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Update on Vernon and Darrell’s trip to Chandigarh::

Vernon, Paul and Kristi

The Exterior of FBC Chandigarh

During their visit with the pastors of First Baptist Chandigarh, Vernon and Darrell learned that there are around 150 pastors with little to no training. As you may know, “theologically training church leaders” is a part of what we do, no matter where we are serving. As of now, our biggest partnership with First Baptist Chandigarh will be in regards to pastoral training. Darrell and Vernon are creating a curriculum that will be taught not only to these pastors, but that the pastors will then be able to teach as well.  We are in the very beginning of a long and exciting partnership with First Baptist Chandigarh. We will be taking quarterly trips to Chandigarh to teach and we are so excited about the work the church is already doing, and how we can come along side of them for support. If you are interested in giving to the pastoral training program, click here, fill out the form and type “pastoral training” into the “designation” box.

Inside FBC Chandigarh

Teaching at FBC Chandigarh

The Church also has a school where there are around 1200 students attending. 10% of these students come from the slum and 80% of the students are not believers…however, each week at school these kids are exposed to the Gospel!

The School at FBC Chandigarh

There are some needs for people to live and serve in India, they could use help with teachers who would teach English as a Second language.

The school is trying to transfer from paper to electronic records and need someone to help them build a VERY simple database, if this is something that you would have the “know how” to do and would like to help them with, let us know.

Update from the trip to Kolkata::

Hopefully, you have heard about our work with the Hope of Life Boys home in Kolkata. Well, this home is now the Children’s Home! There are now 4 girls and 9 boys in the care of Hope of Life. The boys and girls live separately and are doing well. Here is a photo of all the people associated with the Hope of Life, and a few of some of the girls and boys.

One of the things we asked y’all to pray for was the searching for land to build on. You may not suspect, as I did not, that land in Kolkata is very expensive. They will continue to look (a little outside of the city) as we continue to pray that their search is successful!

We, along with The Ring Community Church, support half of the operating cost of the home. If you would like to support the Children’s home, click here and type “Hope of Life” in the “designation” box.

Hope of Life could use some prayers for more support staff, please join us in praying that all their needs are met.

The English Conversation Department at this university is recruiting volunteer teachers for the 2012-2013 School year and beyond.

 About  the university::

- It is the first China-foreign joint international university.

- it is a place for you to invest in the lives of college students who are uniquely positioned to impact this region of the world.

- Contact me for more information

Requirements::

- Bachelor’s Degree (In any field)

- Native/near-native English speaking ability

- No prior teaching experience is necessary

- Applicants must raise their own support

- Need to be in good health

- Willing to work as a part of a team once you arrive

- You also need to be a member of a Church

Applicants with a background in English, Education, or Teaching English as a Second Language are strongly encouraged to apply.

Basic Financial Information::

The School provides the room and board, but you are responsible for the airfare and your spending money. Your mileage may vary, but a round-trip ticket between the U.S. and Yanji seem to be in the range of $1,900-$2,200 for this summer. As for spending money, $500.00 should be more than enough.

Brief description of what your time at the University will look like::

You will be rooming with students and the main focus of your work should be with your roommates. You will be getting to know them and providing a chance for them to speak English each day. You will be expected to have 1 meal per week with each of your roommates. This is the main focus! You and your roommates will participate in 3 manditory activities a week with the English House, a place where only English is allowed to be spoken. This will be a very relational experience.

Again, please have anyone who may be interested in learning more contact me, Sarah Beard, at sarah@hisvoiceglobal.com and feel free to pass this information along to any other churches or people who may be interested in partnering.

We hope to hear from you!

In this last post, we updated you with the information on the peace talks held by Bishop Taban and Stan Fikes, one of our board members. We are so happy to report that since these peace talks the fighting has stopped!

We have received word that because the Jongolei peace conference was so successful, the Government of Central Equatoria has asked Bishop to train the County counselors of the three Counties in Central Equatoria State of Yei, Lainya and Morobo. This is a direct invitation to repeat the peace talks!

Our works in Jonglei are far from finished. Jonglei is very undeveloped. There are barely even dirt roads. The area we have been working in has lost so much and we are working to find ways to not just help them temporarily, but to create ways to help them develop their economy. We have already delivered, as you will see in the previous posts, 400 bags of maize (food), and another delivery, mostly medical supplies, is in process.

To do all the work that we initially want to do, we only have $50,000.00 left to raise this year. Please consider being a part of this.

Thanks to all who have been a part of this process. If you would like to join us in our efforts in South Sudan, it is as easy as making a tax deductible donation by clicking here. Your donation can be a one time gift or a monthly gift.

Thank you for taking time to learn about what is going on and for partnering with us!

We spoke for a few weeks about the best way to communicate the prayer needs to people who would join us.

