Global Outreach 360 Degrees

CCV Missionaries who are Fearless !

What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to the threats and stress affecting us today? What if you could erase every shred of fear, insecurity and doubt? Imagine the day when you can truly call yourself fearless!

 

Andy & Betty Waddell are fearless missionaries that CCV has supported for many years. Andy does dental work in Thailand.  For the past two years, he has worked with a team of dental workers who provided free dental care for 75 migrant schools, which were made up of 16,236 Burmese or Karen students.  These students are the children of the migrant workers here in Mae Sot.  This team of 7 workers has provided the students with 8,205 fillings and 2,430 extractions.  In addition, every student was given a through teeth cleaning, an interactive lesson in dental hygiene and a toothbrush with toothpaste.

 

This was a program that Andy helped to set up and run with the assistance of a Korean dentist. In 2009, the Korean government voted this project as one of the top 7 government funded projects, out of a list of 240.  The program was completed at the end of February 2010, when all of the schools had been visited at least once.

 

Up in Chiang Mai teachers/translators are hard at work.  Right now they are pulling 12 hour days, trying to complete an audio version of the New Testament in their native language.  Since they couldn’t find the number of people they needed for the project, everyone is pulling double duty.

 

They did however, find some extra time earlier this month to visit a  village Chu Nah located about 1 ½ hours north of Chi Tai, and they took Jayme (who lives just down the street from them) along for the ride.  There had been a fire in the village a few days before, which had destroyed several houses.  So far as she could get the story (after it had been explained and translated) was that the house where the fire started had been empty at the time, the owner having stepped out for a moment to go get something.  He left his fire burning though, since he was cooking for a large number of expected guests.  Homes often have an open fire at a hearth, and the floors and walls are wooden.  With no central water supply in the village, there was no stopping the fire.

 

In addition to the loss of their homes and personal possessions, two of the families also lost their rice crop for the year. Others lost valuable animals, such as chickens and pigs, or their motorcycles, their primary transportation source. 

 

They also lost I.D. cards, a very importance commodity for a people who aren’t considered citizens by Thai law.  In all, 10 houses were counted as either totally destroyed, seriously damaged or in need of some repair.

 

Please continue to pray for Andy & Betty and their ministry and all the people that they are teaching to be fearless by sharing the love of Christ.

 

Gilbert Responds By Commitment to Religious Freedom

 

I received a response from the city of Gilbert. It looks like this action was done without knowing the facts. Great job Gilbert for responding!   

 

Gilbert, Arizona, March 15, 2010. Approximately six weeks ago, members of the Gilbert Town Council learned that a Town zoning code intended to help neighborhoods with traffic, parking and safety concerns had been interpreted by Town staff to mean that small church groups could not meet in their own homes. The Council immediately asked Town staff to make changes to the code and not enforce the code while changes were being considered.

 

Unfortunately, without the Town Council’s knowledge, one church group had already been told to stop holding meetings in their home. Last week the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) filed an appeal for the Oasis of Truth Church located in Gilbert. While Town staff had anticipated presenting to the Town Council proposed zoning changes at the next Town Council meeting (scheduled for March 23), ADF’s appeal reached the media on Friday, March 12, causing concern that Town of Gilbert restricted religious freedom guaranteed in the Constitution.

 

Gilbert’s Mayor John Lewis said, “It is unfortunate that the Council did not know about information given to the Oasis of Truth Church. Gilbert is known as a family-oriented community and our faith groups are a vital part of our Town. We want to keep it that way.” Lewis continued, “Gilbert has the largest celebration of the Constitution in the United States. During the third week of September, we have an entire week of community activities available to remind us of the important principles of the Constitution.” Vice-Mayor Linda Abbott commented, “This is a community with patriotic citizens who study and defend the Constitution. We understand the importance of maintaining religious freedom.”

 

Upon learning of the appeal, the Town Council expressed their overwhelming support to expedite changes in the code. Yesterday, Mayor Lewis and Acting Town Manager Collin DeWitt attended the Sunday worship services of the Oasis of Truth Church. DeWitt said, “We had a wonderful experience as we met with the three leaders of the church and their families. We are glad that they selected Gilbert as their home.” Mayor Lewis told church leaders that he will ask Town attorneys to include ADF and the Oasis of Truth Church in the review process this week of the proposed changes that will be presented to the Town Council on March 23. Lewis said, “We welcome their input and suggestions to ensure that church groups are able to meet and enjoy their Constitutional rights. Potentially, we may have a solution to this issue this week.”

