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- Beverly Van Kampen
- Jul 1
One of the ways the Reach the Nations teams minister to people is by praying for them. Many of those who attend services are living in poverty and far from adequate medical care. So, when a family member is injured or sick, they turn to their pastors and teachers to ask for prayer. Through this, they are examples to all of us as we learn to depend on God to provide what we need.
The picture above is of a church service (our rooftop church) that meets in Daska. Mehboob reports that the man holding the young child gave this testimony:
"My daughter was sick during the meeting. Pastor Irfan asked everyone to place their hand on the part of the body where there was pain or a problem. I placed my hand on my daughter's head and joined in prayer. As soon as the prayer ended, I felt that her condition was improving. We thank God because she started to feel better after the prayer."
In another area, the Village of Nagra, Abraham and his wife Rehana teach the Word of God to those who attend. Mehboob reports that Brother Abraham and Sister Rehana, serve faithfully together in this ministry.
He goes on to say, "Every Sunday, they share and teach the Word of God in their community, helping people grow in their faith. Through their dedication, love, and commitment to the work of the Lord, many people are coming to Christ and learning to walk closely with God.
"During the week, they visit families and believers, encourage them spiritually, pray for the sick, and provide personal counseling. Their faithful service is producing good fruit for the Kingdom of God. We thank God for their ministry and kindly ask you to remember Brother Abraham and Sister Rehana in your prayers, that the Lord may continue to strengthen and use them for His glory."
Several students learning to read under the teaching of Sister Rehana were injured in yet another rickshaw accident. Mehboob and Irfan went to the hospital to visit one of those injured most severely. He says, "Just as the Good Samaritan showed compassion and cared for a man in need, we also wanted to show God's love by encouraging and praying for the sick."
While praying for others is an important part of ministry, so is actively helping whenever possible. Mehboob and his team have helped the hospitalized student with medical expenses.
They also visited the remaining students who were injured and now are recovering at home. They prayed for them and encouraged them.
In the meantime, the literacy class took a break, but it is back in session now, teaching reading and writing to those who have never had a chance to learn those skills before.
As this team prays for the people who come to them, let us join together to pray for them, too. God hears the prayers of his saints!
"Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2
#reach #nations #reachthenations #missions #global #pakistan #churchplanting #church #outreach #evangelism #discipleship #prayers #mehboob #irfan #abraham #bibleteaching #villageministry #daska #literacy
- Beverly Van Kampen
- Jun 25
Last month the RTN team in Sindh came together for teaching, prayer, and encouragement. The meetings were led by Shakeel and the attendees were Sheraz, Majeed, Rustam, and Shahzaib.
After the conference, Shakeel reported as follows: "The conference provided a valuable opportunity for learning, prayer, fellowship, and mutual encouragement.
"Leaders were challenged to deepen their relationship with Christ, remain faithful to biblical truth, and serve their communities with greater passion and effectiveness."
"We thank God for His guidance and blessings throughout this gathering and pray that the lessons learned will bear lasting fruit in churches across Sindh."
Numerous topics were covered and the men left the meetings with a commitment to the following priorities in their ministries:
Evangelism: Reaching those who may never have heard the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Baptism: Encouraging those who are believers to be baptized as a public profession of their faith.
Giving: Teaching biblical truths about honoring God with our money.
Discipleship: Finding ways to teach believers how to know God better, how to obey him completely, how to study the Bible, how to pray with consistency. These are all necessary steps in becoming a committed disciple of Jesus.
Sunday School: It is a goal to have a Sunday School program in every church so children can be taught at their level and can learn to know Jesus at a young age.
Accountability: Servants of God should have someone who will hold them accountable to biblical teaching, to pure living, to raising families in the faith, and to honoring God in every aspect of their lives.
"The goal of all this is to establish strong, biblically sound churches that glorify God in all they do, " says Shakeel.
Shakeel introduced the RTN ministry team to some other pastors in the area as they met for lunch and encouraged each other in their various areas of ministry.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:23-25
- Beverly Van Kampen
- Jun 19
Come on in! Let's start with the worship service. Take a seat in a chair or on the floor with the brothers and sisters already gathered at the church to sing, and pray, and to be taught and challenged to live lives committed to Jesus and His ways. It might be a little crowded, but in Pakistan, there's always room for one more.
The pastor of the church is Mehboob who says, "We thank God for the wonderful work He is doing in the Dhamokay Church. Many people are coming together to worship, learn from God's Word, and grow in their faith. Last year, about 20 people were baptized, and we are grateful to see them continuing to follow Christ."
He goes on to say, "God is also bringing new people to Him, and we hope to baptize more believers in the near future . . . Please also pray for the new believers, that they may grow stronger in their relationship with Jesus and remain faithful to Him."
On this Sunday, we will listen to the message brought by Brother Irfan who is one of the Reach the Nations' pastors/evangelists.
He is teaching that faith is believing and trusting in God even when we cannot see the outcome. Faith is not blind optimism, he says, it is confidence in God's character, promises, and power.
Here are his main points:
Faith trusts God's promises.
Faith perseveres through difficulties.
Faith leads to action.
No matter where we live or where we are in our Christian walk, we need to hear that message!
Meanwhile, the kids have special Sunday School classes with teaching specifically directed to them as God's children.
Pastor Mehboob says, "Through fun games and activities, the children joyfully learn Bible verses and biblical truths. We are thankful for our Sunday School teacher, Sister Maryam, whose faithful service helps make this ministry possible."
And, then, let's stay for a time to get to know each other over a fellowship meal after the service. The purpose of this meal is to welcome those who are not regular attenders of services at this church. That would include us, right? So, relax and join in the fun. Don't forget - it's OK to eat with your fingers!
Again, from Mehboob, "Through this time of food, friendship, and fellowship, many have the opportunity to come together and hear God's Word. We thank the Lord for every person who joined us and for the relationships that were built. Please pray that these connections will lead many hearts closer to Jesus Christ and His saving grace."
Wasn't that a great way to worship on a Sunday morning? Praising God, learning from His Word, and sharing a time of blessing together. Come back again soon!
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!” - 1 Chronicles 16:31
#reach #nations #reachthenations #missions #global #pakistan #leaders #training #churchplanting #church #outreach #evangelism #discipleship #prayers #mehboob #irfan #bibleteaching #villageministry #dhamokay
