From Jordan to California to Madagascar
by Terry Barone http://www.csbc.com/article88857.htm
FRESNO - Madagascar probably is best known for lemurs, but a California family serving as missionaries with the International Mission Board wants Southern Baptists to know it is a country of 17.3 million people who need to know Jesus as Savior.When Taisir and Kristi Emeish and their children tell people they live in Madagascar, they are surprised how few know much about the fourth largest island in the world, much less where it is located. After two-and-a-half years, they believe it is their ministry to educate Southern Baptists about evangelism and ministry needs that exist there.The Emeishes, their daughter, Jasmine, and their son, Sami, are in the United States on an abbreviated stateside assignment this summer. Looking back on their calling, the husband and wife agree: "God prepared us our whole lives for what we are doing now," according to Taisir, a Jordanian by birth and raised Catholic.That might seem a stretch for a Southern Baptist missionary until one learns that his wife, a native Californian, was raised as a Jehovah's Witness.A rebellious teenager in Jordan, Taisir was expelled from public school. The only private school to accept him was the Baptist school in Ajloun, operated by Southern Baptist missionaries.It was at the Ajloun school that Taisir made a profession of faith in Christ. "They took me in and discipled me," he said. "Since that time, I've always wanted to be a missionary and tell others about Jesus."But Taisir began to feel that would never happen. He moved to the United States where he received college degrees in engineering and industrial management, and worked in the oil industry until it took a nosedive. He then took a management position with Wal-Mart and moved to California where he met Kristi. They married in 1995."When Taisir and I met, I was not a Christian," Kristi said. "I believed in God and I loved God, but I didn't believe in organized religion. I didn't feel like I needed church."After marriage, Taisir witnessed to Kristi. While pregnant with their first child, she recalled wondering, "If I died today, what would happen to me? After about a year, I went to my room, got on my knees, and asked Jesus to come into my life."An Arab-speaking mission was meeting at Trinity Southern Baptist Church in Fresno and friends of the Emeishes invited them to attend. Taisir wanted to, but Kristi didn't."He convinced me to go," she said. "Everything was in Arabic and I couldn't understand anything. I went to the English-speaking service out of curiosity."I had a strong desire to learn and wanted God to show me His will for my life. I told my husband I wanted to come back the next week, but not for the Arabic service," she said jokingly. "The Holy Spirit used that opportunity to say to me, 'Just go and try me, Kristi, and see what I can do for you.'"Two women from Trinity discipled Kristi, who admitted, "They had to clean up a lot of what I learned as a Jehovah's Witness."A few years later the Emeishes attended a missions conference at Glorieta (NM) Conference Center."We thought it would be great to serve," she said, "but our kids were little. It would be too much work and be too difficult. It wouldn't be fair to them, so I put it out of my mind. I thought I'd live out my life as a soccer mom."After returning from Glorieta, Taisir inquired about becoming international missionaries and received an application from the IMB. He kept it hidden from his wife because "I didn't know what she would do," he said.A few days later Kristi asked him why he had been acting "strange" and he admitted what he had done.Kristi's first reaction was, "No way! Maybe I'd consider it when the kids are grown. That is not for us."She promised to pray, and asked God to change her heart and mind. "I knew He wouldn't call one of us and not the other," she said.Eventually the couple began the application process and the door stayed open.Since Taisir is from Jordan, the Emeishes hoped to be appointed to the Middle-East or North Africa, but nothing was available. They chose Madagascar because the position had been open for years.According to the Emeishes, Madagascar is a "difficult place to live and minister.""Poverty is rampant," Kristi said. "The poverty is hard to deal with because you are surrounded by it constantly. The only time to get away from it is in your home. That makes it easy to make your home a sanctuary, but that is not why God called us there."You want to take care of as many needs as possible," Kristi said, "but we can't. We try to express the Lord is the ultimate caregiver and attempt to witness through what we do.""Our goal is to evangelize the people groups of the island, but it is made difficult because roads are not developed, which makes it difficult to reach them," Taisir noted.Kristi said it's easy to share the gospel because the people of Madagascar are open. The difficulty comes because the Malagasy people are "accepting of everything. They say yes to Jesus, yes to ancestor worship and yes to the Pope. However, our responsibility is to show them that Jesus is the only way."Baptist ministry in Madagascar is growing, according to the Emeishes, who ask Southern Baptists to pray for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, openness among the Malagasy people and additional laborers for the harvest."We have the need for volunteers as well as long-term missionaries," Taisir said. "On the island, there are 18 unreached people groups, 13 of which number more than 100,000."Kristi encouraged Southern Baptists to be open to God's call to missions. "If they are like me they'll come up with all kinds of excuses," she explained.During a daily quiet time, God confirmed in Kristi's heart that she was doing the right thing as she read I Corinthians 2:1-5 in which the Apostle Paul writes about not being eloquent, not having superior wisdom, being fearful and weak and non-persuasive.She noted, "I realized I was like Paul who demonstrated the Spirit's power so that his faith might not rest on men's wisdom."I don't know a lot," Kristi said. "But I do know Christ loves me and died for me, and that is all you really need to know to share it with the world."
