be writing an editorial
article for each new issue, as well
as continuing to work with our supporters
in our geographical area (MO, AR,
KS, OK, primarily), as well as assisting
in a variety of office-related matters.
The Voice of Truth International
is still a vital source of spiritual
enhancement for millions of people
all across America and in many other
countries around the world. I am convinced
that heaven will be populated
with a great many souls who were
changed eternally by being exposed to
this gospel literature. They will have
learned and obeyed the truth as a result
of having read page after page of
this educational and uplifting publication
which consistently pointed them to
God’s inspired Word. >
From the staff of The Voice of
Truth International, we express
our heartfelt appreciation to
Byron and Gay for their years
of dedicated service in the production
of our quarterly magazine.
Many souls have been
touched as a result, and eternity
will show an enlarged picture
of their work! God bless
our brother and sister richly!
Messages of Truth
Byron Nichols
call
662-283-1192
or
417-823-4918.
An excellent
book to share
with a friend
who is not a
Christian.
Many of the articles for the monthly
magazines published in India are
drawn from the pages of The Voice
of Truth International.

12 Global Harvest
Available NOW! Full-color, pocket-sized, tri-fold tracts on 109 topics, written
in old-time Gospel clarity. Call 662-283-1192 for a list of the titles and to
place your order.
These conveniently-sized
tools will be helpful for outreach
and for strengthening
J.C. Choate
young Christians. Our special
price is only fifteen cents
each, or $7.00 for 50, plus
postage.
J.C. Choate
We are thrilled with the increasing use of the
tracts we have printed, in English, and in a growing
number of languages overseas. In addition to
the original 76, these new titles have been added:
seven studies by Louis Rushmore:
u The Foreknowledge of God Explained
u What About Instrumental Music in
Christian Worship?
u The New Testament Church Is Divine in
Organization
u Did Dinosaurs Really Exist?
u To Drink or Not to Drink?
u The Nuts and Bolts of Pornography
u Foul Language
one tract by Ron Williams:
u When Families Deal with Grief and Loss
these new titles by Jerry Bates:
u Will a Man Rob God?
u How to Study God’s Word
and these by Betty Burton Choate:
u Training Children in Obedience
u Training Children in Disobedience
u Satan — Do You Recognize Him?
u Fig Leaves Are Back in Style!
u How Do We Approach God?
u The Heavens Declare
u The Wrath of God
u The 21st Century Holocaust
u Doubts and Fears: Satan’s Challenge
u Women’s Liberation or Exploitation of Women?
u Where Grace and Mercy End
u Why Did God Do This to Me?
u True Science? It Follows a Known Path!
u He Lifted Up His Eyes
u How Do I Wear Christ?
u What Does Prayer Accomplish?
u The Soul and Its God
u In a Time of Persecution, Can I Endure?
u To Whom and Through Whom?
It is our intention to continue to add to the titles
we offer. Many churches are ordering these handysized,
succinct, and biblically-sound tracts.
We encourage you to order a set for $20, or bundles
of a single title at $2.50 for 25. Call 662-283-1192,
or order online at www.gospelgazette.com.

Global Harvest 13
Maywood
Missionary Retreat
Plan to Come Next Year!
ANNUAL MISSONARY RETREAT 2016
The 10th Annual Missionary Retreat was held April
28-30, 2016 at Camp Maywood in Hamilton, AL. The
event was attended by participants and speakers representing
mission work on five continents. Presentations
were made by Dr. Ed Gallagher, Gordon Hogan,
Robert Martin, James Jones, Dr. Jeremy Barrier, Wayne
Kilpatrick and P.R. Swamy. Panel discussions were
led by Joey Barrier, Dennis Larson, Jerry Bates, and
Wayne Barrier. Pam Fleming was the speaker for the
ladies session. World Evangelism Publications provided
hundreds of missions books at no charge to participants.
World Evangelism, and the Double Springs
and Clifton, Tennessee congregations provided meals.
The Heritage Christian University Center for Missions
Training and Information helped with event planning,
and about 15 HCU students attended.
This retreat provides an excellent opportunity for missionaries
and supporters to meet, discuss work, gather information,
and relax. Plan to attend next year, May 4-6,
2017. For more information and for reservations, contact
Janet Barrier
at 256.766.2807,
256.627.6495, or
janetbarrier@
gmail.com, wbarrier@hiwaay.net
or Joey Barrier at
256.577.6999, joeybarrier@comcast.net. >
Hey!
How would you like to give away
a million dollars?
It’s fake, of course (Uncle Sam hasn’t started printing
million dollar bills YET) but God’s plan of salvation on
the back is real. This is an eye-catching little tract.
35 cents each;
$30 for 100.
Call 662-283-1192
email: Choate@
WorldEvangelism.
org

14 Global Harvest
World Evangelism School of Missions
Heritage Christian University recently
formed a new program that will provide
training and information for individuals interested
in mission work.
The World Evangelism School of Missions
(WESM) was developed during the last two years of J.C.
Choate’s life to incorporate his experience into a training
program for missionaries. In addition to J.C., the input of
over a dozen other long-term missionaries was included.
After many hours of discussion, planning, prayer, and fellowship,
the WESM completed the textbook/curriculum
called the “Mission Training Manual.”
Over the next two years (2008-2010), we used this
material to train missionaries, using J.C. and Betty’s workspace
in Winona, MS. Soon after graduating our first batch
of students, we took the school on the road and trained young
missionaries at Double Springs, Killen, Madison, and other
locations. In 2014 Heritage Christian University launched
the Center for Mission Training and Information (CMTI)
in an effort to better equip their students for missions. We
chose to use the WESM curriculum for the CMTI. Since
the fall of 2014, we have now successfully completed the entire
curriculum. We have hosted eight seminars, two forums
(China Missions, and Training Youth for Missions) and
two retreats at the Maywood Christian Camp.
After presenting a certificate of completion to 8 students,
CMTI is all set to begin another two-year training
period. The first two seminars will be held on August 30,
and September 20, with the Burma Missions Forum taking
Participants in the discussion panel for the seminar.
Lest We Forget
Dr. Philip Slate has worked diligently to bring together the
mini-biographies of brave missionaries of the early Twentieth
Century. These men and women — 84 of them — are
pictured in the collage shown on the front cover of his book.
Anyone, reading the book, will be
humbled by the courage and faith
of these Christians who blazed the
trail for those of us who would follow
them.
Lest We Forget is affordably
priced at $8.00 per copy and can be
ordered from World Evangelism,
P.O. Box 72, Winona, MS 38967;
Phone: 662-283-1192.
place on November 14-16, 2016. In the Spring of 2017, we
will have seminars in January
and February (Dates
TBA) with the Missionary
Retreat taking place
at the Beautiful Earle
Trent Assembly Camp
near Florence, AL. If you
are interested in attending
or participating in any of
these seminars, forums,
and retreats please contact
me. >
Joey Barrier:
joeybarrier@comcast.net,
wbarrier@hiwaay.net, or
(256)577-6999.

Global Harvest 15
Apologetics Press has been
conducting summer camps for
six years.
The camps have become one of
AP’s most effective tools in the promotion
of the cause of Christ and the
defense of the Christian faith. They
provide a tremendous means of insulating
the young against the onslaught
of unbelief and secularism assaulting
American society. They stimulate spiritual
growth. They foster new friendships
that enable young people to have
a network of individuals who are also
trying to purify their lives and live for
Christ. Quite frankly, we at AP have
been pleasantly surprised and thrilled
that the camps have been so successful
in achieving noble spiritual goals.
A mother recently related an incident
that serves as a good example
of the growing popularity and extent
to which young people have come to
appreciate AP camp. She and her husband
loaded their two girls into the car,
informing the girls that once they got
on the road, they would divulge their
destination as a surprise. When the
time came to tell the girls, the mother,
who was sitting in the front seat of the
car, adjusted herself so that she could
turn on her video camera and record the
girls’ reaction to the announcement that
the parents were taking them to Disney
World. Upon hearing the news, one of
the girls responded: “You mean we’re
going to miss AP camp?” Both girls
began to cry!
The next two weeks of camp are
slated for June 2017. Week 1 will focus
Apologetics Press
Successful AP Summer Camps
Dave Miller
on “The Reliability of the Bible” and
Week 2 on “Creation vs. Evolution.” If
you want your children to experience
an outstanding summer camp, to be
strengthened spiritually, and to be exposed
to quality Christian young people
and adults, you might want to consider
enrolling them for one of AP’s Christian
Evidences Summer Camps. >
We also offer
CDs and DVDs
dealing with
evidences of
creation, the
reliability of
Scripture, the
deity of Christ,
and many other
important topics. Call us at 800-
234-8558 or email to mail@ApologeticsPress.org
for orders.
www.Apologetics Press.org
Welcome to the Apologetics Press Bible Class Curriculum
For many years, members of the
Lord’s Church have been looking for an
informative, engaging, biblically sound
Bible school curriculum that is flexible
and can be adapted to any size congregation.
The Apologetics Press curriculum,
Exploring God’s Word, is just
such a tool. It has been developed by
highly qualified individuals who have
invested countless hours in its production.
We think you will find this to be
one of the most unique, effective Bible
school curricula available anywhere.
In addition, Exploring God’s
Word is unique in that it is an on-line
curriculum. Since it is on-line, it can
be viewed, downloaded, and printed
by anyone with an Internet connection
anywhere in the world. Also, the
bulk of the curriculum is absolutely
free! All the material for two-year-olds
through fourth grade is completely free.
The only part of the curriculum that
needs to be purchased is the material
for fifth and sixth grades. Furthermore,
Exploring God’s Word is an open system
curriculum and will be constantly
improved as more congregations use it
and offer their input.
Exploring God’s Word has already
been used to influence thousands
of children all over the world. Check it
out. See what it can do for your congregation.
We think you will discover that
using this curriculum will be one of the
best decisions your congregation made
for your children. >
www.Apologetics Press.org

16 Global Harvest
Around
the World
in 100 Days!
Betty Burton Choate
This is your special invitation to come
along with me re-living a three-month mission
trip, teaching 81 ladies’ classes in 27 locations!
What an exciting thing it was to be
with so many Christians in so many places!
[For most of the photos, I have not put a
caption because the surrounding text provides
the identification and explanation.]
Scripture: “...angels... “Are they
not all ministering spirits sent forth to
minister for those who will inherit salvation?”
(Hebrews 1:14). “...and, lo, I am
with you always, even to the end of the
age” (Matthew 28:20).
These promises are always my spiritual
strength, as I am walking forward by
faith, while I can look back on the past by
sight, seeing all that God has done:
The trip began on February 9th with
a short visit with my granddaughter, Erin,
daughter of Steve and Melinda, who is
working in Florence, Italy with the Avanti
Italia program of the College Church in
Searcy, AR, teaching English using the
Bible. Part of each day for Erin was taken
up with training classes and part with her
students, but we enjoyed the evening hours
together. This is her first time to be away
from home and family, and I am very proud
of her for the decision to work in a mission
program in a foreign country for the next
two years.
Half of February and most of March
were spent in India, then I flew to Sri
Lanka, to Yangon, Myanmar (Burma), on
to New Zealand and finally to Tasmania in
Australia. The stay in most places in India
was four days — two days of classes with
a travel day before and after, so it was a
whirlwind — but what a joy to be again in
each place with spiritual family with whom
we have been working, via radio, TV, literature,
and meetings since 1967! Of
course, some of those original co-workers
have passed on to Paradise, along with J.C.,
but we have continued the connection with
second generation Christians and even with
third generations in some cases.
I was so encouraged to see the numerical
and spiritual growth of the church
in each place. When we came to the subcontinent
in 1967, there was no church in
Colombo or in New Delhi, and churches in
other parts of India were no more than three
or four years old. To see courses in leadership
training resulting in elders and deacons
being appointed, and to see the work
of graduates of the Bible training schools,
confirms the fact that we have passed beyond
the infancy of the Lord’s body in that
part of the world! That is a thrilling thing
for these old eyes to have lived to see!
In contrast, in talking with various
ones with whom I have stayed — some
local people particularly in the “western”
cultures, and some Americans who are missionaries
— I have been saddened to know
of family members who are not part of the
church and are living disastrous lives, or of
family members who were once Christians
but who have left the faith and are now living
worldly, broken lives of sin, divorce,
and grief. We know that much of the population
of the world — though having access
to God’s Word, if they want it — have
had no direct contact with a Christian who
could teach them personally, and that is
sad. It is even more sad when brothers and
sisters or sons and daughters of Christians
had the continual opportunity to learn the
Truth but never accepted that better way of
life. Most tragic of all are the cases where
souls have been among the tiny percentage
of the world’s population to know God as
Father, and yet have run away from Home
as prodigal sons and daughters. I don’t understand
how such a thing can happen. My
heart bleeds for them and for their loved
ones who continually cry inside from the
pain of the tragedy but can do nothing
about it.
Looking around at what is happening
too often to children and family members of
Christians, I feel the urgency to say, “Parents,
make it the primary focus of your
days to lovingly and firmly ground your
children in the truths of God’s Word, giving
them a strong foundation on which to
build their lives and their marriages. Too
many of the young adults of today evidently
were not sufficiently taught, and
so they married outside the church and
left the faith, or they drifted into unfaithfulness
when they left home. The time to
make sure they have a strong relationship
with God, knowing who we are and why
we are left in this broken world to be the
light of Christ, is quickly flying away —
Continued on page 17

Global Harvest 17
Around the World in 100 Days!
Continued from page 16
don’t be one of those parents who realize
too late that your busyness with life got
in the way of the spiritual priorities you
should have exampled to those little souls
you brought into the world.”
And, yes, I know that sometimes in
spite of all the teaching and exemplary living
those parents did, the adult children
made their own choice — sometimes the
wrong choice — and that is a tragedy for
all the hearts and souls involved.
India
Chandigarh
Hugging Erin goodbye, I landed next at
the new, huge airport in New Delhi and was
greeted by Sunny David, longtime co-worker
there. The following morning, Francis
and Elsy David, and their son, Vinay, and I
boarded a train for Chandigarh, the capital of
the Punjab state, and home of Earnest and
Benu Gill. Earnest has the North India Bible
School, and we were participating in a threeevent
weekend: their annual lectureship, the
graduation of students from the school, and
the planned ladies’ classes, with Benu translating
for my lessons. About 150 attended the
lectureship, with Christians from numerous
states throughout the country, and Russell
Bell and John O’Neil from the U.S. The lectures
were excellent, as was the fellowship.
On Friday evening we had a class in
the home of one of the local Christians, attended
by some who were not members
of the Lord’s church. I taught a “pretend”
lesson, asking them to follow along with
the prophets as they were speaking about
the coming kingdom, and then through the
Scriptures with John the Baptist, Christ, and
the greatness of the event unfolding on the
Day of Pentecost when those who cried out,
“What must we do?” were baptized, and
three thousand became the beginning of that
new kingdom — the church. I concluded, of
course, with the application that when we
understand the Gospel today and
learn about the Lord’s church, and
we ask “What must we do?” we
have the same answer: “Repent,
and let every one of you be baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins; and you
shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
We had classes with translation
Saturday and on Sunday afternoon,
attended by all the ladies
who had come for the lectureship.
Then we were compelled to stay over
because of riots in the southern
part of the state, with the burning
of shops, vehicles, and buses.
Damage to the highway and
railway cut off departure routes
for most who had come to the
lectures. I couldn’t help but
think that Satan was sure he was
wreaking havoc on our program
but God must have been enjoying
the joke on the devil, instead,
because our response was to
have two more days of beneficial
classes for the women,
as well as for the men!
New Delhi
The crisis passed, we went by
hired car to Delhi, a lengthy drive
which put us there too late for the
class that had been proposed for
that evening. I was dropped off at
Sunny’s and Nargis’ house, excited
to be with the Christians in
Delhi again.
Since no classes were scheduled
for Thursday, Sunny volunteered
to drive me around in Delhi,
the capital of the country, with
a population of 18.7 million people. India,
itself, now boasts the largest population
in the world, with about 1.4 billion souls.
You would have to experience the traffic
in Delhi to know the courage it takes to
drive there! Bumper-to-bumper traffic,
five vehicles abreast on three-lane streets,
cars easing into ongoing traffic from every
direction, continual honking... Yet,
somehow it jostles along!
Friday and Saturday were devoted to
the classes at the church building at C.R.
Park, two hours in the morning, lunch, and
another two hours in the afternoon, with
50-60 in attendance. Worship on Sunday
was a privilege, hearing the lessons delivered
by men we have known and loved for
decades. Afterwards there was a good time
of fellowship and picture taking.
Vishakapatnam and
Skinner’s Garden
I had asked that no gifts be given but
no one listened! As you can see from the
Continued on page 18

18 Global Harvest
Around the World in 100 Days!
Continued from page 17
picture, those garlands of fragrant flowers
can get heavy! The people of India have
very giving hearts.
There was sadness in leaving our “Indian
home” in Delhi on Monday, and flying
to Visakhapatnam for the program there.
Jerry Bates, our co-worker, teaches classes
each year at the Visakha Bible College, a
Bear Valley School extension in India. Ladies’
classes were arranged for churches in
that area as well as at the location of Skinner’s
Garden, an orphanage developed by
the Ivan Skinner family. Women who work
there with the children are often Christian
widows who have no family and no means
of support, so the home serves two very
valuable purposes. John Dean Muppudi
works with both of these programs.
Kakinada
John Dean drove me to Kakinada to be
with the Joshua Gootams and the church
there for five days. We had ladies’ classes,
morning and afternoon, with more than 300
attending from several congregations in the
general area. The following day we went
to a village called Balabadhrapuram where
we also had classes. On the way back to
Kakinada we stopped at the TV studio
where some of the programs are recorded
and from which a new series is transmitted
locally. Using World Evangelism funds,
the nominal cost for 6 months of programming
was paid. The owner of the studio is a
member of the church.
Joshua Gootam’s wife — Kabita —
developed an infection early in March, and,
within a month she went from normal health
to being in the hospital almost at the point
of death. We visited her the evening of my
arrival, and she was so weak she could not
even lift an arm because the muscles had
just quit working. The day I left Kakinada
she came home, walking with the aid of a
walker and much improved from a few
days earlier when we had visited a second
time. She continues to recover and is having
therapy to restore her strength. Please
be praying for her. She is a dedicated coworker
with her family, being the one who
translates materials into the Oriya language
for printing.
Ricky Gootam drove me to the airport
at Rajamundry to catch a flight to Chennai
on the 9th of March. Rajanayagam and
Rachel, from Kangayam, picked me up
and took me to a hotel. The following day
we had classes in Chennai with an attendance
of more than 200 from 20 congregations
in the area.
JC School of Evangelism
On the 11th Philemon Rajah and his
son-in-law, Kingsly, made the connection
and took me to Vidyanagar in the state of
Andhra Pradesh. For more than a year Philemon
has been going there once a month
for two days of classes and to work with
the JC School of Evangelism. In this excellent
program, conducted in three or four
locations each month, for eighteen months,
men and women in churches are trained
in outreach, doorknocking, personal Bible
studies, studies of foundational lessons
to equip the students to teach others, and
ultimately in a concern for everything involved
with the welfare of the local congregation.
The following is a report made
by Vijay, the preacher at Vidyanagar:
“Last week, Saturday and Sunday,
brother Philemon was with us at Vidyanagar
for the J.C.School of Evangelism.
There are only 4 months left before the
graduation, so we motivate all the students
to do the field work. Last Saturday we visited
one village called Poolathotamitta. We
knocked the doors and distributed tracts.
In the evening brother Philemon preached
concerning the young people, how they
need to behave in order to honor and glorify
our good Father in heaven. In every way
the school is a great blessing for the progress
of our local church.
We have seen these results so far:
1. Last 3 months we have baptized 10 souls.
2. There is much improvement in our
church collections.
3. Members are motivated to build toilet
rooms for the local church.
4. Members are following punctuality.
5. Members are attending to the church
programs without missing.
6. Members are sharing the good news and
bringing new people for worship.
7. Members have printed about 2000 tracts
with local church money.
8. Three families are dedicated to start
after-school care centres at 3 villages.
9. Some young men have dedicated to visit
villages and preach the Gospel.
10. As a preacher’s family, JC School is of
a great encouragement.
Continued on page 19

