2023 Annual Bridge Report

Dear Friends and Partners:

Happy New Year to You and Your Family from the Bridge Team and our Harvesters around the world!  We thank you for taking an interest in The Bridge, whether you are a newcomer to our ministry or have been part of our support system for many years.

A special thanks to those of you who contributed to The Bridge financially last year.  Your itemized 2023 Donor Statement is included in this letter.  It serves as the official contribution receipt for the IRS.  Please keep it in a safe place with your tax information.  The Bridge International, Inc. is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) religious organization with EIN no. 65-0100609; your contributions are therefore exempt from Federal Taxes.

Also, a special thanks to The Bridge Intercessory Group and to all taking time from daily life and regularly prayed and interceded for the mission fields and our partners abroad.  You have moved God’s heart, resulting in Him answering so many prayers in miraculous ways on behalf of us all!

LEAVING ONE ERA AND ENTERING A NEW ONE

Last month’s Christmas issue of The Bridge Report focused on the 40th Anniversary of this ministry since its inception, which was just before Christmas, 1983.  In summarizing the 2023 Annual Report, I now reflect back on these forty years with tears of overwhelming joy, along with a sense of deep gratitude and humility toward The Lord entrusting me with the stewardship of the vision and the direction for The Bridge.

Also, grateful for the privilege of serving in His Kingdom with hundreds of dedicated partners on the home front and faithful Harvesters abroad having enthusiastically and sacrificially committed themselves and their resources to do their part fulfilling the Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE:  Steve and I, and also our donor base, have aged with the decades. We have for some time given thought to the fact that the time would come when we would need to downsize, and maybe transfer The Bridge Stateside into the hands of a younger generation. This has no bearing on our mission partners in the nations, whom we also call HARVESTERS.  This became more urgent when, in May, 2021 I contracting Covid and in January 2022  began to experience rather severe after effects of the illness, very similar to the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis.  This has impaired me quite a bit, so we sold our home last year and moved to a lovely Assisted Living Facility in Fort Lauderdale.  We prayed that if our Lord wanted The Bridge to continue its ministry to the nations, He would send us His choice of the right person at the right time. That did indeed happened quite miraculously a few months ago!

NEW ADMINISTRATION: I am delighted to introduce you to the new Executive Director of the Bridge International, Timothy Jurjevich.  He is a Dutch-American, born to missionary parents in Sarajevo, Bosnia who grew up partially in Holland and partially in the States. Tim is an entrepreneurial businessman with a heart for missions. He is 33 years old and lives in South Carolina with his wife, Julianne and two children, with a third on the way.  The transition will happen in February. I have full confidence that, by the grace of God, Timothy will fulfill HIS continued call and mission of The Bridge with a new administrative crew and new technological tools, bringing the message of the Great Commission to a new generation of givers assisting him to take good care of our Harvesters in the field!  I want to encourage all of you who have faithfully been with us, many for decades,  to continue partnering with the new leadership on their new adventure! I will not be part of the administrative staff, but will function in a more advisory capacity as a Board member. …”One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts… “ Psalm 145:4

2023 IN REVIEW — THE HARVESTERS

BOSNIA AND THE BALKAN REGION – Robert and Sandrina Jurjevich live in Sarajevo, Bosnia where Robert pastors a local church in the Muslim part of the city.  They are involved in the entire Balkan region through The Balkan Call, where Robert is one of the leaders, and the Church of God Croatia Networks. Through these networks, they have seen forgiveness take place between pastors from different Balkan countries, and a growing unity and answer to prayer for the Balkans. They oversea a fellowship which is one of  the few evangelical churches in a Balkan country where there are only 450 Christians. Sandrina, with her assistant Astrid, oversee their pro-life center, The Lighthouse.  Through their online  presence, they share the gift of life with abortion-minded women who contact them. In a nation  where women do not receive much information on healthy pregnancies, they conduct informative class sessions for pregnant women, provide baby clothes and needed items, and continue to visit many of whom they have served.

INDIA/BHUTAN/NEPAL:  DAWA SINGYE BHUTIA lives with his family in Bhutan, from where he and his team at Himalayan Good News Networking Ministry continue raising up pioneer evangelists, training leaders and sending church planters, also to towns and villages in the more remote Himalayan mountains between Bhutan, India, Nepal and Tibet. Last year they focused on conducting leadership training sessions and Bible teaching to pastors and Christian leaders in Nepal.  In September, through their Love Your Neighbor Initiative they established The Child Learning and Social Centre for children in the heart of the Red Light District in their city. In the midst of challenging circumstances, where the children are trapped in an environment of prostitution and child trafficking, the center is dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing environment for the children in their community

HAITI AND INDIA – Jeanette Felix and Sharon Cushing formed a new organization, Nexus for Good with the motto: Connecting Generosity to Need. They continue to sponsor their original school in Lespinasse and link with other grassroots missions that work in communities, like the school in Plateau-Anse-Rouge. They are also helping a school in a leper colony in northern India, where children are deprived of education. They are shunned by society for living in a leper community, although they do not have leprosy themselves.  A rent-free building is being renovated and a few children are receiving a modest education, thanks to one lone Christian teacher who, through great personal sacrifice, has chosen to enter the colony and are teaching them. Two more courageous teachers are desperately needed. In Haiti, violent gangs attacked the village Lespinasse and the nearby areas.  The school families abandoned everything, fled and settled temporarily in an outskirt of Port-au-Prince. The  school is functioning in a leased building until it is safe to return to Lespinasse.

IRAN AND TURKEY – Sargon and Nadezhda Daniali Chamaki  live in Ankara, Turkey, but have also a home in Almaty, Kazakhstan  where their four adult children live.  Their oldest son got married  a few months ago. Sargon is fluent in several languages and has been involved in translating the Bible and many teaching/training books for his and other organizations into Farsi.  He is also a gifted teacher, both in person and online.  Added to this, he oversees many home churches in the country where he lives, as well as his home country and other nations in the region.  Having the heart of an evangelist, Sargon is ever keen to hear where Holy Spirit may be leading him to  bring the Gospel, expanding it to even more nations.

