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A search online for information about the geographic center of the nation or continent will yield some pretty interesting results. Did you know that the geographic center of the US was first determined in 1918 when the US Coast and Geodetic Survey ingeniously cut out a piece of cardboard the shape of the United States at the time (without Alaska and Hawaii, of course), and  balanced it on a point? That led them to Lebanon, Kansas, where you can see the monument to the geographic center to this day…though the real center is some miles away in the middle of a farmer’s field. Add Alaska and Hawaii, and you travel northwest to Belle Fourche, South Dakota, in the Black Hills region of the state. There, too, a monument stands, though the actual center is again on private land some miles to the north. If you want the center of all of North America, then you’re back in the car to head to Rugby, North Dakota, where, you guessed it, the same scenario will present itself. Another even more important center is to be found in Osbourne, Kansas, where you will find a little plaque in the middle of a field marking the geodetic center of the lower 48, the US equivalent of Greenwich, from which every survey in the country takes its ultimate reference.

So, why would I mention all of this in relation to church planting? I’m glad you asked. None of these markers are even inside the city limits of any town. All take some effort to find; yet all of these centers are significant because the continent is significant. I believe the BPC is significant, that it has a great role to play in the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ on this continent. Years ago, the BPC had many churches in the great Midwest, but now, for various reasons, those churches are no more, or at least, are no longer in the BPC. So we have churches on both coasts, with a vast expanse between. Over the past several years, we’ve been seeking and defining our center, in a manner of speaking. That center may not seem all that important at times, and it may seem out of the way, but without it our lives have only a fuzzy point of reference that impacts everything we do and say.

The vision statement that our Synod approved last year after much deliberation was an excellent step forward in identifying our center. In some ways, it’s a little like that 1918 survey: a bit imprecise and subject to interpretation perhaps, and yet, it has landed us in the neighborhood. It’s something to keep working on. The clearer our perspective is of our ultimate point of reference in our relationship with Christ and our duties to Him, the easier it will be to establish new local testimonies that exalt Him. My vision is to see us steadily expand toward our geographic center armed with our firm commitment to our spiritual (“geodetic,” if you will) center. In Canada, the US, and Central America, I long to see more churches, more presbyteries, more souls reached by the grace of God. It’s going to take time and sacrifice and people to do it, and the goal stretches beyond my lifetime. Nevertheless, my prayer is that you and I will lay the groundwork for the next generation to faithfully and wisely continue the journey.

Like any road trip, it takes planning, for sure. It also takes just getting out of the house, jumping in the car, and driving that first mile down the road. There may not be anything awfully exciting at first, and there may be delays along the road. But, eventually, you get there, and the whole journey has been worth it. Finding our center is much the same. I’m glad that you and I are on this journey together.  —Dr. Len Pine

Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church held her annual Family Bible Conference, May 2-5, 2011, at Bayview Geographe Resort in Busselton, Western Australia. It was a blessed time of learning from God’s Word and fellowshipping with those of like precious faith. Here are the testimonies of two of the conferees:

Testimony of Mrs. Elaine Chong: We thank God for His grace in our safety and fine weather at our Family Bible Conference in Busselton. We could not ask for a more idyllic setting to learn God’s word and to commune in His creation with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  We were indeed blessed to have faithful servants Rev. Dr. Jack Sin and his wife, Angelina, and our Pastor Ed and Mrs. Lehia Paauwe serving our Lord at this conference. Rev. Jack preached six messages over three days explaining how believers can walk worthy of the Lord, the benefits of doing so, and also the dangers of not walking worthy. I encourage all non-campers to download and listen to the messages that are available at our church website (www.covenantbpc.org.au).

As always, with each Bible conference that I have attended, I came away spiritually charged but also sober with lots of soul searching and thinking about my own personal relationship with the Lord and my walk with Him. I pray for God’s strength to keep my faith strong and to walk worthy of the vocation to which I am called. Amen.

