Our Brother Upendra

I liked this pic a lot of our Brother Upendra sharing with village kids. Makes you want to be there, doesn't it?

Just Water and Fuel

Just water and fuel!

A large segment of women and children in this world will spend up to 30 hours per week just searching for fuel to cook with. Another 5 to 7 will be hauling water for drinking and cooking. Today, if you live in a place where you can turn on a tap or make a meal in thirty minutes ~ you are exceedingly rich.

Much of the world still makes it on $2 per day. Of whom much is given, much will be required. Gratitude and stewardship of time and resources is a good start. We will never eliminate poverty. We know that and aren't trying. But we can dig a well. We can buy a stove. We can do some small things that have big impact. We can buy rice. We can get school books. We can provide medicine. We can.....so we do!

Be glad if you can work, be grateful if you can pray, be encouraged if you can give, take pride if your children have an opportunity for an education, and be especially happy if your home has running water, clean water, heat, and a flushing toilet.

Ken

P.S. Our teams will be home this weekend ~ thanks for praying.

Ephesians 1:15-23

Ephesians 1:15-23

Eph.1:3-14

Be Blessed ~ Be Grateful ~ Be Proud of the Family!

Family living in Sewer Pile of 45 square feet! I don't buy magazines often anymore but I couldn't pass up this months copy of Christianity Today because it talked about Grassroots Revival in India. It was a good article which once again reminded me of how some of our brothers and sisters in Asia get by day by day. This email is to encourage you. Be proud of the body of Christ wherever and whenever it manifests. And be proud and thankful that we enjoy that fellowship. Note# We receive a Kingdom that CANNOT be shaken so don't let current mind-riots mess with your spirit. Here's how the article starts out and the picture of this precious sister Shivamma. "Shivamma stands in front of her house, braiding her little girl’s hair. Her feet are bare, her sari is simple, and she is rail thin, but she speaks to visitors with boldness. She is the face of the new Christianity in India. Shivamma’s home is nestled inside a concrete storm sewer discarded by the factory where she and her husband work. The neighborhood, hidden in an overgrown back lot, consists of huge pipes lined up like mobile homes. Her family of four live within 84 square feet." CT July 2001, pg.28-29

Luke 12: 13 - 33 Ken's Translation

Luke 12:13-33

13 And one out of the multitude said unto him, Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me. 14 But he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and guard yourselves from all covetousness~ the desire for excess & more: for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of the things which he possesses

. 16 And he spoke a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I don’t’ have anywhere else to store up my bounty? And he said, I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and construct them even bigger ; and I will store all my grain and my goods. After that, I will say to my soul, Soul, you have a lot of goods laid up for many years; you’re your ease { it’s time to kick back, chill, retire}, eat, drink, be merry.

But God said unto him, YOU FOOL, tonight your soul will be demanded back; and the things which you have worked for, here’s a question, whose shall they be?

21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

{that would mean “an unwise fool.” k.h.}

22 And he said unto his disciples,

Therefore I say unto you, Don’t be anxious in your soul, what you shall eat; or concerning your body, as to what you shall put on.

(Explanation): For “the soul” life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment. Consider the ravens, they don’t sow, nor reap; they don’t have storage bins or barns; and God feeds them: of how much more value are ye than the birds! And which of you by being over anxious can add any time at all to the measure of his life? If then you are not able to do even that which is the smallest, why are you so anxious concerning the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they don’t toil, they don’t spin; but I say to you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. And on the other hand, if God arrayed the grasses and flowers of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; don’t you think he will clothe you more that that ~ people of little faith? And don’t seek what you will eat, and what you will drink, or be overly concerned or anxious…. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: but your Father knows that you have need of them. 31 “So here’s the deal” ~ you seek His kingdom, and these things shall be given in addition to you. {not necessarily in excess}k.h.

32 Don’t fear, little flock; it’s your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

33 Sell what you have, and give alms and gifts;

Create for yourselves, money bags which don’t grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief comes near, nor can a moth destroy.

(Explanation) For where your treasure is, that’s where your heart will be too!

