Repositioning | 重新定位
Fu
When the boys were small and we lived in the East Coast Mecca of Charismatic Christianity, under the shadow of the CBN tower, we had a little dog. A birthday gift to Matthew, Fu became a very important part of our lives. He learned to “sit” and to “roll over” and to discuss the LA Lakers with us. The boys would howl with laughter as I would “interview” Fu concerning the plays of Magic and Kareem. Making all the appropriate sounds, he appeared to be a genuine genius of basketball.
One of Fu’s stunts that brought the house down was chasing his tail. He would spin and spin until dizzy and then, legs spread, look at you as if a great feat had been accomplished through his supreme effort. In this pre-primary electoral season, I am oft reminded of that little Shelty-Lhasa Apso mix, looking at me with rolling eyes and receiving congratulations on expending great effort to go absolutely nowhere.
The Lord has promised that as we do His bidding, “we will be the head and not the tail.” This is encouraging to a group of people who have become SEAPC, for we do not have a lot of time and we run a very shoestring budget, so effort has to bring us somewhere or we waste your gifts and prayers and the days of our lives. We have no time to spare, and no funds to spend in chasing our tail around the world. We must be properly positioned to catch the full force of the wave of the Spirit of God as He directs this great global harvest in which we find ourselves. God is moving in all the earth to accomplish His great purpose: bringing the gospel to every person and a church for every people.
The annual board meeting of the South East Asia Prayer Center is being held at Oakmont, PA on November 17-18. At this time we will take up the matter of repositioning SEAPC. Our theme of prayer will not change. Our goals of evangelism, church planting, discipleship, and leadership development will be reaffirmed. Our platforms of Health, Education, Parenting, and Micro-economic Development will be reviewed and reaffirmed. As a ministry, we will continue to extend ourselves fully to the calling with which we are called.
What is going to change is an internal structure. We are forming an Advisory Board of those of us who are over 60 years of age. Our purpose will be to coach the development of a new functioning or decision-making board that will take up the daily implementation of the God-given strategies necessary for SEAPC to continue to function with excellence. In a word, we oldies are making way for the younger set to emerge. Ellie and I are thrilled to see how the Lord has built this team and humbled at the dedication of the Oldies Group that has brought us so far. Love and faithfulness have seen us through life’s transitions and will carry us to a new day in SEAPC.
Those joining the SEAPC Advisory Board are Jay Passavant, Jim Gilbert, Gary Lavelle, Everett Foss, Ken Martin, and Mark Geppert and our wives. We will watch over the Official Board and serve on special assignments.
The Official Board will be Chris Marshall, Ralph Polehonki, David Whitney, Don Quinn, Steve Chang, John Bennett, Darrell Dement, Sheng Tung Wu, Matthew Geppert and their wives. The corporate titles will pass from us to them as determined by the outcome of this Board Meeting.
Jay, Jim, Gary, Ellie, and I were the original signatures to the founding documents of SEAPC. We have served the vision for 20 years. Now entering a transition phase, we covet your prayers. Would you please set aside Nov. 17-18 as a time of focused prayer for us?
As part of the “Back to Jerusalem” understanding in the Chinese churches, and feeding the flames of revival in South East Asian Nations, we are very excited that, at some point in 2012, we will be able to declare a replicating group in each county of Tibet. The United Churches in Thailand have presented a detailed analysis of the move of the Holy Spirit in the Issan region with which we have had a small part. They place the line of the Holy Spirit, or the shoreline of revival, at 100 degrees longitude or just breaking into Tibet. Moving toward Jerusalem, He has come around the world and is headed to the glorious day.
Jerusalem is located near the 40 degree longitude so we have about 60 degrees or 3,600 miles to go and the Gospel will have gone completely around the world since the Holy Spirit told the Apostle Paul to go west, not to Asia. These 60 degrees or the gap between where the Holy Spirit is birthing churches and the goal of Jerusalem is an area of intense warfare both in the spiritual and political arenas. We have no interest in politics, but spiritual warfare is part of the calling of SEAPC, so we have a head-first plan for participation.
The Lord willing, Ellie and I will travel to India to launch the “South Side Works.” Our goal is to have five prayer centers in strategic locations along the South Side of the Himalayas. We covet your continued prayers and support as we make this SEAPC move to place intercession along the cutting edge of the move of the Holy Spirit toward Jerusalem. You will hear about breakthroughs, prayer journeys, mountain treks, children with heart disease, Tibetans who have fled Tibet, and lots of stuff, but please realize, that this is not a departure from SEAPC. The good shepherd goes out and finds green pasture and then comes back and calls His sheep. Recognizing His voice, they follow Him to places in which they will prosper. We feel that our young people from the schools in Cambodia, the University in Laos, the churches in Singapore and Malaysia, and the training centers in China are a ready source of young sheep needing places to prosper in the will of God as He moves toward Jerusalem. Ellie and I thank God for the faithful couples who comprise our board and have full confidence in the strength and stability of SEAPC as we extend our tents.
