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The Bible Presbyterian Church at Thinglei village has become the biggest church of all the BP churches in Myanmar with 100 members, including the children. It was formed in 2008 and has four worship services every week – Sunday morning and Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday evenings.

It was started with the vision to declare and promote the Reformed faith in the northern Chin State where the true Reformed faith is unfamiliar. In line with this vision, the Thinglei BP church is now shining as a faithful witness of Christ in the Reformed faith and practice.

Being surrounded by non-Calvinistic denominations, the Thinglei BP church has been suffering many criticisms and temptations: sometimes it is misunderstood as a dangerous cult; sometimes it is despised as being an insignificant group of people; sometimes it is treated as an enemy since it proclaims the Reformed faith which is a different faith from most of the already existing churches.

In spite of these difficulties, the church keeps growing and moving forward.  Now the church is planning a sanctuary for worship and fellowship. Most of the materials needed for the church building have been collected. The church is worthy of praise, as she has done her best to meet all the material needs of this building project.

The plan is to build the sanctuary at the very center of the village. A compound at such a place will cost around $2,000 US dollars. The church is earnestly praying for this. Please uphold this church in your prayers.    — Rev. Khawl Ro Kim

March, 2011

Dear Brothers in Christ:

“Sing unto the LORD; for He hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.” Isaiah 12:5

We can say that the Lord hath done wonderful things in our missionary field. Your faithful prayers have been a major help to us as we’ve worked in different areas of our ministry.

CHURCH PEWS AND PIANO DONATION

In December we received a big surprise. The Canaan Korean Presbyterian Church of La Paz decided to donate 1 piano and 18 choir robes for our Church. (This church was closed because the members were moved to Santa Cruz city, Korea, and others returned to USA).

In January we praised the Lord because we received a generous donation from the Grace Bible Presbyterian Church of Cincinnati, Ohio — $1000 US for our church pews project. You can’t imagine how happy is our La Paz BPC. Praised be The Lord!

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

From January 17th – 22nd, we held our VBS, entitled, “Marvelous Creation of God.” Our Bible memory verse was John 1: 1-3. We had an amazing week w ith 53 kids. On Wednesday six children and one mother accepted Jesus as their personal Savior. We gave to each one a New Testament. We are happy for this tool that helps us to share the Gospel with the kids. The lessons were exciting and easy. The crafts were creative.  Every day we had good snacks. My wife Gloria and my twins, David and Prisila, worked hard. I am proud of their using their talents fo r God. This year fewer people of the church were involved in our VBS, but God was with us.

NEW CHURCH MEMBERS

The BPC of La Paz, Bolivia, celebrated the reception of David Quisbert Gallegos, Prisila Quisbert Gallegos, Joel Irusta 
Aguilar, and Alfredo Zuazo Campos into full membership of our church on Sunday, February 20, 2011.  Joel and Alfredo received the sacrament of the baptism. Then we celebrated the Lord’s Super. We thank the Lord for these four wonderful young people who were formed in our BPC.  Please continue to pray for two other people that are taking the new member’s class.

FAMILIES VISITATION

In January and February we visited nine families of our church (Zuazos, Chambis, Huancas, Kelcas, Zolas, Ramirez, Irustas, Cuellars and Mattas). We encouraged them in the faith.  We had days with rain, but the families have been happy with the visitation and the Bible study. We had a great experience with God’s Word. We sang many songs, played games and had snacks.

FEEDING THE HOMELESS

We started this year feeding the homeless in the area near to our church at the “Bus Terminal.”  We provided for the homeless 150 cups of milk and bread. We also distributed some clothes.  We shared the Gospel and distributed 200 tracts. Please pray for these people;  may God change their lives for Jesus.

INTERNET MINISTRY: REFORMED BIBLE BROADCASTING

We are sharing the Good News to the lost of our world with our website and internet tools.  Our Internet server reported in February that we had listeners in: United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Guatemala, Spain, Finland, Canada, France, Brazil, Philippines, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Bolivia, Mexico, Switzerland, China, Chile, Argentina Germany, India, Colombia, Nigeria, Dominican Republic, Korea, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Russian Federation, Iran, Japan, Romania, Peru, Ecuador, Malaysia, Belgium, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Ghana and Barbados. 24 hours, 7 days a week our English internet broadcasting is available on: www.rbbradio.com.  Please continue to pray for this area of our ministry.

