February 2021 EHC Newsletter

Our New Year’s Resolution Is…

It’s not to get in shape, read more books, or finally complete that unfinished project — though those are all good things.

Our New Year’s resolution involves something much bigger.

It’s something only God can do. And it’s something we don’t want you to miss!

February 2021

January 2021 December 2020

Let’s Resolve to Multiply!

A New Year’s resolution is something that “goes in one year and out the other.” That’s a joke (I hope you liked it).

K E N YA

As easily as resolutions can be broken, they reflect what’s wonderful about this time of year. The 12 months ahead of us are filled with nothing but possibility, and the resolutions we make reflect our willingness to dream again. To hope again.

If you’re hesitant to get your hopes up after the year we had in 2020, let me assure you — we have good reason to hope again. Despite all the obstacles the last year threw our way, we saw the gospel continue to go forth in the nations. And it went forth like never before! Lives were transformed in 2020.

And that gives us great hope for 2021.

So, whether or not you plan to make a New Year’s resolution, I ask you to prayerfully consider this suggestion: Let’s resolve to multiply.

Since we launched the Oikos Initiative, we have assigned a prophetic watchword to each new year. Our word for 2021 is “multiply.” As we look to the months ahead, we’re praying for the Lord to multiply intercessors, to multiply labourers, to multiply new believers. We’re asking the Lord to multiply the harvest.

You have the power to spread the gospel all over the world.

DICK EASTMAN, I N T E R N AT I O N A L P R E S I D E N T, E V E R Y HOME FOR CHRIST

We serve a God who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). His promises are “yes and amen!” And he doesn’t shrink from bold requests from his people — he’s overjoyed by them. So, when we bring our requests to God, filled with thanksgiving, we can come filled with confidence. He can do it.

What would you like the Lord to do through you in 2021?

No matter who you are or where you live, you have the power to spread the gospel all over the world. Your gifts and prayers make a difference you cannot imagine.

Let’s get excited about the possibilities!

For the harvest, Dick Eastman International President, Every Home for Christ

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SIBERIA

Multiplication Is Happening All Over the World!

There’s a reason Jesus used yeast to describe the kingdom of God (Luke 13:2021). It spreads and grows and transforms! From every region of the world, we hear stories of the gospel changing lives. Often, when one person responds to Jesus, so do others, and whole families believe. These are just a few examples‌

Eurasia: Croatia The Every Home team in Croatia has held a weeklong teen Bible camp for many years.

They feared that COVID-19 would close the camp last year, but they were able to hold a smaller camp in the end. Following a gospel presentation to the campers, three teen girls named Mirjam, Miriam, and Antonija accepted Jesus as their Saviour! Later, when the campers set out for a home-to-home outreach, Mirjam, Miriam, and Antonija were the most enthusiastic to tell others about Jesus.

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Africa: Burkina Faso When an Every Home pioneer missionary led Traore through a piece of gospel literature,Traore gladly put his faith in Jesus.Traore’s family,however, was not glad to hear he was a Christian. They even tried to kill him! But when God thwarted their plans,Traore’s father realised that Jesus was the truth.He called their extended family together to hear the gospel from the same pioneer missionary who reached Traore — and all 24 people came to Christ!

Americas: Mexico A group of Every Home pioneer missionaries were sharing the gospel in a mafia-controlled neighbourhood — when the mafia boss showed up! His gang demanded that the team hand over their belongings. Our team did so peacefully, but then they insisted on sharing the gospel with the mafia boss. He was so impressed by their boldness, he returned their belongings and allowed them to continue their outreach. Three women came to faith that day — including the mafia boss’ wife!

MENACA: Creative Access #35 Aziz had tried to share the gospel with his uncle and aunt, but they were never interested in what he had to say. Then their son, Mohsin contracted COVID-19. He had battled liver cirrhosis for six years and had to be hospitalised. In critical condition, Mohsin was given oxygen and put into a medically-induced coma. Aziz visited his distraught uncle and aunt in the hospital, and they let him pray with them. A mere six hours later, Mohsin came out of the coma. The doctors said it was the first miracle they had ever seen. Aziz’s uncle put his faith in Jesus, and when they went home from the hospital, Mohsin did as well!