Global Harvest 19
Continued from page 18
We are thankful to brother Philemon for
traveling to our village and conducting this
training school, we appreciate his good talents
in teaching and exhortation.
Madurai Programs
In addition to the more serious lesssons,
we did have some fun and questionand-answer
times. After worship at the
Arasaradi church in Madurai on the 13th of
March, the ladies (app. 70) were interested
in hearing something about my earlier
Around the World in 100 Days!
I also told them about beginning the
Lord’s church in Karachi, Pakistan; Colombo,
Sri Lanka; and New Delhi; what it was
like to be the only Christians in those places,
and how much we learned of God’s providential
care through those walks by faith.
And, as in every stop, there was the curiosity
about “the hair”! (People continually
amaze me!) I assured them that it is MY
hair, not a wig; it is MY color; and I fix it
myself, saving a ton of beauty shop money
because I never go to one for anything!
Monday (10 AM to 2 PM) was the day
planned by Arasaradi, Othakadai, and Tiruvathavoor
churches for the Bible seminar.
Some 85 gathered and listened attentively
to the lessons, translated by Beverly Kingsly.
The participants were from 5 congregations
in Madurai city and 4 congregations
from other cities. Most of those ladies had
completed the evangelism course through
the J.C.School of Evangelism, so the lessons
added to their training for work.
The next day, in the evening, we had a
Bible camp for Blind people with some 65
participating and receiving Braille literature:
The Braille edition of The Voice of Truth in
Tamil and English languages, Seekers Bible
years of work among the blind people more
than 500 have obeyed the Gospel, resulting
in new congregations. Through the support
of the World Evangelism Team and funds,
they work with these visually challenged
souls. Philemon is one of the few I know of
in churches of Christ who are trying to bring
the Gospel to these to-be-pitied people.
Beverly thought I needed to see the
huge Hindu temple around which the city
of Madurai developed, so we made the tour.
Before leaving, there was an evening procession
of a “holy” cow, two “holy elephants”
(Ganesh is the name of the elephant god),
and some “holy” men. Of course, people
were bowing with their faces to the ground
before the idols.
years, so I told them of J.C.’s and my wedding,
what an elaborate thing it was! We
had no formal engagement, no “wedding”
clothes, and the ceremony took place in the
living room of Gene Thornton, the preacher
who had baptized J.C. My parents had
signed for me for the license (because I was
the ripe old age of 15), and they also served
as our witnesses. We even temporarily borrowed
Mother’s wedding ring, because we
had not bought any. J.C. was 23, and he
joked that he would have to raise me before
we could have any children! One reason I
wanted to share the story was because most
Indians follow the local culture and go into
great debt for a spectacular show. I encouraged
them to develop a “Christian culture”,
and to be reasonable about the “ceremony”,
avoiding crippling indebtedness.
Lessons in Braille in both languages, and
also an Audio Bible. Every month Philemon
and his folks meet with 60 to 80 blind people
in different cities and states of India, providing
Braille literature and also the MP3 Bible
devices to those who are interested. In every
meeting the Gospel is taught, and during his
god, made in
China, because
the manufacturing
is cheaper
there??? Humans
are pathetic!
Continued on page 20
As the Jews had
done in Jesus’ time,
making merchandise
of the Temple, many
things can be purchased
in the Madurai
temple, including
small idols for home
shrines. Do you see
what was printed on
the bottom of one that
I picked up? “Made in
China”. How would
you like to worship a

20 Global Harvest
Continued from page 19
Batlagundu
On the 16th of March Arjunan and Glory
picked me up from Madurai and brought
me to Batlagundu where classes were planned
for the next day. Sixty-one women gathered
from six districts for classes in two two-hour
sessions. After the meeting two ladies wanted
to be baptized, so Arjunan taught them more
to be sure they understood everything, and
then they were baptized.
A little girl was sitting on her mother’s
lap during the classes, and she kept smiling at
me. However, when I approached her afterwards
and she was not in the security of her
mother’s arms, she began to scream hysterically.
Later, I bought a toy for her, hoping to
ease her fear of the “foreign white lady”, and,
sure enough, when Glory and I went to her
home it did the trick! Her mother is a Hindu
but she is coming to the worship meetings
and studying privately with Glory.
On the way to Batlagundu from Theni
we visited two students in their Horticulture
College and had tea there; one of
them is a member of the church. Many students
surrounded us and I had opportunity
to share some basic Gospel truths. It was
a wonderful visit and I hope Arjunan can
have future studies with them.
On the 19th we went to Namakkal.
About 160 women gathered for the ladies’
Around the World in 100 Days!
meeting, and four wanted to be baptized.
Brother Paulraj, the preacher there, taught
them further and they were baptized the next
Sunday. Following the morning class we had
lunch and then Arjunan had a class for 30
brothers who came from 14 congregations,
while I had an afternoon session with the ladies.
Afterwards, we left for Kangayam and
reached Rajanayagam’s place in the night.
Kangayam
As mentioned earlier, Rajanayagam
had arranged classes in Chennai with sisters
from numerous congregations in that area.
Coming on over to Kangayam, we went first
to Erode where about 100 ladies gathered,
and then the next day there were classes
with the sisters in the church in Kangayam.
The proposed bride for Rajanayagam’s son,
Abel, was with us over the weekend and I
was thrilled to have some lengthy studies
with her, strengthening the studies she and
Abel have been having. Praisey and I continue
to be in contact via email.
Rajayanagam and the Kangayam
church organized the annual Bible camp,
number 19 this year! This is what he has
written:
“We had around 550 people from various
parts of Tamil Nadu and other neighboring
states representing about 60 congregations
and there were at least 100
more than last year. We had 12 lessons for
mixed gathering and 3 each lessons for the
split groups, and the participants enjoyed
them very well. We had separate class for
TV viewers and Magazine readers, and after
that class 5 obeyed the gospel.”
In the Kangayam church facilities
an elementary school is operated, giving
many students the basic Bible knowledge
that will impact them throughout life.
Rachael insisted that they give me a
new sari, so the last evening with them we
went to a sari shop in a big mall. Can you
imagine my difficulty choosing among so
many offerings as pictured here????
Trivandrum
I traveled by train to Trivandrum and
was met by P.K. Varaghese and Thankam.
We drove by Kovalam Beach in the afternoon,
seeing some of the area that lies on
the southwestern tip of India. The next day
at the Kovalam church building we had a ladies’
session from 10 AM to 2 PM and had
lunch together. Pretty (Vargheses’ daughter)
Continued on page 21

Global Harvest 21
Continued from page 20
translated, doing a very professional job of
what seems to me would be most difficult. I
am thankful that, throughout the trip, within
the church there have been competent translators
in each situation.
On the 25th we had a ladies program
at Trivandrum city, with 45 attending, and
again, classes were from 10 AM to 2 PM.
From there we went to Kochi and had
classes. Thirty-five attended, and Silpa
(the preacher’s daughter) translated. On
Sunday we attended worship services at
Kovalam (8 AM) and had two baptisms. At
Trivandrum we worshiped at 10 AM and
had a study in the afternoon, and then I answered
some of ladies’ questions.
[Sadly, I lost my diary on the last plane
flight, so I asked the ladies who had arranged
the classes to write me the details,
to be sure that my report to you would be
accurate. I have quoted from some.]
Around the World in 100 Days!
Myanmar
Yangon
I flew from Colombo to Yangon, Myanmar
on the 4th of April and was thrilled to
see Winsome Vertannes waiting for me at
the exit. The sad thing was the absence of
Sheila, her mother, who died suddenly the
day I left the States on this extended trip.
Throughout the time there, part of me kept
waiting for Sheila to come, and I am sure
Winsome is dealing with the same expectancy.
We talked deeply several times, so I
believe that my being there was some comfort
in her grief.
The spring session of the twice-yearly
Hmawbi Bible School was in progress, so
I taught classes for four days. In addition
to the planned lessons, I made an observation
and an important suggestion: Most of
the students in the schools are young people,
many of them still single. In a country
where the church is relatively young,
and the congregations are small, finding a
Christian mate can be a real challenge. So
I said someone needs to be responsible for
circulating a record of all who attend the
classes, so that a “Marriage Service” can be
developed! Isn’t that a good idea??? They
thought so!
Sri Lanka
Colombo, from Lilani Thomas
Dearest Betty, once again let me thank
you for keeping your promise to me to visit
Sri Lanka in 2016, and my added happiness
of you arriving right on my birthday, 28th
March! Your coming meant more to me so
I did not bother to get a birthday cake! Ha.
It was a wonderful week of spending time
with you. As always from the time I was six
years old you have been there for me, and
now that I am half a century young (could
you believe it?), I STILL NEED YOU!
I did not organize more classes, simply
because I needed you for myself, to hear the
challenges we face and to talk through them
with me. Thank you for all you have done to
help. I have been selfish, I am sorry.
On the 2nd we had the ladies class in
Wennappuwa, 45 km from Colombo. It took
us about 2 hours to travel with our Colombo
congregation, all travelling together, men included.
( As always they did not want to be
left behind.) We ladies met at the preacher’s
home and the men at the church building.
There were about 25 ladies for the class, and
Julia did the translation. It was a wonderful
session of learning. Couple of hours later,
the men joined us and we had a scrumptious
lunch. No one was making a move to leave
so the fellowship lasted the rest of the afternoon.
It was such a wonderful occasion with
the two congregations present.
The 3rd was the Lord’s Day. Harold
did the lesson, speaking about the history
of USA and of Sri Lanka and Israel, how Israel
had Jesus 2000 years ago, and of the
church’s development in the USA and Sri
Lanka. We have so much to be thankful for,
that you and brother J.C. and other American
Christians brought the Gospel to us!
On the 4th all good things came to an
end... [Harold and Lilani Thomas]
Below is a picture of Glen, the son of
a Christian in the northern
part of Sri Lanka.
He was in an accident
about three years ago
and wound up in the
hospital in Colombo, in
danger of having his leg
amputated because gangreen
had set up. Lilani
is very good about giving
attention to
patients in critical
condition,
and she was so
helpful that others
— in and
out at the hospital
— noticed
her service. The
end result has
been that studies
were developed and a new family was
converted to Christ. They, in turn, have
brought their friends, who have also become
Christians. I was so happy to see the growth
of the church and the zealous involvement
of those who have come on the scene since
I was there last!
During the course of the five-week
school, two of the ladies and six of the
Continued on page 22

22 Global Harvest
Continued from page 21
young men obeyed the Gospel. The students
come from congregations scattered
throughout the country, so these converts
will be added strength when they go home.
In addition to worshiping on the Lord’s
Day morning with the church that meets in
Winsome’s home, on Sunday evening we
went to Esther’s house, sister of Gertrude
[and George] Achard. Another church
Around the World in 100 Days!
Left to Right: Philip, Nsian Thang, Esther, Betty, and Winsome
meets with U Kyaw Sein near Hmawbi,
and there is a church in Jayati’s area of
Yangon. The picture has changed greatly
in the years since the Vertannes were
converted. We and the Wayne Barriers
learned of churches that had been begun
through the sharing of our literature across
the border from Christians in northeast India.
The Bible school was started and now
there are many congregations throughout
the country, and effective work is being
done in China by Burmese Christians
crossing the border and teaching there.
One of the exciting things about the
visits with the churches and Christians with
whom we have worked for decades in India,
Sri Lanka, and Myanmar was seeing the
numerical and spiritual growth. That’s what
the work is all about,
and it is a success
story!
New
Zealand
Auckland
From Hephziba,
who organized
the classes
in the Auckland
area. “It’s all
glory and praises to
our Father in Heaven
for granting an opportunity
to hear lessons so well presented.
We were determined to learn as much as we
could within our time frame. Sisters from
our neighbouring congregations also attended.
It was most edifying to hear the lessons
presented so well and with wisdom of God’s
Word that we are still discussing them in our
classes. We are going through it as we have
our young Christian sister who is enthusiastically
keen to know more of the Eternal
Sacrifice lesson. May YHWH richly bless
you, and we look forward to seeing you
again as we endeavour to serve Him.”
New Plymouth
From Juricz Blackman who organized
the classes in New Plymouth:
“Thank you so very very very
much for spending time with us here. It was
such a massive boost for our spirits and our
faith. Your incredible heart comes through
so powerfully when we hear you face-toface.
May God continue to give you great
health so you can raise us up to a higher
level in Christ.
Continued on page 23
Auckland,
New Zealand class
Jayathi showing “the little orange
book” [The Church of the Bible, by
J.C.], translated into Lisu.
New Plymouth,
New Zealand class

Global Harvest 23
Continued from page 22
“In our first class you taught the lesson
on Jesus Christ the Eternal Sacrifice.
Those of us who had heard this years ago
were totally changed, then, in our spiritual
lives. We were never the same after that, in
the most positive way possible. Those who
hadn’t heard this before were blown away
and deeply moved. The enormity of God’s
sacrifice never stops touching hearts that
love Him.
“You also taught on the applications
of this understanding, being the core of everything
in our Christian life. In addition,
you taught on other questions the ladies requested,
with great effectiveness, borne of
great experience and — obvious to all —
from the deepest love for God.
“The ladies enjoyed you so much they
kept asking for more and more classes, so
we changed the whole programme to make
sure we gave precedence to your wisdom.
Although it was with sadness we bade you
farewell, yet also with much joy, knowing
that we are never really apart. In spirit and
in front of the throne, we will always join
hands and hearts, to lift up His name.”
Palmerston North
From Rachael O’Donnell who
organized the classes in Palmerston
North: “We had so much fun
and the time you spent here was so amazing
and helpful! You arrived on Tuesday
afternoon, attended the regular Bible class
with us that night. You then taught 3 classes
on Wednesday, ‘Dealing with Depression’
at 10, shared lunch with the ladies, 1 PM,
taught on your life and work in India. After
Palmerston North class
Around the World in 100 Days!
dinner you taught about Jesus Christ the
Eternal Sacrifice.
“Thursday saw Christi, you and myself
(and the kids☺ ) cooking all morning
and we had about 45 people (ladies with
husbands and children) come and enjoy a
traditional Indian dinner in the evening. In
the afternoon you were able to speak privately
with 3 different ladies, helping them
with struggles or problems they were experiencing.
Friday morning we travelled to
Foxton, NZ and you spoke on Depression
and the Eternal Sacrifice to those ladies.
After lunch I took you down to Wellington
and dropped you off with Jeanette Raine.
We were so glad you were able to make
time to spend with us.”
Wellington
From Kristie Mosher in Wellington:
“Our ladies’ day was on the 23rd of
April, and you spoke on Jesus Christ the
Eternal Sacrifice. We had about 20 in attendance.
On Sunday morning you worshiped
with the Wellington congregation, and Sunday
evening with the Porirua congregation.
Monday (the 25th) lunch we had a congregational
potluck at our house. We loved getting
to know you. You remind me so much
of my great grandmother, so your presence
was especially enjoyed.”
Transformed: a beautiful account
of conversion written by
Lance Mosher and published by
World Video Bible School.
Order from www.wvbs.org
Tasmania
Hobart
The time in Hobart with Dennis and
Shirley Gresham and the Lindisfarne and
Eastern Shore churches was good in many
ways, including being restful! As it turned
out, the annual lectures at Eastern Shore were
scheduled for the same time I was to be there
so we had fewer classes than anticipated, but
also I was able to attend most of the lectures.
Christians were there from 14 congregations,
some from the island/state, Tasmania, and
some from the mainland of Australia.
In addition to the classes and lectures,
the Greshams were gracious hosts, taking
me to the MONA Museum, to a wildlife preserve
(with kangaroos and Tasmanian Devils!),
down to the Port Arthur Historical site
and Tasman peninsula, including the world
renowned Tessellated [tasserated] Pavement,
the Tasman arch, and Devil’s Kitchen.
Well, that covers all the stops [27 different
places] and the classes that were taught
[81]. In looking back at the pictures I made,
I admit that I was so focused on the lessons
I was teaching at the moment that I usually
failed to make photographs of the groups in
attendance. Sorry about that!
I am continually asked, “How was your
trip?” and I have to answer that only God
could have made it so
perfect! There are not
words to express my
gratitude to each one
of you who gave funds
to underwrite the cost
of the travels and the
work along the way;
nor are there words to
express my gratitude to
the loving brothers and
sisters in each place
who arranged all the
classes and took such
loving care of me. I
thank God to be in this
Family... Love to each
one of you! Betty >
Display of copies of The Voice of Truth
International in the foyer of the Eastern
Shores building.in Hobart, Australia.

