SIBI/ASIA SIBI INTERNATIONAL/ASIA – RON AND SHIRLEY DOWNEY

October 2011

Church in Ho Chi Minh City Receives Government OK

vd permission of

this issue

Government recognition for Vietnam Church

Threats of flooding for Bangkok School and Church

New Opportunity in Cambodia’s 2nd

Largest City

The document to the left is the official recognition of

the Vietnamese church in Ho Chi Minh City to worship.

This news comes from Ho Van Minh, minister of the Ho

Chi Minh City church.

Dear Bro Ron Downey. Very happy to announce

that the Church in Ho Chi Minh the government agreed

to allow HCM church to worship every week. Thank

you about all things you were pray for VN Church.

MINH

It now paves the way for teaching opportunities and

ministry training in Vietnam. Shortly, the training will

begin as a joint venture between VN and our school in

Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Bangkok Servant Leadership Institute Threatened by Flooding

We asked 5 accomplished managers the things they would’ve done differently at the onset of their careers Recent heavy rains in Thailand have

brought potential flooding to

Christians, church facilities, and our

BSLI school in Southern Bangkok.

A recent message from our Dean

Patinya Thitathan reads,

Dear Friends,

Flooding in Bangkok and surrounding

areas is still critical. Different news

agencies report different

information. This leads to confusion

among the people who live in

Bangkok…At this point there are

12,000 millions cubic meters of

water flowing down again the North

part of Bangkok. It will try to work

through the dikes tonight. This

unimaginable amount of water will

take at least two months to drain to

the gulf of Thailand. Some expert s

say that, in average, the whole of

Bangkok will be between 1 to 1.5

meters under water. There are some

lower parts of Bangkok, like my

house, could be 2 meters

underwater. I am trying to make a

decision tonight to keep all the 19

Bible students in Bangkok or to send

them home before the water level is

too high. By then, it could be too

late to send them home. I will have

to make decision week by week

when they can return to classes. One

important information is that we

cannot buy food, groceries and

drinking water right now…now

sugar, no water, no milk, no bread.

Last Sunday, the men met to discuss

how we can help members affected

by the flooding. The decision was

made that we would open the

building to any of our members and

neighbors that had to escape their

homes. At this point we have three

families who are members moved in

to stay in the office building.

Just five minutes ago on the TV, the

reporter said that about 40% of all

foreign communication could be

affected if the water in Bangkok

reaches 1 meter.

Please keep praying for Thailand. I

am planning to start disaster relief

effort soon.

God’s blessings, Patinya

PRAY

FOR

THAILAND

NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN CAMBODIA

TWO CBI GRADUATES TO DO NEW WORK IN BATTAMBANG

Two of our finest and recent graduates from CBI in Phnom Penh, Cambodia are making plans for an early 2012 work in the second largest city of this beautiful and receptive country.

Channy Ouk and Sokun Sokunkum will be moving after the first of the year to a northwest major city of Battambang. Both men are from the region originally and will be returning to their roots to plant the gospel.

Channy is married and is finishing his vocational training in PP by getting his law degree. Sokun will marry soon and will be helping to provide for his family and the church by farming. He is to do some additional vocation training in either PP or Battambang.

An exciting part of their work is the invitation to begin teaching a complete denominational church where Sokun’s family had been leaders before his decision to attend CBI. There will be a chance to change the direction of many people already looking to him for leadership and teaching.

These two gentle young men are among the vanguard of those finishing CBI with the training, desire, and opportunity to truly make a difference. They are looking for partners to help them in the beginning of their work.

(See Page 4 for more details on how you could help)

s

see

Sokun

Channy

Beautiful Feet

Upcoming Events

Ron and Shirley to make late winter trip to Asia

In our upcoming trip in February and March we will be travelling to India, Cambodia, and

the Philippines. In India we will hopefully rendezvous with many of our brothers in

Southern India about potential training institutes. We will be travelling to Mumbai,

Trivandrum, Bangalore, and Hyderabad as well as visiting our existing school in Bidar. In

Cambodia we will visit with the Battambang team and also see our brothers and sisters at

CBI as well as the BEST Center. We are hoping it coincides with graduation. We are also

going to visit with the leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City church about starting training in

Vietnam through the graduates and staff at CBI. The Philippine trip will help us to get our

curriculum matched up so we can offer our degree program throughout the four

Philippine schools. We will also teach leadership and Shirley will be teaching ladies from

the book of Ruth.

THERE ARE MANY NEEDS THAT YOU CAN HELP

I am currently looking for partners in our Asian work in the following areas:

o Partnering with our new Battambang team as they settle and develop

the church in the Northwest of Cambodia. The need will be

approximately $300 a month for at least the first three years.

o Partnering with CBI to bring teaching to Vietnam. Our first meetings

with the Ho Chi Minh City brethren will be during the February trip. It

will take us $1200 a year to service this need. We are hoping to use CBI

graduates to travel bi-monthly.

o Purchase of a motorcycle to aid Sokun’s work in Battambang. The cost

will be approximately $1000.

o Costs in the classroom in Bidar, India for desks, chairs, and whiteboards

will cost about $800.

o One of our teachers in the Philippine school at Olongapo has a wife in

need of serious surgery. In their system often the funds need to be paid

up front. This will cost them $1200.

If you can help in any of these matters, as a congregation or as

individuals please make contact with us through the Lodi

church. You can earmark your money to meet any of these

needs.

A Message from Heaven

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and

teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with

you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus

Jesus

SIBI/ASIA

600 South Ham Lane Lodi, CA. 95242-3531

530-415-8764 rondowney@hotmail.com

rondowney.wordpress.com