STM09

Pray BFF Letter #234

Thursday, October 24, 2013
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Home from India & Nepal

Dear Prayer Partners,

I arrived home last Saturday after a trip with back pain and a missed flight, making it seem longer than normal. My first flight was more than an hour late in arriving, causing me to miss the second flight. Floods in IndiaI was at the international airport in Nepal and the agents told me I had to go into the city to get new tickets. With hardly being able to stand because of pain, and my flights to USA leaving without me, God opened the door to transfer to another airline that would get me to the next flight on time. Thank the Lord, God helped the agent to charge less than what it would normally cost for a last minute flight. Your prayers were greatly appreciated!

{Field reports are collated into the #233 prayer letter.)

Living Under God’s hand

We didn’t experience any earthquakes, but the huge cyclone (hurricane) that targeted the area where I was going by train, dumped huge amounts of rain. Looking back, I am very touched by God’s gracious hand of protection:

Remembering

On the morning I was to return to the States, I bent over and extreme pain shot through my back. I applied what I had been teaching and trusted the Lord for how He would care for the whole situation.

Looking back, I remembered that I had left for this STM with back pain, but I had forgotten about it. Only when I was to return, did the back spasms again hit me (though worse). This reminded me that God had really watched over me during the three demanding seminars, 30 messages, 60-90 minutes for most of them. God was my strength. My feet were more sore than my back. The discomfort at the end reminded me of how much He, through your prayers, protected that important ministry for His glory. Thanks again for all your prayer and financial support.

After totaling up everything, including 4 extra bookings due to the many irregularities, the full costs were covered by what God provided. That great sum came in just within a week.

The Ministry

Each seminar was a moving experience as we saw the hearts of the leaders in attendance being shaped by the Spirit of God (Calcutta on left). books distributedFrom their many comments, testimonies, requests and comments from the coordinators, we could discern God doing some major work in His people. So although they came with difficulties and some hardness, they returned home with gladness and full of faith for God’s work in the church and in their marriage.

Do pray. Though the seminars barely escaped all the interruptions of the cyclone’s impact, the flooding will last up to another 2 weeks in places. Besides this, there is the ongoing oppression that the believers must face. seminars in NepalThe church is standing firm in her testimony, however. Both in India among the Bengalis and in Nepal, (Nepal photo below) we saw clear evidence and heard testimony of how powerfully God was working in the midstof His people.

The challenges ahead are many, but what we saw true with this simple ministry, is also true for the way God will individually watch over His people there. Keep praying!

Praise!

  • Praise God for full funding for this STM even with unexpected expenses!

  • Thank the Lord that the back pain did not trouble me while teaching the seminars.

  • Thank God for guiding the weather so that the seminars were not troubled by the cyclones.

  • Most of all, thank the Lord for working in many marriages and church leaders’ lives. We had 25 out of 35 churches represented at our training in Nepal. I think we could see how God ‘rocked’ the hearts of His leaders.

  • We saw good and anticipated attendance despite interruptions with Hindu festivals and weather changes.

  • God watched over my family and ministry while away.HIndu celebrating pja worship time

Pray!

  • Pray for Pastor J as he follows up caring for the pastors and congregations suffering from the floods in India. He wrote, “I really do not know what to do... but what we decided is at least to distribute some rice, dal, and other necessaries to those houses as they won’t have any job for next one month or so till the water level gets down.”

  • Pray for the coordinators as they consider how to follow up the seminars. Pastor J was planning to teach marriage seminars for the villages to help the local pastors, but the floods will interrupt that.

  • Pray that the pastors in Nepal would work together to better equip their people. Like most place, they focus on evangelism and neglect discipleship.

  • Each day my back is better. Do pray for guidance on what projects to work on next.

  • Pray for my mission talk this coming Sunday (Oct 27th) at our mother church.

Thanks so much for your prayers!

 

PLEASE NOTE:

BFF is an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit religious organization and able to offer receipts to contributions in the United States. Address your financial support to Biblical Foundations for Freedom (or BFF). All designated funds go to the general fund, but specified gifts are allowed: STM (overseas training), Love (helping overseas pastors/ Christian leaders and families in need). Thank you for your kind giving!

 

Paul

Rev. Paul J. Bucknell, President and Instructor

Biblical Foundations for Freedom

____________________________

Email: pb@foundationsforfreedom.net
Phone: (+1) 412-398-4559 (Mobile)
3276 Bainton St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 USA

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