24 Global Harvest
Ronnie Crocker
June has come and gone quickly.
So many good things have happened
since our last report. Here are two major
developments:
1. Our Bar-B-Que fundraiser
was a big success, thanks to the efforts
of these fine folks and many others.
When all the expenses were paid, there
was a profit of $7,500. We are thankful
for the financial help, but the fellowship
was even better. What a blessing
the Austinville congregation is to all of
us at Project Rescue!
2. Work has begun on our multipurpose
building! It’s hard to believe,
but the dream we described a few months
ago is becoming a reality right before
our eyes. Several members of our board
of directors have worked hard to raise
the funds for this valuable facility. We’ll
keep you informed as it progresses.
From the Heart of a Mother
“It is on my heart this morning to
share this story of mine. I apologize for
the length. I hope you will read it. It is
the most heartfelt thing I will ever write.
“My parents got involved in a Christian
Addiction Recovery program a few
years ago. When I say got involved,
I mean heavily involved with the program
and helping. They have changed
lives, mine included.
“Last year, on our ride to the beach,
I told my mom, ‘Mom, I don’t think you
should have “those people” over to
your house. What if they steal or even
kill you?’
“I am ashamed those words came
from my mouth.
“A year later, I am eternally grateful
to ‘those people’. Those people have
helped change my life. I have had the
wonderful opportunity of visiting Project
Rescue which is a beautiful place
in Priceville, AL. I have gotten to know
a lot of the people (both management
and addicts and managements who
are addicts) and have gotten to experience
triumph and tragedy with them.
They have brought more to my life than
I ever thought possible. I love some of
them as my own family.
“Who are those people? They are
our sons, our brothers, our fathers,
our preachers, our teachers. They are
us. They are normal people. They are
me. Most of them come from amazing
backgrounds and a bad decision (yes,
even one) has led them to where they
are. Some of them come from horrible
backgrounds. They are rich, they are
poor. They are sinners and they are
also children of God. He died for them
as he did for you and for me.
“You know what else they are?
They are STRONG. They admit the
difficulties in their lives and they are
working to fix them. They leave their
homes, their families and they go to a
place that is strange and has unfamiliar
faces. They struggle with withdrawals
and cravings I cannot imagine. They
face it head on. They turn to God for
help. They turn to each other for help.
“I turned to them.
“Now, I am proud to say I have
opened my eyes and my heart. I hope
you will too. Addiction, in any form, is
a game changer, a life changer. You
cannot choose who gets addicted and
who doesn’t. What you can do is pray.
Through it all, you can love. It isn’t always
easy to keep trying when someone
fails once, twice, a dozen times. I
just have to think these people would
want to do better if they could (some
can, for some it is harder).
“I pray that none of you ever need
their services. If you do, please contact
me so I can try to help you. I won’t
judge. Please don’t judge me.
“A concerned mom”
Much More Than Concrete & Steel!
The Apostle John’s prayer is encased
in this 40’ by 80’ tool we are
building for the Lord:
Continued on page 26

Global Harvest 25
Stragetic Plan for World Missions
Continued from page 6
for strategic planning.
First, we must all work together. The first century churches
cooperated to spread the Gospel into all the world. (Colossians
1:23). The task today demands the same approach. A tool
that would greatly strengthen efforts is one or more broadcasting
channels similar to those used by other religious
organizations. These organizations are achieving membership
and teaching objectives. Churches of Christ should work
together and develop this strategic tool. Funds for such a task
are available in the church, even though such an effort world
cost millions of dollars per month. Why do we fail to do this?
We lack cooperation. We have talented leadership that could
do this work. The church provides for other activities of this
magnitude and we should strive to develop this powerful tool
if we hope to reach every person in all the world. We should
cooperate more to train, educate and send missionaries to the
fields of harvest. Also, more cooperation between brethren
would strengthen our efforts to help the helpless and assist
with tragic losses in our communities across the world.
Next, we should be careful to follow the steps in the
teaching process described by Jesus in His instruction
(Matthew 28:18-20). First, every person is taught the fundamentals
of the Gospel, which should include comprehensive
discussion of God, worship, Christian living, Christ, the
Church, and steps to salvation, etc. Then those who desire to
obey His teaching should be baptized. Finally, those baptized
should be taught to observe “all things taught commanded
by Jesus”. This step involves much effort. New Christians
must be taught “all scripture (2 Timothy 3:16). They should
be grounded in the truth revealed in scripture. They should be
trained and educated to be faithful servants, following the examples
of Jesus. Above all, their understanding of the teaching
of the scripture and the love of God and His son should result
in motivation to help others to be saved. This motivation
should be first priority in their life (Matthew 6:33). Follow the
three simple steps: teach, baptize, teach.
Finally, our mission efforts should include sufficient
training and education to develop self-sufficient mission
field congregations that are equipped with teachers that
can adequately teach the Bible. Every congregation should
immediately, after formation, be active in helping with efforts
to reach all the world with the Gospel. These efforts can and
should begin at home, but should also include involvement
in the global mission. Brethren in mission fields are no different
and are no less responsible for teaching others than
brethren in areas where the Church is more developed and
mature. Mission programs often focus on the initial teaching
and conversion phases of the great commission. Consequently,
many brethren are untaught regarding the mission
of the church and responsibility of every member for carrying
out the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12). Consider
the example of the first century church, which reached every
creature under heaven in a few years (Colossians 1:23).
The strategy for missions can be briefly summarized as
(1) cooperate in mission evangelism efforts required to
reach all of the world, (2) thoroughly teach new converts
in all things as taught by Jesus, and (3) facilitate the formation
of self-supporting and self-sufficient congregations
with members that are equipped and motivated to
serve in the mission of the Church. These strategies are not
complex or sophisticated. They require hard work and sacrifice.
They leave little opportunity for individual promotion,
but rather encourage achievement as a group and promotion
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If this strategy is the
basis of our goals, objectives, tactical plans, and mission efforts,
the Gospel will spread to all the world quickly. Every
member will be involved, God will be honored and receive
glory, and the church will grow and be strengthened. >
We have news this week
that brother Keith Sisman
of Cambridge, England,
died unexpectedly. He
was a great student and
writer of the history of the
church. You don’t want to
miss his book, Traces of
the Kingdom. Order from
www.chulavistabooks.com
Keith’s website is a treasure
to study:
traces-of-the-kingdom.org

26 Global Harvest
Moving Ever Forward
Continued from page 9
blessed to be about the business of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I am thankful to all of the Christian families and churches
of Christ who make possible what I attempt to do in the
service of God, stateside and abroad. Life with purpose is
grand, and there is no grander life than one spent pursuing
the Divine purpose. >
Books and Tracts by
Louis Rushmore:
Project Rescue
Continued from page 24
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and
be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2).
The 18 souls in our care are prospering spiritually
through Bible study and addiction-based educational classes
and ministerial counseling. They also benefit from hearing
sermons and worshipping in spirit and truth!
When this 12’ high opportunity is completed, it will help
the men to “prosper in all things and be in health.” A cook
will serve a daily balanced meal to the members when they
get home from work. All of us will enjoy the fellowship of
one another, as we eat together every afternoon! They will
each make their own breakfast & lunch with nutritious food
we purchase. To us, and we hope to you, this structure means
so much more than concrete and steel!
 We need your help for the rest of the journey!
As we reported to you last month, an anonymous donor
has promised to match every dollar we raise for this building.
$43,500 has been raised by members of our board and
staff. This was given by individual Christians. We stepped out
in faith, and decided to go ahead and finish the outside, as we
continue to raise the necessary funds for appliances, air conditioning,
tables, chairs, pots, pans, dishes, silverware, etc.!
We saved a lot of money on the foundation and building
because of generous contributions by Hood Contracting and
Eagle Steel Buildings. They supplied the labor & materials
at a greatly reduced price!
We are asking for one-time contributions to complete
the inside! Our address is at the end of this article.
We are looking for licensed plumbers, ceiling hangers,
and drywall hangers to supply their labor. We are also looking
for a cook! Please help us to purchase a stove, freezer,
refrigerator, tables, and chairs.
If you can help, please call 256-303-0784, 256-566-
0026 or 256-616-1522. projectrescue179@gmail.com. >
For prices and to order, call:
World Evangelism Publications
662-283-1192

Global Harvest 27
Christian
Student
Center
Churches of Christ serving Students at Mississippi delta Community College
“The fields are white
unto harvest”
John 4:34
in the Mississippi Delta
Who would have ever dreamed
that the home in the 1st picture above
could draw 40 to 50 non-Christian
college students for a Bible study on
Wednesday evenings?
After Madolyn inherited the
house in Moorhead, MS, which is located
directly across the street from
Mississippi Delta Community College,
we decided it was time for us to
begin our second lives of working for
the Lord full time. We closed our very
successful retail pharmacy in Winona,
MS. and began working towards establishing
the Christian Student Center,
serving students at MS Delta Community
College. The year was 1995; I was
55 years old and Madolyn would have
been 51. We averaged only 6 students
in regular attendance the first semester.
The spring semester following, we increased
greatly. In the fall year 1996,
we had profile cards printed for the students
to provide us with personal information.
Over 300 students registered
for various functions during the year.
Due to age and health issues, we
are now unable to function as we did
21 years ago. The property which is
owned by Madolyn has been greatly
renovated recently. We have very
solid financial supporters who have
been loyal for years and desire to see
the work continued. We have worked
under the Indianola, MS church eldership
but because of age and relocation
of members they no longer have elders.
We have been seeking a new sponsoring
congregation.
The property is located directly
across the street from Mississippi Delta
Community College which registers
approximately three thousand students
each year. We are praying for a
sound in the faith, dedicated, mission
minded couple to take our place as
directors. This is a work that is ready
made for someone interested in a stateside
mission field. The opportunities
are endless, both with college students
and with congregations of the Lord’s
church throughout the Delta.
To keep this very
productive work going,
we desperately need
HELP!
And the retirement plan is
HEAVENLY! >
Gene & Madolyn Gibson: P.O. Box
651, Moorhead, MS 38761 mjdgibson@
yahoo.com; 662-303-0169
mjdgibson@yahoo.com; Cell 662-303-
0169; www.facebook.com/CSC.MDCC
Prepare to
have your
intellect,
emotions
and existing
beliefs set
on fire when
you read this
book! Paperback and Hardback
available.
Michael Shank:
mikeshank.62960@gmail.com
office@michaelshankministries.com
http://www.muscleandashovel.com

28 Global Harvest
“I’m Starting from Zero.”
J. Randal Matheny
SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS, Brazil —
Squeezing our personal Bible studies in between his
work and college classes, Denilson and I explore what the
Bible says about God, man, Jesus Christ, eternal salvation,
the Bible, and the church. Reared by his grandmother, he received
a good moral upbringing, but almost no religious training.
“I’m starting from zero,” he said during our first study.
Denilson used to be something of an oddity in a country
where 70% of the population is Catholic and almost the
remaining 30% is Protestant, most of that Pentecostal. We
suspect many more like him, who have practically no religious
background, may be appearing in Brazilian society.
Denilson is looking forward soon to baptism. His secular
friends are aghast at his newfound religiosity. Already, he
says, he has lost most of his former friends over his search
for faith.
He has been participating with us on Sundays in the
congregation begun in our home in 2014.
BRAZIL PUBLICATIONS
This year we resumed publication of Edificação magazine.
The name means “edification.” It is the only generalinterest
periodical literature circulating among Brazilian
churches. Two issues have been published thus far this year.
The additional expense of printing and mailing comes
just as we are losing support from the U.S.
The book we translated and published in Sept., 2015,
continues to bear fruit. Cristianismo Original, authored by
Joel Stephen Williams, is being distributed in state prisons
and used as a textbook in public evangelism classes, as well
as in personal evangelism. Because of its low price, some
congregations are giving it as a gift to visitors.
In a Contagem congregation, in the state of Minas
Gerais, the book has been responsible, in the hands of one
evangelist, for 13 baptisms.
HANDS-ON TRAINING
We continue to emphasize training for Christian men
and women. Monthly and occasional meetings in our region
help the saints to develop their faith and gifts. We have also
traveled to train others, such as a May trip to Guarulhos, to
talk with 12 workers, not in full-time ministry, from area
congregations.
CHURCH PLANT
Plans continue for the new congregation in the neighboring
city of Jacareí. We are preparing Douglas and Jonathan,
especially, who will do much of the work when they
begin in the former’s home. They have yet to set a date for
the new beginning, but already a study group during the
week is occuring in Douglas’s mother’s home.
PRINT AND ELECTRONIC
In the English language, Forthright Press released in
June the book The Right Kind of Christianity, with 12
contributors, showing the biblical teaching against postmodernism
and the emerging church.
The Internet work continues apace with such sites as
Forthright Magazine (forthright.net), Brotherhood News
(brotherhoodnews.com), and The Fellowship Room (fellowshiproom.org),
as well as some smaller efforts.
Earlier this year, I celebrated 17 years of writing the
Portuguese-language devotionals, Deus Conosco (“God
with us”), on the website deusconosco.com.
For more information, see the GoSpeak.org missions
ministry website and ForthrightPress.com. >
These Forthright Publications are available. For prices and more information, you
may call Barbara Oliver at 901-517-7274 or email sales@forthrightpress.com.

Global Harvest 29
Living by Truth
Daniel J. Araujo
My motto:
“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the
doctrine; continue in them: for in doing
this thou shalt both save thyself, and
them that hear thee” (1 Timothy 4:16).
Since I converted from sin and
was baptized into Christ I have made
it my personal mission to follow our
Lord’s commandments and doctrine,
not only to be saved myself but to aid
others who would follow Christ. For
awhile I was being misled into wrongness
by sincere men who just weren’t
obeying God. What I had gotten from
their teachings was a feeling of quiet
numbness, something that Jesus
warned us about in Mathew 24:11-12:
“Then many false prophets will rise
up and deceive many. And because
lawlessness will abound, the love of
many will grow cold.”
Since being numb wasn’t my idea
of a Christian life, I started searching for
the Truth through reading and studying
Scriptures. I didn’t settle and I didn’t
stop. I found World Video Bible School
on the Internet and began to watch their
YouTube videos. One on the subject of
Premillenialism convinced me that I had
found the right teaching. I asked for help
in locating the church of Christ in my
area, met with one of the preachers, and
my wife and I were baptized into Christ.
So now, truly saved and truly in the
church of our Lord, I want to serve and
help others to understand what Jesus has
done for us and what He is offering to
everyone: Salvation and eternal life.
Where I live — Porto Alegre
in Brazil — there’s a lot of work to
be done. There are only a couple of
churches of the Lord in a city of almost
2 million people. What can one
man do? One of two things: Give up or
fire up. In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul urged
Timothy to “... Therefore I remind you
to stir up the gift of God which is in
you...” We don’t have the miraculous
gifts of the first century, but we do have
the gift of salvation and the knowledge
of God’s word and His promises. We
need to be fired up with zeal for telling
others about these gifts.
And if Christians are supposed to
be happy in the Lord, cheer up! I’ve decided
to not think in terms of 2 million
problems, but of 2 million possibilities,
2 million souls the Lord would be glad
to add to His church! And of course I
can’t do everything by myself, but that
doesn’t mean I can’t do something.
I have a few projects in place: a
couple of internet blogs with studies
and reflections; and a couple of ideas for
the future: teaching teenagers from the
church (already in the way) and starting
a computer school at the church building
to bring people in and to spread the
love of Jesus. No, those projects probably
won’t reach 2 million people who
will understand and follow Christ, but
that’s not the point, is it? No, the point
is in doing something, to keep working,
to continue reaching out for people who
are in need of salvation. I think living in
truth is this: Doing everything for others,
and very few things for oneself.
I hope these words find many
like-minded hearts willing to live and
work for the Lord. I hope I get to count
on your help, through prayer, and I
hope you’re encouraged to do the same
where you are.
God bless you — and know
there’s a brother in Brazil who is praying
for you. Cheer up, fire up. Don’t
settle, and don’t stop! >
Daniel J. Araujo lives in Porto Alegre,
Brazil. His email address is araujojcdaniel@gmail.com

30 Global Harvest
“Let the Bible Speak” in Brazil
Randy Short
The work goes on and we have some great things to
share. We reported a few weeks ago about how our courses,
mornings and afternoons on Saturdays combined, had over
100 participants. Well, they did not start at the same time.
My morning class ended with three more baptisms. All total,
we have had nine baptisms out of this class. We hope for
that kind of result from the afternoon class as well when it
reaches its conclusion.
Campaign 2016
The Bellevue church of Christ sent a group of 13 to encourage
and bless the work of EBNESR and the Boa Viagem
church of Christ. The campaign was directed by Daniel and
Jana Polk and included work and contributions in many of
our projects, including the Manna Children’s Home where
they taught and played with the children, and put a new coat
of paint on the playground fence.
Campaign in Vitoria de Santo Antão
We have some big plans for a new church planting in the
city of Vitoria de Santo Antão, about 45 minutes from Recife,
and we are using the very same evangelistic material that helped
these new Christians here to turn their lives over to Jesus. A
group came from the Bellevue church of Christ in Nashville to
help in publicizing the new work. We have had a radio program
in the city for several months and had put up a few posters. The
Bellevue campaigners helped us make street banners and they
spent one day hanging banners and posters, visiting and singing
for schools and distributing
post cards
offering a free Bible
correspondence
course, “Let the Bible
Speak”. Pray for
the on-going success
of these efforts.
The Bellevue
campaign invited
the students
from the
church English
outreach
program to
an American
theme party.
They played pictionary, fruit basket turnover and ate hamburgers
and hot dogs. The Campaign group was never idle
and we are deeply grateful for all that they did to help us
organize church Bible school materials, construct student
computer desks, and organize our EBNESR library books.
EBNESR Graduation 2016
The EBNESR Ministry Training School is doing fine.
We have some big plans, including the finalization of our
work to become an accredited Christian college. Please pray
that this may be accomplished so we can train more, train
better, and send out more and more preachers and teachers
of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The 2016 graduation included the 100th student to
graduate from the EBNESR Ministry Training School,
bringing the total number of graduates to date to 113. Dr.
Frank Harrell, an elder from Bellevue, presented a message
to the graduates and the Bellevue campaign group sang in
Portuguese as part of the graduation ceremony. We express
our deepest gratitude to these friends who gave of their time
and resources to make this campaign happen and to shine the
light of their example to the world. >
Randy Short: Randy.kathyshort@gmail.com

Global Harvest 31
Helmut Garcia
Warm season’s greetings again
from Montecarlo congregation in
Lima city, Peru. Hoping this message
finds you in good health, and may God
continue to bless you and your church
work ministry.
We want to remind you that we
have launched a Bible training school
and missions with 10 students ( both men
and women) in August 2013 at the Montecarlo
church building`s facility from 3
to 8 pm. in a two-year program. I have received
in the past year your good Spanish
books. Please send more to share with
the local neediest Peruvian congregations.
In September we will have a campaign
with a group coming to Lima. They
could bring 200 Spanish books and some
in the English language too.
Our Montecarlo church does a
mission trip to the Andes Mountains
and Amazon jungle`s remote areas
twice a year, to teach and preach the
God`s Word and to do the best we can
to help them. My brother-in-law, Luis,
and I do that work, and we thank God
for these trips since several people have
obeyed the gospel of Christ, and the
church members
in those areas are
encouraged. They
are always happy
for us to help out
in evangelism and
have Gospel campaigns to encourage
them to stay faithful and work harder
for the Lord`s church.
We ask for your prayers and support
for the newest churches located in
the remote Peruvian Amazon and Andes
Mountain areas.
Once again we ask for your
prayers for the training school and missions,
for the second Family Christian
Training Camp that we will have in
August, 2016, and for the church work
throughout this nation where the sound
doctrine is being taught and the Gospel
of our Lord is being spread, knowing
that what we do for the Lord is not in
vain as we serve and work in His kingdom
daily till the Master comes. >
Helmut Garcia church web site: https://
www.facebook.com/ideCMontecarloPeru/church
web site: https://www.facebook.com/ideCMontecarloPeru/
Cajamarca church in
the Andes Mountains
The worship place of the neediest
congregation in the Amazon jungle.
Spanish Materials Available for Evangelism and Grounding in the Faith
The Voice of Truth International magazine
WORLD EVANGELISM
Class and study books.
Call 662-283-1192