 

The Town of Gilbert has been one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. In spite of the economic downturn, 1,278 single family permits were issued by the Town in 2009. Currently, 221,000 citizens of Gilbert enjoy the clean, safe, and vibrant environment. In 2009, Gilbert was named as the 24th safest city in the United States and safest city in Arizona. Mayor Lewis said, “Our vibrancy is enhanced with our strong faith-based groups. Our partnership with our local ministers and pastors is excellent. Gilbert is considered a religious friendly area. Religious activities occur all over Town and most especially in our homes. The Town Council and our citizens will keep it that way.”

Gilbert Couple Issued a Citation For Having A Bible Study

I received this email from a friend of mind who is a local pastor in the Valley.

 

Shockingly, the town of Gilbert Arizona has issued a citation against a couple for having a Bible study in their home.  They say it violates the local ordinance laws.  The cease-and-desist order stated that the couple must “terminate all religious meetings in their home, regardless of the size, nature or frequency of those meetings.”   Seven adults were meeting for Bible study in private homes, rotating the meeting location among their homes.  No complaints had been filed by any of the neighbors.  Interestingly, other in home meetings are still allowed.  Cub Scout meetings, Girl Scout meetings, birthday parties, Monday Night Football parties, Tupperware parties, poker gatherings, in home day care, garage/rummage sales, etc, are all still allowed.  But if seven adults gather to study their Bible in a private home in Gilbert, they have “broken the law.”  This is obviously an arbitrary and prejudicial enforcement of Gilbert’s zoning law.  Not to mention that it is a violation of the U.S. Constitution.  Fortunately, the Alliance Defense Fund is assisting the couple who have been cited.  A.D.F. is providing legal counsel and have already filed an appeal.
 

Could such a thing happen here in Fountain Hills?  Just a few years ago it would have been hard to imagine that such a thing could happen anywhere in the United States.  But Gilbert’s obvious prejudice against Christians is not an isolated case.  Incidences of anti-Christian bias is becoming more and more common.   The Alliance Defense Fund states, “The right to freely exercise one’s faith has never been more threatened in our nation than it is today.  And the rights of Christians are especially vulnerable.”

Are you willing to take a stand for your faith?  Are you willing to speak up for your religious rights and freedoms?  Are you willing to unashamedly and boldly be Christ’s representative in the world today?   The freedom to worship every Sunday without fear of persecution is something that we tend to take for granted.  Your consistent attendance in worship makes a statement.  As the darkness of evil continues to spread around the world, more than ever, by God’s grace let us let our light shine for the glory of Jesus Christ.
I’ll see you Sunday,

Churches Join with Police to Fight Crime in Phoenix

   Gang War vs. Church Involvement

Ireland Trip Report

Good to be back in the U.S. of A. Sitting in the New York air port doing my trip report. The two and one half days in Limerick and previous non-ccv trips to Ireland has given me some insight into the people and culture. I was able to observe and engage in talks with several people from ages 18 to 70 directly about their perspective on the current situation in Limerick.

 

The state of the church is very unhealthy. It would appear that in all of Limerick (population 100,000 plus) there is one church Christian Church of 35 to 80 people and operates much like the most conservative church in the mid west. The catholic church appears to be even worse in it’s hold on tradition. People you do meet who claim to be believers do not go to church for the most part, they just read their bibles and try and live good lives. The have a very low passion and priority to tell other about their faith, in fact they go out of their way to not tell anyone.

 

Most people do not go to church and view the church as not relevant and judgmental.

 

Most people feel tolerance is their highest value. You see it in the University we visited and had a chance to talk with Faculty and students. They view the US as being very intolerant, arrogant, and full of themselves.

 

The  thing they value the most is their Pub time and Rugby. People love to go to the pub to drink and socialize. I think mainly because they only have two options, the pub or stay home. Rugby is the one thing they latch on to, much like we do football only they worship it much more than the US.

People seem to complain but never do anything about to change.

   

People here seem to be High I’s and S’s. Low D;s and C’s. for the most part.

I believe starting a traditional church will fail. I think if you were able to start a church (not call it church) in an open setting where people would gather in small groups to discuss issues might be a way to lead them to Christ. However, leaders would really have to be trained. People here will ask deep questions and they love to debate. Perhaps considering starting a coffee shop or even pub setting should be considered. Alcohol here is so deeply engrained that to speak out against it would prove to be very ineffective.

