I am thankful for Bible studies being taught over the past few months to Mary, Florence, Vijay, Saranraj, Ramachandaran, Vimala, Angel, Revathy, Soudaben, Pradeep, Dhanusha and Thana.  I am thankful for these being filled with the Holy Spirit: Susila, Malliga, Florence, Soudaben, Thana and Allamellu; and I am thankful for these being water baptized: Soudaben, Thana and Dhanusha.

This Sunday a Bible study student named Pradeep that me, Priscilla Nathan and Pastor Tim visited on Wednesday is scheduled to be water baptized in Jesus name!  I trully enjoyed my conversation with Pradeep, an educated man with a masters of economics, whose wife, Soudaben, is an English instructor and who was recently born again of the water and the Spirit.

I was overjoyed to attend what we call a Tamil Mathew Party this past Saturday.  There were 48 people in attendance and 5 visitors.  The Holy Spirit fell and several of the visitors were refilled with the Holy Spirit, and one who requested prayer stated, “When I was prayed for, I felt something drop down on me…wow!”  Raj, Miriam and Sis. Priscilla are doing a marvelous job, and I want to request readers to pray for this group who are making an impact in Singapore and beyond.

I also attended Sunday Tamil Services, and I was blessed by the Spirit of the Lord that manifested during the singing, praying and teaching!

Unlocking the Bible, a 12 lesson home Bible study that me and Johanna were asked to compile and edit when we came to Singapore 4 years ago, was translated into the Tamil language last year.  This is the first Apostolic 12 lesson Home Bible study that has been made available in the Tamil language, that we know about.  Pastor Randy Sholund and Life Tabernacle in Mustang, Oklahoma sponsored this translation.

Here is a recent count of Tamils worldwide (Wikipedia, Dec 17, 2011)

Rank	Country	Percent	Numbers
1	India	5.63	62,110,000
2	Sri Lanka	18	3,000,000
3	Fiji	10	11,000
4	Mauritius	8.01	100,000
5	Malaysia	7.20	1,800,000
6	Singapore	7.10	250,000
7	Réunion	21	120,000
8	Canada	0.91	300,000
9	Switzerland	0.53	40,000
10	South Africa	0.52	250,000
11	United Kingdom	0.48	300,000
12	Norway	0.27	13,063
13	Australia	0.23	30-50,000
14	France	0.1	100,000
15	Italy	0.05	25,000
16	United States	0.01	132,573
17	Germany	0.05	50,000

We are excited about God reaching Tamils worldwide through the Singapore Tabernacle of Joy Tamil Ministry!  Thank you for your continued prayers for the Singapore Tabernacle of Joy Tamil Ministry.

Deep Calleth Deep is the Singapore campmeeting that happens each year during the first week of December.  It is normally held in nearby Malaysia.  We had at least 3 receive the Holy Spirit during Sunday’s Pre-Campmeeting service.  Bro. David and Bro. Joel Wright ministered in the Holy Ghost.

Seeing Bishop Willoughby after the Sunday service was wonderful!  I look forward to seeing more of him while in Singapore!

OUR TRIP TO KUALA LUMPUR WAS TREMENDOUS!

While traveling via bus to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, our trip was filled with worship and singing.  We listened to various people sing songs in 7 languages: Malay, Mandarin, Japanese, Bengali, Tagalog, Hokkien and English.  What a wonderful way to arrive at campmeeting!

During our 5 1/2  hours drive on the bus, we had lunch at a local restaurant, and I just had to share a few pictures of a dish that we ate.

