Rune Edvardsen – the Gospel to a New Generation

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

In July, I spend three weeks in Norway. It was primarily a personal visit spent with my siblings and some of my other relatives and friends who live in and around the capital of Oslo. We had a wonderful time, rich on good fellowship and memories! There was also room for a week of ministry. Coinciding with my trip, Iranian Bridge partner, Sargon Daniali, visited and shared his faith among Iranians who have come to faith in Jesus Christ and settled as refugees in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

In Norway, I introduced Sargon to one of the largest and most effective indigenous mission organizations in Europe, Troens Bevis, with whom we have partnered for over thirty years! The headquarters are located in Kvinesdal, a rural town in the southwestern part of Norway. From there, for almost fifty years, the dynamic late Aril Edvardsen with the support of his wife, Kari, reached around the world with the Gospel as evangelist, statesman and sponsor of indigenous missionaries.

In September, 2008, Aril Edvardsen died, having just completed a significant evangelistic crusade in Africa. Aril’s son, continued his father’s ministry. In the eight years since then, Rune has successfully made the generational transition from the older to the younger, making the Gospel relevant to the millennials (young adults and families with children). This was vividly expressed during the four days Sargon and I partook in Troens Bevis’ week-long annual Summer Festival in which 7000 people, including 1000 children, participated. This issue is a report from this present day ministry which continues to go strong in reaching the very least for Jesus Christ!

Please find below a link to the November 2008 Bridge Report, which is a commemorative issue presenting a brief background on Aril and his ministry, and Rune’s vision and call to lead the ministry his father had built into a new era.

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Bridge-Report-Nov-2008.pdf

Rune’s tool in reaching the unreached is cont-emporary music concerts as catalyst to gather large crowds of youth in the nations, who are then presented with Jesus Christ who loves them and gives them a hope and a future! I will share more about this in next month’s Bridge Report.

RUNE EDVARDSEN – THE GOSPEL TO A NEW GENERATION

Rune was once asked, “How does it feel to walk in your father’s shoes?” He replied, “I am walking comfortably in my own shoes.” That summarizes Rune’s leadership. Steve and I came to know him in the mid eighties as a newly married man in his early twenties – down to earth, quiet, unassuming, but attentive to others. Seeing him as leader of this world wide ministry eight years after his father’s death, I was impressed to find that he has been true to himself. Rune does not command stage center, but in humility gives room for the gifts and talents of his coworkers and the people he serves with the Gospel. He operates more as a team member, but when necessary—also as decisive leader. This is part of the success in the continuation of the ministry which has fostered loyal, committed, very talented coworkers. His wife, Sølvi, stands faithfully by his side as a great support, and manages the family and household and the many practical responsibilities which is part of having a traveling husband

Rune – transmitting the Gospel to a young, enthusiastic crowd at his concert in Pakistan

Aril was a charismatic, dynamic preacher who thrived on large crusades; Rune has been called, not so much to preach, as to use contemporary music as a forum for transmitting the love and presence of God to the youth in the nations. With his band, Rune travels to some of the most dangerous and inaccessible places, and conducts Music Festivals where tens of thousands gather and are introduced to Jesus as Savior. As scores come to faith, churches are planted, and mercy ministries begin flourishing. There is much fruit!

TROENS BEVIS – 2016 SUMMER FESTIVAL IN SARON’S DAL, NORWAY

It was a love fest, indeed! Knowing I was visiting Norway, Rune had invited me to come with Sargon and enjoy the weeklong annual Summer Festival sponsored by Troens Bevis at their headquarter, Saron’s Dal.

Sargon with Lasse Rosten, faithful leadership member

When Sargon arrived in Oslo, we flew together to Kristiansand, Norway’s southernmost coastal city, then traveled inland by train for an hour to Kvinesdal, a small, stunningly beautiful town nestled in a mountain valley. This place is known around the world as a beacon of light by millions of people and scores of communities who have been transformed by the message of God’s love preached by Aril for over 50 years, and then Rune who is now leading the ministry into new expressions of the Gospel – but the message stays the same.

Bjørn Olav Thune, longstanding leadership team member and daily administrator of the Indigenous Missionaries Department, came to the train station and picked us up. Bjørn Olav is responsible for oversight over the 1000 national pastors and Gospel workers sponsored by Troens Bevis in some of the most dangerous and unreached nations of the world. He warmly embraced Sargon, and and made sure he was well taken care of in every way. The two of them bonded over their mutual passion for missions. Kari, Aril’s wife, insisted I stay with her. We enjoyed our time together, reminiscing over our thirty some years of friendship and partnership between us and our husbands, Aril and Steve.

The worship sessions were dynamic and uplifting

The Festival was attended by 7000 people, including 1000 children. The motto was, “GO OUT WITH LOVE!”The setup was impressive— everything took place in an informal, relaxed atmosphere in which everybody felt comfortable, yet the tremendous organizational skills and dedicated work of the leaders made everything run smoothly and effortless. Many had brought their RVs and tents, making this their family vacation.

The children gathered to watch a play with Biblical motif

During the day, the children and young people enjoyed participating in the many exciting and engaging activities, while the parents had some time to themselves, and could attend various seminars or teaching sessions on relevant topics on life—all with a Biblical, Jesus-centered perspective.

