Global Magazine #2 2017

OPERATION MOBILISATION MAGAZINE no.2 2017

“ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free.�

LUKE 4:18 (NLT)

We want to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least-reached Operation Mobilisation transforming lives and communities

OM EUROPE

by Kris Johnstone

BRINGING HOPE

GERMANY

OM teams across Germany are deeply involved in resettlement ministry, including children’s programmes and language clubs. The growing number of worship services in Farsi and Arabic has prompted a huge need for new believers to be discipled in their heart language.

S

ix years on, the fallout from the Syrian conflict continues to grow. The figures are stark – 4.9 million refugees, 6.3 million internally displaced people and millions more that have remained*. Amongst all the continuing complexity of the motivations of refugees fleeing their homes, only a fraction have journeyed into Europe from Syria. Through our Safe Passage and Safe Haven projects, OM teams continue to support local churches in providing Good News and practical relief to refugees that have found themselves in Europe.

SPAIN

Working with refugees from North Africa, OM Spain are hosting children’s programmes and seeking to share the Gospel personally with migrants seeking work.

FINLAND

OM Finland have established bilingual Farsi-Finnish gatherings which have developed into weekly church

GREECE

OM Greece continues to partner with local churches in working with refugees.

In one camp, OM donated fabric to allow Afghan women to make their own clothes to sell. The team are also considering launching skills based programmes.

services. The number of Muslim Background Believers being baptised in 2016 was counted in the hundreds.

NETHERLANDS

Over the past year, one of OM’s partner churches has opened its doors with a sign offering ‘coffee, tea and chat.’

Attracting over 20 people every week, the church also ran an Al Massira (Alpha) Course.

HUNGARY

Due to refugees being moved to a different camp, OM Hungary are seeking new opportunities with resettlement programmes in Budapest.

SERBIA

OM teams are running the ‘chai’ tent in a UNHCR run camp in Sîd, befriending refugees and providing a haven for Christian refugees.

UK

One UK team have been involved in assisting new arrivals, and where appropriate, praying or sharing scripture with refugees. OM’s training course, Muslims: A Christian Response, is available to churches wishing to learn how to appropriately build bridges with their new neighbours. www.uk.om.org/macr

SERVING CHAI WITH A SMILE, SERBIA Preparing 600 litres of tea, served with a smile (and lots of sugar) all day, every day, is the sort of friendly activity which makes OM’s tent a place of refuge, within the UNHCR refugee camp in Sîd, Serbia.

For the first half of 2016, the OM tent was in continual use. As refugee numbers fell, the local authority closed the camp

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down in summer. But with the numbers climbing sharply again in late autumn, the camp was reopened, and OM was invited to resume ministry shortly before Christmas.

Arriving from Syria, Afghanistan and other conflict zones, the increasing traffic and low number of local volunteers began to apply pressure on the local OM team.

SERBIA CAMP STATS

3,500 CUPS OF TEA PER DAY 1000+ REFUGEES 68 OM VOLUNTEERS *UNHCR

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

KEY

GREATEST NUMBER OF REFUGEES ENTERING EUROPE*

SAFE HAVEN

1. AFGHANISTAN 2. SYRIA 3. SOMALIA 4. SUDAN

Supporting churches in settling refugees into new communities

SAFE PASSAGE Serving refugees ‘still on the road’ seeking refuge FINLAND

NETHERLANDS UK

HUNGARY

GERMANY

IDOMENI, GREECE

SID, SERBIA

ATHENS, GREECE

SPAIN

Thanks to an emergency plea on social media from OM UK, we have been inundated with responses of support.

British OM worker Jude has been coordinating the camp project since Christmas. “There are some quieter times where you can talk to people,” shares Jude. “It’s been great to talk this week to one guy who is interested in

getting to know God and is excited to read for two to three hours every night more about Him. At times you can sense restlessness in the camp, but we are constantly reminded that God is here working in ways we may never see.”

