April, 2012

 Dear friends,

When I visit churches I am frequently asked, “How can we help you…What do you need?” What we need for this mission to be a true success is God to regard this work and have His eyes and ears attentive to the prayers of His people on behalf of Brazil. If this one great thing is missing then it is all for loss, and we are wasting our lives and time investing in Brazil. Imagine all the difficulties that can be involved with moving a large family to another country and culture. Now think of all those difficulties in the light of the fact that we can have access to the God who holds the universe in the palm of His hands, and the nations are but like a drop from a bucket (Is 40). He has all the resources, all the wisdom, all capacity to do all that is needed and much more than we can imagine or think. So, what do the Leamans need? We need God’s people to pray, and we need to trust and wait on the God who moves mountains.

God is already answering prayer. In a previous prayer letter we asked prayer for clarity on what specific thing God wanted us to do in Brazil. These prayers were clearly answered in the latest trip to Brazil. We had several meetings with pastors and church leaders. In every meeting there was a unanimous and clarion call for help in bringing to the North-East a proper, God honoring concept of Biblical discipleship. Nouthetic counseling, resting on the Bible, teaches that God’s Word is sufficient to sanctify God’s people for God’s purposes. For example, a Christian gentleman in the North-East is having trouble in his marriage and is seeking to resolve his problems with the psychoanalyst, but he is looking in the wrong place. God’s Word is sufficient, but he and his church do not understand this. You can imagine the host of trouble this brings to God’s people. The priority of the mission to Brazil has become bringing to the North-East a renewed awareness, confidence, and practice of the sufficiency of Scriptures.

Our God can move mountains.  Please join us in praising and petitioning our

great God for the following items:

• Praise God for the progress that is being made in my NANC certification.

• Praise for the new churches and individuals who have partnered with us.

• Please pray that we can find a place to live in the huge city of Recife. One challenge is that apartments in Brazil are made for families of three or four.

• Pray that we can get to the field in God’s perfect timing and that we can be patient as we wait for all the details to be worked out.

• Pray that I will grow in wisdom and that God will continue to prepare me for this calling.

Thank you, brothers and sisters, for your prayers to God on our behalf. That is what we need most.

Thank you for your prayers and support,

Douglas E. Leaman

     The Lord has blessed the Yangon BP Church so much since its beginning in 2006. The total church members in the church record book are seventy. But due to the economical hardship of our country, twenty people have moved to Malaysia and other countries. Three elders including myself are shepherding God’s flock. The sheep are God-fearing, dedicated and active believers rooted deeply in the Word of God and in the Reformed faith.

     The Yangon BP church has been blessed by the visits of BP leaders from the USA and Australia. We are grateful for the ministries of Rev. Dr. Kevin Backus and Rev. Dr. Len Pine to lay the true foundation for the church. Please continue sending them and other leaders too. We are so thankful to the Covenant BP church in Perth, Australia, for coming to us and helping us build up the Yangon church.

     One of the biggest problems the church has been facing is the location. The church has been moved to six different places now. There were some people who did not join the church because the church was moving to a different place. Some people who wanted to join the church were disappointed when they realized the church was moving away. In order to solve this problem, the session has decided to move the church to the suburban area of Yangon where we might obtain land for the church for a cheaper price and there build the church building.

I am now spending my time training the young people in the church who have a desire to serve the Lord but do not have the theological foundation and practical knowledge needed for the ministry. My prayer is that the Lord will use this Bible class for equipping and training many for His service.

As we look back at the past six years, we praise and thank the Lord for what He has done for us and through us. We humbly acknowledge that we have come this far just because of the Lord’s grace alone and for His glory alone. At the same time, we believe that the best is yet to come. There are greater blessings in store for us in the future. We will attempt greater things for the Lord in the future. To God be all the glory and honor. Amen. —Rev. Khawl Ro Kima

On Friday evenings three meetings are going on at Covenant Bible-Presbyterian Church. These meetings are held for Christian growth and fellowship—1 John 1:3.

 7:30 pm – Youth Fellowship. About eighteen young people of high school and college age meet together to sing praises to the Lord, to share testimonies of the Lord’s goodness and mercies, to have Bible discussions on the subject of “Integrity,” and to listen to messages appropriate for their age level. We praise the Lord that this year two new foreign students have joined us. One of the students who was with us last year has moved to Sydney to study there. We wish him well.

7:45 pm – Junior Fellowship. About sixteen children aged from 5 to 12 years old meet together every Friday evening. The children lead the singing accompanied at the piano by one of the parents; other children lead in prayer, take up the offering, ask for the Lord’s blessings upon the offering, and lead in closing prayer. The children have been studying the life of Christ so far this year, led by speakers consisting of Pastor Ed, Mrs. Lehia Paauwe, and several of the young adults. After the Bible lesson, one of the parents guides the children in an activity such as a crossword puzzle or word search related to the Bible lesson, or leads a handcraft.