The conclusion: Welcoming a new position to the His Voice Team to communicate monthly with you about the specific prayer needs of His Voice Global. If you would like to receive the monthly prayer e-letter, which you will receive on the 1st of the month, just CLICK HERE, follow the prompts and select to receive the “Prayer Partner” newsletter. Note, this IS different from our Monthly Newsletter, which goes out on the 15th of each month. If you wish to be a part of that mailing too, follow the same prompts and select the “monthly newsletter”.

So, the question is, “Who is going to be taking care of getting you the specific prayer needs?”.

The Answer….

Sarah Norman. Sarah is a member of one of our partner churches, The Ring Community Church in Baton Rouge, LA. If you want to contact Sarah and encourage her or be an integral part of the prayer life of His Voice Global, contact her at Norman@hisvoiceglobal.com.

Here is her bio…

Our friends of The Ring put together this prayer guide. A huge thanks to them for encouraging the Body of Christ to engage in the Kingdom work.

India prayer guide…

As Josh Causey (pastor) and Adam Yglesias (Elder) travel to India, they are fulfilling the role of the “arrow” for our body… aiming for the target which Christ has set before them. Our awesome privilege as the “bow” is to join with them in prayer to ask God for awesome things that He is ready and willing to bestow upon His children. This prayer guide will provide some scripture-based prayers to help unify our hearts as we all wait expectantly for God to unfold what He has in store for Hope of Life. Let us draw near to God in full assurance of faith, as we beg Him to do awesome things among our brothers and sisters in India!

Primary “Targets” for this trip to India are to…

• strengthen the relational connection with the pastor in connection with the Hope of Life and Matt and Nabin & Matilda, all giving leadership to Hope of Life
• solidify a vision for the next chapter of Hope of Life
• select property for a future Hope of Life facility
• discuss possible business opportunities that would fund Hope of Life

Tentative Schedule…

Apr 9-10 - depart from baton rouge & travel to India.

Apr 11-13 - travel the city and visit perspective sites for building the new Hope of Life.

Apr 14 - go with Nabin to the train station and minister to the children who live there

Apr 15 - church service with the boys & a special outing (possibly the amusement park again)

Apr 16 - depart for Baton Rouge

Prayers for Travel (flights & ground travel)…

• Father, spread your protection over these men, that he who loves your name may rejoice in you. Ps. 5:11
• Lord, you are their sun and shield. You light their way and protect them! Grant them your favor and honor wherever they go. Ps. 84:11
• Lord, stand at their sides and give them strength, so that through them the message might be fully proclaimed and all of India might hear. 2 Timothy 4:17

Prayers for Family Staying Home…

• May your peace, God, which surpasses all understanding, guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:7

Prayers for Vision, Unity, & Wisdom…

• I pray that you would go before them and level the mountains, break down gates of bronze, and cut through bars of iron. I pray you give them the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that everyone will know that you are the Lord, who summons by name. Isaiah 45:2-3
• Lord, we know that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. We ask that you blow our minds with what you have in store for Hope of Life! You are the great Redeemer! 1 Corinthians 2:9
• God, as you give endurance and encouragement, give them a spirit of unity among them as they follow you. Romans 15:5
• Lord, we know your ways and thoughts are higher than ours. We ask that you would reveal your plans to these men that it could be on earth as it is in heaven. Is. 55:9
• Unless you build the house, God, the builders labor in vain. We pray you grant these men your vision and your wisdom for Hope of life. We lay down our own agendas and only desire what you have for us! Psalm 127:1

Prayers for the People of India…

• Lord, I beg that the lost will receive the seed of the gospel. I pray it falls on good soil so they will hear & understand. Matt.13:23
• Lord that you would open the eyes of the lost and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus. Acts 26:18
• Lord, grant the lost in India an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; remove from them hearts of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11:19

Fighting Spiritual Warfare…

• As You, O Lord, have commanded them, may they be strong and courageous. May they not be terrified or discouraged. Let them know that you will be with them wherever they go. Joshua 1:9
• Lord, let the men be strong in you and in your mighty power. Put your full armor on them, so they can take a stand against the devil’s schemes. Remind them that their struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of the dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:10-12

He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new!” 

Revelation 21:5

The His Voice Global heartbeat is to be a part in “Your Kingdom Come”.

If you have been keeping up with our work throughout the last few months, you have seen images from and read about the work we are doing in Jonglei.

There has been lots of fighting in Jonglei, South Sudan since July and we, through Bishop Taban, have been able to get into some hard hit regions and deliver food, Bibles, first aid kits, and spend time speaking with and praying with the leaders and the injured. If you read this post , you will see images of the delivery of 400 bags of Maize!

Over the last week, Bishop Taban was a part of some Peace Talks. The fighting tribes were well represented and organizations, such as the World Evangelical Alliance, were there to speak and listen. Bishop Taban opened the peace talks with a sermon.

