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Monday, November 18, 2013

Jordan Mission Trip







Friends,

The crisis of millions of displaced Syrians has compelled All Nations into action. We believe that the King of Heaven has opened a window of opportunity for us to bring His kingdom into these distraught lives. 

We have launched an initiative called Serve Syria, which focuses on how All Nations Cape Town, can directly engage with Syrian refugees. There are many different humanitarian causes already in place, but the need for Kingdom workers is great. 

We're assembling a team to go to Jordan, with Shelby being asked to join. None of our workers in All Nations are paid, and travel isn't reimbursed, so we'd like to ask you to commit to pray for and financially support Shelby to go to Jordan just after Christmas. The team of 7 will be working with a local church to visit Syrians, bringing them food parcels and bibles, and offering to pray for any who will receive it. 



Shelby is trying to raise approx $1800 with a budget being as follows. 

Plane Tickets                       $ 1000 (as soon as possible to book flights)

Insurance                             $  100

Accommodation                   $  300
Food                                     $  200
Food Parcels & and Bibles    $  200

Would you pray about helping Shelby become the loving hands of Jesus to Muslims who don't know Him?

Banking details: 

Already a supporter?  Just click DONATE and add a 1 time gift.

In South Africa
All Nations Cape Town
Standard Bank
Fish Hoek Branch
Swift Code: SBZAZA JJ (for international wire transfers)
Branch Code: 036009
Account number: 073880310
Ref: Serve Syria-Shelby Render

In the US:
click here, or send check to
All Nations Family
PO Box 55
Grandview, MO 64030

Please reference Serve Syria and Shelby Render on a separate note with check. Do not write anything in the memo line of your check.

Thank you so much for your time, and for partnering with us for Serve Syria.  We will update you with specific dates and prayer request as the dates draw closer.  

The Renders


please feel free to email me if you would like any more information or if you have any questions.

 

Thursday, November 14, 2013

An Insider’s Glimpse into the Syrian Refugee Crisis

An article from Christian Aid.  