KAZAKHSTAN – Yermek and Kamazhai Balykbekov and their three children live in Karaganda, Kazakhstan.  Yermek’s pastoral oversight over new Kazakh home fellowships are growing throughout the nation.  He finds using prophetic evangelism and words of knowledge (and operating in all gifts of Holy Spirit) to be very  effective. He has two kinds of ministry: local fellowship pastoral care and on-line ministries via Instagram, Zoom, and Telegram.  His online ministry is providing a number of testimonies.  As the  overall ministry is growing, God is supplying their needs, not only from abroad, but by local believers.  They had a three day conference in Karaganda which was attended by about 100 upcoming leaders from various fellowship locations.

KENYA AND TANZANIA – Paul and Marcia Cowley and their three children live in Florida, but Paul regularly travels to Kenya as he  oversees The Disciple Support Ministries Bible Institute, having transferred the leadership of the Bible training to the local graduates. DSM trains “pastors of the least” at three locations in Nairobi, Kenya and one in Tanzania where there are 199 slums and 450 pastors. Disciples are transformed into disciple-makers. In spite of their desperate circumstances, the pastors and ministry leaders keep coming. For many years, they averaged 225 on a continual enrollment but in 2023, enrollment just passed 400! “Surely this has been a tremendous year in the Lord’s ministry in Africa. By every  measure, it has caused us to pause and wonder at His marvelous ways as we enter our 23rd year  of DSM.” writes Paul.

REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA – Steve and Sophia Schmalz  live in the capital city of Tbilisi, the Republic of Georgia.  They continue to faithfully visit the international airport in Tbilisi to provide parts of the New Testament (“Ingels”), videos and Christian pamphlets  to those arriving on flights from Iranian and Arab speaking countries in the Middle East.  The  “Ingels” are in both Farsi and Arabic.  They are also looking for an accurate translation of the Gospel of Matthew into Hebrew to distribute to people on planes arriving from Israel.  In April and again in September, they  traveled to the Netherlands and northern Germany and spent six weeks each time in the area from Hamburg to Denmark’s borders where there are many Muslim communities. There, they met  many Kurds from Syria who are very open to the Gospel.  They focused on distributing Gospel materials in Muslim residential areas surrounding mosques in Hamburg, Lubeck, Kiel and other cities. They were encouraged to meet a number of people who have come to faith in Jesus Christ through their prior ministry to their communities

 KYRGYZSTAN – Rustam and Zamira Kazakbaev and their two children, live in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.  They have continued their seminary studies to be eligible for government approved ministry credentials.  During  seminary breaks, they minister to the poor in various villages, distributing food and clothing, while sharing the Gospel with them. Rustam and his family traveled to Uzbekistan where he was invited to teach on the Father’s Heart. During the summer months,  Rustam worked and taught at Christian summer camps on behalf of Child Evangelism.  This June and July, 800 poor and homeless children participated. In August, they did their own ministry camps for families in different villages.  In Kyrgyzstan, the government has placed restrictions on the use of electricity. The Bridge provided a gas heater for them for this winter. Zamira ministers to an online ladies group where they have experienced supernatural healings through prayer. They face some persecution from their Muslim neighbors and KGB style Russians, but always have wonderful testimonies about the Lord blessing them and others.   

SOUTH SUDAN – Matthew and Regina Deng Dut live in Juba, South Sudan.  Matthew oversees three churches he has planted in Juba and maintains a Christian bookstore with a computer learning center. He conducts evangelistic outreaches throughout the nation.  Due to the war in Sudan, many Sudanese Muslims are now refugees in South Sudan. Some have  become Christians and Matthew wants to form small home groups especially for them.  His family’s Dinka tribal lands in the northern part of South Sudan have become self-sufficient in agriculture, due to his leadership and initial funding from The Bridge.  The tribe avoid poverty by harvesting crops for their families with extra surplus to sell, keeping back enough seeds for replanting.  He and his team are busy with a radio ministry and the evangelistic efforts of taking the Gospel to the streets, distributing free Bibles, both in Arabic & English, and preaching on social media – whatever door the Holy Spirit opens.

2023 Christmas – The Bridge Celebrating 40 Years Since its Inception

PREFACE

During my many travels to the various mission fields in the nations where we sponsor workers and projects, I have experienced many “divine appointments”; encounters with people and situations which years later proved to be of great significance both historically and spiritually. The beginning of one of these encounters took place the month I returned  from Germany’s Mission, exactly 40 years ago.   Below, I have published the story in full.  It is a Christmas gift to you which I trust will encourage you in your faith walk with God. 

A CHRISTMAS STORY by R.K. Ulrich

From my seat in the balcony, I glanced around the white cathedral’s sanctuary, festively decorated with hundreds of red poinsettias, filled to capacity with men and women in their best attire.  The massive, magnificent pipe organ above the altar provided a majestic background for the 100 voice choir and full orchestra of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (CRPC) as the magnificent annual Christmas performance of Händel‘s Messiah echoed throughout the building.  Leaning back, while enjoying the rich beauty of the sights and sounds of the music, pondering the profound depth of scripture verses from Isaiah to Revelation describing our Savior, I began sobbing and simply could not stop.  It was a heart cry of intercession on behalf of the hundreds of wonderful brothers and sisters I had met from the underground, suffering church in countries behind the Iron Curtain while serving a two year tenure with an East European Mission located in München, Germany. Just a few weeks prior to this, I had returned permanently to the States from my stay at the Mission with a commission from the Lord: a vision of a bridge spanning America, Europe, and the Soviet Union with the words, “Return to the States and be a Bridge – do not build one!“ I was to be a voice in the West, representing the believers who were suffering for their faith in the oppressive communist countries, while being a conduit for bringing resources from the believers in the West across this Bridge to the East (2. Cor. 9:6-15). During this concert, I had a sense that in God’s providence, this was a significant moment beyond what I could at the time see.  RPC’s dynamic senior past, Dr. D. James Kennedy was well known for his strong stand against the evil of atheist communism, calling it with its rightful name a Religion. A few months later, via one of the teachers at their school< Westminster Academy, I was invited to the speak to the student on missions, and later, I was invited to participate at the church’s annual week-long missions conference. The Bridge was given a generous donation of $1,500 for my participation—the exact amount I needed to go on a mission trip to Romania.