 

I think next steps should be for Dermot and his team to contact and leverage the University of Limerick to get permission to ask five students to conduct a research project that gather information across five sectors of the city to determine overall health of the city. The five sectors are:

Business

Health and Education

Media & Arts

Government

Faith

Dermot should craft common questions for each sector that would give good insight as to the general health of the city which would identify assets and strengths.

I think reviewing the community health evangelism model would be helpful in order to understand the process to determine the assets of the community as will as reading Ed Delph’s book on healthy communities.

 

MORE FROM ANDY FRANK IN INDIA

Today was a VERY special day as we were finally able, as a whole team, to serve together.  We spent the morning and early afternoon at the Mercy House in Jabalpur.  The Mercy House is run by David and Sheela Lall and Mid-India Mission.  The girls that live at Mercy House have been abandoned by their families or are orphans.  They range in age from about 5-14.  There are currently 27 girls living at Mercy House.  Here these precious girls have a safe place to live and food, but most importantly, receive a Christ-centered education and are growing in their knowledge and love of Christ.  These girls aspire to be pilots, teachers, doctors, fashion designers, etc…  They are also some of the most respectful and polite girls I have EVER met in my life.  They danced and sang for us, shared what they aspire to be with us, and also shared about the education they are receiving.

We also had an incredible time blessing these girls with a new dress from our “Dress A Girl Around the World” program started by Rachel Eggum.  Each of the Mercy House girls received a new dress that was handmade with love and provided by someone in the US.  Some of the ladies on our team also painted their nails and did their hair.  This was like them getting a spa treatment.  They were overwhelmed.  During this time Justin and I had fun interacting with the girls, singing songs, and asking questions.

This day was also very special for some of us who are sponsoring some of these girls.  We had the privilege of meeting them face to face for the first time time today.  These special young ladies will become a part of our family as we support them in their education and walk with Christ as well as help meet their physical needs of food and shelter.  We are sponsoring Reitu.  She is 11 and wants to be a teacher.  Her father left her family when her mother became a Christ-follower.  Since then her father has died, but because of her mother’s faith in Christ she has been blamed for his death even though it was from illness.  Now, their lives are at risk as others are seeking justice from her family.  The Mercy House is now home to both Reitu and her sister.  Here are some pictures of some of us with our girls…

I’m so overwhelmed by the power of Christ’s love that compels us to reach the unreachable, to touch the untouchable, all for His glory and His fame.  What happened here today simply gives these wonderful girls a chance to regain their dignity and confidence and to become the women that God created them to be.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!  You have an opportunity to respond and make a difference in these girls lives.  There are still 15 MORE GIRLS THAT NEED SOMEONE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES!  For only $1/day YOU can be that person or that family who steps up to be the difference!  I have pictures and names of the remaining girls that need a sponsor.  If you are interested please contact me and let me know and we’ll get you connected in.  ANDYFRANK@CCVONLINE.COM

I can’t begin to tell you not only how much these girls with be blessed by your support….but also how much YOU will be blessed by being a part of their lives!

Take care friends!

AF

March 1, 2010
Categories: Hope 4 Kids International, India, Life, Missions, Pictures . . Author: Andy Frank . Comments: Leave a Comment

India – Day 4

Sunday was an incredible day here in India…really for me, the beginning of the real adventure!  We woke up around 3:30am in Delhi to catch an early morning flight to Jabalpur.  Flew on Kingfisher Air on a dual pro plan into what looked like a small grass field.  The airport in Jabalpur has 1 flight in, and 1 flight out a day.  I understand there are a couple of more flights that randomly land during the week but overall that’s it.  Interestingly enough, the population is roughly around 1.4 million in this city!  We went immediately to our hotel to drop off bags and then Tom, Elizabeth, and me where on our way to the village of Suca.

Unfortunately, we were the only ones from the team allowed to go for safety reasons both on our part and on the part of the village.  Hope 4 Kids International currently has 60 children from this village in the sponsorship program.  It was about an 90 minute drive back into the “sticks” of India.  Our local team leaders actually had the windows on our jeep blacked out with tint so that you could not see in and noticed that we were white Americans.  It was the closest to being Jack Bauer that I’ve ever felt!  Only thing I was missing with my HK P2000SK .40.

