10/29/08
Dear All, Greetings and Humble Namastee from India. May I come to tell you that you are too special to us and we want to thank you for being our prayer partners. We are indeed blessed and so blessed by your constant prayer and financial support.
We are glad to hear that your family and Church are in a good health, sound and mind. We praise God for giving us power to get wealth and divine truth for life.
May I bring one verse! Are you living in the rain? Isaiah 55:10-11 says, “Just as the rain and snow descend from the skies and don't go back until they've watered the earth, making things grow and blossom…so will the words that come out My mouth not come back empty-handed. It shall accomplish what I please".
Rain is symbolic of God's blessing, favor, and refreshing. His Word is like rain that causes us to flourish and blossom in every area of life. The scripture says we should live like a well-watered garden, vibrant and growing. We should live under God's cloud of blessing. How do we do that? In the natural, a cloud is formed when moisture vapors rise up from the earth into the atmosphere. Eventually, the moisture is so abundant that the rain begins to fall. In the same way, your praise is like the invisible vapors that rise up to heaven and form a cloud. Eventually, your praise will activate an outpouring of God's blessing, favor, and provision in your life.
Do I feel like I am in a dry season? Begin to praise and thank God that He is bringing you through to a place of refreshing. Magnify and bless Him for His goodness in your life. As you turn up your praise, God will turn up the rain and you will experience His abundant outpouring. You'll experience His blessing and provision and live as an over-comer in every area of your life.
Praise Points……. ~We praise God today for granting brother Ami his visa to go study at Cornerstone Seminary Vallejo CA. He said that at first he met lots of cultural indifferences and communication problem. But he was never down because of grace and warm reception of the Church. You guys are very kind, good, generous and helpful to him he said. ‘… by their fruit you shall know them.... ’ ~ We praise God for our bothers at school who labor so hard for the Lord. Not only do they study but they are taking up cell group bible study, children music class and out reach program. They take up these programs in order to reach the family through gospel and they did it out of willingness and with great passion. ~ We praise God for Christmas season. Every body likes to take a holiday, and wants to spent time with their love and dear ones. We are using this year a lot of platforms to catch people for the gospel so they might come to hear it and be saved. First We plan to organize one day program in connection toChristmasmeaning and bring non Christians to hear what Christmas means and why Jesus was born and died and rose again.
Second, we plan to go back home and take up teaching and preaching program. I will be going to Manipur for Bible Camp, Leishi will also be going for preaching to his mother church, Makan and Didymus will go to Arunachal in the Burma Border where Theo had a conference three months ago. They will give a training to the youth group about discipleship, and teaching songs. Lately we have translated 60 hymns in their own Burmese dialect and but they do not know how to sing. These brothers know staff notation and Tonic Solfa , and they’ll go teach the Hymns to sing correctly. ~ We praise God for Douglas Hsu our professor, he has tirelessly completed his teaching on Church History at school, and the Theology Proper by Theo. Students are all ordinary men from different tribes and tongues but God is qualifying them for the holy use. We praise God for those hard working brothers. The final exams , papers and assignments are due in two weeks. Prayer Points..
~Pray for Ami to bear much fruit in his studies and keep a good health as long as he is in the States. Also pray for the quick and deep understanding of the scripture and him being used in the ministry. Also pray for his official paper works that he wants to do in regards to his visa where he access India to and fro, so that he may come and help SGMI at large. ~ pray that by January, The Lord will provide a bible teacher for school. As the school develops its full strength, so also the need for full time teacher is in urgent need. For Theo, to raise one man for teaching on regular basis comes along with finding $ for his monthly honorarium. Will you please consider praying for this matter. Also consider coming to help teach at school on short term basis any time next year! ~Pray that Theo will be blessed and used, other brothers will also be blessed and used for the above said programs respectively during this very winter season. This trip’s appointments will cost us money and we do not have extra fund to do it, this is kind of hard to decide, to do or not to do, to help or not to help, to go or not to go. However, we spent time enough and are convinced to go do for the soul saving ministry and we are solely depending on God’s provision for the required fund.
Please do join with us in prayer. ~ Pray that God will save souls through our Christmas upcoming program in different timing and places. We are inviting 100 people non-believers from our own colony. Theo is preparing a simple sermon for them. ~ Coming third week of Nov. our Church Youth Ministries is going to have Youth Bible camp here in New Delhi. This time, new convert( young believers) is our target. We need your prayers. ~Pray that you do not forget to remember our renting house facility and protection. Any time we will be asked to vacate the house as they ( Hindus) are now not giving the facilities to the Christians and its ministry. As you have been hearing from the TV and news that many Christians have been killed, tortured, persecuted, women being raped; and many churches and houses have been destroyed. More Christian organizations have been asked to quit and empty the places. An appealed has been made to the Government and they did not take any action thus far. Will you pray for us that the Lord will give us protection and keep us and be gracious to us. May the Lord take us to His resources where we can have our own worship place and house in a near future. This is beyond our prayer and yet this is a plea from the heart of SGMI.