32 Global Harvest
Summer Missions and VBS in Aruba
Tim Henderson
We had an amazing group of
brethren come down to Aruba this year
for a week of VBS, Gospel Meetings
and fellowship! This group of twentythree
started early and finished late every
day they were here. In the mornings
we would pick up loads of children for
VBS, after the classes we would escort
the kids back home, and then meet at
the house for lunch.
At the start of the week we would
also go out into the community after
lunch, to invite more kids to VBS or to
invite people to the evening meetings.
The gospel meeting, which was held
from Monday until Thursday was also a
wonderful and uplifting time with brethren
from both congregations as well as
many visitors in attendance. Friday, their
only “free day” was spent on a whirlwind
tour of the island, followed by a
pot-luck fellowship and bonfire with the
brethren from the Tamarijn congregation.
Then Saturday, almost as quickly
as they had arrived, they flew away.
We were invited to conduct a
Bible class with the teens at the local
YMCA this year!...and then were invited
back the next day to have a class
with the smaller kids!
When groups come down, something
that we love and cherish so much
is the moments of fellowship that we
get to share. It’s a week of constant
camaraderie...whether it’s singing at
a member’s home after a long day of
working together, helping to put up a
new gate, going to the Senior Home, an
afternoon hike, or just getting acquainted
with new friends (in a tornado room
inhabited by teenagers), we feel so
loved and encouraged by these sweet
people!
We’ve been so blessed this year to
have so many wonderful people come
through Aruba so far this year and
there’s room for more (hint, hint). We
want to thank all of you, our dear brethren,
who not only support us but who
also support these wonderful groups to
come down to help in this great effort!
We thank God for you. The Lord
bless and keep you all. >
Tim Henderson: pragart@me.com
We are very
excited about our
Friend’s and Family
Day that we have
planned for September 25th in Budapest. Brother Nandor
Cseti and the church in Debrecen Hungary will be with us.
We have reserved a larger meeting place for this Sunday,
which is very close to our regular meeting place. We are
planing special classes for the women, men, and children after
worship and a fellowship meal at the end.
We had a very encouraging worship this past Sunday.
While several of our members were out, due to summer travels,
we had several visitors who were with us, due to vacationing
here. Also, two Americans who are at the American
Air Force Base in the town of Pápa traveled two hours one
way so that they could worship with us!!!
We think often of the importance of missions to teach
and build up congregations in different parts of the world,
and for sure this is our main purpose. Another important
benefit is that in today’s mobile society, we provide the opportunity
for travelers
to be able to
The Church in Budapest, Hungary
Curry Montague (curry.monta@gmail.com)
worship with their
brethren from other
cultures. This is always faith building and encouraging for
both locals and visitors.
I took Krisztian, our son, to his regular doctor this week
for a followup visit and his doctor is very pleased with how
he is doing. He is very fragile, but doing well at this time.
Many thanks for your prayers and support. >

Global Harvest 33
Continuing the Polish Mission
Molly and Annabelle Dawidow
Note: Since the death of Mike Dawidow,
his widow and daughter have returned
to their long-time home in Sopot, Poland,
to continue working with others in
the mission effort there. They are overseen
by the Henderson Church of Christ
elders, 240 WHITE AVE, HENDERSON,
TN 38340.
Brother Ed Wharton’s visit this
spring regenerated me more than anything
since Mike’s death. He constantly
reassured Annabelle and me that our
mission in Sopot is not only important,
but also vital. His prayers emboldened
us to face each challenge, and he urged
us to put aside any concerns that our
effectiveness or ability might be restricted
because we are women. He admonished
us to seize each opportunity
to share the Word and implored us to
focus on communicating the message
of salvation through our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ to every person who
walks through our door.
Our enthusiasm renewed, our
purpose refined, we embarked on the
last two months of our spring session
with renewed energy which I hope was
transferred to teachers and students.
The upshot was a splendid two months
of activities in May and June. Bob Foster
and Don Shull finished out three
weeks of teaching in May and were
joined by Sarah Thornsberry and Kathryn
Gordon. Before they left, Don and
Pam Jesch from Dewey, OK, arrived to
teach for almost an entire month. Lou
Cusato, who was working in Amsterdam,
flew over a few days earlier than
scheduled, overlapping the Jesches a
week and a half before he was joined
by his wife, ShawnAlis, for two weeks.
June brought five new first-time
teachers, Jen Young, Mary Beth Wallace
and Amelia Shappley, all Freed-
Hardeman graduates, as well as Frances
Sloan and Rhonda Cook from
Knoxville, TN. Each of these teachers
arrived with a sense of purpose and
dedication that was encouraging to Annabelle
and me as well as to the church
and our Bible students with whom they
worked.
A great group of teachers! Counterclockwise
from bottom right:
Amelia Shappley, Mary Beth Wallace,
Jen Young, ShawnAlis and Lou
Cusato, Molly.
ENGLISH BIBLE CLASSES
and attendance, teaching
English using the Bible:
May 4 – 6: 33
May 9 – 13: 46
May 16 – 20: 50
May 23 – 27: 54
May 30 – June 3: 75
May total: 216
June 6 – 10: 73
June 13 – 17: 70
June 20 – 24: 69
June 27 – July 1: 64
June total: 318
Pam and Don Jesch are dear
friends and excellent teachers. We were
thrilled they could come to Sopot again
this year. Don is an elder for the church
in Dewey, OK, which has supported
our work for many years. On their last
two trips to Sopot, Pam has planned
a special luncheon and devotional for
women of the congregation and student
body. This year’s Ladies Day took
place on May 21st following Sunday
services and over twenty attended. Her
lesson from Isaiah 55 was illustrated
with power-point and translated into
Polish by one of our members, Dorota.
Rob and Denyce Hindman and
their five precious children from Reno,
Nevada, visited the church in Sopot the
last week of June. Rob preached on Sunday,
taught several classes in the English
Bible study program and met for four
nights with brothers of the congregation
for deeper studies on the subject of
“Knowing God’s Will”. We enjoyed getting
to know this dedicated family and
were glad they could be here and get to
know our students, neighbours and families
of the congregation before traveling
on to Ukraine, where they had served as
missionaries for several years before the
volatile political situation forced them
back to the USA.
Thank you for your support,
prayers and encouragement. >
Molly and Annabelle Dawidow: mike.dawidow@me.com

34 Global Harvest
Loving God in Italy
Erin Choate
About Avanti Italia
The missions program I am a part of is called Avanti Italia.
There are three primary goals: 1. to use our individual
talents in sharing the Good News of Jesus the Christ with
those who are seeking to have a more perfect relationship
with Him, 2. to learn to share Christ with others more effectively,
and 3.to participate in mutual encouragement
and edification with the Italian Churches of Christ.
Their method for achieving these goals is mainly
through outreach in teaching private Bible lessons in English.
Teachers generally work in one-to-one or small group
sessions. Much of the work Avanti Italia encourages would
be described as friendship evangelism, making relationships
with people and sharing God’s saving message with them.
Each team member is not only expected to fulfill their obligations,
but also to find ways of using his or her individual
talents to make more contacts with people. Most of the work
is centered at the Florence Bible School in Scandicci, a suburb
on the southwest side of Florence. Avanti Italia has had
an extensive out-reach since its beginning in 1986
“But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait
for it with patience” (Romans 8:25).
This verse shows my feelings exactly. I am still continuing
to have Italian class each week with Raffaele; and,
although I enjoy learning Italian, it can be very frustrating.
We have been learning the tenses and they are extremely
difficult. One victory in battle has been won, however. On
June 30th, Bethany and I received our permessi di soggiorno,
which is our permission to stay as residents in Italy. Yay!!!
On Sunday
the 10th of July, we
visited the Church
of Christ in Prato.
Prato is about an
hour and a half
away from Florence.
After worship
service, we enjoyed
an agape (potluck)
together. I met several of the members, and, as usual, they
were all very kind. In all, there are about 60 members there.
After agape, I met with my friend Lucia and her daughter,
Sara. Lucia is a Catholic who helps feed the homeless
on Sunday nights with the nuns and us. She and her family
live in Prato, so she gave me a tour of the town center. She
and her husband, Andrea, have sweet spirits. We talked about
the history of the city and other things. At one point, she
asked how we worship, so we talked some about that. I’m
hoping to continue to be able to meet them this coming fall
and grow that relationship and curiosity. I pray opportunity,
energy, and boldness will be given me to do so.
From Sunday the 17th of July to Saturday the 23rd,
Bethany, Hannah, and I helped with youth camp in a small
village in the mountains called Meschia. There were about
sixty kids, ages seven to seventeen, and twenty monitors.
The youth of the Churches of Christ in Italy are wonderfully
encouraged by this camp. They are all close friends and they
do not get to see each other often.
New permanent directors have finally been selected for
Avanti Italia! Praise God! Their names are Zak and Aleece
Kelley and, Lord willing, they will arrive in January.
My Prayers
1. For my Students, that our bonds may grow deep in
Christ and His Word
2. For the directors, that God will guide them
3. For me, that I will do God’s will
I cannot begin to express how much you all mean to
me! Your love and support have given me so much encouragement
and joy. I miss you all very much and I thank you
again and again for making it possible for me to be here! >
Erin Choate: daughter of Steve and Melinda; granddaughter of
J.C. and Betty
“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace
always in every way. The Lord be with you all” (2 Thess.3:16).

Global Harvest 35
The Work in Romania
Harvey Starling
The Christian has so many blessings.
One of the greatest is the assurance
of an eternal home with the Lord.
This is because of what Jesus did for
all mankind and not because I have
“done enough” or because I am “good
enough” to go to heaven. Our trust and
faith is in Him and not on our earning
salvation.
Fratostiteanu and Daryl Newton
have been the speakers in the three
“Gospel meetings” in Schitu Golesti,
Valea Stanciului and Cioroiasi. The
reports are that both men presented
great Bible lessons and a good number
of visitors were present at each place.
Another soul was “born of water and
the spirit” in Schitu Golesti last week.
There was great rejoicing! The online
Bible course for the three districts is
available to all. The advertisements in
the four major newspapers resulted in
over 1,000 “visits” but thus far only
20 people have actually enrolled in the
course. We will continue this work with
new advertisements soon.
Paul in the New Testament says
“we believe and therefore we speak.”
Could a lack of believing the Gospel
today cause the church to not “speak”
or preach the Gospel fervently? I cannot
write these notes without thinking
of the congregations and many individuals
who faithfully sacrifice for this
work in Romania. We thank God and
we thank you for the joy of working together
to get the saving Gospel to the
2,000,000 in our work area. You can
know most assuredly that the word is
going out to all!
You can see pictures of the seven
churches in Romania, above. We place
much emphasis on the development of
local congregations here in this country
and this is just as important in a foreign
work. Please pray for these brethren…..
some Christians in the U.S. suffer persecution
because of their faith. It has always
been so since the first century but
it seems to me from information and reports
I see that those who seek to follow
Christ around the world are persecuted
today more than ever, since the end of
the persecution of the early church!
We always are seeking to do more
to the glory of the Lord and always need
your love and financial help. All contributions
are to be made to the Midway
Church of Christ, P.O. Box 915, Madison,
AL 35758. May the Lord continue
to bless you! >
Harvey M. Starling: hmsstar@bellsouth.
net

36 Global Harvest
Will You Take the
Challenge?
1. Will you determine today to
give just $1.00 extra each Lord’s
day for missions?
2. Will you encourage others in the congregation
to do the same, working toward 100% participation
among the membership, to reach the goal?
Please write us: World Evangelism Team, P.O.
Box 72, Winona, MS 38967; or call: 662-283-1192;
or email: Choate@WorldEvangelism.org.
Let’s Get the Church
on the March!
Continued from page 7
u Support one or more foreign
mission efforts. Share the reports on
the work with the church, possibly
have the elders to visit that work so that
the needs and accomplishments will be
more real to all involved.
When we catch the real spirit of
Christianity and thus lose our selfishness
and self-centeredness, we will be
invigorated with renewed zeal and we
will see ourselves moving in the right
direction. We won’t be emphasizing
the things of the world, the earthly, the
carnal, the material, the luxuries of life
and what we can get for ourselves, but
we will be putting the emphasis where
it belongs: on God, Christ, the church,
the will of the Lord, the eternal, the
heavenly, and the souls of men. If all
of us make this renewed commitment,
then it won’t be a matter of a few scattered
congregations marching, but the
entire church will be on the march! The
results will be felt around the world.
Lord, hasten that day! >
We often have requests/orders
for “that little orange book”
— The Church of the Bible.
This simple 13-lesson coverage
of the Lord’s church has
been translated into more than
50 languages and in excess of
150,000 copies have been printed.
Churches are using it to
better ground members in basic
truths. The three titles work well
together. Only $4.00 per copy,
25% off for orders of 25 or more.
We need to know what the
Scriptures teach about
The Holy Spirit.
An excellent study
by J.C. Choate
$8.00, plus postage
Order from:
World Evangelism
P.O. Box 72
Winona, MS 38967
662-283-1192
or
WorldEvangelism.org
Do You know what
your salvation cost?
Call 622-283-1192 to order this
new full-color and enlarged edition
of a study that deals with
the question, “What did our
salvation
cost our
Lord, in
addition
to His
excruciating
death
on the
cross?”

Global Harvest 37
News from
East London,
South Africa
Chris DuPreez
Fellow Christians and friends, we greet you in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have had a very busy number of months, mostly
preparing for the youth camps that were planned for May
and July, working at the camp site and school house. With
funds received from some of our supporting churches, we
were able to continue fixing up the old school house and
have managed to patch up all the walls, repair the ceilings
and do some painting. I also made and fitted wooden rails for
the verandah of the schoolhouse. We have done wiring and
installed light fittings for the house which are powered by a
generator at the moment. In June we were able to purchase
and install a gas hot water heater geyser at the schoolhouse,
from funds received from some of our supporters. It was
ready for use by the time the Southern Africa Bible College
students arrived.
We had two work Saturdays and had help from the
Buffalo Flats youth one week, and the following week the
Downtown youth and Keam Road youth came and helped.
We had a great time fellowshipping and working together.
During the May camp we had brother Wes Thompson
from Starkville, MS conducting most of the classes, with
Walter helping. The theme for the camp was, “Being Drawn
Out”, taken from the life of Moses. We had twenty campers,
from four different congregations. (Downtown, Buffalo
flats, Keam Road and even as far as Plettenberg Bay, we also
had two visitors that Amy invited) After the camp we had
some time to take Wes, Natasha and their kids to the nearby
Mpongo game park, where the main attraction was the hippos....
and what is a game drive without seeing a giraffe...
Radio Ministry
During May it was awesome to be
able to be conducting a series of Bible
lessons on the Kumkani FM 95.8 radio
on Sunday afternoons from 3 pm until 4
pm. Lessons such as “What is the Gospel”,
“What to believe about salvation”,
and “How to obey the Gospel”, were presented.
It was also neat to have Wes with
me in the studio on May the 29th .
We are also continuing to host the Friday night youth
on the farm. Recently we had some visitors from Hill Top
church in Johannesburg. Brother John Mark and his wife are
in the process of moving to East London and they placed
membership with
us at Downtown.
It is great to have
this young family
with us. Brother
John is from Nigeria,
and is lecturer
at Fort Hare University.
Currently
we have Christians
from Ghana, Malawi
and Zimbabwe as members at Downtown. We are truly
blessed to have such a diverse membership. God does not
show favouritism and the gospel is for all! >
Chris du Preez & family: chrisdupreez@lewisvillechurchofchrist.org

38 Global Harvest
MAKINDE: SOUTHWEST SCHOOL OF EVANGELISM
Beloved in Christ,
Grace, peace and mercy be multiplied
unto you all from God our Father
and from Jesus Christ our Sustainer
and Hope.
I taught on The Three Pillars of
Every Successful Home (Genesis 2:24
cf. Ephesians 5:21-31) at a marriage
feast of a young brother and a sister
held at Oniyere congregation, Ibadan,
Oyo state on Saturday, July 30, 2016.
The ceremony was graced by over 600
brethren, friends, relations and well
wishers.
On Sunday, July 31 at Onikokoro/Gbongudu
congregation, Ibadan,
one of our BVBIN students named
Lawrence Dada taught on The Unity
of the Church while a SWSE student
named Moses Bamidele admonished
the church on Working Together (Exodus
17:9-13) while I led in songs and
communion.
On Monday and Tuesday, August
1 & 2, 2016, we continued our houseto-house
evangelism at Butubutu village
under the leadership of our campus minister,
brother Abraham Idu Yeje, which
resulted in the conversion of two young
men named Blessing and Dennis.
These two converts were blessed
with a Bible each and WBS materials
on “I Have Just Begun the Race” and
“How To Get To Heaven”.
On Wednesday morning, we (myself,
Makinde, brother Kayode Solomon,
brother Dele Shotola and a BVBIN
student, brother Samuel Omotayo Babatunde)
boarded the school van to attend
this year’s Annual Bible Lectureship
held at West Nigerian Christian College
and School of Biblical Studies (WNCC
& SBS), Abeokuta in Ogun state. We
took with us 3,000 copies of The Voice
of Truth International, volume 88, after
posting nine packages of forty each
to brethren and other regular recipients
of VOTI materials. Over 400 preachers/
WBSFUW and mature men and women
benefited from the free gifts from VOTI
at WNCC and SBS campus on Wednesday,
August 3, 2016.
Those in attendance
at this year’s
program held at
WNCC & SBS campus
are from the West, East
and Northern parts of
the country, including
a brother from a neighbouring
country, the
Republic of Benin.
Beloved, the remaining 2,500
copies of VOTI volume 88 will be freely
distributed on August 24-26, 2016
during our forth-coming 14th annual
Bible Lectureship & Graduation at the
premises of BVBIN & SWSE, Ibadan,
Oyo state to the glory of God and benefit
of the human race!
In conclusion, brother Isaac
Olaniyan and I will be traveling, if the
Lord is willing, by road to Ghana in
continuation of our studies at Bear Valley
Bible Institute of Graduates, Accra,
Ghana for two weeks under our able tutor,
brother Gary Fallis.
We send big thanks to you all for
your care and help with this work. May
the Lord continue to bless all our joint
efforts in Jesus’ name, Amen. >
Your fellow labour in Christ’s vineyard,
Makinde Ebenezer Olufemi (Director of
Studies) SWSE, Ibadan, Oyo State.
(0082)

Global Harvest 39
What began as one missionary,
Dr. George Akpabli, under the oversight
of the Elders from the Benton,
KY church of Christ, has grown into a
3-year regional school of preaching.
The B.T.C. is celebrating 20
years of preparing natives to plant local
churches of Christ and evangelize 12
French-speaking African countries. The
18-acre campus includes classrooms,
dormitories, and a cafeteria. This dream
was only possible by gifts from individuals
and churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Our campus is located near Zinvie,
Benin. However, students represent
twelve countries across French
West Africa. Training these men is
the most effective means to spread the
gospel to an underserved population of
over 250 million souls.
French World Missions
January 1970, Doyle Kee with his
wife and three children moved to Geneva,
Switzerland to begin a new church
in the city of Calvin. This move came
after Doyle and Barbara had worked in
French-speaking campaigns in Montreal
and Paris. They had also spent nine
years with churches in Clarendon, Arkansas
and Syracuse, New York, before
their decision to settle in Geneva. Work
in that city expanded to include activities
throughout the French-speaking
world.
The Kees have been involved in
the publications of 42 books in French,
several Bible courses, many brochures,
children’s teaching program, and leadership
training material. Doyle has
made over 30 trips to French Africa, to
French-speaking islands, and has led a
campaign to Québec, Canada.
The four Kee children were raised
in Geneva. The fourth child, Daniel,
passed away several years ago. The
others are all married and are leaders in
the church where they live (two in the
USA and the eldest, Mark, in Geneva).
Doyle and Barbara Kee
The Geneva church now has 80
members and is independent with elders
and deacons. Geneva continues,
however, to be a good base for the
world-wide work the Kees do, especially
Barbara, through correspondence
course programs on the Internet and by
the post, and with periodic campaigns
and trips to meet students in order to
teach in Bible schools in French Africa.
Doyle has been involved in the establishment
and encouragement of Bible
schools in French Africa.
Since 1991, the College church in
Searcy, Arkansas, has been the sponsor
of the Kees and their work. The
Prestoncrest church continues to have
an important role in French missions
through support for the publishing
and distribution of printed materials,
through support for national workers
in the Cameroon, and in the development
and continuing operation of the
Hilton Terry Bible School of the Congo
in Kinshasa, RD Congo. >
Doyle Kee:Thekees@bluewin.ch
Our graduates and present students
represent 11 French speaking nations
in West Africa. Those countries
represented by our students and graduates
include Benin, Togo, Chad, Ivory
Coast, Cameroon, Central African Republic,
Burkino Faso, Mali, Guinea and
Niger. Many of these countries have a
BTC graduate as a located preacher
working there.
Most of our present students are
married and range in age from 22 to
56 years in age. Many of our graduates
since 1998 have gone back to
work with congregations that existed
before coming to school, but they have
also planted approximately 300 new
churches with membership approaching
7,000. These new Christians are the
seeds, and French West Africa is ready
to harvest for Jesus Christ. >
David Simmons: 270-540-1942;
frenchafricanmissions@gmail.com