An Insider’s Glimpse into the Syrian Refugee Crisis


October 24, 2013
Many Syrian refugees who escape across the border into Lebanon end up living in ramshackle camps like this one in the Bekaa Valley.
Much has been reported about the plight of Syrian Muslims who are fleeing their country, but how has the war impacted Christian refugees? In an emotional interview with Christian Aid Mission staff, the leader of a Lebanon-based ministry shares refugee accounts that broke his heart—and gave him hope for a brighter future.
Q: How do you minister to the refugees given their very difficult circumstances and challenges?
A: Most of the time we sit and talk and we pray with them. It’s really hard. I know we can’t save the world, but we do as much as we can. We just do whatever we can. People come knocking on the door and say “Please, let us in. It’s okay; we will sit on the floor. Give us just a roof. We don’t want anything else.” Or people will say, “Do you have any clothing for us because we left Syria with nothing.” As we are able to serve meals, we do it. We try to do it weekly. If we are able to offer more food, we do it. We never provide meals according to a schedule. We never store food on the shelf. Whatever we have, we cook, and the refugees help us.
Q: What is the current situation inside Syria and with the refugees in Lebanon?
A: What’s happening now is the persecution that the Christian people are experiencing, especially in the areas of Maaloula and Aleppo. It’s a huge problem now. So they leave Syria with whatever they have on them. They just leave. A country like Lebanon is very small and there’s nothing that the government is doing to help the refugees. Where we work in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, there are no more empty spots available. The fields are full. It’s overwhelming with all the children and families. A huge disaster.
I visited one of the families. There were about 25 to 30 people. When I came in the room, I literally thought they were having the Lord’s Supper, the way they were eating. They were handing each other a slice of bread and each one was taking a piece. This is how bad off they are. In Beirut too, any house that already had one or two refugee families living there, now they have more people in the same house.
I have lived through war, I’ve lived with disasters, but I have never seen it this bad. The main thing now is to stand with believers that we know are being persecuted.
Q: How are Christians in Syria coping?
A: The hardest thing is communication. They don’t go out much. There is a big loneliness; they feel that they are alone and nobody thinks of them. They are scared and they think they are alone in this whole situation. One man said, “Someone burned the Koran and they [the media] made a big story out of it. We have people we bury every day who are Christians. Why can’t we do something about that?” It’s true we are not the kind of people who are an "eye for an eye" and a "tooth for a tooth." No. The encouraging thing is we are seeing God working, even though things are hard.
Q: Can you share with us the personal stories of some of the families?
Perhaps the greatest tragedy of the war is its effect on Syria’s children.
A: This is a very conservative number I’m saying, but I met at least 15 to 20 kids with no mom and no dad left for them. Their parents died when they were in Syria, and the children were taken out by others who were fleeing. One Christian brother in Lebanon mentioned his mom didn’t want to leave Syria because she told him, “If we leave, they’re going to take everything.” He tried to convince her and other family members to leave. He couldn’t. By the time they were talking about leaving, men came into the house and killed them all, just because they are Christians. They were wonderful believers, a wonderful family. This man lost his whole family. His mom, his dad, his grandma, and all his brothers. Nine people were killed that day.
They were killed in a part of Syria that was supposed to be safe. Any area where Christians are, they are being targeted. They [rebels] come in, they massacre people, and they leave. The same thing they did in Maaloula. They came in for two days, they massacred people, and then they left. Maaloula is an area where there are Catholic and Orthodox believers. There’s no fighting there. I don’t know. It’s hard to say where there is a safe area for Christians in Syria any more.
Q: Are the rebels targeting Christians differently than they would Alawite or Shiite?
A: Yes, because they slaughter Christians. They don’t shoot them. That’s how you know the difference.
Q: Do you recommend Christians just leave Syria?
A: In situations like this, you cannot recommend anyone leave or stay. For two reasons. When you leave, you lose everything. I remember every time we left our house during the war in Lebanon, it was broken into and people took everything. That’s really what the rebels want people to do. They want to scare people out, and when families are out, the rebels steal. That’s why they kill families, to scare the neighborhood. They want to make people leave. And at the same time if they don’t leave, they are jeopardizing their lives. And what do you do when you have two kids, three kids, babies? You don’t want to go to a place where you can’t find work, where you’re not welcome, where nobody’s doing anything to help you.
Q: What are you and your ministry doing to help the refugees? What are some specific ways that you are providing assistance to them?
A ministry in Lebanon is reaching out to both Muslim and Christian refugees to provide food packages, medicine, bedding materials, and other essentials.
A: We are opening now several camps that I know of but the only thing is we cannot open them too much to the public because we will be suddenly overwhelmed. But some of the places we are keeping for believers. So far we have more than 6,000 people who are Christians that have tents and small places to stay where they are sharing bathrooms and such. This is in the mountains in Lebanon. We are trying to help them as much as possible with food and medical assistance. The other area where we are working is in the Bekaa Valley. We have some Christians there—around 2,000 people. There are no places left in Beirut. It’s horrible there. Refugees that went to Tripoli in northern Lebanon are fleeing now because of what’s happening there between the Sunnis and the Shiites. So they are either going to Beirut or into the mountains.
Q: In your mind, do you see the refugee situation as something that is bringing many thousands, even hundreds of thousands of Muslims to Christ?
A: I wouldn’t say hundreds of thousands, but I have seen thousands personally. On a recent trip I prayed and I cried with so many people—more than in my entire life, my entire ministry. That’s for sure I can tell you. We have meetings in several churches. You see Muslims coming on Wednesdays, on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. They want to be a part of it.
One Sunday when I was there we had 200 people in a room. We said, “Okay, you know that we are Christians and we believe in Jesus and we would like to pray for you.” We shared the gospel with them. I’ve never seen so many people praying at the same time in my life, ever. All of them were Muslims. We said, “Do you want to give your life to Jesus?” They said, "Yes," and they prayed. I don’t know if it’s because we were there, but I know they need Jesus. That’s all I know. That’s the maximum we can give them.
Q: Do they tell other Muslims they are Christians, or do they keep it to themselves?
Christians face intense persecution as the war rages on in Syria.
A: It depends where, with whom. I was in Beirut visiting with one of the Syrian families. There were about 35 to 40 people in that small house. A guy came in and said, “You are the one who is converting them to Christianity.” He was angry with me and he was looking at everybody and shouting at them. That gives you an example of how they share with others what they have seen and what they have prayed. That’s how it is happening. Some people share their faith, some don’t. But a lot of them come back to us and help us out.
Q: How do you share your faith with the refugees?
A: We definitely share the gospel with them. We offer them a New Testament. If they say no, we don’t give it. Some are saying, “We don’t read.” This is when audio materials are useful. Sometimes we visit carrying nothing and say, “Hi, I’m just here to see you.” One Muslim man said to me, “Can you come and pray with my wife. I think she is going into labor.” I didn’t know what to pray for. She was in labor. I said, “We will have to take your wife to the hospital.” Of course they cannot afford it. I said, “No problem, let’s go.” So I was praying with her on the way. We got her to the hospital. She had a boy. Guess what they named him? Yes, my name.
Can you imagine? And this was a Muslim family. (choking back tears) All of this is really too much [to handle]. But God is good. We should focus on that. God is good. We need to stand next to the believers. We are there for them. We are there.
How you can help Syrian refugees:
Pray
  • For refugee families, as they have experienced the horrors of war and face immense challenges in the countries where they have relocated. Pray that their hearts will be open to hear and receive the love of Jesus Christ.
  • For encouragement and strength for the Lebanese ministry workers who feel emotionally overwhelmed.
  • For Christians who have chosen to remain in Syria—for their safety, for God’s provision to meet their physical and emotional needs, and that they will be lights for Christ in the midst of the darkness that surrounds them.
Give
Material Needs
  • Food package for one family for a week ($80)
  • Mattress, blanket, pillow ($50)
  • Shoes and clothing ($10)
  • Medicine ($5)
Shelter
  • Plastic tarp ($300-$500). Families use this covering to waterproof their tents, which are made of wood and scrap metal.
  • Heaters ($30-$40) depending on whether the appliance uses diesel fuel or wood. Cold weather will be setting in soon. The ministry is requesting at least 200 heaters, one per family.
Evangelistic Outreach
  • New Testaments/CDs ($5 each). Believers still living in Syria would like to use these materials for evangelism among the rebels.
  • Monthly living expenses for gospel workers in Syria
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To give financially to Shelby's upcoming trip to Jordan to work with the Syrian refugees, follow the donate tab.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Three Voices from Syria