Photo from the the article from the Global Christian Post.

This is an e-mail Vernon received from Bishop,

“Dear Brother;

The peace talks went very well; the Government representatives are very much impressed and both AEA and WEA are also impressed.

And you need to know that the relief food we delivered has worked; it caused mobilization; people came convinced that we mean what we say; and it is because of the people of Duk that we fed.

Murle and Nuer today forgave each other; and we had a very big laughter this afternoon. We came up with some few peace building projects among the tribes in affected areas. Our next food delivery will cement everything.

God bless you and be sure of our prayers.”

How incredible! Thank you for your giving and your support of the South Sudanese people! Your giving is truly making a difference. We have already done a lot in the way of support, but there is much more to be done. We are currently trying to reach a goal of $25,000. To give to this need you can just click here and fill out the form – Make sure to “Designate” to South Sudan.

You can also send checks payable to His Voice Global to P. O. Box 331311, Ft. Worth TX. 76163.

I suggest that you read this great article about the peace talks. It is a great resource and will help in understanding the situation there.

Here are a few quotes from the article that are fantastic.

Context:: speaking to the tribal and governmental leaders:

“We know the story of Sudan and the birth of South Sudan has been a story of pain,” he said. “I want to remind you that the church around the world loves the people of South Sudan. God loves the people of South Sudan.”

“We know there has been serious violence and loss of life but because we believe in the gospel we are a people of hope,” Tunnicliffe added. “The gospel is about reconciliation because it is the gospel that reconciles us to God. And we also believe that we can be reconciled to one another because we are all connected.”

Amen. Your Kingdom Come!

Last week Vernon and I were able to spend some time in India exploring a

partnership with the First Baptist Church of Chandigarh. FBC has been instrumental in

spreading the Gospel throughout northern India over the last 35 years. Together we have

developed a plan to provide theological training to 150 church leaders over the next few

years. We are excited to be able to participate in the work that God is doing in that part

of the world.

While there, we visited the Taj Mahal as we sought to learn more about the

culture and people of India. The Taj Mahal is truly one of man’s greatest architectural

achievements and its beauty greatly surpassed my expectations. The Taj was built by the

Emperor Shah Jahan to serve as a monument and crypt for his beloved wife in 1638.

Greatly saddened by his wife’s unexpected death the Emperor wrote this:

Should guilty seek asylum here,

Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.

Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,

All his past sins are to be washed away.

The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;

And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.

In this world this edifice has been made;

To display thereby the creator’s glory.

I thought about this a great deal while we were worshiping during the Palm

Sunday service at FBC. If only it were that easy. However beautiful the Taj Majal may

be, it took much more than a man made mausoleum to wash away our sin. In truth, it was

an empty grave and the atoning work of Christ that frees us from the bondage of sin.

As we prepare this week to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, this serves as

a powerful reminder of the importance of the work that FBC and their leadership is doing

to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in India. They are bringing the Light to a very dark

part of the world and we at His Voice Global are blessed and humbled to be able to serve them

in some small way.

Darrell Parrish

To find out more about the situation and how to help, please read this blog from North Church, St. Louis.

Please be praying for this family.

This is an image of His Voice Global founder, Vernon Burger, with his sons at the airport as he is headed out to India.

We have been very vocal and intense about sharing about our work in North Korea and in South Sudan over the last few months. Get ready for some new information from India.

As of today, Vernon and Darrell Parrish, our Board Chair, are in India. They are doing the initial ground work towards expansion. They are near the Pakistan border. Please keep them in your prayers.

Upon their return, we will know more about our expanded partnership and will let you know what our next steps are!

Next week, one of our partner churches, The Ring (from Baton Rouge, LA), will be in India at the boys home. We will also be bringing you updates on the work there and hopefully some great images!  Please keep this trip in your prayers as well!

Please note that we are raising money for this endeavor as there is still much need!

 The Trucks made their way to Jonglei with Bishop Taban’s wife, Annegrace, and Pastor Malek. As any trip across South Sudan is eventful, this one was not without a flat tire!

 They stopped to change the tire and then completed their journey. The trucks arrived full of food and clothes!

 Annegrace and Pastor Malek handed out second hand clothes to the people.

Kids in their new clothes!

Delivering food.
New clothes for these kiddos!

This is Annegrace praying over a sick, displaced child.

 This little boys family had food and clothes delivered. He is putting on his new pants!

 The Widows of the Duk Massacre helped to off load food trucks.

 A total of 400 bags of Maize flour has been delivered to Jongolei for Duk and Paliau.

As stated earlier, our efforts are not finished in the area. We figured out that it costs $16.00 a month to feed and clothe one person. If you want to be a part of the healing for these beautiful people, just click here, fill out the form and become a monthly donor.