Sten Sørensen conducted a dynamic marriage seminar

As an example, in Norway the Biblically-based marriage has been under siege. In 2009, the secular government gave full legal rights to gay marriage. Moreover, last year, the official State Church implemented these same rights for their members and clergy within the church, placing it on equal footing with traditional marriage. This has caused great controversy and divisiveness in the Christian community. Instead of throwing themselves into this sometimes vicious debate, Troens Bevis has chosen to firmly hold forth the Biblical model for marriage, while finding ways to strengthen and encourage the traditional family. One morning, one of the leaders, Sten Sørensen, moderated an open, honest discussion by three couples on the issues facing married and how they seek to resolve the various conflicts in their own marriages. Other topics were on the challenges in child rearing and the media, on support of Israel among Christians, on how to unite conservative and modern expressions of church, and how to be spiritual, not religous Christians. There was much to take home for everybody. There was a also a strong emphsis on missions with dynamic guest speakers. I will feature that story in next month’s Bridge Report. As we said farewell, I was ready to pay for Sargon and my stay. Rune waved his hand, ”No, no—that’s o.k., you don’t pay!” Therein lies the continued longevity and vitality of this ministry: Hospitality, generosity and love — the hallmarks of Aril and Kari’s life together, which is amply demonstrated in their son, Rune! With his excellent team, he continues to hold high the banner on God’s love!

Watching the fathers lovingly engaged in their children’s lives, I was reminded of the words in Malachi 4:6, “…and He (the Lord) shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”

From the Philippines via the United States to the Nations

FROM R.K’s CORNER

The residual effect of the raging debate on the uncontrollable migration of refugees and illegal immigrants pouring into this country, is that the negative arguments tend to drown out the positive side of immigration: the acknowledgement and appreciation of the millions of honest, hard working legal immigrants— often people of faith, who deposit their knowledge and skills into their communities and help better people’s lives. Some of them use their new homeland as a springboard to serving the poor and needy in other parts of the world.

Zenaida (Zheny) Bongato is such a person. I came to know Zheny, as we for some time, attended the same local church. A legal immigrant from the Philippines, she has a quiet and gentle disposition, yet, she is a woman of grit and courage, committed to her Christian faith and obedient to God’s calling on her life. Her dentist profession could have provided her a prosperous lifestyle, but she chooses to live modestly, while spending her extra money on self-financing short term medical/dentist mission trips to some of the most dangerous places in the world. There, she serves the needy and poor with the dentist’s tools in her hands and the Words of Life in her heart and mouth!

FROM THE PHILIPPINES VIA THE UNITED STATES TO THE NATIONS

by Zenaida Bongato

I was born and raised in the Philippines. My family was Catholic and strictly religious. Nightly rosary is prayed every summer in the Province, in front of ceramic, wooden and some headless statutes. We were a tightly knit family with a lot of love between us, but at that time, we were spiritually lost. I grew up believing that good works, good grades, and being kind to our neighbors would please God and gain me entrance into heaven.

TESTIMONY

The first time I realized I was misguided, was at 15 years old. I was in my first year of college, when I met a missionary from Thailand who shared the Four Spiritual Laws with me. I had heard about the Gospel prior to that through my cousin. She had joined the Navigators, and every time she saw me, she would give me a tract to read – but they all ended up unread in my drawer.

But this was different. The Thai missionary had a compelling testimony. Coming from a wealthy background, she had left her family (who owned a private jet) and rich-and-famous lifestyle for the sake of Christ. This was very unusual to me. Through her, on July 17, I invited Christ to come into my life and take charge. I asked God to use me and my life to His glory.

Fast forward a few years. I had suffered hardship and rejection from my die-hard Catholic family for being a committed believer in Jesus Christ, but in the midst of it, I kept feeling God’s guidance and experienced miracle after miracle. Jeremiah 29:11 became very dear to me, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” God had a plan for me, and I began seeing God unfold it before me:

While in active service, the military had given my Dad a one year scholarship for personal advancement, but instead of using the scholarship for himself, he gave it to my older sister. She utilized the first semester of the scholarship, but did not need the second, as she herself received a scholarship from the university she attended. So, the second semester of the scholarship was given to me – and then it was extended until I graduated from dental school.

During the scholarship period, I failed in one subject because I refused to cheat. The answers to the questions presented in one of the exams had been leaked and were circulating among the students. My friends kept calling me to give me the leaked information, thinking they were helping me, but I told them, “I am a Christian, and cheating is not right.” The failed exam made me lose one semester of scholarship, but God is good! Only 15 students from that class graduated on time, I was one of them. God really had the right time frame for me!

At 22 years old, I graduated from dental school and needed a job. God provided! After taking the oath, it was the tradition of the university to throw a party for those who passed the dental board exams. During the party, the Vice Dean walked up to the table where I sat, pointed me out, and told me he had referred me to a job at the nearby hospital as a dentist. I was happy, and obeyed, and began working at the hospital. I intended to stay in the Philippines. My Dad bought me a dental chair, and added to our home to fit a clinic for me. But God had other plans!

FROM THE PHILIPPINES TO THE USA

In the hospital in the Philippines, one of my patients was a Colonel in the U.S. Army. He offered to help me get a visa to the United States. It was not in my plans to go there, but, it obviously was in God’s! The visa was delivered to me; I did not have to step inside the US Embassy. A miracle? Absolutely — it was God’s plan!