MISSION TRIP TO ROMANIA

In the summer of 1984, I traveled to Romania under the auspices of the Mission in Germany. It was one of my many courier trips during which a co-worker and I would clandestinely deliver Bibles and other Christian material to our specific contact persons within the country. This time, the Director in Germany asked me if I would take a side-trip to the city of Cluj, located in Transylvania (a part of Romania dominated by ethnic Hungarians, home of the notorious Dracula ) to check out the situation for a Christian leader who had asked for help.

After the delivery of the prescheduled material to our precious believers, my co-worker and I drove through mountains and forests and arrived in Cluj late one the evening so that we could evade the infamous Securitate (secret police). We found the address, sneaked into the dingy apartment building, and tapped the secret signal on the appropriate door. A stately, elderly gentleman opened the door and, without a word, waved us into the apartment which indicated that he was a cultured, well read intellectual. He introduced himself as Dr. Istvan Tokes. Quietly, in German, he began to tell an incredulous story. He was a senior Professor of Theology at the Reformed Seminary in town, and had for years been intimidated and threatened by Ceausescu’s leaders to collaborate with the government’s atheist agenda against the Christian believers. “At times, the pressure became too great; I gave in and helped spread disinformation through the church”, he admitted, tears running down his cheeks. He continued, “I have a son, Laszlo, who is a youth leader in one of our churches in the city of Timisoara. There is revival among the youth there. Watching their faith and courage made me repent, so lately, I have also been openly speaking and standing up for the church of Jesus Christ!”

Istvan then told us that he had learned that government officials had secretly plotted to kill both him and his son — one to be caused by a car accident, the other by radioactive material placed in the door post of his house. He then handed me a typed three page statement in German, outlining details of Ceausescu’s atrocities against the church and a plea for him and his son’s life. Would I bring this document to America and give it to influential people, preferably in Washington DC, who could make their situation public? I accepted it, so after we prayed and said goodbye, I took the document, hid it in one of my boots — aware that, if discovered, I might be arrested and charged with Western espionage.

CONTACTING CRCP

On my ay back to the States, I pondered who to contact.  I did not know any prominent American government officials! Back home, I translated the document into English. Suddenly, I remembered that the funds for this trip had actually been provided by CRPC — why not contact Dr. Kennedy? I made an appointment, and Dr. Kennedy graciously gave me ample time to present my plea for helping save the lives of these two servants of the Lord.  “What can I do?” he asked. “Please inform people who can give this maximum exposure”, I said, while handing the original and translated documents over to him, “Ceausescu will never kill those two men if he knows it will give him bad press in America, and he might lose the Most Favored Nation Status.” Dr. Kennedy promised to pursue the matter. I left, confident that the Tokes family were in God’s hands and under His protective wings.

1989 — FALL OF THE IRON CURTIAN

In the late eighties we watched media reports on freedom movements  emerging in Eastern Europe — from the Pope’s visit to Poland and the Solidarity uprising led by Lech Walesa, to an intensifying wave that, in the Fall of 1989, caused largely bloodless political upheavals in Poland, Hungary, then led to a surge of mostly peaceful revolutions in East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria, named “The Velvet Revolution.” Romania was the only Eastern Bloc country to overthrow its communist regime violently and execute its Head of State.

ROMANIA’S NICOLAE CEAUSESCU

Nothing matched what happened in Romania! For his 21 years as Romania’s president, Nicolae Ceausescu, one of Communism’s most cruel and oppressive dictators, kept up a reign of fear, suppressing all opposition with the help of the brutal Securitate, with the largest network of spies and informers in Eastern Europe. In December 1989, his downfall came as a result of his violent overreaction to public unrest over issues such as food shortages. A week later, I read an article in a major newsmagazine which featured Romania’s bloody revolution and revealed an incredulous tale. Following is a summary of events:

LASZLO TOKES — THE MAN WHO SPARKED THE REVOLUTION

It began on December 15, with demonstrations in the western city of Timisoara against the harassment of a dissident ethnic Hungarian Reformed Church pastor, Laszlo Tokes, who had the courage to speak up against the atrocities in his country. On that day, an order was served to remove Laszlo from his post, causing his congregation to demonstrate against the order, which was violently put down by government security forces. The revolt blazed a trail to Bucharest and the rest of the country. This soon swelled into a massive protest, in which slogans like “We want bread” soon turned into “Down with Ceausescu”. Ceausescu sought to restore his own authority, but amid bloody street battles on December 22, an angry mass of people stormed Ceausescu’s offices. He fled by helicopter, but was seized outside the city. In a summary court martial held in secret he and his wife, Elena, were accused of killing 60,000 people, and on December 25, Christmas day 1989, they were shot to death.

Dr. D. James Kennedy recounts in one of his books, “Interestingly, in the providence of God, I may have had a small hand in that situation. In the mid‑1980s, I had been asked by a woman missionary, working behind the Iron Curtain, to write a letter to Nicolae Ceausescu. She wanted me to tell him to stop harassing two pastors in Romania,  a father and son who was a youth minister. Frankly, I felt such a letter would be in vain. Why would a Communist dictator hundreds of miles away listen to an American preacher? But I wrote it anyway, and I mentioned that the eyes of the world would be on the situation. After the tyrant’s fall, I received a note from the missionary thanking me for that letter, a letter I had forgotten all about.” She said that after my correspondence, ‘although the harassments did not stop against the Tokes family, they had diminished. The important part is that their lives were spared.  The name of the minister was Laszlo Tokes, the man who had been instrumental in the fall of Communism in Romania and sparked the fall of the Iron Curtain!