Testimony of Miss Maureen Grady:   Thank you CBPC for another excellent Bible Conference. I appreciated both  speakers—Pastor Ed with his devotional messages and Rev. Dr. Jack Sin presenting the main messages.  Dr. Sin’s messages were very thought provoking on the subject, “To Walk Worthy of the Lord.” It is so important for Christians to be good examples, particularly to people who might not have any other contact with the church. Everything about this conference was great. The weather was perfect, and this allowed all of us to have lunch together and more opportunities to mix in a less formal way. The accommodation was very good as were the meals. Finally, there was much fun and fellowship in Villa 101. Thank you again.

June 14, 2011

Dear Honored Donors and Praying Friends,

Greetings to you all in the precious name of Jesus Christ!

I feel like we are just starting the year 2011, but we are now in the middle. As I look back over these past months, I cannot stop praising the LORD for his faithfulness and wonderful providence.

I would like to share with you some of the wonderful things the LORD has done for us and through us in Myanmar through your gracious partnership in the ministry so that your prayers for us might be more effective.

Wednesday Night Service Begun—  Since January of this year, the Lord has enabled the Yangon BP church to have a worship service every Wednesday. This service is more like a house church service moving from house to house. Through this service, we as God’s family are able to have more intimate relationships and fellowship in the Lord, and we are also able to focus on the specific needs of individual members and families in prayer.

First Session Meeting—The Bible Presbyterian’s first official session meeting was held on February 16 (Friday). We are so glad that Rev. Dr. Kevin Backus joined us and presided over the meeting.  Seven elders including Dr. Kevin Backus participated. We received mission reports from each of the mission stations such as Yangon, Inlay, Aungthapyi and Namhu. One of our main discussions was how to make the churches self supporting in the near future.

Elder Ordination—The Yangon BP church ordained two missionaries (Soe Lwin and Yee Aung Tun) working in Shan State as ruling elders on the Lord’s Day, February 20. At that time, the church was blessed with five ruling elders and one teaching elder:  three serving the Lord as church planting missionaries in Shan State; the other two and I serving at the Yangon BP church. Unexpectedly, one of our elders, Elder Soe Lwin, went home to heaven on May 23, leaving behind his family and his church planting work. Please pray that God will raise up another leader to preach His Word in that place and shepherd the flock there. Please pray also for his wife, Thangte, and his daughter, Phoebe (eight months old).

Mingalar Children Passed the Exam— We have 18 children at the orphanage home this year. All the children passed their school exams with good grades. The summer vacation has just ended, and they are now beginning school.  We have moved the orphanage home to a new location – from North Dagon to East Dagon. Unfortunately, we have a problem with the local leaders. They don’t like the daily devotional service at the shelter or Christians moving into the neighborhood. Now we are considering moving to another place again. Please pray for this.

2011 Summer Camp— We had the Summer Camp at the Aungthapy BP church during the Water Festival from April 17-23. Unlike the other years when we focused on evangelism, our focus this year was on discipleship. I gave courses on the basic Christian life to new converts. Praise the Lord that they all had something to share regarding the goodness and greatness of God.

Church Building Coming Up— Thinglei BP church is planning to build a sanctuary. Now they have completed collecting the building materials needed for the building through their hard work of planting and harvesting rice.

The whole Chin state is located in the poor, hilly regions. People earn their living by cultivation (jhoom), moving every year from one place to another, not farming in a permanent place. They work almost the whole year to harvest their crops. During a good harvest year, people only grow enough rice for their needs for that year. Most of the people are half-starved all the time. We appreciate these believers’ hard labor for the church in spite of their deep poverty.

What they need today is a compound for the construction. They are considering buying a compound at the very center of the village; it costs $ 2,000.  Please consider this need in your prayers.

Fifth Preschool Graduation— The AO Preschool has celebrated its 5^th graduation service on May 25. Six children graduated this year. Through this ministry the gospel seed has been sown to many children who are the future leaders of Myanmar.

As we look back over these past months, we cannot help but praise and thank the Lord for what He has done for us through your faithful partnership. We humbly acknowledge that we have come this far just because of the Lord’s grace and for His glory alone.

Thank you very much for the prayers and support you have offered for the mission works in Myanmar. We need your continuous prayer and support to carry on the ministry and help it  continue to grow.