40 Global Harvest
World Video Bible School has been privileged
to serve Christians since 1986 by making teaching
materials for the church’s use worldwide. Our
goal is the same as it has always been, to serve
God and His people by doing His will to the best
of our ability. We are committed to producing and
distributing excellent quality, scripturally sound,
inexpensively priced Bible study material through
video, audio, the written page, and online studies.
Contact us. Let us serve you in these ways.
www.wvbs.org 1-512-398-5211 office 1-877-
398-5211 order online biblestudy@wvbs.org
Enjoy free access to
372 faith-building,
Bible-based videos.
Internet SEARCH
campaign
Gospel Broadcasting Network
Gospel Broadcasting Network 8900 Germantown Road, Olive Branch, MS 38654
Phone: (662) 874-5508

Global Harvest 41
Lahore, Pakistan
Asghar Ali
Church Attendance: Attendance
of the members remained good during
this period. Though we do have visitors
for our meetings, new comers are not
a regular feature. Our country is 98%
Muslim, and the majority of “believers
in Christ” residing in this locality are
of Pentecostal or Catholic belief. It is
true that many factors can cause discouragement,
but to boost us all is our
regular congregation which is getting
stronger in faith and maturing spiritually
with the passage of time.
New Baptisms: Three young
boys and two girls were baptized after
a couple of Bible studies. Thanks to
God Almighty for these young people
who decided to walk with Jesus. One
boy is the son of an old church member
and is eager to lead the songs, and he
shows a lot of interest in Bible classes.
Pray with us that these new Christians
stay faithful.
Bible Classes: Our Bible study is
going on a regular basis. Our students
are continuously taking interest and
growing by the grace of God Almighty.
Students are increasing in number too.
Pray that when we of the older generation
leave this world, a strong church
will be left behind us.
Karachi Visitor: A member of
the Church of Christ in Karachi visited
us at our residence in June. It was
nice to see Brother Sajjad physically,
though we are in contact on the telephone.
Brother Sajjad resides among
people of different denominations and
faces questions and queries from them.
He is a knowledgeable person and
is being used to spread the Word. He
asked for some volumes of “Khusboo
e Sadqat”, “Basic Bible Course”, and
“The Church of the Bible” for distribution
among his contacts. May God
bless him in all his endeavors.
Development of our Facebook
Page: We have started using electronic
media and a Facebook page has been
developed by the name of “Church of
Christ in Lahore Pakistan”. This is the
first step towards spreading the Gospel
message electronically in our nation.
Development of our page has engaged
me and Rahat in material preparation,
and my eldest daughter does the typing.
This page is being “liked” by people of
other religions as well. You all are requested
to please visit and share it.
Pray that Peace prevails in
Pakistan: It is our request that you
pray with us for our beloved homeland
that peace prevails here so that all, especially
religious minorities, can live
peacefully. At this time, there is continuous
persecution in the name of religion.
Society is becoming more intolerant
day by day.
At the close, we would like to
thank you all for your material and
spiritual support, for your encouraging
emails and your prayers. >
Praying for you all daily.
Asghar Ali: asgharcoc@gmail.com

42 Global Harvest
News from Pakistan
Shahid Khokhar
The command of the Lord is to take the Gospel into the
entire world and that has always been our goal in Pakistan.
You, my beloved brethren, are making it possible with your
love offerings to us and, without your efforts, we are nothing.
Last year, you dear ones supported my visit to Hyderabad,
and this year I continued this habit of visiting other
cities and towns where people have asked me time and again
to come to them and share the spiritual meals of the Gospel.
I have spoken with them on these topics, as they had
different denominational backgrounds.
1. Fundamentals of Faith
2. Why Are There So Many Churches?
3. The Bride of Christ
4. The Holy Spirit
In the small town of Hasilpur most of the listeners were
women and girls, except for three men. Among them was a
Muslim who requested me not to share his name for security
reasons. His wife was also present, and she said that they belong
to Shiat Muslim denomination. This couple has asked
me to remain in contact with them for sharing more of the
Word, particularly from Jesus Christ the Eternal Sacrifice,
a study of the Deity of Christ which Muslims don’t accept.
I spent two days with them and, even though there was no
baptism, I intend to remain in contact on a regular basis.
In the same part of the country I was requested by
brother Shahzad and his wife to visit them also. Brother
Shahzad was taught in Toba Tek Singh during his visit to his
in-laws and became a member of the Lord’s Church. Here I
spent 3 days: Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We had six sessions
of Gospel sharing and discussion on different questions
put up by 20 listeners. One night, food was served by brother
Shahzad and Akash to all the participants and the other evening
refreshment were served from our expense money. Out
of twenty, twelve souls asked for baptism and we arranged
for that in a child’s swimming pool given by his employer in
the house where he works as sweeper. We are thankful for his
kindness and his care for the Lord’s work, but the problem
with this community is there are not many educated people.
After the baptisms I distributed translated tracts among the
new converts, and they all came to see me off at the bus stop.
Later I went to Burewala where brothers Waqas and Waseem
were waiting for me anxiously. We had two sessions of
Gospel sharing with Asif, Umair, Umair’s father and mother,
Waseem and his wife, Kaleem, Waqas, Hanuk and four young
girls. All the men are my Bible students. We had one baptism
and I gave some instructions to brother Waqas for Sunday
worship. Translated tracts in Urdu were distributed among
students and other participants: How Does God Work in our
Lives?, Teaching Our Children to be Spiritual, What Is the
Church?, What is Coversion?, How to Study God’s Word.
After my visit I returned to Toba and found that brother
Akhtar’s wife is suffering from heart problems and deficiency
of blood. The other day our Sunday school helper, Sana,
was burnt with boiling water and her left arm is in quite bad
condition. These sisters need your prayers.
Soon the summer vacation will be over and we are
planning for our children, Sterling and Joy, to be ready with
their books and uniforms. Baby Stanley is growing fast and
by October he will be 2 years old. Jennifer is busy with the
children and is actively conducting women’s meetings and
Sunday school classes.
Prayers and love from all the brothers and sisters in the
church of Christ in Pakistan. >
Shahid Khokhar: cochyderabad@gmail.com

Global Harvest 43
Activities in New Delhi, India
Sunny, Francis, and Vinay David
As I finished preaching my TV
lesson this evening on “Seven things
God Requires One Must Follow to Go
to Heaven”, the last point being “unless
one is born again, born of water and
the Spirit, one cannot enter heaven”, a
young lady, a Hindu, called to say that
she wanted to be baptized to be born
again as the Bible teaches. We studied
over the phone for a few minutes, answering
some of her questions, and she
promised that she would come and attend
worship with the church on Sunday,
to study further to know how to
become a Christian. She lives in Delhi,
so I encouraged her to bring her husband
along, and she said she would do
that.
We wouldn’t know about her,
perhaps, if we did not have the TV programs
twice each week. Preaching the
gospel through this mass media tool is
a powerful method of outreach. Every
week at least 10-15 people respond
after seeing the programs, and we begin
our follow-up by sending them
Bible correspondence courses and our
monthly magazine, The Bible Teacher.
Last month there were two baptisms
at the church building in Delhi,
Anmol, son of Ajit and Preeti was baptized,
and Naina, wife of a brother in
Christ in Delhi was baptized. We were
happy to observe two more souls added
to the body of Christ. A video of their
baptisms is on the Facebook ‘Church
of Christ at Chittaranjan Park’ page at
https://www.facebook.com/ajit.osborn/
videos/vb.675867801/1015502674267
2802/?type=2&theater.
We are planning to print 50,000
tracts for distribution, and as Hindi is
the main language spoken here, all of
these tracts will be printed in Hindi.
Preaching on TV and the distribution
of Christian literature are two most
valuable avenues we have been using
to reach the unreached.
Art Bagos is from the Philippines
and has been on deputation in
New Delhi for Sony Corp for the last
3 years. We were thankful for his decision
to obey the Gospel. He is pictured
below in the blue jacket.
The church in Delhi is doing well.
Please continue to pray for us. >
Sunny David: sunny_davidin@yahoo.co.in
The baptism of Dolly.
Sunny David and others in the Delhi congregation, following the baptism of Art
Bagos from the Philippines.
Left: Ajit and Preeti David, with their son, Anmol; brother Chhotelal with his newly
baptized wife, Naina.

44 Global Harvest
An Exciting History...
Joshua Gootam
It was really hard to find time for
myself the past few weeks. Though it is
monsoon here and we have very good
rains this time, we were pressed into
work, rain or shine! And just like the
happy farmer expecting a good crop this
year, we are expecting and also reaping
a good harvest of souls all along. Just
this past week we saw eighteen obey the
gospel, three in Kakinada and 15 others
in different locations, mostly in villages.
And here is an exciting story:
Some time in the middle of a hot
summer day, exactly ten years back,
one young lady and her older-looking
mother walked into my office. By the
looks of them, you knew they were
from a high caste Hindu community.
Sitting in my office, she was able to
quote much scripture to prove Christ is
the Saviour and that He established only
one church. When I asked her where she
learned so much of the Bible, she replied
“From your TV programs and the Bible
Correspondence course,” which she had
completed and had more or less memorised
the whole content of the courses.
She knew more Bible than most average
preachers! I asked her the purpose of her
visit, and she said she came here to be
baptised then and there! We were more
than happy to assist her into the body
of Christ. Her mother did not obey, but
this young lady promised to work on her
mother and others in her village.
She knew she would have a hostile
reception, once she got home, from
her husband, the in-laws and her community.
But she did not care. She just
wanted to be a Christian. She had travelled
120 miles by bus from her village
to meet with us.
When she went home the in-laws
were hostile, as expected, and gave her
an ultimatum to stay with them, with
their religion, and enjoy all the benefits
that come with a well-to-do village
farmer’s inheritance. They said she
could think it over and give them a reply
the next morning. She told them she was
not waiting until tomorrow and would
give the reply right then and there. She
was NOT going to renounce Christ and
His Salvation, come what may! They
were stunned and have kind of tolerated
her all these ten years.
In the meanwhile, this sister,
Rama Devi, got busy, collected schoolgoing
teenage girls and boys and enrolled
them in our Bible courses. I put
her in touch with a preacher nearby.
He was hesitant to go there for fear of
repercussions, but she was able to persuade
another young man, brother Ratna
Sekhar, to come and help them in the
worship services, etc.
Slowly they began to convert ladies
from the community, one by one,
and they grew in numbers. She ordered
Telugu songs on CDs from us and these
ladies would hear the songs, write them
in a note book and sing along with the
CD until they were able to do it on their
own. Rama was bold enough to conduct
the worship service of the small
congregation on the patio of her own
house, with the husband and father-inlaw
as on-lookers. She said her husband
never showed any interest, but did not
hinder her as she taught and converted
both her mother and mother-in-law. Not
a single man has obeyed there yet!
Rama personally came here again
in May and invited me to see their progress
after 10 years. She has started 3
congregations, one in her elder sister’s
house and another in her native place,
all among high caste Hindus. We made
visits to these places during the last few
days and are amazed at their strong faith
and resolve to face persecution. I took
15 Telugu hymn books and they thought
it was a miracle because they had been
praying for hymn books and I took them
there, them without asking!!
The second village is Rama’s native
place where her mother, father, and
other family members still live. She was
able to reach a young man with the gospel.
He has a small, very small village
grocery store. He and his wife have been
baptised, but the joint family is divided
in the middle. The father just built a
nice Hindu temple on one side of the
small street and the son is conducting
worship services unto our Lord God
on the other side!! Each Sunday he
faces lot of harassment from the Hindus.
When we went there just few days back,
the meeting was held right on the street
under the tents. More than 200, most
of them Hindus, attended. While some
people tried to create a disturbance,
those under the tent heard gladly the
word of the true and living God. Who
knows how bountiful the harvest will be
after this monsoon season?
We are slated to visit the 3rd congregation
few days hence. To God be the
glory and we praise Him for the power
invested in His gospel. >
Joshua Gootam: jgootam@yahoo.com

Global Harvest 45
“Blinds Are Seeing...”
Philemon Rajah
“BLINDS ARE SEEING…
GOD’S WORD SPIRITUALLY”
“…They will see the glory of the
LORD, the majesty of our God.” Isaiah
35:2
Beloved, greetings and wishes
from Philemon Rajah.
Statistics show that there are 37
million blind people, worldwide, with
15 million living in India. The need
to share the Gospel with this neglected
segment of the population is great. Every
month with your prayers and encouragement,
we are able to meet and
teach and convert many visually challenged
people all over India. Our aim is
to teach at least 100 Blinds every month
through Bible camps and personal
studies. We thank God that in these 20
years of work among this special people,
many hundreds have obeyed the
Gospel. A few congregations just for
the Blinds have been established, and
a number of blind men have dedicated
themselves to do evangelism work.
Through the camps for the Blind
people we have provided:
• Audio Bible on DVD
• The Voice of Truth Braille
Magazine
• Seekers Bible Course in Braille
• Audio Bible in Mp3 Audio
device
• Gift to show our love towards
the poor blind people.
• Provide them food packets.
The Gospel message is shared
in the gatherings by dividing attendees
into groups and then local preachers and
volunteers give biblical counseling and
share the Gospel with each group. The
volunteers for these Bible camps for
Blinds are our J.C.School of Evangelism
students, local congregation members,
and local preachers. A camp is conducted
in different places each month, and
beforehand we visit that place at least
two times, going to each Blind’s house
and also meeting with any organization
for the Blinds in the area.
Sometimes there will be immediate
results in the Bible camps, as
some souls obey the Gospel in baptism.
Many also obey as the days pass,
through the follow-up work and materials,
and through the studies with the
local preacher of that area.
This July the Bible camp was held
at Sivagangai district in Tamil Nadu
state, a place one-and-half hour travelling
distance from our city. As usual,
we had to make two preparation trips
before the camp, with our evangelists
who are blind. We rented a denomination
prayer hall for the camp and some
40 blind people participated. To our
surprise, one man whom we baptized
through a similar camp for the blinds
in this same area some 8 years back
attended this meeting and told us that
he is regularly sharing the Gospel with
the people to whom he is selling rice
flour. His wife died recently and he is
now destitute with no children; still we
heard faithful and strong words of encouragement
from him.
After brother Kingsly and Antony
shared the gospel message with the audience,
two blind people decided to take
baptism. Among them, one man wanted
to study the scripture for some more
time, but one blind lady, though she was
from pious Hindu background, decided
to take baptism immediately. There was
no water nearby so we travelled a good
distance to find a cement water tank that
was built to water the fields, and with
the grace of God we baptized the dedicated
blind sister. Now she is a Christian
and travels the same one-and-half hour
distance to come and worship with us.
Kindly pray for “Banumathi”, the baptized
blind lady. >
Philemon Rajah:
obey2jesus@gmail.com
Any who would like to help
with this work are encouraged
to send funds to:
Jerry Bates
% Strickland Church of Christ
13 CR 218
Glen, MS 38846

46 Global Harvest
Continuing Work in Tamil Nadu
B. Arjunan
Here the Lord’s works are going
well. Every month we travel to
many Districts in Tamilnadu, India
for preaching, and for strengthening
the churches. This report covers what
we’ve done in the past six weeks.
In Namakkal District I preached
the word of God at Pandamanglam
Church of Christ. Many widows attended
the meeting. We gave them saris
since they are widows, among the
poorest people in India. After the meeting
three ladies were baptized in a river.
In Cuddalore District I preached
in the Gospel Meeting among denomination
people. Some of our TV viewers
and magazine readers attended this
meeting. Some of them stated that they
understood the truth well. Follow-up
work is needed for them.
In Chennai District we attended
the worship service at Minjur Christian
City Church of Christ. I preached in
the service and Glory took a class for
ladies after the worship service. Then
a young girl obeyed the word and was
baptized. Some people received ‘The
One Way’ Bible course materials.
In Theni District I preached in
the Sunday worship service. After the
service two ladies were baptized, and
then we went with some of the church
members to Kumily for a picnic.
In Trinelveli District at Koodankulam
I preached among the “Church
of South India” people. God opened the
door to preach among them, so we have
sown the seeds and are waiting for the
harvest. Some of our TV viewers and
magazine readers attended this meeting.
On the way to that place, we went
to the address of a family that receives
our magazine in Trinelveli Town and
had a study with them.
In Tuticorin District we attended
the Sunday worship service in the
Lord’s Church and I preached there.
After finishing the service we had
counseling with the church members
and strengthened them.
Glory has now retired
from teaching, and is able to
accompany me on the preaching
trips. Her school students
came from Theni District, attended
the worship service and
presented a beautiful wristwatch
as a gift to Glory. They
all are young students and we
want to keep in contact. We are praying
for them to be saved.
In Thiruvallur District we conducted
a preachers’ seminar and shared
basic doctrinal lessons with them.
Above 25 preachers came for the seminar.
We also attended the worship service
and I preached. Six persons were
baptized in that district. Some of our
TV viewers and magazine readers attended
this meeting. Some people received
‘The One Way’ Bible courses.
In Chennai District we participated
in the Sunday worship service at 5.30
p.m. in the home of brother Thomas
who is our radio contact. He hears our
program regularly. He is using his beautiful
house which is in the heart of Chennai
city as a place for people to gather
and worship God. Once in a month we
go there and conduct the worship service.
On other Sundays other local coworkers
are leading the meetings there.
In Namakkal District I conducted
classes for the Bible School Students.
Here an old man obeyed the word and
was baptized. At Kumily in Kerala State
we also had a Bible School. Students
from Theni and Batlagundu came to the
class. The first batch of World Evangelism
Bible School students are ready for
graduation coming September.
Please pray for all of these ministries.
God willing we will go to Sri
Lanka to check about our radio programs
later in the summer. >
B.Arjunan & Glory:
arjunanglory@gmail.com

