Pastor Richard is in Africa with John Rusk teaching at the Namibia Foursquare Convention. Learn more about the President of the Foursquare Church in Namibia here and here.
View more pictures from Pastor Richard's trip here.
August 2009 Archives
Pastor Richard wanted me to post this recent communication from the Director of Foursquare Missions International, Jonathan Hall.
Read more here.
Sinthamany was working in the rice fields, while his son, Kuganesan, was off studying at the Foursquare Bible school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Little did he know that his wife, two other children and 16 church members (all relatives) were being murdered at the hand of rebels.
It was 22 years ago when this horrible day of grief and evil occurred. Nineteen people were slaughtered in a Foursquare church in the Trincomalee district of Sri Lanka. This kind of horror has not been uncommon in the last 30 years of civil war. Often, our pastors and churches have been targets of violence.
Finally, the civil war has recently ended and our Foursquare leaders knew that they needed to seek the Lord for healing and reconciliation in their land. Last week, pastors Leslie Keegel and George Niranjan led the different ethnic groups of Sri Lanka in a foot-washing service, as a prophetic and prayerful act of forgiveness and healing at the opening of their convention. I, our missionary Wayne D., and over 1,000 leaders wept and prayed during this profound act we were privileged to be a part of. As the preparations for this service were being made, pastor Kuganesan (who lost most of his family 22 years before) asked to be one of those who would wash the feet of those who slaughtered his family. He commented, "I must do this as part of my healing."
Greetings! I am writing you from Cape Town, South Africa! We are at the end of our fifth day here. I had a great time of ministry at the Coastlands Community Church, the Foursquare church here in Cape Town. Pastor Xavier invited me to speak to his men at the Saturday morning breakfast meeting and to the congregation on the following Sunday. Both meetings went well; the Lord gave me a message for both events. On Sunday I preached on how love is the key to a powerful church; I think He gave me that message to bring home to Grace Chapel - I will keep praying on it.
This morning (Wednesday for us) we fly up to Windhoek, Namibia, to begin ministering at their Foursquare convention, which goes through Sunday. Pray for a clear message and a strong prophetic anointing; also, for safety as we travel. On Sunday afternoon we are scheduled to go out into the country and see the wildlife on our way to look at a Foursquare work in the countryside. That should be both interesting and challenging; I am looking forward to that experience.
Thank you all for your prayer and support for me on this trip; I believe God will deposit something important in me to bring back to you and to the congregation. Like Samuel, I say, "Speak my Lord, your servant is listening!"
Pastor Richard
