Myanmar School, a place of refuge - Deaf Ministries … 2014 Deaf Ministries International 25 Deaf...

April 2014

Deaf Ministries International

25 Deaf Kidnapped in Syria

Maurine: A quiet achiever

Myanmar School, a place of refuge

Neville’sUpdate

Finance Manager on location

Issue 6 | September 2015

2 Issue 6 | September 2015

Neville’s Update Dear Friends and Supporters,

As our work grows and expands into various areas around the globe, especially into areas that experience turmoil, whether it be political, weather related or religious, it must be anticipated that things will not always be easy. What we have dreaded for some time has come to pass, that some of our deaf people in Syria have been taken by the ISIS group.

Although at the time of writing things are not altogether clear, Nahla and her family (all deaf including parents & her 3 siblings) have been taken by this group.

Another 19 deaf people have apparently been taken also. In a country wracked by civil war, communications and information are often dif-ficult to come by and our only recourse at the moment is to pray for the deaf church in Syria, for protection, wisdom, faithfulness & endur-ance at this time of tension & fear. Our lead-ers, Nedal & Fadi, have opted to remain in Syria with their wives and little boys to care for the deaf fellowship. Both families have the option to leave Syria but instead are selflessly continu-ing on. They are encouraged knowing that you are praying for them.

In this Issue:

Neville’s Update 2 Finance Manager on 5location

Myanmar Update 6

Maurine - a quiet 8achiever

Mission Trip - January 9

Snaphots from the 10fields

Finance is still a 11struggle

Prayer & Thanks 12

3Issue 6 | September 2015

Myanmar:More troubles have affected the work in Myanmar. Actually, we came out unscathed as flood waters rose and

Prior to the kidnapping, the group had just held a wonderful camp in Damascus. Because no one visits Syria anymore it is possible to rent, very cheaply, some rather posh accommo-dation in and around Damascus. The theme of the camp was “The Armour of God”, an appropriate title at this dif-ficult time. We are anxious for more news and as soon as we hear, we will let people know through our Web Page, Facebook and email.

Camp in Damascus

Camp in Damascus - sharing a meal

cut off the town of Kalay, trapping our students in the school and blocking the return of some who had ventured home. It was a stressful time for all as food supplies diminished and costs sky rocketed. The flooding was worse at the other end of town from our

school. Our school is on higher ground. I was never conscious of it being higher but as the waters rose it became obvi-ous.

We are thankful that we sustained no damage, nor were any of our people lost. The church in Pin Dae Oo is still flooded and cut off but all are well. Now the clean-up begins for those who were inundated by muddy wa-ters.

Borongan:On a happier note, I was able to take part in the 10th anniversary of the work in Borongan in the Philippines. The dormitory and church in that small town is led by Rodel Manilla, a deaf young man who has faithfully served the work all this time.

Continued Page 4


Borongan is on the Island of Samar, one of the poorest parts of the Phil-ippines that is constantly being hit by typhoons. Getting there is time consuming but the road is improv-ing. It now only takes 5 hours from Tacloban, the city which was devas-

tated by typhoon Yolanda in November of 2013. As typhoons strike, our facili-ties decrease in size as bits blow way! We now have a nice clear back yard as the out buildings have disappeared. Something will have to be done, but in the meanwhile, this resilient group continues on regardless.

China:I will be a bit vague for security reasons, but the China efforts have resulted in some Baptisms in SHANGHAI and considerable growth in the work in Tengchon. Angel is working extensively in Bible translation work. She has commenced a service which involves texting scripture and encouraging messages to deaf people in China. Visits have been made to a local deaf school and gifts have been given to help poorer students in need. We were thankful for the recovery of Pastor Lee’s lit-tle boy who recently spent 10 days in hospital with an infection.

God Bless,Neville and Lill

Neville’s Update continued...


Finance Manager on location by Matt Farmilo

For many people, tax time is some-thing to be dreaded. Filling in forms, trying to find those lost receipts and worrying about whether you’re going to have to pay tax make it a stressful time for many people. For me how-ever, tax time is one of my favourite times of year – not because I get enjoyment out of doing my tax return (my wife does it for me anyway), but because the lead-up to the end of the financial year usually brings a big increase in donations to Deaf Action as people look for their last minute tax deduction. Those extra donations help to take some of the pressure off our bank balance for a month or two, and are very important in helping us meet our commitments in the second half of the year.This year, tax time was particularly interesting for me, as I ‘celebrated’ the new financial year in Uganda. Jeff (the International Board Project Officer) and myself were there to run three days of workshops for around 50 of our African leaders and workers focusing on developing income pro-ducing projects in order to make our work self-sufficient. We covered a lot of material in the workshops including

why we need to become self-sufficient and how to identify opportunities for new projects, as well as giving some practical skills in how to do a budget, keeping financial records and manag-ing cashflow.