Keep Jude and OM’s volunteers in your prayers as they build relationships with the refugees in the camp.

go Join a refugee outreach with OM: www.uk.om.org/refugees

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OM MADAGASCAR

by Rebecca Rempel

TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES T

hey didn’t know much, and what they did know seemed quite bleak, but with hearts full of love for the leastreached, OM workers Fara and Herimanina moved from Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital, to Ambovombe, in mid-2013.

Ambovombe is the capital of the Androy region, considered to be one of the leastreached and underdeveloped areas of Madagascar. The Tandroy people often feel forgotten by the rest of the country. Poor road conditions make the area difficult to access, adding to the feeling of isolation.

Initially, the women spent time adjusting to the culture and learning the local Malagasy dialect.

Rural Ambovombe differs drastically from Antananarivo, where both ladies are from. Despite many challenges, Fara and Herimanina adapted and their love for the Tandroy people grew.

Building up relationships with local churches and people, the ladies organised outreaches to the surrounding communities and offered training. Herimanina started Perla, a project that equips vulnerable women with skills, while Fara worked closely with the church and local youth.

Through these ministries, the women have seen lives changed and people come to faith.

In early 2016, when a lady who had completed Perla asked the OM team to visit her father’s village, they saw it as an opportunity to spread the Good News further. With a few local Christians, they made their way to Taviramongy 14km away, and what started out as a onetime drop by turned into a weekly visit.

Keeping it casual, the believers sat under the largest tree in the village to talk with whomever was around. The team was able to share about GLOBAL

Jesus and the difference He had made in their lives. Many people in Madagascar know of God but do not have a personal relationship with Christ, believing Him to be distant and inactive in their daily lives. Many combine Christianity with ancestral or animistic beliefs.

“I FEEL PEACE IN MY LIFE NOW” For Fomesoa, it didn’t take weeks of talking with the OM team to know Jesus is the way. It took only one day.

Fomesoa looks like a typical Malagasy man.

He is slight in frame with brown eyes, and his black hair is speckled with grey from age.

What is not so typical is that at 15 years of age, Fomesoa became a witch doctor. “I didn’t get it from people,” he explained. “An evil spirit came directly to me and guided me to buy a particular type of wood (to start making charms).”

Since then Fomesoa has made his living making idols and charms to cure illness and ailments for people in the area. His status as a witch doctor made him feel powerful and in control. The village was divided on their opinion of him; some were frequent customers while others disapproved of his occupation.

“ IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS NO ONE WHO TOLD ME ABOUT JESUS, BUT I STARTED TO NOT CARE ABOUT MY IDOLS. I THINK THAT IS WHEN JESUS FIRST CAME INTO MY LIFE”

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

In early 2016 Fomesoa’s life changed. “In the beginning, there was no one who told me about Jesus, but I started to not care about my idols. I think that is when Jesus first came into my life,” said Fomesoa.

A few weeks later, he met OM worker, Fara, who told him about Jesus and urged him to get rid of his idols and charms. Filled with conviction, Fomesoa lit a fire outside his house and threw the charms in.

Looking back, he knows that his indifference to the charms was God working in his life. “I felt something changing in my life...I feel peace in my life now,” said Fomesoa with a smile.

pray Join us in praying for OM’s church planting projects

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION In May 2016, the OM team provided training on community transformation, which the new believers were eager to start applying in their own village. Two women started a literacy programme that resulted in the building of the village’s first school; others began reaching out to the five nearby villages with the hope that they would experience the love of God as they had.

“The people of Taviramongy have really grown,” said Fara. “We would like to see them really become an example to others and also be a people group who take initiative to transform their own communities. I want to see multiplication.”

Pray for the new believers as they develop spiritually. Pray that Taviramongy will be a light to the surrounding area and catalyst for change.

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OM UNITED KINGDOM

by Kris Johnstone

FACE 2 FACE ANDREW BERRY TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR TESTIMONY? Like many baby boomers of my generation, growing up in the 70s and the 80s, Christianity was not very relevant to me personally.

