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To: <ajohnson@missionservices.org>Subject: Emotions Abound

EMOTIONS ABOUNDWhat an emotional time our departure from India was!! So many people had becomea part of our lives and the thought of leaving them behind was heartbreaking. Thereis truly a special bond that comes with being in the family ofGod.Our adjustment to life in the United States has certainly been interesting. It quicklybecame evident just how much we had acclimated to the Indian culture....fromweather to schedule requirements to the cost of living.Upon our arrival, we were welcomed by two back to back cold fronts. Something wehadn't experienced in a long time. It was very cold... .brrrr.... We wereimmediately faced with a very busy schedule. We had forgotten how busy theAmerican culture was. And certainly the cost ofthings was also quite surprising.Coming from India, I suppose we would naturally be stunned at the prices but I thinkthings have gone up even since we were here this past summer. Needless to say, weexperienced culture shock in our own country. We also experienced a lot of change:The kids started a new school, Tommy started his evangelism work in a local church,and we began attending a new church (the one Tommy is working at...of course). Somuch change at one time was a little difficult to handle but everyone gave it their bestand I think we are finally settled into a routine.FRUIT IN THE USA- Tommy had the opportunity to share the Gospel several timesin January and baptism four people. PRAISE THE LORD! He is currently workingwith a Buddhist, several other unchurched people, and trying to start a Bible studywith local policemen and health care workers. His days are packed.

We have been in weeklycommunication with our team in India

and continue to coach them. It has

been such an encouragement to hearfrom them. They are continuing to dothe work and God is continuing tobless it, which in turn, encourages useven more.

Below are some exciting testimoniesstraight from the field. 1 hope each onewill bless you and allow you to seejust some of the differences you aremaking in India by enabling ourworkers through your financial gifts.In Jan uary, we were able to send$2,100.00 over to keep the Indiawork going. You have no idea of theimpact that is being made in the livesofour team and those they touchthrough the care group ministriesbecause of the investments you'vemade.

CHURCH PLANTING-"Tommy here is a great story fromone ofour old 8 locations, after ourmodule school one pastor was doing acare cell in a place call AGARAM,you know him, (Pastor Sam Paul).His team was doing evangelism in thatarea, almost 300 families are there.There were eight people coming to the

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up, he started a church there. Thefirst week ten people came to church,the second week thirteen people came,today (the third week), praise God,thirteen people came to church andeven gave an offering of Rs 175."Another great thing is that the villagechairmen's wife came to church and

she accepted Christ. She said. "Formany years I have struggled. I didn'thave peace in my heart. I wasdeciding to die, but God brought youhere and now I have peace. I love toworship JESUS! Ifyoubuildachurch here, we will help youfinancially and with materials. Theyare getting ready to build a churchthere."

"This really encourages us to do more. If all areas do like this, we can achieve ourgoals and we can reach the KANCHEEPURAM District! Thank you so much foryour teaching, encouragement and supports. When we get free time, we discuss whatyou taught us when you were here. Yesterday I taught the book of Philemon in thefourth module at the Kelempakkam center. I taught how Paul was willing to pay theprice for Onesemus' sin and thus imitating Jesus who paid the price for our sin. Onepastor came to me and told me "This was a very, very new thing. I have read thisbook many times and I have preached many times, but I didn't know this picture ofJesus and salvation. I liked it very much and I am going to teach this to mybelievers."

DAY CARE: The Day Care is set up to allow the slumparents to drop off their kids in a Christian daycare whilethey go to work. Most children in India are not orphans,their parents just cannot afford to keep them so they take toa hostile. Our Day Care is set up to allow slum parents todrop off their children so that both parents can work andthey don't have to send the kids to a hostile. The kids learnabout Jesus, how to write, and sing Christian songs. Thisopens the door to present the gospel to their parents. Belowis a report.

"110 children are studying in our two day care centers.Christmas Day celebrations were conducted in our center.There were about 400 participants. The children from theDay Care Center, Sunday School, and the students from theTailoring School brought out their talents in the fianction.All the participants heard the word ofGod. We found outthat one boy studying in our center had a hole in his heart.When we visited Pravin's house, his parents told us aboutthis and asked us to pray for him. We prayed and cameback. Glory be to Jesus, he was completely healed. Weunderstand that the same doctors, after examining the boyagain, have told them that there is no hole in his heart. Hismother was very happy when she told us about thismiracle."

