Our Beginnings

January 2005

Dear Friends, In February, Lisa and I returned to some of our roots. We spoke at the church we attended while doing our undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan. That church, Ann Arbor Assembly of God, now is pastored by Joe and Jeanne Sazyc, friends and former contemporaries of ours. They, together with many others, helped us in our early days of ministry. Lisa and I visited East Quad, the dorm famous for deviant behavior, where we met and together participated in a campus ministry. We were blessed to remember our past and to thank many who believed in us back when there was not much to believe in. From those humble beginnings, we continue to be astounded by what God is doing through Good Shepherd around the world. This month we especially have been encouraged by news of the ISOM from Asia. In Vietnam, at the end of January, we had our first official graduation of key leaders from all over the nation. We have over 1,000 leaders currently being trained through the ISOM in Vietnam. The leader of the ISOM program was jailed a few months ago. By Gods grace, he is now free and pressing forward with the program. We also continue to be amazed by reports out of China. Despite increased persecution, we expect to graduate another 7,000 leaders in April who have all been systematically trained through the ISOM. The Women of the World project captured a wonderful recording early in February with Pat Harrison. Her teachings on the Holy Spirit were powerful. At the end of February, we also are scheduled to record Lisa Bevere. She will be teaching on sexual purity and self-esteem. We are planning a large launch of the Women of the World program in November in the Philippines. Each recording we do is a milestone in the project. Please pray for the huge translation task that lies ahead for this important material.
Pat Harrison shares her heart.

Berin and Lisa where they met at the University of Michigan.

Graduations Despite Persecution

Current graduates from the underground church in Vietnam

February Women of the World Recordings

Bringing the Gospel to the Unreached

In February, Tim and Rhonda Taylor visited Tuxtepec, a remote area in central Mexico. Tim not only got to share about the ISOM on a local radio station, but he and Rhonda got to join J. Elmore Heitman and his team in presenting an evangelism movie called Gods Story to the Chinanteco Indians. Good Shepherd has been working on this translation for over a year, and it represents the first movie ever recorded in this unreached people language. The team trekked into remote Indian villages for about a week and showed the film to over 2,000 people.

Team Completes Punjabi Language

ISOM Express has now been launched in the USA, and the response has been very exciting. This new version of the ISOM removes the translation gaps and enables English schools to complete their lectures in about half the time, without losing any content. An existing ISOM school in North America can upgrade Trimester One to the new format for only $75. The additional trimesters will be released every two months at the same, per-trimester price. Another exciting area is the development of new ISOM languages. We recently received back the first trimester of the ISOM in the Pashto language. This translation is being done in Afghanistan in a very dangerous environment. Pashto is key to reaching over half of the Afghan people. We also recently completed the translation of the ISOM into the Punjabi language. This language was funded a year ago by a small Texas church called Oasis Christian Fellowship. Recently the pastors of Oasis, together with those using our ISOM material in India, visited our offices and told of the great impact of the ISOM in India. They are very excited about the new Punjabi material. It opens up ISOM training to 60 million people. Please continue to remember Good Shepherd in your prayers and giving. We still need people to support our orphans in Myanmar. Just $15 a month will help us provide the needs of a child. Lisa and I have been so deeply affected by the work there that we personally are helping with the support of 10 kids each month. Please join us in this effort. Your prayers and your giving to all we are doing are appreciated deeply. Thank you for your partnership, and for standing with us in this vision. Much Love in Christ For Nations to Be Discipled,

Mary Ann (India), Art & Linda (Texas), Nasir (ISOM) and Daniel (India)

Myanmar Orphans Need Your Support

Just one of the children we continue to bless in Myanmar.

Berin, Lisa and the Whole Good Shepherd Team