From R.K.’s Corner

40 years ago this month, The Bridge International was established in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  I had returned to Florida after living two years in Germany, where I had administrated the children’s department at an East European Mission in Munich combined with being a one of their clandestine couriers, bringing  provision of Bibles and Christian educational material to persecuted believers in the underground churches behind the communist Iron Curtain. Upon my return to the States, I carried with me a vision God had given me during my last courier trip to Bulgaria: a bridge spanning between the United States, Europe and the Soviet Union with the commission to return to the States to “be a bridge – don’t build one”.  I understood it to mean, don’t build an organization with costly overhead and structures, but be a bridge of living stones according to 1. Peter 2:4-10 where the foundation is based on servanthood relationships and the love of Jesus is the mortar holding them together. 

2023 – The True Story of Thanksgiving by By Pastor David Mathis

Come Thanksgiving Day each year, many of us give the nod to Pilgrims and Indians and talk of making ready for a harsh first winter in the New World.

But for the Christian, the deepest roots of our thanksgiving go back to the Old World, way back before the Pilgrims, to a story as old as creation, with a two-millennia-old climax. It’s a story that keeps going right on into the present and gives meaning to our little lives, even when we’re a half a globe removed from history’s ground zero at a place called Golgotha.

You could call it the true story of Thanksgiving — or you could call it the Christian gospel viewed through the lens of that, often undervalued virtue, known as “gratitude.” It opens up a few Biblical texts we otherwise may be prone to downplay. Here’s the true story of thanksgiving in four stages.

Created for Thanksgiving

God created humanity for gratitude. You exist to give honor and thanks to God.

Firstly, God created humanity for gratitude. We exist to appreciate God. He created us to honor him by giving him thanks. Appreciating both who God is and his actions for us — in creating us and sustaining our lives — is fundamental to proper human life in God’s created world.

The apostle Paul gives us this glimpse of the place of appreciation in the created order as he describes in Romans 1 what’s gone wrong with the world:

”Although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:21)

Part of what the first man and woman were created to do was honor God by being thankful. And part of what we exist to do is honor God by being thankful — and thus the numerous Biblical commands enjoining gratitude.  Humanity was created to appreciate God. But as we’ve already seen from Romans 1, ingratitude wasn’t far away.

Fallen from Thanksgiving

Secondly, we all have failed miserably in appreciating God as we should. In her book on gratitude, Ann Voskamp gives memorable expression to the failure of the first man and woman — and the devil before them — to rightly experience and express gratitude:  From all of our beginnings, we keep reliving the Garden story. Satan, he wanted more. More power, more glory. Ultimately, in his essence, Satan is an ingrate. And he sinks his venom into the heart of Eden. Satan’s sin becomes the first sin of all humanity: the sin of ingratitude. Adam and Eve are, simply, painfully ungrateful for what God gave. Isn’t that the catalyst of all my sin?

Our fall was, has always been, and always will be, that we aren’t satisfied in God and what He gives. We hunger for something more, something other. (One Thousand Gifts, 15)

Satan the ingrate spawns thanklessness in Adam and Eve, who pass it along to all of us. Both before our conversion and after, we are thankless people. This is so painfully true.

Our fall was, and has always been, that we aren’t satisfied in God and what He gives. We hunger for something more.

And we not only fail to be thankful like we ought, but we also fail to get the balance right between physical and spiritual. Two obstacles often stand in our way to God-exalting gratitude. You could call them “hyper-spirituality” and “hyper-physicality.”

Perhaps hyper-physicality is all too well known in 21st-century Western society at large. Materialists are so unaware of spiritual reality that even when there is gratitude for the physical, the spiritual is neglected, if not outright rejected. We can be thankful for the temporal, even while we couldn’t care less about the eternal.

But hyper-spirituality is often particularly dangerous among the so-called “spiritual” types, even in the church. We can be prone to mute God’s physical goodness to us out of fear that appreciation for such would somehow detract from our thanksgiving for spiritual blessings.

In our sin, we fail again and again to get the proportions right. Only with divine redemption are we able to grow toward a balance that goes something like this: Christians are thankful for all God’s gifts, especially his eternal gifts, and especially the surpassing value of knowing his Son (Philippians 3:8), the Spirit-become-physical.

Redeemed by Thanksgiving

Third, God himself, in the person of his Son, Jesus, entered into our thankless world, lived in flawless appreciation of his Father, and died on our behalf for our chronic ingratitude. It is Jesus, the God-man, who has manifested the perfect life of thankfulness. If you’ve ever tracked the texts where Jesus gives his Father thanks, you’ll know it’s quite an impressive list.

Matthew 11:25 [also Luke 10:21]: “At that time [note the context of unrepentant and unthankful “cities where most of His mighty works had been done,” verse 20]  Jesus declared, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will.’”

John 11:41: “ . . they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard me.’” [Jesus then raises Lazarus from the dead.]

Matthew 15:36 [also Mark 8:6]: Jesus “took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks He broke them and gave them to the disciples . . . ” [See also John 6:11 and John 6:23 which refer to the location as “the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.”]

Luke 22:17–20 [also Matthew 26:27 and Mark 14:23]: “He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He said, ‘Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ And He took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” [And so following Jesus’s pattern, Paul in Acts 27:35 “took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all He broke it . . . ”]

  1. Corinthians 11:23–24: Our “Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it . . . ”

Jesus is not only God himself but also the quintessentially thankful human. The God-man not only died to forgive our failures in giving God the thanks He is due, but also lived the perfect life of thankfulness on our behalf toward His Father.

Freed for Thanksgiving

Christians are thankful for all God’s gifts, especially for His eternal gifts.

Finally, by faith in Jesus, we are redeemed from ingratitude and its just, eternal penalty in hell, and freed to enjoy the pleasure of being doubly thankful for God’s favor toward us — not only as His creatures, but also as His redeemed.

