EveryHome - August 2015

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AUGUST 2015 www.EHC.org Zimbabwe MUCH MORE THAN A GAME THE WAKING OF A BRILLIANT MIND Chile NOT HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO Papua New Guinea HOW DOES PRAYER REMOVE EVERY OBSTACLE?

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Taking the Gospel to Every Home

Transcript of EveryHome - August 2015

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AUGUST 2015

www.EHC.org

Zimbabwe

MUCH MORE THAN A GAME

THE WAKING OF A BRILLIANT MINDChile

NOT HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GOPapua New Guinea

HOW DOES PRAYERREMOVE EVERY OBSTACLE?

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THE WAKING OF A BRILLIANT MIND

Chile

p. 8

DAILY PRAYER WATCHSeptember

p. 13

NOT HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO

Papua New Guinea

p. 10

SIMPLY AMAZING!Dick Eastman

p. 3

MUCH MORE THANA GAMEZimbabwe

p. 4

C O N T E N T S

International President | Dick Eastman

Executive Director | Tim Middlebrook

Editor | Erick Todd

Assistant Editor | Michelle Matia

Designer | Drew Emmert

Production Supervisor | James Holt

Writers | Kathy Gowler and

Rob Stennett

MB1508

Every Home for ChristP. O. Box 64000Colorado Springs, CO 80962 [email protected]

Search for us online: everyhomeintlEveryHome Magazine is a publication of Every Home for Christ.

VISION: Every Home for Christ exists to serve the Church to reach every home on earth with the Gospel.

Cover photo: Zimbabwe

An Every Home for Christ worker in Chile ministers the Gospel to a young couple.

WE ARE EVERY HOME FOR CHRISTVictor Stuardo

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SIMPLY AMAZING! DICK EASTMAN

“Publish his glorious acts throughout the earth. Tell everyone about the amazing

things he does.” (Psalm 96:3, TLB)

h, if only Psalm 96:3 could be the headline on tonight’s evening news! It’s one of the reasons for this monthly publication. God is doing amazing things throughout the earth,

and we want you to know! What’s behind these amazing things? I believe we

can attribute it to one thing—the power of prayer. I believe so deeply in the power of prayer that I’ve

devoted my life to praying and teaching others to pray. Prayer was at the very foundation when the ministry of Every Home for Christ was established more than 68 years ago, and our belief in the power of prayer is actually one of our three unalterable convictions: Prayer, alone, will remove every obstacle that stands in the way of fulfilling the Great Commission(Mark 11:22-23).

If you haven’t guessed by now, we take prayer seriously at Every Home for Christ. Every decision that’s made, every piece of gospel literature given out, every outreach strategy that’s planned—all begin and are carried out with prayer.

From our headquarters in Colorado Springs to the smallest country office in the middle of nowhere, time is set aside each day for our leaders and staff to come

together for corporate prayer. Every evangelistic outreach our global workers

organize is covered in prayer, and every gospel presentation our pioneer missionaries give includes prayer.

Why so much emphasis on prayer? One simple reason is that more than 50,000 Every Home for Christ pioneer missionaries are on the front lines of a battle over lost souls. But they aren’t out there alone. They have a powerful weapon and have been trained to use it forcefully. It’s the weapon of prayer.

The stories we get from them are simply amazing, and it brings me great joy to share some of them with you. Because of prayer, centuries-old pagan rituals were abolished in Zimbabwe by the fetish priest who enforced them (page 4). Because of prayer, a young Chilean man came out of a lengthy debilitating coma (page 8). Because of prayer, a paralyzed accident victim now hikes up mountains to deliver the Gospel to unreached people in Papua New Guinea (page 10).

Prayer is every believer’s most powerful weapon and greatest defense. Here at Every Home for Christ, we never underestimate the power of prayer. Read on and you’ll understand why.

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MUCH MORETHAN AGAME

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is exact age is not known. It is enough to say that Fibion Mahembe is not a young man. As the headman of his village, he controls

everything that comes into, touches or influences the community. He’s a man of great power and highly revered as one who never makes decisions without calculative consideration.