RAIN IN LA PAZ

The intense rains have destroyed more than 1200 homes in La Paz city. A fault stretching 250 to 300 acres triggered the disaster in La Paz. 6000 people were left homeless.  With three pastors, we went to the disaster area to take information. On March 3rd we returned to the area with food for 300 persons, clothes, and gospel tracts. Many people accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Our La Paz BPC is working in solidarity. Our plan is to return every week with more help. We are using the Majesty Radio station to ask the Christian people for help and solidarity. Please pray for us.

Praises

• For the wonderful testimony of our VBS.
• We celebrated the reception of David, Prisila, Joel, and Alfred into full membership of our BPC and the Lord’s Super was taken.
• For our new piano and church pews. 
• Praise the Lord! We shared the Gospel to 750 students of the Basil Miller Christian School in “Alto” city. We will continue to work with this school.
• We fed 150 homeless. We also distributed clothes, 25 New Testaments, and 1800 Gospel tracts in the area next to our BPC.
• We had the privilege to lead in prayer at the 26^th Anniversary of Alto city’s special service.
• Thank you so much for your support and love.

Prayer Requests

• On February 26 -27, some 6000 people were left homeless after La Paz city was hit with a “Mega mudslide.” This year’s rainy season has been severe.  Please pray for us as we campaign to provide food and clothing to those in need.
• Please pray for the distribution of 3000 Gospel Tracts.
• Please pray for our AWANA. (Our kids’ Bible club meets every Saturday from 3:00 – 5:00 PM.)
• Please pray for Ladies’ Bible Study. (Mondays 4:00 PM)
• Please pray for the completion of our church building.

“For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall  accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing where to I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11

Yours in His service,

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

www.quisbert.org

Two new families with children have recently started to attend Covenant B-P Church in Perth, Western Australia. Also, several new overseas university students have begun to attend church and Youth Fellowship. Attendance at church services is now regularly over 100 people.

Covenant B-P Church Sunday School

Since the beginning of this year, the Covenant B-P’s Sunday School has consisted of four classes, Pre-Primary, Primary, Middler and Junior. In September 2011 we anticipate starting the Toddlers class, as we look forward to having more children joining the Sunday School. We thank God for the 20 children who are presently attending Sunday School every week. Occasionally we have 2 or more children who visit and attend the classes. We thank God for the Sunday School teachers, for their faithful service to the Lord in teaching God’s Word to the children. We thank God for providing the excellent Sunday School curriculum. It is our prayer that the Sunday School children will “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (II Pet. 3:18).

Junior Fellowship, Covenant B-P Church

The Junior Fellowship caters to the spiritual needs of children 5 – 12 years old. Under the guidance of the leaders, the 14 children themselves play an important role in the running of the meetings as they lead in singing, pray, collect offering, etc. In the Bible lessons, various speakers have recently taught the children about regeneration, repentance, atonement, justification, sanctification and glorification. The juniors are studying the Catechism for Children, memorizing the answers to the catechism questions, and learning to apply the answers to their lives. They have started learning about the Ten Commandments. Other topics that the juniors have enjoyed are missionary biographies, such as the lives of Hudson Taylor and Amy Carmichael. For activities, they usually do crafts, and sometimes Bible quizzes, and games.

Special Speaker at Covenant Bible Institute

Recently Dr. Kevin Backus came to visit us in Perth. Dr. Backus spoke at the Covenant Bible Institute evening class on Nouthetic Counseling. This was very interesting, and the members of the congregation learned what true biblical counseling is. Dr. Backus also told us about the ministry of Rev. and Mrs. Khawl Ro Kim in Myanmar. The congregation of Covenant B-P Church supports this ministry in Myanmar through their prayers and gifts. Lord willing, some members of the congregation will go to Myanmar to help teach the Word of God.  — Rev. and Mrs. Ed Paauwe

Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. Psalm 111:2-3

The Great Commission of our Lord directs us all to plant seeds wherever we may be (in His providence), but occasionally, God opens doors for individuals to plant seeds in foreign lands. This past August was such a time for Dr. Kevin and Sharon Backus of the Bible Presbyterian Church of Grand Island. Dr. Backus returned to Myanmar to further the training of young men called to the ministry. In cooperation with Western Reformed Seminary, Dr. Backus taught classes in theology to four young men who desire to be ordained for ministry and are seeking to complete their education. He also spent time with all the workers reviewing short and long term potential goals. In addition, Dr. Backus preached to not only the Yangon church, but also the preaching points in the Inle Lake region as well.

