Ken Rawson of Palestine, Texas
Executive Director for All African Work for Hassler Evangelistic Ministries
17,640 Total decisions in Malawi & Zambia in the October Evangelistic efforts
9,212 Decisions for Christ
1 new church was started at Mangochi, Malawi
The gospel was preached at least 24 times
Ken Rawson and the African team did a fantastic job for our Lord and His Glory at Mangochi. Ken and I worked at Mangochi in 2002 and helped Sonny Lufani start a church in the Muslim village he was born in. This was a answer to many years Sonny and his wife had prayed for a church to be started in that village which is a Muslim strong hold. No church had been there since Jesus walked on this earth. Sonny is a converted Muslim and has faced tremendous opposition to his work and his family from the Muslims. The Muslims have physically attacked his wife and children. In fact the church has been burned down that was built about 10 years ago and has since been rebuilt. In 2006 I was back in that church and we had lunch with the Lufani family. My friend Eddy Driver was with me and he preached there. The Lufani family has endured persecution that would have made many quit and leave there. Because of the grace of God and a small convenience store that the Lufani's own and run they have now gained the friendship and respect of many Muslims there.
One new church was started in the Zuze village. Ken preached in a prison and 255 prayed to receive Christ! He also preached at a hospital to expectant mothers and 452 prayed to receive Christ! He preached in 2 churches and 15 people made decisions for Christ! The Jesus Film was also shown and 323 people made decisions for Christ! A number of schools were preached in and 6,419 students prayed to receive Christ! A special thanks goes to Randell Jinkins for his help with the Mangochi crusade.
Brother Rawson is a great Bible teacher and he had 3 sessions with 40 pastors. He covered topics like how to clearly preach the gospel, as many African pastors are untrained. The pastors appreciated Ken's teaching and Hassler Evangelistic Ministries proved a meal for them. A meal might seem like a small thing but some these men seldom have a meal where they can eat all they want. Many cannot afford to eat 3 meals a day. The pastors have already sent word to me of their appreciation.
8,192 Decisions for Christ and 1 new church in the October Crusades in Zambia
At Kafue and Luska, Zambia 15 large schools were preached in by Zambian team members and 8,428 students prayed to receive Christ! Some of these schools were done in September but I am just now reporting the work.Unlike American schools, in Zambia and Malawi the doors are open wide for the gospel to be preached in an uncompromising manner with an invitation given.The schools in Zambia have a built in follow up ministry with a teacher assigned to the task of looking after the spiritual well being of the students.
236 Decisions for Christ at Kasosolo, Zambia
Because of some follow-up work in one of the churches this ministry has started 236 people made decisions for Christ in two days at Kasosolo, Zambia. Some have already been baptized. This ministry does go back and check on many of the churches God has helped us start. This is God's accomplishment and not ours so we give Him all the Glory! Our ministry financially supports many laborers in the field and we could not do that with out your help and prayer. THANKS TO GOD AND TO YOU!
Prayer requests:
1. Pray for the 2 crusades we will be doing, one in late October and one in November. This letter is being written on October 23rd, so we will report these crusades later.
2. Pray for the safety of all involved in travel and working on the field. Pray that we will not have equipment failures. We had some in Malawi and things like this happen at times even though it hinders the work.
3. Pray for God to open many hearts toward this work. We are asking God for some new financial supporters and we need them.
4. Pray for the new converts and new churches. Prayer accomplishes much and this ministry runs and is sustained by prayers and God.
5. Pray for Gary Dennis's wife, Debbie. She will need a kidney transplant soon unless God intervenes. They both have been a great help with our ministry. They live in Ponchatoula, Louisiana.
Yours and His,
Leroy Hassler
Paul Stewart
30,000 plus decisions in the June Lusaka, Zambia Crusade for Paul Stewart's team
Paul Stewart has finished the June Crusade and is back home in North Carolina where he is the pastor of Shady Grove Baptist Church in Boonville. Paul and an African preacher preached in 2 churches and ground was broke for a new church building. Paul also said they gave away hundreds of Bibles and 50 soccer balls in the schools. Paul went to Zambia for his first time with me in 2004. We rejoice in all that God is doing through his ministry and as a joint venture with Hassler Evangelistic Ministries in Zambia. Paul said the Lord had put it on his heart to raise money for 10,000 bibles for Zambia so please keep that in your prayers.
