Updated: Mar 22, 2023
“This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” –Psalm 118:24
To our dear Supporters,
Happy New Year to you all! We pray that you have had a blessed start to your 2023. As we look into the new year, we are excited about what God is doing and what he is going to continue to do. We reflect often on Elder Yang’s original mission for our ministry, and that is to bring His children to Jesus Christ. Thank you for being part of God’s movement in this ministry and in his children.
Updates on What’s Been Going on through the CASA Ministry
This year, we have implemented a new salary system to allow our coordinators to have a higher salary; specifically, if they acquire a degree in theology and pedagogy in order to deepen their understanding of God’s Word and how to implement it into their daily lives as an educator. We provide seminars for each of our educators to give the opportunity to improve their expertise. In addition to caring for the children and teachers in the school, they are encouraged to expand their ministry and share the gospel to the families of the kids, teachers, staff, and local communities. After 14 years of IUCA’s development, the original campus can no longer fulfill the needs of the teachers and students. It has been critical to expand the capacity of the teaching building to meet future teaching needs and school development. One of the floor plans include a multipurpose room that will provide the school and community with sufficient space for events that is equipped with modern functionality that reaches the people of Tokmok.
In the last two years, two new gyms have been built in the Kara Balta and Ivanovka schools. They are currently open and equipped with exclusive spiritual coordinators and co-workers to minister to the students and the community. They are also excited to hold summer activities in these gyms to spread the gospel. As mentioned in the last newsletter, we plan to build two new gyms in the Jarabashy and Belovodsk schools this year with the help of your generous donations. Please join us in prayer for God’s providence to ensure the completion of these gyms, as well as for provision, and suitable spiritual coordinators and co-workers.
Our mission for your donations
As we plan to build these new facilities and gyms for the students and families in our community, would you prayerfully consider partnering with us through your generous donations and prayers? We need support in praying for the following: prayer that our winter’s heavy snow won’t delay the construction, for the prices of building materials to stabilize despite the war, for smooth and effective collaboration and communication among the internal construction team and various vendors, and prayers to find capable and new hires quickly so we can proceed with these project as the team member turn overs have been many.
Student Testimonies
Adil Dzhanybekov, 3rd grade, nine year old.
Adil has been studying at the Kemmin Boarding School for some times. He was diagnosed with a mixed development disorder and when Adil first started coming to the school, he didn’t want to come to school and had a tendency to be rude and impolite. However, after coming to school, teachers and family have noticed a huge improvement in his behavior. His grandmother comes to pick Adil up every weekend and she said, “Adil has changed a lot. He has become kind, responsive, more studious and shows interest in his studies now.” The atmosphere at the school, the people, and God’s hand has encouraged Adil. We pray for children all the time and we are thankful for how the Lord works through them and in a way their family can witness as well.
Rustam Saenko, Kara-Balta Orphanage
The spiritual coordinator of the Kara-Balta orphanage, Maksim Rybalchenko shared a testimony about of one of her students, Rustam. He is one of the youngest children in the orphanage, and his life has been anything but easy, as it is will all of the children. His mother’s parental rights were taken away when he was young, and he has been in other orphanages. After leaving he state orphanage to our orphanage, he was able to live in better conditions and he was given all the help and support he needed with a Christian environment. He had the opportunity to hear about God and believe in Jesus. Like all children, Rustam wanted to live in a family and asked God to make it possible for his parents or relatives to take him home. Recently Rustam’s mother decided to restore her parental rights; she got a stable job and a place to live. Through his mother’s many efforts and time, his mom will be able to take him home full-time! I had the opportunity to visit Rustam and his mom, talk to them, and invite them to church. His mom is very open to communication and doesn’t mind Rustam going to church, and Rustam, himself wants to continue to be a part of the children’s ministry at church. Praise the Lord!
We appreciate any amount that you can send to support our mission and the projects of rebuilding of our facilities and helping bless our students, educators and staff. You can send your support via check to the address at the top of the newsletter or online at www.glecenter.online under the “Give” tab and designate the gift to “CASA support” in the memo/note section. In addition to financial support, we ask that you continue joining us in prayer for the children, students, staff and workers to thrive and be covered in God’s protection, provision and love.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. Thank you for your continued love and support!