Our outreach team wouldn’t even have attempted to reach Mahembe’s village without clear confirmation from the Lord. The demonic powers that control the area are fierce and relentless. We spent many hours praying and fasting to find the will of God: Is now the time? Shall we go? His answer was clear: “Go. I’ll go before you and be your rear guard.” So we went.

Our challenges were few, but never absent. The journey to old Mahembe was exhausting, but God gave us fortitude. Provisions were scarce. Long before we got there, we ran out of food and had little water to share among us. Now we value water more than ever.

As we approached Mahembe’s village, we unloaded our gear and took time to pray. Tribal communities in this area belong to the headman. This is his land and his community, and they are his people. Nothing happens here without his blessing. He approves who comes

MUCH MORETHAN AGAME

Zimbabwe, Africa

Mid-year Outreach Report

June 1

A village in the Binga district of Zimbabwe

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“Finally, he gave a simple nod, and we rejoiced in our spirits that God had penetrated his hardened heart.”

in and who goes out. He has control over all outside influences, forbidding those who are not to his liking. The headman is more than the village leader. He is the priest, the law and the maker of all decisions. He demands obedience without question; to cross him is to invite disaster into your household.

The first obstacle was the watchman. It is he who grants access to Mahembe. If the watchman was not in the mood or Mahembe didn’t feel like seeing visitors, our trip would have been in vain. We needed them both to give us favor, and we depended on the Holy Spirit to help us.

Mahembe wanted to know why we had come—what did we want, and what was our business with his people? He remained stone-faced as we told him we’d traveled far and explained that we’d come with a message for his people. We told him we represented the living God who loves mankind and has mercy for our wrong-doings. We shared the Gospel with the boldness of our calling and respect for his authority. Then we waited for his decision. If his answer was yes, we could

enter his village; if it was no, we’d have to leave.We prayed silently while we waited, and it was a

long wait. The old headman said nothing for quite some time. Finally, he gave a simple nod, and we rejoiced in our spirits that God had penetrated his hardened heart.

For an entire week, we shared the Gospel among wary and untrusting villagers. Mahembe held tight control over their spiritual environment. The message we shared was far from the traditions he enforced, and the people were afraid to respond. We were somewhat discouraged, but we did what we came to do. We planted seeds and trusted God with the outcome.

When Mahembe summoned us to his homestead the evening of the seventh day, we were unnerved. No

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In tribal Africa, the mandate to “follow the leader” has been strictly enforced for centuries. But this is a new day. More and more, village headmen like Fibion Mahembe are turning from their ancestral religions and putting their faith in Jesus. And they’re urging their people to do the same.

Every Home for Christ Zimbabwe leaders train their outreach teams to approach headmen like Mahembe for permission to evangelize their communities. Currently, they’ve delivered gospel literature to 60 percent of Zimbabwe’s homes. Their goal is to reach every home by 2020.

one was called by the headman unless there was trouble. Had we misunderstood his nod, and now he was angry? Was he going to curse our efforts before he sent us away? We prayed all afternoon with considerable trepidation.

The watchman was stern as he ushered us straight to the old man’s courtyard. To our surprise, we weren’t the only ones there. The courtyard was full of villagers. Their silence was awkward. No one knew why we were there.

When he finally spoke, Mahembe’s words were slow and deliberate with long pauses in between. He recalled the day we’d first arrived and told him why we had come. He said the message we brought made him question many things, and he’d spent a long time considering what it meant. He spoke of his responsibility to uphold ancient traditions and how they haunted him. Looking down, he was clearly

moved by what he was about to say. “Last night I dreamed a strange creature was chasing

me,” he said. “And when I cried for help nobody came. I was running and fell into a ditch filled with mud. When I opened my eyes I saw one thing—the piece of paper these preachers gave me when they came to our village. A bright light shone directly on it, and when I lifted it up, I felt an overwhelming peace.”

