ARM Prison Outreach International

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-Thailand Report

-Rapha Report

-Mexico Report

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For more information, check out our web sites:

www.arm.org

www.abarc.org

www.raphahouse.org

www.daughtersofruth.org

Want an ARM multimedia presentation in your church?

As Development Director, I'm visiting a lot of churches in the Midwest! We have a video/PowerPoint presentation that will inform, encourage, and promote evangelism in your church.

If you would like an ARM presentation for your whole church-- or a group within it-- please inquire by reply or call 573-729-6355. We are now scheduling 2009. Thanks again for all your prayers, support, and encouragement!

-- Rod

Need materials?

To contact our Joplin office about receiving supplies and resources, please email info@arm.org, call 1-800-CALL-ARM, or write to PO Box 1490, Joplin, MO 64802.

Want to help?

To contact ARM about aiding in the funding of supplies and resources, please email rodfar@arm.org, call 1-573-729-6355, or write to 3127 Hwy K, Salem, MO 65560.

ARM Prison Outreach International
Branch Ministry Reports May 2009 Update

ARM's Russian Chaplain, Nicholas Alyoshin, on left, baptizes a believer in the river

NOTE: These summaries from the leaders of ARM's foreign branch ministries are intended to encourage the reader and stimulate prayer. Note the "Quick Link" menu to the left; it will aid in navigating DIRECTLY to the article(s) you choose. Feel free to be a selective reader; should you have interest in only one or two of these reports, you can easily select those reports from the "Quick Link" menu. If you want a printable "plain text" version, just reply and tell us! Also, you can find archives of ARM's worldwide branch ministries at

www.arm.org/Branch%20Ministries.htm

In His Service,
Rod Farthing, National Development Director

Special message from Joe Garman

Greetings to you in that most blessed and wonderful Name which is far above and beyond each and every other name.

I want to make everyone aware of Bruce Barilla's free Internet lessons entitled: "For God, Family and Country." I especially thank him for featuring the work of ARM in lessons #4 and #9. Here is the note Bruce sent recently:

=============================

Bro. Joe: I'd like to share with you the eleven online revival seminar lessons I've just completed under the topic, "For God, Family and Country."

http://www.achw.org/html/seminar.html

I believe the lessons are a positive and encouraging way to help Christians put God first in America. When you might have some time to look them over and if you think the lessons are something you'd like to let your email list know about I would appreciate it very much. Churches can use the lessons in Sunday school and during midweek prayer meeting/Bible study; especially if the local church has intenet access along with either a projector or a wide screen TV. ARM is featured in lessons 4 and 9.

http://www.achw.org/html/lesson_4.html

http://www.achw.org/html/lesson_9.html

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Thanks so much for all you do, Bruce

=============================

I do hope many will take advantage of the seminar lessons and, as a result, the body of Christ will be blessed. May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you in all that you do.

Saved to Serve the Savior,

Joe R. Garman

ARM's Branch Ministry in Thailand
Daughters of Ruth Home

Brother Joe Garman will soon be traveling to Thailand. He would be VERY grateful for your prayers as he travels and visits with the staff and girls at the Daughters of Ruth.

Here is Boonlerd's most recent report:

We have sent three girls from our home with our blessings as they now have opportunity to once again live with their families. May they be evangelists for Christ as they carry His gospel!

We have three new girls come to our Daughters of Ruth home:

Paveena & Arpaporn: Their mother has lived in the Chiang Mai prison for 25 year and has 15-years remaining.

Wirapa: Her father is in Bang khuang Nuthaburi prison -- has been there 7 years and is not sure when he'll be realeased.

So now we have 23 girls. And now the girls start school; they are very excited and very happy for a new term, new grade, new friends, and a new school.

Ministry of prison.

We rent house for one family just out of prison and help them -- occupation is tailor/dressmaker.

Love in Jesus Christ Church.

Now the church is short on room for new people to fit, so we pray for the land for building a new church.

Gifts of any size may be sent to

ARM-DOR, 3127 Hwy K

Salem, MO 65560.

ARM's Rapha House
(Home for Girls) in Cambodia

IMPORTANT NOTE: With the wonderful growth of the work at Rapha and the development of their own web site and email network, we will no longer have a full Rapha Report in the ARM Branch Report. RAPHA CONTINUES TO NEED YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT!

We encourage all of you to write to Stephanie Freed (sfreed@arm.org) -- USA Director of Rapha House, or Kerry Decker (raphahouse@pacbell.net) Dir. of the Rapha House Freedom Foundation, and request to receive email or postal updates. You may also go to www.raphahouse.org

Gifts for the work may be sent to:

ARM-Rapha, 3127 Hwy K

Salem, MO 65560.

