India and Malawi!

Dear Prayer Team,

Training Pastors!

It is a wonderful blessing to be able to serve the Lord of the nations and His servants. By the Lord's grace I will be equipping His servants to have a more effective life and ministry.

This year I will be further challenged as I visit India and Malawi. I will need your prayers more than ever. We will hold two Advanced Discipleship Training (ADT) seminars in India and three ADT seminars/workshop in Malawi. Malawi is one of the poorest country in the world. How did I get into this challenging situation? I thought that instead of making two trips, I could combine them into one and save money and time. We will see!

Someone might ask, "Are you sure you should go to Malawi too?" The Lord seemed to confirm that when two different individuals with two different groups requested me to speak to their people. Bishop Beston is responsible for over two hundred churches. I will have a two-day and a three-day seminar with him. Brother Rodrick from Scripture Union desires very much that I would train them to use the discipleship training materials I sent out to them. We will have one seminar with his group. This last situation is quite different in that they are young people being trained to go out as tent-making missionaries. I did not know anyone in Malawi before this contact (I didn't even know where it was), and now two groups are asking me to go.

Preparation

Preparations are under way for a new ADT seminar to be used in India, "The Secret to a Powerful Ministry." The focus is on helping ministers of God to see that godly marriages and families are foundational to a deepening relationship with God and to an effective ministry.

I am constantly challenged as I speak to pastors with little or no finances and education. 80-90% of the pastors, church planters and evangelists that I speak to in India, have only a 3-4th grade education. They can read the Bible but have had little or no training. Each conference will develop three areas of their lives: their hearts, skills and knowledge of God's Word. Each pastor will get a BFF publication in their own language. We are not sure what can be done for those in Malawi.

We have some special pre-trip requests.

Needing your prayers

I have 8 messages to write for this one new ADT seminar. I need God's wisdom and protection of time.

Brother Rodrick in Malawi has had a last minute scheduling conflict. He is trying to work through a solution.

Clarification of actual dates.

Purchase and arrangement of trip details.

Two brothers are seriously considering going with me on part of this trip. May God help them with schedules, etc. so that they can go.

 Remaining provision for US$9,000.

Preparation of heart for these five seminars.