Both of these fish gave their lives so that we might be full!  We are thankful!

~~~~

I am writing this post while sitting in the Equatorial Bangi hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  The service tonight (Monday night) was powerful.  Many gifts of the Spirit were in operation.  Waves of the Spirit swept through the congregation with healing and deliverance.  The peace of the Lord was like a strong stream which ran through and around the saints of God.  We were completely renewed and refreshed by the Holy Spirit!

Malaysian brethren have joined us for the night services, and the Singapore church is excited about hosting the Malaysian Holy Ghost service on Thursday night for the Malaysian UPC brethren.  We are expecting a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  The Malaysian brethren are working hard to bring people to this service.  Thank you for your prayers for this endeavor to reach the harvest and to strengthen the churches of West Malaysia.

You can watch livestreaming of each service via tabjoy.org.  Just locate and click the Watch Livestreaming at the bottom of the page on the tabjoy.org website.  Our nightly services can be seen at 5:30 am CST or 7:30 am if you live on the East Coast.

Thank you for your prayers for this special time that the Singapore church has set aside to meet with Him!

Soon you will be able to go to one location to sign up for our monthly missions newsletters, and to view our weekly blog posts and daily tweets. And if you choose, you will also be able to directly invest into our missions works and sign up as monthly investors. This will all be available at one location.

Another interesting addition that you will be able to access is a monthly video report that we will be giving you monthly. These video’s may include teachings, personal updates, and mission work progress.

We pray that this will give you more access to us and to encourage you to become even more personally involved in God’s vision for your life.

Check back to our blog to see when the new website is up and running!

I expected a small screen that gave a murky indistinguishable picture of what the ultrasound tech would describe as different parts of a baby anatomy  This wasn’t our experience.

We were led into a large room with a large screen on one wall.  Johanna lay down on the table, and as the tech moved the wand across my wife’s belly, I saw very distinct fingers, legs, arms…even watched as the baby sucked her thumb, hid her face with her hands (playing peek-a-boo!), kicked and squirmed.  It was absolutely awesome!  The technician then stated, “This baby is active!”

After taking the baby’s measurements, the tech checked the baby’s gender…”It’s a girl!”

We are thrilled that the Lord would bless us with a wonderful baby girl.  She will be named, Mei Li (May-Lee), meaning beautiful in Mandarin Chinese.

This will definitely balance out the hormone issue in our house…two very active guys and one pleasant lady…more testosterone than needed in one house.  Now there will be 2 very active guys and 2 ladies…a very good balance!  We are excited about this coming addition to the family.

We will continue deputation, raising funds so that we can return quickly to our home of Singapore.  Thank you for your prayers!

This past Sunday we were blessed to hold services in the San Antonio area. On Sunday morning we preached for Bro Cox. 4 people received the Holy Ghost! See photos above (3rd photo: a father and son both received the Holy Ghost; 4th photo: a man who recently started attending; 5th photo: another lady I enjoyed praying with who received the Holy Ghost during the worship service!).

That night we preached in Castroville, Texas for the Sibley’s.  We had a wonderful time.  Two more people were filled with the Holy Spirit that night (first two pictures).

We were completely exhausted before the Sunday night service, but we have learned that if we follow His voice and rely completely on Him than He will be our strength!  No matter our trial.  No matter our life situation.  God will always, always be our guide and blessing.

I hung up the phone and asked Bro. Cox who was working in the First Church coffee shop if there was a church bus I could borrow.  Johanna had just called me to tell me that she had been in an accident.  Losing our van, all our belongings and important documents meant nothing to me in view of the possibility of Johanna or LJ being harmed.  She had just been hit by two cars.  The van was in the middle of a busy intersection in Houston and the ambulance was on the way.

I saw Johanna step out of the back of the ambulance.  LJ was strapped to a little kid’s seat bolted to the side of the emergency vehicle. Glass, pieces of car, a bumper, rubber were scattered across the pavement in the intersection.  Lights flashed, the uniformed cop was guiding traffic and cars were backed up on all four sides of the intersection.  I could see our van.  Its front glass busted, the entire front end crumpled.  It was totaled.   I was able, with little trouble, to pull First Church’s van up close to the scene of the accident.

After holding her, ensuring the immediate safety and well-being of herself and LJ, I waved to the driver of the ambulance who had waited for my arrival.  I then walked around surveying the damage and marveled at God’s ability to protect.

Serving Jesus is the best daily decision I make.

Awakening early to pray for many things including safety and travel mercies for me and my family is a daily ritual, and one that I am thankful to have implemented years ago.  His guidance.  His touch.  His voice.  Immeasurable in value.

I will continue choosing to trust Him.  Love Him. Listen to Him.

Just a week prior to this accident, driving through Houston, I remember wondering what I would do in the event of an accident.  I remember running through a list of actions in my mind.  Maybe this was a careful awareness or maybe it was the preparation of God.  I don’t know.  I do know that even though questions remain unanswered God is still with us.  God is still our protector.  God is our provider.