May the Lord bless you abundantly as you have made many sacrifices for the glory of God alone.

Happy in the service of the King,

Khawl Ro Kim

Myanmar

Elder Soe Lwin, missionary under the Yangon BPC to establish a church in  Namhu, Myanmar, entered into glory on May 23, 2011.  We praise the Lord for Elder Soe Lwin’s testimony and desire to serve Christ by church planting in Namhu and are thankful for his ordination in February of this year.

Soe Lwin accepted Christ in 1995 at the age of 25.  He completed his Bachelor of Theology degree in 2000 from the Gospel for Asia Bible College and has been serving as a church planter since 2006. He was pursuing a degree from Western Reformed Seminary under the guidance of Rev. Kim. He and Thangte were married in May, 2009.

Please remember his wife, their five-month-old daughter, and Rev. Khawl and Mawite Kim during this time.  Please pray for the mission in Namhu as well, that God will provide for their needs.

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.

Ps. 116:15

In Bolivia, Easter is a combination of “Semana Santa” or Holy Week which is Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday. This country has been influenced by the Roman Catholic Church. Easter is a huge religious holiday. “Semana Santa” is Bolivia’s second most important holiday season of the year after Christmas. For this reason we wanted to make a difference. We prepared a program to impact the people with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On Sunday, April 17,  we had our Palm Sunday celebration. Four blocks up from our sanctuary, in the corner of Republic Avenue and Quintanilla Zuazo, we had a small service singing, praying and reading the Bible. Then we returned to our sanctuary in a procession along the Republic Avenue. Our kids and church members were holding palms and singing Hosanna. I used my megaphone to testify about our Lord Jesus Christ in the streets.

On Tuesday, April 19, I preached a sermon to 320 students in the 9^th grade. I was invited by my friend, Rev. Delfin Quispe, chaplain of the American Institute. (It’s a school in La Paz with four thousand students.) The sermon was on Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane. Most of the students are Roman Catholic. This religion teaches one to pray with the “Rosary” (“rezar”) and  repeat a prayer over and over again. I taught the difference between “to pray” and “rezar,” and I taught the students how to pray. We finished with a wonderful time of prayer. Please keep these students in your prayers.

On Sunday, April 24, we testified of the resurrection of Jesus in a Sunrise Parade in the morning. We met with different churches at 5:30 AM in “San Francisco” square downtown in  La Paz. We walked approximately 13 block singing hymns and repeating memory verses proclaiming that Jesus Christ is alive. Approximately 2,500 people attended the Sunrise Service at the gymnasium. I had the privilege to lead in a prayer for the country. Then we returned to our BPC sanctuary for a breakfast with our church members. In our BPC service we celebrated the Lord’s Supper. The resurrection Sunday happened 2,000 years ago, but we are here celebrating until He comes again with power and glory.  Please pray for the Easter evangelistic opportunity in the streets and squares. We hope to join more people for this celebration next year.   — Rev. David Quisbert

Please pray for Elder Soe Lwin, missionary under the Yangon BPC to establish a church in  Namhu, Myanmar.  He has inoperable stomach cancer and a liver disease.  With cancer treatment, the doctors estimate only one year of life.  Please remember his wife, Thangte (Rev. Kim’s sister), their five-month-old daughter, and Rev. Khawl and Mawite Kim during this time.  Please pray for the mission in Namhu as well, that God will provide in every way.

The Kootenai River (pronounced koot’-nee) powers its way through a pristine valley in western Montana towards Idaho before being checked in its progress by a hydro-electric dam close to the Idaho border. Thereafter, it meanders along westward through that ever-broadening valley until it reaches the picturesque town of Bonners Ferry. From there, it really starts to wind a sinewy path as it turns northward, eventually draining into Kootenay Lake in British Columbia. It is filled with fish, and prior to the dam’s construction, annually flooded its banks and deposited enormous amounts of sediment in the valley bottom, creating thousands of acres of rich farmland surrounded by rugged mountain ranges that retain their caps of snow long into the summer months. It is a gloriously beautiful place.

