Sunday 7 October 2018

prayerletteroct2018


Dear Praying Friends,  

May our Lord Jesus bless you all richly—and may He fill your minds continuously forever.  Ruth and I stayed on in Singapore through most of this quarter, to continue our attempts to do Gospel good there.  

I felt blessed and privileged to speak in Emmanuel Baptist a number of times, continuing the sermon series “We Are His People”.  With other teachers in the congregation, we conducted an introductory to the Book of Deuteronomy one day, with the hope of exciting more serious study of God’s Word among all those who participated.  It was received very well, it seems, and we’re hoping that such edifying times will continue as part of a healthy spiritual diet in the life of the assembly, for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Holy Scripture is always good!







Ruth continued her ministries among the ladies and the children, with good Gospel comrades in the congregation, throughout the quarter.  She and I are eager to get back to Singapore shortly.

Please Pray:

·         For Ruth and me as we are in the USA just for this month of October, in order to attend to a couple of items.  Our return flight to Singapore is booked for the 30th of this month.

·         As we are hoping for at least a week’s ministry in India in the middle of November, to teach in a couple of places including one Bible training program, and to otherwise encourage our friends in their Gospel work.

·         That Ruth and I would by used by the Holy Spirit to impress the hearts, minds and consciences of the campers we’ve been invited to address in late December.  The theme for both the adults and the children is The Works of our Lord Jesus, and the Works of Us Christians as Prophet, Priest and King.



Chit-chat:                Though Ruth and I have normally been overseas during hurricane season, we are always thinking of any of you in the possible paths of the storms.  We have to give thanks to our Father in heaven that He’s kept our loved ones safe, as quite a few of them live between Washington, DC, and Miami, FL.                      Our friends in India have been in our hearts.  Some of them we first met in 2000 and 2001.  We’d thought of visiting them in late July but we postponed til November.  This time might be our final trip to India.                        For these few weeks we’re to be in the USA, Ruth and I are mostly checking in on Ruth’s parents, trying to give them a few little helps.             Ruth had a follow-up MRI last week, and three days ago the surgeon who had done the tumor-removal in early ’17 “cleared” her.  Ruth still has some residual pains, though, whenever she’s eating.                          The Lord has allowed Ruth and me to enter our 60th years, for which we are very grateful.  We are also thankful that He put it into the minds of the airline executives to offer “premium economy” seats.  Crossing 12 times zones isn’t the breeze it used to seem to be.  God is love.



Blessings to you all,

Stephen and Ruth Schaefer

Jn 14.23



International Gospel Missions

990 Calkins Road, Rochester NY  14623

Phone: 585-334-9048

Wednesday 11 July 2018

prayerletterjuly2018

Dear Praying Friends,

Once again, thank you for interceding for us with our Father and for supporting us as overseas missionaries all these years.  We’re back in Singapore now, and hope in the Lord to fill most of the rest of 2018 with Gospel ministry here, including time in India as well.

The weeks in the USA gave us a good opportunity to visit family, especially Ruth’s parents.  We were also able to visit some supporters, though not as many as we had hoped.  Thank you all for your patience with us.  Ruth and I needed a time to refresh ourselves in mind and body. 

Since returning to Singapore in May, it has been our privilege to join in the ministry of Emmanuel Baptist once more.  They’ve allowed me to continue the series of messages for them on “We Are His People”, as well as to co-labor with them in the Gospel in other areas.  Ruth participated in a VBS.  I’ve taught some of the youths on several days.


Another assembly had me as camp speaker.  I spoke six times on The Works of Christ and The Works of Christians.  He saves us by doing the works of Prophet, Priest and King empowered by the Holy Spirit, so that, saving and anointing us with the same Spirit, we may follow Him and do Him service as prophets, priests and kings.  I don’t know of a more comprehensive way to understand Jesus, salvation, and the Christian life than PPK.  I’ve been talking about these things every chance I get for about twenty-five years and know I’ll continue doing so forever.

Please Pray:
·         That Ruth and I would be ready for every good work (ppk) at all times.
·         That God’s Spirit should be so pleased for us to be His co-workers (ppk), that we could make a real Gospel (PPK) dent in the thinking of the people we meet every day.
·         That we would seek the Lord (PPK) and His grace.
·         That our Father in Heaven would keep us safe in all our travels with Jesus (PPK/ppk).

Chit-chat:       We enjoyed the delights of seeing Ruth’s parents as well as our grandkids, during the time in the States.  In eleven years, the Lord blessed us with eleven grands.  Since my own beloved parents went to heaven in the past few years, Ruth and I hope to increasingly provide help and comfort to her parents in as many ways as we can.  We are beginning to plan the next year or two with that in mind.             As this is our thirtieth year as overseas missionaries, by now you might expect me to be able to say that I love to preach the Word of God.  And I really do, no doubt.  But teaching batches of pastors in remote rural places and conducting one-on-one Bible and theology sessions with young men who could possibly be doing the ministry long after we’ve turned to dust are also at the top of my list.  And if any of my buddies can be coaxed into the occasional 24-hours fasting and prayer session as well, all the better!  Our Lord Jesus has shown us to the way, in everything.



Tuesday 17 April 2018

prayerletterapril2018



Dear Praying Friends,

May our Lord Jesus fill your mind continually, and may the Holy Spirit cause you to love and admire and become just like God’s Dear Son.

