Friday 17 January 2014

Adilabad-Jan2014



Thanks for all your prayers for us!  We just came back from a five-days’ time of Gospel ministry in the town of Adilabad.

The first assembly we were invited to speak in, last Saturday and Sunday, is pastored by one of our old students from Bharat Bible College, and our acquaintance with him goes back to the year 2000.  There, Ruth and Stephanie conducted two children’s ministry sessions and one ladies’ meeting.



Stephen spoke three times, on “The Devil’s Methods, and How To Resist In The Power Of Christ” (beginning from Eph 6), “The Transfiguration of Our Lord” (Lk 9), and on “The Judgment To Come” (II Cor 5.9-10).


Starting on Monday, we shifted across the town to another, more established, assembly where we were very kindly asked to do many things for three days.

Stephen spoke to senior youths and upwards for two afternoons.  On Monday it was “What Is The Gospel?” and on Tuesday he covered some things in the Book of Psalms, especially regarding the teachings in Psalm 51 (and 32 and 130) as well as Psalm 8.

Ruth and Stephanie conducted ten hours’ worth of children’s meetings over the three days.  They especially gave lessons on people who needed “turning around” such as Zacchaeus, Saul of Tarsus, The Woman At The Well, The Ethiopian Man, and The Philippian Jailor—and how our Lord caused them by His grace to do just that.











On Wednesday afternoon, Ruth conducted a ladies seminar on Titus 2.3-5, and Stephen spoke to all the men on Having True Christian Fellowship By Fulfilling The ‘One Another’ Commandments.



In the three evening general sessions Stephen spoke on “That Book In Your Hand, The Bible”, “Galatians 2.20: Salvation, Outside of Me, and Inside of Me”, and Acts 17: Why You Must Become A Christian Right Away”.


Friday 10 January 2014

PrayerletterJan2014



Dear Praying Friends, 
During the past three months—through your prayers—our Lord enabled us to attempt much in His Name.  After being in our regular ministry place in India about seven weeks, we had about one week of teaching to do in the Philippines.  The remaining five weeks of the quarter we were in Singapore, where the Lord allowed us to close out 2013.



In Philippines I taught the book of Amos, and Ruth spoke on Children’s Gospel Ministry.  Through the rest of the quarter were many ministry opportunities in India and Singapore, including special Youth Seminars, meeting with several dozens of various brothers (many of them pastors) about 75 times for fellowship, encouragement and mentoring moments, a three-days’ trip to teach Pastoral Theology, a seminar on The Holy Spirit and The Cessation of the Miraculous and Revelatory Gifts, fasting and prayer sessions, a Life of Christ seminar for pastors, and, for Ruth (and Stephanie), ladies’ meetings and children’s Gospel outreaches.  Additionally, I was able to speak in an another nine places (including Sunday assemblies) in forty sessions, covering twenty Christly Gospel topics.  The schedule was so busy that I feel pretty exhausted.  Thank you for faithfully interceding for us at The Father’s throne.





Please Pray:

  • For me to recover my strength, as I am really tired because of the pace of the past six months.  Our ministry calendar here in India is looking extremely busy for the month of January.  My throat hurts.
  • That Ruth and Stephanie and I would remain encouraged, and be useful to our Lord Jesus in the work of His Gospel.  We’ve been invited to join in a new church-planting effort very shortly.  Please pray!
  • For our monthly financial needs—especially for the ministry fund—to be met.
  • For safety as we travel.  We are in India now, but are required to leave the country at least twice each year.  Our normal procedure is to visit the USA during May and June, which is what we are planning.
  • That the Lord would be glorified in every part of our thoughts, speech and deeds.

In case you are interested, the topics mentioned above included:  “Matthew 9.14-15, A Plan For Prayer” (twice); “Christ, Our Mediator, Prophet, Priest and King” (one time in three nightly sessions, and on another occasion in one afternoon); “Psalm 8, Man, in the Image of God” (four times);  “Psalm 51, The Confession Of Sin”;  “That Book In Your Hand (the Bible)” (four times); “The One Another Commandments” (three times); “The Moral Glory of Christ” (three times);  “The Holy Spirit”; “Amos 4.13”; “The Forgiveness of Sins”;  “Ac 17—Why You Must Become A Christian Right Away” (twice); “2 Kings 22-23 on Reformation and Revival”; “Self-denial” (twice);  “John Mark”; “The Patience and Goodness of God”; “Lessons From The Life Of Christ”; “The Power of God”; “Prayer”; “Five Things To Aspire to Improve Upon In Your Spiritual Life for 2014” (twice);  and one  funeral sermon from Genesis chapter 23.

Chit-chat:       We always feel happy to see our precious Singaporean friends in December.  They are always so kind.  We hope that by the grace of our Lord Jesus we’d always be able to encourage their faith in Him as we try to conduct the ministry there—and everywhere the Lord may allow us to go.             On January 3rd, we completed our twenty-fifth year overseas as workers in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Thank you for all your love, and your faithful support of our family as missionaries.                  At the beginning of November we gained another granddaughter!  Now we have seven grands, and they are such fun!  We want the same thing you must also desire from the Lord:  that He would enable us to live for Him and glorify Him, and that we’d be able to see our children and grandchildren loving and obeying Him even more and better than we have done.              Stephanie now has only four more months of studies here at home with us.  She says Economics is her most serious subject remaining to be polished off.  Ruth and I knew the day of becoming “empty-nesters” would come someday. . .                           May our Lord Jesus bless you with happiness and holiness of life, protect you, answer your prayers, and all day long fill your mind with Himself.


In Christian Service,

The Schaefers




"Serving with the International Gospel Mission"
990 Calkins Road, Rochester, NY  14623 Phone: 585-334-9048