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Johnstone Newsletters Fall 2002
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Dear Praying Friends around the world,
Greetings once more from
England. Thank you indeed for every prayer, all expressions of love and every
communication. Robyn and I are going through a period of major
transition - as indicated in our circular at the beginning of the year. At
last we can share more specifically about our future. We do value prayer
for these items below. Here are some of the key points for praise
and prayer. This will be followed by a brief global assessment of the impact
of September 11 on the world - and the changes to what we wrote in Operation
World as of Sept 2002. The fuller version will be posted later on the website
- also, hopefully, with some photographs! Praise for Answers
to prayer. - Operation World - first printing is now nearly
sold out. Both OW and Window on the World (Daphne Spraggett's development
of Jill's book) won prestigious awards in the UK and USA Christian Booksellers
Conventions.
- The Korean edition of OW was completed in time for a major
missions conference in July 2002. Korea is now the second largest foreign
missionary sending country. In our own agency, WEC International, it is only
the considerable increase in the number of Koreans coming into the mission
that keeps us growing in numbers.
- Operation World in other languages.
A solution is emerging for the translation of OW into both Portuguese and
Spanish - after a year of effort. The economic climate in Latin America has
made everyone cautious about investing in such a publication. Pray for
completion within the year of both editions. The German edition of OW [Gebet
für die Welt] is nearing completion and should be printed by the end
of the year. The exciting new editions are the two in Chinese - one for the
Overseas Chinese and the other for the Mainland early in 2003. There is a
growing vision for sending out 100,000 missionaries from China in a vision
for "Back to Jerusalem" - via the Silk Road.
- The successful
OW Launch Tours in the UK, Ireland, Australia and Singapore between September
and April.
- A successful completion of Patrick's 22 years in the WEC International
Office - I look back at years of harmonious and productive fellowship with
wonderful colleagues. The handover to Richard and Evelyn Hibbert as Robyn's
and my successors is complete. Pray for Richard and Evelyn! See details below.
- The on-going handover to Jason Mandryk and emerging team for a future
edition of Operation World, and also for Jason's successful integration into
OM ship life.
- The finding of a new home for us - in Cambridgeshire. Plenty
of room for visitors! We are aiming at a move on 19 September if all the other
parties agree. Please note our new address below.
Prayer
Challenges. - The WEC International Research Office [IRO]
ceased to exist in June 2002. Over these years we majored on finding out where
the least evangelized were, but to a great extent this task is complete.
Praise the Lord! The massive info- collection of the past 20+ years is winding
down. The new office is called International Department for Equipping and
Advance [IDEA] with a greater emphasis on church planting strategies and team
building under Richard and Evelyn Hibbert's leadership. This is to improve
our quality of work in planting churches among the least evangelized peoples
and areas on earth. Pray for them and their developing team.
- Intercon
2002 (WEC Leaders' Conference) was the final venue for us as part of the WEC
International Office Team. It was a brilliant time of fellowship, meeting
with God and new visions. Out of it all came two significant advance goals
for 2008 - very much in line with the vision of our successors. Pray with
us that we may:
a. have 150 church planting teams worldwide
b. mobilize
50 prayer networks for specific peoples. - A future Operation World.
We are handing over to Jason Mandryk, but because of his desire for wider
experience before embarking on the next edition, he is serving on the MV Doulos
for 2 years. In the meanwhile we will run a maintenance ministry for information
and correspondence. It will mean a large task of address-changing as we relocate
our home this month. Pray for this work that it will be both effective, yet
not dominate our schedule. Pray also for Jason and his present and future
ministry and for the location and composition of the core and wider OW
production team of the future. You may access his prayer letter at <www.operationworld.org>.
- The re-location of Patrick and Robyn to Wisbech, Cambridgeshire in Sept 2002.
We have sold our home in London, and are near to completing the purchase of a
property with more space for both of our ministries and for visitors. We long
to establish a balanced new life-pattern together with effective prayer, ministry
and links with local networks. We are praying that the move might be during the
week of 16 Sept. to maximize time for settling in the home and area. Pray that
we find a good fellowship of Christians where we can both contribute meaningfully.
The challenge is that Patrick can be either ignored (because missions are not
a priority) or seen as a threat (because of international notoriety!).
- Robyn's
ministry. Robyn's desire is not to seek ministry, but to wait on the Lord for
clear leading and confirmation as to both local and wider involvement. Pray that
she find fulfilment in whatever the Lord shows her for her being and doing. The
latter will include music, time for craft/hobbies, hospitality and befriending
as well as our ministries together.
