The Schaefer Family Journal    

January 16, 2012

Dear praying friends, I feel very grateful to you all for your kindness and support to us for so many years.  As one dear old lady used to remind me when I was her pastor, “there’s nothing doing without prayer.” Since our last letter we’ve split our time between India (4.5 weeks), Philippines (2 weeks), Malaysia (1 week) and Singapore (5.5 weeks). 

In India, several of the brothers and I have continued to enjoy many excellent times of pure, Christly fellowship when we’ve met to go tracting in the streets. We’re always praying, reading Scripture and talking about the Lord before, during and after these sessions.  After a disruptive month of civil unrest, the Gospel ministry in the school on Saturdays resumed in the latter part of October.  (Here, one of our dear brothers translates as I teach the Gospel, and Ruth and Stephanie lead the children in some songs.)  By the time we’d returned to India on January 3^rd from our visits to Singapore and Philippines, it seems, the school children were constantly asking the headmistress “when are Uncle and Auntie going to come back to us?”  It appears the children love us;  I earnestly pray that the children will come to love our Lord Jesus Christ, and turn from their idol-worshiping.

Ruth and Stephanie were asked to a children’s home near to our place, to share the Gospel.  They were joined by a number of Stephanie’s young lady friends from one church who co-labored with them in the Gospel by singing and doing puppets.  It pleases me a whole lot to see the youths involved and eager to do the Gospel work, supporting dear Ruth who taught the Gospel lesson.

There is a Christian boarding school which enrols mostly orphaned children, or those whose families cannot care for them.  At least 200 or so of these students are between the ages of 12 and 18.  I’ve been invited into this setting to share the Word of God twice already, and presented “Jesus Only Our Mediator, Prophet, Priest and King,” (I Timothy 2.5) with notes for their continuing study, and also “The Glory Of Our Lord Jesus” (John 1.14).  Please pray for me as I prepare to speak to these at least monthly from now on.

The students of the Bible school in which Ruth teaches a continuing course in English and Speech are now once again receiving the benefit of her work with them.  Our heart always goes out to young men in training for the Gospel ministry.

Over in Philippines, I taught I Corinthians to the entire batch of students in the school there.  Ruth taught English and Speech to certain students, as well as conducting a teacher training session.

In Singapore, Ruth spoke to a church ladies’ fellowship.  This same church took me for their thematic speaker during their church camp (seven messages!), while Ruth and Stephanie were doing the children’s ministry for that week.  Additionally, Ruth and I also both spoke to the young people during this camp.

Our travel back to India on January 3^rd went smoothly.  We’re eager to see what our Lord may allow us to do for Him here during the next months.

Please Pray: 

·       On the next sixteen Tuesdays, through May 1^st, I would be offering whole-day seminars on the following subjects and more.  Life of Christ, Pentateuch, Psalms, The Prophecy Of Jeremiah, Minor Prophets, Gospel of John, Book of Hebrews, Book of Revelation, Christ Our Mediator, What is the Gospel Message?, The Holy Spirit And His Gifts, The Inspiration of Scripture, The 16^th Century Reformation, and Christian Worship.  Please pray that a number of the select men I’ve invited would take the time to avail themselves of the teaching and to join in the fellowship in the glorious Word of God on as many Tuesdays as possible. The purpose of these programs is to help pastors, mainly. 

·       A former colleague who has become a dear friend of mine is arranging to take me to five rural areas to teach pastors for one or two days each time.  The dates of these would be January 26^th, February 16^th, March 8^th and 29^th, and April 19^th.

·       I’m to travel to teach a section of the Minor Prophets to a batch of students in Pune, India, this week, January 18-20.  My next visit to the same ministry would be February 22-24.

·       Please pray for me as I am receiving many invitations for preaching these days.  Additionally, we are increasing the tracting outreaches, and I’m also involved in mentoring and discipling several younger men.