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![]() ARM'S BRANCH
MINISTRIES
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These summaries from the leaders of ARM's foreign branch ministries
are intended to inform and encourage the reader as well as stimulate
prayer. Note the "Quick Link" menu at top left; it will aid in
navigating DIRECTLY to the article(s) you choose. Feel free to be a
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us!
In His Service, ARM's
Branch Ministry in Thailand
ARM's Minister in Thailand is Boonlerd
Chompukeeree
An Summary from Joe Garman
DAUGHTERS OF RUTH is a safe-house for pre-teenage and
teenage girls. ALL are without God, without Christ and without a hope in
this world when they come to us. We provide a Christian environment
complete with counseling, education, protection and shelter.
DAUGHTERS OF RUTH is located in Chiang Mai. Like Ruth,
they are living under a curse, but not one that God has placed on them.
They come from dysfunctional homes, extreme poverty and spiritual
darkness. They want to go straight; in fact, it is all some of them can
talk about…but they have no one to help them, no where to go. They feel
they have no control or power over their lives. They want to step out of
the curse and into the blessing but they don’t know how. They lack
resources, self-esteem and the skills to end this vicious cycle.
But at the DAUGHTERS OF RUTH home, bricks of character,
integrity and maturity are laid one by one. DAUGHTERS OF RUTH currently
live in a rented three-story townhouse. On the first floor is a
Church/worship center. Boonlerd Chompukeeree and his family live on the
second floor. Though their rooms are crowded, the girls are grateful to be
here. In this secure environment they are afforded every opportunity to
become emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually adjusted so they
can return to society.
After leaving our home, volunteers follow up on them
through letters, personal visits and telephone calls. The progress our
girls have made speaks volumes about what could be accomplished if we had
more room. The director of juvenile prisons for northern Thailand is
willing to release more girls and transfer them to us providing we have
capacity to care for them. We need to move out of our current facility and
build a dormitory style house that will accommodate 48 to 50 girls. Such a
home can be built for $135,000. This is not beyond our ability.
All we need are 135 Christians or 135 Churches willing
to donate $1,000. Then this dream will become a reality. We need you to
partner with us in this missionary effort. -- Joe
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Note
from Rod: We have some of the amount
but still need funds to build our first dorm for the Daughters
of Ruth.
Gifts may be sent to
ARM/DOR -- Rt. 5 Box 159 -- Salem, MO
65560 Here is a recent report from Stephanie Freed: Recently, I stood in the yard of the Rapha House
and watched Heng drive away with a staff social worker and a male staff
member. Sourm, our Cambodian director, explained to me that this was her
final testimony against her trafficker in a case which had been going on
for quite some time, and she would have to spend the night in a distant
province to testify. The male staff was going along for protection as this
was a high profile case.
The court system in Cambodia is not a child friendly
place, and it takes a lot of endurance and bravery for these girls to
continue to prosecute their perpetrators and traffickers. Our staff walks
beside them through the entire process. We know that in order to
effectively combat trafficking and sexual exploitation of children, we
must encourage the girls to prosecute.
It was late the next day when Heng was driven back
through our gates in our little pick up truck. My heart pounded in
anticipation of the verdict. The smiles on the faces of Heng and our
social worker told us the story. The back of the truck was full of raw
sugar cane, and Heng passed it out to all her friends as they heard her
good news. Her trafficker was going to go to prison for 10 years. Heng
realized that she was worthy of justice. What a blessing to be part of
that moment! It was one that I wanted to be sure to share with you. Thank
you for your prayer and financial support which allow us to offer safety,
hope and justice to these girls.
Editor's note: Any and
all support for the work in Cambodia is greatly
appreciated!
Gifts may be sent to
ARM/RH
-- Rt. 5 Box 159 -- Salem, MO
65560 I. On August 1, 2008, the Alocelja family, the
Church, and the Arm team assume a new place at Mabini Extension.