ARM's Branch Ministry in Mexico

Report from Alfredo José Aparicio

My very dear friends,
I'm very happy because yesterday we already had our Sunday worship in our Church's building in Cuernavaca. Also, 3 men and 3 women made their confession of faith. These will be baptized next Sunday.

I have been running so much lately, due to many activities in the ministry. I have visited brethren to encourage them. I have helped people who worry more about the things of this world. I have evangelized children, young people, and adults as well. I have been busy helping with legal issues in the Churches. Suddenly, we were hit by the influenza virus, which caused so many problems in our lives. The Mexican Government instructed that all meetings had to be cancelled or be small gatherings and in the open. So, our Church started to meet on the yard and in the open. Our worship services and Sunday School have been done outside the Church building so far. Life in Mexico suffered many changes. It seems as if we were living in a completely different country. The good thing is that we have been working on the environment and all looks more clean and healthy now.

This issue has helped people to think more on God and have open hearts to the Gospel. I had to make a trip to Hidalgo State. On the bus, I preached the Word and many people showed real interest in God. They decided to have a good relationship with the Lord. The question asked the most is how close are we to the end of the world?

We had 57 baptisms. Most of them in rural Mexico, since they people did not know about the influenza problem, and they went ahead and got baptized. Please pray for these New Born!

I rejoice in the Lord that 126 of our students graduated from the Bible Basic Courses. In seven countries people started Bible study groups, abiding only to the Bible. These people have requested Bibles which are easy to read. They live in Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Spain, Paraguay, Venezuela, and Mexico.

One of our students wrote the following.

“Dear director, I have always shown a very strong character. I have power over people and behave in a very angry manner. The only law existing is mine. On one occasion, other people and I, together, went to a ranch near Zihuatanejo and took all things of value from it. Also, we kidnapped 14 people. I cannot explain why, but a colorful book captured my attention. So, I took it to my hacienda in the State of Michoacan. One night, I had this strong impulse to start reading it. I did not like its first pages, but the need to read it was so strong, I could not lay it down. I read it for three hours and then decided not to open it again. I continued living as a delinquent. However, my life changed. I had those read words in my mind and they came to me every now and then. This was a lot stronger than my will and I could not resist recalling the words in such book. One night I was dreaming that the Mexican Army had surrounded and captured us. Indeed, when I woke up, that was the case and my people and I could not do anything to hide or run away. I am in jail now, in Chilpancingo, State of Guerrero. I am waiting to be sent to a different jail. I am writing you as the book I am talking about had your address written on it. One inmate came to me and shared his Bible with me, and the Bible has your address too. It is as if you were chasing me wherever I go. Now, I am aware that the book I started to read was a New Testament. Please send me your Bible Correspondence Courses. God has reached me now! Do you think God can forgive me for so much pain and damage caused to many people? I have killed. I have stolen. I have kidnapped people. I am thinking on how bad I have been. I am in a great need to have a close encounter with God. Please pray for me. I am waiting for different things to happen in my life…” Ruperto Bañuelos Cienfuegos (Chilpancingo, Guerrero).

Please help us pray for:

The influenza issue and Mexicans.
Near our house, there are some people who are drug dealers. They are involved at an international level and are very dangerous people. But, the worst part is that they belong to the top police officials as well. It is hard to do anything to denounce them. They are vile and bad neighbors.
Please pray for my coworker Francisco D’Gante. He is suffering from knee problems. He will have a knee surgery soon, and he does not want to take some time off since the ministry needs his services so much!

I am so grateful because of your help and support. My heart rejoices because of your kindness. Without you, we could not do what we are accomplishing. Lets praise God together!

Your thankful servant in Christ Jesus,

Alfredo José Aparicio

ARM's Branch Ministry in Philippines

Report from Ernesto Alocelja

1. Accepted Christ and awaiting baptism:

-Malita District-5

-BJMP-Digos City - 26

-Bacungan, Matanao 17 -- 48 Total

2. Jail Ministry team hosted 7 medical clinics thru medical mission of Dr. Titus Bantiles, supported by Gil Lozada of “Bring Good News Ministry.” Patients served:

-Dental treatment with free toothbrush and toothpaste – 274

Eye checkup and reading glasses – 321

Medical Checkup with free medicines and vitamins – 615

Donations Received:

-3rd electric stand fan from Gil Lozada

-1 giant box containing books, bibles, Cd’s, Cassette tapes, VHS videos from “Light House Ministries”

-OMRON Manual Inflation Blood Pressure monitor (MI) from Dr. Balazo Clinic

-Live goat from Manuel Madayam

-9 boxes of large print bibles, 8 packs of outline sermon from LBW, Inc.

