{"id":5917,"date":"2024-01-12T14:31:14","date_gmt":"2024-01-12T20:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/?p=5917"},"modified":"2024-01-16T13:35:56","modified_gmt":"2024-01-16T19:35:56","slug":"crook-newsletter-january-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/crook-newsletter-january-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Crook Newsletter: January 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Dear Supporters,<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

In the first part of December I traveled to Katmandu, Nepal for the dedication of the IPHC Nepal Headquarters. I was grateful to join World Missions\u2019 Bishop Talmadge Gardner, Regional Director of Continental Asia Russell Board, and our gracious hosts, missionaries Danny and Judith Williams. Also joining us during the ceremony were Ashok Lama, Assistant National Director, and many other pastors.<\/p>\n

\"Leadership<\/a>

Leadership gathering following the dedication of the IPHC Nepal Headquarters.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"The<\/a>

The best part of special events\u2014opportunity to fellowship (Judith & Danny Williams, Bishop Gardner, Russell Board and Marlene Soriano).<\/p><\/div>\n

Team Evangelism and Missions service (TEAMS), a department of WMM, has conducted three medical outreaches to Nepal. The 2010 and 2014 trips were in conjunction with ministry in Bangladesh. We suddenly found ourselves there again in 2015 after a devastating earthquake. Even though those were short-term outreaches, we knew we were sowing His compassion and love into a nation anticipating what He would do there. Then, in 2018, it was great to go back and meet with the Williams and Bryan Nix, Director of People to People, and set up the child sponsorship program. When Judith emailed me in the first part of 2023 saying they were beginning plans for the dedication, my reply was, \u201cOf course I will come!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nepal is around the size of the state of Georgia, with a population of 30 million plus; compared to Georgia\u2019s 3.7 million. The dedication of a building on December 4, 2023, is significant in that we are making a clear statement. We are aware less than 2% of the population is Christian, and we have said \u201cyes\u201d to join Nepali pastors in their labor to gather their end time harvest. Our church family of 756 churches, representing 38,000 members nationwide, need our prayers. People to People children need you to be a sponsor.<\/a> We praise God for all He has done and will do in this nation. I echo Bishop Gardner\u2019s exhortation, \u201cThank the Lord for this significant breakthrough. We take hold of the promise in God\u2019s word which declares that 'The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it'\" (John 1:5. NLT).<\/p>\n

\"Fellowship<\/a>

Fellowship after a prayer meeting.<\/p><\/div>\n

Anticipation<\/strong>
\nAs we are just a few days into January, I\u2019ll share a lingering Christmas thought. This season was a great reminder that the nation of Israel had the teachings of Isaiah and other prophets to prepare for a coming Messiah. Interestingly, few were living in anticipation of His birth. In Luke 2, we are told the angels made the announcement to the shepherds, \u201cThe Savior, the Messiah, the Lord has been born.\u201d Heaven boldly broadcasted, \u201cTHAT TIME IS NOW!\u201d<\/p>\n

Immediately following those verses, we are told what transpired at the temple when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus for his dedication. Luke presents an individual who, in today\u2019s church setting, probably wouldn\u2019t seem too significant. In verses 36 through 38 Anna is introduced. This prophetess and widow chose to reside at the temple, and her ministry was worshipping God day and night.<\/p>\n

The part of her bio we might miss is that for the past 84 years she had been serving God at the temple. Some estimate she would have been about 106 years old. Anna was there at the precise moment when Jesus was brought to the temple. The Passion Translation states, \u201cShe burst forth with a great chorus of praise to God for the child.\u201d Luke 2:38 continues, \u201cFrom that day forward she told everyone in Jerusalem who was waiting for their redemption that the anticipated Messiah had come!<\/p>\n

I am so grateful for your faithful monthly support and prayers which are acts of anticipating His return. May God richly bless you in 2024. Together, let us be like Anna, telling everyone the message of redemption. We do rejoice!<\/p>\n

My Christmas Encounter<\/strong>
\nI felt our Christmas celebration at Life in Jesus Church in Baguio was extra special this year. We had an exceptional number of visitors; one such person was a visiting grandmother. This small, vibrant lady caught my attention and as everyone was eating after the service. I had to meet her. She shared she spent each day worshiping God as she did her chores, which involved being outside a lot. Suddenly, she grabbed my hand, and with sparkling eyes said, \u201cYou know the other day, Jesus told me to look up at the clouds and then said, \u2018Keep watching, I\u2019m coming soon.\u2019\u201d That\u2019s a perfect example of anticipation!<\/p>\n

\"Our<\/a>

Our visiting, 84-year-old
grandmother.<\/p><\/div>\n

Many Blessings,<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Debra Crook<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear Supporters, In the first part of December I traveled to Katmandu, Nepal for the dedication of the IPHC Nepal Headquarters. I was grateful to join World Missions\u2019 Bishop Talmadge…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":5920,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,1,4],"tags":[173,174,533,31],"class_list":{"0":"post-5917","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-missionary-newsletters","8":"category-uncategorized","9":"category-world-missions","10":"tag-crook","11":"tag-debra-crook","12":"tag-january-2024","13":"tag-missionary-newsletter","14":"entry"},"title_es":"Crook Newsletter: junio de 2019","content_es":"

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\u00a1Saludos!<\/span><\/h2>\r\nEstamos a mediados de 2019, y estoy muy agradecido de ser parte de lo que Dios est\u00e1 haciendo a trav\u00e9s de la Iglesia Vida en Jes\u00fas en la ciudad de Baguio y Asia con los Ministerios People to People. Disfruta leyendo estos testimonios.<\/span>\r\n