Global Harvest 47
Baptism in the Sea
S. Rajanayagam
I am Rajanayagam, a spiritual partner of World Evangelism,
which was envisioned by our much loved and well
respected brother J.C. Choate and is being carried out from
Winona of MS, USA by the tireless work of our beloved sister
Betty Choate and several other brothers and sisters like
the Bates, Barriers and Rushmores.
As a partner of this great soul harvesting team, I am
privileged and blessed to work from Tamil Nadu, India.
First of all, I am extremely happy to announce that we
had six baptisms this month so far. They are from 3 different
places from East Tamil Nadu. Yes, three obeyed the gospel
on 6th of this month and the baptisms took place in the sea
of Bay of Bengal on the Vedaranyam sea shore. It is always
thrilling to baptize some one in any place. However, it was
an added thrill to baptize somebody in the sea. Moreover, it
was my first such experience! The ones who were obedient
are husband and wife and a young man.
Afterwards, we had a Gospel meeting in Karaikkal of
Pondicherry. One young lady from a staunch Hindu background
accepted the Gospel and rendered her obedience.
Please keep her in your prayers.
As the World Evangelism Team is aware, one denomination
preacher and his wife accepted NT Christianity in our
19th Annual Summer Bible Camp, concluded in May 2016.
I visited them in June to study more with them and their
group of people. Two obeyed during our visit last month and
the preacher reported two more baptisms yesterday. What
a joy it is to know the one who had been working against
the pure NT Christianity and was adding people in the manmade
organization is now working vigorously for the one
true church! Thanks be to God and His soul piercing Gospel.
When I went to Chennai for filming for our television
program last week, I was invited to speak in a birthday function
of a Christian family. About 150 people had gathered,
including Hindus and denominationals. I preached a clear
message of the Gospel and it was well received, according
to the family.
Besides this, we are actively involved in literature
work, printing a monthly magazine and also the Tamil version
of the quarterly Voice of Truth International magazine.
Our tracts serve as eye openers to many denominational
people, and they also help the Christians to build their faith.
Several months back, we translated the valuable book titled
“The Church Divine” by brother Louis Rushmore and
many are using this wonderful book. Our sincere thanks to
brother Rushmore.
We had a gospel meeting on 14th of August at Chennimalai,
and it was attended by around 70 people. One young
girl obeyed the gospel. The next day, 15th of August, I
spoke in two meetings in Chennai and they were attended by
80 and 90 respectively.
In closing, I am so glad to inform you and request your
fervent prayers for our 19th Annual Lectureship scheduled
for October 10-11, 2016. The theme will be “How to Remain
Faithful”. There will be 10 speakers on 10 topics. One of the
speakers will be our dear brother Jerry Bates. He encourages
us greatly by visiting us twice a year. Let God continue to
bless his work. >
S. Rajanayagam: rajarichal@yahoo.co.in

48 Global Harvest
In the Mountains of Myanmar
Jamie Barrier
On my latest trip to Burma, an election was to take place
in a matter of days. The whole country was jumping and full
of positive energy...everywhere you went it was impossible
not to be engaged in conversation about the chance of becoming
a free nation, of being a democratic government...able to
choose and do things without fear of military reaction.
I met with Wayne Barrier and Robin Dunaway, and we
stayed away from politics and prepared our lessons and sermons.
Local preacher and leader U Ky Sein sent two of his
sons to meet us while the moon was still high, and we left
Yangon in the darkness, traveling 200 miles north into the
heart of Myanmar to the town of Magway. The legendary Irrawaddy
River ran through the center of this booming city.
Massive trees lined dirt streets. All was quiet and empty because
the votes were being tallied that very day, and it was
uncertain as to whether violence would erupt.
The following morning, we again left while it was dark,
and traveled two miles out into the mountains. We crossed
clear moving streams and over old bridges and then slowly
began twisting up and up and up. We soon reached 4000
feet above sea level, where the air was cool, and the jungle
vegetation was thick. Beside the road, with miles stretching
across the curve of the world in the receding distance, there
stood our old friend U Ky Sein, arms raised in a welcome as
a dirt path on the side of the road disappeared behind him.
We followed this path till we came to a little bamboo
hut where tea was served and he showed us his little abode,
let us sit beside the open fire, and he informed us what we
would be doing while there.
“A mile further down this trail,” he said, “you will
come upon a small village. It is very different than most villages
in this country...maybe 60 people live here, but at least
45 are baptized and practicing Christians. Many were converted
while attending the school in Hmawbi, others from
campaigns to this region. They will be awaiting you in one
hour...they have also invited local friends and guests to listen
to you. We have spent money and built a small building for
you to use. Please come teach!”
We set out at once and hiked a small, mountain path, impossible
to be traveled by car. Along the way, we learned that
U Ky Sein had bought this land years ago, and it was a full
functioning farm, where coffee, bananas, peppers, fruit, and
many other things were harvested and worked by the village.
After a while, we came upon the structure he had built,
and for three days we taught 40-50 students while one of
his sons interpreted for us. We were fed rice and vegetables,
squirrel, pork, and ginger, and in the late afternoons, we
were driven back to Magway.
The military had a station placed on top of the mountain
close to where we were. Satellites and other towers sat
on the high places. It is here that friction with the Muslims
is taking place in the country. From a mission standpoint, it
is a good place to reach people who are far from any other
means to come across another Christian.
At night, in the massive city of Magway, local denominations
heard that missionaries from the USA were in town,
and asked us to meet with them. Sure enough, after a full day
on the mountain, we met in a nearby denominational building,
while people asked us various questions to see what we had to
say and to see what we believed. It was something that should
be taking place here in America, but generally most people
— be they members of the church or outside — don’t seem to
care what anyone believes one way or the other. >
Jamie Barrier is the son of Wayne and Janet Barrier, helping
with short-term teaching trips to Asia.

Global Harvest 49
Schools and Camps Throughout Myanmar
Philip VanBiak Lian
The work of the Lord in Myanmar
has been marvelous and fruitful as many
brethren in USA and other countries put
such a great effort in teaching and supporting.
There is no way to mention all
the work that is done and the people who
work in Myanmar, but I would like to
share some of my involvements.
I have been working with the
World Evangelism Team in running a
four- to six-weeks school twice in a year
and doing some campaigns in different
places. This school has been a great
tool for mass evangelism, strengthening
the brethren, and establishing the
Lord’s congregations in the country.
This year from March 14 to April
15, we had our spring school session and
eight precious souls became Christians.
Also three persons completed two years’
course and got their certificates. The ladies’
classes were taught by wonderful
teachers and the ladies were inspired.
Now we are planning to have this school
again in the fall, October 4-November 5.
I also work with Partners in Progress
and this effort mainly focuses in-
Laputta, the delta area. Six or more
trips are made to this area every year
so that we can teach the non-believers
about God and strengthen the brethren.
Twice a year we do a seminar for this
group of people, one in February and
another in September, for one week
each time. This outreach effort has
been wonderful and brings many Buddhists
to Christ.
Once in a year, I work with brother
Daniel Hamm, spending one week or
more in Pyay city. This year from July
1-7, we had this school again and one
precious soul became a Christian.
Our youth Camp in Kalay is another
work that I am involved in. This
year from April 26-May1 we had the
camp, the largest in our history with
about two hundred youth and children
participating and being taught basic
Bible principles and Christian character.
Sixteen young people obeyed the
gospel. It was so good to have brother
Don Posey and his wife from USA and
brother Jyothi Raju from India with us
as teachers and leaders.
For the first time a women’s Bible
study was held at Pyinkhonegyi, our
village, at the close of the Youth camp.
About eighty women from different
congregations came for this study. This
helps a lot for the women in the church
to know their role which is really needed.
We plan to do this every year.
On May 6-11 this year, I visited
three congregations in Chin State with
other evangelists which give a lot of
encouragement to the people and to us
as well. Below is a worship meeting in
the home of sister Esther in Yangon.
Inspiring writings on Bible people by sister Katheryn Haddad. You’ll love these!
Contact her at haddad1940@yahoo.com or on Facebook or Amazon.com
Lastly, I have begun working with
the brethren from Oregon, doing evangelism
through World English Institute
as a co-ordinator. I hope to have
many doors open through this effort.
We are thankful to be able to do
many other local works through the
help of the brethren in America. I trust
that this fellowship will continue in the
future. Thank you very much. >
Philip: philipvanbiak@gmail.com

50 Global Harvest
In 1979, an article was published
that said fifty percent of people living
in America receive their religious
teaching from television, while only
ten percent receive theirs by attending
worship on Sunday. Mack Lyon was
the preacher at the church of Christ in
Wewoka, Oklahoma. On Thursdays
The Wewoka Daily Times reported
church attendance for all churches on
the previous Sunday. When Thursday’s
paper came out, the total reported
church attendance was about ten
percent of the population of the town.
The Church of Christ had the largest
attendance, but it was less than one
percent.
Mack envisioned a local television
program that would reach the estimated
fifty percent. With no financial
support, he bought air-time on the nearest
TV station, KTEN, Channel 10 in
Ada, Oklahoma. Mack asked the elders
at Wewoka for their financial support.
The generous church increased their offering
to cover the $600 per week for
air-time and production costs.
Mack didn’t want to spend precious
air-time fleecing the audiences
for money, which was common in
religious programming in those days.
He strongly believed the churches of
Christ should — and would — finance
the work of preaching the gospel to
the world.
“In Search of the Lord’s Way”
now appears on all 210 television
markets in the United States. Search
appears on nearly 150 local cable stations
and on 50 radio stations.
Search offers materials for free
to those who request booklets and audio
CDs. Because Search is a nonprofit
ministry, it relies on more than forty
volunteers to help mail thousands of
requests each month.
Search’s ministry remains dedicated
to its five-fold purpose: to take
the Way of salvation to thousands who
live right among us; to light a candle
in the darkness of immorality; to resist
the materialism and humanism that
are choking the faith and spirituality
out of so many people; to restore
credibility to the religion of Christ that
has been diminished in many religious
programs; to tell your friends that the
church of Christ is not dead, but that
it is very much alive and that we care.
We need your continued financial
support and prayers. We are struggling
financially and need your help.
I am asking every congregation and
individual to help us by increasing
the amount they give to help us meet
our pressing needs. Can you give $50,
$25, or even $10 more each month?
Please help us continue this great ministry
for the Lord. Each of you who
support and pray for this ministry are
fellow laborers in the greatest work
of all, preaching the gospel. We thank
God for your partnership with us in
our efforts to take the gospel to all of
America and to as many other countries
as possible. The Lord be with
you, Phil Sanders >
In Search of the Lord’s Way,
P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK
73083, (405) 348-3242, (800)
321-8633

Global Harvest 51
South Korea’s Brotherhood’s Works at a Glance
Malcolm Parsley
Concerning the Brotherhood’s
situation in Korea, these days the nation
as a whole is a little more tense than in
the past for the tightening of the restrictions
on North Korea and Kim Jong
Un’s determination to disregard China
leader’s advice and much of the whole
world’s, as far at that is concerned. He
seems to be feeling he has to maintain
his image of great importance so that
what he may do is not clear to anyone.
This, and the economic tightening because
of the loss of many of the country’s
exports and the bankruptcy of several
of the largest businesses, have put
somewhat of a damper on any growth
of religion in the country. So it is somewhat
status quo here in the South.
We have about 123 Korean congregations.
Our five U.S. military congregations
that are being consolidated
into two and maybe three by the end
of next year because of the closing of
nearly all of the small bases and moving
them all to one main location more
in the center of the country.
Korea Christian University is
now officially renamed “K. C. University”.
The new board chairman made
the change in order to attract more students
from the world. “Christian” in
the name caused it to be looked upon
as a “seminary” and therefore only our
Bible department was growing. At the
present there are 1,433 students in undergraduate
level and 147 students in
the graduate departments.
Also the university operates an
accredited program for kindergartenage
children with about 300 in attendance.
It operates a Jr. High school
with 492 students, as well as a Day
Center for the Senior Citizens for the
Korean Government which serves each
day about 1,000 elderly. Along with
this is the housing for the local city’s
Children’s Library with all new and
very modern facilities which the University
Board oversees.
KC University has departments of
Biblical Studies, Social Welfare, Child
Welfare, Business Administration, Foreign
Languages, Music, Food Science,
Nursing, and Lifelong Education Center
We have a long standing (since
1963) Bible Correspondence Course
program that has had a student from every
small district in the country and has
taught over 100,000 students during that
time. From this program churches have
been started.
There is a yearly Brotherhood
seminar for which an American lecturer
is usually invited to come and hold
a one- to two-week seminar here on
the peninsula as well as on the island
of Jeju, our largest island which has 9
congregations.
We also have the Church of Christ
Mission which publishes The Church
of Christ Magazine every other month
as well as books and other publications.
The Mission also holds on-going Bible
studies and church self-help programs
as well as summer youth camp activities
for the needy congregations. The Mission
has a web page at thechurch.kr, in
both Korean and English languages.
Our tract ministry is designed to
not only serve the present congregations
but to help in preparation for the day
when the door to the North is opened to
the Gospel. We have Shane and Emily
Fisher as well as Ronda Everson and
members of her family here teaching at
the university, and involved in evangelism.
The Malcolm and Kwihwa Parsley
family are decades-long workers
and are, at the present, regrettably, the
only government registered full-time
missionary family. Please pray the Father
will send us more.
The nation is experiencing the beginning
of a financial depression which
we all hope will be adverted. This is
primarily caused by the lack of sales
in the main areas of ship manufacturing,
mobil phones, and automobiles.
These days we live also under the everincreasing
threat of North Korea which
says it has set intentions to destroy
South Korea and the United States.
Please keep all this in your prayers.
All in all, the Father’s work continues
to grow and the Saints are increasing
in maturity. About half of the
churches have elders. We do hope to get
more full-time, evangelistic workers to
come and help bring even more souls
into our dear Savior’s Kingdom. >
Malcolm Parsley: parsleyone@gmail.com
The
Holy
Spirit
J.C. Choate
Too little attention has been
given in the church to the
Person and work of The Holy
Spirit. This newly published
classbook by J.C. Choate can
help to fill that void. $8.00; discount
for orders of 10 or more.
Call 662-283-1192.

52 Global Harvest
Daniel Hamm in Southeast Asia
I am blessed to be in my 50th year
in preaching the saving gospel of our
Lord, Jesus Christ. The last 48 years
have all been years of full-time located
preaching and/or missionary involvement.
The past 14 have been involved
in Southeast Asia, along with some
mission work in the States. Most of
these years, I have traveled three times
a year into Asia. Recent trips have been
in Oct./Nov., 2015, March, 2016 and
leaving the States this last time on June
27. Since then, the following has been
my Itinerary:
First week in July — Spoke at two
congregations in Yangon, Myanmar and
taught a week’s Bible School, teaching
for 25 hours, at Pyay, Myanmar.
Brother Philip Lian translated for me.
More than 30 were present in Yangon
and over 20 in Pyay. Philip and I are
planning speaking engagements when
I return to Asia in December/January.
Second week in July — Spoke
10 times in Chiang Mai, Thailand with
brother Michael Mayo translating for
me. High attendance was 42. I have
been invited to be one of the speakers
in a gospel meeting in Chiang Mai this
December.
Third week in July — Traveled to
Nakorn Sawan Province, halfway between
Chiang Mai and Bangkok and
was one of eight speakers in a gospel
meeting. I presented two of the ten lessons
with brother Subin Panboon translating.
More than 100 attended.
This was my first time to this
Province but I have been invited back
next July. Brethren from Surin in the
Northeast were present and invited me
to speak at Surin my next trip to Asia in
December/January.
I completed the third week of July
by traveling along with my translator,
brother Priwan, ten hours to Amnat
Charoen in Thailand’s Northeast and
preached three days in a gospel meeting.
About 40 were present.
Fourth week in July — Brother
Priwan and I traveled into the Communist
country of Laos and conducted
a 25-hour Bible School. About 50 were
present for this week of Bible Study.
In addition, the local preacher, brother
Khoum, spoke about 10 hours. In the
past four years, Priwan and I have conducted
8 schools there.
Last day in July — Brother Priwan
translated for me at two services
on Sunday morning on “The Christian
Home.” Late Sunday afternoon, I flew
from Ubon Ratchathani to Bangkok and
then flew back to the U.S. on August 3.
Thanks to all in Asia and America who
make these preaching and teaching opportunities
possible!!!
RESPONSES WHILE IN ASIA
NAME AGE RESPONSE
IN PYAY, MYANMAR
Mr. Myo Aung 17 Baptized
IN NAHKON, SAWAN, THAILAND
Mr. Bible 10 Baptized
Mr. Torn 10 Baptized
Ms. Omega 10 Baptized
Mr. Alfa 16 Baptized
IN AMNAT CHAROEN, THAILAND
Ms. Sonped 18 Restored
Ms. Kom 58 Restored
Ms. Napoon 35 Restored
IN SUVANNAKHET, LAOS
Mr. Chi 37 Baptized
Ms. Keo 14 Baptized
Ms. Viengchai 11 Baptized
Ms. Oillcome 15 Baptized
Mr. To 18 Baptized
Mr. Kaison 14 Baptized
Mr. Somrit 49 Baptized
Mr. Seepun 40 Baptized
Ms. Lun 20 Baptized
Mr. Chicome 14 Baptized
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!
While Daniel Hamm was in Asia,
his wife, Kathy, has been at their home
in Clinton, Ky. They moved there two
years ago to establish a congregation in
Hickman County that had been without
a Church of Christ for 12 years. Services
are conducted each Sunday afternoon
at 3:00 in the home of the Hamms.
Kathy prepares refreshments each
week for a period of fellowship that follows
an hour of worship. Including the
Hamms, there are presently 7 from the
local community who attend.
Brethren from the following congregations
in other counties and states
take turns coming each Sunday to encourage
this new work:
Week one — Wingo, Ky.
Week two — North Marshall in Calvert
City, Ky.
Week three — Walnut Grove in Benton,
Ky.
Week four — Bishop St., Union City, Tn.
Week five — Ledbedder, Ky.
Daniel is author of a Bible Column
and author of a Gardening Column
that appear each week in The Hickman
County Times Newspaper. “House to
House” is mailed to every home and
business each time it is printed, with
personal information and articles on the
front and back. >
“HAMM MISSIONS” is overseen
by the elders of the Walnut Grove
Church of Christ, 85 Walnut Grove
Road, Benton, KY. 42025, and is
funded by many brethren and congregations
of churches of Christ.
Daniel Hamm:
hammdankat@yahoo.com

Global Harvest 53
McKees’ 2016 Indonesia trip
Colin McKee
Our winter/spring trip started with
us getting up at 4 a.m. and then going
by our grandson’s house for him to take
us to the airport in Birmingham. We appreciate
Pierce being willing to get up
so early to help us on the way. When
we exited in Tokyo to change planes
we met Gordon Hogan in the airport!
He had been on the same flight with us
from Atlanta but we didn’t know it. He
continued on the same flight to Singapore
but we were in different sections
of the plane.
Children eating
from the trash.
Our visit to Indonesia took us to
our usual places of ministry in Nias,
Sumatra, and Java. It was great to be
with the brethren there again and to
have the opportunity to teach and encourage
them in the faith. We are always
impressed with the magnitude of
the population (250 million, 4th largest
in the world) and the challenges that
vast throng presents for sharing the
good news of Christ.
Nias
The Intensive Bible Course on the
subject of Worship was one of the largest
we have participated in. Thirty-five
men came from various congregations
to the capital, Gunung Sitoli, to take
part in a full week of studies that kept
them in classes from early morning until
late afternoon. Many of the guys stayed
up quite late fellowshipping and sharing
Bible discussions. Our room in the
apartment was next to where some of
the men were staying and since the walls
are very thin, we could hear everything
that was going on. One night some of
them were engaged in Bible topics until
around 1 a.m.
We always get a lot of interesting
questions from the course participants:
“What is the correct way to conduct a
funeral?”, “How did God relate to non-
Jews under the O.T. law?”, “Is there
special power in citing God’s original
name?”, “Did Jesus tell the truth about
His disciples having faith to move
mountains?”, “What did Jesus mean
when he said ‘greater works than these
you will do’?”
I explained that there is no pattern
in the Bible about how to conduct a funeral,
but gave them some pointers on
using wisdom in ministering to the bereaved.
God dealt with the non-Jews in
the same manner He dealt with those previous
to the giving of the law. It was first
by direct communication and then apparently
by word of mouth passed down
from generation to generation. God did
not choose Israel alone for salvation, but
chose them as a vessel to bring the Messiah
into the world.
Because of the influence of the
Muslim culture and belief, many on
Nias think there is special power in uttering
names of God. I showed them
that there is no Biblical precedent for
using God’s name as a fetish, but we
may get into trouble like the sons of
Sceva if we try to invoke power that
we do not possess. Jesus’ promise of
moving mountains was limited to His
apostles in the context of the chapter
and was never given as a general promise
to all believers. The greater works
that the disciples of Christ would perform
would not be greater miracles
than He, as that would be impossible,
but rather the greater scope of taking
His message of salvation to regions far
and wide across the world.
It was evident from the questions
of the men and from interaction
with them that most of them still need
a lot of maturing and building up in the
faith, and additional training is vital to
the stability of the churches there. We
also had morning devos for the ladies
who are taking the seamstress course,
and we enjoyed interacting with them.
Two books, Indeks Alkitab
(Bible Index, a Ready Reference on
Bible Topics), and Peranan Perempuan
(The Role of Woman) are being
reprinted for the Nias churches. These
are valuable tools for the brethren and
we replenish these and others as the
supply gets low.
Medan
There have been six baptisms in
recent weeks in the Selayang congregation
in Medan. These are all young
couples, some of them newly married.
The congregation has many young couples
and there are children seemingly
everywhere at worship with their parents.
Attendance is usually about 75-80
on Sundays. Brother Ndruru is serving
the congregation in an excellent manner
and has several personal studies under-
Continued on page 58