In the United States I studied hard, and prepared for the Dental Licensure Examination. I passed, was licensed and was given a good job as a dentist. In my free time I attended a local church, and joined several Bible studies. I soaked myself with God’s word!

MISSION WORK IN THE NATIONS

In 1991, Russia opened its doors to the outside world. Four years later, I was invited to join a Christian group on a short term medical mission trip to Russia. This gave me an opportunity to witness, while using my skills – medical/dental – to serve the Russian people—physically and spiritually! It was a great experience to touch the lives of a people from a different culture and a different era!

But Satan was not pleased at my efforts in crossing the enemy lines and bringing unbelievers to the other side. After Russia, my Dad, who lives in the States, was afflicted with health problems while attending my brother’s wedding in the Philippines. I stopped my mission trips, closed my newly opened dental clinic in Miami, left my five hospital jobs to care for my father. I have only one father, but I can always find another job! During this time, I was able to witness to my family, and saw the fulfillment of Acts 16:31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household,” and Acts 11:14, “He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.”

Later, God provided a job for me which helped me finance my trips as a medical missionary to other countries that needed my skills. I joined the CLF ( Christian Light Foundation) & CMDA (Christian Medical and Dental Association) on several of their medical mission trips where I learned techniques in using my dental skills to witness and further the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the places God sends me. In addition to Russia, I have done medical mission work in the Philippines, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Jordan.My future goal is to go further into other closed countries in the 10-40 window, and share the Gospel with the undesirables of society – especially the poor and orphans, children during their formative years, from ages 4 to 14, which is called the 4-14 window.

WHY MISSIONS?

I am aware that I could have earned a whole lot more money with my dental skills, but Mat.28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – has a command which requires a response and an action!

Proverbs 30:8-9, “give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion,” has taught me to be content with less and utilize my hard earned money to finance my mission trips. Dentistry is my tent-making skill as a minister of the Gospel.

People who have served the Lord within the 10/40 window have told me it is presently impossible to gain entrance into those countries as a full time missionary, and it is also difficult and dangerous to openly witness for Christ – yet, the people are so lost in pagan religions! The dental profession God has given me helps people physically, thereby opens their hearts and lives to witnessing and spiritual healing.

CONCLUSION

I would not have traveled to and served in all these countries without God’s guidance and provision. God orchestrated these things to fulfill His plan. My vision is to have my own private clinic which will help finance my medical mission trips and open orphanages.

Proverbs 16:9, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” I will continue to use my God given dental skills to help people in other nations to the glory of God while I am still able. When my body starts to give way, I can still be of use to God through prayer, and helping to train young dentists who want to do medical mission work. All this has been planned by God. He made us, and if we obey Him, He will use us to His glory. My goal is to continue spreading the Gospel to every nation and race, till He calls me home!

Christian Faith, Politics, and Culture

FROM R.K.’s CORNER

In the United States, we are in the midst of a brutal Presidential election which is polarizing an already divided nation, and even cutting deeply into relationships between and alienating Christian brothers and sisters. There is a deep-felt anger in the population that the government has failed them. The highly emotionally charged competition for the people’s hearts in the race for the Presidential candidacy fills the airways 24/7 via social media, television, and publications, engaging even those who have for years been on the sidelines of the political process.

In this maelstrom, it is important that we who are followers of Jesus Christ have a clear view of what is our responsibility as citizen in God’s Kingdom, and the kingdom of this world — our country! In this issue, I am addressing this question, Should Christians be engaged in politics and the current culture? and presenting you some thoughts on that from the website http://www.gotquestions.org/. Their views very much express and correspond to those of ours.

My exhortation to my American friends: Voting is a privilege, don’t miss it!

HOW SHOULD A CHRISTIAN ENGAGE IN AND VIEW POLITICAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES?

As followers of Jesus Christ, what should be our attitude and our involvement with politics? It has been said that “religion and politics don’t mix.” But is that really true? Can we have political views outside the considerations of our Christian faith? The answer is no, we cannot. The Bible gives us two truths regarding our stance towards politics and government.

The first truth is that the will of God permeates and supersedes every aspect of life. It is God’s will that takes precedence over everything and everyone (Matthew 6:33). God’s plans and purposes are fixed, and His will is inviolable. What He has purposed, He will bring to pass, and no government can thwart His will (Daniel 4:34-35). In fact, it is God who “sets up kings and deposes them” (Daniel 2:21), because “the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes” (Daniel 4:17). A clear understanding of this truth will help us to see that politics is merely a method God uses to accomplish His will. Even though evil men abuse their political power, meaning it for evil, God means it for good, working “all things together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Second, we must grasp the fact that our government cannot save us! Only God can! We never read in the New Testament of Jesus or any of the apostles expending any time or energy schooling believers on how to reform the pagan world of its idolatrous, immoral, and corrupt practices via the government. The apostles never called for believers to demonstrate civil disobedience to protest the Roman Empire’s unjust laws or brutal schemes. Instead, the apostles commanded the first-century Christians, as well as us today, to proclaim the Gospel and live lives that give clear evidence to the Gospel’s transforming power.