(Names were changed for security.)

Australia: PO Box 168 Penshurst NSW 2222 Telephone: (02) 9570 8211 Facsimile: (02) 9570 4738 ABN: 88001276240 www.everyhome.org.au E-mail: ehc@everyhome.org.au New Zealand: PO Box 31-260 Milford North Shore City 0741 NZBN: 9429043322862

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Telephone: Free call 0800 900 200 Facsimile: 0061 2 9570 4738

What you have been reading is the pattern we love to see on the field: Individuals meet Jesus. They tell their families, and some of those families are saved. Those families reach others, and soon a whole community is changed. That’s what multiplication looks like — and it happens because of friends like you.

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What Matters Most in Life?

When you’re young, you might think that achievements, experiences, or success are the answer. But old age has a way of clarifying this question.

From all over the world, the elderly are giving us their answers about what matters most — and they all have the same answer. Can you guess what it is?

GOOD NEWS

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God Is Using Older Christians When Mary and Joseph first brought the infant Jesus to the Temple, only two people recognised the significance of what was happening: Simeon and Anna. Anna was an 84-year-old widow, and Simeon was also nearing the end of his life. But I don’t think it’s a coincidence that both of these prophets were advanced in years. Age often comes with a greater understanding of what matters most in life.

Consider our friend Eva Kirby. Eva has been an Every Home for Christ partner for at least 35 years — as far back as our current records go! Now in her late 90s, she is a talented painter who often turns photos of Every Home ministry into beautiful works of art.

Several of her paintings are on display here at our headquarters.

We just received Eva’s latest work along with this note (shown here):

Dear family of God, Since I am now 96 years old, I wanted to send you one more of my paintings before I go to heaven.

Bless and anoint your wonderful ministry.

Appreciate you all, Eva Kirby

I appreciate Eva's artistry, her friendship with my wife, Dee, and her financial support of our ministry.

But what I appreciate most about Eva is that she recognises what matters most in life: that those without Christ in the nations have an opportunity to know the truth and love of Jesus. Her support of our ministry for these many years — and her fervent prayers for the work on the field — set an incredible example of faithfulness for us to follow.

But Eva isn’t alone. We have many supporters who are nearing the final stages of life but who continue to faithfully partner with us for the sake of the gospel.

Theirs is a legacy that will stretch into eternity.

For the harvest,

Dick Eastman International President, Every Home for Christ Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.”

— Job 12:12 (ESV)

NIGERIA

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The Elderly Are Meeting Jesus!

At Every Home for Christ, we want to take the gospel to every person on earth, including those who are otherwise overlooked.

Regrettably, the elderly are often forgotten by society — but they aren’t forgotten by us! In every corner of the world, the love of Jesus is reaching people later in their lives, and they are accepting Jesus as their Saviour!

Africa: Liberia Mr. Arthur Johnson first heard the gospel at 26 years old, but he never fully responded to it. Fifty-nine years later, an Every Home for Christ team met Mr. Johnson while doing outreach. They explained the gospel to him using a visual chart called “The Story of Two Voices,” and he finally understood God’s love for him. Mr. Johnson’s life was changed at 85 years old! He put his faith in Jesus and was baptised.

Americas: Chile Vilma was raising her grandchildren because their parents were addicted to drugs. She had only known dysfunction, poverty, and violence in her life, but when she read the EHC gospel literature, the truth and love of Jesus filled her with new hope.

Vilma gave her life to Jesus and now partners with Every Home for Christ. “There are other people like me, waiting for answers,” Vilma says. “I want to reach them so that they really know God like me.”

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PA PA L A K I G U I D E D A N E V E R Y HOME OUTREACH THROUGH THE KAGUA DISTRICT OF PA P UA N E W G U I N E A .

