REAP Sabah, Malaysia Evangelists Report for January - June 2024

Dear partners in the harvest,

Shalom and greetings in Jesus’ matchless and mighty name. I trust you are experiencing God’s goodness and grace as you serve and honour Him. 

Thank you for your faithful support and prayers for the gospel outreach in rural Sabah. 

The combined labour of 41 REAP Sabah evangelists yielded:
- over 65,055 evangelised,
- over 16,755 conversions to Christ,
- over 6,069 baptised,
- 49 rural churches planted, and
- 7,200 Bibles sent to the new converts.     

We give the glory to God and thank you for partnership in the gospel. (2 Cor. 9: 6; Is. 55: 11). Below are the reports of the REAP Sabah evangelists for your prayers and thanksgiving.

JK

JK is a 54-year-old married man with four children. 

Ministry report Jan - June 2024
Number of tracts distributed - (verbal evangelism)
Number of people evangelised - 25
Number of conversions - 18
Number of people baptised - 10
Number of churches established - 1

Prayer Requests
Pray for:
1) God to strengthen the faith of those who have been evangelised and heard the gospel, that they continue to believe and grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, May the Holy Spirit work in their hearts, strengthen their faith and protect them from temptations that can shake their faith. 
2) The congregation to continue to grow in faith. 
3) God blesses every member of the congregation with strong and sustainable faith growth. May they deepen their understanding of God's word, entrust their lives completely to God, and be living witnesses for the people around them. 
4) God to bless PMM with continuous growth of faith. May every PMM member get closer to God, understand His will, living according to the teachings of Christ in every aspect of their lives. 
5) My family to be given perseverance and strength in ministry. May they always be strengthened by God when facing challenges and remain faithful to serve with joy and dedication. 
6) Bless my children with a heart to obey God. May they always listen and follow God's teachings, live according to His words, and become children who please God's heart and be an example for others. 

I thank God that despite the many obstacles faced in the ministry, I was able to persevere despite the unfavourable economic conditions. In many situations we face great shortcomings and challenges.

There were times when we almost gave up because of the lack of funds to continue the ministry. However, in the most difficult moments, God always shows a way out. An example is when we needed urgent funds to buy important equipment for the ministry. We have prayed and put our trust in God. Unexpectedly, we received a donation from someone we didn't know before, the amount was enough to cover the need. In addition, God blessed us with the wisdom to manage what is little to be more than enough. Through various means, such as food donations from the congregation and help in other forms, God always ensures that we do not lack in our daily needs. Praise God for His faithfulness. Even in uncertain economic conditions, we are still able to serve and see His power and providence. This situation teaches us to surrender more.

JA

JA is a 40-year-old man who is married with five children. 

Ministry report Jan - June 2024
Number of tracts distributed - (verbal evangelism)
Number of people evangelised - 36
Number of conversions - 13
Number of people baptised - 

Prayer Requests
Pray for:
1) My family and me to remain enthusiastic and full of wisdom in this ministry that He has entrusted me. God to bless me and my family with a new spirit every day in the ministry. May God also grant us wisdom in every decision and action we take, so that our service always glorifies His name. 
2) Souls who have just trusted God that they continue to have a longing to seek Him in prayer. May they feel God's presence every time they pray and find strength and comfort from Him. 
3) Souls who have just trusted God that they will have hunger and thirst for His words. May they always spend time reading and meditating on God's words and know the truth. 
4) The Holy Spirit to guide them, strengthen their faith and be a witness for Christ. 
5) God to protect and bless my family and me from any forms of interference and obstacles in this ministry. May God shower His blessings, both spiritually and physically, to enable us to serve with joy and success. 

Praise God for His goodness, although I am very limited in my ministry work but His power is very evident in my ministry. Praise God for his boundless generosity, enabling us as a family to bless many souls, even in remote areas. In one of our ministries in a remote village, we had a difficult and challenging journey. However, we still hold on to God's promise. Every time we arrive in these villages we see how God has worked beautifully in this village. Many souls who previously had never heard the gospel now accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. We also see how God meets all our needs. God sends help in various ways, both through caring congregations and through unexpected blessings. With His generosity, we can help and teach the word of God to those who have not heard the Gospel. We are so grateful to see how God uses our limitations to bless many souls. This is all because of His infinite mercy and power. Hallelujah!

PB

PB is a 35-year-old male who is married and has four children. 

Ministry report Jan - June 2024
Number of tracts distributed - 
Number of people evangelised - 20
Number of conversions - 12
Number of people baptised - 

Prayer Requests
Pray for:
1) Strength and courage to continue preaching the gospel. Give me physical, mental and spiritual strength and unshakable courage in facing challenges t be able to continue with enthusiasm and to those who have not heard the gospel. 
2) The fathers in this congregation to have a longing to come and worship regularly and faithfully. May they draw closer to God. 
3) The youths to have the courage and longing to be involved in some of the ministry work. May they feel God's call and have a heart that is willing to serve, as well as get the opportunity to use their talents and gifts. 
4) Every member of the church to work together harmoniously, support each other, and create an environment full of love and acceptance, so that God's name is glorified through their unity. 
5) The growth of the youth's faith to deepen their understanding of God's word, have a strong personal relationship with Christ, and become an example in their faith and spiritual life. 

