Behold the Fields are White unto Harvest
Pakistan Ministry Trip 9-9-06 to 10-3-06

9-13-06

Praise Jesus for all his mighty works among us.  His grace is proving sufficient for all our needs.

 

I want to let you know more of B.E.M. and what they are doing in Pakistan.  I didn't know what a power they are in Pakistan and I am so pleased to be part of what they are doing.

 

Some Statistics

Number of Church Affiliations 207 avg. attendance 24

Number of salvations and baptisms last year 1690

Areas of work - Faisalabad and area, Kashmir, Iran and Afghanistan.

 

They are currently building a 26 room Bible School / Central Church near here. They supply the pastors of all 207 church their main salary to enable them to do full time ministry.  They deserve our prayers and support.  Any money sent to me for them will go 100% to them as I really believe in their work.

 

Needs

About 50,000 US to finish the school/ Church

About 57,000 US for sewing machines for a ministry to help Christians to earn more money that the current 1.50 per day they currently earn as domestic labor or sweeping streets.  This ministry will teach them a trade that is used in this area. Pervais, Razia's husband has managed such business in the past and knows all about how this would work and will be the go-to-guy on this ministry.

Ongoing money for work with pastors, widows and assistance in the Christian community in Pakistan

I still need 5000 US to repay my part of this ministry

 

Our plans and results

We plan about 20 meetings during my stay here in and around Faisalabad and one day up in Kashmir.  Some we will be driving all day to have a meeting at night and drive back late that night.

 

Last night we had our first meeting.  We met in a courtyard of a church member with about 40 to 50 people.  We worshipped and gave a strong presentation of the Gospel and praise Jesus we had 18 respond.  We baptized them that night and headed home giving God all the Glory for using such people as us.

 

9-18-06
Praise Jesus for His abundant love he is pouring out on these poor forgotten believers in Pakistan!  After 3 days of meetings we are rejoicing in a total of 41 salvations / baptisms.  We preach the powerful word of God, every night a unique message straight from the Father's heart, to pierce the hearts and many, sometimes half the people at the meetings want to accept Christ and be baptized. 

Being baptized here is a powerful testimony to all.  We bring in a portable baptism tank set it up and fill it with water.  Many villages don't have running water and we fill it bucket by bucket.  These faithful servants, Isaac our security man (who carries an AK-47) and others I don't know their names fill the tank with about 50 gallons of water and accomplish this near the end of my sermon so I can make the eternal call. 

Friday night we went to a small Christian village about an hour out of town.  There 7 came forward of about 18 to 20 people and then we prayed for the sick, and those who wanted a deeper touch of God.  God is so able and abundant in His pouring out!

Saturday night we met at another small Christian village near the first and had about 30 - 40 present.  Some from the other village came also.  I preached with passion and asked if any wanted baptism.  None raised their hands so I started praying for the sick.  Several from the other village told us that many had been healed the other night. 

God honors his word in Acts 4:29-30 ”And now, Lord, take notice of their threats, and grant that your bondservants may speak forth your words with all confidence, while you extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus"

Some Highlights

Many who came forward for salvation / baptism came with joy and tears.  They heard of a God who desperately loves them and desires to be their friend.  Christians in Pakistan are small, alone and friendless and to hear that the Living God wants to be their friend, they enter that relationship with joy.  Several I would call "grandfathers and grandmothers" came and several children and others of all ages to the tank to be sealed into a living and eternal relationship.

One lady in the first village above was present the second night.  She had a knee that was swelled up severely and very painful even to a gentle touch.  We prayed and the swelling left that night.  She came for further prayer for a small pain still remained and Jesus removed it entirely.

Another had constant nausea and vomiting and was touched and healed.  Another had severe kidney pain and it was removed in Jesus name.

The Future

Tonight we go to a village in a dangerous area (all Pakistan is dangerous to some extent) and the people can't believe we are coming.  We smile and read the verse above and know that if God is with us, who is against us?  We know that the enemy is very unhappy we are destroying his kingdom one person at a time.

All this week we are going to small villages and small churches to open hearts to the wonders of Jesus!!

Next week we start some crusade work where we will be attracting maybe 1000 people per night.  We anticipate we could get 100 - 200 salvations / baptisms per night and many healings as well as God moves among the people.

This is the very expensive phase and it appears I may still be as much as $5,000 behind.  Never the less we press forward, "afflicted in every way, but not crushed: perplexed, but not despairing: persecuted, but not forsaken: struck down, but not destroyed: always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body.  For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh."  II Corinthians 3:8-11

My brothers and sisters in the Lord, do we really understand the value of a single soul to God?

Our Needs

As I mentioned above I may still be $5,000 behind.