Signos de vida<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\r\n\"Se\u00f1ales de vida\" es el ministerio sordo a trav\u00e9s de la Iglesia Vida en Jes\u00fas que comenz\u00f3 hace varios a\u00f1os. Los domingos por la ma\u00f1ana, sus sillas est\u00e1n dispuestas en una secci\u00f3n espec\u00edfica de la iglesia. Como con cualquier ministerio, hay altibajos; la excitaci\u00f3n alcanza su punto m\u00e1ximo y se disipa y la asistencia disminuye. Este ha sido el caso con este ministerio durante los \u00faltimos a\u00f1os. Esa secci\u00f3n puede tener uno o dos sordos y, los domingos, los \u00fanicos son los int\u00e9rpretes.<\/span>\r\n\r\nLa parte sorprendente de este ministerio es que la iglesia siempre ha tenido miembros dispuestos a aprender el lenguaje de se\u00f1as, incluso si no ven\u00eda nadie. Despu\u00e9s de uno de los servicios dominicales, en la primera parte del a\u00f1o, sent\u00ed que el Se\u00f1or dec\u00eda \"re\u00fana a los int\u00e9rpretes y ore\". Les pregunt\u00e9 qu\u00e9 esperaban y por qu\u00e9 estaban all\u00ed. Cada uno comparti\u00f3 que cre\u00edan que Dios estaba haciendo y har\u00eda algo en la comunidad sorda. Nuestra oraci\u00f3n fue: \"Dios, si necesitas dejar morir este ministerio, si necesitas hacer algo totalmente diferente, no nos importa, pero reconocemos que este ministerio es tuyo. Entonces, depende de usted resucitarlo y darle vida \".<\/span>\r\n\r\nUnas semanas despu\u00e9s, una de las ex asistentes y su prometido se presentaron en nuestra oficina pidiendo asesoramiento prematrimonial. A trav\u00e9s de esa sesi\u00f3n, se restableci\u00f3 una relaci\u00f3n anterior que tuvimos con una escuela para sordos. En los \u00faltimos dos meses, 15 han aceptado a Jes\u00fas como su Salvador y son fieles a su estudio b\u00edblico a mitad de semana. Dios est\u00e1 dando vida nuevamente a este ministerio.<\/span>\r\n

Myanmar: marcando la diferencia<\/span><\/h3>\r\nDurante un viaje a Myanmar en mayo, TEAMS, uno de los ministerios de People to People, se uni\u00f3 a un grupo de estudiantes de Emmanuel College. Siempre es divertido ser parte del primer viaje misionero de alguien. Algunos est\u00e1n buscando t\u00edtulos m\u00e9dicos, por lo que ser parte de una extensi\u00f3n m\u00e9dica tuvo un impacto significativo en sus vidas. Nos encontramos con tantos pacientes que, al final de cada d\u00eda, sab\u00edamos que se satisfac\u00edan las necesidades personales y que la vida se ve\u00eda afectada por el amor mostrado.<\/span>\r\n\r\nLas iglesias albergan las cl\u00ednicas. Esta es una manera maravillosa no solo de alentarlos, sino tambi\u00e9n de impactar y fortalecer la comunidad a la que sirven. Por supuesto, estos eventos atraen multitudes y una gran cantidad de ni\u00f1os curiosos. Como los ni\u00f1os est\u00e1n de vacaciones de verano, se quedar\u00e1n todo el d\u00eda. Otros estudiantes de EC aprovecharon esta oportunidad para ministrar y jugar con ellos. S\u00e9 que estos ni\u00f1os tuvieron una experiencia que nunca olvidar\u00e1n, y rezamos para que las semillas sembradas en sus vidas florezcan e influyan en ellos a diario.<\/span>\r\n\r\nEn una esquina de la habitaci\u00f3n hab\u00eda una mesa muy popular, apodada \"La mesa feliz\". \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 esta mesa era tan diferente? Mientras revisaban una serie de preguntas y ofrec\u00edan una soluci\u00f3n a su problema, sus rostros brillaban. \u00bfQu\u00e9 era este portador de alegr\u00eda? \u00a1Un simple par de anteojos para leer sin receta!<\/span>\r\n\r\nMayo es un mes extremadamente caluroso en Myanmar y, en varios d\u00edas, las temperaturas rondaron los 105 grados. En habitaciones congestionadas, esperar\u00edamos fan\u00e1ticos pero, sin electricidad, pensamos que esto no podr\u00eda suceder. Ahora he descubierto mi uso favorito de la bater\u00eda de un autom\u00f3vil; atar un ventilador y obtener alivio. Con la cantidad de ventiladores configurados cada d\u00eda, estoy agradecido por las personas que conozco que nos prestaron sus ventiladores y bater\u00edas.<\/span>\r\n

Estar involucrado<\/span><\/h3>\r\nLos testimonios no solo nos animan, sino que tambi\u00e9n encienden el Esp\u00edritu de Dios en nosotros para que participemos. El privilegio de servir a los Ministerios People to People, los l\u00edderes de los pa\u00edses de Asia y ser enviado por usted es una experiencia muy humillante. Necesito su colaboraci\u00f3n en apoyo y oraci\u00f3n; a continuaci\u00f3n se muestra la informaci\u00f3n que necesita para hacerlo. \u00a1Sigamos dando testimonio de su bondad!<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","author_name":"Debra Crook","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/01\/Our-visiting-84-yr-old-grandmother-e1705091467167.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pb62Ar-1xr","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5917"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5917\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5920"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/missions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}