One Gift From Jesus [November 2009 eMagazine]

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you...in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:3-6).

Dear Friends,

I am so glad that you are involved, "participating in the gospel." The Philippians, through their support of Paul's ministry, were a vital part of his success and the expansion of the kingdom of God. In fact, when Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, he had just received some support from them. He wrote,

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me....Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received…what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:10-19).

Your participation is sure evidence that the Lord is perfecting the work He began in you. And be assured that your heavenly account is likewise profiting, and the Lord will certainly supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.

Please enjoy reading this month about just a few of the "least of these" among Jesus' family around the world who have benefitted because of your obedience to Christ. — David

One Gift from Jesus
The Orphan's Tear Christmas Gifts Fund

A child in East Africa, dressed as hundreds of millions of the world’s children are

Snow is falling softly outside, the aroma of cinnamon and spice floats from the kitchen, while the chatter of excited children who are unwrapping their gifts fills the air. There are so many gifts that they don't all fit under the Christmas tree....dolls in every shape and size, action figures from TV shows, and enough stuffed animals to start a zoo. All are destined to eventually be sold in a garage sale in just a few years, or put out with the trash...

Contrast that scene with a Christmas being celebrated in another place, somewhere many miles away. There is no snow. In fact, no one here has ever seen snow because it is so warm year-round. The smell of dust and dirt fills the air, as well as the stench of manure from a nearby pigpen. Yet, excited children are here, too, and all are opening their single gift...clothing, shoes or a needed blanket. You'd think they would be disappointed about only receiving clothes, but their faces light up with joy, and they excitedly show their friends their new outfits. These new clothes will be worn proudly at church or school. This is a Christmas more like the original Christmas, where one Gift was given to the world, and there was no snow, just the smell of dust, dirt and animals. This is what Christmas is like at most of the orphanages supported each month through Heaven's Family's Orphan's Tear division.

Will you help us give an orphan his or her only Christmas gift this year? 100% of every contribution to the Christmas Gifts for Orphans Fund is used to provide a gift for each child living at one of our forty orphanages around the world. $5 provides one gift for one child. The orphanage directors generally use the Christmas money we send to buy each child some new clothing, or a warm blanket. Please help us reach our goal this year to provide $5 Christmas gifts for 1,469 orphans! Thanks so much.

The Bigger Picture: Through Heaven's Family's Orphan's Tear division, over a thousand children—in forty Christian orphanages in seven nations—receive monthly support from compassionate sponsors. $20 per month helps provides food, clothing, school fees, shelter and Christian nurture for a little follower of Christ. To find your child, please visit OrphansTear.org

Very Sneaky Bibles
The Bibles for Believers Fund at Work in North Korea

Border guards walk over a railway bridge in the city of Hyesan, North Korea

Heaven’s Family partners have recently returned from China where they met with undercover missionaries who regularly risk their lives to work in neighboring North Korea. They not only provide food aid and Bibles, but also help endangered North Korean believers escape across the border to safe houses in China and onto asylum in other nations. Their work has been so effective that several thousand North Korean secret police have reportedly been dispatched into China to hunt down those who have escaped.

North Korean refugees in China have been hand-copying the Bible in Korean in order to smuggle copies back into North Korea where there is a great shortage of Scriptures. However, one of our partners' most trusted secret missionaries told them that it is no longer safe to carry Bibles into North Korea. If he were caught, he said that he would be put on trial as a spy and most likely sentenced to death. Being a Christian in North Korea is a capital offense.

Balloon drops are one of the ways Heaven's Family is getting Bibles into North Korea

Our partners have been working for months on a safer means of underground Bible distribution, and they've landed upon a very innovative means which, for security reasons, can't be revealed in this update. Heaven's Family is partnering with Alpha Relief to provide the Bible to underground Christian families in North Korea using that innovative means. Thanks for making it possible through your gifts to the Bibles for Believers Fund.

Heaven's Family is partnering with Alpha Relief to provide the Bible to underground Christian families in North Korea using this innovative means. Just forty dollars provides one for a North Korean family.

The Bigger Picture: Thirty-three-year-old Ri Hyon Ok was publicly executed in North Korea on June 16, 2009 for handing out copies of the Bible. According to a report from South Korean activists, she was also accused of being a spy for South Korea and the United States. Ri Hyon Ok was a mother of three children. Her husband, children and parents were sent to a political prison camp in the northeastern section of the North Korea after she was executed. Gifts to the Bibles for Believers Fund make it possible to put the Word of God into the hands of persecuted, underground believers in communist countries like North Korea. On their behalf, thanks so much.

