Dear Sourm, RH Director, prepared this report when a delegation from the USA was visiting the Rapha House. The delegation of 21 was led by Stephanie Freed. They were here from January 5 to 19, 2008.

 

During their visit the team members conducted many activities in Rapha House:

 

a) Led daily devotion at Rapha House every morning

b) Led devotions and singing each night

c) Provided preaching and Christian activities

d) Taught RH girls Biblical stories in an interesting fashion

 

American Rehabilitation Ministries Rapha House has exceeded its target of supporting 55 girls at the center and 8 girls at the Halfway House for reintegration, for a total of 63 girls under our care.

 

There are twenty-one girls of various age groups being attending the public school this term. The Rapha House has provided proper uniforms, books, and all needed supplies, as well as transportation. They are very happy for their school and all have improved a lot.

 

In our agricultural project we are cultivating mushrooms, running a fish hatchery and fish farm, and planting various vegetables in our fields. This entire project is being conducted by the girls at the center under the supervision of an agricultural trainer. The whole project is designed to educate and train the girls in the agricultural activities.

 

At present, there are 4 families -- parents of our girls -- coming to receive training on tropical mushroom planting. They have packed around 4000 packs of tropical mushrooms at the center. We will offer 1000 packs to each family and also help to transport to their home.

 

The 8 girls under training at the reintegration (Halfway house) program are being trained in hairdressing and small business management. Now, we have bigger and better site for their activities.

 

The Halfway Home project has recently undertaken a new project -- rentals of wedding dresses and accessories. And it is going very well so far. The goal of RH Freedom Foundation is to improve support toward the girls goal of independent living.

 

The new Rapha House building has been completed --our capacity is now 100. Staff also moved their offices to the new building. There is a room at the first building being prepared for hair dressing training for all the girls at the center. 

Editor's note: Any support for the new vehicle, the furnishing of the new building, or increase in operational support is greatly appreciated! 

ARM's Minister in Thailand is Boonlerd Chompukeeree

Greetings in that blessed and wonderful Name which is far above and beyond each and every other name!

 

We have welcomed a new girl to our Daughters of Ruth home. She is 18 and has just been released from the prison where she was incarcerated four years for selling and transporting drugs. She had nowhere to go because both of her parents and her only sister are in prison and her relatives want nothing to do with her.

 

Our director, Brother Boonlerd, who has ministered in her prison for years, knows this young lady personally and led her to Christ. He writes, "She is a lively and nice girl, very personable." She fits in well at the home and we have already enrolled her, along with a 17-year-old, in a vocational education class at a local tech college.

 

In addition to these two we have one girl in high school and 19 in grade school. All our girls try their best to be brave and study hard and are happy to be in our home, but, no matter what their parents have done or didn't do for them, they still love them and long to be reunited. 

 

I am thankful for faithful financial supporters like you, whose generous contributions make it all possible.

 

"Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown (through the Daughters of Ruth) and increase the fruits of your righteousness" II Cor. 9:10.

 

Serving together, Joe R. Garman, Evangelist

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I. Team Members.................................7

 

II. Active Volunteers.............................20

 

III. Individual Supporters.......................13

 

IV. Local Church Supporters...................12

 

V. Partners in Ministry: 1. MCFCS 2. Voice of Love 3. ACCDS 4. RLS 5. Minister's Association

 

VI. Baptism:

1.  Outreach Baptisms ................82

2.  Inmates Baptisms..................88 

        Total:  170

 

VII. Accepted Christ:

1. Panabo City Jail.........................14

2. Malita District Jail........................3

3. Sarangani Provincial Jail..............13

4. Gensan City Female Dorm.............4

5. Amas Provincial Jail....................23

6. BJMP Digos City........................ 24

7. Outreach....................................6

         Total:  87

 

VIII. Jail Ministries:

1. 3 Provincial Jails

2. 2 Rehabilitation Centers

3. 2 Reformation Centers

4. 4 City Jails

5. 2 District Jails

6. 3 Female Dorm

7. 1 Penitentiary

8. 1 Clustered Jail

 

IX. Training Seminar Conducted:

1. 2nd Leadership enhancement seminar @ Tacul

2. Discipleship seminar @ Barayong

 

X. Big Events:

1. Mini Crusade @ Flume

2. Crusade for Christ @ Barayong

 

XI. Special Celebrations:

1. Aplaya 2nd Anniversary

2. ARM 4th Anniversary

3. Aplaya Church Thanksgiving

4. Aplaya Church, ARM & Volunteers Christmas Program

 

January Highlights:

 

On January 5, the team conducted regular gospel presentation @ Panabo City District Jail. Praise God! Fourteen inmates accepted Christ and are ready for baptism soon.

