Monday Middle East. Wednesday Myanmar: Tuesday Creative Access- Asia. Thursday Global. Wednesday Creative Access I. Friday Middle East

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Cecil Collins
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1 15 Pray for the development of discipleship and training materials in Arabic, which are in short supply. 16 Pray for God to continue to open doors of opportunity for the gospel, and for the power of the Holy Spirit to radically change hearts and minds in an area that is full of political tensions and spiritual poverty. Birthday: Rebecca 17 Linda teaches English and basic math skills to refugee children in this area. Pray for the children to develop needed skills and for the Holy Spirit to provide emotional and spiritual healing for them. Birthday: Linda 18 Pray for our brothers and sisters in Cameroon, particularly around Dependa, who have been in challenging living circumstances. Many people, including some Free Methodist members and one of our churches, have lost homes and property due to local, armed conflicts. Having fled to the forest, some are living in camping like conditions. Food and basic supplies are hard to find. 19 Only about one percent of the population in Portugal is Evangelical Christian. Idolatry, witchcraft, and magic are prevalent, and much of the nation is resistant to the gospel. Pray for the powers of evil to be destroyed and for the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome people s hearts and minds. 20 Monday Middle East Tuesday Creative Access- Asia Wednesday Creative Access I Thursday Cameroon Friday Portugal Saturday Asia Pray for Becca as she teaches and for the students who are studying at Holy Light Theological Seminary this semester. Also, pray for the power of the Lord to do a great work of redemption during small group evangelistic meetings. Birthday: Becca 21 Sunday Mexico Mexico City is the largest urban area in the Western hemisphere. Pray for churches to be planted and multiply in this city. 22 Monday Creative Access C Pray for Jessica as she leads Bible study groups in her community and balances this ministry with homeschooling her teenage daughter. Birthday: Jessica 23 Tuesday Set Free Pray for the team of Cambodian and Southeast Asian leaders as they strategize on how to incorporate anti-trafficking education into existing ICCM programs. 24 Wednesday Myanmar: There are approximately 63,000 villages in Myanmar. Only 3000 of those villages have a church. Pray for Pastor Pakep and other leaders in this country as they seek to plant churches, love the poor, take care of widows and orphans, and educate and train young leaders. 25 Thursday Global Pray for the Global Advisory Team (Area Directors, Director of Global Church Advocacy and Bishops) which meets in Chiang Mai, Thailand this week. Ask the Lord to give them wisdom, discernment, and power from the Holy Spirit as they work together on strategies to reach the world for Christ. 26 Friday Middle East Pray for informal networks of friends, families, and acquaintances that cross national and cultural boundaries to continue to grow and be an avenue for the gospel to spread in this region. 27 Saturday Belgium Belgium: Pray for the Oostende congregation and their outreach among Latinos and youth. Also, pray for Bible studies being held in parts of West Flanders. 28 Sunday Kenya Pray for Sherry Cahill to have increased opportunities to reach out to women across Kenya. Also, pray for continued daily strength to meet the demands of travel and ministry. Birthday: Sherry Cahill 29 Monday Colombia Pray for Medellín Center for Family Development, an afterschool program that helps get at-risk children off the streets and provides spiritual, academic and recreational support to counteract the destructive culture in which they live. 30 Tuesday Middle East Refugees are finding hope and a source of income through a microenterprise project that began by using tiles from their destroyed villages to construct small mosaic plaques. Today the project has expanded to include bookmarks, jewelry, beadwork, soaps, and other products. Pray for this project to prosper and result in many coming to faith in Christ. 31 Wednesday Asia Pray for wisdom and discernment for Judi as she works in partnership with her husband Mark in supporting our missionary team in Asia and invests in their family, including their eight grandchildren. Birthday: Judi Morrison

Everyone Welcome By Curtis Fleming They are so pushy, aloof and rude! That was the conversation among some of the church members as we prepared for our weekly food pantry.