Even though I attended church on a regular basis – it was through meeting people who are passionate about Jesus and making him known that I made a commitment.

After two years with OM in Belgium, where I met my wife, Marcia, I was ordained as a Pastor. I ministered in the US for 17 years prior to returning to Europe as the pastor of an international church in France in the early ‘00s, which also involved planting a local church.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITHIN OM UNITED KINGDOM, AND WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL? Last year, as OM United Kingdom and OM Lifehope merged into one ministry, OM’s UK Director, Matthew Skirton, invited me to steer forward evangelism ministries across the country. This coincided with OM developing a new international mission statement: we want to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers and among the leastreached, which allowed us an opportunity to refine the focus of OM’s ministry here in the UK. Practically that means I give oversight, direction and support to teams working amongst ethnic minorities such as Somalis, Turks, Pakistanis, Syrians and Chinese.

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Global Editor, Kris, speaks to Andrew Berry, OM’s new Director of Outreach in the UK about the unique opportunity that exists for the British Church.

“ WE NEED TO EXPLORE PARTNERSHIP IDEAS WITH THE LOCAL CHURCH, WITH INDIVIDUALS, AND ORGANISATIONS.”

WHAT DOES MINISTRY IN THE UK LOOK LIKE? OM ministry in the UK is not a new thing, and actually, has already been focused on reaching these people groups over the past 60 years.

The difference is that we are now more focused on seeing these peoples not just finding Christ, but becoming part of a local church which can reproduce and continue the work of evangelism, discipleship and leadership training amongst second and third generations. What is really encouraging is that amongst multicultural churches and ethnic churches there is a desire to, reach not just their culture, but also those who live around them whatever their background.

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17

wealth of experience in cross-cultural missions and this is the area in which OM can uniquely equip the British Church in expanding its reach.

WHAT DO YOU ENVISION UK MINISTRY TO LOOK LIKE IN 5 YEARS? In five years time I could imagine that we would have individuals and teams in the UK’s major urban cities – where the least-reached are living – who are partnering with others to evangelise, disciple and train leaders so that we can see believers who can reproduce disciples, workers, missionaries and even churches.

WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR US (THE BRITISH CHURCH) TO GET THERE? What will it take? It will take individuals who are called, willing to be trained, sent out and have a passion to reach across cultures and languages to effectively present the Gospel.

Right now, we have teams in London and Birmingham. I think we could soon see teams grow in Cardiff, Glasgow and Manchester.

Those who have abilities in the arts, music, sports and children’s workers can all play a significant part in helping us. The ability to evangelise, disciple and train leaders is a unique gifting – no matter the approach we take.

MANY MISSIONS WOULDN’T RECOGNISE EUROPE, AND CERTAINLY NOT THE UK, AS BEING LEAST-REACHED. IS THIS THE SAME FOR OM? We are living in a wonderful period in UK history.

Even with the great number of churches who are engaged, there are still communities of people who do not have a vibrant fellowship amongst them that relevantly proclaim the Good News.

That could be because they are isolated by language (i.e. the Gospel is not being presented to a community in their mother tongue) or they could be isolated culturally, ethnically, and perhaps in some instances, geographically. OM brings a

WHAT CAN THE BRITISH CHURCH DO TO GET INVOLVED? I believe we need to continue listening and explore partnership ideas with the local church, with individuals, and with the other organisations already doing great work. Local churches can partner with us by sending people to learn, grow and serve through our Missions Discipleship Training programme.

Probably the hardest challenge is traditionally for OM in the UK, other nations have sent us workers. Now, we need the British Church to be begin responding to the mission field that has come to the UK. If we can reach them, I believe they will in turn send out a new generation to the rest of the world.

pray Join us in praying for the new opportunities the Church has to partner with OM UK

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OM BLOG

“One who is faithful in very little is also faithful in much…” Luke 16:10

by Beth

BLOG.OM.ORG An excerpt from our OM International blog, written by OM workers describing mission from their perspective. Visit blog.om.org to read more.