To further develop the ministries in the Mekong area, the Lord has brought to pass two very smart partnerships.
I have met with the President of Florida Agriculture and Mining University and taken the next step to formalizing our relationship so that the students at our Cambodian Rongko Institute of Technology will receive U.S. degrees. It will be several years before our first graduate walks to get that coveted diploma, but it will happen.
Tim and Debra Blanarik have rejoined SEAPC, bringing 20 years of mission experience into a Partnership of Purpose for the children in the 4-14 age range. Their ministry, Reaching and Equipping All Children for Him, or REACH, will once again reside in the SEAPC office; they will participate with Pittsburgh churches to reach at risk kids locally. Their excellent materials are available on the web at REACH or through the SEAPC link. The REACH global community extends from Asia to Africa, including India. We expect this partnership to produce locally and internationally-trained interns to follow through where the Lord gives us children.
Thank you for your prayers for us and be assured of our prayers for you. India is big; the middle-east is being plowed by war, especially Pakistan and Afghanistan. As we position ourselves on the cutting edge of the move of the Holy Spirit, we covet your prayers and support. Together we will see the move of the Holy Spirit in these nations and bring glory to the Lord by completing His great commission.
There are so many wonderful blessings we receive as we walk in the Lord’s calling and purpose. Not the least of these is to see our son Matthew be raised up to serve the Lord among the nations. Serving this ministry is an “all-consuming” lifestyle. Please pray for and encourage Matt and Jessica as they respond to the demands of greater responsibility.
Mark
兩個兒子小時候，我們住在東岸對靈恩基督信仰開放的Mecca，在我們頂上有CBN電台的訊號台。那時我們養了一隻小狗阿福，牠是Matthew的生日禮物，來到我們家以後，牠成了我們生活中很重要的一部分。牠學會了坐、翻身，還有和我們討論LA的湖人隊。當我“訪問”阿福對魔術強森和Kareem的球賽有何意見時，兩個兒子就會一邊笑一邊學狗叫。阿福總會用適當的聲音回應，一付籃球天才的樣子。
阿福拿手的特技之一是追自己的尾巴，總是讓我們全家笑翻了。牠會一直轉一直轉，直到牠昏了頭，然後四腳攤開，得意地看著你，一付大功告成的樣子。如今正是總統候選人初選的階段，我常會想到我們那隻Shelty-Lhasa Apso 混種狗，用圓溜溜的眼睛看著我，等待接受歡呼，費了那麼大的勁兒，其實牠只是在原地打轉。
