Fall Newsletter 2011

Dear Family and Friends,
John and I would like to thank everyone for your continued love, prayers and financial support during these last five months as we began our journey into fulltime mission work. Every one of you are so vital to our ministry and we want you to know that whatever we reap you also reap. (1 Samuel 30) The words “thank you” don’t seem to really describe how grateful and honored that we feel because you have chosen to partner with us.

While we were away we did our best to update you via email or our blog but due to the internet problems that we occurred we are not sure who received our updates. We would like to apologize for this and let you know that you can read our blog posts at johncindythalheimr.blogspot.com.

During this letter God has put it on our heart to share a couple of things that happened during our outreach time in Asia. There were many things that happened during our time in Asia, but we know that it is impossible to share all of it so we will focus on the ones that God wants us to. We would like to first share with you an update on our family.


On Sept 24, 2011 John and I flew back home and headed straight to Thomasville, GA where my dad, Steve Carpenter, was in the hospital. We are sorry and yet joyful to say that my father went home to be with the Lord on Sept 27, 2011 at 7:30am. We are sad because he will always be missed and yet joyful because we know that he is in Heaven with our Father worshipping and doing all the things that he could not do here on this Earth. Dad we are so thankful for everything that you have taught us and for your continued love and support no matter what. You will be forever missed.

During our time in Asia we had many great opportunities to do some amazing things. One of the highlights was when we got the chance to go to Myanmar/Burma on a prayer journey all across the country. We were joined on this trip by a team from Jackie Pullinger’s ministry and we traveled all over the country praying and interceding for this lost nation. We had the honor of praying at their largest indoor sports stadium. This was very significant because this was going to be the place where they were going to hold their 2nd Gospelfest in Myanmar. This is such a big deal as the country is a mostly Buddhist nation with only about 4% being Christian. In fact, you are not allowed to openly preach the gospel and you need to have permission to hold such an event. Our God is bigger than that and the government granted permission for this event to be held and there were even government officials that opened this event. This event was held on Oct 14-16 2011. We have just gotten the first email from this event and God has done some amazing things. We posted the email on our blog so please go there to read about what happened from the people that where there. We are so honored to be a part of this amazing event.

After Myanmar we traveled to Thailand where we worked with some amazing ministries. One of these ministries was called Nightlight and they are in Bangkok, Thailand. If any of you have ever seen the movie Furious Love this is one of the ministries that was featured on this movie. Annie and Jeff started this ministry 6 years ago and they work with women who have been involved in prostitution. They get the girls off of the streets and give them a job in their jewelry making business. This is something that is very hard to do as the girls are celebrated by their families when they are involved in prostitution. You see it is the responsibility of the girls to take care of their parents. Because they make so much money in prostitution it means more money for the parents. When the girls decide to leave the prostitution and come work at Nightlight they are shunned by their parents. Not only for the reason of the money but these girls eventually give their lives to Christ and Thailand is a Buddhist nation and there are less than 2% Christians. While we were at Nightlight we had the opportunity to minister to them with love and encouragement. Something that they have been lacking all of their lives until Annie and Jeff came along. You can read more about their amazing ministry at www.nightlightinternational.com and purchase some of their jewelry if you would like.

Now onto the big question of what are we going to do next? Well we will be returning to Pemba, Mozambique to continue our volunteer work with Iris Ministries, ministry of Heidi and Roland Baker, and we will be volunteering in their hospitality department and working with the children in their orphanage to start with. We will be returning to Pemba in late January or early February 2011. This is going to be an exciting time of continued growth for John and I and we look forward to what God has in store for us.


We are asking you for your continued prayer and financial support during these next two years. We have worked out a budget and we will need $2500 a month. This includes money for housing, food, transportation, insurance and ministry expenses. Please prayerfully consider giving to our ministry. We want you to know that we could never do this without you and we are so honored that you have chosen to partner with us. You may send your financial support to Wellspring Fellowship PO Box 71733 Albany GA 31708 with a note that it is for Thalheimer Missions. All donations are tax deductible.