A Disciple-Making Minister
The Books for Pastors Fund at Work in Burundi

Pastor Bienvenu Bizimana with a copy of the Kirundi translation of The Disciple-Making Minister

Like so many pastors, Bienvenu Bizimana, of Burundi, East Africa, was discouraged and frustrated. He knew he was called to shepherd a flock, which he faithfully did for six years. The members of his congregation, however, were like strangers, not family members. He only saw them on Sundays. Worse, few were making any spiritual progress or demonstrating the fruit of true disciples. Where was the body of Christ that Bienvenu read about in the New Testament?

After much prayer, Bienvenu decided to take a radical step. Giving up security and respect, he resigned his pastorate and started a new church in his humble home with a vision to follow the pattern that he read about in the book of Acts. Here's what happened next:

I did not have a clear understanding of the house church concept. I spent almost two years confusing house church with traditional cell church. I had practically no fruit, no true disciples. Confused, God had mercy on me, and an American missionary friend handed me a book titled The Disciple-Making Minister. After going through it and scrutinizing almost every verse it contains, I got a clear understanding of what house church really is.

I went on to translate the first three chapters into our national language of Kirundi, and then printed and distributed them to my thirsty team members. The teaching of TDMM became a big tool which enabled us to direct our vision to making disciples, not church attendees. Since that time our movement has known an explosion of disciples who make disciples who make disciples. [Note: Bienvenu personally has seventh-generation disciples!]

Bienvenu eventually translated all thirty-three chapters of The Disciple-Making Minister into Kirundi, and we've printed 2,000 copies, which he is distributing to traditional and house church pastors across his nation. So far, Bienvenu and his disciples have planted at least seven-hundred house churches in four of Burundi's provinces. Thousands of Burundians have been born again. Bienvenu writes:

Although, each of our ministers has got his own copy of the TDMM in Kirundi, we still have times of reading the TDMM loudly in small groups to teach and encourage one another. Whether we read it in a small group or individually, we say: "David was there watching over our traditions."

Nineteen of the twenty-three current translations of The Disciple-Making Minister

The Bigger Picture:The Disciple-Making Minister has now been translated into twenty-one languages, and five more translations are in progress. Over one-hundred and twenty-five thousand copies have been printed around the world and distributed to pastors and Christian leaders. Twenty-two percent of every gift to the Heaven's Family Mutual Fund is used to print and distribute The Disciple-Making Minister to pastors and Christian leaders around the world. (To learn more about the Heaven's Family Mutual Fund, see the back cover of this magazine.)

A Tale of Two Heros
The Disaster Relief Fund at Work in Myanmar

Pastor Great Son and his family in front of their new house built by Heaven’s Family

As Heaven's Family has continued to provide relief to our brothers and sisters in the cyclone-decimated Irrawaddy Delta of southern Myanmar, we've learned of some heros. One of them is Great Son, pastor of Karen Baptist Church in Taphian Village. One-hundred and ten members of his small congregation perished the day that Cyclone Nargis made landfall. Those who survived in Taphian Village not only lost relatives, but everything they owned. Most gave up all hope.

Pastor Great Son rose to the occasion to serve the survivors. He put his hands to work building small thatch huts from the cyclone debris. When he received fifty sheets of galvanized tin roofing from Heaven's Family, he gave it all away to others while he and his family moved in with his father-in-law whose small hut survived the cyclone. His selflessness caught the eye of our primary partner in Myanmar, who requested $1,500 to fund a strong wood house (rather than a $180 thatch house, as we are funding for most) for pastor Great Son and his family. We could not resist.

Yu Shu in front of his new house built by Heaven’s Family

A second hero who surfaced was church-planting missionary Yu Shu. Yu Shu migrated from Taphian Village seven years ago to plant a church in Pan Phuh Village. Like Job of old, Yu Shu was severely tested. Cyclone Nargis took his wife and six children all in one day. Yu Shu wished he had perished with them.

Yu Shu not only lost his entire family, but found himself completely destitute, without food or shelter. The surviving members of Karen Baptist Church in Taphian sent a small bit of relief, but they themselves were destitute. His young nephew took him in and looked after him in his grief. In spite of his trials, Yu Shu did not lose his faith in God.

Wanting to encourage him, our primary partner in Myanmar requested $1,500 for a solid wood house for Yu Shu. We sent it, and Yu Shu was encouraged. He is smiling more often now, and he smiled for the photo on the front cover of this magazine, standing before his new house. May the Lord restore all that he has lost.

The Bigger Picture: Using gifts to our Disaster Relief Fund, Heaven's Family continues to fund the building of small houses for our surviving spiritual family in Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta. Cyclone Nargis was the worst natural disaster in Myanmar’s modern history, killing at least 140,000 people and severely affecting over two million survivors. About 360,000 homes were destroyed outright, and more than 450,000 people remain exposed under severe weather conditions and in dire need of shelter aid.