-Stethoscope from Dr. Titus Bantiles

-1 box fresh pineapple from Cathy Palomo

-50 capsules for high blood from Hirmie T. Cobrado

4. Speaking engagement; Baluan Church of Christ's 49th Anniversary Thanksgiving Celebration

5. Special Gathering attended. Prayer Fellowship and thanksgiving celebration for Hazel Cobrado graduation

6. Certificates given to those who support Medical Clinics:

* Mr. and Mrs. Ben Aquino and Family

* Metro Dadiangas Church of Christ

* Bro. Gil Lozada

* Office of the vice governor of Sarangani

* Allan and Anne Cloud

* Mrs. Dolores Rivera

7. Help Given:

* 18 used clothes to BJMP-Digos City

* Clothing given to Charlie Salina

8. Bibles, Books, Religious materials given:

* 3 boxes bibles, 11 packs outline sermon given to Bacungan Church

* English Bible, Cebuano Bible, 30 cassette tapes, 30 CD songs, given to Charlie Salina

* 122 books given to Church’s workers

* 15 bibles given to Christian Brethren

9. Snacks served:

* 200pcs-bread, 3 packs Bebingka given to BJMP-Digos City inmates

* 2 packs biscuits given to Malita District Jail

10. Tarpaulin sign board donated to:

* Abukay Church of Christ, Bataan

* Bacungan Church of Christ, Matanao

News You Can Use

David O'Grady is now representing ARM in the great Northwest! Churches and individuals in that area of the USA may contact David through the ARM office in Joplin -- 1-800- CALL ARM.

ARM's Branch Ministry in Russia

Report From Dr. Nicholas E. Alyoshin

1. IMMERSIONS. Five persons were immersed this month: two men – one ethnic Pole and one ethnic German – straightly in our chaplaincy; two young Russian men and a Russian girl – through the youth “NIKA”-ministry.

2. PRISONS. The DOM ARM ministers 8 times visited prisons. We spread about 200 items of clothes and some food among the prisoners. Monies were donated by pastor Dr. Leiser (Germany) to pay the advocates, defending the nephews of sheikh Hassan (those men are in prison, arrested on Religious basis). The donations were accepted by sheikh Hassan with thanks-giving prayers.

I have established the special ministry to work with the mothers of the convicts and refugees on Religious and political basis (to help them Spiritually, morally, etc.). Bro V. Aqulinin and Lyudmila Lazareva work with the mother of Andrew Novosyolov (a refugee from Krasnodar to live in Strasburg, France); I myself work with the mother of Eugene Novozhilov (a refugee from Krasnodar to live in Warsaw, Poland); bro A. Shamparov works with the mother of Valeriy Krasnobryzhev (incarcerated on Religious basis in a special psychiatric prison in Oryol-city, 1000 km N N W from Krasnodar).

3. MOSLEMS. On 13.04.2009 we organized the visit of our dearly beloved bro pastor Dr. Gerhard Leiser (Karlsruhe, Baden, Germany) to the house of the Kurdish (Curmanji-tribe) sheikh Hassan-haji Gurji-ogly in the village Kabardinskaya of the Apsheronsk district of the Krasnodar Territory (150 km to SSE from Krasnodar in the picturesque mountains of the North slope of the Big Caucasian ridge). Our dearly beloved brethren Joe Garman and Max Goins had the Apostolic activity with the Turks-Meskhetians (Ahiska Turks). And our beloved bro Gerhard Leiser has the Apostolic acrivity with the Curmanji Kurds. Glory to God, it permits us to Evangelize actively different Moslem groups. We spent a day in the house of sheikh Hassan. We were speaking about Jesus in Quran; the sheikh showed us the results of his theological studies in this sphere. We spread a number of the St. John Gospels (“Yuhenna Incil”) in the Curmanji (Kurmanch) dialect of the Kurdish language, donated by the Kurdish community of Karlsruhe and brought by pastor Leiser. We had a mutual dinner with Hassan and the ministers of his congregation; we prayed together with them and Hassan family. This was, indeed, a new important step in our relations with sheikh Hassan ethnic and Religious group. Bro Vladimir Sterchow served us with his private car to make this visit.

4. MISSION TRIPS. Pastor Dr. G. Leiser was in Krasnodar during 10.04.2009 – 23.04.2009. Our chaplaincy was actively organizing for him different meetings. He had the Easter service on 12.04.2009 in the Krasnodar German Evangelish – Lutheran congregation. We also met him with the ethnic Kurds, Poles, Bulgarians, Georgians; as well as with different prominent public figures: leaders of some charity foundations; writers; the Krasnodar Territory branch of the political party “The Right Case” leaders; the chief of the Krasnodar Territory Administration Directorate for Public and Religious organizations S.V. Myshak; the chairman of the Krasnodar-city council V.S. Kotlyarov, etc. The pressure on the Christians (who are not the idolatrists) is growing on every day in modern Russia. In these conditions the visit of G. Leiser, who is the well-known member of the German ruling “Christian – Democratic Union” party, is for sure, a big help for us. This visit makes the Russian and Krasnodar Territory authorities diminish their pressure on us, because they are interested in the improvement of the relations with Germany and CDU. Thus, it helps us to work to advance the Kingdom of Christ!