主應許我們，當我們遵行祂的命令，就會“居首不居尾” ，這個應許激勵了一群人組成“東南亞禱告中心” 。因為我們既沒有很多時間，經費又非常緊，就得把力量資源用在最能帶出果效的地方，否則就是在浪費你們的捐款與禱告，也浪費我們自己的生命。我們沒有多餘的時間，更沒有可以亂花的經費，用來周遊全世界，追著自己的尾巴跑。我們必須各就其位，準備承接神的靈所釋放一波又一波的大能，是祂引導我們進入這全地大豐收的事工。神正在全地運行，要完成祂偉大的旨意：將福音帶給每一個人，使每一個種族都有教會。
東南亞禱告中心的年度董事會將於十一月17至18日在賓州的Oakmont 舉行。這次我們將會討論如何重新定位東南亞禱告中心。我們禱告的主軸將不會改變，而傳福音、分植教會、門徒訓練以及建立領導的四大目標也會重新確認。至於健康、教育、親職與微經濟發展等平台則須重新評估，重新確認。作為一個宣教機構，我們將繼續擴展，完成我們所蒙的呼召。
所要改變的是內部結構。我們正在組成一個顧問委員會，成員是我們當中六十歲以上的人。我們的目的是要引導建立一個新的執行或決策委員會，讓他們來執行神所賜下的策略，使東南亞禱告中心能繼續良好運作。換句話說，我們這些老的要為年輕一代鋪路，讓他們可以進來。看到神建立了這支團隊，Ellie和我真是既興奮又自覺不配。因著這個老將團的委身，我們可以走到今日的地步。愛和信實曾領我們經過人生許多轉換的階段，而且會帶我們進入東南亞禱告中心的新里程。
SEAPC顧問委員會的成員有：Jay Passavant、Jim Gilbert、Gary Lavelle、Everett Foss、Ken Martin、Mark Geppert 以及我們的妻子們。這個團委員會將監督正式的董事會，並且負責一些特殊任務。根據董事會議的決定，此一法人組織的各頭銜將會從我們轉移給他們。
Jay 、Jim、Gary、Ellie 和我是最初成立東南亞禱告中心的簽署人，我們為此異象服事了二十年，如今進入交接的階段，我們非常需要你們的代禱。可否請你們將十一月17、18
分別出來，專注於為我們禱告？
基於中國教會對於“傳回耶路撒冷”的領受，並為挑旺東南亞各國復興的火，二○一二年，我們將會宣布：在西藏每一個縣都會有一個可複製增長的小組。這是一件何等令人振奮的事！泰國聯結的眾教會曾提出一份詳細的分析，報告聖靈在Issan 地區的運行，而我們在這事工上也參與了一小部分。他們將聖靈運行的路線，又稱復興浪潮的海岸線，畫成一百個緯度，而這線進到了西藏。向著耶路撒冷前進，祂已經繞了世界一圈，正迎向那榮耀的大日。
耶路撒冷的位置靠近緯度四十，我們還有六十度緯度要走，也就是三千六百英哩，福音就要繞完世界一周，因為當年聖靈要使徒保羅往西走，而不是往亞洲去。在我們服事的禾場，聖靈生出許多教會，而隔著六十度緯度是我們的目的地耶路撒冷，屬靈與政治爭戰激烈的地區。我們對政治沒有興趣，但屬靈爭戰是東南亞禱告中心所領受的呼召之一，因此我們的計劃是一頭栽入。
主若許可，Ellie和我將前往印度，發起“南方工作”。我們的目標是沿著喜瑪拉雅山脈的南方，在戰略性地點建立五個禱告中心。我們極需你們不斷的禱告與支持，讓東南亞禱告中心可以將代禱事工擺在此一關鍵地帶，聖靈朝耶路撒冷前進的必經之處。你們會接到許多我們傳回來的報告：突破性發展、禱告之旅、登山行、患心臟病的孩子、逃離西藏的西藏人等等。但是請你們務必了解，我們並不是離開東南亞禱告中心。好牧人走出去，找到了青草地，就回來呼喚祂的羊。祂的羊認得祂聲音，跟著祂到新的地方，在那兒興旺發展。我們的感覺是，當神朝耶路撒冷前進，我們從柬埔寨各學校、寮國的大學、新加坡和馬來西亞眾教會和中國培訓中心培養出來的年輕人，是一群一群年輕力壯的羊，需要草場，好在神的旨意中興旺發展。為著委員會裡每一對忠心的夫婦，Ellie和我深深地感謝神，並相信當我們擴張帳幕時，東南亞禱告中心必能保持力量和穩定。
為了發展湄公河地區的事工，主帶來了兩個非常好的合作伙伴。
認識佛羅里達州農礦大學的校長之後，我採取進一步行動，建立合作的關係，讓我們柬埔寨Rongko科技大學的學生可以取得美國學位。雖然要等好幾年，我們才會有第一屆畢業生上台領取那令羨慕的學位，但這事必會成就。
Tim Blanarik 和妻子Debra 又重新加入東南亞禱告中心，以他們二十年的宣教經驗，負責針對四至十四歲兒童的“為目標而合作” 事工。他們的事工稱為REACH， “為主得著並裝備所有孩童” （Reaching and Equipping All Children for Him），他們將使用SEAPC辦公室，並和匹茲堡眾教會攜手，接觸本地需要幫助的孩子。從REACH的網站或經由 SEAPC的連結，你們都可以看到他們很棒的材料。REACH的全球社區從亞洲延伸到非洲，並且包含印度。我們盼望這個合作關係可以培養出在本地與國際受過訓練的實習生，不論在哪裡，只要是有主給我們孩子的地方，都有他們服事的腳踪。
謝謝你們一直以來為我們禱告，我們也不斷為你們禱告。印度地方廣大，中東正被戰火蹂躙，特別是巴基斯坦和阿富汗。我們既把自己擺在聖靈運行的關鍵地帶，就更需要你們的代禱和支持。我們將一同看見聖靈在這些國家運行，以大使命的完成，將榮耀歸給主。
當我們按著主的呼召和旨意而行，我們領受了許多美好的祝福，其中之一就是看見我們的兒子Matthew 被興起，在列國之中服事主。服事此一事工是一種“完全擺上”的生方式。Matt 和 Jessica 願意接受更大的託付，請為他們禱告，鼓勵他們。
Mark
