Missionary News

January, 2012

Dear Family of God,

It has been a long time since I have communicated with many of you. Leah and I have been married for thirteen years now. God has blessed us with Darius (9), Zayin (8), Titus (6), Solomon (4), Lukas (3), and Roman (1). The Leaman family has moved around quite a bit, and our lives have come across many beautiful saints of the Lord. In all our travels and in the numerous tasks the Lord has brought to us, the one overarching goal of our life has been to serve Christ and better understand how to advance His cause through our lives. This is certainly our passion and the reason that we desire to serve Christ with all our strength.

Both Leah and I grew up as pastor’s kids. I was born in Brazil in 1972. My parents were missionaries whose main job was to care for orphans in Northeast Brazil. In 1975 my family returned from the mission field.  For me, the connections with Brazil were always strong because my mother is a native Brazilian. The sights, sounds, smells and stories of Brazil were constantly being raised in my imagination through the many travelers that came to our home from that country. After college I had the opportunity to work in Brazil for several years, during which time Leah and I were married. We both came to know the culture, language, people, and most importantly, the needs of that country. The gospel needs of the world are ubiquitous, but Brazil is the place the Lord has put in our hearts and lives.

Since I was a child I have been taught the Scriptural truth that life at its core is about the glory of God. God’s Holy Word teaches people how to glorify Him. In Brazil evangelical theology is growing, but it is in the midst of giant opposition. The battle has already begun as I have faced Spiritism, nominal Roman Catholicism, and an evangelical church inundated with many challenges. Brazil needs reformation, revival and messengers of the good news. My desire has been to better understand, practice, and be able to explain what it is to live for the glory of God. I have prepared myself for this battle through years of theological education. I am now seeking to enter that battle in Brazil, proclaiming the salvation and glory of Christ. In August I was approved as a missionary candidate to Brazil by the Presbyterian Missionary Union Missions Council.

Currently the main tasks I seek to undertake in Brazil are teaching practical theology, specifically discipleship and biblical counseling, and using my sports background as a tool to preach the gospel to the youth. The eternal glory that awaits those who believe in the message of God’s grace is the reason I get excited about missions and obeying our Lord’s great commission.

We are ready to go. Our passports are in process. Work is waiting for us. Now we need you. We need your prayer.  Moving a family of eight to a new country and beginning new ministries are daunting tasks, but God has promised to provide strength and wisdom to His laborers.  We also need monthly financial support. We acknowledge that it is a difficult financial time in our country, but God can and will carry forward His work in the midst of our struggles. Even the smallest amount of faithful support will greatly encourage and help us get moving towards Brazil. PMU has made it easy to give for this cause. You may donate via check mailed to PMU, PO Box 879, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805 or donate through Paypal at donations@presbyterianmissions.org. Please join us in this battle for souls and for the expansion of His kingdom in the huge country of Brazil.

For more information about our ministry, you can visit our website, leamans4brazil.com; follow us on Facebook; or write us at leamans4brazil@gmail.com.  Thank you for your prayers!

“Him we proclaim”

 Douglas E. Leaman

January, 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

We want to thank you for your donations and support this past year. We value the work of our PMU. God’s provision for our family has been amazing. Your gifts are helping us to spread the gospel in this country. We are very committed and passionate to win souls for Jesus, and we are appealing to you to share the burden with us.

PROJECT “WINNING THE LOST”

In November our church members were encouraged to invite visitors to our Sunday Services. We worked on our project, “Winning the Lost.” We gave a card to every person asking them to write down seven names of their family members or friends, and we started to pray for them. Then they worked to invite them to our church. I prepared to speak on evangelism. I challenged the church members to invite their friends. All the people who invited a new person to the church on December 25, received a gift. As of December 19, we are happy to say that five new souls were won to Jesus. Octavio Larea, Claudia Gonzales, Jose Cuevas, Enrique Duran, and Daniel Estrada, and two asked to pray for reconciliation with Jesus and forgiveness, Petronila and Yesenia. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will move in the hearts of those who will be saved.

AWANA COMPETITION IN EL ALTO CITY

On December 19, we took 34 of our Awana kids to El Alto city, approximately 45 minutes away from La Paz, to celebrate our annual Awana competition. I had the privilege to begin the competition with prayer. All the kids and their leaders participated. They had great spirit and energy. People were cheering louder and louder. There were no fights, just laughs, cheers, and celebration. It was great to see the leaders and kids from four different churches. Finally the team from “Dios es Amor” won the first place, and our Awana took second place. After the competition we shared 95 bags of popcorn which we had prepared.

WEB SITE AND RADIO STREAM MINISTRY

We continue to broadcast our radio program, “Pastoral Reflection.” In every program we receive at least one phone call requesting prayer. We are helping and counseling people who do not know Jesus. Our audience continues to grow. We are online once a week, Fridays from 8:00 – 10:00 pm (EST Time) through the local radio station 105.7 FM stereo and the Reformed Bible Broadcasting.