GNT Luke 12:13 Ei=pen de, tij evk tou/ o;clou auvtw/|( Dida,skale( eivpe. tw/| avdelfw/| mou meri,sasqai metV evmou/ th.n klhronomi,anÅ 14 o` de. ei=pen auvtw/|( :Anqrwpe( ti,j me kate,sthsen krith.n h' meristh.n evfV u`ma/jÈ 15 ei=pen de. pro.j auvtou,j( ~Ora/te kai. fula,ssesqe avpo. pa,shj pleonexi,aj( o[ti ouvk evn tw/| perisseu,ein tini. h` zwh. auvtou/ evstin evk tw/n u`parco,ntwn auvtw/|Å 16 Ei=pen de. parabolh.n pro.j auvtou.j le,gwn( VAnqrw,pou tino.j plousi,ou euvfo,rhsen h` cw,raÅ 17 kai. dielogi,zeto evn e`autw/| le,gwn( Ti, poih,sw( o[ti ouvk e;cw pou/ suna,xw tou.j karpou,j mouÈ 18 kai. ei=pen( Tou/to poih,sw( kaqelw/ mou ta.j avpoqh,kaj kai. mei,zonaj oivkodomh,sw kai. suna,xw evkei/ pa,nta to.n si/ton kai. ta. avgaqa, mou 19 kai. evrw/ th/| yuch/| mou( Yuch,( e;ceij polla. avgaqa. kei,mena eivj e;th polla,\ avnapau,ou( fa,ge( pi,e( euvfrai,nouÅ 20 ei=pen de. auvtw/| o` qeo,j( :Afrwn( tau,th| th/| nukti. th.n yuch,n sou avpaitou/sin avpo. sou/\ a] de. h`toi,masaj( ti,ni e;staiÈ 21 ou[twj o` qhsauri,zwn e`autw/| kai. mh. eivj qeo.n ploutw/nÅ 22 Ei=pen de. pro.j tou.j maqhta,j Îauvtou/Ð( Dia. tou/to le,gw u`mi/n\ mh. merimna/te th/| yuch/| ti, fa,ghte( mhde. tw/| sw,mati ti, evndu,shsqeÅ 23 h` ga.r yuch. plei/o,n evstin th/j trofh/j kai. to. sw/ma tou/ evndu,matojÅ 24 katanoh,sate tou.j ko,rakaj o[ti ouv spei,rousin ouvde. qeri,zousin( oi-j ouvk e;stin tamei/on ouvde. avpoqh,kh( kai. o` qeo.j tre,fei auvtou,j\ po,sw| ma/llon u`mei/j diafe,rete tw/n peteinw/nÅ 25 ti,j de. evx u`mw/n merimnw/n du,natai evpi. th.n h`liki,an auvtou/ prosqei/nai ph/cunÈ 26 eiv ou=n ouvde. evla,ciston du,nasqe( ti, peri. tw/n loipw/n merimna/teÈ 27 katanoh,sate ta. kri,na pw/j auvxa,nei\ ouv kopia/| ouvde. nh,qei\ le,gw de. u`mi/n( ouvde. Solomw.n evn pa,sh| th/| do,xh| auvtou/ perieba,leto w`j e]n tou,twnÅ 28 eiv de. evn avgrw/| to.n co,rton o;nta sh,meron kai. au;rion eivj kli,banon ballo,menon o` qeo.j ou[twj avmfie,zei( po,sw| ma/llon u`ma/j( ovligo,pistoiÅ 29 kai. u`mei/j mh. zhtei/te ti, fa,ghte kai. ti, pi,hte kai. mh. metewri,zesqe\ 30 tau/ta ga.r pa,nta ta. e;qnh tou/ ko,smou evpizhtou/sin( u`mw/n de. o` path.r oi=den o[ti crh,|zete tou,twnÅ 31 plh.n zhtei/te th.n basilei,an auvtou/( kai. tau/ta prosteqh,setai u`mi/nÅ 32 Mh. fobou/( to. mikro.n poi,mnion( o[ti euvdo,khsen o` path.r u`mw/n dou/nai u`mi/n th.n basilei,anÅ 33 Pwlh,sate ta. u`pa,rconta u`mw/n kai. do,te evlehmosu,nhn\ poih,sate e`autoi/j balla,ntia mh. palaiou,mena( qhsauro.n avne,kleipton evn toi/j ouvranoi/j( o[pou kle,pthj ouvk evggi,zei ouvde. sh.j diafqei,rei\ 34 o[pou ga,r evstin o` qhsauro.j u`mw/n( evkei/ kai. h` kardi,a u`mw/n e;staiÅ

This is what an outreach on the Nepali border looks like!

Parsa Team returns to Kathmandu safely!

This picture is so descriptive of village life. Early in the morning they will be washing their hair but later in the day they will be washing clothes or getting water. There's an out-house and a rough thrown together shed ~ but they have water! Our team arrived back safely into Kathamadu last night. Tired from the trip, tired of mosquitoes, and tired of dysentery. As our Brother Upendra said, " Kenji, there was no safe water, safe toilet, or safe food." But in the last two weeks over a dozen large villages were covered in the remote area bordering Nepal and India and over 1400 people had the opportunity to hear from the team. Thank you for praying and helping. I've asked the brethren to take a few weeks and just spend it with their families. Pray that they would have a good time of refreshment before the monsoon season. (Ken)

The Barnabas Letter is published monthly to help Christians center their prayers on our projects. Barnabas strives to promote the Good News of Jesus in unreached places in Asia. If you would like to participate in the financial support of The Barnabas Fellowship, please send your gifts to the address above. Your tax deductible gifts will be used to assist the persecuted and hard-working believers of the struggling church and to promote income-producing projects so that they can assist themselves. www.globalgifts.org 540-586-0987

Nawalparasi Awareness Outreach

Christian life in Lahore

This video shows good footage of Pakistani Christian lifestyle in suburbs of Lahore. It brought back many memories for me and also encouraged me to pray for an oppressed people.

Kahilil Gibran on Religion

On Religion

And an old priest said, "Speak to us of Religion."
And he said:
Have I spoken this day of aught else?
Is not religion all deeds and all reflection,
And that which is neither deed nor reflection, but a wonder and a surprise ever springing in the soul, even while the hands hew the stone or tend the loom?
Who can separate his faith from his actions, or his belief from his occupations?
Who can spread his hours before him, saying, "This for God and this for myself;
This for my soul, and this other for my body?"
All your hours are wings that beat through space from self to self.
He who wears his morality but as his best garment were better naked.
The wind and the sun will tear no holes in his skin.
And he who defines his conduct by ethics imprisons his song-bird in a cage.
The freest song comes not through bars and wires.
And he to whom worshipping is a window, to open but also to shut, has not yet visited the house of his soul whose windows are from dawn to dawn.
Your daily life is your temple and your religion.
Whenever you enter into it take with you your all.
Take the plough and the forge and the mallet and the lute,
The things you have fashioned in necessity or for delight.
For in revery you cannot rise above your achievements nor fall lower than your failures.
And take with you all men:
For in adoration you cannot fly higher than their hopes nor humble yourself lower than their despair.
And if you would know God be not therefore a solver of riddles.
Rather look about you and you shall see Him playing with your children.
And look into space; you shall see Him walking in the cloud, outstretching His arms in the lightning and descending in rain.
You shall see Him smiling in flowers, then rising and waving His hands in trees.