Then, raising his voice and standing tall, he said, “I have called you here tonight as the headman of this village to tell you that for all these years I’ve been leading you wrong. I believe I’ve found the light—I have found God. From now on, no one is to come to me with issues from spirit mediums again. I have decided to follow Christ and want you to follow Him too.”

Then he asked one of our workers to go stand next to him and lead everyone who chose to accept Christ in a prayer of repentance and salvation. That night, 36 villagers, all of Mahembe’s watchmen and all of his household staff surrendered their lives to Christ.

We were astonished. Old Mahembe had spent many days considering our gospel presentation, calculated the consequences and—without telling anyone—made the decision to follow Christ. His conversion was a monumental breakthrough. The news quickly spread, and other headmen from surrounding villages asked us to share the Gospel with them too.

-An Every Home for Christ Zimbabwe Pioneer Missionary

1 A young man herds goats in Zimbabwe. 2 A young mother receives gospel literature from an Every Home for Christ worker. 3 Every Home for Christ workers gather to pray before they go home to home.

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ife was so good for 23-year-old Juan Carlos Catalán, he may as well have scripted it himself. The fourth son of loving parents,

Juan was earning a degree in civil engineering and thriving at the top of his class. For many Chilean families, academic success means everything, and Juan took the opportunity seriously. He worked hard, studied hard and slept when he could.

At first, the throbbing in his head was more annoying than anything. Juan didn’t have time for

distractions. But a week later, he thought his head might explode and had to do something. When he took himself to the hospital, Juan Carlos had no idea that his life was about to change—forever.

“Cerebral hemorrhage,” the doctors said, astounded that Juan had survived without immediate medical attention. They wouldn’t know what the outcome would be until his brain had time to heal, and that meant putting him in a medically induced coma. It would just be for a few days. Then they would reverse the procedure, wake him up and assess the impact on his brain.

Two months later, when Every Home for Christ pioneer missionaries were ministering at the hospital, they found Juan’s distraught family in the intensive care unit. Their beloved son and brother was still in the coma and completely unresponsive. Sensitive to their grief, the pioneer missionaries shared the love of Christ and told the family about God’s power to heal and do what is impossible for man. Desperate for a miracle, the Catalán family asked the workers to pray for Juan Carlos. Though it was strictly against policy, they begged the hospital staff to allow the visitors into

THEWAKING OF A BRILLIANT MIND

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C H I L EBy Kathy Gowler

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his room. The staff made an unprecedented exception.The young man lying in the ICU needed prayer.

When they entered his room, a motionless Juan Carlos was tethered to all sorts of machines, but the pioneer missionaries spoke to him as though he could hear them. Taking his hands, they gave glory to God who is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. They spoke of the great physician’s power to heal, of God’s saving grace and of His gift of salvation. Then they prayed and asked God for a miracle. In the corner of the room, Juan’s family watched in silence.

At first, they thought it was an involuntary twitch, so they continued praying. Then it happened again; only this time, there was no mistaking it—Juan Carlos had definitely squeezed their hands! Not only had God heard their prayers, Juan Carlos did too, and he was telling them so! That small gesture was the first glimmer of hope his family had seen in two long months, and they were ecstatic.

When the pioneer missionaries came back the next week, Juan Carlos’ room in the ICU was empty. They inquired about him and were told Juan Carlos had regained full consciousness shortly after their last

visit. He was moved out of the ICU and was making a remarkable recovery!

Juan Carlos told the workers he’d heard every word when they prayed for him. He and his entire family wanted to know more about this God of miracles. That day, they all gave their lives to Christ. One week later Juan Carlos was discharged from the hospital.

Every Home for Christ operates on three unalterable convictions. One is “Prayer, alone, will remove every obstacle that stands in the way of fulfilling the Great Commission.” We believe that, without prayer, our efforts will be futile and our labor in vain. But because of prayer, mountains of impossibility have been moved, life-threatening sicknesses have been healed and nearly 2 billion families have received the Good News of the Gospel.