Behind the Scenes at Heaven's Family
by David Servant

From left to right Charity McDaniel, Emily Growden, David Warnock, Stephen Servant, David Growden, David Servant, Elisabeth Servant, Liam McDaniel, CJ McDaniel

Ten months ago I wrote an article for our February magazine titled, The Truth About This Little Ministry. Not everything that I wrote in that article is still true, so I thought I had better write an update.

Ten months ago, Heaven's Family had five full-time staff members, four of whom worked out of my house in a Pittsburgh suburb. Today, Heaven's Family has nine full-time and one part-time staff. We ran out of room at my house, so we moved our offices in July. We're now renting 800 square feet of commercial office space, courtesy of a ministry partner in Florida who pays our monthly rent. Becky (my wife) is glad to have her house back, and the rest of us have joined the world of office cubicles.

Two of our new employees are David and Emily Growden, who joined us in July after moving from West Virginia. David oversees five of our restricted funds, including our National Missionaries Program and Micro-Loan Fund. Emily is overseeing four funds, including the Critical Medical Needs Fund and the Bibles for Believers Fund. She also helps Charity McDaniel administrate our Orphan's Tear division.

Our youngest daughter, Elisabeth, also joined the Heaven's Family staff in July. She processes contributions, assists CJ McDaniel with website-related tasks, and coaches our amateur photographers around the world who supply us with project photos for our monthly magazine and mini-updates. Elisabeth also oversees our ministry to persecuted North Korean Christians.

Our oldest daughter, Charity, is now working part-time due to the birth of our first grandson, Liam. Liam doesn't seem to mind spending some of his time at our office, as he receives lots of attention when he is awake! Charity continues to oversee Orphan's Tear and its massive amounts of administration, which requires part of the time of at least half of our staff.

David Warnock joined our staff in September, which means that three people in our office are named David. David W., as he is affectionately now called, has significant former experience in ministry to Muslims, and he is now directing our Persecuted Christians Fund. He is also taking over the administration of the translation, publishing and distribution of The Disciple-Making Minister all over the world, as well as initiating a Planned Giving Department to assist those who want to contribute gifts of appreciated assets, name Heaven's Family in their estate planning, contribute through charitable gift annuities and so on. David was the very capable church administrator of the last church I pastored, and he also comes to us with a wealth of missions knowledge and experience.

John Carey is the latest addition to our staff, starting in October. John has been my friend for twelve years, and he and his family have just returned to the U.S. after serving as missionaries for seven years in Kyrgyzstan. Among other things, John will be taking responsibility for our Village Development Fund, and with his gift for evangelism, we can be sure that all our village development projects will incorporate the enthusiastic advancement of the gospel.

Our other "veteran" employees, CJ McDaniel and my son, Stephen, continue to amaze me with their website, print, and video work, which amplify our ministry and teaching around the world.

I am so thankful that all of our employees are willing to work for much less than they could make elsewhere, and that many of them have been able to raise a significant portion (or even all) of their own support with the help of their friends and families (may God bless all of them). We are also thankful to everyone who contributes to the general fund, from which the difference is supplied.

Personally, I'm thankful for the "dream team" that the Lord brought together, a team that includes several thousand other people, like you, who make the work of Heaven's Family possible around the world. May God make us fruitful together!

A Christmas Gift in Heaven
Help Someone Lay Up Treasure There with an HF Gift Card

What Christmas gift do you give to those who already have everything they need? How about treasure in heaven? We've set up Christmas Gift Card pages at the websites of our I Was Hungry and Orphan's Tear divisions so that you can give, in honor of a friend or loved one, clothing to a Christian orphan who will receive no other gift this year for Christmas, a business start-up grant for a poor Christian widow, food for a starving believer in North Korea, and much more.

The gift cards are beautiful. We can mail your card to your address or directly to your loved ones. Your card will say exactly what need has been met in their honor.

It only takes a minute to order your cards using the simple forms at IWasHungry.org/giftcard and OrphansTear.org/giftcard, and you can use your credit card or mail a check to make a payment. You could probably do all your Christmas shopping this year in thirty minutes just sitting at your computer! Or you can call us at (412) 833-5826 and order your cards over the phone. And as always, nothing is taken for administration of your gift. 100% of what is received is sent to the designated need.

The deadline to order your cards is December 15th in order to have your gift cards in your mailbox (or your loved ones' mailboxes) by December 25th!

Parting Shot
Truth Seeker

At a Heaven’s Family evangelistic meeting in Burundi, East Africa, an elderly man came forward. He later told us that he had attended a Catholic church for two years and a Protestant church for two years, seeking for the truth, but this was the first time he ever heard about becoming a disciple of Jesus. He said that he was going to tell everyone in his neighborhood about it.