Joining him on this trip was his wife, Sharon, who taught a teacher’s training course for the week. Twelve ladies of the church joined the class and completed all the requirements of the Evangelical Training Association. The ladies were excited to further their knowledge of teaching the gospel to children, but were also thrilled to learn the art of puppetry. Through the generous donations of many supporters, the Backuses were able to take four puppets to leave with the Myanmar church. The ladies were thrilled to consider how they could use these new tools in their children’s ministries.

Dr. Kevin and Sharon Backus also visited the Yangon orphanage, sharing the good news with the children there, as well as children throughout the Inle Lake region. Please pray that God will bless these precious seeds sewn in Myanmar to bring a great harvest for Christ.

With Dr. Pine’s call to work with a new church plant in Bonners Ferry came the move of the PMU headquarters, leaving the urban area of Buffalo to settle in a quiet, rural section of North Idaho.  God enabled the Pines (who are joined by both their mothers in this new venture) to purchase a home with a large barn, which was newly renovated to house two offices, saving expensive rent for PMU.  Dr. Pine is the North American Field Director, overseeing the PMU office and working with those interested in establishing BP churches in the US and Canada.  Karen Pine is now the full time Office Manager, taking on more of the daily work required to support our missionaries.

Recently Karen was asked exactly what she does, so following is an overview of the work she does to help missionaries fulfill their call:  publication of  the Missions Banner, prayer letters, prayer lists, and donor letters; receipting of donations; bookkeeping; financial reporting; insurance paperwork; furlough itineraries; creation of presentations; organization behind Team Timothy; correspondence with supporters; secretarial support for both Field Directors; and database and file maintenance.

This work not only keeps Karen busy during her new full time position, it also requires funds. Postage, office supplies, utilities, and printing costs are a necessary part of running this missions agency, and efforts are being made to cut costs and save money wherever possible.  Even with those efforts, the General Fund is currently in great need.  Please join us in praying that God will supply for these on-going expenses.  Also, if you are comfortable using  the internet, you could help save some office expenses by signing up to receive news items (the Banner, prayer letters, and prayer requests), as well as receipts for donations  via e-mail or our website.  To sign up for these options, please write to office@presbyterianmissions.org.

PMU’s 25^th Annual Meeting saw the approval of some major changes in the way this agency will serve the Bible Presbyterian Church in the immediate future. These changes were necessary both to address the financial needs of the agency and emerging opportunities for expanding the Bible Presbyterian Church’s testimony around the country. Much work has been done to find a way to maintain operations while supporting the Pines in new avenues of labor. Dr. Pine will retain his position as Field Director on a part time basis, focusing his labors in North America and the maintenance of the office. Other Field Director’s duties have now been divided among volunteers from the PMU Council. Foreign missionaries will now be under the oversight of Dr. Kevin Backus who is now our International Field Director. PMU will be represented in presbyteries by Rev. Tito Lyro (NW Presbytery), Dr. Morris McDonald (Florida and South Atlantic Presbyteries), and Rev. Ben Robinson (Great Lakes Presbytery). Mrs. Karen Pine, who has labored for the past three years as a part time secretary, will shift to full time office manager. All of these changes will ensure consistent and uninterrupted ministry on the foreign and domestic fields, while allowing Dr. Pine the time necessary to step into a new role as the NW Presbytery’s home missionary to North Idaho. Please contact us if you have any questions.

These changes have already begun to take place and will be fully implemented by January, 2011. The Pines are in the process of moving to Bonners Ferry, Idaho.  PMU’s office will be established there in mid-October.  In the meantime all correspondence should be directed to our Grand Island address. E-mail and website contacts will remain the same. Watch the Banner and website for new contact information in Idaho.

An added benefit to all of the changes is the ability to reduce PMU’s operating budget by 38% without negatively impacting foreign missions support. Still, the needs of this agency are great. The general fund is consistently underfunded, and it is the backbone of our ability to operate. The Kimas and Quisberts are in need of more monthly support. Concerning the Pines, current support levels, combined with church planting fund resources will enable Dr. Pine to maintain his administrative work with PMU while endeavoring to plant a new church.  So continued and even increasing support for PMU is vital. Please continue to keep PMU in your prayers. Thank you for your partnership with us.