Asia: Papua New Guinea Papa Laki met the Every Home team through his son, Reverend Matthew Ian. Energetic in his old age, he joined the team on a gospel outreach and guided them to all the homes in the Kagua district. When the team asked Papa Laki how he felt about their ministry, he told them that he wishes he had known about Every Home for Christ when he was younger.

Regardless, he is committed to sharing Jesus for the rest of his life.

MYANMAR

POPULATION: 54,609,307 LITERACY: 83% OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Myanmarese LIFE EXPECTANCY: 65 years RELIGIONS: Buddhism 89.2% Christianity 6.2% Islam 4.3% Hinduism .5% The new constitution provides for the freedom of religion; however, it also grants broad exceptions that allow the regime to restrict these rights at will.

Myanmar is a country in Southeastern Asia bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

It lies between Bangladesh and Thailand in Asia.

The country is often referred to in the Western World as Burma. Myanmar was under the rule of the military and repressive regime following 1962.

However, in 1988 the socialist constitution of 1974 was suspended. Myanmar now enjoys freedom of religion. However, there is a limit at which the government tolerates extreme activities by the different faiths, and there have been reports on persecution of the minority religions by the government.

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EVERY HOME FOR CHRIST IN MYANMAR

U Pyone Cho led his village in the worship of traditional gods, so when an Every Home team came to his house, he would not allow them to talk to his family. The team went to pray, and when they returned, U Pyone Cho let them in. After hearing The team’s message, U Pyone Cho’s wife and both of his daughters accepted Jesus as their Saviour, but U Pyone Cho refused. Some time later, U Pyone Cho suffered a stroke. The Every Home team came to visit him again, and ... at last ... U Pyone Cho put his faith in Jesus and asked to be baptised!

There is now a Christ Group that meets in their home.

PRAYER FOR MYANMAR Christian radio in Myanmar ... REACH BEYOND Christian radio programmes in the Matu language are proving very popular in Myanmar.

For many people, this programme has been their main source of connection with the word of God. One listener living in Mizoram explained how he and his wife were so excited about hearing the word of God in their own Matu dialect, that they would eat dinner early on the days of the programme not to be distracted with anything else when it started. Pray for the ongoing distribution of radios by local pastors and for many to hear about Jesus for the first time through this programme.

Extreme persecution within Myanmar has forced nearly a million Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh over the last three years. Pray for these refugees: that in the midst of their hardship, they will seek God and find Jesus. Pray that God will send believers to befriend Rohingya refugees and introduce Jesus to them... Worldwide Evangelisation for Christ (WEC)

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FEBRUARY 2021

Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from the book of Genesis.

For those wanting to do the one-year Bible reading program these chapters are in brackets.

1 2 3 4

PRAY FOR DICK AND DEE EASTMAN Dick is the International President of Every Home for Christ with a large responsibility for EHC ministries across the world.

Genesis 3 (1 Timothy 4 - 6) PRAY FOR DIPLAVE POKHREL Please continue to pray urgently for the Immigration Department to approve Diplave's visa so that he can continue working with Every Home for Christ.

Genesis 4 (2 Timothy 1:1 to 2:13) PRAY FOR ERIC AND LORRAINE LEACH Pray God will guide Eric in his leadership as Executive Director in Australia and New Zealand and Lorraine with EHC office responsibilities.

Genesis 5 (2 Timothy 2:14 to 4:22) PRAY FOR YOUR FAMILY - sons, daughters and grandchildren, plus others to come to Christ.

Get a piece of paper and write down their names.

Get their photos and pray every day for their salvation; eternity without Christ is a long time!

Genesis 6 (1 Peter 1:1 to 2:10) CAMEROON Pop. 26,500,000 Map. 24 In the English-speaking region of Cameroon, teachers and students are being targeted by kidnappers and assassins. The Every Home for Christ team there asks you to pray for peace and God's grace. Please pray for the Lord to intervene, protect the innocent, and transform the hearts of those committing these terrible crimes.

