Join Valley Bible members for a First Resort Banquet on Friday, May 11, 2012

for reservations:
call: 510-948-8129
email at: msand10354@aol.com

American Missionaries…a 200 year tradition

6 years ago our Pastor Phil and Caroline, and Malcolm and Jo Lee visited Plymouth,MA. We were able to see where the Adoniram and Ann Judson were laid to rest at a cemetery overlooking the Atlantic and the famous Plymouth Rock.

It was 200 years ago in 1812 that 5 young men were ordained to go to India and Burma as missionaries. Among them were Adoniram Judson who served primarily in Burma.

He served there for decades and translated the Bible into the local language.

These five are credited as the first Americans to leave for a foreign land and with laying the foundation for America missions.

The value of Missions

Today there are many Christians in Burma , now called Myanmar, including 1.5 million Baptists. This gives a sense of the importance of that first endeavor and of a continuing Mission presence. Today about two-thirds of the world’s Christians come from countries where western missionaries worked a century or more earlier.

In the year 2010 more than 127,000 missionaries were sent from America, the most missionaries of any country. The second largest number were sent from Brazil with 34,000. The was a total of 400,000 missionaries sent in 2010.

There is now an explosion of interest in mission work in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Orphanage in India

Dr John Sircar shares exciting news of a meeting with Muslim leaders.

The picture below is of a banquet where we hosted Muslim officials during the Christmas season. Two senators, the mayor and 250 Muslims came to our place. We prepared biriany (rice with goat meat) and chicken for them. Our boys sung Christmas songs and I preached to them about the meaning of Christmas. We gave them a Christian calendar with Bible verses, literature and Bibles.
The best part was several TV stations broadcast part of my preaching. Local and country wide papers printed photos (below). The government even provided 21 armed security guards for us.
Please pray that the gospel will change their hearts. Continue to pray for this work. Your prayers are making a genuine difference.

MISSIONARY OF THE MONTH
Shari Plunkett

First Resort

…Helping women avoid terminating unwanted pregnancies.

Who: A California non-profit corporation

Were: San Francisco, Oakland, and Redwood City, CA

Why:

¨ Huge need… 40,000 Bay Area abortions annually

¨ In 1984 at the beginnings of First Resort more Alameda County women had abortions than live births.

¨ By the age of 45 one in three women in the US will have an abortion.

¨ Richmond is a hot-spot for abortions in the US.

¨ All hospitals do abortions, including Kaiser.

First Alert Services:

¨ Counseling is relational, medical, and spiritual.

¨ Women are both local and international.

¨ Many are in college and/or victims of domestic violence.

¨ The #1 problem: no health insurance and economic distress.

¨ First Resort counseling is deep not broad.

About services: First Resort’s services are free, including early pre-natal care, which is part of our standard of care for those without medical insurance. Referrals come from local hospitals, doctors, health and abortion clinics, and social service agencies.

Reason for optimism:

¨ 8 abortion clinics have closed in the Bay Area.

¨ There is now a vacuum for abortion services in Oakland.

¨ There is a national trend to de-fund Planned Parenthood.

Action Item: Pray for them. They are facing a new law in San Francisco that would hinder their ability to deliver services.

MACEDONIA MISSION TO THE BALKANS

Who: Mirco And Nada Andreev

Where: Macedonia, formerly of the republic of Yugoslavia.

The Workers: There are 20 pastors and workers. These men are for the most part bi-vocational.

What: This ministry prepares Christian workers for ministry through Bible training programs and produces
new teaching books.

The Mission: The ministry is involved in 5 areas of service:
1. Mercy ministries to refugees, gypsies, Albanians, and Serbs.
2. Provides Biblical educational services to pastors and workers.
3. Preaches the Gospel and edifies the believers in the churches.
4. Prints books and literature to further their work for Christ.
5. Provides for expansion of churches.

Accomplishments:
They have 35 churches and preaching places in 19 years.
They have built 10 new churches.
They have trained 100 pastors and workers.

Challenge: It has been 20 years since communism. Since then their challenges have been: wars, countries falling apart, refugees, displaced persons, economic turmoil, much human tragedy, much destruction, and 50% unemployment. Some of these issues have diminished in the past few years.

Action Item: There has been a need for additional buildings. Pray for the salvation for the people of Macedonia andthe great need of the displaced people.

Pray for the strength and persistence of theAndreev’s and the pastors.

Bay Area Rescue Mission
A significant provider for the Bay Area homeless


John and Debra Anderson

Philosophy: To meet the needs of the homeless and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the answer to the one true need of every person.

Services to the homeless:

¨ Three meals are provided each day.

¨ Safe overnight accommodations for each one.

¨ Clothing and hygiene items.

¨ Counsel and networking to provide for their need.

Long term disciple programs:

¨ Up to 14 month Discipleship Program for men,women, and families

¨ Job-skills Program

¨ Bible introduction and disciple training

¨ Computer and life-skills training

¨ Culinary Arts program with Contra Costa College off-campustraining.

Near-Homeless Services:

¨ Food Box distribution

¨ Clothing distribution

¨ Resource sharing with other non-profit providers

Children’s Ministry:

¨ King’s Club After School Program

¨ Block Parties

¨ Computer training

¨ Tutoring

¨ Summer Camping

Action Item: Thanksgiving and Christmas demand for services is greatly expanded during the holidays.

Pray for the Mission. Do volunteer service projects at the Mission.

Provide for needed food and Christmas gift items. Share financially.

The Bay Area Rescue Mission was established in 1965.

Check them out at: bayarearescue.org

Macadonia Mission to the Balkans

Valley Bible's Missionary in Macadonia

Exciting four day outreach

report from Rev. Mirco Andreev

Several years ago a young couple from our church in Shtip moved to Kochani to plant a church. The work has been hard but God has blessed them. They work mostly with Macedonians and another minority group called Karci (Carr’tsi)

At the beginning of September we had a four days outreach event. They were days of joy and hope.

We put up a tent for evangelism, and several different Evangelical Churches from Macedonia went there to help them. One of the projects was to help at the Medical Center department of Pediatrics.

Two of the evenings we had a concert with a Christian Brother Vangel. He plays 20 instruments. His program incorporates the message of the Gospel. There was also a special evangelistic event among women.

On Saturday there were different activities. Games for children, medical check up of blood pressure and blood sugar, cutting hair, distribution of literature,sharing of the Gospel message, sandwiches, sugar candies, drinks … and all of that for free! Saturday afternoon perhaps a total of1,000 came, hundreds of kids and we estimated around 450 adults came too. The message of the Gospel was given under the big tent and all of those present listened carefully and with openness to hear the Word.

Action Item: Please pray for these dear servants would be used of God to bring many to faith and His Church would be strengthened mightily.