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EQUIPPING WOMEN: Mostwomen are neglectedso we were able to start the School of EquippingWomen . We started School of Equipping Women at aplace called Poonthamalli. Twenty five ladies areattending, including fifteen pastor's wives. One lady saidthat she was praying to have a school like this for manyyears. We started a pastor wives' fellowship atKancheepuram . One lady said she has been praying fortwo years for someone to come teach and encouragewomen in ministry. I am teaching about the women in theBible from Genesis and am encouraging them to pray fortheir husbands needs in different areas. For this, I amusing the book "The Power ofa Praying Women".

Although there have been many changes in our lives recently, one thing hasn'tchanged....our grateftilness for all that you have invested in our family and in theministry in India. Thank you so much for everything, especially your continuedsupport of the YWAM ministries in India ! At this time, nothing Is changing for ourfinances and you can still send your funds to YWAM Colorado.

Send Financial Gifts to the following:YWAM (indicate on a note that the check is for the Bitner's)C/O Donor Services

PO Box 60579

Colorado Springs, Co 80960

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From: <tommy@equipintLnet>To: <ajohnson@missionservices.org>Subject: Exciting News From...

EXCITINS NEWS FROM THE

BPNTLINES

Stan Hinman (a long time friend of ours from Concordia , Kansas who alsoservedat YWAM Elm Springs) and I have organized Equip International as a501c3 (not for profit). With the blessings of YWAM, we are now one oftheir affiliate ministries. This is tremendous news. This means that we canreceive checks made out to YWAM for the YWAM India ministries that wewere a part of while there and have been financially supporting all along.Why did M>e n eed to do this? Most importantly, so that the finances you havebeen sending to Colorado could stop going through my personal checkingaccount! It also links Equip Intemational with YWAM in the eyes of thegovernment and provides us with the means to get the money to India moreefficiently. So the official statement is:

Equip International, an Affiliate of Youth With A Mission , is legally setup to receive donations and issue tax deductible receipts. You cancontinue to make out your checks to YWAM, There is an addresschange. Please mail your gifts to PO Box 108 , Elm Springs AR 72728 .We are thrilled to be able to issue that statement!

On the home front...It's hard to believe we have been back in the U.S. for four months already.In some ways it seems like just yesterdaythat we were in India and in otherways, an eternity. No matter how long it's been though, our dear friendsfrom India are never far from our hearts.

Ministry,..Tommy has been very busy with helpingthe church develop their evangelism program andmultiplyingthe church into small care groups. Thispast month, he helped to coordinate an evangelicalevent in conjunction with "The Passion ofThe Christ"film. For this event, the church, which averages 150 inattendance, purchased 280 tickets so that the memberscould invited their unchurched friends, school mates,and co-workers to come see this film. The theater was

definitely packed. Since the first of the year, Godhas moved major boulders and allowed us towitness twenty-two baptisms and add twenty-ninenew members to this congregation. We arerejoicing!

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Family... Tommy's new job at the church keeps himbusy. He's learned a lot and has found his ministryexperiences from India and YWAM invaluable. He's alreadyseen the many facets of being a pastor. He doesn't have a lotof down time but when he does, he likes to spend it with thefamily and getting together with friends.

Sonya spent the first couple of months getting thehouse back in order after being in and out of it for two and ahalf years. Since then, her schedule is filled withorthodontist appts., doctor appts., church activities/meetings,school meetings, junior/senior banquet, 8^ grade retreat, andofcourse.. .the ever important... .social life.

Rikki has had a full four months with school work,track, a new youth group, getting her driver's license (it'skind of hard to do that wWle in India © ), going on a ski tripwith the youth group, taking her first ACT, getting ready forand going to her Junior/Senior banquet at school, and ofcourse, developing her social life....for which she has beenquite successful.

Brandon's time has been filled with his share ofschool work, joining thebasketball team and finishing off the season, a new youth group, going on aski trip with the youthgroup, startingfootball, goingon a three-day eighthgraderetreatdesignedto help them preparefor their new life in high school,andalsoworking on his social life....canyousay... PalnTbAlL?

