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Ministry Report June 2017 – The Falling Away Has Begun

Let no one deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away FIRST… (2 Thes. 2:3)

It seems the falling away has begun. When once solid Bible believing ministries are increasingly departing into the Ecumenical waters of compromise, denying the very Word itself of its own relevance, we must know for certainty that the falling away has begun. Ironically the Bible itself declares that the Church of the end times will be characterized by apostasy. Paul prophesied that the Antichrist will not be revealed until “the apostasy comes first” (2 Thes. 2:3). Yeshua also prophesied that “many will fall away” and “the love of many will grow cold” (Matt. 24:10,12) as a sign of the last days…

Paul gives us more insight as to why the end times Church will be weak, compromising, and full of apostasy. One of those signs can be found in (2 Tim 4:3-4) which says, “the time will come when they “Christians” will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to entertaining stories.”

Paul gives us another clue (in 2 Tim. 3:5) shown in his description of the last days apostate church, and the reason for her miserable condition. Paul warns that the Spiritual leaders of the day will “have a form of godliness but denying its power”. He explicitly adds, “Turn away from such as these”! He says that there will be many who appear to be religious, but they will deny the true power of the Word that is able to make them Born Again of the Spirit.

FZS Jerusalem

Another shipping container arrived last week from Global Aid Network (GAiN) Holland filled with clothing for our distribution center for needy immigrants. As usual, there were plenty of volunteers available to help unload, as many of those we help are more than happy to come and lend a helping hand in appreciation for the assistance they have received.

We have already begun to plan our next shipment and pastor John Higgins of Calvary Chapel of Tri City has felt called to organize our next 40ft container to be sent to us from the USA.

You can also participate with them in blessing Israel. If you have any connections to really good quality used clothing or better yet, new clothing, please consider sending them to this address in banana boxes for shipping.

Calvary Chapel of Tri City
2334 E Southern Ave, Tempe, AZ 85282, USA
Phone: +1 480-345-6200

These items would also be useful:

-Diapers and wipes
-Shoes – new only
-School backpacks, new, School supplies, like pencil bags – new or like new, spiral notebooks, drawing pads, pencils, pens, sharpeners, erasers, etc.
-Stoneware or glass (or Corelle) dishes
-New toys (cannot bring in used toys)

It’s one thing to unload a 40 ft. container and quickly stack the boxes in our FZS warehouse, as the driver of the of the truck with the container must return to the port as soon as possible. However, it’s another job altogether to open, organize and separate the aid which must be categorized by gender, size and season. This is a job mostly handled by our faithful ladies who serve at FZS with a heart of love, especially now that Luda, our warehouse manager, is no longer with us…

Please meet some of our key volunteers:

Lida Tetelbaum from Russia

Alla Mishenko from the Ukraine

Margrit Richard from Switzerland

Karina Kazanovich from the Ukraine

We have also been busy distributing the clothes that we have received. Here are some recent photos of our distribution days at FZS during the month of June. In many of the pictures you will notice the new blankets and pampers we distribute by the thousands each year.

 

We also actively support Bait haYeshua, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program that rents part of our facility. This ministry has been with us for almost 10 years now and we have seen hundreds of former drug addicts and alcoholics come to faith in Yeshua and be set free from substance abuse. What a blessing to see the power of love in action!

 

Men and women set free from drug and alcohol abuse at Bait haYeshua rehab center

We also had time to catch up with our friends at the Association of Holocaust and Ghetto survivors in Jerusalem for Shavuot (Pentecost). They invited us to join in their celebration in thanking God for all of His blessings!

Myanmar Update

Dear Friends of FZS

Thank you for your mindful prayers!

On Monday, we kept on journeying from New Bethel village to Nam Ngaw village which is Judah’s village. Bryce Home-15 is there. It is near a small town called Chailat or Mekhawng river, Myanmar- Lao boundary.

As you know the flood with sand crossed Judah’s house the previous year. The house livable anymore. So, last year, the new land was bought up on the mountain side of Chailat town with the relief funds but the building is not yet built. It is not so far from the Government High School. His uncle who wanted to help him is very sick and has been in the hospital for a long time. He spent all that he had for his medicine and could not help anymore for the building.

The village is around 6 kilometers from Chailat town. There are around 60 houses in this village. Educationally and spiritually, they are really in need of help. They have only one person who has graduated High School from the whole village till today. The children and youth aren’t educated and destroyed by drugs and alcohol. Judah’s commitment is to protect the children from these wicked ways, educate them and train them to follow Christ. He still leads prayer meetings every night at the village.

Even though Judah needs a lot of things to make his vision reality, he is still very strong in his faith. He works very hard to be able to start this year but all that he could do for the project is digging the foundation and building the bamboos house beside the foundation. The bamboo house is still empty. I admire his zeal very much. You will see some photos attached:

– Please pray for this. If you are in the situation to be able to help this project, I believe it will be very much precious in His sight and useful to train up those children in God’s way.

During this trip, we have two days Bible teachings. The villagers are very hungry for God’s Word. We see how much of an impact Judah has made on the lives of his people. In the end, we challenged them to turn from their personal journey and to submit their whole life to Christ. We see that the Lord really blesses through their response to the Words.

In this trip Ali Juju (Bryce Home 13), Unti Naca (Bryce Home 14), Solomon (Bryce Home 16), Uncle Amai deacon from Timothy’s church and two new believers from New Bethel village joined with us to visit Judah’s village. I appreciate them very much for their commitment.

This morning, we planned to come back early but one after another they shared with us their testimonies. So, now we just came back with joy for the great things the Lord has done through us there. We will spend two days on the way to Yangon.

In Christ,
Elisha

I write this update praising God from the depth of my heart for the privilege I have of bringing a mission team (Sumpi, Daniel, Mama and Sa Moe Htet) to Tachiliek to visit Bryce Homes in that area.

