November 2016

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,

In our previous Q.M.B.C. Prayer News, we deplored the moral state of the world, and it continues to grow worse. The Apostle Paul said that “evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse” (2 Tim 3:13) and the Lord Jesus said that “such things must happen, but the end is still to come” (Matt 24:6). So we wait patiently for these words to be fulfilled. First we who have put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1Thess 4:16-17), after which the end will come for those left behind. How important it is to preach the Gospel, to urge people to escape the coming wrath!

As some of our students’ testimonies show, there are those who have become Christians, or which we praise the Lord. Those students (particularly in the prisons) then evangelize their friends, some of whom have also become Christians. On a broader scale, the Chinese leaders have recently increased their efforts to quell the rising tide of evangelization in China. We need to pray earnestly for the Christians and missionaries in that vast country. We have never had any students from China doing our lessons, and it would be wonderful if a door could be opened into that country.

The mail from overseas countries is still being delayed (we believe the reason for the delay is because of the rolling strikes by Customs and Border Protection staff). This has affected our work to some extent, as over the past few months we seem to have had either a ‘flood or a famine’ of mail! Please pray that we will not lose any students because of the disruption to the normal timely return of their lessons.

From time to time we have provided a breakdown, by country, of the number of students who have returned lessons in the previous twelve months. For the 12 months to the end of October 2016, there were a total of 1,586 students from Australia and 27 overseas countries. The breakdown is as follows:

As this is the last Prayer News for 2016, we take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued interest in QMBC, both by prayer and practical support. Without these, the work could not prosper. We trust that you will all enjoy another festive season which is fast approaching, and that, in the goodness of God, we will be able to continue to work  together in the coming year.

Praise Points

• For steady enrolments via our website, resulting in an increase in Australian students.
• For an increase in students from Hong Kong, Kiribati, Philippines and South Africa.

Prayer Points

• For our students who live in difficult situations, particularly in the prisons.
• For the many students who have not returned their lessons in the past year.
• For past workers who are presently experiencing various health problems.

From our Students

Please take time to read the enclosed excerpts from some of our students’ letters and answers to assignments, which we are sure you will find interesting.

From Students doing the basic Courses:

Joniah, age 12, Australia:

just want to let you know that I’m really enjoying doing Bible Club with you. You make it so I can understand and it’s in an enjoyable and fun way. Thank you for including me in the Bible Club.

Julie, age 34, Papua New Guinea:

… there are times I feel sad when my family don’t bother to call and talk with me…but there’s still one thought that cheers me and makes my heart glad, it is that I have the Lord Jesus in my heart and my eternal Father is up in heaven and He still loves and cares for me. He loves me and sent Him to die for my sins and I have believed in Him, so I have the right to become His child. When I read this Lesson 6 about Salvation and Rewards it really challenged me…standing in front of the Lord Almighty at the Judgment Seat of Christ, it will be a very shameful thing if I don’t earn any reward, and He will tell me about things that I’ve done which are not right. I kindly ask you to pray for me. I’m young and single and there will be trials and temptations coming my way as I go through this journey.

Annastasia, age 18, Papua New Guinea:

I’m very proud to complete all my questions, because it helps me a lot and I know that my name is already written in “The Lamb’s Book of Life” and I’m not afraid to die. I am so excited to see my certificate.

Ana, age 30, Hong Kong:

We are four [friends] here, who planned just to travel in Hong Kong. We didn’t know that this thing would happen to us. Our friend fooled us. Two friends had evidence in their luggage. They caught them after arriving in HK airport. But me and my other friend, they caught us when we were about to go back to the Philippines. But they didn’t find anything, they just told us that they also need to investigate us. We’ve been here for almost one year now. Our next court day is next year Aug 4, 2017, at the High Court. I’m asking for your help. Please pray for us and for our families in the Philippines. I’m thankful for this Bible study…I know God is always with me…prayer changes everything.

Zuhura, age 37, Hong Kong:

I have accepted Christ Jesus as the Lord and Saviour of my life. I believe that He died because of my sins. And it is because of Him that God has pardoned me….I believe that I have eternal life, because I decided to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is through the hardship of this life [in prison] that I called unto the Lord and He answered, which I don’t deserve. Because of His faithfulness, kindness, love and grace towards me, He still answers me and still calls me His child. All glory and honour to our Almighty Father.

Sylvester, age 32, Hong Kong:

I came to know the Lord eleven years ago. I was very stubborn and rebellious doing all kinds of wicked things, until I saw I was in darkness. The last time, I remember Satan telling me to kill myself and also my family because we were all corrupt and living in iniquity. At that moment I thought it was the right thing to do because I was tired of living. For a week or so I pondered upon this opportunity, and decided that I was going to try and get a gun and shoot them all, including myself. But now I know that God was planning to visit me Himself and change my life forever in August 2005. Since that moment I have never looked back. He came for me when I was lost.

Xavier, age 26, Thailand:

Beloved Christian friends, I am highly motivated each time I do your lessons, for it teaches me more and more how to get close to our Creator…I feel so sorrowful for all the things I have been doing in the past. I truly believe because of the unpleasing things I have been doing, that is why God has chastened me and that is why I am in jail. But I know that the true God is stronger than my circumstances.

Azarus, age 32, Thailand:

I must congratulate your ministry for the good work God is using you to do in the life of people all over the world. I’m from Nigeria, and in 2011 I travelled to Thailand. In the following year I was got by Thailand police. Since then I have been in prison but by God’s grace I will go out next year. I am doing fine here and I know God Almighty will not leave us nor forsake us.

Ganesh, age 33, Thailand:

I want to thank you for your efforts and determination to help us by sending us your literature here in Big Spring. My life and my faith is growing in His Word of Truth. I’m very happy that I can read the Word of God with good understanding not like before, and I have been learning new things from Mailbox Bible Club. Thanks be to God and thanks to you as well. Please, I would like you to remember my family in your prayers. I am the first son of my parents therefore I have to look after my brother and sister’s education and family responsibilities, plus my own wife and two kids. Right now my family is facing difficulty without any income because of my five years in prison, with still four to five years remaining.

From Students doing the Panorama Course:

Weeraphon, age 60, Thailand:

[After transfer to another prison.] There are many Christians here. Once a month, all Christians from different buildings come together at Building 3 to worship God.

Sa Tie, age 38, Thailand:

Yes, I have a very big concern for my family, who are Buddhist. Then I met the Lord Jesus Christ. So my prayer every day is for God to extend the free gift of salvation he has given me to reach all my families and friends and my country people as well, so that they will join me to share the joyous kingdom of God.

Samuel, age 33, Hong Kong:

I had victory over worries when I was caught and brought to the detention centre. I had sleepless nights for over five months worrying about my family until people around me started seeing me as a madman. Moses lifted up his hands in prayer, and God answered his prayers. So I lifted up my hands in prayer to God, and he healed me completely and even gave me strength to continue with the struggle in prison.

Josephine, age 30, Papua New Guinea:

I have experienced victory through prayer. I did not expect anything to happen, but when my uncle and I prayed over our small group of youths who always had drugs and played bad music, they surrendered their lives by breaking their radios and bringing the drugs to the policeman.