Urdu bibles, about 10,000 at about $3-4 apiece.  Many of these Christians are extremely poor and cannot afford an Urdu bible.  It does no good to send an English bible as they cannot read it.

God Bless you all may the Lord richly use you

9-20-06

Some Highlights

Today it is much cooler for which we are grateful.  Pakistani P&L is not very reliable and on a hot day when it goes off it can be miserable.  Faisalabad is a large city in the Punjab district.  Hot, humid, dirty, polluted.  We are in a Christian ghetto area, with very bad streets, frequent power outages, poor water etc.  Many Christians live in these areas, due to economic need.  The Muslim overlords have the best areas to themselves. 

Oh the whole the people of Pakistan are warm and friendly.  The Christian communities, so forgotten are all alone and very suppressed.

Through the robber area

Isaac loaded a couple more banana clips of 30 caliber AK-47 ammo into his pocket as we headed out to the village in the robber area.  We knew it is dangerous to go, but everyone said, "We are baptized!" meaning they were secure in their Lord and would go non-the-less.  So off we went and thankfully there were no confrontations.  We got to the village and were met with great joy, drums and dancing, in which Shaun and I joined.  48 heard the message that night and were baptized. Praise God for His glorious work.  The enemy is strongly opposing us with sickness, untimely power outages, threats etc.

Later in a nearby area we had a rally where over 200 attended. Here we had a man with an AK-47 on the stage area with us for protection.  Several we had seen earlier were there and we rejoiced to hear that many we prayed for to be healed were!  God is so good.

Total people brought into the Kingdom to have a living relationship with the loving God is now 102.

Our biggest meetings are coming.  We have been working in the villages building the momentum for a large rally we plan next week where we anticipate thousands, perhaps up to 1,000.

Pray for the Lord of the harvest to give us unending joy and strength as we share the gospel with the lost.  Pray for the Muslims that come to the Lord as they become instant targets of death squads for converting to Christianity.  Islam is a wicked belief that practices all that is inimical to the Lord and is headed for judgment.  Pray that God will open more hearts even thought the cost is so great.

God bless you all

10-04-06

 

This is my final report about Pakistan, as I am now home, it won’t be “from” Pakistan.  This will be more my thoughts, hopes and prayers rather than events, though I may mention events as past.  God Bless each as you read and may the Lord of all creation bless you in totally unexpected ways!

 

Pakistan

 

Two types of weather, hot and hotter.

Two types of food, hot and hotter.

 

After spending three weeks in a third world country, the USA looks very good.  Hot showers, Yay!  Water you can drink from the tap, Yay! Air you don’t have to chew before you breathe, Yay!   

 

 

 

A typical smoggy day in Pakistan.

 

The areas we were in were the poor Christian areas and most people cooked with wood or dried cow chips.  The air was acrid also because of the motorcycles and rickshaws that had two cycle engines that spewed smoke.  There were other sources too that I didn’t know what they were, but he air really stunk.

 

Yes and all the Pakistani’s shower or bathe with cold water, water you cannot drink or face a visit to the hospital.

 

Traffic, Imagine a vast dance of bicycles, donkey carts, people on foot, beggars, cars, small truck, big trucks, busses, rickshaws, motorcycles all weaving around, lines no matter, lights not an issue, like a laminar flow of liquid, horns honking, bumpers almost touching, no one getting mad, just everything flowing and somehow all working.  That is everyday traffic in Pakistan.  Smoggy beyond endurance as well.  On highways big trucks coming down the wrong way because it is shorter to make that turn across the median up stream and come back.  Or at night on a two lane road, that is really about four lanes and you are facing a truck passing a truck and a car passing them both coming your way and in your “lane” an donkey cart with no reflectors.  How they keep from having a pile up is beyond me.

 

But you won’t find a greater group of warm and loving Christians than in Pakistan.  To be a Christian there invites persecution and those who have made the commitment and been baptized are so strong in their faith it is incredible.  But they are weak in true Bible knowledge, mainly because they have no Urdu Bibles.  At our last crusade we have about 1000 people and only about 10 or so Bibles evident.  Some of the Churches share Bibles and only get one every other month of so.  So to have someone with a deep Biblical knowledge come in and teach the truth is a complete joy to them.

 

Islam in Pakistan

 

There is a darkness over Pakistan that is Islam.  The Muslim overlords are Pharisees, and zealots with a man made religion of externals.  There is also a demonic darkness there as well.  On a trip to Rawalpindi and Islamabad we were driving on a crowded road and I was on the left side looking out and praying.  A public van pulls up at a slow down and a Muslim man in back catches my eyes.  I look into his eyes and for an instance I see depths of incredible darkness and a demonic voice says to me; “I know you!  I know what you are doing and I hate you!”  I was not too surprised and the devil knows I am here to do maximum damage to his kingdom.  Actually it was a compliment to me and I took it as so.  The van moved on and the man continued to stare as they move away, recognition in his eyes.

