Prayer & Praise

Praise God for the funds received for the Kalay school extension
Pray for phase two of Ugandan building project - the bible school
Give thanks for Kampala Church building completed
Pray for Neville, Ian, Lill & Rod’s safe travels
Give thanks for new outreach among the Maasai tribe in Kanya
Pray for the staff internationally who are working with much reduced salaries and support

Dear Friends and Supporters,

He did it! Kerrin Lee, Chairman of the board for DMI Australia, rode around Port Philip Bay in one day - a distance of 219 km - to raise funds for the construction of more classrooms and a dormitory for the Immanuel School for the Deaf in Kalay, Myanmar. Together with a Christmas in July Dinner, and a dollar-for-dollar contribution for funds raised at a company lunch, some $6,000 has been contributed for the cause. This, together with a gift of $15,000 from another generous donor, has us on the way to beginning the construction as soon as the rains stop. Thank you to all who contributed towards this project.

Uganda

Opening service worship.

Church dedicaton.

Great excitement and celebration on August 9th when the church in Kampala was officially opened and dedicated. The morning two and a half hour long service was followed by a 4 hour service of dedication and praise. Lunch was then served for some 400 people. What a day! Thanks so much to Tech Serve USA and their team of volunteers who made the construction happen. Thanks to the Norwegian board members who provided the majority of the funding; with a very quick response one year ago. Thanks also to those who gave locally and globally. Bringing this project to completion has meant so much to the Ugandan deaf, who now have a wonderful building to worship and serve God in. We were further blessed as we were joined by a group of 10 people (picture on back page) from the Huntington Beach Christian Church in California who came for a 10-day mission trip and who also shared in the celebration. They were the first to use the new facilities for a seminar.

Kenya

Colourful maasai believers.

Richard with his wife and eight children.

Probably one of the most famous tribes in Africa is the Maasai. These people have resisted a lot of change and still, for the most part, remain cattle-men who move their cattle constantly over vast areas of land. Some live in towns but many still live in huts made with mud covered with cow dung, built in a circle and surrounded by brush fences to keep out the lions! Their colourful jewellery and dress is well known. What is less well known is that we have a Maasai church for the deaf that meets in the town of Keserian, about an hour from Nairobi. This is a growing congregation of some 40 Maasai deaf people and a real break through into a tribe of people that has been relatively resistant to the Gospel. Please pray for this new church and Charles the evangelist pastor.

Real Needs:

I know that most people are getting fed up with hearing about the economy and lack of funds and all the difficulties associated with it. Some of our people are coping with the cuts but others are not, as the cuts have been compounded by drought in some areas; making life most difficult. In the northern part of Uganda in the town of Lira is DMI worker/evangelist Richard Opwonya. Richard has 8 children and has been able to supplement his meagre DMI salary by tailoring and some farming. Unfortunately, because drought has hit the area, no one can afford any clothes therefore, no tailoring required. The drought has also resulted in failed crops so the family is living on a diet of beans only. To add to his stress he is having to sell off his farm lands to pay for his children’s school fees. DMI’s income has dropped by 50% so we are unable to help him with any extra. His eldest daughter is completing a surveyor’s degree at University in Entebbe; her fees are about $AUD1,000 a term. Richard’s eldest son’s school fees are about $700 a term. These kids are the family’s future who will then support the rest of the family on graduation. These fees are way above our sponsorship program levels so we are appealing for special help for this family.

Very Impressed

The following letter was not really meant for publication but we were so moved and impressed by it that we wanted to share it with you. We thank God for staff who are not in it for the money but are there to serve God in spite of the difficulties. Joshua and Jocelyn are leaders of the work in Davao Philippines.

Dear Lill

We have just finished holding a special prayer meeting with the teachers and staff regarding our present situation. I stress the phenomenon is not only local but worldwide. Above all God knows and feel every situation we are into, in fact He never sent us without His eyes fixed on us, to see Rom. 8:28 will be true to each one of us.

I explained, if we insist on giving half of teachers and staff’s salaries, then the remaining fund will not be enough to run the dormitory or it will be temporarily closed. If that happens then, teachers have no work.

I asked every one to voice out their sentiment, regarding this. And everyone is unanimous in maintaining the dormitory first, and sacrifice to share with what is left. We further decide to give half of the salaries for those teachers and staff not staying in the dormitory, and one thousand each for those staying, as the later will incur other expenses for their subsistence and their fares.

Inspite of a very thrift action, we wont be able to pay SSS bills, just like last month. However, we could sense the Holy Spirit moving and uniting us together, there was no one deciding to quit, and rather claim this DMI work as the work of God.

We finish our meeting on a high spiritual note, moist with tears, but with a new zeal to dive for a month. My challenge was that, may we will be like Elijah, able to say- Our faith can wait for God’s plan. Lest we find ourselves, moving faster ahead of God.

We have prayed for you folks, being the nerve center of DMI, where all tremor and shaking could be felt in its maximum intensity. We’re careful not to add another stock pile of stress, if only send info for intelligent praying.

We adjourn the meeting with new spiritual vigor to compensate in all side of emptiness- only to find God’s quick response at our SOS signal.

I’ll get back to them soon as possible to put an icing to our new gained spiritual encouragement, just this morning, because of God’s quick responce to our desparte knocking on heaven’s door.

This are valuable lessons we reap as the by product of global recession, a thing am very sure, God loves to see from His children to experience.

Praise the Lord, He never changes, Amen! Joshua & Jocelyn

New-look Brochures: These come with relevant insert cards which list gift ideas, etc.

Deaf Ministries International Deaf Action (DGR recognition)

Perfect for distribution to your Church, Bible study group, craft, women’s or social group. The Deaf Action brochure has been produced in a way to appeal to believers and non-believers alike - because the aim of Deaf Action is to support humanitarian needs.

If you would like copies, please request these from our office:
info@deafmin.org Ph: +61 3 5940 5431 Fax: +61 3 5940 5432

Wedding Bells

Nedal with his beautiful wife, Maiss.

Nedal and Fadi have been a bit distracted from normal DMI activities this past month as they both - within a few weeks of each other - married beautiful brides. Nedal’s wife, Maiss, is from Jordan; we can now see why he made so many trips there over the past couple of years. Fadi’s wife, Safa’a is from Syria (I think) and make wonderful addition to DMI. On the down side of things a proposed camp in Jordan was cancelled due to Swine Flu. The Syrians were most disappointed as it became impossible to make alternative arrangements due to the Ramadan holiday as all camps, hotels and suitable places were full.

Nine of the Huntington ten.

Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support.

God Bless, Neville and Lill