Floyd McClung, founder of All Nations, has recently made several trips to the middle east in effort to train, equip, and minister to the Syrian refugees.  In addition to going, All Nations has also started a project called Serve Syria.  Serve Syria will continue to send teams to areas like Lebanon and Jordan to assist local All Nations team members that are already on the ground to help with the Syrian refugee crisis.  Here is a letter from Floyd following his first trip to the area shortly before leaving to go back again.



Hello,                       

I fly back to visit the Syrian refugees in Lebanon tomorrow. Though I was there just a month ago, it is such a strategic time and there is so much happening, I feel I must go back. I have been invited to encourage and train local Middle Eastern believers how to share Jesus and start simple churches among the Syrian refugees.

The good news is there is an incredible spiritual openness amongst the refugees right now. The not so good news is many followers of Jesus in the Middle East avoid, fear, and have extreme dislike for Muslims.

There are some understandable reasons:

Believers in Jesus in the Middle East have been harassed by Muslims, and in many instances, harshly persecuted by them. Christians of all persuasions make up about 5% of the population of the Middle East (there are 18 Middle Eastern nations with a total population of 394 million people). The percentage of 5% has gone down from 20% in the early 20th century due to low birth-rates (compared to Muslims), extensive immigration, and ethnic and religious persecution.

It is tough if you are Christian in the Middle East. Because of the above factors, the remaining Christians in the Middle East have often retreated into a closed “Christian culture” of fear and mistrust. I would find it really hard to respond in the right way if I lived in the Middle East, wouldn’t you?

Speaking to Jews living in a similar political situation 2000 years ago, Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” Even more sharply He said, “If they ask something unfair of you, do more than what they ask!”

Browbeaten by the occupying Roman armies, the Jews were never-the-less challenged by Jesus to respond with radical love:

“You have heard the saying, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ Well, I tell you not to resist evil people... whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone takes advantage of you in your business, don’t fight back... carry on living the way I have taught you to live.

