prayerletterapr2015

April 4, 2015

Dear Praying Friends,

Back in India for most of this first quarter, and we thank you for talking to our Father for us. It's been busy.  On our return, We had one day to rest before a road trip to Adilabad town for six days' ministry.  I felt very privileged to teach four seminars and preach seven times, while Ruth spoke eight times to ladies and to children.  These dear folk are in our hearts forever, and we feel very happy to work with them for our Lord Jesus.

 

In two visits to Pune, the Lord allowed me to teach multiple topics including Pastoral Epistles.  Ruth and I also conducted a full-day Marriage Seminar.  In another place, Ruth spoke in three ladies' sessions, and I gave the Gospel to villagers, from Acts chapter 17.

 

 One of the main works I've been doing, especially the past 18 months, has been to teach groups of rural pastors.  The Lord has given me very excellent Indian brothers who've arranged these meetings, and have translated.  Since January 30th, we've been able to conduct 19 seminars.  I feel hopeful that the 500-600 pastors we've been teaching might be able to much better exalt our Lord Jesus and preach His Gospel to tens of thousands of members of their flocks, and to the lost.  In the past 18 months, the brother with whom I've done most of this teaching has helped me conduct 60 seminars for 28 batches of pastors.

Ruth and I made a quick visit to Singapore a couple of weeks ago, specially so that I could teach The Life Of Our Lord Jesus in at least 25 hours over five days.  It was also my delight to speak four nights in a missionary conference, and to preach four other times, too.  Our kind Singaporean friends invited Ruth to speak in ladies' meetings as well.

Please Pray:

• For Ruth and me as we plan to travel in the USA for a couple of months, starting next week.
• That we'd edify, comfort and challenge everyone we meet, in the Name of our Lord.
• For our safe travels, including back to India at the end of June, so that we may be rested and ready to pour ourselves out as drink-offerings, like our Lord did, among the people here.
• That the Holy Spirit would make us to be as pure and good as possible day by day.  And that the promise of II Corinthians 3.18 would continuously come to pass in our lives.

Chit-chat:            As 100ºF days have arrived here in South India, some weariness has come with it.  God is love.                We are thanking the Lord for all things, always.  He gives us many comforts by His Spirit.  And good, Christly fellowship is no small blessing.                           Ruth and I are looking forward to visiting family, especially our parents, in the next couple of months, and hope to be fully refreshed to get back to India to the work the Lord has given us here.                 As my friend and I have conducted 60 pastors' meetings together in 18 months, we're hoping to be committed to bring that number up to 100 by the end of 2015, with our Lord's help.    I'll be satisfied when the Lord saves this country.      

 The Schaefers

“Serving with the International Gospel Missions” 

990 Calkins Road,  Rochester, NY  14623      Phone:  585-334-9048

prayerletterjan2015

                 

                                                January 24, 2015

Dear Praying Friends,

Thank the Lord for His great mercy, as we spent only 15 days at home since our last letter.  Ministry in Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia and Australia kept us so busy that we were amazed that neither total exhaustion nor sickness set in. This was due to your faithful prayers for us, and to God's everlasting love.

Ruth had multiple opportunities to speak to ladies, to conduct Sunday school teachers seminars and to do Gospel sessions for children as well.  I spoke to pastors' groups, taught in Bible institutes, preached in six different Christian assemblies, spoke in one church's family camp, and conducted various other meetings hoping to edify, encourage and exhort the Lord's people, with His gracious help.

As always, the personal fellowship with many believers, individually, was very cheering to us.  And if those brothers and sisters were helped even a fraction of how much we were, then our Lord Jesus has blessed them a lot too!

We are finally back in our apartment in India, and looking forward to more opportunities to be a blessing in local assemblies.  My own schedule of teaching seminars to pastors, and to men who are in training to become pastors, is going to be as full as it can be for the next couple of months, I think.  A thrilling prospect! 

Please Pray:

·         For our Lord to use Ruth and me for His glory, and to allow us to have full health, strength and safety as we continue here in India for the sake of the Gospel of His Son.  It seems to be “cold season” here, too.

·         That we'd make the best possible use of every day, and not waste our Lord's time.  May we always be thinking ahead to the Judgment Day.

·         That we would make the Gospel as clear as possible to as many people as we can.

Jan 2015

After seven weeks of Gospel ministry in other countries, we returned to India on January 8^th.  Somehow, we still didn’t feel tired, nor had we fallen sick.  Thank the Lord! 

Two days later, though, we had to travel four hours by car to Adilabad town, where we’d been invited by our friends (and former students) for five full days of ministry.

Stephen preached in six general meetings, mostly in the evenings, on three attributes of God, and a series in Matthew chapter 5 on the depth of our duty of obedience to our Lord and Savior.

Ruth spoke in two ladies’ meetings, and taught two separate children’s ministries over the five days as well.

Additionally, Stephen taught mostly men and youths in three sessions.

It is our wish and prayer that our Father in Heaven would so bless all of these efforts in His Son’s Gospel that He would be pleased and glorified by the resulting faith in Him and good works of obedience to the Lord Jesus.

Thanks so much for praying for us.

Sydney

I know it would have been best to blog about these activities as we did them, but never really had the time till now.

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On December 27, we flew to Sydney, Australia.  Stephen was invited to be the church camp speaker for Evangel Bible Church.
Our theme was the works of Christ and the works of a Christian.  With 1 Timothy 2:5 being the camp verse.  

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

I truly believe  that this camp was not only a great blessing to each of the members of Evangel, but it was a blessing to us as well.  The fellowship was so good, even intense. 

During the nine days, Stephen spoke 15 times, 12 of those being at the camp itself.  Ruth also got to lead one of the discussion groups and spoke twice.

 

After camp, some of the families took us to see the city of Sydney.  The Lord blessed us by allowing us to be a part of this ministry, and we feel thrilled about being invited to Australia for the first time.

Singapore 2014

After Cebu, Philippines, we were in Singapore.  While there Stephen preached for the assemblies of Bethany Evangelical Free Church, Jesus Saves Mission and Emmanuel Baptist Fellowship.

We joined Emmanuel for their church camp in Malaysia, where Ruth taught the children, and Stephen led one of the discussion groups.

On Christmas day Stephen preached for Emmanuel Baptist Fellowship, and in the afternoon for Grace Independent Baptist Church. GIBC presented a beautiful cantata before the preaching.

Ruth also was happily able to join the ladies at EBF for our annual ladies lunch.

On December 27 we flew to Sydney, Australia for another church camp. I'll write about it in the next post.

Cebu, Nov 2014

Our last post was our November prayer letter, the Lord has opened many door of opportunity to serve Him since that letter.  We have been in five different countries in the months of November, December and January.

In late November, we flew to Singapore, where Stephen preached on a Sat pm and Sunday am church service.  Then on Monday we flew over to Cebu, Philippines.  In Cebu we were able to be with our good friends of Jesus Saves Mission School.  Stephen taught that week on II Timothy, "Fit for the Master's Use".

Our next post, we'll tell you about our ministry in Singapore.