We split our time between Singapore and India since our last quarterly report.  In Singapore, I continued preaching in Emmanuel, advancing the series “We Are His People”, with such titles as “We Are His Holy Temple”, “We Are His Holy Priests”, and “We Are His Witnesses”.  Ruth continued to contribute to the Children’s Gospel ministries, too, as well as in other ways.

For most of February, Ruth and I were in India, where she taught Bible lessons in a School she’s been helping in for some years.  I conducted thirteen of my usual seminars for rural pastors.  To some Bible Institute students, I also taught the Book of Hebrews (6 hours), and Bibliology (4 hours).  I was able to preach about ten times in a couple of different assemblies including on Sundays, and, as always, it was a thrill and a privilege to uplift the Lord Jesus and His Gospel.




Back in Singapore again by the end of February, it was a blessing to be able to begin doing some teaching amounting to theological seminary subjects, for a few special brothers.

Ruth and I came back here to the USA for the second half of March, and our return to Singapore is set for the second half of May.  As always, thank you for your prayers to our Father in Heaven.  He is hearing you, so keep up that good work at His throne of grace.

Please Pray:
·        For the Lord to graciously maintain our physical condition so that Ruth and I are in good shape for our return overseas next month.
·        That the Gospel ministry opportunities would multiply and flood us like an ocean for the rest of 2018, most of which we plan to be in Singapore.
·        For a possible trip to Manila, Philippines, later this year.
·        That Ruth and I would be free from the need to see any more doctors this year!

Chit-chat:           It’s always amazing to encounter the love and the hospitality of all our friends in India and in Singapore each time around.  The yearning to be of help to all of them, Gospel-wise, and to join hands in the ministry with them, always keeps us eager to know how things are with them whenever we are away.                        As we’ve gotten to spend time with family members in the past few weeks, the true Christian fellowship has been very precious.  We love to see our offspring seeking our Lord Jesus and having His obedient mindset.  May He graciously grant this to us all.                        I’m grateful for this time in the States, for several reasons, not least of which is that Ruth and I needed some refreshment in body and mind.  God is love.

Blessings to you all,
Stephen and Ruth Schaefer
John 14.23

 “Serving with the International Gospel Missions” 

990 Calkins Road,  Rochester, NY  14623                           Phone:  585-334-9048


Saturday 27 January 2018

prayerletterjan2018

Dear Praying Friends, 
Thanks for all your love and support for so many years.  And greetings from Asia, once again.  Since our last letter, Ruth and I did a lot of traveling.  From Singapore we came to the USA for eight weeks.  During that time we visited some family, presented our missionary reports to several congregations in Pennsylvania, and checked in with our mission’s home office in Rochester, NY.

We’ve experienced such kindness and warm hospitality from our friends and supporters for so many years now.  But it never ceases to amaze, and to cause us to express our gratitude to our Father in heaven, Who sends the Holy Spirit to pour the love of God into the hearts of His own.

Before mid-December, we flew out again, to start another planned 14 weeks overseas trip. So we’ve been here in Singapore for the past five weeks already.  As always, we are hoping in the Lord that we’d be able to keep up the pace we’ve set for ourselves in Asia, for the Lord’s sake, and for His Gospel’s sake.

Lately, I’ve started delivering a series of Sunday sermons related to the theme, “We Are His People”.  Specifically, thus far, “We are His Possession” (John 10.27-29), “We are His Body” (Colossians 1.18), “We are His Slaves” (Romans 6.16-19), and, this coming Sunday, with our Lord’s help, “We are His Friends” (John 15.12-15).  So far, and looking ahead as well, I am feeling thrilled at all the excellent, edifying, Biblical and Gospel doctrines which are woven into the passages highlighting our relationship to God our Savior.

Please Pray:
•    That Ruth and I would be able to stay healthy.
•    For our time in Singapore, as well as in India (which is to cover most of February) to be packed full of excellent Gospel opportunities.  Last time in India—July/August—I was completely drained by all that the Lord allowed us to do there.  Dare I hope for the same this time?  Yes, let me be ground to powder once again.  Plenty of time to recover in the resurrection.

Chit-chat:       The Lord keeps blessing us with grandbabies.  This time it’s another girl, Anna Hope Heffernan.            Ruth and I had some occasional physical challenges during this quarter, but seem to have come through ok, by our Lord’s kindness and grace.  At the very end of December, I had about ten days or so in which it was supposed I might have something seriously wrong with my bowels.  Thankfully, a surgeon here in Singapore was able to clear me of anything cancerous or otherwise.                We started living in our suitcases, exclusively, more than a year ago, and are finding it tolerable.  I’m glad the Lord gave me such a no-nonsense wife.  Admittedly, long air travel is tougher on us than it used to be.  But, God is love, and, as always, He helps us spring back to life soon enough.                As of January 3rd, Ruth and I have now entered into our thirtieth year of overseas missionary work.  And late next month we’d mark 32 years since joining IGM.  The Lord has been very merciful to us to keep us going. 

       
Blessings to you all,
Stephen and Ruth Schaefer
John 14.23


 “Serving with the International Gospel Missions” 
990 Calkins Road,  Rochester, NY  14623      Phone:  585-334-9048