8 WAYS TO SURVIVE (AND THRIVE) ON THE MISSIONS FIELD

1

Stay soaked in the Word!

This may seem obvious, but harder when sermons are still language learning.

Online sermons from home, daily Bible readings, scripture memorisation and good worship music are ways I stay ‘soaked’. Prayer, of course, is a daily survival necessity!

2

Find beauty.

In a polluted, littered, crowded city it’s sometimes hard to find beauty, but it’s still there; I just have to look more intentionally. In a crowded, smelly bus, if I can find a tiny gap to look through a window and see the magnificent

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mountains, I know I can endure the journey.

3

Have friends you can have fun with.

We all need peers or people we can connect with and with whom we can just be ourselves. Often as missionaries we’re discipling people or caring for team members, so sometimes it’s hard to let our guard down and just be silly.

4

Find something in the culture that you really enjoy and would miss.

I really enjoy the way they drink tea here! Even when we visit home, I

still do tea the way they make it here. I’ll put out bowls of snacks - a plate with a few cookies just doesn’t cut it anymore!

5

Have good local friends.

It’s essential for me to have friends whom I trust to not get offended when I ask about cultural differences. I need local friends who will come to my rescue when I find myself in situations I don’t understand.

6

Have a smart phone with a good, constant internet connection!

My phone holds my Bible in English and in the language we’re learning. A good dictionary app is essential. A navigational app where my husband can see exactly where in the city I am, has helped me find my way on many occasions!

7

Manage expectations.

Your team, local friends, people you came to serve, home church and you yourself will all have expectations for you with regards to the decisions you make, how you spend your time and money and the impact you have with the people you came to work with.

These can be overwhelming! I have found that developing a thicker skin helps, as well as remembering that I perform for an audience of one – God.

8

Remember why you’re on the field.

Sometimes we lose the bigger picture as we struggle with everyday headaches. It’s helpful to remember that we are part of something bigger - we’re not here to make our projects succeed, we’re here because God is at work and He has called us to be a part of the incredible thing He is doing here.

OM ARGENTINA

by Vanesa Leder

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6: 12 (NIV)

LIGHT IN EVERY MOMENT

‘D

on’t let anyone look down on you because you are young’…this was the lesson, Vanesa, a worker with OM Argentina, learnt in January when she led a youth group to serve amongst the Mapuche people - remote communities in the mountain area of Ñorquinco, 1500km south west of Buenos Aires.

“All my prejudices about ‘survival without internet, without mum, and without the comforts to which they are accustomed,’ soon fell apart as I saw them leave the bus with a clear attitude of servitude and wanting to help. ‘Set an example’….so goes the verse in 1 Timothy,” reflects Vanesa.

The youth were definitely an example, not only in the organised programmes, but also for those who observed from afar.

Mapuche is one of the few remaining aboriginal tribes in Argentina. Living in hard to reach, tight-knit communities, they often have rather basic resources to their disposal.

Whilst the Church exists amongst the Mapuche, many continue animist practices or, due to a lack of training, mix Christianity with ancestor and idol worship. OM Argentina has been involved in building three churches in this community.

“During this outreach, we played games with children, conducted workshops, Bible classes, and worshipped together,” shares Vanesa. “We gave donations of clothing, books, school bags, but above all, the teens were LIGHT in every moment.” The host pastor commented, “It’s a big encouragement for our church to know that the people

from the city don’t forget us and to see the kids leaving their comfort zone to serve.

It has been like a glass of fresh water to the church.”

The teens experienced the blessing of serving, an experience that won’t be left behind in Ñorquinco. “The trip really changed several things in my life,” shares Jazmin.

“Before I wasn’t so focused on God, but after the trip I want [other] people to know Him; if they know Him they can change. I am talking to my friends a lot about these things and I love that they can go to church. I thank God for letting us go on this wonderful trip.”

