Lausanne Movement

The Forum on World Evangelization hosted by Lausanne in Thailand at the end of 2004 seems a long way away now, but the memory of 1500 people from 130 countries all working on particular issues related to obstacles and opportunities for the gospel still lingers. All the reports from the Issue Groups are now on the web: www.lausanne.org and are a great resource for individual Christians and churches. Do look them up and feel free to download those that are of particular interest to you and encourage church leaders to look closely at the suggested outcomes from each group.  Some countries are organizing one-day consultations in their city on one or more of the papers and encouraging Christian leaders to attend so that the impact of the Forum and the work which came from it will spread far beyond the Forum itself.

LAUSANNE YOUNGER WOMEN’S NETWORK
Some of you will remember that a few years ago I was able to take 18 gifted young Christian women leaders from fourteen different countries to Berlin for a week with five older women who were experienced in a variety of ministries. This was a “Mentoring” conference where ideas and ministries were shared, gifting examined, the Scriptures studied, prayer experienced and the city of Berlin explored!

Twelve of those who were with us in Berlin were at the Forum and each was involved in one of the Issue Groups. It was wonderful to meet up again and to see what the Lord has been doing in each of our lives since we had all been together.

Let me share with you the ministry of two of these young women.

EVANGELINE SITA IN INDIA
Some years ago Evangeline started teaching a small group of children from a slum in Hyderabad to read. She sat with them under a tree and from this humble beginning has grown a school of 560 children with Evangeline as the Principal.  I had the great privilege of visiting her school and speaking to the children and teachers at the end of a week’s Vacation Bible School.  Hundreds of children, not only from her school, but from other schools nearby had come every day for a week in the holidays to learn about Jesus. The singing of these children and their smiling faces is something I will always remember.

I had an opportunity to speak to the children on the importance of the Bible as God’s wonderful letter to each of us and at the end of the session each child was given a New Testament in his or her own language.

Evangeline Sita is a young Christian woman who has put the needs of her country ahead of her own personal ambitions, choosing to sit under a tree in the slums at the end of her university training instead of seeking paid employment as a teacher.  As a result, God has used her in a mighty way. Many of the children who attend her school, St Andrew’s School, Hyderabad, can’t afford the small fees that need to be charged and Evangeline herself does not take a salary so that any money received goes straight to the school. If you would like to support the work of Evangeline and help some of the children continue at the school, do let me know and I will put you in touch with her.

Evangeline has also started a ministry to the women in a nearby leper village, takes food to the people, and has recently established a church in the village.

Evangeline and some of her children at the Vacation Bible School

PRAYER POINT
Please pray that finances might become available to move the school to a more appropriate building.  There are too many children for the existing premises and Evangeline has found a suitable block of land, but needs money to build.

AN EXCITING MINISTRY IN CROATIA
Another of the young women who came to Berlin and who was involved in the Forum in Thailand is Eva Mrsic. Eva is Spanish and married to Danijel, a Croatian.  Together they have had a wonderful ministry for over ten years in Split, Croatia.  I have spent time with Eva on a number of occasions in different parts of the world over the last few years and am always challenged by her commitment to the Lord and her enthusiasm in following Him.  Danijel and Eva are a dynamic couple and a wonderful example of team ministry.

 
Eva and Danijel Mrsic                            Children’s camp in Croatia

You will remember that, as a result of the War in Yugoslavia in the early to mid nineties, when Croatians, Serbs and Bosnians were engaged in a terrible conflict, that many villages were completely destroyed, hundreds of people killed and thousands made homeless. One of the results of the war was a sense of hopelessness amongst the young with the result that many turned to drugs.  Eva and Danijel started a ministry among these young people and have been able to arrange for some of them to go to Spain to a Christian rehabilitation Centre where they are not only helped to give up drugs, but where they are told of the love of God.

Many of these young people have returned to Croatia eager to be involved in ministry.  When my husband David and I were in Split a couple of years ago we shared in a river baptism service of some of these young people and others who had come to Christ.  We also saw the church which Danijel and Eva were building so that there would be a place for people to come and experience fellowship with other believers and receive good Bible teaching. When we met up with Eva in Thailand she said that the church was almost finished and was to be dedicated in July 2006.

Eva is an excellent speaker and has a started a number of ministries for women and children: the “Deborah” seminar for women whose husbands are unbelievers;  two women’s Bible Study groups; a meeting for mothers of pre-schoolers; evangelistic meetings and visits to the mothers in the refugee camp close to Split. The children’s ministry is flourishing too with Sunday schools, camps, and “Life in the Kingdom” seminars for young people.

PRAYER POINT
Eva and Danijel have a dream to establish a Christian camp which will be available for discipleship programs and for the training of Christian leaders.  They hope it will be a place of reconciliation among the nations of ex-Yugoslavia.  They have found a suitable place and are in the process of negotiating with the owners.  They need prayer for the negotiations and for the funding which will make the dream possible.  Again, if you would like to support Eva and Danijel, let me know and I will put you in touch with them.

One of the wonderful things about being part of God’s family is that we can support each other. 
 
ANOTHER RESULT OF THE FORUM: JILL WALLIS’ MINISTRY IN BANGLADESH
One of the great pluses of the Forum was the networking.  Jill had been involved in the “Local Church and the Great Commission” Issue Group and had met one of the participants from Bangladesh.  This led to an invitation to Jill to come and minister in Bangladesh in a variety of ways.  She spoke 22 times in ten days, preaching in churches, speaking at women’s conferences, speaking to pastors, sharing the gospel with children from the slums and meeting wonderful people who are lights for Jesus in a country that is 90% Muslim.

 
Jill with some of the children

She had many opportunities to see the work of HEED (Health, Education and Economic Development) first hand and was very impressed with the variety of ministries including Micro Enterprise Projects.  Adolescent girls were being trained to teach pre-school children in their homes in the mornings and in return received a small salary which helped them pay for their own education in the afternoons. Women from the slums were being given a small loan to start a business and the repayment was made possible from their profits. These opportunities have not only raised the self-esteem of the women and girls, but also helped raise the standard of living for poor families. One woman started with one sewing machine and now has seven machines and employs fifteen women.

Jill said that one woman had saved up for a rickshaw for her husband so he could work and lent her son some money to start a video stall!

Many Christians in Bangladesh are being persecuted for their faith, but are standing firm.  It was encouraging that many people were coming to Christ after having a dream in which they saw Jesus with outstretched arms calling them to come to Him.

Jill asks that we would join her in praying for the Christians of Bangladesh and for the pastors, teachers, women and children who heard of the love of Jesus through her visit and for the on-going work of HEED.

PRAYER POINT
For an orphanage which the local Christian Church is setting up for little girls from the ages of 4 and 12 who are found wandering the streets. There is little finance available for this vital ministry. If you would like to help, I’ll put you in touch with Jill.
 
MY LAUSANNE MINISTRY
I continue to be greatly encouraged by the huge difference Christian women are making around the world. May we continue to be salt and light so that all that we do has the “flavour” of Christ and that our lives will reflect Jesus who said that as the “Light of the World” He had come to call people out of darkness into His marvelous light. The fact that He calls us to transmit this light is a great privilege!

       

Robyn Claydon
Former Lausanne Senior Associate for Women
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www.lausanne.org

Editors Note: Learn more about the current work of the Lausanne Women's Network.