 8:00 pm – While the Junior Fellowship is going on, the parents of the children and a few other interested persons watch a video entitled Shepherding a Child’s Heart. This is based on Tedd Tripp’s book entitled Shepherding a Child’s Heart, in which he gives guidelines on how to bring up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. He also prepared a series of fifteen video messages of 30 minutes each, covering the material of the book as well as some extra materials. The feedback has been very positive, and the parents have indicated that they are learning a lot about how to bring up their children God’s way. Praise the Lord!  — Rev. Ed Paauwe

Florida Presbytery

Date:  July 2-7, 2012

Theme: 2 Timothy 1

Speakers: Doug Leaman & FL Presb. members

Contact: Rev. Brinegar 321-784-5740

Great Western Presbytery

Date:  July 12-19, 2012

Theme: The Power of the Gospel

Contact: Rev. Dyck, jdyck@bpc.org

Web: Facebook Group:  Great Western Presbytery Teen Camp

Great Lakes Presbytery

Date:  July 8-14, 2012

Contact:  Tim Becker: tbecker8@cinci.rr.com or Pastor Southerland: 513-563-5585 or casey.southerland@gracebpc.org

Web:  www. bpcamp.org

March, 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

The Lord has been so good and faithful to me and to the mission work here in Myanmar. I would like to share with you what God has done in the ministry during the past few months as you are praying for us.

First of all, the Lord has blessed us by the ministry of Rev. Edward Paauwe and his group who visited us the first week of January. Together with them we had the New Year services. We had leadership training in the first week of January, 2012. Rev. Paauwe taught us the Ten Commandments; Brother Mark Chen, from Singapore, taught us the Five Points of Calvinism, and Deacon Yen Fye taught basic English. Lehia Paauwe, Jacob Woo, and Merilyn Orchard taught the children.

Secondly, we had the church session meeting the second week of January. At the meeting, all five elders, including me, were present. We appointed Mr. LalBiak Kima as the preacher of the Thinglei BP Mission. We also appointed Mr. Zaw Naing as the church planter to take care of the sheep at Namhu village.

Thirdly, the Yangon BP church is moving toward East Dagon, the suburban area of Yangon, hoping to find a permanent place for the church location. Pray that the Lord may give us a good place where we can worship Him freely.

Finally, thank you once again for your prayers and support. We really appreciate you.

Rev. Khawl Ro Kima

 March, 2012

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,

“Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’s name is to be praised” (Psalm 113:1-3). Here are some of the highlights of the past several months, for which we praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord for His blessings over the Christmas season. A group of young people from Covenant B-P Church, supported by Deacon Raymond Woo, his wife Peggy, and Peggy’s mother, Irene Lee, sang Christmas carols in four homes of members of Covenant B-P Church and Attadale Baptist Church, with neighbors and friends also invited. Deacon Raymond Woo also read Scripture, brought a short message and prayed in three of these homes, while Rev. Ed Paauwe brought a message and prayed in the fourth home.

Irene Lee, Deacon Raymond Woo’s mother-in-law, is in her 70’s. For several years we had been praying for her salvation. Praise the Lord that during 2011 she confessed her sins to the Lord and trusted Christ as Saviour and Lord of her life. She was baptized at Covenant B-P Church on Christmas Day.

Dn. Raymond and Mrs. Peggy Woo’s daughter, Dorcas, and her husband, Deacon David Pang, have a baby son named Moses, who was born on October 29, 2011. On Christmas Day Moses was baptized at Covenant B-P Church. That means that baby Moses Pang and his great-grandmother, Irene Lee, were baptized on the same day! Praise the Lord for His marvelous working in hearts and lives.

Praise and thank the Lord for a blessed missions trip to Myanmar, December 30, 2011 – January 6, 2012. We are grateful to God for safety in travel for the six members of the missions team: Deacon Yen Fye Yap, Jacob Woo, Merilyn Orchard, Mr. Mark Chen, Rev. Ed Paauwe and Mrs. Lehia Paauwe. We thank the Lord for His guidance and encouragement when we went to Myanmar to share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Shortly after we arrived in Yangon, we attended the New Year’s Eve service at Bible Presbyterian Church of Myanmar. Mr. Chen preached God’s Word that evening. On New Year’s Day, which was the Lord’s Day, Rev. Paauwe preached God’s Word. After the worship service, we had warm fellowship with the people in the church.

