Global Outreach Foundation PO Box 2190 Abbotsford BC Canada V2T 3X8
Ministry Report from Jan 1st2009 – Mar 31st 2010.
“And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs”. Mk.16:20. (NKJV)
On each of the four overseas ministry trips in 2009 and to March in 2010 the above verse was evidenced as His Word was preached.
It’s always a great joy to see the result of the power of the preached Word. On occasion people affirm, after a service “while the Word was being preached I felt deliverance come for my problem”, or “God touched me in the service and my sickness is gone”. This is an evidence of the supernatural message that keeps us taking the ‘good news’ to the lost.
The Mission Statement of GOF is first of all to win the lost, train national leaders, plant jungle churches and where possible do humanitarian work. This is still our primary focus, and in that order.
Salvation Prayer.
Every evangelistic rally (Festival of Praise) is concluded with a call for commitment to Christ. In jungle and rural areas where the Gospel is seldom if ever heard, sixty to seventy percent or more of the crowd will stream forward for a new life in Christ. Local leadership then disciples those who live in the communities and a new church plant develop.
Deliverance Alter Work
Every rally has ministry to the sick and bound. This is sometimes praying for the sick, sometimes moving in the “gifts” or dealing with upheavals as demonic activity disturbs the otherwise orderly proceedings. On occasion healing or deliverance comes quietly; sometimes as they rest in the Spirit, getting up, declaring they have been healed or had release. God moves in such diverse ways. As the Holy Spirit moves, as He did in a youth meeting, several hundred at an alter fell in the Spirit in unison, while I was praying for them.
Church Plants
Church plants grow as outreaches from other local rural assemblies. The local church has a vision to hold an outreach in an adjoining community and we go with them for several rallies. GOF generally covers the cost for equipment rental, transportation, publicity, etc. A local worker from the mother assembly then disciples the new believers. This past year several churches have been planted in this way.
New Buildings
GOF has carried a substantial part of the building of three new churches this past year. Usually we take the construction from foundation to ridge-tile/roof level. Sometimes we cover the roofing cost.
Sometimes we do doors and windows or floor tiles. On occasion it is chairs, a pulpit or a basic keyboard or guitar. We do this in conjunction with other ministries or churches so the local church does not look only to one ministry to carry the whole project.
Leadership Schools.
This is one of the greatest challenges for GOF. Financially this takes its toll on the budget. We sometimes commit to a school for fifty pastors or leaders, knowing that we can pay the total cost. As word of the school spreads to other leaders, we arrive to see two hundred. On one occasion in India, we budgeted for one hundred and sixty, but eight hundred attended. It took our six thousand dollar budget to thirty thousand. That event was another Supernatural miracle.
Humanitarian Effort
Wherever possible GOF endeavours to help the local communities. Sometimes feeding programs which will purchase the total food need for an average family of four for thirty days. This includes rice corn oil, spices and other incidentals like small portions of meat, fish or chicken.
Clothing, school book, bedding, bicycles, sewing machines etc. make up the smaller items. If possible we provide medical supplies, through our mobile clinic with one or two medical doctors who follow our evangelism route and minister to the sick who require minor medical treatment.
Transportation
A) Air Travel
The last two years of air travel has become increasingly difficult, this resulting from the necessity to search the lowest range fares. Without perks these fares allow us no advantage on the flight. Usually only the back few rows are assigned to our category of economy travel. The last four Asian flights- each 12 -16 hrs have been in non reclining seats. Tickets that cost less generate no air miles points. Tickets that do generate points cost more than the difference between them.
B) Ground Travel
On most fields our ground travel is by rented passenger van. Rental cost is a major factor, which means that it will be an older, less reliable vehicle. On a recent trip this being the case, the total shock absorbers were gone, and every bump or pothole jarred the vehicle body on the frame. We were totally fatigued after each 6-9 hour journey for the seven weeks. The air conditioner malfunctioned, spewing out un-filtered diesel air which played havoc with the respiratory system. On future trips this dimension will need more attention. The great news is that the driver, over several days of observing our spirits and conversations in the vehicle and listening to the message at the back of each meeting- called one of the workers over and asked to be led to Christ.
A Notable Event
Several hours before an outdoor evangelistic rally in a jungle area, a distraught man in his late fifties who had read a poster announcing the event, arrived at the location. Eventually the rally began and he stayed for the full time. For him this was a total of over six hours. He responded to the alter call for the salvation prayer and for deliverance. A couple of weeks later we heard that he was totally delivered from thirty five years as an alcoholic, not able to tolerate even the odour of the liquor, and is regularly attending the local house church.
Your servants in His Love,
Respectfully submitted,
John & Shirley Abraham