It is fitting for a creature to be in a continuous posture of gratitude toward his Creator. And it is even more fitting for a redeemed rebel to be in an ongoing posture of gratitude toward his Redeemer. The kind of life that flows from such amazing grace is the life of continual thankfulness. This is the kind of life in which the born-again Christian is being continually renewed; progressively being made more like Jesus. 

THE APOSTLE PAUL ENCOURAGES CHRISTIANS TO HAVE LIVES CHARACTERIZED BY THANKSGIVING

Colossians 1:11–12: May you be “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”

Colossians 2:6–7: “as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

Colossians 3:15–17:“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Ephesians 5:20: “ . . . giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

  1. Thessalonians 5:18: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Only in Jesus, are we able to become the kind of persistently thankful people God created us to be and fulfill the human destiny of thanksgiving. For the Christian, with both feet standing firmly in the Good News of Jesus, there are possibilities for a true Thanksgiving which we otherwise would never know.  By David Mathis @desiringGod.org

From Steve and R.K.’s Corner

This article by Pastor David Mathis was published in the 2019 Thanksgiving issue of The Bridge Report, the reason being that I had for some time been reflecting on the alarmingly shifting negative tone in the discourse between people in our public square. The right to free speech was being used as an excuse to engage in personal attacks on others with different points of view. Restraints had been cast off in the back and forth dialogues, especially in social media, which has become the virtual reality by which many measure their lives and values, resulting in divided families, broken friendships, destroyed reputation and livelihoods.

Realizing the focus of this article, Thanksgiving, a concept almost forgotten, is far more relevant to the growing intensity of our culture war today than then, I decided to reprint the total article.  Those of us who belong to Jesus Christ are the counter culture, and as such, should demonstrate a different attitude. Let us pause in the midst of our busy lives, meditate on these Scriptures as we count our blessings, and openly give thanks to God for all His marvelous gifts… even life itself!

Would you consider, as an act of Thanksgiving, sending an extra gift toward our Harvesters abroad who labor to bring His Love and Light to those who have not yet heard the Good News!   THANKS!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 

     

 

Dawa Singye Bhutia: Helping Children Trapped in the Red Light District’s Sex Trafficking in North-Eastern India

Rev. Dawa distributing the stationaries to the children

Dear Brothers and Sisters:
It is with immense joy and a heart filled with gratitude that I share with you the encouraging developments from the Red Light District of Khalpara, Siliguri. In the midst of challenging circumstances, on September 4, our Love Your Neighbor Initiative took a significant step forward by establishing The Child Learning and Social Centre for the children in the heart of Khalpara. This momentous occasion marked the beginning of a new era, one that is dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing environment for the children in our community, especially those living in the red-light district. The Child learning and Social Centre serves total 52 children comprising of 24 girls and 28 boys between the age group of 6- 18 years.

Stop Child Trafficking

Khalpara’s red light district, a place known for its harsh realities and social stigma, there exists a group of children with a history marred by adversity and hardship. These young souls are brought in from distant towns like Malda, Balurghat, Assam, Meghalaya, and a few were even born and raised within the boundaries of Khalpara itself. Their lives are intertwined with the shadows of poverty casting long and unforgiving shadows over their families. For many of these children, their parents found themselves reluctantly drawn into the unforgiving world of the sex trade. It was not a choice born of desire, but a desperate attempt to survive in a world that offered them few alternatives.

Children activities in the Centre

Living in the red light district brings forth a multitude of challenges. The children, with their innocent eyes and dreams yet to be unfurled, struggle to find access to quality education and healthcare services. The warmth of a stable home environment, so vital for their well-being, is often elusive, as they navigate through the tumultuous life of their upbringing. Perhaps the most disheartening is how society treats them.  They are singled out and subjected to discrimination, simply because they live in a place scorned by society, but to them is home.

The world around them often refuse to see the potential within these children, overshadowed by the prejudices and biases that cling like a dark cloud over them. However, amidst this sea of challenges, the children of Khalpara’s red light district remain resilient. They carry within them dreams that shine like beacons of hope; talents waiting to be unearthed, and untapped potential yearning to break free from the chains of their circumstances. With the right support and opportunities, these young souls can defy the odds stacked against them. They possess the strength to rise above the darkness and carve out a brighter future for themselves, one where their past history is but a chapter, not the whole story.

Children from the Red Light District.

The inauguration of The Child Learning and Social Centre in the heart of Khalpara marks the beginning of a new era, one that is dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing environment for the children in our community, especially those living in the red-light district.. Our center is designed to be a child-friendly environment, a space where children can learn, play,and grow in a supportive, caring atmosphere, that every child will thrive and realize their full God-given potential.

During the inauguration, as part of our commitment to the well-being of these children, we distributed essential hygiene supplies and stationery to kickstart their journey towards education and personal cleanliness. Reverend Dawa graced the occasion with an inspiring message on the importance of moral living within our society. His words resonated deeply with all attendees, emphasizing the need for compassion and understanding. The highlight of the event was a cultural program featuring performances by our talented students. Their talents shone brightly, showcasing their potential and creativity.

Children doing Varies Activities.

We have taken a significant step towards ensuring a brighter future for the children in our community. However, this is just the beginning of our journey. The overall goal is to empower the children of Khalpara’s red light district by providing them with education, emotional support, and skills to break the cycle of poverty and prevent second generation prostitution and sexual slavery.  Our commitment to bringing about positive change extends beyond education, alone. We are dedicated to holistic community development, addressing the various needs and challenges faced by the residents of Khalpara. Through the Love Your Neighbor Initiative, we aim to transform perceptions and uplift spirits, demonstrating the boundless love and compassion of Christ, that they may come to know Him!

Our Goals

Education:

  • To ensure that all children in the red light district have the opportunity to receive a quality education.
  • To work towards enrolling children in schools, providing necessary school supplies, and offering tutoring or after-school programs to support their learning.

Emotional Support:

  • To recognize the emotional challenges faced by children in the red light district.
  • To provide counseling and create safe spaces where children can express themselves, share their experiences, and receive emotional support.
  • To organize recreational activities and workshops to foster their overall development.

