Dear Prayer Partner,

It is a great joy to introduce to you one of our newest and most strategic partners in Asia.  His name is Bishop Philip Adhikary, and he leads one of the most dynamic and holistic ministries you could ever be involved with.  Through his very unique approach, he has built a number of Training Centers in strategic cities of Bangladesh.  With a personal background in accounting, banking and savings and loans in the secular world, God called him to began a holistic ministry to the needy in his beloved country of Bangladesh.  In each of these multi-story centers he has established, there is a micro-enterprise on the first floor, a school on the second floor and a Children’s Home on the third floor.

Bangladesh is a country of about 150 million people living in a land mass the size of the State of Illinois.  It is about 85% Muslim and less than 1% Christian.  And while Bangladesh has made great economic progress in the last couple of decades, it is still one of the poorer countries in Asia. Because of its ocean borders, Bangladesh is annual hit by violent monsoon storms, typhoons and floods.  So there are many spiritual and physical needs there.

In this report you will see pictures of me and my senior cousin, Dr. J.B. Crouse.  He is the President Emeritus of OMS International, a great mission organization.  When J.B. first met brother Philip a number of years ago, he had 39 churches.  Being the great visionary he is, J.B. challenged Philip to plant 1,000 churches within the following decade.  By God’s grace, Bishop Philip has done just that!  So on March 27th of this year, they will dedicate their 1,000th church with great celebration – an incredible miracle for any country!  This great church growth now makes them the largest denomination in Bangladesh.

However, only about 130 of the 1,000 local churches have buildings.  The rest meet under trees, in homes, schools or rented halls.  That’s where you come in.  For between $3,500 - $4,000 you could build a total church building for one of his congregations!  What an incredible opportunity for you as an individual, a church, a Sunday School Class, a youth group, a civic club or local business.

However, if you cannot build a church, you could buy a bicycle for his pastors.  Right now he has a need of 320 bicycles for his evangelists and church planters for $100 each.  That’s within anyone’s budget – if you just cut out a few nights eating out!

As you look at the following pictures of Bishop Philip’s work in micro-enterprise, children’s ministry, pastoral training and church planting, I hope your heart will be blessed and challenged.  When I arrived back in Bangladesh after my first visit there some 20 years ago, Bishop Philip met me with these words: “I have been praying for 11 years for you to come to Bangladesh and help train my pastors.” Talk about a humbling welcome!  I am certainly not worthy of that kind of prayer – but I am so blessed and humbled by it!  It’s that kind of opportunity and open door that has kept me traveling the world for the last 40 years!  And it has all been made possible by the prayers and partnership of dear friends like you!

So be blessed by these pictures from my recent time of ministry in Bangladesh.  By God’s grace I look forward to returning there in the fall of 2009.  At that time I will conduct another Leadership Conference and dedicate some churches that will have been funded by our NDI partners.  So get those “checks in the mail!”

BANGLADESH PICTURES

In His Love for Bangladesh,