Our internet server reported that our program with 24/7 streaming had listeners in 52 different countries in November and December, 2011, including the following: United States, Switzerland , Argentina, Spain, Brazil, Bolivia, Singapore, Mexico, Germany, Finland, Netherlands, Chile, Indonesia, Colombia, Guatemala, United Kingdom, South Korea, Sweden, Italy, Peru, Australia, China, Russian Federation, Japan, Malaysia, Costa Rica, Canada, Ecuador, Poland, Ukraine, Denmark, France, Philippines, Panama, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Israel, Bulgaria, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Romania, Fiji, Egypt, Turkey, Guadeloupe, Venezuela, Lithuania, Hungary, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Uruguay, and Jordan. Please continue to pray for this project. (www.rbbradio.com)

BPC CHRISTMAS PROGRAM 2011

For this season we prepared a separate hymn book with Christmas hymns and carols (60 copies). On December 16, we had our “Musician’s Christmas Concert.” We had many visitors in our church, and the last 30 minutes, the concert was broadcasted by 105.7 FM for the cities of La Paz and El Alto.

On Sunday, December 18, we had our cantata and children’s program. (Our children were practicing many songs three times a week since the last week of November.) The drama of the Christmas story was represented for our children. I read the story of Joseph and Mary seeking a place for Mary to give birth to our Lord Jesus. The presentation was amazing. We had 124 in attendance, and we gave 120 gifts to the congregation; also toys were distributed to children. We really rejoice in commemorating the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Two adults and five children accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Also we had our Christmas Eve candlelight service with songs, choral selections, and the Christmas message. May God touch the hearts of the visitors who attended. We thank each of you who kept us in prayer.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Please pray for the distribution of 5,000 gospel tracts in the streets and markets.
• Please pray for us as we plan to preach the gospel in the public squares with small music concerts and drama.
• Please pray for our VBS, January 9 – 14, 2012.
• Please pray for family visitations and Bible studies.
• Please pray for Grover and Alexandra, as their wedding will be held January 21, 2012.
• Pray for our Ladies Bible Studies. (Mondays at 4:00 pm)
• Please pray for our internet ministry, website and stream.
• Please pray for the completion of our church building.

PRAISES

• We praise the Lord for the Christmas program. New souls were won to Jesus.
• The Trinity Bible Society is sending us 200 calendars and 500 Gospels of John. The work of evangelism will continue in 2012.
• We printed 200 copies of the “One year Bible Reading Plan” authored by Dr. John Battle. It was translated into Spanish. Our church is reading, using this plan.
• We praise the Lord for the good health and safety of our family.
• We appreciate your sacrificial support. Please continue to support us in 2012.
• We are excited about 2012, another year in which to serve God. He is definitely worthy of our praise and service.

Thank you for taking time to read our prayer letter. We will still be praying for you.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

Yours in Missions,

Rev.  David and Gloria Quisbert, David Jr. and Prisila.

Christians in Brazil grow up in a radical culture. New legislation will make it illegal to discipline according to the ancient standards of God’s Word. Brazil can rightly be called “The Gay Empire.” The annual “carnival” is an effusion of deviant sexuality. Crime is commonplace.  Dishonesty and corruption in finances are the norm. Brazil is dangerous; most live in guarded apartment complexes, and the few brave enough to live in houses are surrounded by walls with electric wires or broken bottles on top. Americans know these evils, but Brazil is perversion on steroids.

The spirituality of Brazil is difficult for Americans to understand. Spiritism is rapidly advancing with the help of major media, the rich and famous, literature, and the many centers of spirituality. Getting in contact with the “dead” is popular culture in Brazil. There are spiritist doctors who perform “spiritual” surgeries. When someone close to you dies in Brazil you can hear them speak to you or have them pass on a message in their own hand-writing (psychography)! Sadly, Spiritism comes in clothes of white ostensibly helping the poor and needy and even using the name of Jesus.

A Brazilian is surrounded by the deadness of the Roman Catholic Church or by the “evangelical” craze of the name-it-and-claim-it/wealth, health, and prosperity “gospel.” Atheism is another growing trend. This austere system leads to the untenable position that “life is meaningless” and will most likely not continue to attract the masses. With these options around it is no major surprise that the ancient pagan religions of animism and spirituality are enjoying a resurgence.

No man can gain the victory in the face of such enemies. Some may ask, “Why fight this battle in Brazil then? Why take your Mid-western wife and six precious young boys into this kind of warfare?” We have already entered the fray. Only negligence or cowardice could keep us from engaging these hostile forces. What is our hope in the face of such enemies? The gospel is our only hope and weapon. We pray that you will join with us in this spiritual battle.  “Ebenezer…’Till now the LORD has helped us.’” (1 Sam 7:12). — Elder Doug Leaman

The Children of Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church in Perth, Western Australia, prepared 21 care packets for the orphans supported by the Bible Presbyterian Church in Yangon, Myanmar. These care packets, containing notebooks, pencils, pens, color pencils, bookmarks, stickers, socks, toothbrushes, toothpastes, soaps, etc., were carried by the mission team members from Covenant B-P Church when they traveled to Myanmar for ministry, Dec. 30, 2011 – Jan 6, 2012. May the Lord bless each one of these children for their love and care for the orphans. — The Paauwes

During the years we’ve been working on the church plant in Prey Pdao, we’ve had some very faithful young people like Gom Saroun coming to our meetings. Gom Saroun’s mother is a good Christian with a great hunger for God’s Word and a desire to please Him. When we went to the countryside a while back for a day of pastoral visitation, we stopped to see her and her family. We hoped to encourage the family and invite the father to join our services.  He does claim to be a Christian though he is a (mostly retired) traditional musician who performs at weddings in the countryside.