Continued on page 58
54 Global Harvest
Philippine Missions
Priscilla Sellers
Let me first greet you on behalf of the 23 members of this
year’s mission team. This was a very special trip for me. ALL
of my children, their spouses, and my grandchildren were able
to be with me. It does the heart good to know that we find such
joy in being with each other as we reach out to those in need.
Everyone had work to do and did it with such servant
hearts. My verse for this trip was: “I have no greater joy than
to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 Jn. 1:4).
I must admit that this was one of the most challenging
trips that I have been on. Members of the team used words
such as: difficult, challenging, stressful, frustrating to describe
their experiences; while at the same time realizing that
this trip was uplifting, encouraging, character building, and
indeed a most blessed time of their lives. Indeed, Rom. 8:28
“And we know that in all things God works for the good
of those who love Him, who have been called according
to His purpose” came alive to each one of us as we worked
through the challenges set before us. Through it all… by the
end of the trip everyone was talking about “when they come
back….” Amazing how God could work on our hearts in the
midst of adversity!! This was a very special trip for me.
Upon arriving in the Philippines, one of the first things
that we do is to set up our “office area”. We retrieve from
storage our printers, laminators, book binding machines, supplies,
etc. to begin our work of preparing the materials for the
“Missing Link Kits”. Anytime that we are not “in the field”,
we will have people sitting at these machines laboring vigorously.
We have some tutorials that are in their 6th year now.
It has been so encouraging to watch these congregations and
Christians as they have grown in their work for the Lord. They
take such pride in what they are doing and know that they personally
have a part in the growth of the Kingdom.
Many of them have taken it upon themselves to improve
their buildings / classrooms to accommodate the children and
their parents. Each does what it can with what resources it
has. We do not provide for any of the supplies or materials to
prepare their buildings. This is their responsibility. They have
never asked us for any money or resources to do so.
This year we went back to one tutorial that has had
sessions for 4 years now. The classroom below is what we
walked into. Absolutely beautiful!! Tears welled up in my
eyes….. I am so proud of the progress that this tutorial has
made. I never in my deepest dreams thought that these congregations
and their membership would have come so far
in so little time. Thank you, Lord, for using these precious
Christians for your glory!!
As a F.Y.I. to those of you who are interested….over
the past two years, I have been contacted by several preachers
in other countries that tell me they have been following the
events of the tutorial centers in the Philippines on FaceBook.
A few of them have been begging me for 2 years to bring a
kit to their congregation because they want to have that form
of evangelism for their congregation and they want to help
the children in their communities. I have held off as long as I
can, telling them that I am just not set up to reach out to other
countries, nor do I have the budget to do that. Well….they
have been so persistent that I have finally broken down and
decided that if I can’t help them 100% like I have done in the
Philippines, that I should at least do what I can to help them
do something. So while I was in the Philippines, I gathered
together some materials, resources, etc. and shipped a box to
Malawi for them to work with one tutorial, and then sent materials
and resources for 4 tutorials in Tanzania. This week I
need to finish filling more boxes for them and also I will be
making a video for them explaining the tutorial since I will
not be able to go to Africa this year. I really don’t think this
the best way to do this, but I don’t know what else to do. >
Priscilla Sellers: prissysellers8@yahoo.com

Global Harvest 55
Micronesia for the Master
Scott Shanahan
We hope that all of you are doing
well. The work in Micronesia is going
great. We have five personal Bible
studies, with about ten different people
going on right now, plus we are making
visits to brethren several times a week,
and we are trying to get our new building
built. So we have a lot going on,
and would not have it any other way.
As they say in Montana, “Well,
it’s July”. We hope that your July is
off to a great start. We had a very nice
Independence day, but it paled in comparison
to the thirteen days before it.
Those thirteen days were spent with
the Parkers, who will replace us on the
field. Wayne, Kristi, Spencer (14) and
Piper (9) joined us in Pohnpei to have a
look at their future home and the work
that they will begin in January, the Lord
willing. The Parkers have two other
children, Connor and Gavin, who were
not able to make the trip.
They arrived on June 20th, and
impressed us as being ready to work
right from the beginning. We took them
to the hotel where we enjoyed a nice
meal together and then we left them to
rest. The next morning we got together
to make some visits and introduce them
around to some of the members. The
Parkers immediately treated the local
members like friends and family and
we were glad to see all of them get to
spend time together.
The first part of the trip was spent
mostly showing them around the island,
introducing them to members and
getting ready for our Gospel meeting
the second week of the trip. On the first
Wednesday night Kristi taught the kids’
Bible class and did a great job. Since
Wayne was preaching two Sunday
mornings and preaching a four-night
Gospel meeting I taught Bible class
that first Wednesday night. We asked
Spencer to lead our singing for the devotional
and he was outstanding as a
song leader.
The second week we had our
Gospel meeting. We decided to have
the meeting on the Southeast side of
the island where we have several new
members and four or five personal Bible
studies going on. Wayne preached
the meeting and Kristi taught a children’s
class. They each did a wonderful
job! Wayne has never worked as a
full-time preacher. He has a Master’s
degree in Bible, but has worked in IT
for most of his career. Mission work
will be quite a change for him, but he is
a great preacher. His lessons were well
planned, delivered in a dynamic and
interesting manner, and easy to understand.
Because he kept telling me that
he was not a career preacher I was not
sure how well he would do, but he did
far better than I could have hoped.
Kristi had her hands full with over
forty children most nights in her class.
While I was not in her class I have been
told that she did a great job of managing
the children, keeping them quiet
and engaged in the class, and teaching
lessons that were helpful to their spiritual
growth. Teaching the children in
Pohnpei is never an easy task, but she
handled it with aplomb.
We were able to go on one personal
Bible study together with a woman
we met while door knocking. We
had a good study with her, her husband
and their granddaughter. We then set
up another study with her for Kristi to
do, and a study for Wayne with a man
named Olter. We decided to send them
with the local brethren as translators,
while we stayed behind so they could
get an idea of what the work would be
like without us. Not only did they do a
great job with the studies, they set up
and conducted another study with Olter’s
sister and her husband!
We have since had one more study
with each of these families and are
looking forward to continuing to study
with them. Charley, Asher and Lehdisher
went with them and did a great job
of helping with translating. >
Here’s how we at
“World Evangelism”
can help with your
Prison Ministry:
Our printing work is a tool to help
get the Gospel out. We have two
rules: Never go into debt on
printing, and print enough to sell
enough to pay the printer, then
sell at a discount or give away
what remains. Our inventory
includes 25 basic study books
that are offered for evangelism,
prison ministry, and as followup
materials for Bible courses at
the rate of $1.50 per copy. Call
us if we can help you with your
outreach:
662-283-1192

56 Global Harvest
Greetings from the English family
here in the Pacific Island nations.
We do hope that this update finds you
doing well and increasing in The Faith
that saves us! In this update we want to
share with you some very encouraging
news of how God has provided a great
increase in the work of evangelizing,
edifying, and equipping throughout the
Pacific Island nations, both in American
Samoa and at Christmas Island,
Republic of Kiribati, and through the
daily broadcasts of PBN.
Pacific Broadcast Network:
With the help of three separate,
hardworking teams (Cedarloo, Forest
Park, and Mountain Home), we’ve
been blessed to complete several important
work projects with Pacific
Broadcast Network at the Gaither Mtn.
facility and in recent days in American
Samoa with the help of members from
the Killen church of Christ and the
Bellefonte church of Christ. With two
new additional FM stations brought online
and broadcasting daily 24/7, we’ve
been able to now focus our attention
on building out the technical operations
center which will have all the stations
soon being webcasted around the
world. This has required a considerable
amount of work at both our USA
and overseas facilities — all of which
has been accomplished by members of
the church volunteering their time.
Daily we are now reaching thousands
of people with God’s powerful
word through our PBN broadcasts. All
of our lessons, sermons, and devotionals
are being produced by faithful men
proclaiming the Gospel from locations
throughout the Pacific and the USA.
Also, one of our projects now
The Pacific Islands
Randy English
underway at PBN is implementing
Churches of Christ Community Radio.
This requires lots of production
work, plus new programming, which
is all being put together in a 24-houra-day
broadcast that is designed to
reach communities all over the world,
including the USA. Once we complete
this broadcast, we are planning for
its launch to coincide with the launch
of webcasting each of radio stations,
which will enable anyone with an internet
connection to listen to our daily
broadcasts through their phone, tablet,
or home computer. Thank you for praying
for us as we labor to expand PBN’s
broadcasts to many more people.
Tutuila Island,
American Samoa:
On June 3rd we completed conducting
the 3rd American Samoa
Lectureship on Tutuila Island. Well
prepared teams from Alabama (Keith,
Carole, & John Medley, Ivan Coil) and
Arkansas (Chuck & Joann Deaton, Michael
& Faith Toland) joined our family
and the Samoan brethren at Leone
to host this daily lectureship. This
year’s theme was “Keeping God In
Our Families”. Team members ranged
from ages 13 to 87 and did a wonderful
job of conducting excellent Bible lessons
for all ages, plus reaching out to
those visiting who had never heard of
the churches of Christ.
Members from three different
local congregations attended the lectureship,
which was conducted in the
evening hours and included a very encouraging
singing session each night
that was conducted by two young men,
John and Ivan. It was a great joy to see
the growth, encouragement, and fellowship
among faithful members of the
church during this time of Bible study.
Also, during the day, visiting
team members helped with personal
work (visitation & studies), plus various
projects (construction, electrical, &
repairs) at the American Samoa facility.
Following a power surge that had
struck our facility several weeks earlier,
some of our main systems at PBN
were offline, although our facility continued
running on back-up without exception.
Without the diligent work of
every visiting team member, it would
have taken us many weeks to get these
repairs made and things returned to
good working order.
We thank God for members of
the church in the USA who are willing
to come and serve under an organized
plan of daily work to spread the Gospel
and strengthen the church that Jesus
built!
Tawakea Village,
Christmas Island:
On June 8th our flight touched
down at Cassidy Airfield on Christmas
Island in the Republic of Kiribati. Our
team of 6 was quickly cleared by immigration
and customs, where we were
kindly greeted by local brethren who
reside on this remote coral atoll. Although
the bus came with a driver, we
were able to negotiate with the owner
for us to have use of the bus without
a driver, which would allow us more
freedom in accomplishing the daily
work load of a full schedule. Within
2 hours we were settled into our quarters
and meeting individually with local
members, house to house, to confirm
work plans for the next two weeks.
Continued on page 57

Global Harvest 57
The
Pierce Report
A newsletter from Jason and Devan Pierce
In preparation for opening the new Bear Valley Bible
Institue: Oceana in Fiji, we are still awaiting final approval
of our Recognition Application by the FHEC. We have
submitted all documents and fees. We are anxious to start
the school this year. While we cannot officially offer credits
for the classes until our application has been approved, Dad
(Rocco Pierce) and I do have Residency Visas which give us
permission to teach Bible through the local church. So, we are
going to open up this fall term’s classes to any Christian who
wants to participate and see what the program is about. We
will be offering a sample selection of the classes that we plan
to teach through the program. This will hopefully allow us
to generate interest in the program and recruit more students
for the official opening in February 2017. Any student who
passes the fall classes with at least a B average will not have
to retake those when they are offered in the future.
Also, please remember that Devan and I are still in the
process of raising funds for our work. We currently have
about half of our support raised. We are so excited about the
opportunity to be involved in this work! If you are a part of
a congregation that is not currently supporting us financially,
we hope that you will consider adding us to your missions
budget for 2017. If you are supporting us, thank you! We are
so grateful for the support (financial, emotional, and spiritual)
that we receive from each one of you! >
[The Pierces work under the oversight of the elders of
the KILLEN CHURCH OF CHRIST, PO Box 76, Killen, Alabama
35645 / (256) 757-2918.]
Jason Pierce: jhpierce.bvbio@gmail.com
Pacific Islands
Continued from page 56
Our first week team has been conducting group studies every
night for adults, teens, and children, plus those visiting the
assemblies. Also, each day we are visiting house-to-house,
inviting, encouraging, and helping people to attend the Bible
studies. It is a joy to see the response here as our classes are
being well attended and participation is good.
Two of our Bible courses (“Church History” and then
“Joshua thru Esther”) are being presented to an eager group
of men and women who are carefully listening, taking notes,
and asking questions. This is very encouraging. Also, our
children’s class being taught by Faith Toland and Cassie
Engish, and translated by Teeua Taukaro, is now at 35, but
we believe it will grow to even a larger group as the week
progresses.
Yesterday Sharon was invited to teach a Bible class at
one of the larger schools on the island, which she gladly accepted.
What a joy to know that we are laboring in a country
that still believes that God’s Word should be taught in
schools! Also, we are having a special series of lessons on
“The Miracles of Jesus”, which is being received with great
interest.
Life in Christmas Island is not easy for those who live
here, however, it seems to us that wherever we go and teach,
people are happy, receptive, and genuinely take a good interest
in the Bible, dismissing the fact that they are poor in
things physical and live in substandard conditions.
Later today we will receive an additional group of 8
workers coming from the USA, which will complete our
team. Added to our group of 6, this will enable us to get
started on a large scale house-to-house Bible study campaign.
As this is being done, attendance at our classes will
likewise see an increase. Too, every day we are blessed to
labor to sow the seed of the Kingdom into the hearts of the
people here, while both edifying and equipping Christians,
plus evangelizing those that know not our God and His way
of salvation. Please brethren…..pray for us that we can continue
to make the progress that we’ve seen in this country….
God has been so very good to give His increase in those
obeying the Gospel and those growing and maturing in The
Faith. We hope to update you again with some photos of the
work here, with a further report as we depart from Christmas
Island to teach in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. >
Randy & Sharon English: sonlight@samoatelco.com

58 Global Harvest
Continued from page 53
way. I left some materials with
him to be printed – a new book
that I have written on Proverbs
“Hikmat dari Atas”(Wisdom
from Above), and some basic tracts. All
of these are to be printed with Indonesian
and English texts side by side. We
had our usual nightly classes since the
members work during the day and are
not free to attend until after work.
Bekasi (Java)
In Bekasi we had daily Bible
classes and on the Wednesday when we
were there we had a full Bible Seminar
because it was a holiday and folks could
attend who otherwise would have been
at work. I taught a two-session class on
Special Identifying Traits of the New
Testament Church and we had an
“open forum” for questions at the end.
As usual we stayed at the Connor
House which provides care for orphans
and destitute individuals. Daniel and
Naomi Setiabudi oversee that ministry
and they do a great job although, Naomi
is having trouble with a bad knee
which is causing difficulty going up
and down stairs.
Jakarta
We enjoyed worshipping with
the Kebayoran Baru congregation in
Jakarta and I was given the opportunity
to preach to a joint service with
the Sunter brethren and some members
from Palembang in South Sumatra. It
had been a number of years since we
had seen them. We had a delicious fellowship
meal afterwards and the place
was packed. The worship and fellowship
were very uplifting.
Indonesia
We also enjoyed meeting again
with the Chinese brethren in Central
Jakarta. They are few, but are continuing
to press forward with worship each
Lord’s day. We went out to eat with
several of the members after the evening
services, and had a good meal, and
great fellowship.
Radio
We have begun a short wave radio
broadcast aimed at Indonesia. It is
a fifteen-minute program and right now
is being aired twice monthly. It began in
February and we are hoping it will reach
remote areas of Indonesia that do not
have churches of Christ. We have set up
a web site to receive inquiries and provide
material that can be downloaded.
Indonesia at large
The rainy season was in full force
on Java with parts of Jakarta and other
cities submerged from day to day. Daily
T.V. broadcasts highlighted clogged
drains. Then it was announced that
public works employees discovered 18
tons of sheathing from unused phone
cables blocking drains in Central Jakarta.
Thieves had gone into the drains
and stolen the cable, but stripped the
sheathing and left it to block the drains.
A section of Jakarta known for
prostitution and gambling was razed by
authorities and the land area is be dedicated
for a green park. When they were
asked what the park should be called,
the reply was, “ It should be called Repentance
Park”.
Ellen’s Notes
As Colin mentioned, we met Gordon
Hogan in Narita airport, Tokyo and
had a nice visit. Gordon and Jane have
meant so much to us over the years. We
first met them in 1968 when we stayed
in Singapore for about 6 months trying
to process a visa to work in
Malaysian Borneo. They were
gracious and kind mentors to
us. We had very little training
in mission work and learned
so much from them. We enjoyed many
good times in their home and attending
worship with them at Moulmein Rd.
Their gift of hospitality was
passed on to their children. When we
were evacuated from Indonesia in 1998
due to massive riots and the overthrow
of president Suharto, Dave and Debbie
Hogan welcomed us into their home.
Colin was sick at the time, and Debbie
carried him to her doctor who did tests
and found he had two kinds of malaria.
The malaria specialist who treated him
said if he had gotten there any later
he wouldn’t have made it. That was
when Debbie urged me to get a regular
checkup, and they found I had cancer.
We have so much to thank them all for.
We saw Gordon again in May
when we had our annual Missionary
Retreat at camp Maywood in Hamilton,
Alabama. Jane passed away on January
17, 2016. We were unable to attend
the funeral in Searcy, Arkansas as my
brother and two cousins passed away
around the same time. I know of no
woman I admire more than Jane. Their
home in Singapore was always open.
On returning to the U.S. after
more than 30 years in S.E. Asia, the
Hogans continued to make frequent
trips to Singapore and other places in
that area of the world. Before Jane’s
death they had already purchased tickets
for their usual trip. Jane was 90 but
still made the trips. She loved the Lord
and never stopped doing His work.
Many thanks to all who have
a part in making it possible for us to
serve the churches in Indonesia and
help to mature brethren and stabilize
them in the faith. >
Colin & Ellen McKee. 205-590-1376 cohamckee@att.net;
1660 Mt. Zion Rd.
Hayden, Al. 35079

