Faith, Hope, and Love-and You

March 2013
In This Issue
Praise and Prayer Requests
Welcome to Bar Hso Ghay!
A Lenten Reflection
Article Headline
For Your Reflection

See our ministries and experiences abroad from Jill's artistic vantage point by visiting her new photo blog:

Through Jill's Eyes

Praise God!
Samuel and Tim at Baccalaureate
Dr. Samuel Ngun Ling, President of M.I.T. with Tim 
  1. For Dan Geoffrion's presence, engagement, and professional expertise offered to Faith, Hope, and Love this winter on site in Myanmar
  2. For an insightful strategic analysis conducted by Dan
  3. For God's working in many ways through three seminary classes, multiple special programs, and other ministry opportunities in Myanmar
  4. For generous and faithful supporters, who are enabling our ministries to continue to go forward month after month
  5. For the opportunity for Tim to preach at the Myanmar Institute of Theology Baccalaureate Service with some 600 people in attendance. (Click HERE to read Tim's sermon: "Not My Will, but Yours Be Done"
  6. For U Ngai Sak, Advocate and Legal Consultant, who is generously donating his services to help us track down the case number and status for the jailed mother of a fourteen year-old boy whom we support in our ministry to at-risk youth in Yangon
  7. For a growing network of financial supporters and collaborators in ministry to at-risk youth in Yangon: Karl, Tjipke, James, Steve, Zaw, Annie, Bar Hso Ghay, Ken, Whitney and Joe, Go Van Mung and Lun
Pray With Us

Seng Tawng praying
Seng Tawng, Lecturer in Old Testament, M.I.T. 
 
  1. For safety, strength, and courage for our partners and others suffering in Eastern Congo, and for peaceful resolution of conflict between rebels and government.
  2. For peaceful conflict resolution throughout Myanmar, especially in Kachin State.
  3. For scholarship funds for numerous faculty members seeking advanced degrees to better serve their seminaries and colleges. For a list of young scholars we know personally, see Jill's latest blog post: "If You Won the Lottery."   
  4. For Jill to return to full strength after two months of health issues
  5. For God to touch the hearts and minds of the at-risk youth we are reaching out to on the streets of Yangon---- that they will want to seek God and want to make constructive changes in their lives. 
    Moga at Zawgyi's with AKZ   
  6. For retreat planning, coaching, and many times of one on one ministry in France in the coming months.
  7. For the successful completion of the translation of The Spirit-Led Leader into the Khmer language for next year's ministry in Cambodia. 
Thank You Dan!

We greatly appreciate Dan Geoffrion, who generously donated six weeks to serve with Faith, Hope, and Love Global Ministries in Myanmar. Dan observed every aspect of our work here---- seeing us teach, preach, coach, advise, and reaching out in various cross-cultural settings. He preached at the M.I.T. chapel, and spent time with several different seminary students to listen to their stories and to offer support and encouragement.

Drawing on his business consulting expertise, Dan created a strategic analysis to help us better assess our strengths, opportunities, and priorities going forward. Thank you, Dan!

You can read about Dan's perspective on his blog site: Danventuring.blogspot.com.
Dan preaching at MIT
Dan speaking at MIT chapel
on Vision in Life and Christian Service 
Tim's Recent Essays and Sermons

Here is the sermon Tim preached at the Myanmar Institute of Theology Baccalaureate Service:
  Tim goes into greater detail on what's involved in learning how to listen to and cooperate better with the Holy Spirit from day to day:     
 

Missed our recent E-Newsletters? See them via our Archive Webpage!

  

January Edition

 

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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.

   

Mr. Peter Strommen     

 

 

Board of Advisors

 

Mr. Jim Deanovic

 

Mr. Daniel E. Geoffrion 

 

Mr. Timothy Charles Geoffrion  

   

Mr. Ron Hoffman   

 

Mr. John March  

 

Mr. Warren Staley   

 

Mr. Mark Thompson

 

Staff

 

Tim

Timothy C. Geoffrion 

President and Teaching Minister

 

Jill teaching     

Jill K.H. Geoffrion  

Artist and Minister of Hospitality 

    Josias Formal

Josias Hansen  

Assistant to the President    

 

Bar Hso Gay 2
Bar Hso GhayYouth Worker and Volunteer Coordinator (Myanmar)

 

Dan G. Extra Large Photo  

Dan Geoffrion

Adjunct Staff

   

 

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!

 Imagine all the ways that God is at work here in Myanmar, using Faith, Hope, and Love Global Ministries to equip leaders and bring the light and love of Christ to those who desperately need it.    

 

Imagine how the Spirit has been at work for 83 young adults who wrestled with the meaning and application of New Testament Theology for three hours every week for a whole semester. These theological students  struggle to apply the teachings of the Bible to their war-torn country and to the needs of thousands of people who are suffering intensely from poverty, hunger, political and social conflict, human trafficking, and drug abuse among their teenagers. 