Skill Development:

  • To equip children with skills that can enhance their future opportunities.
  • To offer vocational training, workshops, and mentorship programs that help children develop practical skills, such as computer literacy, arts and crafts, or other relevant skills based on their interests and talents.

Advocacy and Awareness:

  • To raise awareness about the rights and needs of children in the red light district.
  • To advocate for the elimination of stigma and discrimination and promote a more inclusive and supportive environment for these children.

 

Team HGNM along with the staff members and volunteers

From R.K.’s Corner

In the last few months, there have been increasing public media attention given to one of the fastest growing criminal syndicates in the world: the murky underworld of sex trafficking, especially among children.

The main focus of Dawa Singye Bhutia’s  Himalayan Good News Networking Ministry (GNNM) has always been on bringing the Gospel to the unreached in the nations of India, Bhutan, Nepal and the Himalayan hinterlands towards Tibet.  Then help train, educate and mentor the indigenous believers to become evangelists, pastors and teachers to plant churches whose members are actively reaching out to their communities by demonstrating the boundless love and compassion of Christ through various mercy ministries.

In this issue, Dawa presents their newest outreach: the establishment of a Child Learning and Social Centre which will help children trapped in their city’s red light district as sex slaves, be liberated and find a new, bright start in life.

Cal and Gerry Ray—Servanthood Leaders, Pastoral Intercessors

All the ends of the world, Shall remember and turn to the Lord.
All the families of the nations, Shall worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord’s, And He rules over the nations. Psalms 22: 27-28

Gerry (Geraldine) and Cal (Calvin) Ray met in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1967 while attending North Central Bible College.  I (Cal) flew from my home in rural New York State, by way of Kennedy Airport in New York City, planning to become a full-time pastor in my denomination.  Gerry took the train from Cumberland, Maryland and enrolled in Christian Education.

We were married one Christmas wintry night in 1969.  We eloped and drove all night to a little town in upper Michigan named Iron Mountain.  Michigan was the closest of four states in the US which allowed marriage under age twenty-one without parental permission.  We were both twenty and agreed marriage was in the Lord’s desire for us – it certainly was ours. Our parents, God bless them, were informed over the following week.

While Gerry worked at a city hospital, I completed my studies and used the musical talents God had given me. I played piano, sang with various college teams and coordinated a group of students for street meetings in downtown Minneapolis and suburban North St. Paul. After graduation I was honored to serve as a full-time assistant pastor within Christian Education in Hudson Falls, NY near the Adirondack Mountains.  In addition, I drove the Church school bus on Sundays and once in a while chosen to preach the Sunday message. One of my first sermons was on Priscilla and Aquila (Acts18).  I explained how these two “women” helped Paul in his ministry. Again, more zeal than preparation!  Our first daughter, Stephanie, was born in Hudson Falls.  I remember her always being wide awake, even when quiet. In the middle of the night, when we would check on her, her eyes would be wide open.  She was, as you might expect, a delight for both of us and the whole congregation.

Todd, Stephanie, Tessa, Trevor

Our next assignment caused more maturing of our lives. God had been so good to us; we lived through those early years in His protection and presence. In 1973, we took leadership responsibility of a small church near Ithaca, NY. The church families were meeting in the two-car garage of the parsonage, but soon new growth required a larger facility. A new sanctuary was built on the property and mostly constructed by skilled workmen in the congregation. With today’s prices, it’s hard to believe the total cost of the new building was only about $5,000 for material and a little labor. God was so good. Gerry and I helped to install the styro-foam panels on the cathedral ceiling while being pregnant with our second daughter, Kristy.

Mckenzie, Chris, Zoe, Kristy, Emma

The Holy Spirit began to encourage us to seek out teaching from a broader expression of the Christian faith instead of being limited by our denomination traditions. Although Gerry and I were busy with church growth and two girls in diapers, we went to Ft. Lauderdale to meet with leaders at Good News Fellowship regarding witchcraft, the occult and deliverance—subjects rarely discussed in a denominational setting. We also met with pastors in the discipleship movement near Ithaca regarding family priorities, their private Christian school (thinking of Stephanie and Kristy) and discipleship. By the end of 1977, after sharing much of my discipleship investigation with our congregation, we were asked to leave the church or return to a more denominational ministry.

It was time for us to re-evaluate our original plans, hopes and dreams, an ultimately wonderful and beneficial experience. Although scary at the time, we needed to submit to the direction of God, regardless of our fears. Now we needed a new home, a new job and a new place to gather those who had also heard the call to move on and wanted to continue with us. The final months of being a senior pastor and leading a congregation, not welcoming my non-traditional Biblical perspectives, had exhausted me and our marriage relationship. Most of all, we needed someone to disciple us as a family and to teach us deeper ways to grow in Christ. God graciously took our hand into His and led us into the unknown. We completely committed our plans, hopes and dreams to Him.

In 1978, we determined to connect with the discipleship movement.  We joined one of their satellite fellowships north of Ithaca, bought our first home and I started working in the printing business. The next ten years we concentrated on improving our marriage, learning to be better parents and giving ourselves to the Lord in new ways. Church fellowship was so different and refreshing, after “working” full-time in the ministry. We enjoyed a closer walk with the Lord in our family and date night became a new habit. I served as the church worship leader and Gerry taught kindergarten in the Christian School.

At this time, we met the precious people still so important in our lives.  Ken and Faith Negvesky (Bridge Intercessors), Ken was one of our pastors, and Ragnhild Ulrich (Bridge Founder) was the Christian school Principle. These people, and many others, taught us, prayed for us and yes, discipled us. We learned about the Kingdom of God in so many important ways.  It is still a privilege to know and work with Ken, Faith and Ragnhild at the Bridge.

