North Side Baptist

Listed below are updated prayer requests from a few of our partnerships! Please continue to partner with us and them in prayer!  

A CALL TO PRAY FOR KENYA! Update from Pastor Ben in Nairobi, Kenya (4-17-08):   

Pray for Kenya. Update from Pastor Ben in Nairobi, Kenya (4-9-08):

Again Kenya can be in trouble if something is not going to be done. Yesterday as the opposition pullout of the negotiations a slum area in Nairobi (kibera) went to a running battle with the police. Kisumu too business came to a stand still for some time. The international community were there issuing threats. E U said there will be no business as usual. Canadians withheld their assistance.

Now what does this mean? more tough days. How are we going to survive for sure. If getting food on a table is that difficult for more than half Kenyans with these threats i don't know. Think about it and tell God for he is Jehovah.

People who are living in camps these are the people who used to grow food and now are in the camps. I'm telling you the truth now we have shortage of English potatoes this means if you can get chips (French fries) are very little and expensive. "These are for sure the hard times everyone on is own but christ for us all"

We can only overcome through Christ send Kenyans there.

The rain is not treating us well, it is supposed to be raining but probably tonight. With out enough rains many places won't get food and it can be tough.

Pray for me am undergoing some spiritual struggles which seems to be tough.

Thanks again and again for affording to weep with us.

May God multiply all your strengths

Continue praying for

GOD TO REMOVE SHAME FROM US.

MY WIFES COUNSELING TRAINING

A COMPUTER TO EASE MY WORK (church is growing with lots of challenges) MORE THEOLOGICAL TRAINING MORE GODS POWER Pastor Ben

Update from Jessica B. in Indonesia (2-2008)

February has been a great month.  One of my closest friends from home, Hannah, came out for two weeks because she is bringing a small team out in the summer and wanted to get some ideas firsthand of what they could do out here.  We had some great times seeing different areas of the city, meeting up with lots of different friends, playing pick-up sticks with neighborhood kids, leading a chat club on "true love", getting Henna tattoos among other great experiences.  Thanks for lifting up Hannah and her time here.  I think she definitely left with a strong desire to come back, new friends and some tangible ideas about what she and the others will be able to do here.  

February has been a great month for me as well in the area of personal time with Dad.  He has been teaching me more about pouring my heart out to Him.  I read this passage the other day and I think it really sums up what I've been learning this month, "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us"(Ps. 62:8).  I'm learning to stop always telling Him what I think He wants to hear but tell Him what's really there on my mind and heart, and it's a freeing experience.  I think it's also causing me to see my purpose even more clearly in this city because so many here have never prayed a honest, straightforward prayer in their life but only rehearsed and memorized ones.  I want so many in this place to be set free from bondage and enter into a freeing relationship with the Father who cares to know their heart.  Keep this thought in mind as you also "pour out your hearts" to Him.

I want to beg you for your thoughts this weekend as 2 teammates and I are taking 35 students from our english course to a town about 2 hours from here for a weekend outing.  We are watching "Finding Nemo" and talking about the themes of sacrifice, influence and relationships that matter.  From this outing we are hoping to be able to find some people who seem truly interested in spiritual matters and from this make a small group in which we can get more focused on spiritual matters.  Would you please be lifting up this weekend, that logistical things would go smoothly so that we can be focused on the important task of identifying those who would be interested in studying stories from the Word later.  I look forward to reporting back how well this weekend went.  Roger and Courtney, a young couple on our team were supposed to be coming as well, but Courtney's father passed away so they are in the states.  Please be remembering them and especially her brother, Melvin who is not yet a believer.  Ask that His healing would be brought into their lives deeply.  Thanks!

One more thing I ask that you would be lifting up.  Bethany and I are planning on starting a group for girls in our home next week.  We are in the process of deciding who to invite and buying the materials we need.  Ask that we will be discerning and wise in this process and that the hearts of the girls who come would be prepared to find out what Dad really thinks of them as women.  

That's all for this month.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything!  May His Grace abound in your lives.  

Thank you from the Commission Team:

A BIG thank you from the Commission Team in response to a letter we received from the IMB. The letter was to thank North Side for the generous donation towards Lottie Moon in 2006. It stated, "Just as Lottie's home church supported her, your generous giving provides support for over 5,200 Southern Baptist missionaries who labor for the harvest in places you may never see but will have a part in changing for eternity". Thank you for your support!  