There is no doubt that our responsibility to government is to obey the laws and be good citizens (Romans 13:1-2). God has established all authority, and He does so for our benefit, “to commend those who do right” (1 Peter 2:13-15). Paul tells us in Romans 13:1-8 that it is the government’s responsibility to rule in authority over us—hopefully for our good—to collect taxes, and to keep the peace. Where we have a voice and can elect our leaders, we should exercise that right by voting for those whose views most closely parallel our own.

One of Satan’s grandest deceptions is that we can rest our hope for cultural morality and godly living in politicians and governmental officials. A nation’s hope for change is not to be found in any country’s ruling class. The church has made a mistake if it thinks that it is the job of politicians to defend, to advance, and to guard biblical truths and Christian values.

The church’s unique, God-given purpose does not lie in political activism, or reform. Our mission lies in changing hearts through the Word of God. When believers think the growth and influence of Christ can somehow be allied with government policy, they corrupt the mission of the church. Our Christian mandate is to spread the Gospel of Christ and to demonstrate His standards through our daily living. Only as the hearts of individuals in a culture are changed by Christ will the culture begin to reflect that change.

Believers throughout the ages have lived, and even flourished, under antagonistic, repressive, pagan governments. This was especially true of the first-century believers who, under merciless political regimes, sustained their faith under immense cultural stress. They understood that it was they, not their governments, who were the light of the world and the salt of the earth! They adhered to Paul’s teaching to obey their governing authorities, even to honor, respect, and pray for them (Romans 13:1-8). More importantly, they understood that, as believers, their hope resided in the protection that only God supplies. This holds true for us today. When we follow the teachings of the Scriptures, we become the light of the world as God has intended for us to be. (Matthew 5:16).

Political entities are not the savior of the world. The salvation for all mankind has been manifested in Jesus Christ. God knew that our world needed saving long before any national government was ever founded. He demonstrated to the world that redemption could not be accomplished through the power of man, his economic strength, his military might, or his politics. Peace of mind, contentment, hope and joy—and the salvation of mankind—is accomplished only through His work of faith, love, and grace.

CHRIST AND CULTURE

This issue is divided by two opposite views among Christians. On one hand there are those who spend many hours writing to their Congressmen, picketing abortion clinics, campaigning for conservative candidates and using all means available to influence and improve the quality of government to conform it to the Christian worldview. At the other extreme are those who take Jesus’ words “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36) as their motto, refusing to vote or get involved in any effort to affect the culture in which we live.

No question, we must be good citizens. Romans 13:1 tells us that Christians should be exemplary in their conduct regarding the laws of the land, choosing to disobey only those laws/rules that directly contradict the revealed Word of God. Abortion, for example, is an abomination, but no one is forced by our government to have an abortion, as is the case in China. The Chinese Christians who defy the law and refuse to have abortions are obeying the biblical commands “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19) and “you shall not murder” (Romans 13:9), thereby obeying God more than man!

Perhaps the best way to understand our responsibilities in the social/cultural arena is to look to Jesus for our example. Jesus lived in one of history’s most corrupt societies. But He perfectly maintained His Father’s perspective on social and political matters, even though He lived in a society that was every bit as pagan and corrupt as today’s culture. Cruel tyrants and dictators ruled throughout the region, and the institution of slavery was firmly entrenched. Legal and economic oppression of the Jews by Rome was rampant, dwarfing anything we experience today. Even in the face of such tyranny, Jesus never issued a call for political changes, even by peaceful means.

He did not come to earth to be a political or social reformer, rather, He came to make new creatures (His people) holy through the saving power of the Gospel and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. He knew governments and institutions are made up of people. When people’s hearts are changed by Christ, godly governments and institutions will follow. If the hearts of the people are corrupt, getting them together in groups only multiplies the corruption. What we need is not better government, but better men and women in government!

So what is a Christian to do? Can Christians shun all political and social efforts to affect the culture? Yes, if our consciences convict us to do so and as long as our motivation is pure and not an effort to appear holier than those who do choose to be involved. Pride is too often the by-product of completely withdrawing from the culture. We are to be in the world, but not of it, and part of being in the world is modeling Christ-likeness for the world and Christian love toward one another.

Can we picket, campaign, and lobby our elected leaders on issues of concern to us? Certainly, as long as we keep the ultimate goal in mind—to win people to Christ. Too often that goal and the activities described above are in conflict. Cruel activism, no matter what the motivation, will not convince the unbeliever we serve a loving and merciful God who will forgive sin.

Even the most gracious efforts to “clean up the culture” will not protect or expand the cause of Christ. Ours is a spiritual battle against worldly ideologies and dogmas that are arrayed against God, and we achieve victory over them only with the weapon of Scripture. In the words of the Apostle Paul, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God.. ..bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

Those who endeavor to tidy up the culture for the culture’s sake are not only missing the point, they are misunderstanding the reason God leaves us in the world — to be His witness to the lost and condemned. Such a mission is far more “good and profitable to men” (Titus 3:8) than any amount of social or political activism.

Cuba on Fire for Jesus – with Trip Report from Jorge Urra

FROM R.K.’s CORNER

There is a fire of revival in Cuba! Some compare the growth of new believers to that of the house church movement in China! In 1994, when Steve and I began serving the indigenous Pastors in Cuba, there were approx. 400 home fellowships on the island. Some estimate that today, there are in excess of 16,000 house churches!

In 2000, Pastor Jorge brought a ministry team to Cuba from our local church. Here, we are gathered with Cuban believers from a roof top church.