Ken challenged me in such way that it changed my intimacy with Jesus.  One day, he explained how many Christians meet and know Jesus based on “head” knowledge (learning, reading and mental acceptance) and have missed the essential “knowing” Him that comes from the heart (a loving relationship, discerning His voice, sensing His direction). I thought, what Ken was teaching applied specifically to me. I enjoyed studying the Bible and reading Christian writings by a number of authors, but recognized that I did not have the heart-based relationship that I wanted. I could not honestly sense the desire Paul expressed in Philippians 3:10-11; “I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in His death.” The scriptural meaning was foreign to me.

During the next several months, I got up before daylight and drove to a nearby park, watching the sun arise and reflect on the lake. During those early hours I endeavored to meet with Jesus in my heart by listening to worship music, reading scripture, praying loud prayers and sometimes crying for mercy. After several weeks, my heart began to connect with the Spirit of the Lord and my relationship with Jesus changed up to this day. David prayed in 1. Chronicles 29:10-13: “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours…In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.” I could now understand David’s enthusiasm. The Lord then taught me His ways out of Psalms 24 for the next three months. I will always remember those practical lessons the Lord placed in my heart from that Psalm.

In 1990, I left the printing business and began working for a high-tech manufacturing company, resulting in ten years of a bit of international travel. One of our church pastors was involved in Prayer Walking, so during my traveling days abroad, I would walk and pray for the cities where I was working. Most of my trips were to British Isles cities such as London and Edinburgh.  For a time I had an office in Paris where I, sometimes with Gerry, visited three times a year.  It was during those many trips my desire to pray for the nations began to grow.

I did get to Asia on a few business trips. During a bus ride from an airport to my hotel in Puna, India, I saw people living in mud igloos. On another same day in New Delhi, those visiting Gandhi’s memorial drove in Mercedes Benz vehicles and wore extravagant sarees. The extremes in the caste system were astonishing. While in the Philippines I saw rows of shacks along river banks next to successful manufacturing plants. I had heard of this kind of poverty, now saw the lack of compassion and support from the surrounding culture.

I worked for the high-tech company for twenty-five years. After that we retired to Rochester, NY to be close to and prioritize our children and grandchildren. It seems like God has taken Gerry and I a much different way than we expected. Although my goal was pastoring, we were led toward business. We worked in real estate, retail sales, and even owned a Christian Book Store, which Gerry managed full-time. During the years we continued to volunteer as teachers, worship leaders, conference administers, church secretary and other support ministries when there was a need.

It was about three years ago that we joined the Bridge Intercessor prayer team. We are so privileged to stand in the gap for the ministry and needs of our international friends. Each week the team conferences for prayer on Tuesdays and Fridays. We agree together for prayer requests which come from the Bridge harvester’s correspondence or from our bi-monthly Skype meetings. Every other Monday we meet with many of the harvesters on Skype face to face. We love those meetings. We get the updates and prayer requests in person and build eternal relationships.

Besides getting to know and love the individual harvesters and their families, God has given me a desire to pray for Cuba, Haiti and India. I visited India twice while traveling overseas, but have never visited Cuba or Haiti. However, I pray for Godly leadership in those nations, asking God to raise up a Moses or a David to bring glory to God out of chaos and corruption. The “Pharaoh’s” of these nations demand spiritual servitude to the evil kingdom, to the enemy of the Cross.

Gerry has a special burden for children. Especially for those who are being aborted, misused and abused around the world. We ask God for protection over the children of many nations and often pray for the children of the Bridge harvesters and, for a few, their grandchildren. We know the enemy is set on the destruction of the next generation. We are certain our prayers and decrees make a difference in the heavenlies with results on the earth.

We live in a time when there is much evidence of the last days. Isaiah called it “the day of the vengeance of our God” (Isaiah 61:2b). The weapons of our warfare against the enemy are prayer, the Word of God and worship. I encourage everyone to get close to the heart of God so they may pray His prayers, decree His scriptures, and worship with warfare in their spirit. Listening and responding to Him from your heart, as well as your mind, brings you closer to His purposes. We need to align our lives with His divine plans.

Gerry and I are living in Rochester, NY and spend a lot of time with our family. We are careful to make our children and grandchildren a priority while they are in high school and college.  Gerry is busy with another business using her creative talents. We are both celebrating our seventy-fourth birthdays this year and in December fifty-four years of marriage. We still find our joy with God in the morning hours. To God be the Glory.

This chorus from the song Our Heart by Bob Fitts is for heartfelt worship:

Our heart, our desire is to see the nations worship.   
Our cry, our prayer, is to sing You praise to the ends of the earth. 
 That with one might voice every tribe and tongue rejoices.  
Our heart, our desire,  is to see the nations worship You.

From R.K.’s Corner 

If you want to know what a Servanthood Leader is, take a look at the testimony of the lives of Cal and Gerry Ray.  Their lives reflect Philippians 2:1-11, where the Apostle Paul describes Jesus, although being God, willingly laid aside His glory and became a bondservant of all!

I met Cal and Gerry and their two girls more than 40 years ago while living and working as Principal of a Christian school in upstate New York.  They had moved to the area and joined our fellowship.  As I came to know them, I was impressed by their willingness to serve others, often behind the scenes in quiet, unassuming ways.

A few years later, our ways parted. I moved to Florida; from there to the mission field behind the Iron Curtain. For decades we had no contact, till three years ago, Ken and Faith Negvesky who had become a vital part of The Bridge Intercessory Prayer Group, suggested that the Rays would like to join us. They did, and they have blessed us here on the  home front as well those we serve in the mission field by their spiritual maturity, their manyfold experience within both pastoral care and secular business, and their commitment to intercessory prayer!

THE GREAT COMMISSION RESET—By Paul Cowley

I have the unique opportunity to travel between North America and East Africa quite often. Ministry responsibilities require my presence on two continents. They are separated not only by distance, but also by culture. North America being historically a Western Judeo Christian culture. East Africa lies at the frontier of traditionally Eastern Oriental cultures. As missionaries, much of our advance training was focused on Cross-Cultural Adaptation. Knowledge and skills for Immersion, Infiltration and Impact. It’s one thing to “Go!” It’s quite another to be fruitful…especially if you find yourself in a Spiritually Hostile Culture.