by Terry Barone http://www.csbc.com/article88857.htm
FRESNO - Madagascar probably is best known for lemurs, but a California family serving as missionaries with the International Mission Board wants Southern Baptists to know it is a country of 17.3 million people who need to know Jesus as Savior.When Taisir and Kristi Emeish and their children tell people they live in Madagascar, they are surprised how few know much about the fourth largest island in the world, much less where it is located. After two-and-a-half years, they believe it is their ministry to educate Southern Baptists about evangelism and ministry needs that exist there.The Emeishes, their daughter, Jasmine, and their son, Sami, are in the United States on an abbreviated stateside assignment this summer. Looking back on their calling, the husband and wife agree: "God prepared us our whole lives for what we are doing now," according to Taisir, a Jordanian by birth and raised Catholic.That might seem a stretch for a Southern Baptist missionary until one learns that his wife, a native Californian, was raised as a Jehovah's Witness.A rebellious teenager in Jordan, Taisir was expelled from public school. The only private school to accept him was the Baptist school in Ajloun, operated by Southern Baptist missionaries.It was at the Ajloun school that Taisir made a profession of faith in Christ. "They took me in and discipled me," he said. "Since that time, I've always wanted to be a missionary and tell others about Jesus."But Taisir began to feel that would never happen. He moved to the United States where he received college degrees in engineering and industrial management, and worked in the oil industry until it took a nosedive. He then took a management position with Wal-Mart and moved to California where he met Kristi. They married in 1995."When Taisir and I met, I was not a Christian," Kristi said. "I believed in God and I loved God, but I didn't believe in organized religion. I didn't feel like I needed church."After marriage, Taisir witnessed to Kristi. While pregnant with their first child, she recalled wondering, "If I died today, what would happen to me? After about a year, I went to my room, got on my knees, and asked Jesus to come into my life."An Arab-speaking mission was meeting at Trinity Southern Baptist Church in Fresno and friends of the Emeishes invited them to attend. Taisir wanted to, but Kristi didn't."He convinced me to go," she said. "Everything was in Arabic and I couldn't understand anything. I went to the English-speaking service out of curiosity."I had a strong desire to learn and wanted God to show me His will for my life. I told my husband I wanted to come back the next week, but not for the Arabic service," she said jokingly. "The Holy Spirit used that opportunity to say to me, 'Just go and try me, Kristi, and see what I can do for you.'"Two women from Trinity discipled Kristi, who admitted, "They had to clean up a lot of what I learned as a Jehovah's Witness."A few years later the Emeishes attended a missions conference at Glorieta (NM) Conference Center."We thought it would be great to serve," she said, "but our kids were little. It would be too much work and be too difficult. It wouldn't be fair to them, so I put it out of my mind. I thought I'd live out my life as a soccer mom."After returning from Glorieta, Taisir inquired about becoming international missionaries and received an application from the IMB. He kept it hidden from his wife because "I didn't know what she would do," he said.A few days later Kristi asked him why he had been acting "strange" and he admitted what he had done.Kristi's first reaction was, "No way! Maybe I'd consider it when the kids are grown. That is not for us."She promised to pray, and asked God to change her heart and mind. "I knew He wouldn't call one of us and not the other," she said.Eventually the couple began the application process and the door stayed open.Since Taisir is from Jordan, the Emeishes hoped to be appointed to the Middle-East or North Africa, but nothing was available. They chose Madagascar because the position had been open for years.According to the Emeishes, Madagascar is a "difficult place to live and minister.""Poverty is rampant," Kristi said. "The poverty is hard to deal with because you are surrounded by it constantly. The only time to get away from it is in your home. That makes it easy to make your home a sanctuary, but that is not why God called us there."You want to take care of as many needs as possible," Kristi