Global issue 3 2012

global operation mobilisation magazine

transforming lives and communities

2012 • Issue No.3

Contents 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15

World News Ships Turkey Teenstreet Guatemala Partnership Near East OM Transform Olympics OM Lifehope Lake Tanganyika India

Front Cover: Teenagers from the UK enjoy a week of Christian discipleship at OM’s TeenStreet event in Germany Editor: Paul Beck Stories and images: Credit: OM International ©2012 OM International Designed and produced by: Sovereign Creative Marketing Tel: 0161 485 4488 www.sovereign.uk.com © Global magazine 2012. No part of this magazine may be copied or reproduced in any form without written approval from the publishers. Country file information taken from Operation World, 21st Century edition.

transforming lives and communities

Operation Mobilisation The Quinta, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry Shropshire SY10 7LT Telephone: 01691 773388 Fax: 01691 778378 Email: info.uk@om.org Website: www.uk.om.org

Operation Mobilisation. Registered office: The Quinta, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, Shropshire SY10 7LT. Registered as a company limited by guarantee no.

2564320 and charity no. 1008196 (England & Wales) and SCO40988 (Scotland)

- Mobilising and supporting this generation for local and global missions in partnership with the UK Church.

transforming lives and communities

- Training and placing international teams with churches around the UK, partnering with them to bring life and hope to their communities, reaching and discipling people from many nations.

- OM’s outreach, church planting and training ministry amongst the UK’s Arabic, Turkic and Iranic speaking communities, which are people groups from North Africa to India; based in London.

2

Dear

Friends

There have been many moments this summer which people will look back at with a sense of excitement and joy. Do you remember where you were on “Super Saturday” when three gold medals were won in the track and field or Ellie Simmonds smashing the world record in the 400 metres freestyle during the Paralympics swimming? Although not a cyclist, even I was captivated by the excitement and achievement of Bradley Wiggins in the Tour de France. For the athletes, these moments will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Indeed, I have heard some remark that their life will never be the same again. Moments can change lives, but of course we know the athletes didn’t just turn up on the day; their moment took years of preparation and sacrifice.

As you read through this edition of Global, you will share moments in people’s lives. The moment Diego from Costa Rica shared his faith while playing sport; the moment two women from our Turning Point team in London had their prayers answered to meet Arab women open to hearing the Gospel; the moment our Lifehope team experienced in Wolverhampton as person after person wanted to know more about the Gospel. Moments which will transform lives, moments which only happened as people prayed, sometimes for years, moments which were prepared by God and only possible through the sacrifice of our Lord on the cross. As we move towards the end of 2012, what are the moments you will look back on? Will it be the achievement of others in the sporting arena or your involvement in partnership in God’s arena? I hope it is both. Take a moment and pray, give or fill out an application form to go; a moment which will change your life and the lives of others.

Gary Sloan UK Director OM Regional Co-ordinators & Local Representatives

Greater London

Midlands

Wales

C/o UK National Office South East London (local representative) Mike Van Vuuren OM PO Box 660 Forest Hill London SE23 3ST 07702 193706

Steve Chedgzoy 2 Grant Road Coventry CV3 1GQ 07970 458 823

C/o UK National Office

South West England Trevor Brain 19 Dover Street Chippenham Wiltshire SN14 0EE 07718 031332

South East England C/o UK National Office

Scotland

Andy Cook C/o UK National Office 07854 186117

Sharon Rose OM C/o International Christian College 110 St. James Road Glasgow G4 0PS 0141 572 0050

North East England

Northern Ireland

C/o UK National Office Tyneside (local contact) Derek & Judith Evans 12 Owlets Court Ingleby Barwick TS17 0QE 01642 766395

John O McIlvenna 218 York Street Belfast N. Ireland BT15 1GY 07816 969350

Central North England

worldnews HAITI.....THAILAND.....holland.....www.uk.om.org

OM Thailand Takes A Step Forward Only one per cent of Thailand’s 65 million people are Christian. Woody Kim leads OM’s presence in the country and reports that the team there has nevertheless started two churches in recent years. Working with existing congregations, OM is also seeking to develop the leadership skills of young adult believers, equipping them for local and international outreach. Woody anticipates that the 2012 visit of Logos Hope to Thailand will be a major step towards that latter goal. “Four Thai workers are joining the crew this September and we’re looking to send other Thai believers into long-term service with OM soon,” he reports.

’s breaking Browse OM es at ministry stori m.org www.news.o

Bringing change in Haiti Following Haiti’s devastating earthquake, many OM teams (ten in 2011) were sent to bring practical and spiritual aid. Through their efforts, nine orphanages are now selfsustaining, five self-help groups have been started to provide funding for small businesses and to teach basic skills, and several hundred pastors and leaders have been trained and mentored. A total of 419 people have indicated decisions to follow Jesus in the past year, over a quarter of them through screenings of the ‘JESUS’ film. A chief voodoo priest is among those finding new faith in Christ and a church has now been planted in his area, which over a hundred people attend on an average Sunday.