“You have also heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say, ‘Love your enemies! Pray for those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and forgive those extremists who oppress and persecute you” (Matthew 5).

There are three voices crying out from the Syrian refugees. I heard these voices from the refugees when I was in Lebanon and Jordan a month ago:

• There is the voice of a desperate mother who said to me, “Please, pray for my son, Sultan. He is sick and we don’t know what is wrong with him. Maybe it was the chemicals from the bombs dropped on us.” Half of the 9 million Syrian refugees are children! Pray for Sultan, won't you?

• There is the voice of a new Syrian believer who said, “I am going back to Syria to tell my people about Jesus.” He has gone back and is now discipling 80 new followers of Jesus! Many Syrians are responding to Jesus. It is a time of harvest. 

• There is the voice of a Muslim man who had read the four Gospels, and said to me, “I want to know more. Please, come back and tell me more.” The Syrian refugees want to know God has not forgotten them. Because Muslims are fighting Muslims, there is a hunger to know a better way. The way of Jesus is deeply appealing to many refugees. 

The spiritual openness of the Syrian refugees has an expiry date! Life will normalize at some point. It is urgent for us to respond now.

I am amazed and deeply encouraged by the response of many people to the Syrian crisis. Many volunteers are preparing to go to Jordan and Lebanon to get involved. Some of our All Nations workers are making plans to be ready to enter Syria when the war is over. Other people are making their way into Syria in spite
of the danger involved.

People who can’t go can give financially.

I have precious friends and co-workers in Lebanon and Jordan who are rearranging their lives to make the Syrian refugees a priority - right now.

But there is so much more that needs to be done! Winter is coming and there is a massive need for blankets and heating oil. Children need toys and educational materials. Food packets for the families are an ongoing need. And Arabic speaking translators are needed to assist short-term volunteers.

And, as I mentioned at the outset of this letter, local Middle Eastern believers need encouragement to love, speak of Jesus, and start simple churches in the apartments and tents of the Syrian refugees. That is one of the roles God has given me... to equip workers for the harvest and to serve and support our All Nations teams that are on the ground, reaching out and serving the refugees.

One thing you could do that will make a huge difference is to form aSyrian prayer group. Please – don’t discount the power of prayer! God is using the Syrian refugee crisis and the Arab Spring to re-shape the spiritual landscape of the Middle East. As you pray for Syria, pray for Egypt and the other nations of North Africa and the Middle East that are in turmoil.

What happens in Syria and Egypt and Saudi Arabia today will impact what happens in America and Africa and Asia tomorrow! God is using this crisis to stir faith and prayer for Muslims - and to reshape history forever in the Muslim world.

I can’t clearly see the future of Middle East. I am not one of those who prophesies about what will happen when and to whom. But I can prophesy this: God has a plan and He is unfolding it! His kingdom is forever. Kingdoms come and kingdoms go, but God reigns! His plans are for good. 

Biblical prophecies are not given for us to speculate about what will happen in the future, but to confirm what is happening in the present. 

What God is doing right now around the world: He is pouring out his Spirit on millions of Muslims! Every fifteen seconds a Muslims comes to faith in Jesus in Indonesia! It is not an exaggeration to say that millions of Muslims are discovering Jesus. God is fulfilling his promise this prophecy in our day:

       “And it shall come to pass...
       I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh

God loves all the people of the Middle East - Muslims, Christians and Jews. God doesn't take sides - He is for every single person! He wants everyone to have an opportunity to experience forgiveness through His son Jesus.

Though I may not be a prophet, I can say with certainty, something big is happening in Middle Eastern history right now, and we must not ignore it. Courageous leadership is needed. It is the time to take risks.

What happens now in Syria in the next 6-12 months will affect the course of many nations for years to come. Prayer is God’s way of inviting us to partner with Him as He realigns the nations and reshapes the future.

Thank you for standing with Sally and me as we respond to the Syriancrisis. Your encouragement, your prayer, your finances are needed. This is not something Sally and I planned on being involved in, and it is affecting our lives in a major way - but we don’t want to miss out on what God is doing.

With deep gratitude for your love and prayers,


Floyd and Sally McClung