II. On August 2, Bro. Rudy Atienza, driver
mechanic and elder of the Church of Christ at Davao City, officiated
the blessing and thanksgiving service for the brand new van.
III. On August 17, Ernesto Alocelja and Dante
Tawi was invited as guest speaker at Ulas Church of Christ, Davao City
during their regular worship Sunday and had the opportunity to give thanks
to Ulas members for supporting the ARM Ministry in Davao City.
IV. On August 16, David Domingo and Solomon
Suscano conducted a special fellowship and bible studies at Panabo City
Jail, DAPECOL and Samal City Jail.
V. On August 22, the team received 15 packages
of religious literature and 30 boxes of large print bibles.
VI. On August 31, opening day for the Church
of Christ at Lion City if Digos City Located in Mabini Extension, Digos
City.
Because of Him, Ernesto O. Alocelja
Jay Mark M. Alocelja Information Secretary
Back to top Glory to Christ, my beloved
brother! This is my brief report for August 2008.
1. IMMERSIONS. Four convicts
were immersed by the DOM ARM ministers on 04.08.2008 in the prison camp No
102 in Simferopol (Crimea, Ukraine). Now we have there an independent and
self-multiplying congregation among the convicts, which is like the same
ones, created by DOM ARM in Russian prisons and camps. Brother Dmitriy
Tkachenko is there the congregation elder, ordained by me. On 24.08.2008
one of the girls, evangelized by the youth "NIKA"-ministry in Krasnodar,
was immersed in the USA in one of the Christian congregations (the girl is
the post-graduate student there).
2. PRISONS. The DOM ARM
ministers had 12 visits, services, meetings in prisons and camps this
month (mainly in Krasnodar Territory and Crimea). On 08.08.2008 16
convicts cut their blood vessels to protest against the torments in the
prison camp in Yakutsk (9 000 km to North-East from Krasnodar). The
Krasnodar Territory prison directorate published on 16.08.2008 (newspaper
"Krasnodarskie Isvestiya", p.7) the information, that the convicts in its'
prison camps "had voluntarily donated their one-day salary to the victims
of the Georgian aggression in the South Ossetia". Thus, the directorate
has confirmed, that the slave labor continues to exists in Russian
prisons; and that the state makes even the prisoners (hungry, without warm
clothes, having no medical help, etc.) pay the expenses of the war in
Transcaucasia!
3. CAUCASIAN ETHNIC GROUPS. On
12-13.08.2008 the DOM ARM ministers visited the refugee camp in Anapa (the
Black Sea court resort; 150 km to South-West from Krasnodar), where about
300 families of the South Ossetians to run away from the war in their area
were settled. Georgia declares the South Ossetia to be the Georgia
possession and the Southern Ossetians to be the minority of the Georgian
nation. Russia supports the South Ossetian leaders (President
Kokoity-Kokoev, etc.) to declare their land to be an independent state –
"The Republic of Southern Ossetia" ("Hussar Iriston", in Ossetian, which
is of the Indo-European language family; the Russian one belongs the
Slavonic group of the same family; the Georgian language constitutes the
separate – so called "Kartvelian" – family). Russia contains, as its
Federation Subject, the Northern Ossetia, which is situated on the
Northern slopes of the Big Caucasian ridge. The Southern Ossetia is on the
Southern ones, conformably. On 12.08.2008 I personally met the relatives
of the famous Ossetian – Vitaliy Kaloev, who some years ago had murdered
the Swiss aviation controller. Kaloev thought, that man had been guilty in
the airplane crash over the Boden Lake (on the border of Switzerland and
Germany). Kaloev's wife and children perished there. The controller was
not convicted by the court of justice, but Kaloev cut him on the basis of
the Caucasian tradition of the blood revenge (vendetta). He was convicted
by the Swiss court for six years of prison; but soon he was liberated on
parole for the "good behavior". Kaloev returned to Russia (North Ossetia);
he was declared there to be the national hero and was appointed the deputy
minister for construction in the Government of the North Ossetia. When the
battle with Georgia had begun in the Southern Ossetia, Kaloev with a big
group of the irregular Ossetian volunteers came there. The Ossetians,
basing on their tribal Caucasian-Iranian traditional law of vendetta, have
declared the blood revenge to all the Georgians, who participated in the
war against Ossetia, including the Georgian President Misha Saakashvily,
all his family and all his relatives (including the Ukraine President
Yushchenko, who was the orthodox "godfather" of Saakashvily's children).
