Harvest News August 2009

“He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. Brethren, pray for us.” 1Thes. 5:24-25

Have you ever felt like life is a struggle? If it is not the rat race, it is trying to satisfy the expectations of others to perform. Then there is the responsibility of family, work and church. Sometimes, it feels like all these are pressing in on you.

May you find the above verses a comfort, that we have a faithful God who calls us to Himself. He is our eternal sufficiency. He who calls us is also the One who will do whatever He has called us to do. May we allow Him to live in and through us. May our hands and feet be His to use. For that matter, we need to encourage and pray for one another to stand firm in Him.

1. Anniversary Conference and Celebration

We thank the Lord for a wonderful time of conference and celebration on May 22-23. We are reminded of the importance of prayer and the tremendous power and potential that go with it. About 70 guests came for the anniversary celebration and were challenged to be laborers in the harvest for Christ. May we be willing

2.Torchbearers International Staff Conference June 20-27

Every 4 years, staff from the 26 Torchbearer centers meet at the International Torchbearers Staff conference at Capernwray Hall, England. The speaker for this year was Mr. Charles Price speaking on the theme, “Abiding in Christ, Abounding in the World.” We were exhorted to focus on the Lord Jesus and not so much on the result of the ministry. We all had a wonderful time of learning and fellowship with many of our co-laborers. Praise the Lord!

The story and history of Torchbearers were nostalgically (and humorously) retold by Mrs. Joan Thomas, reminding us of the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord. Over the years since 1947, the old squeaky and dilapidated “castle” has been transformed into a spiritual home for many. It was here (in 1977) that God gave me the vision to establish a Torchbearer center in Malaysia which became a reality in 2007 after 30 years. It was very special for Joyce to visit Capernwray Hall since her Bible school days in 1981, where she was baptized in the old swimming pool. It has been very memorable for Joni and Johnson who were with us at the conference for the first time to meet children of other staff.

3. Visit to Europe

We arrived in London on June 5 to visit some friends and relatives, and then flew to Holland to visit my sister and her family in Gouda on June 8. This was the first time my family visited Holland and it was great to catch up with our Dutch niece and nephew and their families besides my eldest sister and her husband. Please pray for their salvation.

German Torchbearer Center- Klostermuehle

From Holland we took a train to Koblentz, Germany, where we were met by Heiner from Klostermuehle. I first came to Klostermuehle in 1975 with Major Thomas and 5 other American teenagers. It was so wonderful to see God’s faithful servants still serving there after so many years. We are very thankful for their warm hospitality. God indeed is faithful in blessing the ministry and the staff. They are the kindest and most generous Germans we know because of their love for the Lord Jesus.

Bodenseehof

We rented a car but were upgraded to an 8-seater MPV! With that and a borrowed GPS in hand, we were able to travel around and went on to visit another German Torchbearer center, Bodenseehof, in Fishbach by the Lake Bodensee. What a joy to know that Wayne and Patti Weismann and their son, Avi, were also visiting before heading for the staff conference in England. Patti and Joyce were roommates in Bible school at Ravencrest, USA, in 1985. We got to know the staff better and their love for the Lord Jesus. A visit to Dachau, the German concentration camp, opened our eyes on the atrocities of power in the wrong hands. We took a day trip to Zurich in Switzerland on the other side of Bodensee using country roads to just savour the simple country life. On June 19, we drove to Frankfurt Hahn airport to return the rental car and catch a flight to Manchester for the staff conference and were pleasantly surprised to meet Mande and Jimmy from Torchbearers in Indonesia at the airport. Mande was Joyce’s Bible school classmate in 1980. We thank the Lord for preparing wives for Torchbearers staff to carry the torch together.

Scotland

After the staff conference, we drove up to Glasgow where I studied engineering in the university some 33 years ago to catch up with old friends. What used to be a Christian fellowship during my time has now grown into a Chinese Church with multiple congregations. There is tremendous opportunity to reach out to the Chinese through friendship and community service. We then visited Edinburgh and walked the Royal Mile. What saddened us was to see many churches being turned into offices and pubs! May the Lord raise up workers for the harvest field to reclaim Scotland for Him.

Stafford

Our last stop was Stafford, near Birmingham, where we visited Joyce’s classmate in school and flat-mate in Manchester where both studied. What a joy to know that she, her husband and daughter had become Christians! Just last month, we had the joy of welcoming them to Harvest Haven when they visited their families in Malaysia.

4. Family

We have enjoyed having our children for a few months but they have all gone back for their studies. Johnson is blessed with a full scholarship to study in the National University of Singapore in Computer Engineering and Business Administration. Joni graduates in December from Abilene Christian University, Texas in Dietetics. We pray that both will love and serve the Lord as they become young adults. Recently, Joyce’s mum celebrated her 80^th birthday. Her dad is 90. Please pray with us for their salvation.

5. Ministries and Staff Needs

We are still praying for a housekeeper and another gardener to serve here. Consider and pray about giving your years to the Lord at Harvest Haven or volunteer for a few weeks during the year-end school holidays. There is a need to work among children, Indian and Chinese communities around us. Please contact us if you feel led into these opportunities.

6. Bible School

Registration for next year’s 5 weeks Bible school is now open. We would appreciate if you could pass the word around to those who could benefit from it, school leavers, retired couples, those waiting for direction, and those who would take leave to invest their lives for 5 weeks in Bible training. If you cannot come, consider sponsoring a student who could but needs financial assistant. For further details go to www.capernwray.com.my .

Yours in His service and for His glory,

John and Joyce Lee