I personally would like to come up with a project of block and building and share with you in my next mail. I will have to disclose this project first to CBC. ~ This is challenging and exciting news to tell you that next year January, we shall plan a church (new church, it was already mention in the previous mail and the purpose was also mentioned). This is not a joke but heart warming and winning task. We must be wrong if we don’t invite you to involve with us in one way or the other way. ~ Ami has compiled and furnished songs ( both Hymns and contemporary) to be printed out for the use of our church. This song book has been the demand of many Churches and Fellowship, and will be used in all occasions. The book will consist of more than 500 songs hymns and contemporary as the congregation sang both. Ami started working this song project since last year and is finishing today from Vallejo only. We also have printing works of our church and school brochure, Curriculum, and ministry journal-doctrinal position. For this printing works, the cost price is about $ 1700-$2000. Please do Brother Ami to find help the fund for this printing works, thank you all very much and see you in the next mail. Until then, to God be the glory great thing He has done In The Good Shepherd Theo Shimray
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9/23/08
Dear Dr. Fred,
Its a great blessing for me to get your mail. All I can say is that our ministry has been growing strong in the Lord and doing great. Through your prayer and financial support, The Lord is doing wonderful works for us in India and we are so blessed to become His instrument. We are truly humble by your generous giving. Just to tell you that we've recieved $250 you sent this week for our school. Once again, we are thankful to God for the blessing of your church. may God bless your church abundabltly. Ami, our brother went to US just last week. Please do contact him and encourge him.He will be doing further studies at Cornerstone seminary. By the way he is a young man and he will take time to get use to americanculture. At present, we have twelve brothers from different places of burma and eastern India at school. Forthis fall, I am teaching them Theology proper and my friend is teaching Church History. The students are doing great. Our family is also doing good. My only son is growing fast and big. He is running seven months. By God's grace, our church is also growing healthy spiritually. More believers have been added and many more Non christians are attending the worship service. Our prayer request 1. Pray for Delhi city. Recently many Bomb have been blast and killing many lives. More terror threat are yet to take place. So far the Lord has been protecting us with his arms. 2. The local hindus and other groups are persecuting Christians like anything, and the churches have been torn down, many lives have been claimed to death. They said they can sacrifice their life in killing and persecuting Christians. Gov't is not taking any action so far. 3. Pray for our brothers at school to embrace Jesus and His word more than anything else. yesterday, two brother got bike accident while going to church. Praise God for saving them from death. They've got wounds and bleedingover the body but they are getting better now. Pray for speedy recovery. The rest students are working so hard in studies as well as in evangelism to the local people. 4. We have couple of families and friends in our church who are not saved. pray for them to open their hearts toward the gospelso that God may save themfor His glory. 5.Pray that The Lord will provide our present urgent needs. We have been praying to get song books printed.It is compiled of both Hymns and contemporary songs according the the need of the congregation in the worship. Many other fellowship/church dont have them either and we would like to share to them also when it is finished.Moreover, a stationary works of our institute such as brochures, certificates, letters heads,curriculum, and studies materails. all these things have been beding at the printing press office due to lack of fund. 6. Pray for me as well. I am schedule to attend two conferences at differentplaces as a speaker. I need God's help to have more privacy in pursuit of personal holines and quite time meditate the Word deeper, I need utterances and clarityas I learn to teach the word. I need good health. On the other side, Ialso need to take good care of my family.Pray for my wife and son also. Thanking you. Theo
9/1/08
Dear Prayer Partner ,
A Humble Namastee from New Delhi. God is good all the time, all the time He is good! Please join with us we give thanks to God for the great works He has done through us for His Church people of Burma.
Praise ….. Thank and praise God for the conference 2008. From the beginning to the end, the Lord was with us doing His incredible works through us for the people of Burma. It was a very successful One. Thank you all who have stood with us in prayer. We arrived Delhi last night.
Praise …. Thank and praise God for Ami, Leishi, Didymas, and Abraham. They worked so hard tirelessly through out the conference. Physically we were torn, wear out, and completely exhausted when we got back to Delhi. We had our stomach pain, swollen and sick severely. Now we are regaining strength gradually.