If you would like us to come share at your church, Sunday School, home group etc please call us or send us an email.
Much blessings and love,

John and Cindy Thalheimer
Iris Missionaries
Pemba, Mozambique
cindy@pishonriver.com or john@pishonriver.com
blog: johncindythalheimer.blogspot.com
US phone # Cindy’s 229-848-8117 or John’s 229-848-1178

Immediate needs:
Continue prayer for our family as we deal with the loss of my father
Water filter so we will not be in need of buying bottle water
A name for our ministry
For all of our financial needs to be met
For the flooding in Thailand and how it is affecting Nightlight
Someone to print and mail our newsletters (will be 3-4 times a year)

Report from from Music Festival in Myanamar

The following is from an email we received regarding the Music Festival in Myanmar:

We have just returned from a very amazing trip to Myanmar. As you are aware God
has opened in the past 2 years the doors for Trin to travel to this once so
closed nation. We testify ‘once so closed’ since we have seen and heard the
change that is taking place for the advance of the Kingdom of God. For the
first time in the history of this nation the government has officially given
permission for an event organized by Christians in their national stadium. We
have joined with over 8000 Myanmar people in praising and worshipping God for
this. Two ministers of, the minister of national race and of social affairs
have officially opened the festival we held. The minister of social affairs
read aloud a public proclamation from the government. We received a copy of this
proclamation and we cite from this the following.
According to no. 34 of the Constitution of the
Union of Myanmar, all nationals have equal opportunity and freedom to express
their religion as long as it does not go against the constitution. And for that
reason, the Yangon Division head government has granted to permit tot celebrate
the Gospel Music Festival for 3 days. As freedom has been granted to freely
express religion, sing and worship, on the other hand, they all must adhere to
the rules and regulations thereof.
For 3 days long we have been witness of the
great miracles of God. Mattheus has preached powerfully on the theme of the
conference to rise and shine from Isaiah 60. Preached powerfully on faith and
released an atmosphere of faith into the people. We have seen with our own eyes
how throughout these 3 days, over 1500 people bowed their knees for the first
time to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We have listened to the
testimonies of people being touched by the healing power of Jesus Christ.
Testimonies of deaf hearing, people who could hardly walk, walking and dancing
on the platform. One women testified that she could not cry since her eyes did
not produce fluid. She received a creative miracle and cried for the first time
in her live, tears of joy.
900 youth between 10 and 20 came forward on the
last day of the festival on the challenge by Mattheus to be a Josua and Kaleb
to their generation. When they stood in front of the platform, hand in hand,
longing for God to touch them, the Holy Spirit, like a rushing wind came upon
them and before our eyes we saw almost all 900 fall down under the power of
God, laying slain in the Spirit on the floor for minutes. The auditorium was
filled with awe. When just before that moment the Holy Spirit was invited to
touch the people in the auditorium, the atmosphere became electrified by His
presence, entire rows went down under His Power, loud cries were send up to
heaven, but when the 900 went down under His power, an atmosphere of deep reverence
and awe filled the place.
Since we had due to circumstances not be able to
fundraise the entire event in Holland, we had left in faith that God would
provide. The second day of the event, a series of financial miracles took place
and over $ 40.000 came in on one day, from a nation in which the average
monthly wage is only $ 60,--. Faith filled the organization comity so much
because of this that they boldly on the third day proclaimed they would hold
another festival next day. Within half an hour God touched the heart of
business people in the place and all the money needed for next year was being
pledged.
National television and journalists came in to
report on the event, something that has never happened before in this nation.
We interviewed the national director of inter religious affairs, who is a
muslim himself. He testified how excited he was about this event and how amazed
he was that the government gave permission for this event. Pastors we spoke
with testified that for the first time in their history all denominations were
involved in working together to preach the gospel. The believed that this event
will impact the church as a whole, has increased unity among all denominations
and has given increase and growth to the church.
From Indonesia pastor Philip Montofa came over
with 20 of his leaders, and he co worked with Mattheus in the preaching times
from the platform. The both of them carry clearly a breaker anointing and work
smoothly as a team seeing God’s power released through their ministry to the
people.
We really believe that God opened an amazing
door for the gospel to spread in this nation. Mattheus encouraged the
organization comity to not only built around this event, but to start a
movement. Just like RAN coming together with pastors. Work with to encourage
business man to invest in God’s Kingdom. This way the event and its impact will
last, will build the church in the long run and increase the impact for God’s
Kingdom. What we have seen was historical, God broke through and we have stood
in awe at this.