Later this morning, I will head to the airport for a month-long trip to Southeast Asia. I'll be accompanied by Pastor Tim Daub for the first week in Pakistan, and Board of Missions Chairman, Joel Krafft, will join me for the last week in the Philippines.
Pastor Daub and I will meet up in Dubai. After a 12-hour layover, we will fly to Faisalabad, Pakistan. We will spend about a week meeting with Pastor Gil, leading Bible studies in the evening, and attending worship on Sunday morning. After Pastor Daub heads back to the U.S., I will spend another week meeting with Pastor Gil, meeting other contacts, and leading Bible studies in the evening.
Pastor Daub has been corresponding with Pastor Gil and conducting online video Bible studies with two different groups in Faisalabad for about four years. The group has formed a Lutheran congregation. They meet weekly for Sunday worship and continue to attend online Bible studies with Pastor Daub. This will be the first face-to-face meeting with CLC representatives. This visit is the third step in the protocol our CLC Board of Missions follows to establish fellowship with foreign church bodies and ministries. The first two steps include 1-3 years of correspondence. If all goes well with this third step, Pastor Daub and I will recommend to the CLC president that the official colloquy process begin. If President Wilke accepts our recommendation, he will appoint a CLC representative (typically a member of the CLC Board of Doctrine) to conduct the colloquy. The colloquy will be conducted via email and online video chats over the next year. If all goes well, a second face-to-face meeting will be scheduled to complete the final step of the colloquy process. If this goes well and a true unity of doctrine and faith is revealed, a recommendation for a declaration will be forwarded to President Wilke for action. It's a very thorough process to follow our Lord's will to spread the Gospel throughout the world in a God-pleasing way, as we seek fellowship grounded in the truth of His saving word! This is the process that the Board of Missions and our CLC missionaries have been following for the past several years. Through this process, the CLC has established fellowship with several ministries in countries such as Bangladesh, the Philippines, Nepal, Myanmar, DR Congo, Uganda, Liberia, and others. Praise the Lord for the privilege of partnering with faithful preachers and teachers of God's saving word to assist with the spread of the Gospel!
Until just a few weeks ago, I was scheduled to fly from Pakistan to Bangladesh to spend a couple of weeks with Pastor Monotosh and the Bangladesh Lutheran Church Mission (BLCM) conducting Gospel outreach, conducting a week-long Pastor Training seminar with fourteen pastors, evangelists, and church leaders, and we were also going to dedicate the new BLCM church headquarters and Bible Institute building. But things have changed, and now this visit is postponed, Lord willing, until later in the year.
Bangladesh has been experiencing significant political unrest over the past couple of years. Protests in Dhaka turned violent in December, resulting in the death of a popular opposition leader. With national elections scheduled for February 12, the whole country is tense. The government has imposed travel restrictions between districts and curfews, and many expect martial law to be implemented in some places. I was scheduled to be there the two weeks prior to election day. With all the government travel restrictions in place, it would be impossible for me to travel freely for evangelism, and those scheduled to attend the pastor training conference will not be able to travel either. Because of all of this, Pastor Monotosh asked me to postpone my visit until later in the year.
I was able to change my airfare so I can spend an extra week in Pakistan and then arrive in the Philippines a few days early. Fortunately, the cost of this new itinerary, even with cancellation fees, was about $250 less. Thank you, Lord!
Joel and I will spend a week with Pastor Palangyos visiting the two LAMP congregations in the Cordillera Mountains. We will also visit the village of Kapangan. This is the village where Pastor Palangyos' parents live and where his recently deceased sister donated a building to the LAMP. With a small MDF grant, this building has been cleaned up, and chairs, desks, and other furnishings have been purchased with plans to begin pastor and church leader training. Currently, this is also the location of a LAMP preaching station. An outreach seminar will be conducted while Joel and I are visiting, with the hope and prayer of bringing the truth of God's saving word to many in this village.
Please keep these trips and the meetings we have in your prayers, asking for the Lord's blessings on everything we need for travel, the work, and our return home to our families. And thank the Lord for His faithfulness in His promised effectiveness of the preaching and teaching of His saving word to accomplish His will!
1 comment:
Praying for safe travels, and many opportunities to spread The Good News.
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