“這是耶和華所定的日子，我們在其中要高興歡喜！” 詩 118:24
親愛的宣教夥伴們！
新年快樂！我們禱告在2023年你有一個充滿祝福的開始。當我們展望新的一年的時候，我們對上帝正在做的事以及祂將繼續做的事感到很興奮。我們經常反思楊長老對中亞事工的最初的異像，那就是把祂的兒女帶到耶穌基督面前。感謝你在這兒童事工上和神一起同工！
關於CASA 事工的最新進展
今年，我們為所有的屬靈輔導施行了新的薪金制度。具體來說，如果他們獲得神學和教育學位或證書，他們會有更高的薪金。這樣他們能加深對上帝話語的理解，并且可以運用到日常生活中。我們為每位屬靈輔導提供機會參加研討會，提高他們的專業知識。除了照顧學校的孩子和老師外，更鼓勵他們擴大事工範圍，向孩子、教師、工作人員的家庭，和向當地社區分享福音。
IUCA大學經過14年的發展，原來的校舍已經不能滿足師生的需求。擴大教學樓以滿足未來的教學需求至關重要。新的教學樓中有一個配備了現代設備的多功能禮堂，將為學校和社區提供足夠的活動空間，也可以借此而接觸到托克馬克的社區民眾。
在過去兩年裡，卡拉博塔和伊萬諾夫卡學校建造了兩座新的體育館。他們目前已經開放，並配備了專屬的屬靈輔導和同工們來服事學生和社區。他們很高興能在體育館舉辦暑期活動來傳福音。正如我們在上一期通訊中所述，感謝您的慷慨捐贈，我們計劃今年能在捷伯斯和畢羅福斯克學校建造兩座新的體育館。請和我們一起禱告，求上帝給我們足夠的供應，以確保這兩座體育館的順利完工，並給我們準備合適的屬靈輔導和同工們。
您的代禱和奉獻支持
我們規劃建造這些新體育館和運動設施，作為接觸當地社區的福音外展平台。您是否願意考慮以您的慷慨奉獻和禱告一起參與？我們需要您為以下事項代禱：祈求冬天的大雪不會耽誤施工；祈求建築材料價格在俄烏戰爭時還能保持穩定；祈求施工團隊和各供應商之間順利有效的合作和溝通；同時也祈求儘快招募到合格的新員工，以便在人員變動大時，還能持續順利推行這些專案。
學生見證
九歲的阿迪歐·詹尼別科夫（Adil Dzhanybekov）已經在凱明寄宿學校學習了一段時間。他被診斷患有綜合發育障礙。當阿迪歐開始來學校時，他不想來學校，並且有一些粗魯和不禮貌的行爲傾向。然而，來到學校后，老師和家人們都發現到他的行為有了很大的改善。他的祖母每個周末都會來接阿迪歐，她說：“阿迪歐變了很多。他變得善良，有反應，對學習開始有興趣”。學校的氣氛、人員和上帝的手鼓勵了阿迪歐。我們一直不斷地為孩子們禱告，我們非常感恩，學生的家人們能見證神在學生身上所做的工作。
Kara-Balta孤兒院的屬靈輔導，Maksim Rybalchenko分享了他的一個學生Rustam（魯斯塔姆）的見證。他是孤兒院裡最小的孩子之一，就像其他的孩子一樣，他的生活相當不容易的。他母親的監護權在他很小的時候就被剝奪了，他一直住在其他孤兒院中。Rustam離開國立孤兒院來到我們的孤兒院後，他的生活條件得到很大改善，得到盡心的幫助和支持，並能夠生活在基督的愛中。他有機會認識神並相信耶穌。就像所有的孩子一樣，Rustam很想住在一個家庭里，他禱告上帝讓他的父母或親戚能夠帶他回家。最近，Rustam的母親決定恢復她的監護權; 她找到了一份穩定的工作和固定的住處。通過媽媽的多方努力，也花了許多的時間，媽媽終於能全時間帶他回家！我有機會拜訪了Rustam和他的媽媽，與他們交談，並邀請他們去教堂。他的媽媽非常樂意與我溝通，並不介意Rustam去教會，而Rustam本人也想繼續成為教會兒童事工的一部分。讚美主！
我們感謝您任何金額的奉獻，來支持我們的事工和各項建築專案，祝福我們的學生、教師和員工們。您可以郵寄支票到CASA的辦公地址，或在線上奉獻：www.glecenter.org 在「奉獻 give」的選項下完成您的奉獻，請在 Memo / Note部分填上「支持CASA」。除了經濟資助外，我們懇請您繼續與我們一起為兒童、學生、教職員工們禱告，讓他們茁壯成長，並蒙受上帝的保護、供應和祂的愛所覆蓋。
願主保佑你，賜福與你。感謝您一直以來的厚愛與支持！