Mission In Mind Over 200 Christians who have answered God’s call to serve in missions gathered in late August for OM’s Global Orientation conference. Over a twoweek period they heard teaching about and discussed many issues surrounding the Great Commission, as well as spending time in prayer and worship. After the time together in Holland finished, the group headed to their respective mission fields. Christine from Trinidad & Tobago came to the conference hoping to have many of her questions answered: “Going to Eastern Europe will be a totally new experience for me. It has been great to meet leaders who have been there and could put things in perspective.”

3

SHIPS

sailingon Out of the water, but not out of action!

Commencing this spring, Logos Hope spent an extended period in the Philippines undergoing routine maintenance. With power, water and living conditions much reduced, the vessel was in no state to welcome members of the public. The crew’s ministry was far from on hold though, as members of the ship’s company fanned out across the country and wider region to bring knowledge, help and hope to those they met.

This included the nomadic Mangyan tribe, who welcomed a group from the ship to live amongst them whilst the vessel was being worked on.

Much of this community’s time is taken up with the search for food, but during their stay, the Logos Hope team provided meals for them. This freed the children from working with their parents in the mountains, allowing them to play with and listen to the crewmembers tell stories from the Bible. “They brought much happiness,” summarised Jerome, one of the tribe and a father of four. A young Christian, he was especially grateful to the team for the impact their example and teaching had upon the tribe.

The energy and enthusiasm of those crew not involved in the dry dock project went far beyond the Philippines though.

Three Logos Hope members flew to Australia, where they visited churches, Bible schools and home groups to inform,

to serve others

encourage and excite people about the Ship Ministry.

“I remember one girl’s eyes sparkling as she described her desire to serve God,” recalled team leader Lisa about the many conversations they had with people during the 80 presentations they gave.

For some on board Logos Hope however, their major ministry is the practical skills they bring with them. In unpleasant living conditions, they toiled to get the vessel shipshape and their efforts were boosted by Christian tradespeople from around the world who volunteered to assist the various maintenance projects.

Foremost on the work list was completing preparations to replace two older generators, the main switchboard and to install a heat recovery system. “The upgrading and renewal of these systems at a future date will enable a simpler and more reliable operation of the vessel,” explained OM Ships Crewing Director Mark Dimond. Throughout this time, the unity, love and positive attitude of those on board was observed by curious local shipyard workers who had never seen a Christian community in action.

As the ship’s company gathered together again, there was much to catch up on and praise God for. New challenges awaited though, including visits to Thailand where the crew’s passion to share the Gospel continued in a country where few know Christ. www.omships.org

Engineers Urgently Needed!

At the time of going to press, Logos Hope was in urgent need of qualified marine engineers to join the crew and keep the ship sailing. Do you know someone who God is calling to this role?

Visit www.omships.org/ engineers for more details.

4

NEXT GENERATION

singing a

NEWSONG ‘Helping young people walk closer with Jesus and reflect Him in their daily lives’; a vision which has been at the centre of OM’s TeenStreet since it began twenty years ago. This year’s event in Europe saw 3,600 people from 19 nations descend upon the site in Oldenburg, Germany to explore the theme NEWSONG40, based on Psalm 40 v 3 – ‘He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.’

During the week, the teens were encouraged to identify their “old songs”, which represent things that pull them away from knowing God’s unconditional love. They discussed what it means to sing a “new song” and learnt that in order to change their song, they need to fully give their lives to God and allow Him to change them. “Isaiah 61 promises that He has the oil of gladness, a garment of praise and a crown of beauty for us,” said Josh Walker, who with his wife Debs was one of the main speakers.

“We are praying that in every area of our lives we will know His power, restoration and hope so that we can live as we were truly meant to live.”

The programme was packed with creative ways to engage the teens with the theme. This included the decoration of the main stage, as bricks representing the ‘old song’ were ripped away during the week to reveal NEWSONG music sheets underneath.

The Global Village, based on Isaiah 61 vs 1-2, also challenged participants to care about the broken and oppressed around the world. An open area was transformed into a departure lounge for the fictitious OM Airlines which ‘flew’ around 350 teens each day to destinations where they were faced with challenging realities in the world, conveyed by actors. David, from OM Sweden, was overwhelmed by the teens’ response to the Global Village, many of whom described it as “shocking”. “We never

TeenStreet 2013 will take

place from 27 July – 3 August in Offenburg, Germany.

For more information, stories, photos and videos, visit www.teenstreet.de or facebook.com/TeenStreet.

6

for God

expected this,” he said. “It was bigger than we ever thought it would be.”

To commemorate TeenStreet’s 20th birthday, participants lined up outside to form the word TEENSTREET while an airplane flew overhead to take a photo. Immediately after, teens and staff ran in the RAG (Raise and Give) Race to raise money for a sports ministry project reaching youth in Bosnia. Clarion, a TeenStreet staff member, said, “It is not only about the money raised, but also in the personal effort done for Jesus.”