From Monday to Friday was the Leadership Training for the adults of BPC, Myanmar, 9 am – 3 pm, with lunch provided by the church. Mr. Chen taught the Five Points of Calvinism, Deacon Yen Fye Yap taught English, and Rev. Paauwe taught The Ten Commandments. Pastor Kima and his wife, Mawite, interpreted for the teachers into their Burmese language. Daily attendance was 35 – 40. There were good question and answer sessions reflecting the students’ interest in God’s Word. We were blessed to have Rev. and Mrs. Andrew Kam of Yangon Bible-Presbyterian Church attend these classes as well.

From Monday to Wednesday were the Children’s Meetings, 10 am – 3 pm, with lunch provided by the church. Jacob Woo, Merilyn Orchard, and Mrs. Lehia Paauwe were privileged to teach the Bible lessons, the memory verses, new songs, and arts and crafts to the children, aged 4 to 12. The Bible lessons were on “Walking With Jesus,” (Salvation and Christian growth), and “God’s Word is My Delight, Wisdom and Hope.” Mawite and Mabiaki, a kindergarten teacher, interpreted for us. The children listened attentively and responded eagerly in their singing, recitation of the Bible verses, and participation in the arts and crafts. We thank God for the 32 children; 15 of them were the orphans and the rest of them were from the kindergarten and Sunday School.

The children were very appreciative and joyful to receive all the gifts that were given to them, particularly the care packets from the children and youth of Covenant B-P Church. We were blessed to serve in the children’s ministry and fellowship with the teachers of the orphanage and kindergarten. We also had warm fellowship with Pastor Kima’s sister, Thangtei, whose husband passed away last year from stomach cancer. She continues to serve the Lord with her baby daughter, Phoebe.

We give thanks to God for His wonderful care throughout the missions trip. We are thankful to Pastor Kima and BPC of Myanmar for their hospitality. We thank each one who prayed for us and for their support of God’s work in Myanmar. “To God be the glory, great things He has done.”

Covenant Bible Institute, which started classes in January 2011, is progressing well. Rev. Ed Paauwe is teaching one night a week on Bible doctrines. He is almost finished teaching “Doctrine of Christ,” after which he will teach “Doctrine of Salvation.”

We thank you for your prayers and faithful support, which have made our ministry in Perth possible. We look forward to the following ministries in the near future.

On April 6, we’ll have a Good Friday service, combining the congregations of Covenant B-P Church and Attadale Baptist Church. Rev. Paauwe will be preaching God’s Word on that occasion. Then we’ll have our Easter service on April 8, praising the Lord that Christ is risen indeed. April 9-12, is the Annual Family Bible Conference of Covenant B-P Church. The theme of the Bible Conference is “Be Fruitful in Every Good work.” Mr. Mark Chen will bring the theme messages; Rev. Ed Paauwe will bring daily devotional messages on “A Closer Walk with God,” and Mrs Lehia Paauwe will minister to the children. On April 29, Covenant B-P Church will celebrate her second anniversary with a Thanksgiving Service and a Thanksgiving Dinner. Please pray that the Lord will bless these coming events for His glory.

We pray that the Lord will continue to bless and keep you. May you have a wonderful Easter in 2012. May our risen Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be your strength always.

With Christian love and prayers,

Edward and Lehia Paauwe

Mr. Srong, my friend and  local Christian leader in Kpbaom, wasn’t always a good Christian.  He was a Shaman of sorts and this made him fairly wealthy and respected.  He and his family lost both respect and income when they came to know Christ as Savior.  They have faced rejection by neighbors and family, mild persecution and financial difficulty for their faith.  Villagers have mocked them for turning to Christ and losing so much.  “What good is your God?” they are asked.  Their once beautiful home where we have all our fellowships has fallen into disrepair because of the loss of income; it is not even possible to go inside anymore because the wood is so worm eaten it can’t support the weight of a person.

Mrs. Srong has struggled to understand why they suffer like this as Christians.  She has been bitter about it but now has come to understand that “prosperity gospel” is not biblical; rather, the Bible promises a reward for those who patiently endure and hope in Christ alone.  When the Srongs were approached last month by an NGO to sell their field next to the church, they may have thought it was an answer to prayer.  They would receive enough money to rebuild their house.  (The wood is too far gone to repair; they must start over.)  I was surprised by their answer.  After prayer and discussion between themselves, the Srongs decided not to sell but to keep the land for the Lord’s work.  They hope it can be used for the pastor’s house or extra classrooms for the church.  God comes first to them, and their house will have to wait.

Please be in prayer for this dear family.  Mr. Srong has been diligent and enthusiastic in his study of God’s word and in his labors for God’s people.  He does evangelism, visitation and re-teaches our lessons to the adults who miss and children who live too far away to come regularly.  Mrs. Srong has grown in Christ and even humbly reconciled herself with her older sister. The family is given to hospitality, and their eldest daughter, Chanak, has also started showing a great hunger for God and His Word.  She is learning to read, looking to grow, and now only considering Christian men as a potential husband. — Rev. Mark Baldwin