On January 7 the team baptized 19 inmates @ Kidapawan reformatory center in ARM collapsible baptistry inside the compound of city jail.

On January 13 the team follow up at the Samal Island city jail and conducted a fellowship service at Barayong church, Magsaysay, Davao del Sur.

On January 18 the team baptized the brother of Ulysses Bedia in ARM collapsible Baptistry at Aplaya. Ulysses, former detainee at Malita District Jail is now a 2nd year student at Bible College.

Glory to Christ, my beloved brother! This is my brief report for December 2007.

 

IMMERSIONS. In 2007 we immersed 16 people: 11 Russians, 1 Turk, 1 Kurd, 1 Tajik, 1 Ukrainian, 1 Swan (a small tribe with its' own territory between the main Georgia and Abkhazia). On 25.12.2007 (the day of Christmas Feast) we immersed Fil (born Smirnova) Tatyana Mikhailovna; she wanted to receive and received the new Christian name - Emma.

 

PRISONS. We have received the contact with the Sochi charity organization - "The Mercy for Convicts"; we prayed with its' chairperson - Nathaly Obukhova. Our Crimea organization ("Aibolit", the chairperson - E. Filipyeva) began in December the programme to prepare the convicts for the future free life; they studied with the convicts the anti-corruption technologies of the contacts with the police, officials, authorities, etc. The prison actions of "Aibolit" were 4 times shown by local TV. During the night 12 - 13.12.2007 a convict was murdered by the guards in the prison camp 3 in Leningrad area; it brought to the disturbances there. Our dearly beloved bro E. Novozhilov - the correspondent of "Radio Liberty - Free Europe" and some other mass media - has begun the investigation of the case of one brother who had written his own comment to the Gospel and was declared to be mad by the authorities. He was put by force to the prison psychiatric asylum in Otradnenskaya village of Krasnodar Territory. Novozhilov suspects this man has been murdered there. One of our chaplaincy contacts is now in the special state charity institution for the invalids in the Timashevsk town of the Krasnodar Territory. He informed me, that the authorities there let the invalids to marry officially between themselves, but did not let them have children. The authorities threaten to poison ("to make sleep") the pregnant invalid woman; thus some such waiting for a child invalid women were to run away from that "charity institution". These women are living now in the families of the local Evangelical Christians.

 

MOSLEMS. On 18.12.2007 I had a big report at the poetical evening, dedicated to the 800-years jubilee of Jelaladdin Rumi (30.09.1207 - 17.12.1273). It took place in the hall of the named after Nekrasov Krasnodar city public library. About 70 people were present. The representative of the Russian association to support UNESCO (UNESCO - declared 2007 to be the year of Rumi) Litvin; my dearly beloved bro Igor Yassinsky (the member of the Union of writers); the deputy director of the library; the representatives of the Moslem ethnic and Religious groups, etc. were also speaking. The General Consul of the Turkish Republic in Novorossiysk Gursel Evren supported morally this event; he was very busy with the diplomatic affairs and could not visit our meeting in person. But he sent to us through his secretary the greetings and asked to remember, that Rumi was very important not only for Turkey, but also for all the Earth and all the confessions. During my speech I underlined this idea of Mr..Evren. I also presented to the library the New Testaments in Turkish, published in Stambul. All event was the success, indeed. The general Religion situation became in December rather new in all North Caucasus: the underground Chechen leaders had declared this area to be the "Caucasus Emirate of the World Halifate" This emirate is divided into 6 areas (vilayets): Chechnya ("Nokhchiy-chyo"), Ingushetia ("Galgay-chyo"), Daghestan, Iriston (Ossetia), Kabarda (including Adygeya and Abkhazia), and the "Nogay Steppe". The last one is all the steppe area from Astrakhan to Krasnodar Territory. (Historically the Crimean steppe was also controlled by the Nogay nomads).