In the midst of this wonder of God’s creation there are souls whom God has gathered to worship His name. It is here that the Lord has led the Northwest Presbytery and PMU to labor together to plant a mission church among those people. And it is here that the banner of Jesus Christ has been raised that is now calling to others in neighboring communities to worship our Lord “in the beauty of holiness.”

With services beginning in September of 2010, the ensuing months have seen the initial core group solidify in its common vision, purpose, and identity. In a small community like Bonners Ferry, not much can be done that isn’t noticed by somebody, and the mission’s testimony is growing. Visitors have come and stayed; Pastor Pine, along with many in the group, has taken part in several community activities in sports, music, and education; fellowship opportunities that go beyond the limits of the group abound; and the word is out that there is a Reformed work in Boundary County.

The Lord has blessed us by providing a place to meet that is welcoming, comfortable, and accessible. We are grateful to Him, as well as to the City Council here, for allowing us the use of the Bonners Ferry Visitors’ Center right on the highway downtown free of charge. But it has become apparent that the space (only one large room) cannot accommodate us for much longer. With a top capacity of only forty-nine, we often come close to filling it. So, some time ago we began searching for a new place to meet on a permanent basis. A property that has been vacant for some time, a former church turned into a residence, was recently put up for auction, and we began the process of seeing if that property might be the place for us. One of our families expressed a desire to purchase the building for the mission to rent at present, and, Lord willing, eventually purchase at a future date.  A Special Use Permit has been obtained, and an offer was made and accepted.  The closing date is set for May 23rd.  There are a few renovations that are needed, so hopefully, the mission will be able to meet there sometime in June.  It’s a great gift. The property is on the main road through town, with a lovely sanctuary and lots of room for ministry activities. Please pray with us for the Lord’s will to be done in the closing and all the upcoming details.

The first weekend in April, our charter membership role was officially opened, and twelve members and four covenant children were added to the role. More will follow in the weeks to come. By-laws were adopted as well, all under the supervision of elders appointed by the Presbytery to assist in the work until our own elders can be set apart to that wonderful service. It was a precious and memorable weekend, to say the least.

At the same time, Pastor Pine has been meeting with folks in other communities in the region, and plans are underway to begin new preaching points in the city of Sandpoint, Idaho, and possibly Newport, Washington, as well. Folks in Newport have expressed a desire to come over to Sandpoint initially for Bible studies as they seek what the Lord would have them to do in their area. It is truly an exciting time. The Sandpoint Bible studies began on April 17, finishing up the Lord’s Day with an evening of fellowship and study. Please pray that the Lord will guide the group’s development, grant travel safety to Pastor Pine as he drives the 40 miles or so each way on Sunday evenings, and further establish and disseminate the testimony of the Reformed faith throughout North Idaho, Northeast Washington, and Northwest Montana.

— Rev. Len Pine

The Baldwins

One of the most common, standard, ingredients in almost all Khmer dishes, after fish sauce of course, is palm sugar.  It has a strong flavor that some find unpleasant but is very sweet and locally made.  The sugar palm tree (Asian Palmyra palm) is well suited to survive Cambodia’s very dry “dry season” and can live for 100 years.  The leaves are used for thatching, mats, baskets, fans, hats, umbrellas and even wall panels amongst other things. The stalks the leaves grow on are tough and used for fence posts, shovels, and also to produce a strong, wiry fiber suitable for items like cords and brushes.  The fruit (jellies) is eaten fresh.  The sap, which is collected much like Sugar Maple tree sap, is good to drink fresh from the tree, but the villagers use most of it to make palm sugar, vinegar or wine.  The sap naturally ferments and within 2 hours of collection is already at 4% and gets stronger over time. After a day or so it starts turning to vinegar.  Palm (and rice) wine is available commercially (distilled) at up to 40% alcohol for about $1/liter.   This virtually free, homemade source of alcohol has a terrible effect on rural society where drunkenness, especially in the long down time between planting and harvesting, is common.  We had an elderly couple visit our church, and the woman was upset and concerned because her husband (who was drunk and cried during the sermon) had been drunk for three weeks straight.  I counseled and evangelized them as best I could and tried to encourage him to get sober which he did for a time but, without divine intervention, he went straight back to wallowing in his drink.  This is a sadly common story here.