The heathen tradition rules now in the Caucasus. The great aunt of Kaloev,
his aunt and 3 his male cousins live in Krasnodar. They all are crazy with
the vendetta idea. I tried to preach them Christ and the necessity to be
immersed and to be reconciled with the enemies.
Dear brethren in Christ, It is a great joy for me to send you warm Greetings, and I thank you for the great support you have been to this ministry, both through your Money and prayers. May this ministry prosper due to your many contributions for God’s work! Achievements are great, no matter that we get so tired both physical and emotionally. The church in Tejupilco is doing great and growing so fast now. This Church was left without a preacher for many years, but Chuy Muñoz was appointed pastor there not long ago. He has been the minister only for some weeks and the place is packed now! So, they need a bigger place now, but it must be built on top of the existing facilities. We had 64 baptisms this month of August. These were people from different places in the world, of our Bible Correspondence Students. We planted a new Church in Hueyaxtla, State of Hidalgo. They meet for worship on Sunday, but they study our Bible Courses during the week in homes. We had 127 of our students graduate from our Bible Correspondence Courses. These people remain true to the Word of God and are very strong Christians. They are sharing God’s Word eagerly now. I am so happy for Antonio Eusebio Maximiliano, who is one of these former students, that did not speak much Spanish when he started our lessons, but who learned Spanish using our courses. He belongs to the Otomí indigenous group. He went through our lessons and founded a Church, and he wants me to preach there on their anniversary, on October 12th. The power from God’s Word does change lives completely. Most people living without goals in life, now have a certain idea of what they want in life. We were able to enter in two more jails with our Bible Courses, which are in Arcelia and Acapulco (State of Guerrero). Inmates live like animals there. Besides being crowed, inmates have to live with lice, fleas, and other parasites. Authorities have abandoned them, except for keeping them behind bars. Joaquín Montaño insisted in me coming and teaching them the Bible first hand. At the Church in Cuernavaca, we now have services every day in different homes. This is reflecting in a very good spiritual growth. Last night, as some of these home churches were meeting, my wife and I had to stay at the Church facilities as some authorities had to check and do an inspection on the place. It was raining so hard the place got flooded, the sewage started coming out of the pipes, and the roof starting to leak. So, we were told to repair the roof and dig and put bigger sewage pipes for the Church. As these inspectors were there, and since it was pouring, my wife and I shared the Gospel with them. They ended up staying for the Church service we had. God blessed us in many ways! When my wife and I got home, to our surprise, 8 young people were waiting for us, as they wanted to hear God’s Word. After we shared the Gospel with them, and since it continued pouring, my wife and I decided to take them home. My car starting giving us problems on a very steep hill and did not want to go up. After some tries, it would not go up, and some of the young people were afraid we would go downhill to a ravine. I prayed, and tried again, the car went up! God protects in marvelous ways, indeed! Please help us pray for… God’s provision in order to build more facilities in the Church at Tejupilco. We need $4,750.00 God’s provision to fix the Church in Satellite, Cuernavaca. We need $4,270.00 and God’s strength and wisdom to continue serving Him. I am in charge of the Bible Correspondence School, coordination of 86 churches, the Christ in Youth Conference in Mexico, and other activities. I have no rest or vacations! God’s work cannot stop. Your servant in Christ Jesus, Alfredo José Aparicio
Thanks for
the Info! it was encouraging! M B -- TN
Thanks for sending these and
the reports on the prison ministry and Rapha house. We hope to help
in some way again.... BW -- CA
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