Preparing People for Christ's Return

With a deep sense of loss we report the departure of our dear brother and board member, Rick Hash, to be with his Lord and Savior on January 20. Rick was an active member of our board and was an encouragement to all in TCM. Although we mourn his departure, we are thankful that he is no longer having to battle cancer. We continue to pray for Rick's wife Patti and their children: Jessica, Steven, Jacob and Ginny. For more information, you may look here.

Dear Friend of TCM,

People often ask me, what is the meaning of Things to Come? Without doubt, the greatest "thing" coming is Jesus Christ Himself! And now we are one year closer to that great day. We who believe in Jesus Christ long for his appearing. At the same time, we remain gravely concerned for those who have never accepted Jesus to be their Savior. Our joyful day will be so sad for them. Things to Come Mission remains committed to proclaiming the wonderful new of Jesus Christ to the "regions beyond" until He comes. Join with us this year in this life-changing task.

Ben Anderson, Executive Director

Greetings in the Lord from Chiang Mai! We arrived here safely after an uneventful but long 30+ hours of travel and were greeted by Genesis at the airport. He brought along a Filipino couple, Peter and Ochi (sp) who are missionaries with New Tribes Missions. They had a larger vehicle to help us take our luggage back to the Maraats. And by the way, all of our pieces came in, except a 1 bag that contained, among some other things, my clothes. It's supposed to come in sometime today. :-)

We will go with Genesis today (Wednesday) to look at a possible house to rent here in World Club Land. There are several available in the area and we'll look at many before making any decision. Thanks for praying for us as we adjust to life here. It is so exciting and humbling to serve the Lord in this way. Grace & Peace, Nathan & Jessica

It was 3:50am when Ariel came down this morning from our room. He noticed the gate is open and there are two people in the parking area, holding our bikes. He yelled at them and they ran away leaving the bike behind. Ariel called up the students telling them that we were robbed. When we checked, 1 Chally motorcycle and six of our bikes were already taken away by the thieves. We called the police station but nobody answered the phone (which is typical here in Cambodia). The motorcycle belongs to one of our students. After talking to some people who came to help us, we gathered around and worshiped the Lord and prayed for the thieves, for each other and for our bicycles. All of us are fine and nobody was hurt in the incident.

Nathan & Jessica Killion have been accepted and assigned to Thailand. They have purchased their tickets for December 7, 2008, direct to Chiang Mai where Matthias, Abigail and Chloe will attend Grace International School. Currently the Killions are traveling around the United States visiting churches and friends in preparation for their departure. Find out more here.

Dean & Sheba Padayhag, TCM missionaries in South Africa, have announced that the 2007 Annual Conference of the ABGMSA will be held on September 29 to 30 with the theme Imparting the Word, Impacting the World. Topics follow the BEREANS acronym and speakers include Steve Thobela, William Itumeleng, Boy Ngobane, Graham Reeves, Chris Mabogola and Dean and Sheba Padayhag. ABGMSA is the church organization which TCM partners with in South Africa. You can view the poster and the program or find out more at the Grace Berean Church website.

The Maraat children have received their U.S. visa renewals, clearing the way for the family to travel to the U.S. for six months of deputation and then on to Thailand.

The Lord answered our prayers for this visa in an amazing way. We had all been concerned for several months because we and others have had several rejections for renewals from the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. We sent a notarized letter then tried to fax the embassy but their fax number wouldn’t work. Genesis was trying to get many churches to send letters, etc. Finally, just two days before the interview, the whole family got seriously sick and had to be treated by a doctor. They still weren’t well when the interview came yesterday, but forced themselves to go. Genesis had a speech prepared with numerous reasons why they needed to be in the U.S. The very first words spoken at the interview were, “Your visas are approved. Come back on Thursday and get them.”

Contact the TCM office if you would like to be included on the Maraats' schedule.

Annabel has completed her heart surgery during which she received two valve replacements and a third valve was repaired. In the photo at left she is already out of the hospital and staying with TCM-Philippines Director Jun Pielago. Pray for this couple as they deal with this difficult situation. Annabel is the 31-year old wife of Pastor Noel Maquiling, a TCM church planter in Butuan, Philippines. For several years, this pastor's wife has experienced increasing chest pain, weakness and shortness of breath. After tests were done in Cebu City in early June, it was determined that Annabel must have three valves replaced. We praise the Lord that fellow believers here in America raised $11,000 for this surgery. She still has a balance of $1500 plus some small amounts for medicine. Read more.

Dear Friends and Prayer Warriors,

Joe just left yesterday (Friday) to Brazil in hopes to see his dad one last time on this side of eternity. His health had been declining rapidly and he was in the hospital. Joe travelled for 20 hours, but 2 and a half hours before his plane landed in Recife, his dad went to be with the Lord. The funeral and burial is early this afternoon (2/10/07). He is asking your prayers for his family, but especially for his sister and dad's family who are non-believers. This will be a great time to minister to them about God's amazing Grace and His offer of eternal life. Joe has shared that the Lord has been speaking to Him through the following verse: "But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Thank you for your prayers, Michelle Campos

Breaking News from TCM-Philippines Director: Another super typhoon struck the Bicol region the other day (Nov. 30). As of this writing, 388 were already confirmed dead in Albay alone. Many are still missing. (No reported casualty yet from among our church members.) Pastor Elmer Rosero and his wife were able to evacuate, but lost everything. Our house was under water, too. I lost all my files, my precious books, and the whole computer set. Floods submerged most part of Legazpi City. Near the Philippine National Railway where our church and Pastor Rosero’s house are located, water rose to the roofs of houses. Most appliances were seen floating inside homes.

The Mission has dispatched information to as many as TCM churches could be reached appealing for help. At least 29 families (church members) in the area are directly affected by the calamity.

Pray that our brethren will be comforted from the harrowing experience and the physical suffering that they are going through at the moment. Pray also that they would continue to trust God to provide for their immediate needs (they need water, food, and clothing).

Thanks a lot for usual kind attention and concern.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Jun Pielago, TCM-Philippines Director, 2 Corinthians 9:12

Read more here. Donations may be sent to TCM designated "Typhoon Durian." As always, 100% of donations will be sent to the Philippines for their relief efforts.

After 16 years of enjoying the hospitality of Grace Church at 2200 English Ave, the TCM office has moved to a new location. We are now in a house which has a finished garage and a pole barn on two acres of land. Our mailing address has changed to PO Box 127, Beech Grove, IN 46107. The office location is 6202 E. Thompson Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46237. We have also changed our phone number to 317-783-0300. It is truly a miracle how the Lord has supplied this building for us to use. We now have an apartment for missionaries and inside parking for the mission vehicles as well as a paved parking area for our cars. Pray with us that this area will be used for the glory of our Lord!

Dean & Sheba Padayhag report that they held their first service in the Johannesburg suburb of Kempton Park on October 22, 2006. The attendance was 35 while others in the community were curious about this new church. Pray for the Padayhags together with Stephens Thobela and ABGMSA as they labor together in this strategic area. Read more here.

 

 

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©2007 Things to Come Mission, Inc.