Every Home for Christ’s 50,000 pioneer missionaries don’t need to be told about the power of prayer. They experience it every day as they deliver the Gospel to homes, hospital rooms and campuses around the globe. It’s their number-one tool for evangelism, and it’s transforming the world—one home at a time.

Last Home, CC-BY-2.0

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NOT HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

By Rob Stennett

ours after a car struck Jeremiah, he was told he might never

walk again. This is how so many meaningful stories start in our lives: Not with happy beginnings, but with sad ones, leaving us feeling hurt, desperate and not sure where to turn next. This was the condition Jeremiah Sulaca, a native of Papua New Guinea, found himself in.

“The doctors said I would be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life,” Jeremiah said. “I felt lonely and hopeless. I hated myself and everybody else, even my own family.” Jeremiah spent several months in the hospital where a team of medical professionals tried to restore his health. Eventually, he was discharged and spent his days at home, trapped in bed and wondering if he would ever walk again.

During that time, feeling completely alone, Jeremiah

was visited by an Every Home for Christ team doing a home-to-home outreach. Jeremiah didn’t have anything to say to the workers, but they had something to say to him.

“They shared from Ezekiel 37 about the dry bones coming together,” Jeremiah said. Their message gave Jeremiah real hope for the first

time since his accident. He asked the Every Home for Christ team to pray for his legs and believed God would bring his broken bones back to life.

“Something lifted me from my bed, and I was on my knees weeping,” Jeremiah said. “My family members stood in total amazement. It was a miracle.” From that moment, Jeremiah’s purpose in life changed. “I wanted to testify to others about the power of God so they would come to know the Lord as I did.”

Jeremiah never took the ability to walk for granted. He used his legs to minster home to home throughout the

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Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. He also crossed rivers and hiked mountains he could have never reached when he was injured. He even ministered to an entire village when he was in the remote mountains of the Baiyer district.

As he made his way up the mountainside to the village, he met an elderly woman and her daughter. He told them about the love God had for them, and he proclaimed the miracle God had done in his life.

And then the elderly woman spit in his face. This was not how it was supposed to happen.

She should have been grateful that he would travel all that way, but she told him, “I don’t need God. I don’t want to waste my time listening to a stranger with a strange religion.”

She said maybe he should preach to the men at the top of the mountain who spent their days gambling. Jeremiah continued climbing the mountain and discovered a group of men tossing dice and playing cards. He didn’t start sharing the Gospel right away.

“I didn’t want to interrupt,” Jeremiah said. “So I stood beside them praying and waiting upon the Holy Spirit for wisdom and direction.” When the men noticed him, they stopped gambling. “I started preaching,” Jeremiah said. “And they were all amazed to see me sharing God’s word in the middle of nowhere.”

As he was telling the gospel story, the daughter of the elderly woman ran back up the trail and begged Jeremiah to pray for her mother. The elderly woman had been struck and injured by a stray rock

“Something lifted me from

my bed, and I was on my

knees weeping,” Jeremiah

said. “My family members

stood in total amazement. It

was a miracle.”

1 Clouds hang just above a remote village in the Highlands of Papau New Guinea. 2 An Every Home for Christ worker ministers to an elderly woman. 3 Jeremiah wears a handmade bag from the Highlands of Papua New Guinea on one of his outreaches.

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Young men gather in the Highlands region.

tumbling down the mountain. Jeremiah didn’t run to her right away, because she had mocked him and spat at him. Forgiveness is hard for all of us, even if we’ve experienced a miracle. But the men who were gambling knew this man’s God could heal the woman, so they ran down and carried her across the river.

Jeremiah was moved by their faith. It was the same kind of faith he had when the Every Home for Christ outreach team came to his house. He prayed for the woman, and she was healed.

By that time, much of the village had gathered around the scene. They were inspired by the miracle. Jeremiah

clearly recalls looking up and seeing everyone’s faces, “They knew God was visiting them. The fear of God filled that village, and about 20 people gave their hearts to the Lord.”

