Dear Friends and Partners,
“God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2. Cor 9:7b-8, 10-11
We thank God for those of you who continue to actively participate in the work and ministry of our field partners through your financial giving. The 2019 Annual Bridge Report and official contribution receipts have been mailed to all last year’s donors. Also, thanks to you who prayed for the mission field and the workers whose labor of love brings light and hope to so many living in darkness and despair. Your love and interest encourages us to continue moving forward in Linking God’s People to Reach the Unreached.
1989 AND 2019 — THEN AND NOW
As we have just entered a new decade, it is befitting we pause and look back at the turn of an earlier decade thirty years ago. Since 1961 the infamous Iron Curtain had divided Eastern Europe from Western Europe. On November 6, 1989, to the whole world’s shock and surprise, the part of the wall dividing the city of Berlin fell, dismantled by the masses in the streets who demanded freedom from tyranny. Then, like carefully stacked dominoes, in a short two years, the entire wall came down in country after country until the once powerful empire of the USSR was dissolved (Dec. 1991). The Soviet Union, having controlled the lives of 300 million people in 29 countries by their ruthless dictatorships, suddenly ceased to exist.
In the early eighties I traveled for two years within the Iron Curtain countries to bring Bibles and Christian literature to the underground churches on the other side. I learned first hand the dangers of passing through that wall. After The Bridge was founded in 1983, its Intercessory Prayer Group began to pray, imploring God to smash the wall which represented the evil regimes and to liberate the people both physically and spiritually!
When the Berlin wall actually fell, Steve and I were driving through West Germany on a mission trip in Europe. Although we had prayed diligently for so long, we were taken by total surprise! Throughout that decade there had been much geopolitical maneuvering by politicians and governments, but not one individual, group or government could rightfully take full credit for this historic event! As the crumbling of the wall progressed, we recognized were living in the midst of a modern day Psalm 2 miracle—God had heard the prayers of His people! His hand had swept over the nations, cut their bondage and freed them to seek and find Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! The closed countries opened up and we were bought knee-high into the harvest fields of scores of hungry souls. As coworkers with the Lord, we watched the transforming power of the risen Jesus Christ bring untold thousands of individuals and whole communities from darkness into light, satisfying their hunger and quenching their thirst!
Today, there is a different Iron Curtain in the world, a very real one; one that cannot be seen with human eyes, but is just as an oppressive and powerful deterrent to freedom as barbwire, killer dogs, and Kalashnikov guns. The Judeo-Christian world view is founded on Biblical precepts which is the bedrock on which Western civilization is built. It recognizes that man is endowed with liberty and certain rights given by their Maker which no ruler or government has the right to deny the people under their care. Dictators and their cadre seek absolute power and total control over people’s minds, souls, and lives. They are engaged in a spiritual/cultural/physical war via political ideologies, world religions and personality cults directed at those following Jesus. Their Christian faith must be eradicated from society, and their quest for freedom must be suppressed!
Brother Andrew, founder of Open Doors, a renowned ministry, pioneered the smuggling of Bibles through the Iron Curtain to the underground church 65 years ago. Today, Open Doors is on the forefront of representing religious and human rights violations against Christians communities worldwide, and encourages believers everywhere to pray for and advocate on behalf of the suffering believers.
Their World Watch List is a comprehensive annual publication of the top 50 countries that are the worst offenders, number one being the worst. No surprise that North Korea tops the list! I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the content with special emphasis on the 10 countries in which our Bridge Harvesters live and serve (their numbers are listed below beside their respective countries). This will guide you as you pray and intercede for them, and get actively involved. To print the List, please copy this address and download the file: https://www.opendoorsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020_World_Watch_List.pdf
To read the List online, go to: https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/
2019 IN REVIEW — THE HARVESTERS
All our Harvesters are in charge of their own vision and ministries. The Bridge comes alongside them as friends and resource partner.
No. 2 — AFGHANISTAN: The community centers in cooperation with local Afghans are progressing well, in the midst of grave dangers and several setbacks. The four centers, built on Kingdom principles, encompass water drilling; agricultural projects whereby Afghans are learning to grow food effectively; a chicken farm business; training in leadership & entrepreneurial skills with emphasis on character building integrity, and responsibility.
BOSNIA: ROBERT and SANDRINA After securing the facilities a year ago for their ministry in the Muslim section of Sarajevo: Raphael Church, the Lighthouse with their apartment, the Pro-Life Woman’s Center, and the meeting hall for fellowship and ministry to children and teenagers, they have been busy sharing their faith and pursue registration for the church and permanent residency visa for their long term stay in Bosnia. They have been blessed with three grandchildren – two in the States and one in Holland.