Praise …… The conference was held at Laju and 145 people attended the conference from 20 Churches; about 60 local church members worshipped with us every day and night. The total was 205 members. Some were from Roman Catholic and other were revivalist and the so called Evangelical movements. The Lord spoke to them according to their spiritual need and understanding of Scripture, and I could experiential testify that they have been tremendously changed and will never be the same again. Now we will see and hear the fruit. Praise God for the power of His Word. It is truly powerful!
Praise ….. 28 people received water baptism at the end of the conference and was added to the Church of God instantly. These people were Idol worshippers before, but God saved them radically from idol worship to serve the living God like the Thessalonica Church. I wish you could hear their testimonies. I am giving picture attachment....
Praise …. Our special thanks goes to our almighty God who deserved to receive all honor and power, praise and glory. He Himself was doing the works for His name sake. Also to all our friends who helped us through prayer and financial support… “You shall be enriched in everything for all liberality”.
Prayer….. Most of the pastors are lay-men, untrained. For the first time, they are getting biblical training and studies from us. One brother from our institute (now pastor)and other two pastors are looking over the whole 20 churches. They went from one place to another teaching the word like Apostle Paul, and gave water baptism during the second/third missionary journey. Pray for these brothers. More details in the next mail.
Prayer…. More training for the pastors is urgently needed by bringing them to Delhi, if not we should be going there to give classes from time to time. Pray for the possible ways for training and classes. Also pray for all pastors and new converts (some are eventually backsliding due to lack of discipleship and shepherding). All these pastors are Volunteers without pay.
Prayer….. The main church in Laju needs a church. At present they are worshiping in an open hurt type of house (leaking and outgrow). Within two years, 200 believers were added; Villagers are realizing and coming to the Lord more and more. I personally felt that this church people deserved to receive some support and help from us. Pray that The Lord will provide the requirements and this church pastor will receive some financial help for his living.
Prayer….. we are tired but we've to be back to class as usual. This time one pastor from Burma came along with us also. Pray for our class and for a teacher.we need one brother to come teach the students with effect from September last. Feel free to respond to me.
See you all in the next mail, until then…To God be the glory great things has done!
Theo Shimray
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8/15/08 Nice hearing from you. I am indeed so encouraged to hear from you. Yes, we are to move on for conference this sunday by faith. One thing I know for sure - The Lord will humble us and feed us spiritual food though we eat food not . We will continue to pray to God for food and lodging and conveyance if it be provided. Our round trip tickets have been booked by God's grace. For Youth, Children and Pastors & Leaders-these three classes will be taken up at a time simulteneously four four days by me, leishi, abraham and Didymus; makan in praise & worship. Because of the nature of these classes, five of us are going as a team. Keep praying for the church who is hosting the conference for 80-100 of us. Pray for their physical and spiritual arrangement. Pastor Pawan is organizing this conference and inviting us to do the teaching not because the churches are able to come but because the churches there are not even formed properly and Christians are backsliding from the truth and the church must come back to the first love of Christ. He said, Church discipline is carried out, and is needed to be carried out, not because the believers are sinning but because the Christians are refusing to repent and it is ruinning their testimony . For this factual thing explained by him, I accepted his request though we are busy and lacking in finance to go and help. As a courtesy we prayerfully consider coming to teach and to helping the conference needs. However, the Lord will work it all out. In The Good Shepherd
Theodore and Ayar Shimray ---------------------------------------------------------------- 8/17/08 Dear Partners, I took with me five brothers from school and left for a conference tonight at Arunachal ( for Burmese pastors). we will be gone for 14 days. With full uniform like a soldier, We have put on the armour of God and breastplate, and helmet of salvation. The place is far, almost every day is drizzling and muddy. We are not worried at all because we all have had quite an expeirence of living in the jungle, if not in the rain. But we are concerned how the Lord will save souls through us. By my side some brothers will teach to the Youth and others to the children while I will be harvesting to the leaders/pastors. Pray for this trip and for our health. Please join with us in prayer for the Word to bear its fruit. We will surely see you all again when we get back from this sojuorn conference. Second, my brother Ami is with us in the Conference. He is our Worship Leader. He is scheduled to face his interview with the US Embassy on 5th September for Visa. Please pray for him. Jesus is our good Shepherd, and He will direct his life, He is our leader, He will guide his life, He is our rescuer, He will lead him to the safety of the fold, He is our guardian, He will give clear water, He is our protector, He will save him from all harm and danger. Yes, Ami will face the challenges like anything. He needs your prayer and encouragement while facing a lot of challenges and difficuclties. please do encourage him. His email is amiramwung@yahoo.com. CHRIST IS OUR CAPTAIN AND WE ARE NOT INNATE FOLLOWERS.. Theo Shimray