Steve and my relationship with Christian believers in Cuba began in 1994. The Spanish Pastor of our local church in Fort Lauderdale, Ed Negron, had begun traveling with suitcases full of relief aid which was given to the local pastors for distribution among the starving population in the country. At the time, Steve and I were leading the Missions Department at our church, thus helped accommodate his ministry. A couple of years later, Dru Anderson,joined our church, and began helping Pastor Ed in his outreach to Cuba. She not only traveled numerous times with the teams as a “mule”, but spent longer periods of time in Cuba and came to know many of the local pastors and believers in the country.

In spite of the economic embargo between the United States and Cuba, our church obtained a license from the State Department in Washington, permitting us to bring in needed supplies, to travel within Cuba outside the restricted areas for tourists, and to bring visiting Cuban Pastors to the States . In 1997, when Pastor Ed’s health prevented him from continuing, and the church ceased the Cuban outreach, The Bridge undertook that responsibility. Dru became our “Ambassador” to Cuba, and continued traveling to Cuba under The Bridge’s auspices. Several Cuban pastors were permitted to visit the States, and Steve and I came to know many of them, which brought us much mutual joy!

Jorge Urra visiting Steve and my home with son, daughter-in-law, and grandchild in April, 2016

One of those pastors was Jorge Urra. It became obvious to us that he had the apostolic gift for his people, with a vision and burden to reach all of Cuba for Christ, and work in unison with all Christian churches on the island, regardless of denominational affiliation. He became a frequent visitor to our home. A beautiful, twenty year friendship and partnership ensued between Jorge and Steve. Jorge brought from the Cuban pastors the list of the specific needs, and Steve used his entrepreneurial skills and personal finances in partnership with our Bridge donors, to meet those needs. It translated into monthly support of 100 pastors for three years; mules, bikes, wellingtons, and lanterns for rural evangelists; restoration of houses for the use of home churches; a tractor, a fish farm, a pig farm, a wood working business; funds toward distribution of Bibles, and establishment of 100 small micro businesses—the list goes on. We are privileged to serve the Cuban people through Jorge Urra, a man of faith and integrity whom we fully trust!

APRIL 2016 TRIP REPORT FROM CUBA – by JORGE URRA

2015 was a challenging year, as we saw an enormous increase of thousands of Cuban athletes, children and young people surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ and receiving Him as their hope for the future. They truly are a living testimony of Psalm 121, as they lift their eyes to heaven, well above their trials and tribulations with songs of hope, while looking to the grace and mercy of God! “I lift up my eyes to the mountains– where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip, He who watches over you will not slumber…” (Ps. 121:1-3)

Mules, rubber wellingtons, and bikes are useful tools for the mountain evangelists to reach their people

THE SPORTS MINISTRY

The top Cuban professional baseball player and his team have come to faith in Christ. The leader of the Sports Ministry reported that in 2014, a total of 15,000 decisions for Christ were made in baseball and soccer stadiums throughout the country. Cuban professional baseball players, the big stars, respectfully remove their caps in the stadium when the leader of the Sports Ministry publicly offer a prayer to the Lord before the they begin playing the game. Christian literature is made available to those who attend the game.

More than 20 pastors have opened new house churches, using a powerful evangelistic tool — they first reach the children and through them, they reach their parents, as well.

VISITING PASTORS AND CHURCHES

Scores of house churches meet in humble homes like this

I visited a Pastor in the central part of the country. He told me that the number of new believers grew so fast in the last six months of 2015 in the central and eastern part of the country that it is difficult to accommodate them all. They have opened more than 25 new churches, and the need for more keeps growing! In order to reach those living in inaccessible areas, they are rebuilding roads, and establishing new churches and village parks. They are using new strategies in order to expand the Gospel and also to each the people who have gone astray.

The believers renovate old homes and make them into houses of worship.

Hector Palacios is a young pastor from Matanzas, Cuba who works with young people. He told me that he preached at a camp in Villa Clara to 500 young people who had attended this camp for two years in a row. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, God has conquered their hearts and made them brand new in Christ! Hector continues in his quest to win young people for Christ. He disciples and teaches a young couple from his church who moved 200 kilometers west of his church.

Needed shoes and toiletries for the Pastors and Evangelists.

Through this couple, Hector Palacios has planted a new church in the town of Hatillo. When I gave him a financial gift, he told me “We pastors have so little to work with, yet we share what we have. When we receive extra resources, it encourages us so much—it makes us bring a fresh breath of life to those in need.” In the midst of their poverty, they experience the reality of Psalm 37:25, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor their children begging bread.”

Even pens and paper are items in short supply!

I met with an army of young pastors with a passion for the Lord. I fed them with the Word of God and encouraged them to take to the streets with guitars and impact people, and pray for the sick— Christ is our medicine. Often they have no food, but Christ is the bread of life.

Someone once told me that the time in life to give one’s best to God is at the age of thirty. This is the average age in the group of the young missionaries who are winning Cuba for Christ!

In the cities, Christians gather on rooftops to worship.

They are saturating the country with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and planting churches, especially in the mountainous areas where others do not go. They conduct Leadership Training seminars and prepare new missionaries to go out and together win Cuba for Christ.

