As you can read below, this newsletter heralds the news that AJ’s financial situation is much improved. Thank you to everyone who generously gave in response to the “keep AJ over there (please!)” push, and to those who have involved their friends as new supporters. Thank you also to everyone who is praying for AJ.
AJ’s direct email address ([email protected]) appears to be working again. Please feel free to use it. The email sent there is stored in the US, so it should be ‘reasonably’ safe to mention Christian activities, etc., in email to this address.
Over to AJ...
Jason J
INTRO
I feel that the spiritual atmosphere is a little like a pile of dry kindling. All it needs is a big enough spark and the entire heap could catch on fire! The encouraging trend of open students accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour has continued, but how long will it last? All I know is that any movement recorded by history as a revival was founded in much prayer...FINANCIAL UPDATE
Thank you everyone for your great help! I resolved myself not to worry about my money situation, and at the same time believed God would keep me here due to the recently exciting events that have been taking place. I have been able to formulate a new budget, and while there is still much uncertainty with the dollar, I am expecting I can stay until March.Most likely I will return in February or there-abouts, at which time I will begin staff training in Sydney. I look forward to catching up with you and sharing in person some of the exciting things God has been doing this year.
WATERMELON!
This is the land of seasonal fruit. When a fruit comes into season, it can be spotted at all the greengrocers and popping up on fruit stalls or even in the back's of trucks. Sometimes to better showcase one's goods, the fruits can be off-loaded onto the sidewalk (using valuable pedestrian room).Six weeks ago, Strawberries could be found on every street corner. But, like many things in life that come and go, Strawberries have gone to be replaced by Watermelons. You could buy 10 kg Watermelons for 50c per kilo a month ago, but as they have come more and more into season, prices have dropped to mere 11c a kilo. But not a strawberry to be found. One simple rule for buying your favourite fruit, Get it while you can!
Summer is also the season of Weddings and Circumcisions. Envoys of no less than eight cars wind through the streets blowing their horns as a rather smug 12 year old sits propped on the back of a convertible dressed up in the apparel of a Sultan prince. He waves at the crowd with one hand while in the other he may hold a pickling jar containing the offensive, well uh, yeah, I haven't actually SEEN it, I've just heard that sometimes they wave it around for the world to see. Usually you can purchase a circumcision package deal that should satisfy all the family and extended family for a good price. The snipping, red convertible car, and videotaping of the parade through downtown (and taping of the snipping) comes in one simple package.
STINT FINISHES
Most of the Americans doing Stint this year have now finished up and returned home. While this year had three cities with Stint teams, next year is currently looking like only my city will receive a team. That does seem to be the nature of ministry here, with so few labourers, it is hard to form an on-going work with a semblance of consistency. We have been blessed this year in that although being without any women Stinters, there have been several new sisters. Hopefully they can be discipled by the next Stint team.
UNIVERSITY HOLIDAYS?
NOT FOR ME!
It's strange, I was told this would be the dead period in the university calendar with people in exams and going on holidays, but I have more contacts to follow up now than ever before! Are you praying for the work God is doing here? If not, who is!?! Someone certainly is as God recently seems to be bring many more open people to us.Praise God for the wave of new believers. "Tommy", who I mentioned before, became a believer after concluding that the bible was reliable. During the following week, he invited a group of students to come to our weekly "New Life" meeting. Out of that group, another student accepted Jesus. Two other men and two women have also accepted Jesus in the past month!
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" It seems that intellectual questions are of secondary importance to whether Muslims are able to perceive the truth in the gospel or not. Usually upon reading Jesus' words to love your enemy, to bless not curse and of redemption through Grace - the whole counter cultural (and definitely counter Islam) message of the Bible either strikes them in the heart, or glides past without any noticeable impact.
Do they understand the need for God to sanctify them, or do they feel they can reach God themselves, alone by their good deeds? The question I often pose to them is "Do you trust your own goodness to be sufficient for God, or do you trust God's goodness and mercy to be sufficient for you? If they can understand these spiritual truths, then it's just a question of the mind catching up with what the heart has perceived as divine truth.
I always stress the importance of understanding a rational basis for one's faith, but the fact is a person usually will not employ reasoning if they choose not to believe, and another will believe with many questions still remaining unanswered for them.
ALEVI
There is a sect of Islam called Alevism that is very interesting. It seems to be similar to the Gnostic sects that grew out of Christianity in the first centuries. The effect, however, is to make its adherents much more open to Jesus. There is a far greater openness than Sunni muslims shown by Alevis, but due to the highly mystic nature of the sect, they sometimes accept Jesus' claim to be God without any impact on their lives.However as a result of a general openness across the board with Alevi adherents, many believers have come from an Alevi background. Who knows? Wouldn't it be great if Alevi leaders could be won for Christ with a mass movement following? Perhaps some of you book worms out there have some info on Alevis you could share with me.
PRAISE / PRAYER POINTS
[Cut out along the dotted lines to insert this summary in the back of your day planner or bible]Praise:
* The new sisters and brothers we have gained* Growth in Tommy's life
Prayer:
* Pray for Tommy's sister who is showing an interest, and for his next-door neighbour, a good friend of his.* The many seeking people we have regular contact with. May they be amazed when their friends accept Christ and start considering accepting Jesus' leadership for their own lives
* More consistency in numbers workers coming from other countries. May new believers be well discipled and not "fall through the cracks"