Both teens and staff left TeenStreet with hope, good memories and a NEWSONG. Jessica from the USA, said, “My new song is to be fulfilled with Christ at all times and to not need other outside things to satisfy me.”

“I never imagined sharing the Gospel through sports,” says Diego from Costa Rica, who participated in a recent outreach organised by OM Central America in Guatemala. “Now I know that sports are a great tool to reach out to others!”

With nine more volunteers, Diego played several matches on public football fields and helped coordinate football clinics for children. The team distributed over a hundred New Testaments and shared the Gospel with players and many spectators. “We were very grateful because of those who heard the Gospel; four people decided to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour,” he recalls.

Another team member remembers talking to a father and his son who had listened as the OM group shared the Gospel and taken a New Testament. “I have come to this football field for many years,” the father said. “But today is different. We are not only playing and then going home. I heard about how I can make a difference in my life and with my life. It’s a special day because I am able to be here with my son and read this New Testament together. Once a week we try to read something together with my family, but next time we read I am going to share this book with them.”

PIONEERING INITIATIVES

game

for the Gospel

Daniel from Guatemala, also a participant in the outreach, didn’t even know OM had a sports ministry, let alone that he was would be part of such a team! “I got scared when I saw the group I was going to work with,” he says. “They all seemed to be really good football players and I thought I could never live up to their expectation.” During the week though, Daniel’s feelings changed.

“The fear I had of not being good enough for the team went away completely. The team was like my family. We were so united and helped one another all the time.” It wasn’t even about winning or losing a game, he says. “It was all about sharing the message of salvation. It continued to surprise me how easy it was to share the Gospel through sports.”

Diego, meanwhile, is determined to continue using all the things he learnt in the outreach back in his own country. “God has given us talents to share the Gospel. Sport is one of them. I am thrilled to have discovered this means of reaching out to others.”

www.omsportslink.org

7

INDIA

scaling new heights for India’s lowest

Gangoh School

Despite India’s growing economic success, its 250 million ‘Dalits’ remain oppressed and marginalised. Little of the wealth being created trickles down to those who are in most need.

Dalit leaders have recognised that the only way to free their people is through education and have requested schools be set up for this purpose. Since 2001, OM UK has been supporting this initiative and seen it bring amazing transformation not only in the lives of children attending the schools but to their families and communities.

OM’s partner in India, OMIF now has over a hundred schools located across India where Dalit children are welcomed and provided with high quality English medium education. One such school is based at Gangoh Saharanpur about five hours’ drive from Delhi. Through this school, the lives of over 500 poor and needy children are being transformed.

The school has its own purpose-built building but now needs extra space to accommodate the classes which are added every year. To help fund this, OM UK is organising a trek to the Nanda

Devi region of India. Each person going on the trek will be raising sponsorship money which will go towards building the new classrooms required at Gangoh School.

Nanda Devi is the second highest peak in India and the surrounding area is blessed with breath-taking scenery, winding rivers, magnificent waterfalls and picturesque villages dotted along the way. Once in the mountain you climb up through dense forests of oak, pine, rhododendron, fir and deodar cedar and through wide open grassy meadows used as summer grazing by Garhwali shepherds. You don’t need to resemble a professional athlete to join the OM Challenge team and trek through the Himalayas, but a good level of fitness and a strong will is recommended.

The trek is scheduled to take place at the beginning of May 2013. The trip to India will also include a visit to see the school at Gangoh.

For more details, please visit www.uk.om.org/indiatrek.

TO FIND OUT MORE…

15

Next generation

L A B

Releasing the Power of Young Faith

O L G

s d i k

e v o l ’s d o G f o s w e N .org d o o .om G e h kids t g rin lobal a h S w.g ww erve to s ren e r he ild s is p ch Lkid we hel ’s love A B od LO rials, r, G of G e che d mat News a e g lT se d ucin hoo Goo e ba rod s of y Sc ng Bibl ng the p r f a o e ri im . Usi nce mpl r Pr sha l erie ife exa ol o schoo about p o x l h e l ’ Sc ch or ears r rea them with r day 10 y iscove wide. cks of Sun our chu d excite a r e p a n ov ill d world an u’re kids ey atio yw has BAL ed don .

If yo esourc ission ids y. The of OM O k L e r L m r d G A o r ne ork and rstand age. men ch m LOB f ou jour yw g e K, G n on a sionar ne o a recom nd mu o U und a youn r M e a is r re ord of O VD, e fo hild he m from and vailabl ets, D istry t take c ough t g n i e r a m a sh hr .o is As a rces th doing t .omch pack ans, work s u o d s i i s l a d re alk e. E on p t Go wha globor Europks of less . w w ndia wee tw Visi us on I ures 8 t c a fo nd fea a 5 £1

Operation Mobilisation Registered office: The Quinta, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, Shropshire SY10 7LT. 01691 773388 • info.uk@om.org • www.uk.om.org Registered as a company limited by guarantee no. 2564320 and charity no.1008196 (England and Wales), and SCO40988 (Scotland).

transforming lives and communities