A FEW FACTS ABOUT CUBA

Cuba is a long, narrow island. It stretches 750 miles from the East to the West, which is located only 90 miles from the continental United States. It is 120 miles at its widest part and only 20 miles at its narrowest portion. The landscape is predominately flat and fertile, but in different parts of the country, relatively high mountains run across the island. The highest peak stands 6,000 feet above sea level. Cuba has a moderate subtropical climate with mostly warm temperatures. The dry season spans from November to April, and the rain season lasts from May till October. The official language is Spanish. The population is 11.2 million, of which 75% live in urban areas. The capital is Havana (or “Habana”).

In spite of Cuba’s close proximity (only 90 miles) to South Florida where the median annual income is $50,000.00, most Cubans are paid a meager $240.00 a year ($20.00 per month). A professional earns approx. $50.00 per month—$600.00 per year. Yet—the Cuban people are known to be extraordinarily resourceful and generous with the little they have. “We want to share with others what we have, not we what have left over!”

South Sudan – Longing for Peace – Matthew Deng Dut Serving his People in Juba with the Gospel

A REPORT FROM JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN by R.K. ULRICH

On July 9, 2011, South Sudan gained independence from Sudan as the outcome of a 2005 agreement which ended 40 years of civil war, during which approx. two million people were killed and five million displaced. Since then, millions of refugees from 60 different ethnic groups have returned to their homeland with hope and thanksgiving, just to find a scorched land ravaged by war, void of infrastructure, but rich in natural resources. Our South Sudanese partners, whom we served for a number of years before the country’s independence, the Levi family in Nimule, and the Kuj family in Tonj, have done very well in pioneering and establishing their families and ministries on their respective rural tribal lands, where there today are stable, thriving Christian communities.

For Matthew Dengdut, a young South Sudanese I met in 2008 while he was a refugee in Israel, his homecoming has posed enormous challenges. In Tel Aviv, he planted and pastored a church among his people, while The Bridge sponsored him through a three year Bible College. In 2012, when Israel deported the 1100 South Sudanese refugees back to their new country, Matthew followed his flock to the outskirts of the capital of Juba, where they settled. He and his team have continued to reach out with the love of Jesus to the poverty-stricken people in and around Street no. 107. Matthew has survived two severe malaria attacks, was robbed of all his possessions, and, since 2013, has cared for his people living through a two year internal civil war between President Kiir and his ousted Deputy, Machar, during which tens of thousands have been killed, and 2.5 million people displaced. 3.9 million are in need of food; it is predicted that as many as 200,000 South Sudanese might die of starvation this year!

When Matthew arrived from Israel in 2012, he was able to buy a small property on the tribal land within Juba. With our financial help, he built a small house, which is his home and base of operation. Matthew is an evangelist at heart, so he began from scratch—preaching the Gospel under the open sky in street no 107:

“It is a broad dirt road with corrugated metal shack vendors lined up on both sides as far as the eye can see. Matthew had set up church in the street right in front of the local bar. He had rented 100 plastic chairs and a sound system… there we had church service under the sun for 12 hours! The joyous sound of worship blasted through the community of perhaps 10,000 people, most of whom had been repatriated from Northern Sudan and Egypt, so Matthew preached in Arabic, and his friend Moses translated into English.

When the dusk set in, the shops closed, and the lights went out. A sheet was stretched between two poles, and with the electricity from the rented generator, under the brilliant starlit sky, the Jesus film was shown on the big screen, dubbed in the Arabic language! The men from the bar drifted toward the action, then slowly joined the crowd. The viewers were mesmerized – deeply engaged in the story. When Judas betrayed Jesus, many openly sobbed, and upon the resurrection, the entire crowd rose and roared for joy and relief! Light had overcome darkness! By late evening hours, up to 300 people asked for prayer and/or to receive Jesus – Matthew prayed individually for every one of them!” (Quote from my March 2013 trip report to South Sudan).

Shortly after my visit, when the rain season began, the fellowship needed shelter. A South Sudanese living in Australia owned a walled-in piece of land on the street; he offered Matthew a three year lease. The Bridge raised the funds and a $5000 church building was erected. It consisted of open walls, with poles supporting the roof structure of corrugated metal. We provided funds for 70 chairs, and a storage house.

The new believers met for Sunday service – and every week day! The Gospel outreach had become a church as well as the street’s community center!

A buzz of activities ensued: leadership training, Bible study, worship practice, all night prayer vigils, women coming together for various activities. A Bible leadership training school was established for new leaders; there were plans for a school, a food program, and entrepreneurial business training.

Then— disaster hit! In December 2013, Civil war erupted when Kiir accused his former deputy, Machar, of planning a coup, setting off a cycle of retaliatory killings which have split the poverty-stricken country along ethnic lines.

The owner of the leased church property demanded prematurely his land back. The church building was torn down, the building material mostly pilfered. The leasing agreement drawn up by a local lawyer meant nothing! The community center and the church collapsed in Street no 107! Armed gangs roamed the streets and attacked the people by beating them, stealing their food and rob them of their few belongings. Many scattered and fled into the country side or went abroad. Anarchy and lawlessness became the rule of the day.

Matthew, however, did not give up, nor was he discouraged. God had given him a vision of reconciliation, and he was going to remain faithful to his call to be a voice and a vehicle of peace and reconciliation between man and God and the warring ethnic groups in his nation! He remained on his property and pulled in the scattered flock of believers for all night vigils of prayer and intercession for South Sudan and her people and planted a new church there. He would often say to me, “My people need hope and peace” – he knows that real lasting peace only comes through The Prince of Peace!