Praise God! A family of pagans who had no religion (animist) gave themselves to God. They are now ready to be baptized, making their decision for a new life in Christ. This is the result of prayers and persistent efforts in our evangelistic ministry, as well as tangible evidence of how God is working to touch their hearts. A former church leader who has not come to church for a long time is now very active and attends worship services. After many years away from the church, he felt God's calling to return and serve. His return not only brought joy to the congregation, but also provided inspiration for others to remain faithful in the faith despite facing various challenges. 

I am very grateful to see how God restores and resurrects souls that were previously far from Him. These testimonies strengthen our faith and show how great the love and power of God is working in our midst. Hallelujah!

RG

RG is a 31-year-old man who is married with one child. 

Ministry report Jan - June 2024
Number of tracts distributed - (verbal evangelism)
Number of people evangelised - 19
Number of conversions - 13
Number of people baptised - 2

Prayer Requests
Pray for:
1) God will open and soften their hearts to receive the gospel message, especially those that are still able to forgo things that they held dear to their heart. 
2) Those who have believed but not yet ready to go through water baptism to make a decision fast and not dilly dally.
3) The newly baptised to have a strong spiritual growth in faith and be a witness for Christ and they will have the urge to share their faith to their family and friends. 
4) Speedy recovery for my mother who recently underwent a head surgery. May God grant perfect healing, speed up the recovery process, and give peace and strength during the healing period. 
5) Steadfastness of spirit in my ministry. May any challenges that come my way be overcome by God's grace. 

There were some church members who were hostile to each other and did not greet each other. This conflict caused tension in our fellowship and is an obstacle to the spiritual growth of the church. However, through unceasing prayer and guidance, we see God working miraculously in their lives. Their hostile hearts began to soften and now most of them have reconciled. Seeing them reunited and be one in the spirit will bring joy to the Lord. 

JB

JB is a 38-year-old male who is married with one child. 

Ministry report Jan - June 2024
Number of tracts distributed - (verbal evangelism)
Number of people evangelised - 10
Number of conversions - 2
Number of people baptised - 

Prayer Requests
Pray for:
1) Two new cell groups are needed in KSL and ML. Pray for God to convict the hearts of the believers in wanting to start new cell groups in these two places. We want the new believers from these two places to grow strong in God's word and not fall back to their old beliefs. 
2) The cell group in KSL to grow in faith and love. May each member of the cell group be deepened in the word of God, support each other in love, and be a living witness for Christ in their community. 
3) The cell group in ML to be blessed and grow, bringing many souls to God. May this cell group be light and salt in their community. 
4) My son who is studying at UTMJ to stay healthy and not be influenced by other faiths. May he be kept away from all diseases and excel well in his studies. 
5) God will give me good health, strengthen my body, physically and mentally. For me to have patience and endurance in working with my members. God to bless steps that I take to further His kingdom on earth. 

I want to share a very meaningful experience in my life, a testimony of how God worked in an extraordinary way in my evangelistic efforts. For several years, I have prayed for two elderly people. They are a married couple who have been evangelised several times but always refuse to accept Jesus. They were both very staunch in their old beliefs and were not interested in hearing about Christianity. I continued to pray for them, that God would soften their hearts. I also prayed that God will give me the wisdom and opportunity to approach them in a better way. During that period, I learned a lot about patience and trust in God's timing. One day, my wife and I visited and evangelised to them again. Praise God, their hearts began to open. I then shared about how Jesus had changed my life and how He could also give them comfort and hope. I shared stories from the Bible about the love of Jesus. With God's blessing, they were finally ready to hear more about Jesus. I lead them in prayer for forgiveness and acceptance of Jesus as Saviour. Through prayer two hard-to-reach people finally opened their hearts and accepted Jesus. It taught me that nothing is impossible for God and how important patience and love are. 

MM

MM is a 44-year-old single female. 

Ministry report Jan - June 2024
Number of tracts distributed - (verbal evangelism)
Number of people evangelised - 20
Number of conversions - 18
Number of people baptised - 

Prayer Requests
Pray for:
1) The congregation will always remain faithful, grow steadfast and read His word. 
2) A strong unity among the congregation that the Holy Spirit will work among them, uniting their hearts and minds in the love of Christ so that they can work together in harmony to glorify God's name. 
3) The teenagers to be kept away from negative influences. God's protection over them and to have the wisdom and fortitude to choose the right path and remain faithful to the teachings of Christ. 
4) My mother who is often sick to get strength and healing from God. God to give me physical strength and complete healing, as well as calmness and peace in my mother's heart and mind. 
5) Me to stay strong and healthy always so that my ministry work will not be hampered. God to give me physical, mental and spiritual strength and wisdom in every decision in my ministry. 

Praise God, although there are many more unanswered needs of the church but there are some important things that God has granted. Among them are the equipment we need and more numbers to be added into the congregation. For some time, we prayed that God would provide the necessary musical instrument for worship. Praise God, our prayers were answered with the arrival of some donations sufficient to buy the musical instruments. Every time we hold a prayer fellowship, we felt that there is not bonding in the congregation. Many congregations came with heavy hearts and burdens but after praying together, feel relief and a renewal in their spirits. We saw a real change in their lives, from being passive to being more active in church activities. Thank God, there are some teenagers who are now actively going to church and serving in the church. Their presence gave a new spirit to the congregation. They also brought their friends to know Jesus. Seeing their enthusiasm and dedication greatly strengthens us and shows that God is working in our midst. We believe that God will continue to answer the needs of our church according to His time and will. Praise God for all his goodness.