Heading through and into the villages I was only able to shoot video from inside the jeep through the windows.  As I’m sure you know, in India, they are almost exclusively Hindu.  The persecution of Christians is real and people are being punished or even killed for their faith in some parts.  In addition to that, even in the midst of severe poverty, about 80% of the people (especially men) still have cell phones.  So, a likely scenario would be us driving through a village and a local Hindu man would spot white Americans (possible missionaries) driving into a village.  They would then call police or authorities would would drive to that village.  We could be asked to leave, escorted out, or maybe left alone.  However, upon our departure of that village the local people we were there to meet with or serve could be beaten and persecuted simply due to us being there.  It’s very real!

We arrived into the village of Suca and were waved in by some of the local expecting us.  They directed us to park our jeep behind some huts to hide it from the main road.  They then led us to a covered area where we were greeted by some of the adults and about 50-60 children.  These kids are not only having their physical needs met with a meal and fresh water from a water pump, but they are also having educational and spiritual needs met by receiving a school education and learning about the love of Jesus.  These kids and many of the adults are turning to Christ!!!  We were greeted with smiles, handshakes, hugs, and beautiful fresh flower leis that they made for us!  The children sang to us, danced, and touched our hearts in ways words cannot describe.  The picture below is of a little boy 2 1/2 years old that came up to us and began to rattle off his ABC’s and count to 30 in English faster than I could possibly take in.

The kids even sang a familiar song “Oh be careful little eyes what you see…” to us in Hindi.  I, in turn, sang it back to them in English.  The leader of village also gave us a wonderful greeting and deeply thanked us for all that Hope 4 Kids and those that partner with us are doing to make a difference!  They then showed us the pump that was installed in order for them to pump fresh, clean, cool water for their community.  That pump should last 40-50 years!  We are also invited to walk through one of their homes and see their living conditions.  These people have so very little but yet I was amazed at how sacrificially they give, how well they maintain their small 10×10 ft. homes, and how grateful they are for life!

We were only able to stay in the village for about 20 minutes, but those were some of the most meaningful 20 minutes I’ve ever spent in my life.  To actually go into our first village in the country of India with Tom and Liz, and meet children in the sponsorship program.  To walk their streets, hug their necks, see the smiles on their faces, and know that God has put us here for a reason to offer hope to those who WOULD NOT HEAR THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST OTHERWISE was an honor and privilege.  We hope one day soon to be able to bring an entire team into this village and spend a day with them.  Until then we hold on to those 20 minutes and know that the Lord allowed this moment for us to share in the joy of Christ’s love with these beautiful people.

On the way out of this village we ended up taking a different route out in order to avoid being followed by police.  However, on the way were were able to stop and capture some more images and video of people in this culture.  Here are a few of these images:

March 1, 2010
Categories: India, Life, Missions, Pictures . . Author: Andy Frank . Comments: Leave a Comment

India – Day 2 & 3

Hey everyone, just getting a chance to update you on things here in India.  Don’t want to spend too much time on days 2 & 3 as things really began to pick up for me on day 4.  However, both were great days traveling around and through some great parts of northern India and seeing both amazing and heart breaking things.  We traveled by bus from Delhi to Agra through some of the poorest most poverty stricken villages I’ve ever seen.  Homes barely strong enough to withstand a good rain; children walking through garbage dumps searching for plastic which they could trade in for pennies; people drinking from contaminated water resources.  It’s very difficult to fathom all of this without actually seeing it.

Once we arrived in Agra we visited a few of the local sites of the city.  One of them was the great Agra Fort, built around 1000AD.  It is the most important fort in India. The great Mughals Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jehangirm Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb lived here, and the country was governed from here. It contained the largest state treasury and mint. It was visited by foreign ambassadors, travelers and the highest dignitaries who participated in the making of history in India.  It’s located about 1.5 miles from the Taj Mahal.

On Saturday we woke up early and went to the infamous Taj Mahal.  This place was truly breathtaking.  The architecture, detail, and size of both the Taj and the entire campus that surrounds it were overwhelming.  We were able to tour the main floor inside the Taj as well.  The lower levels have been closed off to tours for the past 10 years or so.  The entire structure is constructed with marble and took nearly 22 years to complete the main structure even though construction continued on after that to finish much of the surrounding buildings.  The Taj serves as a mausoluem built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died during childbirth.

After visiting the Taj we drove back up to Delhi to get some rest (about a 7 hr ride by bus because of traffic and the poor roads).  We had to wake up very early (around 3:30am) the next morning to catch a flight to Jablapur, India….this is where the real adventure begins.

Here are a few more photos from the the trip to Agra.