2 Everyone Welcome By Curtis Fleming They are so pushy, aloof and rude! That was the conversation among some of the church members as we prepared for our weekly food pantry. The they of the conversation was the ubiquitous older Chinese who showed up at the food pantry weekly. These were not the ABC s (American Born Chinese) who understand our ways and conduct themselves in a manner that is palatable to our sensibilities. In fact, there was even a report on the local news that they were reselling the food we gave them! I had a solution: from now on, if they wanted to receive anything from our church, they had to prove they belonged in our community! As we were once again preparing to show the love of Jesus to our neighbors, I instructed our staff that they must show identification. So, with our new signs, NO ID-NO FOOD! prominently displayed, we began to be the hands of Jesus. One of the young men I was discipling on cross-cultural compassionate urban ministry saw the signs and said, Pastor Curtis, this is not who we are. His words convicted me. How did I get here? I have been a proponent of God s love for all people; why did these folks drive me to such an unloving posture? I sought the Lord and repented. I made up my mind that no matter what they did with the food, we were going to show them unconditional love and courtesy. After that, the strangest thing happened; they reciprocated! Not only that but for the first time they began to come to our worship service! God said, Start a church. Since none of us spoke Mandarin, we reached out to a Chinese seminary for help. They graciously sent a team of students to work with us. One of the team members was Thomas Feng [Fong]. Thomas is a determined fellow. Out of the group of volunteers that came on Saturdays, he alone endured. It is one thing to go into this strange and often dangerous environment on a class assignment, but to embrace it well that is a God thing. Even after graduation, Thomas continued to come. Others expressed interest in the ministry, but when they saw the demographic, they soon faded away. Thomas is now a Conference Ministerial Candidate (CMC) in the Sierra Pacific Conference of the FMCUSA, and has planted Bay Community Chinese Fellowship, in Oakland, CA. Please pray for Thomas Feng and this fellowship of Chinese believers. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT INDIANAPOLIS, IN, AND AT ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES HEARTBEAT OCTOBER 2018 PUBLICATIONS AGREEMENT NO STATION A P.O. BOX 54 WINDSOR, ON N9A 6J5 CANADA CPCRETURNS@WDSMAIL.COM Free Methodist Church - USA Free Methodist World Missions 770 N. High School Rd. Indianapolis, IN fax: To opt out of the print version of HEARTBEAT and receive an prompt for the mobile-friendly version, go to fmchr.ch/mheartbeat Or visit the web version at fmmissions.com and select the Heartbeat link.

3 Connecting Compassion and Church Planting OCTOBER 2018 Connecting Compassion & Church Planting Connections Across Cultures Everyone Welcome + +

Connecting Compassion + Church Planting By Seth Van Tifflin I grew up in a large adoptive family; my parents adopted 18 of their 21 children. These were children no one else wanted.

4 Connecting Compassion + Church Planting By Seth Van Tifflin I grew up in a large adoptive family; my parents adopted 18 of their 21 children. These were children no one else wanted. Many of them were alcohol/ drug exposed, physically/sexually abused, neglected or physically disabled. My unique family greatly influenced me. In 2006, as a student at Spring Arbor University, I participated in a VISA trip to Asia. This trip was my first exposure to Asia, but I knew I would someday be serving in Asia long-term. During my days at Spring Arbor, I also learned about the 46 million slaves in the world today, and I felt directed by the Lord to develop an organization that establishes safe homes for children at high risk of being trafficked. I founded In Better Hands (IBH) in My wife, Hlawn Hlawn, and I have a passion for helping children know Jesus Christ. This passion in connection with the influence of my family, the problem of human trafficking, and our call as missionaries to Asia created a partnership between IBH and the global Free Methodist Church (FMC). Whenever IBH begins a new safe home in Asia, we work in partnership with the local FMC. We lease a house large enough for up to ten children and ensure the living room area is large enough for a FMC plant. Often the church planter is also the IBH house parent. Throughout the past year, IBH and the FMC of Cambodia have been working diligently together to plant a FMC in a remote village outside of Phnom Penh. No other organization or church denomination has been working in this village of 30 families. The living conditions are deplorable. Through IBH sponsorship, the children in this village are being fed, educated, immunized and kept safe from traffickers. Working together with Superintendent Daniel Sar, the Cambodian FMC has assigned a church planter to this village. The pastor visits the community frequently and holds services for the entire village to attend. We are currently in the process of constructing a modest church building. Because of the strong partnership between IBH and the Cambodian FMC, children and adults are physically and spiritually fed! In Better Hands now partners with the church in Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia and has a total of 10 safe houses. In addition to the safe houses and the Hope for the Village projects in Cambodia and Myanmar, we also assist eight widows in Myanmar who would otherwise struggle to survive (James 1:27). For more information visit

Due to the economic instability of Brazil, since the 1990s, many Japanese descendants have moved from Brazil to Japan in search of work opportunities and better salaries.

