PAOC - INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS

September 2013

What’s your dream? When you think of reaching the world with the gospel today, what dreams come to mind? One of the earliest PAOC missionaries, Otto Keller’s dream was to build a strong African church. That dream has become a reality! Our dream is to develop leaders everywhere we minister so that we multiply the number of people sharing the gospel. Where can we look to see this dream coming together? Let’s consider Russia and Thailand.

At 24, Jenya had been on drugs for 9 years. His life was totally broken. God restored him through Teen Challenge Siberia and called him to full-time ministry. He left his business and went to a village with the gospel. However, his past caught up with him and Jenya was hospitalized with TB. While struggling for his life, he led many to Christ as they lay dying of AIDS. God miraculously healed Jenya, and now he plans to reach far beyond his own village. He is equipping himself at a Leadership Extension Program in Siberia to increase his effectiveness in teaching, preaching and evangelizing.

Sopon was inspired by the great need for church planting in Bangkok after ministering to at risk youths who are dealing with crime, prostitution and addiction. Although many came to Christ, it was difficult to nurture their faith without an established local church. It was this need, and the closure of the at risk youth program, that led Sopon to enrol at Thailand Pentecostal Seminary. He is in his second year of his MA and dreams that God will send him back to plant churches and minister to a similar community again.

Today, our “mission field” is also sending missionaries. On the next page, our director of GlobalEd, Dr. Irving Whitt, shares some exciting testimonies of those who are training to become cross-cultural missionaries. Some of them are only able to do this because of assistance from the Timothy Fund. Education is expensive and many are only able to fulfil their dreams through scholarships.

Thousands of students like Jenya and Sopon have dreams of reaching the world for Christ. Our goal for 2013 is to raise 250 Timothy Fund Scholarships to partner with these men and women in receiving quality Bible and Leadership training. Scholarships of $600 defer tuition to enable a student to study. Over 5,000 students study at 30 partner schools around the world.

Consider investing to reach the world with the gospel through students who equip themselves for ministry. Invest $50 per month, $600 per year or an amount of your choosing. Our goal for 2013 is 250 scholarships. Please consider sending a gift today!

Thank you in advance for investing in their dream,

Murray Cornelius Assistant Superintendent, International Missions

Catching their Dream

I travelled to Uganda when Idi Amin was in power, and witnessed the brutality, devastation and

corruption that are recorded as one of the darkest periods in Ugandan history. Yet, the church

survived and even flourished, and is now sending missionaries to surrounding countries. Last year

I was back in Uganda as GlobalEd director, teaching at the Missions Transformation Centre (MTC)

near Kampala. Allow me to introduce you to two empowered graduates.

Brahim came to MTC at 23, having already planted a church. God gave him a dream to move

internationally with the gospel. On a field trip that took him near an international airport, he

begged that we drive close enough to see aircraft taking off. Being close to the airport, he said,

“God has made the dream concrete. One day I will fly to nations with the gospel.” The passion

to take the gospel to the unreached beyond Uganda is still burning in his heart!

Boniface was an engineer before becoming an evangelist in northern Uganda. At MTC,

he was shocked that his profession could serve as a tool to bring the gospel to new areas.

Boniface spent a month using his engineering skills to help people in some Muslim villages

meet practical needs. In the process, he built relationships that will allow the gospel to be

shared. Boniface has a passion to reach into South Sudan, and has been leading ministry

teams into that nation.

I could go on with many more accounts of graduates of our schools who have become general

superintendents (like Jimmy Kuoh in Liberia), Bible school presidents (like Bal Krishna in Nepal),

church planters (like Jenya in Siberia), social activists (like Sopon in Thailand), missionaries and

evangelists (like Brahim and Boniface in Uganda).

Indeed David was right when he wrote, “Without a vision, the people perish” (Psalm 29:18).

Students like these have the vision, often in very difficult situations where we could not go, and it is

our privilege to partner with them through Timothy Fund Scholarships. The Timothy Fund provides

scholarships to students in our 30 partner schools and numerous extension programs. Just $50 a

month, or $600, will provide an annual scholarship to help train a national leader.

C

an you catch their dream?

In 2012…Canadians donated 187 Timothy Fund scholarships. 155 students from 14 schools received money from the Timothy Fund. Students attend schools in Belgium, Israel, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Zimbabwe, Kenya and more. Applications could easily rise to 300 in 2013.