 

In Jesus our hope! Sincerely, DOM ARM chaplain Nicholas E. Alyoshin (www.ARM.org), prof., etc.

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Dear brethren in Christ Jesus: With great joy in my heart for another year serving the Lord, I share with you some of the things we accomplished and happened during the last month of 2007. This last month of the year was a very fruitful one. We took advantage of all of the celebrations that take place during December. Christmas was a great time to share our faith with nonbelievers. The new converts had their share as well. We had special programs to teach them the Word of God. Also, during December we visited rural areas, where we were received with great joy. We visited a tropical site called Jonacatepec. It is sad to see eight-year-old boys selling all kinds of drugs here. They get their training from adults. Also, children from five to eight years old have to beg in a city called Cuernavaca. They are from a town called Xochitepec. Their "work schedule" is from eight to eight. If they do not bring home "enough" money, according to their parents, they get a terrible beating. We are teaching God's Word to a group of adolescents. However, one day, we noticed one of them could not read. He is Luis Munguía, 14. So we are teaching him how to read and write. He started working since he was four, to contribute the family's income in order to provide for a family of 12 children. Besides, he has to help his mother and grandparents. His father has another family and does not care for Luis and his siblings. These teenagers and other children have asked my wife and I to become their parents. They need love, affection, care, and direction in their tender lives. They hunger for the Word of God and guidance in their lives. These children have never had a Christmas present before. So, this year, I got together with other brethren and gave them some gifts. They showed great gratitude! They were also so happy! I am so sad to see all these teenagers and kids been taken advantage of by drug dealers and gangs. They are being destroyed! We had 37 baptisms this month. Most of them are young people. Also, we had 86 of our students graduate from our Bible Correspondence Courses. We planted a new congregation in a very tough Catholic area, San Cayetano, State of Guanajuato. These new brethren knew they were going to suffer persecution if they became Christians. Now, it is normal for them to go through different hardships, but they will endure, I am sure. Neighbors toss rotten meat to the place where they meet. Neighbors have very high music playing while our brethren are worshiping the Lord. People toss rocks to their meeting place, while they are inside praying. People shoot at the place where they are gathered. They are called heretics! They are called sons of the devil! They are suffering all these and other things due to their faith in the Lord. The truth is hard to be accepted, and they facing persecution for God's Truth! Concerning Cuba, a very good thing is that young people are very much interested in knowing God's Word. They are tired of the so-called socialist promises. They have experienced hard times and see no end to all the bad deeds from the government. They see hard to even survive there. They see 12 year-old girls become pregnant, as this is permissible. But, the sad thing is that these girls have to abort, and there is a high tendency in these girls to try to kill themselves. They are looking for answers! They need Christ in their lives! Our Bible Students are trying to help, but they need training on how to counsel. The need is there, but we need to train young people to help their peers. The Cuban government opposes any help! It has blocked internet service in order to hinder any Christian doctrine from being reached. I am so happy and grateful to the Lord, as we have been able to enter the jail located in Baracoa, Cuba. Even though the jail authorities open our envelopes, they are allowing our Bible Courses to reach our students. What they request from our students is that they also read Marx, Engels, Lenin, Mao Tse Tung, and Guevara. It is encouraging to hear that our students dedicate more time to the Bible than any other literature. There is a lot more I could share with you, but is enough for you to see how God is doing His work through our ministry, the ministry you are supporting. I know you do love the souls that need Christ! The needs are great in this ministry, but I am grateful for your love and contributions. GOD BLESS YOU GENEROUSLY! Also, I am so thankful to the Lord, as He allowed me to celebrate my 58th birthday on January 12th. I am renewed with strength! My family was complaining saying that I have hearing problems, so I went to have my ears checked. I need hearing aids, but the cost is $1,750.00. Please pray for me. I do not want my hearing to get worse and finally go away. The reason my hearing is bad is due to some falls I had when I was a kid. I am grateful to the Lord for His care and I ask Him to give me a good body to serve Him well! In Christ's Love, Alfredo José Aparicio

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