said, "but we can't. We try to express the Lord is the ultimate caregiver and attempt to witness through what we do.""Our goal is to evangelize the people groups of the island, but it is made difficult because roads are not developed, which makes it difficult to reach them," Taisir noted.Kristi said it's easy to share the gospel because the people of Madagascar are open. The difficulty comes because the Malagasy people are "accepting of everything. They say yes to Jesus, yes to ancestor worship and yes to the Pope. However, our responsibility is to show them that Jesus is the only way."Baptist ministry in Madagascar is growing, according to the Emeishes, who ask Southern Baptists to pray for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, openness among the Malagasy people and additional laborers for the harvest."We have the need for volunteers as well as long-term missionaries," Taisir said. "On the island, there are 18 unreached people groups, 13 of which number more than 100,000."Kristi encouraged Southern Baptists to be open to God's call to missions. "If they are like me they'll come up with all kinds of excuses," she explained.During a daily quiet time, God confirmed in Kristi's heart that she was doing the right thing as she read I Corinthians 2:1-5 in which the Apostle Paul writes about not being eloquent, not having superior wisdom, being fearful and weak and non-persuasive.She noted, "I realized I was like Paul who demonstrated the Spirit's power so that his faith might not rest on men's wisdom."I don't know a lot," Kristi said. "But I do know Christ loves me and died for me, and that is all you really need to know to share it with the world."
It was difficult leaving family and friends after spending 10 weeks with them this past summer while visiting the States, after having been away for 3 1/2 yrs. We loved sharing with them what God has done in Madagascar. It was great visiting our home Church in California, (Trinity Southern Baptist of Fresno California). It was really hot there and as we told everyone that we were looking forward to returning to Africa in order to cool off:). Yes, it is much cooler here and we're in the midst of winter.
Now to share with you what's on our hearts.
“When man works, man works; when man prays, God works.” --Hans Von Staden
As you kneel with us, we ask that you pray:
1. For God to go before the villages that we enter for ministry, and that hearts will be ready to receive Jesus as the Savior.
2. Ask God to send a Strategy Leader to work among the BaraPeople group, one of our most unreached people groups of Madagascar.
3.Please begin praying for a stateside medical team that has volunteered to do medical/ministry work in the Midwest of the Island Oct.9-14 . Pray for the hearts of those in the villages that have not committed their lives to the Savior. Also, pray for Kristi and LuSinda as they will join the volunteers to assist the work.Pray for protection over those villages as they are known to have bandits in the area. Pray that there would be a true revival there for the new church started in the village.
4. As our Madagascar team grows, Pray that we will always remainencouraging to each other.
5.Pray that Kristi will have a renewed spirit for the Malagasypeople, and love them like Jesus, despite past hurts and deception from the nationals.
Because you have prayed for the Emeish FamilyGod has granted us with all that we need for the mission taskGod has opened homes and places for us to share our testimonies.
God has helped us see that closed doors mean open doors in other places
God is showing us how to minister physically to those that we are sharing with.
Because you prayed for God to send more workers, and for the Mahafaly people group:
As always our Lord is so faithful in answering. This past July a new family arrived on the Island Chuck, Amy, Caleb, Joy, and Mark we were thrilled to have them join our team. They will eventually move to the South of Madagascar (Tuliear) They will serve as strategy leader in reaching the Mahafaly people group.
What the Emeishes are praying for you:
That you will be on mission with God through
Praying: http://www.imb.org/compassionnet.org
Going: http://www.going.imb.org/
Our first act of love for the lost of the world should be to pray for their salvation.
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1. Sami reading to orphan
2 Jasmine befriends a coastal Malagasy girl
3. Sami dressed like traditional malagasy man
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