Patti, Kallee and Ana spent time in India this year. See recent newsletters for details, especially if you are interested in children and throw away babies.
Yesterday, I read a U.N. report stating that in some Hindu castes, the ratio between boys and girls under the age of 10 is three to one. Many girls are, in one way or another, eliminated because they are not valued. They are celebrated at Grace Life Homes for Children.

While my girls were in India, the RSS, a radical militant Hindu sect, launched a massive attack against the church in Orissa State. This is where I do most of my work when in India. The World Vision mission building was wrecked, 1,000 homes were smashed and 70 church buildings destroyed. Some of these were ones I had the honor of dedicating. Many of our pastors were driven out of the State, but are now returning to rebuild. We are supporting them and will see them again in January ’09.

My recent trip to Australia was fruitful. Many students from Southeast Asia go to Australia for a Western education. Teaching and training them equips them in this ministry when they return home. Australian churches, denominations and universities I have worked with over the past 20 years, credit me (and therefore you) with helping them experience God’s grace and the charismatic dimension of ministry. If that is true, we may be gratified.

Trips to China, Fiji, Korea, and Thailand are in the works. I keep hoping to return to Turkey as well. We will keep you posted.

God loves the poor. “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will reward him for what he has done.” Proverbs 19:17

Peace and all good,

Ken

 

Spring 2008

 

I recently returned from Australia. The fruit of twenty plus years of ministry there is ripening. It is satisfying beyond words to see this happening and I will speak more of it later. But first – an update on various Good News to the Poor concerns.

In January, our 20 year old son, Wayland, went to teach English and do mission work in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Burma, Korea and China). As some of you know, Wayland is very comfortable in these cultures and speaks their languages. Needless to say, he did not get his language acumen from me. He will return in December to complete university at UC Berkeley. He chose Berkeley because of its excellent programs in international studies. After Berkeley, he plans to go back to Burma to complete the development of his organization for the training of Burmese Christian leaders. He sees that they will help rebuild Burma after the military dictatorship is removed. We pray this will be sooner, rather than later.

God has given Wayland unusual favor with people of influence in Southeast Asia. He now has connections with the Thai Royal family, associates of the Korean president and a Communist leader in South China. There are now more than 70 million Christians in China. This is a greater number than members of the Communist Party. What might this mean? In any event, Wayland’s association with officials in these countries will be invaluable as he develops his mission and builds his N.G.O.