I’ve noticed Khmer villagers tend to fall into one of three broad categories.  There are those who are industrious and diligent, working productively either in their rice fields or in the other seasons on a loom or some other business.  They tend to get ahead, have strong houses, numerous animals and often a vegetable garden.  Secondly there are those who work hard in the fields but only do limited work other than rice farming.  Most of these won’t grow vegetables around their homes and tend not to have many animals, not even chickens because they get hungry in the lean months before the harvest, and they eat their laying hens.  They tend to be very poor and struggle to keep their home in livable condition.  The third group mostly lives off the first two.  They tend to get into mischief, be drunk a lot, and are despised by their families and neighbors.  They borrow food and, when they can get it, money from family and neighbors.  Khmer society allows for this.

Please pray for our Christian brethren here to move from the second category to the first and be “a lamp on its stand.” — Rev. Mark Baldwin

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,

To God be the glory—great things He hath done! We praise and thank the Lord for His continued blessings and guidance in the ministry in Perth, Western Australia. We thank you for your prayers and faithful support for God’s work in this part of the world.

In January we commenced part-time classes of Covenant Bible Institute. It has been my privilege to teach “Introduction to Bible Doctrines.” Once this course finishes, we’ll continue with “Doctrine of God.” About 18 students attend the class. Also, in January we began an Adult Bible Class on the book of Genesis on Sunday afternoons before the Worship Service of Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church. We have completed studying the creation account and are now studying the flood. More than 30 members of the church congregation are attending this Bible class.

Several new families with young children have recently started to attend Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church. As a result, attendance in the Sunday School and Junior Fellowship has increased. We now have 25 children in the Sunday School and 16 in the Junior Fellowship. Mrs. Paauwe continues to oversee the work of the Sunday School and Junior Fellowship, but we are in the midst of training younger leaders to take over these responsibilities.

The Youth Fellowship is also increasing in attendance as several young people have come to Perth to study here. About 20 youths are studying the book of Proverbs. Before each Bible Study, I have a meeting with the Bible Study facilitators to prepare them to lead the Bible Study. After the Bible Study I give some closing remarks, summarizing the Bible Study.

The Young Adult Fellowship members are studying the biblical view of marriage, using a series of videotaped lessons by Dr. Jim Berg of Bob Jones University. This has been very helpful and is greatly appreciated by the 12-14 young adults who attend regularly.

We praise and thank the Lord for faithful co-labourers in Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church: the four deacons and their families, the Sunday School teachers, the Youth Fellowship leaders, and each one who has a part in serving the Lord.

Our hearts are grateful for many opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel during this Easter season. As we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we shall give out Gospel tracts, praying that God will use them for the salvation of friends and loved ones.

On May 1st, Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church will celebrate its first anniversary with a thanksgiving service followed by a fellowship dinner. Rev. Dr. Jack Sin of Maranatha Bible-Presbyterian Church, Singapore, will be the speaker. Rev. Dr. Jack Sin will also be the main speaker at the Family Bible Conference of Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church, May 2-5, to be held at Bayview Geographe Resort in Busselton, Western Australia. The theme for the conference is “Walk Worthy of the Lord,” based on Colossians 1:10. I’ll be leading in the morning devotions at the Bible Conference, and Mrs. Paauwe will be in charge of the children’s meetings.

In July we’ll be going to Melbourne to speak at the Bible Camp of Ebenezer Bible-Presbyterian Church, July 1-4. Mrs. Paauwe will conduct Sunday School Teacher Training while we are in Melbourne.

Please pray for us as we continue the ministry in Perth and serve the Lord at the Covenant B-P Church Bible Conference in Busselton, Western Australia, in May, and at the Ebenezer B-P Church Bible Camp in Melbourne, in July. May God bless and keep each one of us as we serve Him faithfully.