GO TO MAPUCHE Do you feel called to reach Latin America? If you have conversational Spanish, you can join OM Argentina for 3-4 weeks in January 2018.

Enquire today: www.uk.om.org/shorts

“It was nice to be able to share the Word of God with people that perhaps don’t know it,” recalled Santiago. “We pray that we have made some kind of positive impact.”

pray Pray for more communities in Latin America to be reached with the Gospel

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OM NEAR EAST

by Grace Beattie

UPDATE

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR When we consider Jesus’ command to ‘love your neighbour’ in the context of the civil war in Syria, our mind goes to the neighbouring country of Lebanon.

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hen men, women and children started fleeing their homes in Syria six years ago, Lebanon opened its doors and has since been home to over 1 million refugees.

Despite the country being faced with increasing economic, social and political challenges, it continues to be a place where local churches in particular are responding to people’s physical and spiritual needs.

Through our Just Christmas Appeal last year, with the help of people across the UK, we were enabled to support the work among the refugees in Lebanon through providing food packs, medical aid, and ongoing education for 60 children. One of the projects supported is the Nabaa Education Programme that started soon after Syrian families started arriving in Lebanon.

Many children when they first arrived were not able to enter the education system due to lack of places and differences in curriculum. The Nabaa team quickly responded to this need, alleviating the suffering of these families through providing an education for their children. Six children are currently sponsored this academic year by OM to be part of the programme. Here are a couple of their stories.

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“Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Farah and Hassan Siblings, Farah and Hassan, both go to a local Christian school as part of the Nabaa Education programme. Their mother is a believer and is actively involved in the local church. Her husband is often opposed to his family’s new-found faith and at times makes life difficult for them. Despite these challenges, Farah and Hassan love going to school. It has given them hope for the future. Farah recently graduated at the top of her class and Hassan is in his final year of studies.

Ayman Ayman travelled from Syria with his father and younger siblings. Somewhere along the way he sadly lost his mother. Now settled in a place they call home, Ayman’s father makes a living by selling tissues from a cart on the roadside.

Education is valuable to Ayman. He missed out on many years of school due to the civil war in Syria but through the programme is now completing the final years. He hopes to go to university one day. Life is very different in Lebanon but the Nabaa Education programme has enabled Ayman to gain an education, and at the same time find true meaning for his life through Christ. He is actively involved in the local church youth group and is a great example to the younger boys. He longs to see his family saved one day.

GIVE THANKS Through the early winter months of 2017, OM’s Near East relief project distributed monthly food support to 961 families, benefitting over 4,300 men, women and children. Give thanks for God’s provision.

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The distribution of Bibles continues to be a great need as God works through His Spirit to grow the Church. One OM team member in Lebanon was recently encouraged to join a group of 300 Kurdish believers as they celebrated Naruz, Kurdish New Year. He shares: “It is hard to believe that five years ago there were only a handful of believers in this area. We live in special times and have somehow been graced by God to be near all this.” The spiritual growth witnessed by our teams has been in large part birthed through meeting the practical needs of the Syrian people.

God is shaking this region and our people on the ground in Lebanon are there, meeting their needs and leading many to Christ.

Thank you for supporting the Just Christmas Appeal to bring hope and relief to Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Give thanks for opportunities to bring Good News among refugees

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OM’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY

THANKSGIVING TOUR 2017 FEATURING LOCAL ARTISTS AND WORSHIP LEADERS

LONDON 10TH JUNE

OSWESTRY 8TH JULY

BELFAST

23RD SEPTEMBER

BIRMINGHAM 5TH NOVEMBER

OM SUNDAY

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

GUEST SPEAKERS: GEORGE VERWER

OM FOUNDER

MATTHEW SKIRTON OM UK DIRECTOR

Registered office The Quinta, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY10 7LT. Registered as a company limited by guarantee no. 2564320 and charity no.1008196 (England and Wales), and SCO40988 (Scotland).

FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK TICKETS: WWW.UK.OM.ORG/60