quarterly 18: doug & mesi

8/9/2019 Quarterly 18: Doug & Mesi

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/quarterly-18-doug-mesi 1/4

Quarterly: Doug &

Mesi

I periodically post articles about the

persecution of the church on my Face-

book page. Yesterday, I read that

above 70 church buildings in Niger

were attacked, ransacked and burned

down, with virtually no help from a so-called inclusive and tolerant govern-

ment. Prior to those tragic events, it

was alleged that approximately 2000

Nigerians were slaughtered in northern

Nigeria by Boko Haram, and that most

of those slaughtered were Christians.

The media could’ve cared less. To say

the least, I am not surprised that a

world morally unprepared for the fires

of persecution stands by with theirhands in their pockets. These events

may seem far away, but think again.

Anti-Christian sentiment has reached

clear dawn even in the West. I think

that whenever we suffer any kind per-

secution from an anti-Christian world,

our primary reaction is to ‘stand down’

spiritually, and avoid further conflict.

Whether the suffering is physical, trag-

ic, verbal or merely socially marginaliz-

ing, the fiery trials that come into the

lives of Christians are apparently in-

tended by the Enemy to neutralize/

destroy spiritual activity. In the para-

doxes that give motion to God’s great

kingdom, however, it is always the op-

posite. Suffering produces the success

of Christ’s glorious reign. It is true that

real Christians who do suffer have tes-

tified that their faith has only become

stronger through such horrific condi-

tions as happens upon our dark world.Christ remains light, as does His be-

loved church. The picture that Christ

gave of suffering in Scripture is resi-

dent in His words to Peter in Matthew

16. Jesus said that the gates of Hades shall

not prevail against it (the church). The

church is depicted by Christ

as an army besieging hell it-

self. The ‘wildfires’ of perse-

cution we see in the news and

on the net are not really the

destruction of the church.

Those ‘fires’ are the powers

of Satan struggling to main-

tain a grip on a kingdom al-

ready slipping through the

fingers. The fact is, Christians

are dying because the war

against the church is being

waged in desperate times. The

church shall break the gates

of hell. Christ has said it, and we, who are His, live it.

Therefore, let us not grow weary

while doing good, for in due season

we shall reap if we do not lose heart

(Galatians 6:9). ~DM

Wild Fires Burning the Church

Last Call Ministries

JANUARY 2015

ISSUE XIV

Left: In my rented home in Mekele, Ethiopia, we

have enjoyed the freedom to gather to worship

the LORD and study His word in English. Whilewe only suffer slight social marginalization and

misunderstanding in the culture here, local evan-

gelicals expect a bit of more of a stringent mar-

ginalization. It is little compared to what the

churches in the wider region of the Horn of Afri-

ca and North Africa endure for the sake of the

pure gospel. We find pleasure in praying for our

persecuted brothers and sisters in Eritrea, Sudan,

Somalia, N. Africa, Asia and the world at large.



FRIENDS of THE POOR

Quarter ly: Doug & Mes i ISSUE XIV



missioned to do. In the

photos on the opposite

page, there is a disabled

woman (blind and with

one arm only) and her two

sons. They had been sleep-

ing to their own hurt on

nothing more than rags.

We purchased a bed board

and a new mattress to help

them get the rest they

needed. This gave me the

opportunity to share about

the true rest from sin and

vain works that God gives

to those who believe on

His Son, Jesus Christ.

Lealem translated the mes-

sage for me. In some ofthe other photos are a

‘before and after’ renova-

tion. An elderly woman

named Meheret in Leal-

em’s town (Kwiha) was

exposed to the elements,

living in a virtual cave.

With the help of our sup-

porters, we have remod-

eled her entire house. The

opening to preach to Me-

heret about God’s eternal

home, the door of which is

Jesus Christ alone, was

granted to me, then.

Lealem again translated.

Thank you, my friend!Many thanks, also, to Leal-

em’s mom, Zeru (right),

who was essential in em-

ploying the builders, over-

seeing the materials and

the completion of the

work, and who graciously

fed us on our trips to the

town of Kwiha. DM

The photos you see in this

update were taken around

the New Year. Me and my

Tigrayan friend, Lealem,

who was also one of my

first language teachers

here, as well as a friend

for right at 10 years, ven-

tured out to show gener-

osity to the poor. Lealem

& I have had some pretty

deep and intense conver-

sations about the gospel

many times over the years,

and I thank God that He

has allowed me to speak

into Lealem’s life with the

message of salvation by

grace alone, through faithalone, in Christ alone, ac-

cording to the Scriptures

alone, to the glory of God

alone. Lealem has been a

‘man of peace’ for me in

this region, God using

him to help me accom-

plish the work I am com-

Quarter ly: Doug & Mes i ISSUE XIV

“Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and

bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have

sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while

you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which

causes thanksgiving through us to God.”

~2 Corinthians 9:10-11



To Support: PO Box 4203, Shreveport, LA

71134 USA

To Contact: Phone: 318-458-9602; Email:

[email protected]

To Correspond w/ Doug & Mesi: PO Box 1944,

Mekele, Tigray, Ethiopia; Email:

[email protected]

D a r l i n g t o n

Ben-Elyon Azubuike (above), a Nigerian-Briton, who is

married to Katie Megan Azubuike (above), a British

teacher from Gloucester, spent their honeymoon in the

summer of 2014 doing mission work in Mekele, Ethiopia.

They brought a huge suitcase full of new clothes for kids,

all bundled in separate bags according to age and size.

Each bag was stamped with a John 3:16 sticker in Tigri-nya. A sweet elderly saint from their church also sent

many hand made teddy bears for the kids. We had so

many of these gifts that we not only gave to all the fami-

lies to whom we minister twice, but also the surplus we

gave to the director, of a local childcare center called Op-

eration Rescue Ethiopia. (Top left: me showing Get-

achew Tesfaye the kids clothes and toys from Darling-

ton and Katie’s church in England). CONGRATULA-

TIONS DARLINGTON & KATIE, NOW EXPECT-

Gifts with the Message of THE Gift

Last Call Ministries

L M

Proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, until He returns,

in word, letter and deed

About LCM: Last Call Ministries is a

501c3 Organization which began in 1997.

LCM is currently sponsoring Doug & Mesi,

who are commissioned by their home

church: Heritage Baptist Church in Shreve-

port, Louisiana. All monies received are cur-

rently in the support of the budgeted workunderway in Mekele, Ethiopia.

quarterly 18: doug & mesi

Documents