As well as the formal teaching, there were lots of opportunities to meet people I had only ever communicated with over email, share stories and en-courage each other in our ministry. I think most people returned home not only with some new skills, but more importantly with a sense of optimism about what might be possible in the future. I’m looking forward to seeing many new project ideas come in over the next few months.From Uganda, it was on to the Phil-ippines to spend several weeks in Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Bacolod and

Matt teaching - Uganda

Continued Page 6


Myanmar

Zamboanguita helping our workers with their existing income producing projects, and repeating much of the teaching from Uganda with individual workers. I was also able to show much of our Philippines based work to two members of Berwick Church of Christ, who are looking to take a team back with them in January 2016.So it has been a very busy few months, but now it’s back to managing DMI’s finances and trying to make our budget stretch to meet everyone’s needs …

which brings me back to tax time. Because, while we did get our usual influx of donations in June, we did not receive as much as we have in previous years. That means it will be difficult for us to meet our budget during Septem-ber and October, when our in-come is usually at its lowest. So, now that everyone has lodged their tax return and (hopefully) received a refund, perhaps you might like to consider making an extra gift to DMI or Deaf Action this year. Perhaps your gift is all that will be needed to get a new income producing project off the ground!

Zamboanguita - Self help project, preparing pork to sell

Fun in Davao

Continuing on from Neville’s update about the devastating floods in Myanmar, here is some more information about the situatuon. Many lives have been lost and many people have been displaced from their homes and communities. Thankfully, our school in Kalay is on slightly higher ground. As was said earlier, we praise God that the school itself wasn’t inundated wih flood waters. The school became a safe haven and provided emergency accommodation for those


in the community. With extra mouths to feed it’s easy to understand that the school quickly ran out of food and struggled to afford to buy more because of the high prices as a result of the flood. DMI was able to send money from our Disaster Relief Fund to enable them to buy food. Now that the flood waters are slowly receding, the clean-up begins. Myanmar is a muddy and dusty place at the best of times, so this mixed with flood water has caused a horrible mess. Unlike us, there is no insurance to assist these people to get back on their feet. They face this mammoth clean up on their own. We are very sad to say that we lost one member of our Myanmar community during this time. The husband of the cook at the school suffered a heart attack which may have been brought on by the great stress of the situation. Our prayers and love go out to her and her family during this time of great loss.We pray that during this time, the love of Christ will be shown to the families

of the students at the DMI School and the local community as they try and put their lives back together.

If you are able to assist financially, a donation to our Disaster Relief Fund can be made using these details please

Deaf Ministries InternationalBSB: 633-000

Account: 145833539Reference: Disaster Relief


Maurine - A quiet achieverMaurine Anyango was a sponsored student at DMI’s Immanuel School for the Deaf in Kenya. During 2005, Maurine was brought to DMI’s Christian School for the Deaf in Kenya by despairing parents who thought she was mentally disturbed. Her only means of communication was a grin or a giggle. After 6 months in the school, where she learned to com-municate in sign language, Maurine reached top of her class – her mind and capabilities had been released. Maurine excelled in science and athletics and she eventually gained a 12-month scholarship to study in the USA. She studied hard and was always top of her class. After returning to Kenya she went on to pass the Kenyan Primary School Government exam (the same exam hearing students sit) and attended

Kuja High School for the Deaf. Be-cause of the generosity of sponsors, her school fees, stationery and uni-forms were paid for and this assis-tance enabled her to achieve what most of us take for granted. In December 2014, Maurine gradu-ated from Kuja High School. She is now volunteering at the place where her educational journey began, at Im-manuel School for the Deaf.DMI would now like to support her to further her training at Machakos Teachers’ College for the Deaf. This will allow her to become a qualified teacher and work as an employee for DMI. If you would like to help support Maurine or some more information to assist another student to be the best that they can be, please contact the Australian office.

2005 US Scholarship 2013 Voluntary Teacher


The Deaf Action sponsorship program assists deaf children, who could otherwise not afford it, to attend schools. Just $40 a month

helps to cover costs of education, moral and skills training, which equips them to lead productive and fruitful lives. Programs range from kindergarten right through to college level. The schools also work with

young adults who have missed out on schooling due to poverty or lack of opportunity. You can help by sponsoring a child from Myanmar,

the Philippines, Kenya or Uganda. Contact Deaf Action today!