“Westerners”, whether Christian or not, carry vestiges of a Christian heritage and worldview. What we assume as “basics” (i.e. human rights, rule of law, the intrinsic value of human life) are rare exceptions in historically Eastern cultures. This is not a disparagement. This is a bona fide anthropological and sociological fact. It has everything to do with the pervasive impact of Christ and Christianity on mankind. Where Christ is foundational, mankind thrives. Where He and the Gospel are absent from culture, mankind suffers under incredible bondage, oppression and corruption. This is true Historically, and Currently.

There was a time when the Christian missionaries launched from their cultural heritage of Spiritual Abundance (in Christ) to minister in faraway Eastern cultures in Spiritual Bondage. Thousands devoted their lives to be “Ambassadors of Christ.” With noble, righteous and holy aims: reaching the unreached, setting the captives free…making disciples of Christ in all nations. Countless missionaries endured the shock and awe of living in cultures untouched by Christianity. Seeped in idolatry, licentiousness, carnality and oppression. The Word of God explains “Why?”…

“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the Wicked one.” 1 JOHN 5:19

The “Wicked one” continues his “sway” to this day. And seems to be doing a yeoman’s job of it. The Enemy of our souls has his foot on the accelerator. Down to the floor. The whole world is in an uproar today. Not just boisterous little identity groups…but entire nations. Indeed, even whole cultures. The Signs of the Times indicate a new season of unparalleled spiritual degression, cultural suicide and fashionable Paganism. Boston hosts “Satancon 2023”. Palm Springs boasts “Coachella”. Colorado churches provide Ayahuasca drug retreats. Wall Street sponsors Pride parades. As missionaries, we see the Signs of the Times quite starkly. It’s a new “shock and awe” of Cultural Dissonance for us…but in Reverse! Let me explain…

While in East Africa, I encounter pervasive Spiritual Curiosity and Sincerity amongst the locals. I can comfortably converse about “things of God” with everyone I encounter. Whether from the elite, privileged political class…or from the destitute urban slums, I can engage them, evangelize them, invite them, intrigue them….in things of Christ. Even pray with them. The prevailing culture is one of great Spiritual Interest… and Respectful Discourse. There is an ever-expanding Cultural foundation of Christ- like behavior, norms and attitudes.

It is an increasingly recognizable culture to me as a “Westerner”. If I ask someone if I can pray with them, I will never be denied. It is not mere  courtesy to the foreigner. Nor some vestige of post- colonial deference. Our Pastors and Ministry Leaders receive the same reaction. These are the hallmarks of a society not only “touched” by Christ and Christian culture…they have largely embraced it…and made it their own.

Counterpoint: from the time I enter the airports in Europe and head back to North America, I experience Cultural Dissonance… in Reverse. Whether in mannerisms, clothing, conversation or interests, the prevailing theme is one of carnality, licentiousness, spiritual Apathy at best…and increasingly anti-Christian. I courteously engage in light conversation with people as I travel. All goes quite well. Until the point when they ask what I do for a living. Or I pull out my Bible to read. From that point forward, almost without fail, the discourse ends…never to be picked up again. From fellow passengers to ticket agents, immigration officials to storekeepers, the prevailing culture is one that I instinctively recognize. Afterall, it’s my calling to work cross culturally. What is it? In one word: Paganism.

The “West”  is a post-Christian society. It is NOT “becoming” post-Christian. It is Here and it is Now! On the other hand, large swaths of the “East” are now bastions of fundamental Christian culture.

Case in point: the ongoing disintegration of main-line Christian denominations in the West. (Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, etc). are in all sorts of theological turmoil over fundamental principles. Who has drawn the line in the sand? The churches in Africa and Asia! Who has stepped “over the line” into apostasy and heresy? The churches in the West! It is the bishops of Africa that are most vocal about the need to “return to our roots” as God-fearing Christians. By failing to recognize this  epic Reversal, we are apt to continue on as before…and become increasingly irrational, ineffective and irrelevant in our own society and culture! Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day for much the same…

Jesus…said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the Signs of the Times.” MATTHEW 16:2

Where do we go from here? What are we to do? First, recognize (like Dorothy) that “we’re not in Oz anymore.” We all live in a new, foreign and increasingly hostile culture. With that in mind, we’d do well to begin ministering like missionaries in hostile cultures.  Not expecting easy reaping, but rather hard-core sowing. Planting the first seeds of Christ and Christianity. We call them “Pioneers.” There’s much to be said here. More than I can fit into this brief. But a few basic “Do’s and Don’ts” of Basic Pioneer Missions Training might prompt some prayerful consideration…

  1. Don’t be the Christian caricature. Remove the Christian T-shirt, yard signs and bumper stickers.
  2. Don’t be Rude: crashing the Pride parade, blocking the downtown sidewalk on a Friday night, criticizing unbeliever’s lifestyles or beliefs. Do that as a missionary in a hostile country, and you’ll be thrown on the next plane.
  3. Don’t complain about Working among unbelievers. Missionaries pray for opportunities to find secular jobs in pagan cultures. It’s the most effective place to engage others.
  4. Don’t be a day-trader in Christianese rhetoric. Speak their “language”. Stop the Bold Font All Caps Red Letter KJV with unbelievers. Use the vernacular (but not the vulgar).
  5. Spend most of your time with Unbelievers. Be Sincere. Don’t befriend someone just to save them.
  6. Serve outside the Church tribe. Wash the Unbeliever’s feet. And don’t broadcast it.  
  7. Start with Outcasts whom no one wants to deal with.
  8. Be an Example. They’re looking for the fraud. Don’t be one.
  9. Infiltrate Individuals, not causes,
  10. Be prepared to Suffer… God will allow it… because that is when they watch you the most!

 The world is in the midst of “The Great Reset.”  We need to make a Reset, as well. The Signs of the Times dictate as much.  It’s high time we Reset our Great Commission approach:
Pioneers in a hostile culture. Infiltrators behind enemy lines..in our own land!