Dear Prayer Partners, UNITED CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP OF SRI LANKA Greetings from the UCF Sri Lanka! We take pleasure in sending herewith our updated newsletter for February 2012 No. 11/7 Mendis Avenue, Idama Moratuwa, Sri Lanka +94 11 2647670 +94 11 2644086 ucfsl@sltnet.lk
UCF Free Medical Camp held at Sewanapitiya, Katuwanwila village (Polonnaruwa District) On 15 February 2012 Doctor consulting a patient Nurses providing medicine Patients in queue for consultation and receiving The UCF Mobile Medical clinic was held at Sewanapitiya, Katuwanwila village in the Polonnaruwa District. In this village the majority is a Muslim and Tamil-Hindu community. We have provided treatment and medicine to over 350 needy patients on this day. It is a very scattered village which is about 1-hour journey from Polonnaruwa city. From Moratuwa it is a 7-hour journey. Many patients received by the clinic were suffering from diabetics, diarrhea, etc. The villagers are grateful and thankful to the UCF medical team for the service they rendered to the needy. The population of the village is nearly 5500 people. 2
Visit of Brother Joseph William from NDI, USA Brother Joseph William from NDI USA was with the UCF Sri Lanka from 23 rd to 27 th of January 2012. He was able to visit many of the centers of UCF ministry and ongoing projects. His visit was a great encouragement and a blessing to our ministry where UCF works in partnership with the NDI for the last many years. While Brother Joseph was with the UCF he distributed bibles, Sunday school materials and hymnals which were supported by the NDI, to our needy believers in Moratuwa and other areas. The NDI also donated a 40 feet container containing children s food to be given away to needy children taken care by the UCF and also in other areas. This will feed many thousands of children who are in hunger. We give our thanks and gratitude to the NDI for their generosity and support. NDI Feed the Hunger Program UCF is thankful and grateful to the NDI, USA for graciously providing a 40 foot container of children s protein food packets to feed the needy children, especially those who are living in the rural areas; in hunger. This will be a great blessing to them as they do not have proper food to fulfill their daily meals. The UCF team will start delivering the food on early March, to the children in all UCF centers where its ministries are located, followed by to the other children in other locations who are in need. Unloading items from the container to storage in Moratuwa 3
New Hope Church Moratuwa (Water Baptismal Service) The New Hope Church in Moratuwa is growing gradually by God s grace. There are many young men and women who have accepted our Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior. We will be planning to have the annual water baptismal service this year for the emerging new believers in Moratuwa, Pilyandala and Dambulla. Please pray the Lord will continue to guide and bless them as we will be conducting several teaching programmes for them on regular basis. At present there are 20 believers coming from non- Christian backgrounds waiting to receive baptism. Visit of Pastor Kurt W e are very happy to inform that Pastor Kurt Steppenbeck from Germany was in Sri Lanka in February where he specially visited the UCF Beach Children Center and Bethel Home. He donated some materials that are the basic needs for the children at both centers. We are thankful and grateful to Pastor Kurt and all other prayer partners for the partnership with the UCF Ministry for many years. Micro Enterprise Project - Ibbagamuwa The UCF has been helping several families through the micro enterprise project in Dambulla community to start up small scale businesses. Further, UCF is planning to help some more families who are our believers to start up small businesses to earn incomes for their living as the needs are great among villagers living in the rural interiors who are struggling to make a living. The picture (on right) shows a family we have helped to start a brickmaking business who is gradually making a living. 4
Special Prayer Request Appoint for Coordinating Secretary Please pray for Pastor Fernando s daughter, Rosie and her husband Suren, who have totally dedicated to the ministry UCF since last 1 and half years. Rosie has been working in the ministry related to coordinating work at the UCF & Fuller offices in Moratuwa. Her work involves preparing project reports, unity magazine, etc. She will be appointed as the Coordinating Secretary for the UCF and Fuller offices in Moratuwa, as she has become a great blessing to our ministry and we thank God for her service for the two ministries. Please pray the Lord will provide all their needs, God s guidance and blessings upon them. Incident Report from NCEASL On an attack on Christian Churches in Sri Lanka Buddhist monks threaten and assault pastor Assembly of God Church of Sri Lanka Ambalangoda (Galle District) 20 th February 2012 During the afternoon the pastor saw three Buddhist monks standing at his pastor's doorstep and invited them in. Within minutes, a large group of about 30 monks followed them inside his house. One of the Buddhist monks spoke out against the pastor conducting Christian religious activities and threatened him not to convert Buddhists. While the pastor was responding to this utterance, the same Buddhist monk slapped the pastor's face and continued to hit him until the pastor's wife and mother intervened. The monks issued an ultimatum for the pastor and his family to leave the village or face death. He was threatened that their house will be bombed or set on fire. The pastor was given time until the 26 th of February 2012 to confirm the date on which he will leave the village. The monks took several photographs of the pastor and his family members, using mobile phones. A complaint was filed at the Ambalangoda Police station, complaint number CIP2/329/379. A police inquiry was fixed for the 24th February 2012. People from the village did not participate in this act of thuggery. The pastor has been serving as a clergyman in this village for over 10 years. 22 nd February 2012 During the night, some unidentified persons vandalized the gate of the pastor's residence writing a warning message 'not to incite the village' and drawn a skull and cross bones. This incident too was reported to the Police. The Police inquiry has been re-scheduled for the 27th February 2012. 5
PRAYER REQUESTS 1. Please pray for UCF on-going medical camps. For the Lord to provide the needed funds to continue to meet the medical needs of the people in the remote village areas, since this is also a means of building relationships with the people in the villages. 2. Please pray for the ongoing UCF children s ministry, especially for the children who are in our Beach Children project (slum project) & Bethel Home in Moratuwa and also other ongoing projects which are carried out by the UCF in other areas of the country. 3. Please pray for the new ministry in Polonnaruwa district as we plan to reach the people who are unreached that has never heard the Gospel in their lives. 4. Please also pray for the UCF field staff who are working in rural areas and for their needs such as monthly expenses, travelling, etc. We need to continue support in order to keep our ministry ongoing and to cover our budgetary expenses for the year 2012. Our budget for a month is $3000 and for a year $36,000 only to support our 25 field staff. Please Pray the Lord will raise some resources to cover this budget. For we are laborers together with God... 1st Corinthians 3:9 May the Good Lord Continue to bless you, your family and your work during this Year! Ranjan, family and the UCF Staff Sri Lanka 6