Genesis 7 (1 Peter 2:11 to 4:11) KOSOVO Pop. 1,800,000 Map. 72 Every Home for Christ pioneer missionaries met a group of teenagers in the village of Mazrek, and the young people were open to hearing about Jesus! The team will return to talk more and build relationships. Please pray that these teenagers' eyes will be opened and that they will put their faith in Jesus.

Genesis 8 (1 Peter 4:12 to 5:14)

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CREATIVE ACCESS Following a season of extreme violence, this nation is now moving toward peace. But the effects of that violence remain, and it will take time for the people to recover.

Please pray for the Lord to protect and strengthen the Every Home for Christ team while they strive to share the truth and love of Jesus with their community as it heals.

Genesis 9 (2 Peter 1)

Write your prayer request and we will pray for you too!

PRAY FOR ISRAEL ROMANS 11:28

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PAPUA NEW GUINEA Pop. 8,900,000 Map. 146 The National Prayer Centre of Papua New Guinea is being given to Every Home for Christ Papua New Guinea. Please pray for the official land title to be released without any problems, and pray for the coordinated national prayer networks that will use the centre as a base for training in discipleship.

Genesis 10 (2 Peter 2)

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SENEGAL Pop. 16,700,000 Map. 47 The Every Home for Christ team in Senegal asks you to pray for them as they share the truth and love of Jesus in their nation. They want to minister to the people faithfully and see many come to Jesus. Please pray for the Lord to protect them and to bless them with favour as they work together to share the gospel.

Genesis 11 (2 Peter 3) URUGUAY Pop. 3,500,000 Map. 224 The team in this nation asks for prayer against fear. Many in their nation are living in fear of COVID-19. While the team is doing all they can to be safe, they are also praying that the Church would not fear the pandemic but, instead, be bold in sharing the love of Jesus within their nation.

Genesis 12 (1 John 1 - 2) SLOVAKIA Pop. 5,500,000 Map. 81 The team in Slovakia recently completed the first season of a podcast called "Everyone Matters". This season was all about finding God while in quarantine. They are now preparing their Facebook page for future podcasts. Please pray for many lives to be touched by the message of Jesus they hear.

Genesis 13 (1 John 3 - 4)

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CREATIVE ACCESS Please pray for unity and strength of faith for the Christian community in this nation. The Every Home for Christ team there is seeking God for the peace, stability, and development of their country. They ask that you pray for them as they share the love of Jesus with people in this difficult context.

Genesis 14 (1 John 5)

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EAST TIMOR Pop. 1,300,000 Map. 144 Please pray for a family in the Suai district.

This family has accepted Jesus as Saviour after receiving Every Home for Christ literature. The EHC team is now serving them and disicipling them as they learn to follow Christ. Please pray for God's Word and his Holy Spirit to touch their hearts so they can be a light to those around them.

Genesis 15 (2 John)

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GABON Pop. 2,200,000 Map. 21 After months of closure due to COVID-19, the Gabonese government is now allowing churches to repoen. However, the churches are only allowed to be open on Sundays and only 30 people are allowed to attend at a time. Please pray for God to preserve Christian fellowship.

Genesis 16 (3 John) BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA Pop. 3,300,000 Map. 70 Please pray for the Vranjkovi brothers, who contacted Every Home for Christ and asked for gospel literature. Pray the Lord will speak to them so that they may repent and call upon Jesus. And pray for the team as they disciple these brothers and answer about God's Word.

Genesis 17 (Jude)

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CREATIVE ACCESS The Every Home for Christ team in this nation is thanking God for Pastor R. In the midst of the pandemic, this pastor was able to disciple 14 new converts, and they were all recently baptised. Please pray for these new believers as they grow in the faith, and pray for God to continue to move mightily in this nation.

Genesis 18 (Revelation 1)

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BURKINA FASO Pop. 20,900,000 Map. 40 The northern part of Burkina Faso is not open to the good news of Jesus. This region is also currently being troubled by terrorists, many fleeing to escape the violence. Please pray for these refugees, that God will help them, provide for them, and - most importantly - bring them to faith in Jesus.