New for May - 27,898 decisions for Christ in May for John Booker's team.
This is updated information as we reported 6,700 decisions in May for John's team, but we did not have all the information then so what is above is correct.
For God's Glory John and the team preached at 22 schools and 12 Jesus Films were also shown with the gospel being preached. God helped the team start 5 new churches. This was also a joint venture with our ministry.
Again all Glory to our God but we have never started 8 new churches in one month. That is exactly what God brought about in May. We have now started 102 new churches since this ministry began. It has taken weeks to find this out but we are grateful to our Great God for what He has done. John Booker, Paul Stewart or Leroy Hassler will be quick to tell you this is God's accomplishment and not ours.
Looking Back at the U. S. Ministry
It was my great privilege and joy to be with Dr. Johnny Collins at Neshoba, Mississippi and in Neshoba Baptist Church for a revival meeting. The church is Northwest of Meridian, Mississippi about 25 miles. I had a great desire to see God do something in the meeting and this burdened my heart even before I left home. I will not go into detail but I made a definite effort to seek the Lord for revival. Brother Johnny is a gifted pastor and knows how to prepare a church for the type of ministry we do with our main emphasis on personal and church wide revival. God blessed with decisions in all the services except for Wednesday night. It was obvious to me that God was getting ready to do something after that service. When things are very still and quite it is often a sign God is getting ready to move. I felt led of God to preach on Hell Thursday night. The youth were talking, instead of listening. God used the pastor's wife, Pat, who went and told the youth to put up their cell phones and listen to the message! They did just that and a number of them made professions of faith in Christ that very night. Revival meetings are still one of the greatest tools for reaching the lost and getting the saved to make a deeper surrender to Christ.
Friday April 26, I had a wonderful meeting with Dr. Michael Barnett who is the pastor of First Baptist Ocean Springs, Mississippi. We had lunch and prayed together after enjoying a real time of fellowship. The church he serves was hit hard by the hurricane about 6 years ago. He recovered and are moving forward for Christ.
Sunday morning April 28, I preached at College Park Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama. Mike Bedford is the pastor there and is doing a tremendous job for our Lord. The church has purchased 18 acres of land and plans to relocate in the near future. I was greatly impressed by his ministry and the fine folks I met there. Charles and Ginny Harvey are long time friends and are blessed to be members there. Sunday evening I shared about our over seas ministry by means of a power point presentation at Eastwood Baptist Church in Bay Minette, Alabama where the Harvey's son, Richard is the pastor. He has a great desire to go to Africa with our ministry in the near future. Brother Richard has a great family, great church, and a great future. Charles and Ginny Harvey drove me up to Bay Minette and I was blessed to be in their presence. We have also been busy with ministry in Texas. My wife and I have just driven back home from the Gulf coast of Texas where we met with some friends of our ministry.
For some time now, I have diligently pursued a desire to do some deeper Bible study. God gave me a great deal of peace last night about this and his peace flooded my heart as I studied God's Word early this morning, Sunday, June 23. I have been reading a number of books, mostly deep theological and doctrinal books plus I am now reading a number of books, mostly deep theological and doctrinal books pls I am now reading a biography, "SPURGEON Prince of Preachers" by Dr. Lewis Drummond. We have had the privilege to meet and hear Dr. Drummond some years ago. I have also read well. He was a pastor of the world's largest Baptist Church at London, England. My most treasured set of books other than the Bible is "Surgeons Expository Sermons. I have been reading them for many years. Spurgeon was a great man of God and his church experienced revival for many years. If you have not read the biographies of Charles Spurgeon and George Whitfield by Arnold Dallimore you ought to purchase them tomorrow.These were two men who absolutely shook the world for Christ. Read these two great books and you obtain a greater understanding of God and revival. Get alone with God today. Seek Him for revival in your church and life! Pray for us.
Yours and His,
Leroy Y. Hassler
The Report from the May 2011 Malawi, Africa Crusade