After several, months, when the fighting in and around Juba had subsided and the streets became more secure, many of the believers began returning to their homes—or what was left of them, and rejoined Matthew’s fellowship. Through God’s love and pastoral care, their broken lives have begun to be rebuilt.

A few months ago, the Tribal leader of Street 107 met with Matthew and begged him to return. He promised him land to build on and his co-operation in re-establishing the community center. “It became so dark here after you and your people left”, were his words. “Please—build and plant!” Matthew accepted his offer. Today, the church has been revived in Street no 107!

A year ago, Matthew formally re-established Elohim Shalom International Ministry which he had founded in 2005 in Tel Aviv, based on Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Through this ministry, Matthew has trained a committed group of 12 adult leaders, a beautiful worship team, and 25 young people who actively serve in different capacities. A portable sound system donated by an American brother is a great blessing in the church services, but also as a vehicle in the dynamic Gospel outreaches they do in other parts of the city. Today, there are three churches planted by

In February, the ministry celebrated its first anniversary in the land by inviting local pastors and political leaders across ethnic and denominational lines to a beautiful feast and celebration! 800 people attended in the joyous activities. Many bent their knees to the Lordship of Christ! “It was glorious!” Matthew reported.

The church is growing, so are the outreaches and mercy ministries. Matthew and his team are passionate and committed to the Lordship of Christ. They have a vision to reach South Sudan for Christ, cross ethnic groups and class barriers. They indeed exemplify the words of James, the disciple of Jesus, in James 2:5, “…has not God chosen those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom, which He has promised to those who love Him?”

On March 11, the United Nations released a scathing report of genocide and gross human rights violations that both the government troops and the rebels have caused among the South Sudanese people. To read more, click on the link below:

http://www.christianpost.com/news/south-sudan-churches-confirm-un-report-children-the-disabled-being-burned-alive-mass-rapes-amid-civil-war-159138/

Following are some background information on Matthew’s journey from TelAviv, Israel to Juba, South Sudan

http://bridgeold.bridgeinternational.org/pdf/june2012.pdf

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/turkey-south-sudan-trip/juba-street-outreach-page-7/

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2014/02/

Suffering – The Cost of Discipleship. The Cowleys in Kenya

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

This month’s issue is on a more somber note. It features a topic which is not at all popular in most of today’s churches… as true followers of Jesus Christ, we are to suffer with and for Him! Suffering is the cost of discipleship! Today, there is a desperate cry of suffering and pain echoing from the war-torn parts of the Middle East from thousands upon thousands of Christians who have survived the most despicable atrocities from ISIS. In the West, their cry for help and comfort has mostly been ignored.

Every time I speak with one of our partners abroad, I am humbled by the awareness that every one of them serves the Lord with gladness in the midst of danger and insurmountable problems which they embrace by the grace of God. More than a decade ago, Paul Cowley, a successful entrepreneur living in Boca Raton, an affluent city in South Florida, heard the call from God, left his comfortable life behind. With his wife, Marcia, he pioneered two Discipleship Bibleschools for Pastors of the Least living in the largest slums in Nairobi, Kenya. Here, you may learn more about him and his ministry:

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2013/05/

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2015/04/

Recently, due to increasing threats to him and his family, he has had to consider if it is time for him and his family to return to safety in the States. Paul’s thoughtful, articulate article revealing his prayerful considerations in the decision-making process, represents the heart of all of our partners we serve abroad!

PAUL AND MARCIA COWLEY IN NAIROBI, KENYA: CONTINUE SERVING OR RETURNING HOME? By Paul Cowley

During our last visit to the States, we were regularly faced with questions of concern regarding terrorism and violence targeting Christians in East Africa. The essential question was, “Do you think it is time to come home?“or similarly,“Aren’t you concerned for the safety of your children?” Both questions are legitimate and rational questions for us to consider. And both questions reflect genuine concern for and love towards our family. Our answers, typically short and to the point, perhaps seemed frivolous or flippant. They were not. They were simply firm.

In the past several years, there have been numerous incidents of mass murder in Kenya at the hands of terrorists. The large majority of them went unreported in the international news headlines, even some major ones. Several bus bombings have been within half a mile of the two Bible Schools. These real issues do not escape our attention by any measure, nor have we grown numb to the risks at hand. Rather, behind every human event and circumstance, there are spiritual strings attached on which we as Christians must focus our utmost attention.

Jesus suffered greatly at the hands of nationalists, political pundits and religious zealots. He did not court their disfavor, nor did He ignore the impact they could have on His mission. He knew when to avoid confrontations, when to walk away, and when to remain silent. But never out of fear… always out of divine wisdom and eternal perspective. This is the same mandate for any and every man or woman carrying His name and following in His footsteps.

“Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. But beware of men…” Matt 10:17

This is not the ranting of a madman sending his followers on a suicidal mission. Much the opposite. It is the wisdom and counsel of the Almighty. God has purposely sent all of us into the world…in the face of all possible circumstances. God has designed it such that His people are NOT miraculously shielded and sheltered from all the common trials, tragedies and tribulations of this fallen world. Instead, He has promised He will “also freely give us all things.” (Rom 8.32). Much to the chagrin of the Prosperity Gospel pundits, “all things” does not mean abundance, breakthrough, dominion, promotion or prosperity. Contextually, those “things” are defined as false charges, condemnations, trials, tribulations, distresses, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril and sword. (Rom 8:25-39).