Through his journey, Jeremiah realized that there will always be barriers to sharing the Gospel. We will face hardships and think to ourselves that this is not how it’s supposed to go. The meaningful stories often aren’t the easy ones. Miraculous events usually take place when we pray, step out and trust God to do the impossible. This is the kind of faith that gets noticed. These are the kinds of prayers that change hearts and lives.

“They knew God was visiting them. The fear of God filled that village, and about 20 people gave their hearts to the Lord.”

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Despite political unrest, pioneer missionaries are still active in Burundi. Thank God for workers who go the extra mile to share Jesus during an unsettling time. Please pray for their protection as they serve.(2 Chronicles 36:1-8; Daniel 1-3)

Pastor Eduardo Tamay Chan, a Mayan man, is now translating the Father’s Love Letter gospel literature into the Mayan language. Pray that he is able to complete the project while also visiting several towns in the Guatemalan jungle. (Daniel 4-6)

Our workers in this nation were discipling a woman over the phone until her husband forbid her from calling the office anymore. Now she continues to access gospel teaching on the web. Pray for her to find Jesus through our online material. (Daniel 7-9)

A man in this country was raised in a secretive religion by his father, an influential community leader. When the father found out that his son was being discipled by our workers, he beat his son badly. Please pray for the safety of this man as he grows in his new faith. (Ezekiel 4-6)

Every Home for Christ Serbia National Director Ivica Stamenkovic recently completed a book designed to reach people from traditional religious backgrounds. Please pray that this book will be an effective tool for discipling new believers. (Ezekiel 7-9)

Pioneer missionaries in Niger were thankful when a people group welcomed them warmly and accepted the Word of God with joy. They asked many questions about Jesus. Praise God for hearts open to receive the Gospel. (Ezekiel 10-12)

Various ethnic groups in the south of the country are still under bondage to voodoo and African tribal beliefs. Pray that our pioneer missionaries will be able to open their eyes to the truth that Jesus is the only way. (Psalms 109-111)

Docas Atep was ill and tormented by evil spirits. But after continuous prayer from our workers, she has been physically healed and spiritually delivered. Praise God for His divine intervention in the life of this precious woman. (Daniel 10-12)

This Every Home for Christ office is translating The Mirror of God gospel literature into the Moore language. Please pray for this project and that many people will come to know Jesus Christ by reading this material. (2 Chronicles 36:9-21; Ezekiel 1-3)

Since January, there have been 17 murders in Belize—mostly gang related. Our workers there ask for prayer “that God will send hope where there seems to be no hope.” Please also pray for their safety as they continue taking the Gospel to the streets of their country. (Ezekiel 13-16)

One of our project leaders, Louis Bosch, has been given permission to share the Gospel in three Western Cape Province hospitals. Praise God for giving him favor with the hospital authorities, and pray for the patients to have hearts open to God’s love. (Psalms 112-114)

Not too long ago, six pastors were arrested in this nation. Our office worked closely with many of them. Please pray for their release and for our own workers to remain hidden from the authorities. (Ezekiel 17-20)

Travel has been restricted since the outbreak of Ebola, making it difficult for our pioneer missionaries to carry the Gospel. Pray for the epidemic to end so that our workers can travel freely again, and pray for the hearts of those they meet to be open to the message of Jesus. (Ezekiel 21-24)

This office is preparing to conduct seminars designed to train workers to reach Muslims in their communities. Pray that the training goes well and that they are able to communicate the Gospel to their Muslim neighbors in love. (Ezekiel 25-28)

A team is conducting the first missionary training course in the city of Yakustk. Twenty students meet on Saturdays and Sundays to learn about home-to-home evangelism. Please pray for their training to be effective as they go out with the Gospel. (Ezekiel 29-32)

3BURUNDI CREATIVE ACCESS #33

CREATIVE ACCESS #31 SERBIA NIGER

BENIN PAPUA NEW GUINEA BURKINA FASO

BELIZE SOUTH AFRICA CREATIVE ACCESS #14

SIERRA LEONE

GUATEMALA

CREATIVE ACCESS #16 RUSSIA

TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY

FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY

Pop. 6,600,00022.3%

WPM #147

Listed at the top right of each daily request is the nation’s population, the percentage of evangelical believers (Operation World), and a number that corresponds with EHC’s 2015 edition of the World Prayer Map. At the end of each prayer request is the assigned reading for the day to read through the Bible in a year.