INDIA...As we put this information together to share with you,we were just amazed at the mighty things God hasdone in India. The YWAM Tamil team is doing afantastic job at continuingthe ministrythat we startedtogether. It is just such a blessing to get the reportsthey send to us and read about the lives that are beingclmged andthe discipleship that is

being donethrough the team's teaching. If our heartsare filledwithjoy, wecan only imaginehow God must feel! Below are some ofthe testimoniessentto us, not only by our ChurchPlanting team, but also by some oftheministries that you are financially supporting. The testimoniesare separatedby ministries so that ifyou don't have the time to read them all, you canchoose the ministry that most interests you. We wanted you to have theopportunity to see the mighty things God is doing throu^ your partnershipwith those ministries.

Church Planting; "Here is a great story from a pastornamed Arulraj. He and his wife are doing ministry in aremote village called SRIPERUPUTHURwhere Aey have asmall church. Last year we did our 5 module school atSRIPERUMPUTHUR in the Kancheepuram district. At thattime both ofthem attended the Module and successfullyfinished the school. He started two care cells and a

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cnuaren s nunistiy. iney nave continued to ao evangelismand his church is growing. On 11-4-2004, they baptizedfourpeople. "PRAISE GOD!" All of these people acceptedChrist throughthe moduleevangelism. The good news isthe pastoris teaching his believers whatwe taughthimthroughthe module. This is reallyencouraging us to workmore. Please keepus in yourprayers" Russal

Pastor Lukestarted three new care groups. One is a place calledALANTOOR, sevenpeople are coming to that care cell; thesecondone is ina village calledKARANAI, 15people are coming to that care cell and he isplanningto divide it into two; the third one is in a village calledSIT, thereare thirtypeople coming. They are doing this in a home and are praying andplanning to builda church there. Thispastor has trained a secondlevelleader who is overseeingthis care cell."

Little Star Davcare School: Sixty-fivestudents are studying in our school. Weconducted a Parents Meeting with fiftyparents attending. We explained to themabout children's psychology and we gavethe message to them about the Lord JesusChrist. After the meeting, the parentsshared their views with us. We all learnedmany new things by this meeting. All theparents requested us to conduct thismeeting once in three months. The parentswere blessed by this meeting.

Discipleship Training School; During theEvangelism time in a place called Kasbah, our teamcame across one family who had three daughters. Thefamily didn't have enough income to live and wemaking the decision to commit suicide. Whileministering to them, they changed their minds andgave their life to Christ and make the decision to startgoing to church. We really thank God for leading usto this family to minister to them. Ifnot, these soulsmay have been forever lost. We praise God! God hasenabled us to build a church there and sixteen peoplewere baptized. Glory to God!

In Chennai, an outreach team worked with the Jeevan Suicide Preventionministry. Our students were distributing handbills at Marina Beach wherethey met a young guy and found out that he was planning to commit suicidebecauseoffamily problems. He told his familythat he was going to anothercity but ended up at the seashore contemplatingsuicide. The students methim, shared the love ofChrist, and connected him with the suicideprevention center. He changed his mind about suicide and went back home.Later, he called and thanked us from the depth ofhis heart for our help.THANK YOU! Your support has helped us keep share the gospel and touchmany lives with the love ofJesus through YWAM's sucide prevention

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vcutci, rtXL/o iiiiiiiau_y, iiiiiiidu^, kjiuiii iiuiiiau^» euiu oucct ivius

ministry. We will be sending an update on these ministries veiy soon.We hope that these stories have been an encouragement to you. You willnever know this side of heaven, how many lives have been touched by yourprayers and by your financial generosity. The fact of the matter is, ministriescan't run without either one of those aspects. Your prayers are approachingthe very throne of God on behalf of India and your finances are beinginvested into ministries who are touching people that we could never touch.You are enabling these ministries to be the hands and feet of Jesus. As afamily, your prayers and gifts are a tremendous blessing to us. Although theministry location has changed for us, the needs of people are just as great.You continue to allow us to remain in ministry. For that, we are forevergrateful.Tommy and Sonya BitnerPo Box 108

Elm Springs AR 72728

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