You can make a difference to the life of a student like Maurine

Change a life for just AUD$40 a month

Short Term Mission trip January 2016! Has God put it on your heart to do something for people less fortunate than

yourself? Why not join a team going to Davao in the Philippines in January!! It’ll be an amazing opportunity to support & encourage deaf students

and staff at the Christian school, support local churches, do some practical work and much more.

Interested or need more info? Contact DMI Office: +61 3 5940 5431

[email protected]


Snapshots from around the fields

Kenya

Kenya Deaf ChurchThe deaf church in Kenya continues to grow as God’s message reaches the lost. Last month there were celebra-tions as five of the deaf were baptised.An evangelist & his wife from the deaf church in Kenya have celebrated the birth of a baby girl. This is an extra special baby as their first born, a baby boy, passed away only a few minutes after birth a year ago.

Kenya SchoolThe DMI school in Kenya has recently finished building their new dining hall. The students are very excited and grateful because the one they have

been using is a small shack with a cor-rugated tin roof, no windows and dirt floor.

TanzaniaEven though our church in Tanzania struggles with low finances and battles through famine, the church continues to grow. The church has celebrated with six members who have recently been baptised.

Davao - PhillipinesThe school has just begun in Davao; they follow the American school year. This year they have 82 enrolled with 13 of them being new students. Quite a few teachers felt it was time to re-sign at the end of last year but, praise God, He called enough new teachers forward to fill the vacant positions.


Firstly we would like to thank those who faithfully support the work of DMI and Deaf Action. We would espe-cially like to say a thank you to those who graciously donated after reading our appeal in the last newsletter. We could not continue this work without your ongoing support. The sad reality is that there is never a shortage of people needing our help and our revenue has been down since the start of the year. This means that those who rely on our support don’t receive desperately needed funds. This last month we were not able to send the full budget to the fields. To give you more of an idea of what some of the needs in the fields are, we will share some of them with you.

Tanzania: The church needs funds to help support their members and the community who are suffering from the famine in the area. The pastor is also in need of a motorbike to travel to neighbouring communities and churches.

Zambia: Our DMI leader in Zambia is struggling to feed his family as they can sometimes only afford one meal a

Finance is still a struggle day. He and his family of three chil-dren can only afford a one bedroom apartment due to the high cost of living.

Kenya: Leaders are unable to run a camp for the deaf youth.

Myanmar: Flood recovery and food for the school

Philippines: A staff member has been diagnosed with a heart condition and needs assistance with medical expenses. Building projects haven’t been able to be completed.

These examples are just a sample of the many people who need our ongoing support.Please be in prayer as we do our best to support these people as best we can. We always trust that God will provide funds and the work of DMI and Deaf Action will continue to change lives through Christ.

PleaseConsiderDonating

Today!

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Deaf Ministries InternationalP O Box 395Beaconsfield, Victoria 3807Australia Ph: 03 5940 5431 Fax: 03 5940 5432

e-mail: [email protected]

www.deafmin.org

DMI Evangelistic Donations:

Please make cheques payable to:

Deaf Ministries International Details for EFT: BSB: 633-000 Account: 145833539

Deaf ActionP O Box 395Beaconsfield, Victoria 3807Australia Ph: 03 5940 5431 Fax: 03 5940 5432

e-mail: [email protected]

www.deafaction.org.au

Tax-deductible Donations:Please make cheques payable to:

Deaf Action Inc. Details for EFT BSB: 633-000

Account: 145834370

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International Director& Missionary

Neville & Lill [email protected]

[email protected]

+61 3 9769 7097 (Home)

Prayer and Thanksgiving

Pray for the 25 missing in Syria. Pray for their protection. Pray that they will be a shining light of hope in a very dark world of evil.

Give thanks that Kalay school in Myanmar was not only protected from the floods but was a refuge for those in need.

Pray for people of Myanmar as they begin the massive clean up task and try to piece their lives back together.

Give thanks for the people who went through the waters of baptism in Kenya and Tanzania. Pray that they will continue to grow spiritually and share God’s love with those around them.

Give thanks that Neville and Matt have ar-rived home safely from their travels; that they had many opportunities to encourage those who work for DMI in many different countries.

Pray for DMI’s financial situation. Pray that God will provide so that the work can con-tinue and lives can be changed through Christ.

Pray for all those who are out working in the fields for DMI and Deaf Action. Pray for God’s continued protection, wisdom & direc-tion as they share the good news of Christ.

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