DAILY PRAYER WATCH Every Home for Christ | P.O. Box 64000 | Colorado Springs, CO 80962 | 1-800-423-5054 | www.EHC.org | [email protected]

SEPTEMBER 2015

Pop. 14,600,00022.5%

WPM #182

Pop. 7,200,0000.7%

WPM #71

Pop. 48,400,00019.5%

WPM #1

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WPM #37

Pop. 10,400,00027.3%

WPM #18

Pop. 300,00018.8%

WPM #183

Pop. 5,700,0003.5%

WPM #44

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Pop. 17,500,0000.1%

WPM #36

Pop. 142,500,0001.2%

WPM #107

Pop. 18,400,0009.1%

WPM #40

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SEPTEMBER 2015

DAILY PRAYER WATCH

LESOTHOPray for continued success of the Be Fruitful & Multiply program. One Christ Group leader shared that this style of sharing the Gospel and training new believers is the most dynamic tool we can use to expand the kingdom. (Ezekiel 33-36)

Praise the Lord for healing a crippled 16-year-old boy. This opened doors for our workers in nearby regions which are strongholds of demonic activity. Our workers would not have been able to enter these areas without this miracle. (Ezekiel 37-40)

Pray for the Church of the Savior as it does outreaches in Valencia Edo, an area filled with idolatry and witchcraft. Pray for God to protect our workers and for people to come to know Jesus Christ and be set free from spiritual bondage. (Psalms 115-117)

Praise God for 67,000 gospel booklets that were recently distributed. After this effort, our workers received 2,600 positive responses to the Gospel! Please pray these new believers continue to grow in the knowledge of the Lord. (Ezra 4; Haggai 1-2)

Every year, this office distributes an evangelistic calendar, which leads to great responses from the community. They are now preparing the 2016 calendar. Pray for direction in the design and for many hearts to be open to the gospel message. (Zechariah 1-3)

Pioneer missionaries recently distributed literature in one of this nation’s most historically significant cities. Pray that the message of Jesus will reach the hearts of the people so that a new history can start to come from this city! (Zechariah 4-6)

The team in this nation is making a special effort to minister to children by distributing a gospel booklet called Path. Pray for the Lord to call evangelists to this effort and for the hearts of the children—and their parents—to be open to the Gospel. (Ezekiel 41-44)

Three new believers were recently baptized in this country. Thank the Lord for their witness within their community. Please pray for them to grow strong in their faith and for them to share the Gospel with their neighbors and families. (Ezekiel 45-48)

A man named Octavio Gomez surrendered his live to Jesus after reading the gospel booklet Be Faithful, There is Hope. He has leukemia and was feeling desperate. But when he heard the gospel message of hope, he knew God had a purpose for him. (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1-3)

Praise God for the 7,772 homes that received the message of Jesus in the town of Yaoundé. Our workers reported 184 positive responses to the Gospel, and many churches are asking about Be Fruitful & Multiply discipleship training. (Psalms 118-119:16)

Our workers in Estonia are encouraging churches to connect and fellowship with each other. Pray that the Christian community there would grow stronger and that a missions movement would result from their unity. (Zechariah 7-9)

Praise God that Every Home for Christ workers in Guinea-Bissau recently baptized 22 new believers. Pray for their discipleship as they grow in their faith and share the gospel message within their communities. (Zechariah 10-12)

Despite government surveillance and opposition from the community, eight Every Home for Christ workers have continued to distribute gospel literature in this country. Please pray for their safety and for their efforts to be fruitful. (Zechariah 13-14)