God’s wisdom is not to blindly run into such circumstances. We are to be wise. We are to be aware. We are to consider. We are to pray. But we are not to flee in fear. For there are profound promises woven into the fabric of the Great Commission we dare not overlook…

“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My Word, they will keep yours also.” John 15:20

There is the spiritual conundrum: present and pressing opposition brings forth eternal fruit! This flies in the face of the world’s accumulated “wisdom”. For it contradicts our natural instincts to avoid harm and pursue pleasure. It contradicts much of our “experience” on a physical, emotional and psychological level. But when we submit to the lens of God’s spiritual view, the spiritual strings are exposed, and the truth is unveiled.

“We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God”. Acts 14:22

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulations; but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” John 6:33

So, after much prayer, searching the Scriptures, seeking the Holy Spirit, God confirmed His counsel to us in this situation: “Continue doing that for which I sent you. Be busy about MY business. For the time is at hand.” It does not place us on some mystical, metaphysical pedestal of Christian bravery. Far from it. It is the baseline for all of us. It just took these front-line circumstances in Kenya to get it through my thick head and stony heart.

When times get tough, and the tides of fear are rising, I remember two things: the God I serve, and the people He has sent me to. God is sovereign. The safest place to be is where He has called me… whether Boca Raton or Nairobi, that much is irrelevant. At the same time, I look around where I am. The Pastors of the Least face circumstances, persecution, peril, and sword to an infinitely greater degree than I ever imagine may come my way. They are truly an inspiration to me on a daily basis. Not because they are perfectly pious specimens of some innate spiritual strength. But rather because they continually reflect what a man can become in the hands of our Almighty God…even in the midst of overwhelming poverty, crime, tragedies and trials. That is – I see God working in them all the more clearly because of the cesspool in which I see them living and ministering. And that helps me overcome my faulty faith, incessant complaints and frivolous fretting.

Jeremiah, the prophet of great lamentation and woe, surely would understand the Pastors of the Least in the slums of urban Africa. If any prophet could be termed as having a “miserable” calling, it might well have been Jeremiah.

He was ridiculed, mocked, abandoned, persecuted and “terrorized” by the very people to whom God had sent him. Eventually, he was unceremoniously deposited into a sinking mire of a dungeon well… and abandoned to starvation: (Jeremiah 38:6).

”So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon… and they let Jeremiah down with ropes, and in the dungeon there was no water, but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the mire. …Ebed–Melech said to the king, ‘…these men have done evil in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon, and he is likely to die from hunger in the place where he is.”‘ Jeremiah 38.6

Candidly, it sounds much like life in the slums in which OUR Pastors live and minister. Mud… a rank mix of excrement and fetid mire. Hunger… a daily consistent companion. Abandonment… by every conceivable human measure. But confident… in the hands of an Almighty, All-Seeing, All-Knowing, All-Powerful God! Like Jeremiah, these men wallow and wait in the miserable mire of life on a daily basis: physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. Which begs the question:

Is God really asking much from me? To simply stay? And encourage them?

We all live our version of Jeremiah’s well. Circumstances that seemingly have no spiritual significance. No redeeming value. Situations that would cause reasonable men to fear… and then flee. By God’s grace, let us determine to stay the course. Like the Pastors of the Least: firm, but without bravado, without acclaim. Like Jeremiah, preaching Repentance and making Disciples without ceasing, without compromise. Up to and until God pulls us out. Not a moment sooner.g to 1 Peter 2:21, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps…”

SUFFERING – THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

Above is a statistical map created by Pew Research Center (found at www.PewForum.org), displayed by Graphiq and posted on their website www.Graphiq.com. It shows the percentage of the total population who are Christians in every country of the world by shades of color from dark to light; the darker the color, the larger the percentage of Christians in that country.

The lightest shades represent countries with less than 1% Christians. Most of them are concentrated within 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator. It is called the 10/40 Window. In most of those countries, Christians are suffering for their faith, from being marginalized and discriminated against, to suffering mental and physical abuse by atrocities too gruesome to describe. In parts of North Nigeria, Syria and Iraq there is today systematic, extensive genocide by Jihadist Muslims whose goal is to eradicate all Christian believers and cleanse the land from any trace of 2000 years of Christian presence. The majority of our partners we serve through The Bridge, live and minister within the 10/40 window.

There are two groups: those indigenous to their region or country who labor among their own people. When the going gets tough, they are not going home — they ARE home, where they daily embrace the joys and hardships in their lives and ministry! The other group are those who have chosen to leave a secure life and future in the West, to settle with their families in a foreign land where they are daily exposed to risks of danger. They DO have a choice to leave and go back home!

All of our partners have one thing in common: although they experience daily various levels of conflicts and suffering which come with God’s call to ministry, they are bold and fearless. They often place themselves in harm’s way; yet they are humble and self-effacing. Their focus is not on their own comfort and security, but on being transmitters of the Love and Light of Jesus in their care of others. They know the cost of discipleship according to 1 Peter 2:21, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps…”

The Bridge International

Linking God's People To Reach The Unreached