Tim responding to NTT student
Tim responding to a New Testament Theology student 

Imagine all the ways God has been strengthening and encouraging the seven future ministers in an elective class designed to teach them how to live a Spirit-led life and how to find one's way back to God when one feels lost or overwhelmed with doubts, questions, or troublesome experiences. 

SVLL class at MIT
Spiritual Vitality for Life and Leadership class 

Imagine how the first set of Master of Theology degree students in New Testament felt, knowing that the advanced level education they were receiving was preparing them to teach as faculty member at various colleges and seminaries around the country.

Tim teaching Philippians students
Greek exegetical class on Philippians 

Imagine how God touched the lives of dedicated students and faculty over and over again through prayer walks and other spiritual practices, lovingly organized and facilitated especially for them.

SVLL Class Lab Walk 2013
Spiritual Vitality class members pray while walking a labyrinth 

Imagine how the Holy Spirit was at work when we were given multiple opportunities to share our testimonies or bring a word of encouragement to hundreds of people,  hungry to hear more about God's love or about how to live by faith from day to day in such difficult circumstances.  

Jill preaching
Jill speaking on God's love 
Tim preaching at Baccalaureate
Tim preaching on "Not My Will, But Yours Be Done" 

Imagine how God was showing his love to the poor, as we reached out to fatherless kids on the street or spent time in their homes. Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists invited us to join them to eat together, to explore education opportunities for a family member,  to talk about God's purposes for their lives, or to simply pray for God's help for them, in Jesus' name.

Praying with Muslim family
Praying for God's help in a Muslim home 

Imagine how much God's love is pouring out through doctors and nurses who volunteer their time in local health clinics, or as lawyers offering legal counsel for free to the poor and needy. Through the kindness of fellow faculty members we have been trying to help a 14 year old, fatherless boy to find a lawyer to sort out the charges against his mother who has been jailed for the past 15 months without trial. 

Ngai Sak helping AKZ and his auntie
Ngai Sak, legal counsel and former judge helping fatherless boy 

Imagine Jesus' presence among us as we huddled around a street vendor, sitting on plastic chairs, with nine very poor widows and fatherless boys and girls. In the blazing sun with temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, we have had opportunities once or twice or three times a week to buy them their one solid meal for the day. Each of them eagerly participates in our custom of sharing our joys with each other and praying together as part of our table fellowship. 

Feeding widows, orphans, and street kids
Feeding widows, orphans, and street kids in Yangon 

In our roles as teachers, ministers, counselors, and friends, God is utilizing us to bring Jesus Christ and the teachings of Scripture to many different people in a wide variety of ways. Please pray that God will continue to make our efforts fruitful in ways that fit with his good purposes for each precious individual we touch. Thank you for caring and for your support to help make so many life-changing ministries like these happen.

 

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

Welcome Bar Hso Ghay!

 

Bar Hso Gay  

Bar Hso Ghay, our newest staff member, has been hired in our ministry to at-risk youth on the streets of Yangon. He lives year-round in Yangon, is a seminary student at Myanmar Institute of Theology, and has just completed Tim's course, Spiritual Vitality for Life and Leadership.  

 

His primary responsibility will be to cultivate relationships with a select number of kids and to help bridge them to a local church on Sunday afternoons and to special programs geared toward youth. When Tim and Jill are in the country, Bar Hso Ghay does home visits with them to help with translation as well.  When they're gone, he plans to recruit Burmese volunteers to work with some of the youth individually. 

 

We are thrilled to have a staff member who is indigenous to Myanmar. Please pray for him as he serves as youth worker and volunteer coordinator on the streets of Yangon.

 

A Lenten Reflection 

People often equate the season of Lent to prayer and fasting, yet missing from this equation is a very important third component: giving to those in need. Prayer and fasting often results in seeing a clearer and fuller picture of God's intention for our lives. The 40 days of Lent often pulls our attention away from our own wants and desires, leaving us far more aware of God's desire to act through us to meet the needs of the world. During this Lenten season, please keep us in your prayers, and consider making a financial contribution to Faith, Hope, and Love Global Ministries. Together, we can serve Christ by meeting physical, spiritual, and educational needs of those around the world.

In Christ,

Josias Hansen
Assistant to the President

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We greatly appreciate your support.

THANK YOU!
 

Upcoming Schedule (March-June 15) 
  • Chartres, France (Chartres Cathedral, Chemin Neuf Spiritual Retreat)
  • Kiev, Ukraine (Ukraine Evangelical Theological Seminary) 
  • Yangon, Myanmar (Burmese language training for Tim)

Visit our online Program Calendar in order to follow our activity throughout the year.  


 For Your Reflection 
Sunset with the Irrawaddy River, Myanmar
Sunset with the Irrawaddy River, Myanmar

 
 
Take a moment to contemplate this photo.

What comes to your mind?

 
What speaks to your heart?

What prayer comes to your lips?