CREATIVE ACCESS #19 VENEZUELA

ETHIOPIA GERMANY CREATIVE ACCESS #07

CREATIVE ACCESS #35 MALI MEXICO

CAMEROON ESTONIA GUINEA-BISSAU

CREATIVE ACCESS #15

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY

FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

MONDAY

Pop. 16,500,0000.6%

WPM #49

Pop. 81,000,0002.1%

WPM #83

Pop. 1,300,0004.5%

WPM #98

Pop. 1,900,00011.6%

WPM #2

Pop. 96,600,00017.4%

WPM #29

Pop. 23,100,0008.5%

WPM #24

Pop. 120,300,0008.4%

WPM #181

Pop. 28,900,0007.8%

WPM #217

Pop. 1,700,0001.8%

WPM #46

TUESDAY WEDNESDAYPop. 5,900,0000.6%

WPM #115Praise God for Syrian refugee women who have accepted Jesus. But please pray for them as well. Their husbands are now threatening to divorce them if they do not convert back to Islam. Pray for God to protect these women and soften their husbands’ hearts. (Ezra 5-7)

Pray for Jesus Is Our Shepherd church as it distributes the Gospel in the district of Onatra. Pray for many people to put their faith in Jesus through this church’s efforts. And praise God that a man named Raja has already left Islam to follow Jesus. (Ezra 8-10)

Pop. 77,400,00019.3%

WPM #19

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Attributions:

P. 8: AndreasS, http://bit.ly/1HyPsum, Last Home, http://bit.ly/1GHNifZ, CC-BY-2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

ike nearly every young boy, Victor Stuardo dreamed of having his name on a jersey and playing his country’s most popular sport. Only,

in his native Chile, Victor didn’t just dream about it—he actually did it.

“Self-sufficient” is how he described himself during his nine-year career playing professional soccer. His life was full. There was no time for God. He was too busy enjoying his celebrity status and the lifestyle that came with it.

Neither he nor Marcela were Christians when they met. They were happy when they married, but within five years, life in the spotlight had taken its toll. With his marriage in trouble and his career losing its luster, Victor was lonely and needed a listening ear. He found one in a most unlikely place—a disabled elderly woman who sold empanadas.

For 10 straight hours, Victor poured out his troubles and bemoaned the emptiness of success. For 10 straight hours, Sister María Ines listened and gently imparted the Word of God. When he had finished, she presented the Gospel and led Victor in the sinner’s prayer. His experience that day was so dramatic, Victor couldn’t keep it to himself. The very next day, he was out on the streets sharing the Gospel with anyone who would listen.

Victor immersed himself in the study of the Word and began working to restore his marriage. Within a few months, God asked him to give up his soccer career and minister the Gospel full time. Victor was quick to obey, but had one request—he begged God to let him stay in the world of soccer. For several years he continued to play and shared the Gospel with other players everywhere he went.

Victor played his last professional soccer game at the age of 29. That’s when he founded his ministry, Soccer Players for Christ. His life was then spent ministering the Gospel to soccer teams all around Latin America.

Victor’s deep passion for the lost focused on three specific groups: his family, his fellow soccer players and his beloved nation. He began working alongside Every Home for Christ Chile in 1992, and was appointed

National Director four years later. Pastor Victor Stuardo has spent the last 20 years

ministering the Gospel throughout Chile, first as a professional athlete and now as National Director of Every Home for Christ Chile. He and Marcela have two daughters and will celebrate 25 years of marriage this month. Thank you, Victor and Marcela, for being extraordinary examples of the transforming power of God.

National Director, ChileVICTOR STUARDO

“‘Self-sufficient’ is how he described

himself during his nine-year career playing

professional soccer. His life was full. There was

no time for God.”

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WE AREEVERY HOMEFOR CHRIST

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Victor Stuardo (in red)unloads boxes of precious gospel literature.

Page 16: EveryHome - August 2015

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WHAT IF WE WERE TO REACH THE ENTIRE WORLD WITH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IN OUR LIFETIME?