Video Documentary with Pastor Euticauls: Nairobi Kenya

Please visit the following webiste: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFbNK-_A9Qs 

From Jessica Boyter in Indonesia: (9-03-07)

I was reading the story of the rich, young man in Matthew 19 last week and was learning some new things about this passage, just seeing it from a different point of view. Most of us are pretty familiar with this story: A rich guy comes up to Jesus and asks what he has to do to get eternal life, that he's kept all sorts of commandments, but he obviously realizes something is missing. Jesus of course, doesn't sugar-coat anything and tells him if he truly wants to be complete, he should sell all he owns, give the money to the poor and follow Him. The guy then walks away sorrowful because he can't do it. Well, I just thought of this from the disciples point of view. How excited they must have been when they saw this young, wealthy, influential man approach their teacher and ask what He needs to do to be a follower (if only it were that easy all the time!). It says that the disciples were "greatly astonished." I know they must have been, to see such an influential person humble himself (they probably thought he was going to join them) only to walk away because He wasn't ready to give it all up. I feel what the disciples felt sometimes. Afterwards they said, "Who then can be saved?" Only to hear the simple yet profound answer, "with man, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

The "rich young men" that I meet here have a hard time giving up their deeply ingrained culture and traditions instead of their possessions, but its the same concept. God knows what it is that stands in the way of people following him; it looks different in different cultures, it looks different for each person. But no man is going to convince another man to give up that one thing that hinders....it's only God who gives that realization. I am seeing this with a whole new set of eyes and it is both frustrating and freeing at the same time. I feel "greatly astonished" when I see people all around me trying to become holy on their own merit when some of them have heard of the one way to become holy, but it depends on someone else, Jesus. Please continue to join with me in lifting up these people in the islands who need to give up the idol of tradition to receive abundant life.

From Pastor Euticauls in Nairobi Kenya:

Greetings every one in the name of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. We are glad to be back after what I can say a very successful mission trip to Kamuwongo-Mwingi.

I want to thank our many faithful members and friends who prayed for us daily.

Our Journey started on Wednesday morning, 31 team members arrived at the church as per schedule. Our two Vans were late but arrived at around 9.00 A.M and at 9.30 we started a three and half hours Journey to Kamuwongo.The Journey on so well and we did have anything to complain about. We arrived at Kamuwongo at around 1.30 P.M offloaded our bags and started securing our room; we managed to get 8 rooms from the nearby lodge which is owned by a man who practices witchcraft. For the five days we were there we transformed this home into a church, where the presence of God was felt, people with all kinds of sicknesses and diseases were prayed for. Poor fed and many clothed, some of our members were moved by compassion and gave all their clothes to those who had nothing. We served breakfast, Lunch and dinner to over 55 people daily.

Our team leader put us 4-5 people in each room, we removed the single bed that was in each room and laid down few mattresses and mats that we had and that became our bed for the next 5 nights. The first day was mainly preparation and setting up. On Thursday we woke up at 4.45 for morning glory up to 6.20 after which we started taking a shower. This was what would become our routine for the next 5days.

Every morning we divided ourselves in teams and went out in the scattered homes where we had the opportunity to share the Gospel to those who wanted to hear the message. After Lunch we came back and had a training session for new believers and members of other churches who came. At around 4.00 P.M we had the open air meeting where again the people of Kamuwongo had the opportunity to hear the Gospel and later revival and then rest to bed at around 11.30 P.M.

To summarize everything in Evangelism we were able to present to gospel one on one to 65 people and 27 prayed to receive Christ as their personal savior, in the crusades the message was publicly shared to over 500 people who some heard the gospel for the first time, through revival we ministered to over 100 believers who came every evening to be encouraged and strengthened by the word of the Lord.

On Sunday morning we had our first church service in a rented room where we had over 50 people in attendance. We began a church by the name Kamuwongo Real Life Centre. I am now in the process of finding a pastor for this church and in the meantime we will be sending some speakers from Baptist church to Kamuwongo for the Sunday service. I pray and hoping that we will be able to have a Pastor down there in two weeks, I have already spoken to two who went with the to the Bible college and one of them seems to be very interested his only concern is how he can be sustained with his family.

I want to thank God for the good team spirit that we had during this mission. Many thanks to many who found sometime to pray for us and for this mission. Sincere thanks to Pastor and members of our mission church (Malili) who came every morning fetched water for us and went out witnessing with us.

Please remember to pray for:

Pray for the people of Kamuwongo to be receptive to the Gospel of Christ.

Pray for the new believers that they will grow in the Lord.

Pray for those who heard the Gospel that they will be open to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Pray the pastor who will serve this church and for God’s provision for him and his family.

Pray for God to grow his church at Kamuwongo and that this church will have the Vision to see many saved in Kamuwongo.

Pray that the Lord will provide land and a building for worship at Kamuwongo.

Pray for many people in this area who are bound by their denomination and yet the do not know Jesus as Lord and savior.

Pray for Baptist Chapel as we continue the Vision of reaching people for Kingdom and making a difference where it counts most!!!! In people’s Lives, and for next year as we plan to plant another church in another town.

From The McGees in Tenwick, Kenya