 

There are principalities in places in Pakistan, but as the Lord spoke to me their thrones are cracking and starting to crumble.

 

The Muslims use economic suppression to keep the Christians at bay.  If you are a poor Muslim there is help from the local mosque for you, a paying job and help in groceries or whatever you need.  Nothing for the Christian.  Most Christians in Pakistan earn about 90 to 100 rupees per day or about a dollar and a half.  Food and other things are not very cheap, in fact some are almost as expensive as America.  Christian jobs are street sweeper, garbage picker, domestic servants, brick factor workers, manual laborers, donkey cart drivers, some rickshaw drivers as well.  A small truck costs about 15,000 to 18,000 dollars (there are about 60 rupees per dollar) and a rickshaw costs 13,000 to 15,000 dollars.  Hard money to come up with when you make a buck and a half a day.  A donkey cost about 200 dollars.  But the government has just decreed that donkey, camel, and horse carts are being removed and in two months they will be outlawed.  A tough blow to Christian drivers.  Many don’t know what they will do as the cost of alternatives are too much.  Another economic ploy by the Muslim overlords.

 

There is also a blasphemy law in place where if a Christian speaks of Christianity to a Muslim on the street the Christian can be put into jail.  But a Muslim can speak against Christianity with no penalties.  This blasphemy law is used much to economically hurt Christians as well because Muslims will claim blasphemy and use it to take property and money away from Christians who have it.

 

I have lost any respect for Islam as I saw it being acted out.  While in Bangkok waiting for our flight I saw some Muslims praying.  They spread out little rugs and kneel and bow in a ritual for all to see.  They were the Pharisee at the temple not the publican and they have their reward.

 

Hope in Christ and Economic Hope

 

When I started this ministry the Lord spoke to my heart and said “I want you to bring my hope into hearts in these places I am sending you as well as economic hope.”  I didn’t know exactly what He was talking about, but I wanted to just be obedient.

 

Sewing machines for Pakistan.

 

BEM is a wonderful ministry bring hope to Pakistani Christians.  I am working with them to start a ministry of teaching Christians how to sew in the garment industry in Pakistan.  Actually the machines we will provide will be a seed for future growth and employment for Pakistani Christians.  They will earn in this industry 8 – 9 dollars per day to even 100 dollars per day for some machinery.  Quite a pay increase from a dollar and a half per day.  This will take a while, but has huge potential and the Holy Spirit is all over it.

 

Other BEM projects.

 

Twenty six room Bible School.  Cost to finish it about 50,000 dollars.

New Church in Robber Village (where we baptized 67 people) about 10,000 dollars.

Taking Muslims who what to be baptized and relocating them. (so they won’t be killed) 

Supporting the pastors of the Churches

Supporting widows and orphans

 

The Bible school is going to send many flaming arrows out into the areas around that no one will be able to put out.

 

Total harvest in all meetings is 172 trophies of His grace!  Hallelujah to Him who does all things well.  Many were healed as well.  Praise Jesus!!

 

Yours Truly

 

Yes and what about me?  Well I have been irrevocably changed.  I have seen the Lord is rich and wonderful ways and I love Him supremely.  I have walked in places to spread the gospel where my life was in danger and I loved it.  I can find nothing else in this world that will satisfy me, but to walk with my Lord where He calls me.

He has given me a fantastic gift.  I speak from the Living Word with out notes, but the Lord speaks through me.  The people were amazed by this as I spoke for an hour just from the Living Word and it flow out of me.  I am so grateful and thankful to my Lord and I give Him all the glory.  I stand amazed at His grace to me such a sinner that He would allow me to do such a work.

 

My soul, ask what thou wilt,

Thou canst not be too bold;

Since His own blood for thee He spilt

What else can he withhold?

                                  Unknown

 

Oh that in me the sacred fire

Might now begin to glow

Burn up the dross of base desire

And make the mountains flow

                                  Charles Wesley

 

“Breathe on me, Breath of God,

Till I am wholly Thine

Until the Earthly Part of me

Glows with Thy fire divine.

                                  Dr. Hatch

 

To make my weak heart strong and brave,

Send the fire.

To live a dying world to save,

Send the fire

Oh, see me on thy altar lay,

my life, my all this very day

To crown the offering now I pray:

Send the fire!

                                  F. de L., Booth Tucker

 

 

We must make our prayers as Vast as God and as High as Heaven and as hot as the flame on the altar.

 

My great love to you all.

 

Evan Wiggs

 

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