5 Due to the economic instability of Brazil, since the 1990s, many Japanese descendants have moved from Brazil to Japan in search of work opportunities and better salaries. Among them have been many members of the Brazil Nikkei Conference of the Free Methodist Church. Responding to the need of these members, the Nikkei Conference established two churches in Japan, dedicated to Brazilians residing in Japan one in Fukui province and another in Chiba. More than three years ago Sandra and I, along with our two daughters, moved to Japan where I now pastor the Chiba church. I had pastored in the Nikkei Conference, at Diadema (a community) in São Paulo, for ten years. The church I pastor is composed of Brazilians who have Japanese heritage. However, our church felt the need and the call of God to turn our eyes to the Japanese people. It is challenging and timeconsuming work to move a Portuguese-speaking and culturally Brazilian congregation to one that is more relevant to the Japanese culture. Although there is religious freedom in Japan, and the Japanese people are amiable and hospitable, Japan is generally unreceptive to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Currently, the percentage of Christians in the Japanese population is only one to two percent. This statistic is equivalent to countries where there is severe persecution of Christians. The lack of Christian witness in Japan, coupled with the fact that the language and Japanese culture are very different from the Brazilian language and understanding, creates significant challenges. Together with our church members we prayed and sought creative ways to share the gospel. We are attempting to create bonds of friendship with the Japanese; something Brazilians have an affinity for doing. Our church members hold informal meetings with friends and neighbors with good results. The Nikkei Conference has done its best to support and sustain the work, but it has limits because of its small size and limited experience. Sandra and I connected with Asia Area Director Eric Spangler and established a relationship with Free Methodist World Missions to become a part of a team with structure and experience in missions. In addition to partnering in reaching the Japanese people for Christ, Sandra has been able to use her training in graphic design to assist FMWM-Asia with graphic design work. Becoming part of the team has been a blessing from God for our family and our church. We are excited to see what the Lord will do in Japan in the coming days. Connections Across Cultures by Rudolfo Veronese Vol. 124 No. 9 October 2018 Publisher: Gerald Coates Editor: Jan Coates Graphic Designer: Peter Mitchell Subscription Manager: Theresa Portwood Free Methodist World Missions Heartbeat (ISSN ) (Print) is published monthly by Free Methodist World Missions, 770 N. High School Rd. Indianapolis, IN Periodical postage paid at Indianapolis, IN. and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Free Methodist World Missions Heartbeat, 770 N. High School Rd. Indianapolis, IN Canadian Publication Mail Agreement # Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor ON N9A6J5 cpcreturns@wdsmail.com. To be added or removed from the mailing list, or give notifications of address change, contact Theresa Portwood, (800) Printed in the USA Copyright 2018 All Scripture quotations taken from the New International Version unless otherwise indicated.

OCTOBER PRAYER GUIDE 01 Pray for the Free Life ministry in the Philippines as every local church reaches out to high school and university students.

6 OCTOBER PRAYER GUIDE 01 Pray for the Free Life ministry in the Philippines as every local church reaches out to high school and university students. Pray for mobilization and empowerment of the young people in the Philippines to share the gospel. 02 Pray for a spirit of wisdom and discernment to guide Hany in choosing and developing new leaders and church planters. Pray for his protection from spiritual warfare that is fierce in this region. Birthday: Hany 03 Nundu Hospital is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Dr. Lwabanya Marx has been named Medical Director of Nundu Hospital. He and his wife Christine will be moving from Bujumbura, Burundi to Nundu. Pray for Dr. Lwabanya and the staff at Nundu during this time of transition. 04 France: Pray for the growth and development of new leaders and the spiritual development and growth of the many children and youth in the church. 05 Pastor Ricardo Guerrero leads this growing mission district. Pray for safety as he travels to help oversee three clusters of churches 1000 miles apart, including neighboring Uruguay. Also, pray for the training and development of 22 current ministerial candidates and a growing number of young leaders. 06 Pray for Superintendent Mekebib Desta as he works together with conference leadership to train leaders to plant churches. This training includes an oral Bible school for those who are not literate. 07 Monday Philippines Tuesday Creative Access I Wednesday The D.R. of Congo Thursday France Friday Argentina Saturday Ethiopia Sunday Greece Pray for freedom from religious and cultural prejudices that would inhibit the demonstration of the love of Christ and the message of the gospel to various people groups now in this region. 08 The Chilean Free Methodist Church continues to develop the work in Bolivia under the leadership of Area Director Dr. Delia Nüesch-Olver. Pray for the strengthening and maturity of the church in Bolivia and for a growing awareness of the need and ability of the Bolivian leaders to develop the church. 09 Asia: In addition to his role providing pastoral care and support to Free Methodist missionaries in Asia, Mark leads Shepherd Ministries which is reaching out to university students. Pray for God s guidance in his responsibilities with Shepherd Ministries and effectiveness in communicating with university students. Birthday: Mark Morrison 10 Pray for continued prayer and financial support for SEED as the staff plans for ways to deepen connections and help livelihood groups in and beyond. 11 Tammy and her family have faced many stresses in recent months. Pray for the Lord to provide wisdom, strength, and encouragement as they navigate these stresses and maintain effective ministry. Birthday: Tammy 12 The Ghana Mission District is under the oversight of the Free Methodist Church in Canada. There is a growing fellowship of new churches with ongoing ministerial training and organizational development. Pray for Pastor Ahmed Kenneth Quarshie as he gives leadership and partners with the West African Fellowship through FMWM. 13 Pastor Vito and Mari Suarez lead the Lanzarote congregation which has a dynamic outreach to children. Pray that children and their families will understand and know Jesus and Christian homes will be established. 14 Monday Bolivia Tueday Asia Wednesday SEED Thursday Creative Access C Friday Ghana Saturday Spain Sunday Peru The FM ministry in Peru has spread through three regions jungle, mountains, and coast. Pray for District Leader Miguel Algorta, who regularly travels six hours through the mountains to a church plant in the capital city of Lima. Pray for the multiplication of churches in Lima.

monday haiti Saturday ghana sunday thailand tuesday macedonia monday middle east wednsday asia tuesday greece thursday kenya

monday haiti Saturday ghana sunday thailand tuesday macedonia monday middle east wednsday asia tuesday greece thursday kenya 15 Many villages, particularly in the north, do not have a church. Pray for the establishment of church-planting projects in this area. 16 Pray for Pastor Joshua, the country leader, as he works with several