- Patrick's ministry. Various components
are emerging:
a. Public ministry, but with limits on times away from home
and overseas! One of the limitations is to ensure that each invitation accepted
be strategic and help congregations and individuals become effective in the Great
Commission. The following are emerging for the period after our 6 months off:
| 24-26 Jan | Swansea, South Wales (WEC/OW-related) | | 31 Jan-3
Feb | Germany - the launch meetings for the German OW. 9 |
| Feb | Chessington Evangelical Church | | 21-24 Feb |
Queens Park Baptist Ch, Glasgow | | 18-28 Mar | USA (Pennsylvania,
Minnesota (WEC-Bethany Fell.) | | 12-13 Apr | New Malden
Baptist Ch in Essex, UK. | | 15-23? Apr | Nigeria - keynote
speaker at GoFest (NEMA) | | 12-16 May | CLC-UK Conference |
| 19-31+ May | Hong Kong (WEC) | | 1-8 Jun | Malaysia
(WEC) | b. Writing. We still want to give quality time to a visual
OW. Jason made a start before leaving for the high seas. This will major on least
reached peoples and on the statistical findings of the latest OW. Other writing
projects are planned. c. My ongoing WEC role needs to be clarified. I will, of
course, be an "ambassador at large", one suggestion is that I take on the new
role of International Recruitment Coordinator. I do not want to be too tied by
administration, so the nature and rightness of this and the parameters of the
ministry need to be revealed to us all. Please pray! d. Modular teaching at missions
training institutions (both in and outside of WEC). I would like to be open to
give 1-2 week intensive courses. My time at Beeson Divinity School in January
went well, and encouraged me to think in terms of more of this ministry. Pray
for God's leading, and equipping. e. State of the World videos. We have now produced
two of these, and both were well received all over the world. - Family.
a.
Robyn's Mum is now settling in with Carla, Robyn's sister, having moved in
January this year. She is not finding the change easy. b. Patrick's
Offspring are all doing well spiritually and family- wise: Tim
and Trina had their first little one - Eloise Jill in July. Tim continues
as a fireman and are both actively involved in a local church. Ruth
and Andy in the Middle East await their third daughter in their new City "A"
in October. It looks as if the senior couple with whom they are working may
have to leave the field leaving them responsible for the church planting ministry
later next year. Pray for them. They send out a circular if any desire to
obtain it. Peter is seeking a post as Deputy Head of School during this
year while Julie continues her medical work in Dorchester Hospital. If
they move at the end of this school year, Julie will seek other doctoring
roles on a part time basis. They only can manage with an au pair. Pray that
this all work out well during this busy year ahead.
The World Situation. It is a year since the 11 Sept tragedies
and we look at a considerably changed world. As we work towards a reprint of OW
in the next few months we will need to give some recognition at appropriate points
of the changes in the world that have taken place with small textual additions.
Many of them are spin-offs from that cataclysmic event. I list a few of these
assessments of the aftermath of September 11, 2002: Negatives: Democracyis
taking a beating with security legislation affecting freedoms and human rights
in many countries. Oppressiveregimes have become yet more oppressive and cooperative
dictators less challenged. The Poor are becoming poorer as the world economy
slows - boosted by the shock of Sept 11. Loomingecological and health catastrophes
have been put on the back burner. Ethnicand religious minorities are often
being labelled and targeted as terrorists. Persecutionhas increased for Christians
in many parts of the Muslim world - and beyond. A more rapid decline in
long-term recruitment for missions in the West The Israel-Palestine conflict
has worsened, with peace prospects all-but dashed by extremism. Acceleratedlevels
of refugees fleeing wars and economic deprivation. Positives:
The wealthy nations lost some of their smug complacency and trust in humanly-guaranteed
security. Capitalism'sbasic greed has been exposed by the economic downturn.
The War against Terrorism has forced the Islamists on to the defensive, and
discredited Islam for many. Increasedinterest and enquiries into the meaning
of the Gospel all over the world of Islam. Increasedprayer for the unreached.
The continued growth of the Church in the non-Western world. In
Jesus and for world evangelization Patrick and Robyn Johnstone Our Sending
Base Address: WEC International, Bulstrode, Gerrards Cross, Bucks SL9 8SZ, UK.
Reg UK Charity No: # 237005 Our new address: Ty-Newydd, Sandbank, Wisbech St Mary,
Wisbech, Cambs PE13 4SE, England. [Ty-Newyyd = New House in Welsh.] Tel No. still
uncertain. email addresses are unchanged. Patrick: patrick@operationworld.org
or patrickj@globalnet.co.uk. Robyn: robyn@operationworld.org or robynj@onetel.net.uk Read
Patrick's Fall 2001 newsletter |
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