“He that finds a wife, finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the LORD,” Proverbs 18:22. Rejoice with us! Rev. Mark Baldwin, missionary to Cambodia, has indeed found a wife. Miss Wiwin Sunarto of Indonesia and Singapore will become Mark’s bride on October 29, 2010. Miss Sunarto will, of course, join Mark in the work in Cambodia. She is an experienced youth and missions worker and will be a great blessing to Mark in the ever expanding ministry in the land of Cambodia. Dr. Pine will travel to Cambodia to perform the ceremony, and your prayers will be appreciated for all aspects of the preparations and the marriage to come.  Please also remember the increased support that will be necessary for the couple’s ministry!

It is a mistake to assume that missions is all about foreign fields. The needy are all around us.  Every believer is a missionary wherever God has put him.  And the needs are not only spiritual, but also temporal. All too often evangelicals ignore temporal needs out of fear of preaching a social gospel, but in so doing, miss wonderful opportunities to minister to the whole person. In an effort to help our BP young people see the mission field in their own backyard, Team Timothy USA traveled to New York City, August 14-21.  There PMU partnered with the inter-city ministry of Dr. Bill Jones of the New York Gospel Mission (NYGM). NYGM has existed for over 100 years with the primary goal of reaching Jewish people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. In recent years, the ministry has expanded to include all the residents of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Dr. Len Pine led the team of eleven young people and adults. Mornings were spent in training in the Old Testament, focusing on how it reveals the Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah. The team then left the sanctuary of the church and entered the mission field of New York City. They handed out tracts and talked to people at the Coney Island board walk. They did the same in the subway underneath Grand Central Station. They spent two afternoons in the heart of the Garment District, evangelizing on the street. At each location, Dr. Pine and a few of the team members also sang gospel music in the open air. The church associated with NYGM, Tompkins Square Gospel Fellowship, has been blessed in recent months by donations of food by a local Trader Joe’s supermarket. Daily van loads of bread, fruits and vegetables, canned goods, and high quality foods of all kinds are picked up and then distributed by Dr. Jones and the church. The team was able to participate throughout the week in this food pantry ministry both in the Projects and in the church itself. Hundreds of people came to receive food, and in the process, also heard the gospel, received tracts, and were ministered to in their need. They not only received physical bread, but they also received spiritual bread! Team members were amazed at how ready people were to listen to the preaching of the gospel and were blessed as they served people many times poorer than themselves. The week ended with a 9 PM to midnight open house at the church. Invitations were distributed in the afternoon and evening in the park across the street and in the surrounding neighborhood to come for free dessert and life-changing conversation. Using cheesecake provided by Trader Joe’s, team and church family members welcomed people of widely varied philosophical, theological, and sociological viewpoints, seeking to engage them with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was a fitting end to an excellent week of training and ministry. Thanks to all who contributed to make it possible.

The thirteen team members of Team Timothy Bolivia left Miami on July 6^th for two plus weeks of ministry in La Paz, Bolivia, with Rev. David Quisbert, PMU missionary, and the Bible Presbyterian Church of La Paz. Once again, Dr. Len Pine led the team, and Miss Susan Blizzard was the co-leader.  After two days of Boot Camp, the work began in earnest. Running a five day VBS, feeding the homeless, personal evangelism in the parks, handing out almost 10,000 tracts in the market streets near the church, teaching music and English, radio ministry, sacred concerts, and much Bible study and preaching kept the team very busy. Team members also participated in the AWANA program with over 40 children attending. The team experienced challenges of illness, fatigue, altitude, and cultural and language barriers.  God was gracious and showed Himself strong through their weakness. A major way that God ministered to the team was through the hospitality of the La Paz church family. Both before and during the ministry they labored exceedingly hard to make the team comfortable, well fed, and enabled to do their work. Team members formed strong bonds with one another during the course of the ministry, and more importantly, with the Bolivians. Perhaps the greatest work that God did was in the hearts’ of the team members themselves. When asked, What was the highlight of your team experience?, Julie Brown replied,  “Learning to trust God with my ESL lessons instead of relying on myself. The fruit of this was becoming great friends with four girls from the American Institute. I was able to focus on them and getting to know them and being a Christ-like testimony, instead of making sure I did everything perfectly, for my own pride’s sake. Besides this every minute of my trip was a highlight!!!” The team returned home safely, rejoicing in God’s goodness.  We thank all who supported this labor with their financial gifts and prayers.  Please keep the ministry in Bolivia in prayer as they continue this type of work year round.  If you would like to support this work, please send donations to PMU, designated to Rev. David Quisbert.