With Christian love and prayers,

Edward and Lehia Paauwe

In a tiny, impoverished and mostly under-educated village in the Cambodian countryside there lives a godly Christian convert. Out of love for God and his Savior he studied hard and took a “Bible” program of several months in length in Phnom Penh. He also donated land on which to build a church for his community. This was at considerable sacrifice as, like most villagers, he has never had enough farmland to feed his family. Sadly, in time, the Khmer “pastor” left in charge by foreign missionaries was forced to flee from accusations of embezzling funds and adultery. The church closed, and the man worked to support his family by doing construction jobs in the city. It was 2 years later that PMU became involved in teaching and preaching the gospel in the area and, after a time, at the invitation of the building’s owner, moved from meeting under a house to the abandoned church building. In the two years since then we have made many repairs and improvements to the facilities owned by this Christian, and the preaching point there has flourished.

The corrupt, false pastor learned there was money to be had and started showing up with an oversized “body guard” (really a thug) trying to find a way to profit from us. He eventually went to the government and secured their help through various, nefarious means. They summoned the property owner repeatedly and finally presented him with paperwork to sign giving the false pastor the right to register the “church” with the government. The Christian tried to delay until we were there; he tried to defend himself and his family; he did “his best” in an impossible situation. The false pastor insisted, and the local leaders agreed, that our services were illegal and that, if they didn’t fix it immediately, the Christian leader would be thrown in jail. The false pastor (allegedly) also threatened the safety of the Christian leader, his family, and the missionary (me). Finally, in fear and trembling, the Christian property owner signed away some of the church’s rights.

I was, of course, greatly grieved. I spent an hour talking with the leaders of the community and this false pastor trying to undo the damage. I was polite and diplomatic but firm. In the end I had to emphatically state that, while this non-Christian, false pastor was welcome to come any time and hear the gospel, I could not allow him to interfere with the ministry or profit in any way from it. I had to repeatedly and firmly explain that I would leave town or even go to jail rather than forsake and offend my God like that. The government people assured me the false pastor could not interfere, and they wanted me to stay. The village leader actually pleaded with me to stay in his community and spoke many encouraging words at my wedding several months later.

In preaching a series “From Creation to Christ,” I have many times taught about Israel’s consistent apostasies and especially how men often bowed to pressure and did what’s wrong due to the “fear of man.” I regularly stressed the idea of “cross bearing” and the expectation of persecution for all Christians. I have often drawn parallels to our lives while not mentioning this particular problem.

Many months later the false pastor returned and wanted to put up a sign with his name on the church building. I had learned his US financial backers were coming and wanted to see what they’d been funding for the last decade! I insisted we couldn’t do it. The local Christian leader was very worried because this false pastor was making all the usual threats including insisting he had the right due to the paperwork he had forced the Christian to sign. He said the village leader would seize the property, kick me out, and bring the police along to force him to allow the sign to go up. He also threatened arrest and imprisonment claiming it was his property now, and we were breaking the law. I insisted the local Christian leader stand strong and be brave and face whatever consequences came his way because of his faith. We also prayed in the services for our great God’s protection.

We learned from the village leader that this man had tried to get him to sign paperwork and complaints against us, but the leader had refused. The false pastor wants to seize the property, give the owner $1,000, and then sell it to me for $7,000 (apparently offering to share the proceeds with those who help him). This wicked man had also tried to get the ministry of cults behind him and failed. He then tried to hire the police to come with him and failed. Finally, he brought the sign and hired workers to put it up, but the Christian who owns the property told them to stop, and they left. The Christian leader, his family, and the church (preaching point) members were ecstatic. They never believed they could prevail. Emboldened by this victory in Christ, they circulated a petition amongst the membership denouncing the false pastor and what he does and asking his supporters to stop him. They translated it and plan to give it to the foreign donors should they show up.

It’s a great encouragement to see people growing and developing “backbones,” being willing to suffer loss and even imprisonment for their faith. Their trust in God and knowledge of Him is growing together step by beautiful step. They aren’t exactly “Nehemiahs” but they are trusting and rejoicing in God’s greatness.

¹⁰ Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.” ¹¹ But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.” ¹² And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. ¹³ For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me. (Nehemiah 6:10-13)