As we left Yangon on May 18th by bus, we arrived at Tachiliek on May 20th. But this time Habakkuk could not join us for it was the due day of his wife giving birth. Praise God for hearing the news that a daughter was safely born on Sunday, May 21st, sharing the same birthday with her father Habakkuk.

Between May 20th-23rd, we had a joyful time with Bryce Home 11 (SKLian family). On May 21st, Sunday morning and evening, we took time at Chin Baptist church. On May 22nd-23rd, we taught at Summer Bible training school which is conducted by SKLian and friends. Most of them are older children from Bryce Home 11. In the evenings we had joyful fellowship together. By the grace of God, we discovered and learned so many lessons from them as well. His leading hand is more clear than in the beginning. By seeing the great works of God in Bryce Home 11, I feel taking part and serving is so precious. It is clear enough that they really live for God.

On May 24th, Timothy came to pick us up to go to the remote area, still very isolated. No school for the children, no transportation and no communication with the rest of the world, which is the animist village over the hills. At night, we showed the Gospel video with a projector. After that we shared Christ who created everything, who loves, saved and cares for us and can forgive us from all sins and we challenged them to accept Jesus and at once the Lord opened the heart of the house owner’s wife with some of the villagers and they accepted Jesus. We were very tired and almost blamed Timothy for bringing us that far to walk on foot but we praise God for His wonderful works there. Timothy plans to take care of those children.

On May 25th, we continued teaching them how to live for Christ and Timothy baptized them in the name of the triumphant God and at night we continued teaching them, challenged them to surrender their whole lives to God and have communion. There is no church there yet. So, please pray with us that a local church might be built there.

On May 26th, we came back to Bethel village where Timothy is a pastor. And we will be here until Sunday night. Sumpi teaches his specialized subject which is the book of Romans. Sa Moe Htet teaches Doctrine of the last thing in dispensational setting. Daniel teaches the danger of Laziness and IT, David Mama teaches how the believers should be like salt and the light of the world. I teach from Creation to the Lordship. On Monday Judah (Bryce Home 15) will come to take us to Chalet town where he is ministering. Please continue with us in prayer.

It is more clear to me now, why God brought us there. As they have one mind with us to live for Christ, taking apart and encouraging them to stand strong for Christ is so precious.

In Christ,
Elisha

Outreach in Beslan, Russia

After the very blessed visit with Ira and her family, we headed over to our dear friends’ (Taimuraz and Raya’s) house. Taimuraz and Raya are the parents who lost 4 of their 5 children in the Beslan terrorist attack; only their second-born (Madina) survived, though she too was a hostage for those three days in September of 2004. Taimuraz is a Baptist pastor, and his wife Raya also helps in ministry. They are – simply put – amazing people by the grace of God.

From my understanding, it is much harder for Taimuraz to deal with what happened, in terms of it being harder for him perhaps to be very open about what happened. Raya shared that she can’t hang a photo of the kids on the wall, because it’s too hard for Taimuraz to see – so she goes into a room to look at the photo, and then turns it back upside down so that he won’t see it. I share this not as gossip, but so that you can get a better understanding of how people grieve differently and grieve deeply, and so that you will pray for him. The fact that Taimuraz and Raya are still in their right minds, yet alone continuing to serve in ministry, is a testimony to the absolute power and wonder of God’s grace.

Some might read the above, and not understand our brother. But while I of course think it would be better for him to be able to open up more, I can also to some extent understand why – while he doesn’t deny what happened – it may be just too painful for our brother to be more open about. Culturally, ‘Ossetian men don’t, or shouldn’t, cry.’ Of course our brother knows he is a Christian before an Ossetian; however, he was also raised among a people from whom that kind of sentiment is expressed. But further: Ossetian men, culturally, are also meant to be the protectors of their homes – the protectors of their wives and children. That idea is pretty common to most cultures I think, however, it is a much stronger concept among Ossetians. But during the terrorist attack, there were fathers upon fathers who were perhaps a football field’s distance from their children – their children who were in imminent and horrific danger – but, beyond prayer, these fathers were powerless to do anything to try and save their children. And they waited in that state of helplessness. Not for one or two hours. For three days.

If you are a father, imagine what it would be like were your own children right now being held by terrorists in a house across the street, or just a bit down the road. The police gathered – the military gathered – but the terrorists had rigged the home with explosives, and thus… beyond prayer, all you could do: was wait. And wait. And wait. That would be destructive to the heart of any father. But even more so to Ossetian men, as Ossetian culture is largely male-dominated, ‘what father says – goes’… the men know it is their job, and calling, and responsibility, and debt to protect their wives and children. But there they stood… so close to their children and wives being held by Muslim terrorists… unable to themselves physically rescue them. For three days. And for those fathers who lost child or spouse – I can guess that they feel partly (or perhaps even largely) responsible for not saving them.

Add all of this to the fact that I believe Taimuraz has a heart condition, or he has some other health problem (or problems) – and you can understand why it may just be too painful for him to see a photo of his kids hanging up on the wall. Please pray for him. And please pray for Raya, too, of course. She shares much more freely and openly about things, but – beyond the unfathomable weight of losing four of her five children – it must also be very hard for her if she is wanting and needing to open up more, but her husband is just not able to do the same. Please pray for them both, and that our Great God will continue to sustain, and heal, and bless them.

It cannot be put into words, but thank you so very much for being part of sharing love and comfort with these two precious saints! Taimuraz and Raya were very blessed by the visit today. They love me as well, glory to God, and began calling me ‘Alan’ (ah-LAHN), my middle name, years ago; they joke that I’m one of them (Ossetians’ ancestors are believed to be the Alans).

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support to FZS Ministries that make these outreaches possible!