So while on deputation, currently using a rental, with most of our personal stuff stacked inside my sister’s garage in San Antonio, I believe that He will still be with us.  He will be with us as we travel to the next 7 services in Texas, our one service in Arizona, and in our services in the Western District and in Oregon and Washington.  I still choose to trust Him for my family’s safety as we drive the many miles to make connections to spiritual investors, God’s people who desire to see His Kingdom grow.  I choose to trust Him to provide the needed PIM’s to return to the field.  I choose to trust Him through the pressures of life.

He won’t let me down.

I can breath now.

I can.

(Special thanks to First Church, Pastor Gurley, Bro. Aguinaga and Bro Cox for their assistance, the use of their church van and kindness.  And thank you to all who tweeted and called us.  Thank you to all who pray for us daily and support us faithfully.)

WORLD MISSIONS SERVICE:
I was honored to preach on Monday morning for the Oklahoma World Missions service. I ministered “The Kingdom of God: Taking New Territory.” The Spirit of the Lord came in the service in a special confirming His desire to see the churches of Oklahoma explode with harvest.

There are currently 111 churches in Oklahoma, and I believe with the OK District Board that there will be 222 churches in 10 years. There are 330,000 Hispanics and 66,000 Asians in Oklahoma. If we reached 1% of these ethnic populations, then we would need to start at least 33 Spanish-speaking churches with a membership of 100 Hispanics each and 6 Asian churches with at least 110 members. That’s 39 people. 39 leaders. Oklahoma already has 39 leaders (actually, at least 111 currently pastoring!) and through the students currently enrolled on Purpose Institute campuses in Oklahoma, Oklahoma will soon have many more leaders! May God release at least 39 people to start churches among the Hispanics and the Asians in Oklahoma! I believe that God wants us to have at least 1% of these populations!

By the end of the camp meeting, I was told of at least 2 new preaching points in the works! This is certainly the time to take new territory for Jesus.

FRIDAY YOUTH SERVICE
Johanna and I were asked to speak in the Friday morning service to the youth. Johanna ministered powerfully in the Holy Ghost. Young people poured out of their seats to the altar praying for 45 minutes. Tears streamed down faces. Faces turned red under the heavy burden of the Lord. Many were laid out on the floor, as these young people turned their hearts, dreams and desires toward God’s calling. Johanna and I were told after the service by many that they had made up their minds to follow God’s call.

Johanna and I believe that this generation is the one upon whom God’s anointing and favor is focused. We are proud of the Oklahoma youth, and we believe that God will use them POWERFULLY TO INCREASE THE KINGDOM!

SATURDAY/SUNDAY SERVICE IN PONCA CITY:
We ministered on Saturday night and Sunday morning in Ponca City Oklahoma for Pastor and Sis. Hughes! We love the Hughes! I preached on receiving the Holy Ghost on Sunday morning; at the end of the service, many came forward and at least 7 adults were filled with the Holy Ghost!

SUNDAY EVENING SERVICE IN MOORE:
We ministered in Moore, Oklahoma for Pastor (and OK District Foreign Missions Director) Clanton. I ministered on “Give God What You’ve Got.” At the conclusion of this service, we were overjoyed that 2 adults and one young girl received the baptism of the Holy Spirit!

OKLAHOMA IS ON FIRE IN GOD!

We visited and ministered in Saint John, New Brunswick. During the altar call a young man told me that several years prior he had been diagnosed with macular degeneration and hasn’t been able to see clearly for some time. But after being prayed for, he said that he now could see more clearly than he had in years! Jesus is still a healer!

We ministered in Hatfield Point, New Brunswick several hours later. After Johanna ministered in the Holy Ghost, I felt led of the Lord to share a few things about what the Lord had done through submitted obedience to Him. I decided not to show our missions video. The gifts of the Spirit began to operate. Tongues and Interpretation took place and the Spirit took over. There was a prayer meeting that took place around the altar that literally took my breath away. I experienced God in a powerful way. The entire church stayed praying. The altar call was at least 1 1/2 hours long. And all of us left the service impacted and changed forever.

Thank you to all who are keeping us in your prayers! We are believing for God to bless and move in each service.

There is a deep push of the Spirit within the cities and the churches we are visiting. A spirit of revival is upon the churches here, and it is refreshing to spend time with each pastor as they relate their vision for harvest, revival and the expansion of the Kingdom of God. Several pastors that we have visited have related their desire to begin churches among the French-speaking populations here in the officially French-English province of New Brunswick.

I agree with them that God’s desire is to start these churches! I have spent time driving through French village after French village without churches, and I have wept and prayed for God to send laborers. Just last night in service (Frederickton, NB), the Lord moved upon the congregation to pray for works to be established among the French-speaking people. Pastor Woodward and Capital Community Church will have their very first French service this coming Wednesday.

Needless to say, I am thoroughly excited to see what will be produced as these great people of God follow the Spirit in sending laborers into His harvest.

We have 7 mission services scheduled over the next 2 weeks. We are believing for multiple people to be filled with the Holy Spirit and for each pastor and ministry team to be renewed, refreshed and re-energized in God! In Jesus name!

Johanna, LJ and I thank you for your prayers and your faithful monthly support!