AFCI World News

Sewing School started in Pakistan

BY: Solomon Gill

I was invited to a village “OJ” for preaching in the church. During the preaching I observed young boys and girls, showing their interest in the Holy Scripture. At the end of the service I met these young people; they were very simple. Most of them have never been to school but they had desire to learn some skills for their living.

As part of our Rural Education And Development program (READ), the pastor pledged that his church will contribute two sewing machines if we could start a school to train some young people in a skill. In addition to this, the church will also shoulder the utilities charges for the school. Therefore, we have to arrange for the remaining three sewing machines and other initial costs.

With the help of the local pastor we were able to find two sewing teachers. They showed some of their embroidery and stitching work, and AFCI Pakistan made a commitment by faith that we will give them monthly salary for their efforts to teach others.  This sewing school will act as a springboard for these young girls to excel in their career, by getting this training they will have skill through which they can earn their living respectfully and can support their family.

We are targeting ten girls this year to get training in READ Sewing and Handicraft School. The total cost for this Sewing and Handicraft school to run for one year is $2,000. The means that support for one girl to get training for one year is $200. This training will bring a great transformation in the lives of these young girls and women.

Providing Vital Training in Pakistan

A Christian Workers Training program just finished in the district of Mianwali, Pakistan.  This is about 350 km from the home base of our AFCI team. Taking training like this to various places in Pakistan is vital to church leaders seeking to minister there. The title of the training program was, “How to be effective in the ministry,” and 25 workers came together for this training program.

Our ministry team wrote, “One minister was assassinated there and due to that incident there was a lot of tension and fear among the minorities. There were riots, protests and strikes. But thank God the teaching program worked out very well.”

Hans Scheib (from Germany) and Benedikt Peters (from Switzerland) worked with and Samuel Gill (AFCI National Director) to teach on the life of Jacob, the book of Hebrews and Jonah respectively.

Solomon Gill and Hans Scheib Teaching

New Churches in Pakistan

The AFCI team in Pakistan has been involved in planting churches for many years.  This past year they have worked on five different church building projects. “These projects are in very needy and remote areas,” writes Samuel Gill, Pakistan National Director. “Once they are completed, they will be a source of great blessing for the local believers as well as for the surrounding areas. Even now when local believers see these church buildings in the progress, they get very much excited and enthusiastic about them. We believe that these worship places will be a great source of spreading the Gospel in those remote and needy areas and many more will come to know the Lord through the ministry of the local leaders.”

Thirty years ago there were no such places of worship in these areas. These are the most neglected areas, and the Lord gave a vision to AFCI Pakistan to reach out to people in these remote areas and plant churches.

Flooding in Pakistan

Our Director in Pakistan is trying to help victims of the recent flooding.  Here are a few reports that have come in from AFCI ministers working in different parts of the nation:

• The boundary wall of a church elder fell down due to heavy rain and water. (District Faisalabad)
• There is lot of water around my house, a lot of mosquitoes. My kitchen has fallen down because of the rain and the standing water. I fixed it and it fell down again. (District Sialkot)
• The two walls of a widow’s house have fallen down and the water has entered in her rooms. She has shifted her belonging in the homes of her neighbors and some of the things she kept in the church. (Dichkot area)
• The wall of the house fell on a lady named Agnus and the spinal or backbone has been cracked, the wall was 9 feet high. She is admitted in the hospital. It is almost two weeks now that she is admitted in the hospital. She is 36 years of age and has 5 children. Her husband is a carpenter. I spoke to her on the phone, she was in the hospital. I prayed for her. Her Pastor asked to pray for her healing. (FatehPur area)

Our Director writes about his plan to visit the flooded areas. “The flood affected areas are not very safe, we hear the news of looting going on when the trucks go with aid and food stuff. The journey takes 10 hours to reach this place, the roads are damaged. We will take some cash along with us and share with these afflicted people.”