No. 10, 32, 45 — INDIA/BHUTAN/NEPAL: DAWA and his team at Himalayan Good News Networking Ministry continue to raise up pioneer evangelists, train leaders and send church planters into some of the cities and villages in the more remote Himalayan mountains between Bhutan, India, Nepal and Tibet. The persecution against Christians is intensifying , but the ministry keeps growing in depth and outreach.
No. 23 — CHINA: SARANG continues to forge ahead deep into the remote mountains of China’s Northwest district, Xinjiang, to bring the Gospel to his Kalmyk people. They are Buddhist nomads who roam the region with their herds. He has found inroads for the Gospel with a doctor, a well known singer whose father is tribal leader, and a number of young people who are reading the Bible with interest. The China regime is persecuting people of faith.
CUBA: JORGE and MAGDALENA have now lived in Florida for a number of years, but they have not lost their passion for meeting the needs of their brothers and sisters in Cuba, so they visit there often. Jorge continues to travel to other Caribbean and Central American countries, to also equip them with both spiritual and physical food, besides pastoring his church in Miami. He has Bibles printed and distributed inside Cuba, partially financed by The Bridge who also assisted in the completion of the storage facility.
REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA: S & S have been called into a unique ministry, having been led to places where people arrive from closed countries, then hand deliver the visitors Scripture portions in their respective languages, which are received with great caution and curiosity. They also blanket immigrant neighborhoods in West European cities with tracts and Scriptures. Last year, they hand delivered 17,870 New Testaments and brochures, and 16,000 DVDs and Gospels of John in several languages.
No. 9, 36 — IRAN/TURKEY: SARGON has been able to more effectively focus on the various aspects of ministry to his countrymen since his wife and two youngest children (the two oldest are already attending college abroad) a year ago permanently joined him in Turkey. His ministry is expanding as the revival is growing exponentially in Iran, and there are many exciting testimonies of supernatural encounters with the Lord. But with revival comes persecution whereby many homes and churches have been ransacked and believers arrested. Much more could be said – however, due to security concerns, this will have to suffice. We implore you to pray for safety and wisdom for the believers in Iran and Turkey, and for Sargon and his family!
No. 35 — KAZAKHSTAN: YERMEK’s Kazakh fellowship parted from the Russian church under whose umbrella they had operated since its inception. They are now joining other Kazakh groups of believers as he is being led into a broader sphere of leadership locally, as well as other Kazakh church fellowships throughout the country and beyond. Yermek continues to be true to his vision: to be a tool in God’s hand, guided by the Holy Spirit to help bring forth committed people of faith who find their identity in Christ via their own Kazakh language and culture. God answered a promise from years ago: his wife gave birth to their son!
No. 44 — KENYA: PAUL continued to teach, train, mentor, and disciple the Pastors of the Least, who live and minister hope among the poorest of the poor in the Kiberia slum near the capital city of Nairobi. It was a transition year in that Paul moved his family back to the States, as the time had come to leave the leadership of the two ministry schools in the capable hands of the local leaders who had been trained and discipled under his leadership. Paul will divide his time between the States and Kenya and operates in an overseeing and guidance capacity while bringing awareness of the ministry to people back home.
KYRGYZSTAN — RUSTAM and ZAMIRA with their two children, have moved back from Dushanbe, Tajikistan to their family home in the capital of Bishkek. They are happy to rejoin their family of believers and former church fellowship. Rustam who feels called to the fatherless and helping fathers build good, healthy relationships with their children, works among teenage boys discarded by state orphanages. Zamira ministers among and prays for trafficked women. Together they reach out to poor Gypsy families, always with the message of God’s love through Jesus Christ.
No. 7 — SOUTH SUDAN: MATTHEW continued evangelizing among his people and pastoring the two churches he has planted in the capital city of Juba. It has become an annual event for him and his team to travel to Kampala, Uganda to minister among the many South Sudanese refugees in diaspora there. They also conducted a crusade in Abyei, Matthew’s home state, a disputed land area between Sudan and South Sudan, where he visited his tribal land and shared the Gospel with his family after 26 years absence as refugee abroad. He plans to plant a church in his home town.
Please pray for them and their people, and consider helping them financially!
If you want a hard copy of the report for download and printing, please click on the below link: