Faith, Hope and Love Global Ministries

Faith, Hope, and Love-and You

February 2012
In This Issue
Praise and Rejoice!
Prayer Requests
Testimonies from Myanmar
Jill's New Blog!
Get More Involved!
For Your Reflection
Tim and Htet Naung Myanmar2012

Buddhist man Tim has befriended 

 

Rejoice with us!


Jill continues to strengthen!
She still tires easily, but has been able to resume her full ministry responsibilities once again.

Many new opportunities for teaching, preaching, and individual ministry have emerged over the past two months for both Tim and Jill, in addition to our regular teaching assignments.  

myanmar2012 preaching
    Greeting Kachin church

1 hour interview with Buddhist monk-philosopher in Mandalay that was very "enlightening". We were impressed by his commitment to practical solutions for living peacefully with one another. Yet, his atheism and disinterest in the next life leave a real void for those who believe in a personal God, cherish God's love and forgiveness, and look to Jesus as their Savior.

Chin pastor ahead of worship

Emerging opportunities to develop relationships with individual Buddhists. Our prayer is that they may experience God's love through us, and that we will have opportunity to share Christ and our faith with them.

 
Pray with us.

Myanmar Institute of Theology (M.I.T.) graduates (Tim's students) will be returning to their villages and cities to minister. Pray they will know how to apply all they have learned in helpful ways in their churches and communities.

Pray for the Christian witness in Myanmar, where about 89% of the 55 million people are Buddhists. Wisdom is needed to know how to more effectively share Christ with people who have been fairly resistant to the Gospel for the past 200 years.

Wisdom and guidance for M.I.T. seminary trustees and administrators as they must simultaneously deal with a shortage of well-educated faculty, lack of adequate resources and opportunities to develop faculty, and over-worked and over-stressed faculty members.

$50,000 to purchase elevator for new M.I.T. building, due to open May 31 this year.    

Time of reflection and exploratory meeting with Baptist pastors in Cambodia (Feb. 25-March 2) 

New monthly givers and expanded support base for Faith, Hope, and Love Global Ministries to help with cash flow needs all year long.

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Jill's Website

 Tim's books/web articles

 

Jill's blog: Faith-full Images, Reflections & Prayers    

 

 Photos on Facebook 

 

Find us on Facebook   

 

Read Tim's most recent article, "How do Christianity and Buddhism Mix?"  
blogpic
(Click on the image to link)

 

More Photos  

 

offeringthanks

Greeting students after lecturing to students   

 

Labyrinth Construction at
MIT is well underway!


Jill with Yettama, a Myanmar girl

Buddhist neighbor girl, Yettama    

Faith, Hope, and Love Global Ministries

 

Board of Directors

 

Rev. Dr. Cheryl F. Dudley

Mr. Thomas Erickson  

Rev. Jill K.H. Geoffrion, Ph.D.

Rev. Timothy C. Geoffrion, Ph.D.

 

Board of Advisors

 

Mr. Jim Deanovic 

Mr. Ron Hoffman  

Mr. John March  

Mr. Mark Thompson 

 

Staff

TimTeach2

Timothy C. Geoffrion 

President and Teaching Minister

 

Jill Labrynth  

Jill K.H. Geoffrion  

Artist and Minister of Hospitality 

 

Andrew Lonsbury   

Andrew J. Lonsbury  

Assistant to the President 

   

We deeply appreciate your prayers and financial support. We need your ongoing participation to both sustain and expand this important leadership  

     development work.    

Thank you! 

 


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Greetings!

How can you and I hope to contribute in any significant way to the people of Myanmar, a country of 55 million people beset by mind-boggling problems and wide-spread suffering? Our options are limited, to be sure, but the strategic action we have been taking over the past 5 years is clearly making a difference for hundreds of individuals who are now responsible for ministering to thousands of others all over the country. 

Our strategy is simple. We invest our limited resources in the lives of those best positioned to truly make a difference. We teach and counsel over 100 theological students each year, men and women who will become pastors, teachers, and church workers in their villages--the people best positioned to offer leadership for the whole community.

Tim_Teaching_Myanmar_2012

Teaching New Testament Theology to 75 students   

We also counsel and coach faculty members and administrative staff, who are in key positions of influence with the entire student body. This semester, in addition to all we are able to do at our home base at the Myanmar Institute of Theology (M.I.T.), we have had meaningful opportunities to work with faculty from other institutions and various church groups as well.

* Labyrinth training for 20 Chin women (Jill) 

* Labyrinth and centering prayer lecture for 25 MIT students (Jill) 

* Spirit-led leadership teaching and labyrinth prayer for 40 leaders of the Truth Church (Tim and Jill)

* Speaking and sharing testimonies in various churches, ministering to  450-500 Chin Christians and 1000 Kachin Christians on successive weeks.

* Speaking at the M.I.T. chapel twice: Tim on "The Beauty of the Lord" and Jill on "Hope in Suffering"

Jill_Teaching_Preaching_Myanmar2012Greeting students after Jill's lecture on homiletics   

* Special lecture on preaching for 70 M.I.T. students (Jill)

* Coaching 25 students in the Spiritual Vitality for Life and Leadership course to help them create three visions for themselves: one for their relationship with God, one for themselves as Spirit-led leaders, and another for their future ministries (Tim) 

* Meeting with the president and faculty members of the Myanmar Theological College (MTC) in Mandalay to discuss ways FHLGM might be helpful in its work to develop young leaders and laypeople for ministry  

* In October, our team will be traveling Kalamyo, a key city in Chin State, to teach another set of faculty members and to speak extensively in various churches.  

MTC Faculty Tim and Jill Myanmar 2012

 Myanmar Theological College, Mandalay

 

We cannot imagine how we could fit in one more ministry or make any better use of our numerous opportunities to contribute to the well-being of the Christians in Myanmar. Everywhere we turn, God seems to be saying "Yes!" to our serving here, and we are deeply grateful to be part of the good that God has in mind for these people.   

The longer we serve in Myanmar, the more opportunities for influence and contribution emerge. We are now in Cambodia, about to meet with leaders, eager to bring The Spirit-Led Leader training to pastors here.  Our fish and loaves continue to multiply!  

Thank you for partnering with us in this ministry of teaching, inspiring, and encouraging. In the midst of overwhelming need, God is using us to make a real difference here. 

Serving Christ with you,

  

Tim Geoffrion

 

President and Teaching Minister

 

"What you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well."  

-2 Timothy 2:2, NRSV

 

Recent Select Testimonies

"[Tim and Jill are] a great blessing to the MIT community. They are long-term friends. They are like angels to us. They come here not only to teach but especially to build lasting friendships with us. Everyone knows how humble and friendly this couple is to all of us. They share with us their life wisdom, their spiritual experiences, and their theological knowledge, which are of great value to our ministry here.

Rev. Samuel N. Ling, Ph.D., President of Myanmar Institute of Theology

"I still remember the 5 points from your [Tim's] charge to the graduates in 2009, and have repeated your words over and over to many others every since."


- 2009 Doctor of Ministries Grad
uate 

  

"I would like to request you [Jill] to be my advisor throughout the academic year. Give me instructions, advice and suggestions even while you're away from MIT."  

  

- Mun Pan, MIT Faculty member and future Worship Director

 

 

"I think your lectures and talks to me in person in the previous times help me understand the essence of NT theology much more than my expectation. I usually feel very much impressed when i listen to your inspiring lecture in class. God bless you!"

- Tawk Lian, MIT student taught by Tim

Jill in Myanmar Dress
Traditional Myanmar clothing
 
An Inside Look 

What are we seeing?

  

What are we experiencing?

  

What feelings are  

being stirred?

  

What are we  

thinking about?

  

What prayers are flowing from our hearts?

    

 Walk with us during our time here in Myanmar by following Jill's blog. Bookmark this site (jillgeoffrion.wordpress.com) and stay connected, or sign up in the blog's left hand column to receive notifications of new posts. 

Get More Involved!

  

 

 

Coffee with Andrew

  

 We understand that our mission is unique. This is exactly why I'd love to invite you out for a conversation about the importance of pastoral training and spiritual development of leaders in the developing world. Don't drink coffee? OK, I'll settle for an alternative. 

 

Let's set something up!

Contact Andrew Lonsbury

(p) (612) 709-9222

(e) [email protected]    

 

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Faith, Hope, and Love Global Ministries:
  

 

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Faith, Hope, and Love Global Ministries  

are both needed and greatly appreciated.   

 


 For Your Reflection  
Woman from Mandalay 

Burmese Woman from Mandalay Hill

Take a moment to dwell on this photo.

What comes to your mind?


 
What speaks to your heart?


What prayer comes to your lips?