Our visit brought curious neighbors who were not happy to have Christians in their midst! Mom endured the persecution in stride and simply asked us to pray. Both continued to come and feed upon God’s Word.

Recently her dad has become concerned about their pig’s health and safety.  He feels the family needs to erect a shrine / spirit house to assure the pig survives until it is old enough to be sold. (Most pigs in that area die of illness before reaching full size.)  Mom has resisted and dad has insisted but nothing has been built yet.  We asked Mr. Srong, from 20 minutes away at our work in Kpbaom, to visit and encourage them.

In rural Cambodia people believe spirits (mostly ancestor ghosts) govern everything that happens.  If you fail to please them with your worship and offerings, they will hurt you by bringing sickness or disaster upon your family and property.

Many rural Cambodians also believe that people can curse you, bringing the wrath of their ancestors or evil spirits upon you.  Each year there are incidents of people, and families, being killed because one is accused of being a “sorcerer” and causing death, sickness, or disaster to befall someone else.  I’ve read it’s the Buddhist monks who determine that sorcery is involved and that only the death of the sorcerer can undo the curse.

Please remember to pray both for Gom Saroun’s family and for this dark land. — Rev. Mark Baldwin

2012 is here, amazing! God is so good all the time. His providence is wonderful. 2011 was a very challenging year, especially the months of April and May when we walked through “the valley of the shadow of death.” My father and our beloved missionary, Elder Soe Lwin, went home to heaven. Moreover, we faced a  financial crisis during that time due to the unexpected, low exchange rate. As a result, we had little hope of finishing 2011.

But through your prayers and faithful partnership, we have finished 2011. Moreover, the mission work here is flourishing, even bearing more fruit than in other years. The Yangon BP church has enjoyed increased church attendance and membership. Many people around us have come to realize we are an active and well organized church body. Two families have been added to the Aung Tha Pyi BP mission. The Namhu and Inlay missions are also in good condition.  The Thinglei BP mission has received more members. They recently completed a small hydro-electric power project for the village people. Now Thinglei village is enjoying electric light; this is beyond their dream. They want to start the church building now, but they need some more funds to obtain the compound where they desire to build the church. Please pray for this.

We have dedicated our lives to be more active in the ministry and even attempt greater things for the Lord in this new year.  We have many goals to further spread the gospel of Christ in Myanmar.  We do believe that the Lord will help us to accomplish all these things through your prayers and partnership.  As William Carey once said, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.” The best is still to come.

Thank you very much for the prayer and support you have given for the mission works in Myanmar. We need your continuous prayer and support to carry on the ministry and encourage growth.

Let’s continue joining our hands together in proclaiming His glory among the nations. — Rev. Khawl Ro Kima

We praise the Lord that Wiwin Baldwin’s surgery, needed after the miscarriage of their first child, was successful.  The Baldwins were able to travel to Singapore to receive outstanding medical care.  Praise the Lord for His love and care of His servants.  We also thank the Lord for our brethren in Singapore who have provided excellent care for the Baldwin’s needs.

Providence BP Mission celebrated its first baptism in December, 2011. They praise the Lord for this milestone in their ministry.

I feel like we are still at the beginning of 2011, but actually we are now at the end! As I look back over this last year, I cannot stop praising the LORD for his faithfulness and wonderful providence.  God is really so good all the time.

The Lord has blessed the ministry in every direction. The Yangon BP church is growing well and so are the other ministries: the church planting works at Namhu, Aung Tha Pyi, Inlay, Thinglei and even among the Dai people in the southern Chin State. The Bible school classes, the orphanage, and the children’s ministry are going well too. We are truly moving onward in God’s calling.

All these works are done through your gracious prayer and support. We deeply appreciate your unfailing partnership. Together with you we turn this world upside down.  We ask and anticipate your continuous partnership in the future.  May God bless you abundantly. — Rev. Kima, PMU Missionary to Myanmar

Greetings in Jesus’ mighty name this Christmas season.   I thank the Lord for my family. Gloria is an excellent teacher for kids and ladies. As a missionary team my family has helped me teach the children in our Awana, VBS, and Sunday school. In our services David, Jr. plays the piano and Prisila the violin, leading the musicians in our church. At a school concert this year, they played hymns testifying about Jesus Christ. I praise the almighty God and thank Him for my wonderful wife and twins.

Christmas is a special time for all of us as we contemplate the love of God who has sent His only begotten Son into our world. We would like to remember all of our BPC Pastors, elders, deacons, brothers and sisters who have prayed and supported us in our mission work. You are in our thoughts and prayers. May God bless you richly during this Christmas season and prosper the year 2012.  — Rev. David Quisbert (Gloria, David Jr, Prisila), PMU Missionaries to Bolivia