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Prayer Letter
Dear Friends on the Net,
Dave here: As I leave for church on Sunday mornings, Peggy invariably
says to me, "Preach the Word!" Even though she has repeated
this exhortation probably hundreds of times, I have always appreciated
this important reminder and have never found it to be boring or
irksome. When Paul gave this command to Timothy in its original
context (2 Timothy 4:2), it was his last written command concerning
Timothy's ministry, which points to its great significance. As we
continue reading the passage, we see that Paul had good reasons
for giving Timothy this command. The Christian ministry would soon
face difficult times:
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound
doctrine" (v. 3a).
"Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around
them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears wish
to hear" (v. 3b).
"They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside
to myths" (v. 4).
Scholars have suggested that the "myths" referred to here
are probably mythical stories built on Old Testament history (and
genealogies) that later in the 1st century developed into Gnostic
philosophical systems (see 1 Timothy 1:4).
While most of us are not affected by the ancient forms of Gnosticism
today, we are affected by other things that can lead us away from
the truth and sound doctrine. Two things especially come to mind:
First, the focus that so many have today on being self-fulfilled.
This dynamic can lead pastors away from expository preaching to
preaching "relevant" how-to-do-it sermons where Bible
verses (often taken out of their context) are used as veneer for
humanistic principles. Secondly, there is a growing desire to accommodate
trends in our culture (e.g. feminism) even at the expense of scriptural
teaching (e.g. 1 Timothy 2:11-14). It is only the preaching and
teaching of the word that draws us back to the truth, so that by
the power of the Holy Spirit we will do the will of God.
The summer ahead will be very busy for Peggy and me, as we endeavor
to share God's truth with others. Please pray for us as we will
be involved in the following ministries:
Peggy: Teaching Summer School at International Christian School,
Hong Kong (June 30-July 25)
· She will do English reading and Bible stories with lower
elementary school students.
· Pray for her as she makes preparations.
· Pray for classroom management.
· Pray for the salvation of her students as they hear the
gospel.
Dave: Teaching a 2-Week Module on World Religions in Bangkok, Thailand
(July 7-18)
Pray for the teaching process in this class: This is the first time
Dave has taught this course, so it will be a greater challenge than
usual for him to teach as well as for the students to learn.
Pray that the course will result in new and wiser evangelistic initiatives
in Thailand and Cambodia where less than 2% of the population is
Christian of any kind.
Dave: Teaching a 2 Week Module on the Revelation in Goroka, Papua
New Guinea (July 31-August 11)
While Dave taught has Revelation many times, he has never taught
in the Pacific islands before. There is a whole new culture to learn
about in a very short time (He will start teaching within 24 hours
after I get off the plane.)
Peace and safety for him while he has the seminar. The missionaries
report tribal fighting going on all around them. Dave will need
wisdom to know what to do in new kinds of situations.
Other prayer requests include:
Harmony Baptist Church
Our colleagues, Chris and Maylin Hartwick, are doing an excellent
job of leading this infant church.
They celebrated first anniversary of the church in April.
30-40 people attend each week (Filipinos, Indonesian, Chinese, Nepalese).
The church is outgrowing its present meeting place.
They are looking for a new location in the part of the city where
many of these ethnic groups live.
China Baptist Theological College
Pray for recruitment of new students this summer. As of the beginning
of June, three have applied.
Pray that the Government Lands Department will grant our certificate
of compliance and give us the garden land around our property.
Family News
In May Peggy joined a team of women who went to N.W. China. There
she led worship at a women's retreat.
On May 5th Olivia Sonnichsen had her adoption ceremony in Guangzhou,
China!!!!! She now officially belongs to Aaron and Amy's family.
Thank you for your six years of faithful praying for this marvelous
event!
Next week Michelle leaves for a trip to the British Isles to visit
friends and maybe distant relatives we've never met.
Steve arrives back in Hong Kong on Sunday morning after finishing
his third year of college. He'll be working two jobs at International
Christian School this summer and doing an on-line course in Spanish.
Thank you again for your faithful prayers and support that makes
our ministry possible.
Yours in Him,
Dave & Peggy Pardini
Mission Address:
ABWE
PO Box 8585
Harrisburg PA 17105-8585
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