5. MEDITATIONS. The official Krasnodar Territory Governor newspaper “The Kuban News” (in Rus. “Kubanskie Novosty”, 28.03.2009) published the information, that some Cossack atamans publicly – during the session of “Rada” (the ruling board of the “Kuban Cossack Army”) – accused the orthodox priest S. Ovchinnikov (“the Cossack Army priest” and the deputy editor of the newspaper of metropolitan Isidor “The Orthodox Voice of Kuban”) to be a liar, because of his publications against the Cossack community “Kruglik” and against me (Ovchinnikov tried to accuse me in high treason and separatism). It was a huge scandal. The “Kuban Cossacks”, usually declared to be the orthodox icon-worshippers, are, in fact, divided on Religious and ideological basis. “And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?” (Mt. 12:26).

6. DIVINE ACTION. The official authorities of the Krasnodar Territory paid the state budget money to erect on 24.04.2009 a 10 meters high bronze idol of the so called “Saint Catherine” in the center of the Krasnodar-city. There were the Governor introduction speech, the metropolitan Isidor “sanctification” service, the huge military parade during the opening ceremony. At once the God Almighty revealed to our art experts, that the named monstrous idol had the structure, identical to the one of the well-known Crete idols – to the so called “goddesses with the snakes”. Thus, the huge black-and-gold Krasnodar idol is, indeed, the statue of the satanic snake-worshipping “priestess”. Now the idolatrists in Krasnodar have absolutely disclosed themselves. We are praising our God, because He “brought to light the hidden things of darkness and made manifest the counsels of the hearts" (1 Cor. 4:5). Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has given us the possibility to show every person to be Evangelized the idolatric nature of the “Russian orthodoxy”. It let us bring the lost sheep to the Good Shepherd. Alleluia!

7. YOUTH MINISTRY. The “NIKA”-ministry of our daughter Nike has organized the mutual meeting of the youth ministries of 10 different Christian (protestant, Evangelical, restoration, etc.) congregations of Krasnodar. About 100 young men and women took part in it. They decided to coordinate their efforts to evangelize the young population of Krasnodar city and Territory.

8. PUBLIC RELATIONS. On 23.04.2009 I took part in the press-conference of the “Right Case” party chairman B. Titov, which took place in the conference-hall of the city newspaper “Krasnodarskie Izvestia”.

During the election campaign of the Sochi-city mayor two men, immersed by me (L. Burlakov and Yu. Rizo) were the members of the team of the Russian opposition leader B. Nemtsov, who was running for the mayor office. Sochi-city is very important, because it will be the Olympics-city in 2014; now it is the place, where the summer residences of the Russia President and Prime-minister are situated. Sure, Nemtsov lost, but received 13 % of the votes, which is a splendid result for the opposition in today Russia.

The newspaper “Moscow Komsomolian on Kuban” (29.04.2009 – 06.05.2009, No. 18 – 616, p.14; a weekly. published in Krasnodar in 34 980 copies; a part of a huge media-giant, called “Russian Regional Weekly – Moscow Komsomolian”, which has a circulation of 1 460 673 copies) published the article (for the whole page) about the visit of pastor Dr. Leiser to Krasnodar. The article was written by bro I. Yassinsky, whom I met with G. Leiser. Inside the text the photo (I, G. Leiser, V. Sterchow, I. Yassinsky), shot by my wife Dr. Nina V. Alyoshina, was also published.

9. SUPPORT. We received the March ARM support through Max Goins “We – Go” system OK. We received 3 big boxes with clothes to the convicts from Moscow, sent to us by N. Koff (my sister and DOM ARM Moscow representative). The clothes were donated by the women of the Western Embassies in Moscow. We also received the letters, e-mails and telephone calls of support from R. Farthing, M. Goins, N. Plutenko (USA); A. Novosyolov, Rev. Cyril Martin (France); G. Leiser, E.P. Alyoshin (Germany); E. Novozhilov (Poland); Ali-bey Hamzin (Crimea, Ukraine); Martin Sebign (Slovakia, chief of the Roman – catholic parish in Krasnodar).

DOM ARM chaplain www.ARM.org
Nicholas E. Alyoshin

Contact Info

Rod Farthing, ARM National Development Director rodfar@arm.org
3127 Hwy K, Salem, MO 65560 573-729-6355
Check out our web sites:
www.arm.org
www.abarc.org
www.daughtersofruth.org www.raphahouse.org
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