Genesis 19 (Revelation 2 - 3) CYPRUS Pop. 1,200,000 Map. 113 Please pray for a group of women believers who recently contacted the Every Home for Christ team in Cyprus. They were looking for someone to help lead them in a Bible study. Pray that, as the team leads this study, these women will grow in their passion to know Jesus more and be faithful witnesses for the gospel.

Genesis 20 (Revelation 4)

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DEM.REP.OF CONGO Pop. 89,600,000 Map. 19 Pray for the Pygmy people in MaiNdombe.They are discriminated against and mistreated by the the Bantu people. Please pray that the love of Jesus will influence the Bantu people so that their lives will be transformed and they will show genuine love to the Pygmy people.

Genesis 21 (Revelation 5)

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THAILAND Pop. 69,800,000 Map. 136 The Every Home for Christ team in Thailand set up a prayer meeting and seminar on evangelism in Phrae Province. Members from many churches gathered together for a wonderful time of prayer and worship. Many committed to serving the Lord together. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to lead them in sharing the gospel. Genesis 22 (Revelation 6:1 to 8:5)

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PARAGUAY Pop. 7,100,000 Map. 222 Please pray for a 50-year-old man named Felix who put his faith in Jesus during their EHC COVID-19 project last year when the team in Paraguay shared the gospel with him. Felix is now part of a Christ Group and is learning more about God each day.

Genesis 23 (Revelation 8:6 to 11:19)

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CREATIVE ACCESS The team in this difficult nation asks for prayer as they launch a new ministry. They face many challenges, but they trust that the Lord is with them.

Please pray for the Holy Spirit to protect and guide them. Pray for people to have soft hearts to the message of the truth and love of Jesus. And pray for God to be glorified in this nation. Genesis 24:1-34 (Revelation 12 - 14)

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MOLDOVA Pop. 4,000,000 Map. 102 Please join the Every Home for Christ team in Moldova as they pray for gospel outreaches in the villages of Curatura, Poiana, Alcedar, Sipca, Papauti, and Lipceni. Pray for God's protection over their team. And pray that many will accept Christ.

Genesis 24:35-67 (Revelation 15 - 16)

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MALAWI Pop. 19,100,000 Map. 15 Please pray for more doors of opportunity to open in the Nkhotakota District. The Every Home for Christ team in Malawi is initiating relationships with many different churches so that they can work as one body for the sake of the gospel. Pray for unity and partnership and for many to come to faith in Jesus as a result.

Genesis 25 (Revelation 17 - 18)

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HUNGARY Pop. 9,700,000 Map. 79 The Every Home for Christ team in Hungary recently met with a prayer group at the Reformed Church of Pasaret in Budapest. This group meets every week to pray for their nation. The team asks you to "carry in prayer those who pray. There's no mission without a spiritual battle!" Genesis 26 (Revelation 19) CREATIVE ACCESS M. is a young soldier who lives in a small religious town. He agrees that Jesus fulfilled the messianic prophecies, and he wants to believe and obey Jesus. He ordered several books, and the Every Home for Christ team sent him a New Testament. Please pray that the books would minister to him and the Word of God would direct him.

Genesis 27 :1-23 (Revelation 20) ERITREA Pop. 3,500,000 Map. 30 In the past 20 years, many believers in Eritrea have been imprisoned and persecuted for their faith in Jesus. Some have fled the country.

The Every Home for Christ team has been praying and fasting for God to move in their nation and change this situation. Please join them in prayer against persecution.

Genesis 27:24-46 (Revelation 21)

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HONDURAS Pop. 9,900,000 Map. 182 The Every Home for Christ team in Honduras recently did an outreach in three neighbourhoods, part of a dangerous, gangcontrolled area. The Lord protected the team, and they were able to share the gospel freely. Please join this team in prayer that those they reach will respond to the message of the love of Jesus.

Genesis 28 (Revelation 22)