Global Harvest 59
News from Auckland, New Zealand
John and Lynda Staiger
On an island far away, there’s a
family of God’s church, Morningside
Church of Christ, in Auckland, New
Zealand.
The word is going out, and it is not
returning empty but is accomplishing
what God desires and achieving the purpose
for which He sent it (Isaiah 55:11).
Recently, I was asked by Samu
Rakai to teach the Bible to the children
of a family. Samu (a Christian brother)
had been teaching the adults of the family
but felt the kids needed a different
approach. I went around to their house
and decided to start the study with evidences
about God and His word. There
were two teenagers and two twelveyear-olds
present. I carried on with the
evidences approach the second time I
went to their home.
After I finished the second study, I
packed away my Bible and worksheets
and asked, “Any questions?” The oldest,
a girl of 15, said she had one. “How
do you get converted in your church?”
she asked. You could have knocked me
over with a feather. I was not expecting
that question so early in the Bible study
series! I opened up my case, brought
out my Bible, and we had another fullon
Bible study. She said that she had
been baptized as a Mormon, so that’s
where I started. I spoke about why
the Mormon church is not the Lord’s
church, and then dealt with the steps of
conversion. I left them thinking about
what I had shared with them.
The next time I went to their
home, we dealt with cases of conversion,
like the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch
in Acts 8, and a parallel story of
how my own father was converted to
the Lord in a similar manner. When I
left the house, the two girls came out
into the darkness of the night with me,
and expressed their desire to be baptized.
I rejoiced! On a Sunday, Mahina
and Georgina were baptized right after
worship. Many of their family members
were present.
We praise God for these two precious
souls that have been added to the
Kingdom of God. We feel it is just
the beginning of souls from their family
finding the Lord. The Christians
at Morningside have been giving me
money to buy age-appropriate Bibles
for those who need them, so I was happy
to present all 4 of the study group
their very own Bible.
Our youth at Morningside are
maturing. In fact, many were able to
go on a second mission trip to Fiji, and
we oversaw them
in the running of a
camp which Fijian
church youth attended.
Lance Mosher
was the speaker at
the camp, but our
youth were assigned
groups of teens and
ran the ice-breakers,
games and announcements.
There
was one baptism and
one restoration at the end of the camp.
We rejoiced that God was working in
the hearts of the people.
Our youth also helped us hand out
tracts in a town and city in Fiji, which
garnered calls to a preacher there. One
big event touched all of us, though, and
that was to take aid in the way of food to
the cyclone-hit island of Malake. The
church all over New Zealand paid money
for food items and school items to be
bought for the people who live on this
island. We went over to it in open boats,
and I thought about how Jesus and his
disciples used this mode of transport, so
close to the lapping water, wind in our
faces and a song on our hearts. (However,
we had the aid of motors!) We arrived
to island hospitality. They baked
their best cakes and presented us with
flower necklaces. Food and school gift
presentations were made, songs were
sung, and connections made. We arrived
strangers and left friends. We took
them the love of God and we pray to
return to the island of Malake to share
more of God’s will in their lives.
To God be the glory! >
John and Lynda Staiger work with the
Morningside Church of Christ in Auckland,
New Zealand.
Goodbyes from the grateful
people of Malake.

60 Global Harvest
Palmerston North,
New Zealand
Kent O’Donnell
Greetings from a very warm NZ autumn. It seemed to
take a while for our summer to get kick-started, but now
it won’t end. The country’s temperature has been almost 2
degrees hotter than average, and last week I saw one gauge
read 24 C (75 F), not bad for less than a month from winter.
OUTREACH
Whether you work for the church in your hometown or
on the mission field, you will regularly experience the UP’S
& DOWNS OF EVANGELISM. At the conclusion of our
door-knocking campaign last year there was a “riding high”
feeling: a wide area had been covered, many people were
spoken to, and we had a number of positive-looking contacts
to follow up on. As 2015 closed, the congregation enjoyed
the addition of 3 new souls and some good prospects were
still studying. Of course, the “soil” quality does not always
become apparent until later on, especially after certain challenging
situations occur (cf. Luke 8:4-15).
By the time January had ended, all the studies had dried
up, and it looked like we were 0-3 on the new Christian front;
discouragement weighed in heavy. Sadly, one who disagreed
with our camp policy of “no mixed swimming” hasn’t returned
since. However, on a happy note, the absence of the
other two was merely a case of a small misunderstanding
and a slight personality issue. A short visit was all it took to
get them back in the saddle with a renewed spiritual desire
[By the way, never underestimate the power of simply calling
on a struggling member. It may be awkward at first, but
it also may be just what motivates a change of heart.] As I
reflect upon these words, I guess my point is to show that
whether or not we see the fruit of our evangelistic labours,
or even if it’s “one step forward and two steps back,” as
long as we stay faithful and continue to give opportunities,
it’s not all for nought: “Now if any man builds upon the
foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day
will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the
fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any
man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall
receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he shall
suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through
fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NASB)
Midway through May a large group from FREED
HARDEMAN UNIVERSITY came to New Zealand. Part
of them spent just over a week with us here in Palmerston
North. We did some doorknocking, anticipating some good
Bible studies as a result.
An exciting development for the church in our country
is the establishment of the BEAR VALLEY BIBLE
INSTITUTE - NEW ZEALAND. The original school in
Denver, Colorado, USA, has regularly sought to set up international
extension schools around the world, and we have
been given such an opportunity. Lance Mosher and John
Jones have been heading up the creation of the school in
conjunction with Bear Valley rep, Keith Kasarjian. It will be
based in the city of Wellington, and will have both resident
and distance trained students. Several men, myself included,
will assist as adjunct instructors, teaching various assigned
courses. I appreciate the initiative behind this effort, and I
pray the future dividends of educating numerous N.Z. men
in sound doctrine so they in turn can share this knowledge
with others (2 Timothy 2:2) will be readily apparent in the
Lord’s work in our nation.
CAMPAIGN 2017: I know this is somewhat early, but
I want to allow those who are interested in participating in
this effort enough time to prepare, raise funds, organise time
off, etc. If it sounds like something you would love to do and
want more information, please email me. >
Kent O’Donnell: kentus73@gmail.com, or send a Facebook
message.

Global Harvest 61
Lance Mosher — Porirua, New Zealand
We’re busy in the Kingdom!
The work has taken us all over the North Island, and even
to Fiji! Below is a quick update on what we’ve been up to.
Baptisms
The church in Porirua is growing! On the 13th of May,
Jade Karati was baptized into Christ. We have been studying
with her since January. We met her when we met several
other people in the area who were involved in a home “Bible
study” conducted by a local denomination. We were asked to
stop coming, as we “used the Bible too much” (direct quote
from the leader). However, Jade wanted more. She was
personally involved in the Salvation Army, which does not
practice any form of baptism, so she was surprised to learn
what the Bible actually teaches about it. Her heart is on fire
for the truth, and she is growing in the faith every day.
We contacted Sarah Onesai during our recent doorknocking
campaign. She went through a couple of Bible
studies with the campaigners, and then her studies were resumed
by John and Erin Jones when the campaigners went
back home. On the 9th of July, she was baptized into Christ,
being the first fruits of our 2016 campaign.
Fiji Trip
Street Evangelism
The day after we arrived in Fiji, we spent the day in and
around Suva, the nation’s capital, distributing tracts on the
streets and striking up conversations with the locals about
various Bible subjects, primarily on the difference between
the Old and New Testaments. By the end of the day, the local
evangelist had already received four phone calls.
Youth Camp
That night, we began conducting a youth camp, with
about 100 people, on the Coral Coast. The camp’s theme was
Back to the Basics. I spoke six times:
What will I do with the empty tomb?
Unless I believe…
What is my authority in life?
How valuable is the body of Christ?
What will discipleship cost me?
How do I obey the gospel?
At the end of the fourth lesson, I facilitated a Question-Answer
session. The questions that were asked publicly
and privately proved that the youth of Fiji are deep thinkers,
ready to commit all to Christ. At the end of my final lesson
on Sunday, two young ladies came forward publicly — one
to be restored to Christ, and one, a Seventh-Day Adventist,
wanting to be baptized, forsaking man-made ideas for the
true gospel of Jesus Christ.
Malake Island Aid
Fiji was hit in February 2016 by Cyclone Winston.
Much of the mainland was not damaged severely, but most
of the residents of Malake Island lost everything. Since then,
they have received only one shipment of food. We were
blessed to spend a few hours on the island, distributing food
and school supplies to the 1000 residents. You could not find
a more thankful group of people.
We spent time playing with the children, creating
friendships with the locals, and building bridges between the
people of Malake and the Christians of Fiji, which was our
primary aim. We were unable to take all the food and supplies
that had been prepared, which will give the Christians
good reason for subsequent visits.
I am extremely thankful to the Morningside congregation
for involving me in this trip. Even more so, thanks be to
the Father of all, who showers such amazing blessings on us
every day. I am forever changed by this unique opportunity
and am already communicating with the organisers about returning
to Fiji in 2018.
In just over two weeks, the very first classes will commence
for Bear Valley Bible Institute-New Zealand. It
feels like just yesterday Keith Kasarjian and I were travelling
the country to discuss the prospective school with
Christians. We currently have four full-time students and six
part-time students enrolled.
We send our thanks to all who are interested in our
work. We could not do it without you. Keep serving Him. >
Lance, Kristen, and Silas Mosher: mosher.lance@gmail.com

62 Global Harvest
Brad Harrub, Focus Press, Inc.
NEW ONLINE RADIO SHOW
Listen Live Tuesday’s and Thursday’s at 10:00 CST;
CHECK OUT THE FOCUS PRESS
YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Contact Us: Address: 625 Bakers Bridge Ave, Suite 105
Franklin, TN 37067; Phone: 615-324-5870;
www.focuspress.org; 866-313-6474
Just Force Yourself to do it!
Brad Harrub, Ph.D
For a while I’ve been preaching a lesson about being
alone on an island with a Bible, away from worldliness, to
strengthen a biblical worldview. About three weeks ago I had
a schedule opening that allowed me to put my teaching to the
test. And before I say another word, let me encourage everyone:
Please do this! Rearrange your calendar. Take some time
off. Tweak your vacation schedule. Do whatever you have to
do to do this. My wife and I have already determined that we
will be doing this again — probably annually. It really was
that good for our family and our spiritual health. I realize some
may think our experiment was weird or extreme, and that’s
okay. At this point in my life I recognize if I’m truly standing
up for Christ I will probably stand out as weird. Weird may be
exactly where God wants me to bring Him the most glory! My
prayer is that everyone will try it just once.
BACKGROUND PREPARATION
Step One: Identify a place.
One of the key elements to this spiritual renewal is to get
away from as much media as humanly possible. Get off the
grid. No computers. No televisions. No smartphones. Just you,
your family, the Bible (and maybe some Bible games to play at
night). I originally looked for a literal island where we could be
secluded, but I quickly realized that was going to be extremely
cost prohibitive. So I opted for a ranch that was isolated and surrounded
by the beauty of God’s handiwork. (No, I won’t share
the name — because we will probably be returning, and we
want our island to remain an island!) We had no television, no
neighbors, no traffic. Location is not the big thing. What’s important
is that you are away from distractions.
Step Two: Come up with a schedule.
Most people work better with a schedule. A schedule is
also a constant reminder of what you should be doing. So I
developed a schedule that made roughly half the day studying
God’s Word, and the other half of the day family time.
We scheduled in time to study, discuss what we studied,
and even to talk to each child individually about important
things. We scheduled in meals and game time in the evenings.
Melinda and I fine-tuned the schedule together before
we left and we printed out a copy for everyone.
Step Three: Lead your family.
We wanted the family to understand what we were doing
before we left, so we discussed it together. I was surprised
at how quickly my family got on board for the journey. I had
envisioned some reluctance or hesitation — especially given
that we were going to be without media (or devices) for several
days. This is not a trip to the amusement park, so there
may be some push-back from your family. This is when you
must step up and lead your family and show them the importance
of what you are doing.
Step Four: Make adequate preparations.
Having four children that range from 7 to 16 means we
had to plan ahead. We recognized asking a seven-year-old
to read God’s Word for 4 hours straight would be tough. So
we packed a separate bag that contained some Bible coloring
books, Bible picture books, and even Bible writing exercises
for him to do along with his reading. We also invested
in some special Bible highlighters, Bible pens, and journals
for everyone to make notes and write down questions or
thoughts. We decided ahead of time that we would do half
the cooking and let the ranch staff cook half the time so that
we would not spend all the time cleaning up the kitchen.
Step Five: Decide what you want to study.
This unique opportunity will allow you to study the
Bible in a deeper fashion than most people are accustomed
to do. Decide ahead of time how you will devote your time.
Maybe you will focus on a topic (e.g., Being United in Christ,
or God’s Love, or Evangelism). Or maybe you will focus on
a specific period of time. Or maybe you will focus on New
Testament books. Try to identify what you want your family
to focus on for a couple of days and then divide it into daily
readings. (I would STRONGLY recommend you leave other
supplemental books at home, and just read the Bible.)
Continued on page 63

Global Harvest 63
Just Force Yourself to do it!
Continued from page 62
Step Five: Force yourself.
For anyone not used to spending multiple hours in
God’s Word the thought of this can be daunting. Just be persistent
and force yourself to dive into His Word. The first day
we were all a little nervous as to how things would go — but
it turned out to be an incredible day.
Step Six: Have serious discussions.
One of the unique things we did was spend time with
each child individually. So each day Melinda would start
with our oldest child and I would start with the youngest and
we would talk — one-on-one. For thirty minutes we would
discuss things like areas we needed to improve in our lives,
non-negotiables for marriage, what they were going to do
with their lives and the talents God blessed them with, how
we could be more evangelistic, etc. Then it would be the
next child’s turn. Again, there was some nervousness at first,
as we found separate places outside to meet. However, this
turned out to be one of the favorite times for each child.
Step Seven: Mix in some fun.
Sometimes when we focus on biblical matters we think
that we can no longer have fun. I purposefully scheduled in
some game time each night and we allowed the children to
select the games. We had packed a couple of board games
and some card games, and spent several hours each night
sitting around a dining room table laughing and playing together
as a family. We even took a few hours off one afternoon
and went horseback riding together as a family.
Step Eight: Don’t stop!
One of the major take-home lessons from this experiment
was that we have to spend more time in God’s Word and more
time in prayer as a family. We realized what we learned on our
“island” needs to be incorporated into our weekly schedule at
home. We realize that we can’t do the exact same thing at home
because we have commitments with jobs and responsibilities
around the house. However, Melinda and I both realized that
we MUST incorporate some of our island experience into our
weekly schedule. In other words, we can’t stop!
ACTUAL FINDINGS
So how did it go? It was incredible — better than we expected!
And I mean that with every fiber of my being. I wish
every person could experience what we did during our experiment.
Our family grew closer together. Our children grew
closer to one another. And we all grew closer to God. My wife
and I both commented on several occasions how we wish we
had done this years ago. Our time alone studying God’s Word
was like a renewal. Two of my children brought their “Eno’s”
and set them up to study from each morning, while the rest
of us found our own quiet places to study. It was truly a lifechanging
experience. One that we will do again!!
WHAT WOULD WE CHANGE?
This experience went so well that it is hard to consider
changing anything. The only tweaks we would make would
be very minor. For instance, we would probably add some
time in for mom and dad to talk alone (after our individual
time with the kids). While we loved what we studied,
we would probably give a little more attention to what we
wanted to cover and why. We would also probably have a
“follow-up” plan ready, as we are now playing catch-up to
put one in place, after the fact.
SO HOW CAN YOU DO THIS?
For me the hardest part was putting it on a calendar and
committing to it. Let me encourage you, find a long weekend
or some down time in your schedule and just pencil it in. It
doesn’t have to be extravagant or costly. (In fact, you may
discover this is one of your cheapest get-a-ways.) Just identify
a place that is quiet and out of the way. My recommendation
would be at least 3-5 days (longer if you can!). Pack a few
things and your Bibles and get away! One of the fun things
about this experiment is you don’t have to worry about getting
dressed up or packing a bunch of “stuff.” This is a simple
existence that you can do in your favorite lounge-clothes!
CONCLUSION
This experiment caused me to study several books of
the Bible much deeper than I had in the past. I came away
feeling renewed. I was also emboldened by what I read and
learned more about my Savior and His deep love for me. I
also realized I don’t pray enough and don’t study enough.
There is a difference in reading Scripture and studying the
Bible. There is also a difference in reading God’s Word and
reading books (or articles) about God’s Word. Nothing can
substitute for just rolling up your sleeves and studying the
Book, itself! I also recognized that I have let the world creep
into my life too much. Whether it be media, sports, etc., I
discovered I was spending a lot of time on things that will
not matter in eternity. It forced me to look at how I use my
time and how I am leading my family. Our experiment also
refocused our priorities regarding heaven and evangelism.
I’m always being told that the two biggest problems facing
the church are a lack of Bible knowledge and apathy. This
experiment can help cure both of those. I pray that you will
find the time and JUST DO IT!!! >

The Effect of Literature/Radio/TV in India
Sunny David
In early 1960s when Christians from Canada and America began to enter India with the true
message of the Gospel of Christ, there existed all kinds of denominational churches throughout
the country since the colonial days. Hardly any people, at that point of time, had heard about the
true church — the church one can read about in the Bible.
Today, after almost fifty-five years of the preaching of the true Gospel, most people in India
have heard what the church of Christ is and what it stands for. Innumerable congregations of the
Lord’s church have been established throughout the land. People everywhere have been leaving
their denominational beliefs after learning and obeying the truth of the Gospel.
The role of literature and radio and T.V. has been a great catalyst for the change in the Lord’s
work in India in all of these years. And the man behind many of these efforts was J.C.Choate,
who from late 60s began to envision the future of the Lord’s church in India. First, he began
printing a monthly magazine, The Bible Teacher, from Delhi, now in its 46th year, and then tracts,
and books, and Bible correspondence courses. To reach more people with Bible literature in
their own languages, J.C. began contacting and encouraging sound gospel preachers in different
parts of India to translate and produce more printed materials which, again, included books,
tracts, magazines, and Bible correspondence courses. All of this was very successful work. New
contacts were made, people began to learn the truth of God’s word, and more congregations of
the one true church began to come up in various places.
But then in mid-70s, when J.C., to his excitement, learned that religious programs could be
aired over Radio Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and heard all over the Indian sub-continent, he immediately
contacted Radio Ceylon and bought time for the preaching of the Gospel in different languages.
Now, with the combined power of literature and radio, the word of God began to reach
into people’s homes in their own languages. More people had the opportunity to learn the truth
and obey it, and as a result more and more congregations of the church were established.
But J.C. was yearning for something more to happen; for another tool, for another
avenue of reaching more people. And that happened when he learned
a few years later that it was now possible to use television in India to
broadcast religious programs. He immediately began to work for it,
encouraging preachers who spoke different languages to get ready
to preach the Good News through T.V.
Today the Gospel is being preached in India everywhere in
the homes of people every day through literature, radio, and
T.V. People are being taught the truth of God’s word. Everyday
people are calling, and writing, asking questions, requesting
more literature and Bible correspondence courses. They are
learning the truth and, upon obeying it, they are becoming
free from ignorance and all kinds of falsehood which had enchained
them for years. Thank God for making all such work tools
available to us to reach people everywhere with His soul-saving message,
and thank God for men who relentlessly work to obey His great command to
preach the gospel to all nations.
Sunny David (sunny_davidin@yahoo.co.in)