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

Serve Syria - Introduction

All Nations, is the mission school that Andrea and I will be attending the start of 2014.  They are also the group that we work in the local township, Ocean View.  The founder of All Nations, Floyd McClung, has a real heart for making disciples of All Nations.  We have recently started a project called Serve Syria.  Here is just a little introduction of what we will be doing and how you can get involved.



Greetings!
Thank you for your response to this crisis in the Middle East! We believe that the King of Heaven has opened a window of opportunity for us to bring His kingdom into these displaced lives.
We have launched an initiative called Serve Syria, which focuses on how All Nations Cape Town can directly engage with Syrian refugees. There's many different humanitarian causes already in place, but the need for Kingdom workers is great.
Ways in which you can serve:
- begin praying. If you'd like help brainstorming on different ways to get your community involved in consistent prayer, email our team member at cvanderzanden87@gmail.com. We'll also be sending regular emails with prayer points for Syria - if you don't want receive those, let us know.
- help support Kingdom work through food parcels. We'll be directly engaging with Syrian refugees in the next few months, so having food parcels to give to them is crucial. A food parcel (which lasts 2-3 weeks) costs R700, or $65 USD in Lebanon, R350, or $35 USD, in Jordan.
- help sponsor some of our African staff to go and minister as we give out food parcels. We have disciple-making, anointed staff in All Nations that don't have the funds to fly, but if you and your community decided to sponsor a trip, we would love to collaborate and share with you the encounters they have!
- attend a Muslim-oriented disciple-making training. We invite you to let God show you His heart for Muslims, give you some cultural background on the Middle East, and equip you with tools to use in your community to engage with Muslims like Jesus modeled for us.
- take a team from your church. We'd love to equip a group of individuals from your church (in South Africa) to go and serve, both practically and spiritually, in Jordan. We'd ask you to bring the team to us for training and cultural preparedness for 4-5 days before you leave. If you're in the States, we're open to creative solutions...

We believe it is by our love that the Syrians will know and encounter Jesus... will you partner with us to Serve Syria this year? 

John Arndt

Launching - intoAfrica

All Nations, Cape Town

Timmy

Some of you have asked.

First its a bit of a difficult situation for me. I knew in the beginning there was really no "win" for Timmy. In my heart I know a boy like Timmy really needs his mom. Problem is at this stage he can't stay where she is and she's not moving.

Its also difficult for me because the social worker basically told me this is all my fault. Timmy had no idea that what was happening to him was wrong until I came along and told him so.

Regardless, I still try and see Timmy at least once a week. He has been placed permanently into states custody. Because he is still in the same village, he will often try and run away and see his mom. He grew up on the streets going where he wanted when he wanted, so now he's a bit like a caged lion.

He looked really good last time I saw him. Smiling, laughing, etc. We made a short video to send to coco.

I know we haven't found the win, but deep down it still feels like a better scenario.  Maybe not the best, but better by far. Regardless of what the social worker says I don't think there is anything I would have done different.  What happened was wrong and needed attention.  I don't see how doing nothing would have helped anyone.  Problem is the system here's is so broken that you remove the victim, but nothing happens to the perpetrators so they just find new ones.  In a perfect world they would also be receiving counseling.

That's it for now. Would love for you to just continue to pray that there is somewhere that Timmy and his mom can go together and both get help.