Lian & Clara Tombing

Ministry Area: India
Responsibilities: Evangelism & Church Planting, Orphanage, Leadership Training, Mercy Ministries
E-mail Address: lian_clara@yahoo.com
Project: Covenant Children’s Home

Updates:

12.05.2007

Dear friends and supporters,

Greetings in the gracious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We hope this update finds you all doing well. A lot has happened since our last update a long while ago. By God’s grace and also because of your unceasing intercession for us and our ministry, much has been accomplished, and many challenges have been over-came despite our shortcomings. In short, this year has been a fruitful one.

Praises:

Covenant Children’s Home:

i) We are privileged in caring for and becoming the parents of 173 children, including our three daughters. We are blessed to have 20 staff that is deeply committed to the cause of bringing up the children to be God fearing self-reliant adults. Praise the Lord with us for the good and healthy working relationships.

ii) We are planning to take in more than 100 orphans into the Home, God willing, next year 2008.

Covenant School: Covenant School has 750 students this year with 20 staff. The school is self-supporting. We are also grateful to Lord that the school staff is dedicated to providing wholesome education to the students. We have so far been able to finish 80% of the School building, the fund for building is provided by the Lord through bank loan, friends from USA, and PMI.

Church Planting: The Lord blessed our partnership in planting churches in and around Manipur, North-East India. The following Churches were planted by the Presbyterian Church in India (PCI) during the year 2007:

(i) Saljang Presbyterian Church (ii) M. Tanglian Presbyterian Church
(iii) Mata Mualtam Presbyterian church (iv) Daijang Presbyterian Church
(v) Bethsaida Presbyterian Church (vi) Emmanuel Presbyterian Church

Leadership Training:

January 8 – 12, 2007: Pastor Jerry Gill, Associate Pastor, New City Fellowship, Fredericksburg, VA, along with Lian, Rev. T.L. Dousel, Rev. Vung D. Tombing, trained pastors, elders, deacons, and lay leaders on Christian Family – Marriage, Parenting, and Discipleship at Mualkoi Presbyterian Church.

March 19 – 27, 2007: Rev.Brad Evans, Pastor of Presbyterian Church of Coventry, CT, along with Lian, Rev. T.L. Dousel, Rev. Vung D. Tombing, trained pastors, elders, deacons, and lay leaders on the Lord’s Supper, and Reformed Doctrine, at Mualkoi Presbyterian Church.

September 18 – 29, 2007: Elders and Deacons to be ordained at the Presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church in India, on The Book of Church Order, Shorter & Larger Catechisms, Bible Content Overview, and Covenant Theology by Rev. Lian C. Tombing, Rev. Vung D. Tombing, Rev. Thiansong Hangsing, and Rev. K. Ginzalian

Pray With Us:

Covenant Children’s Home:

1. As we prepare to take in more than 100 orphans in January 2008. The Government of India has offered to build one Dormitory for 100 Girls, at the estimated cost of about $60,000. Please pray for smooth process of files and sanctioning of the required funds for building.

2. We are processing a mineral water source for the Children at the cost of $5,000. It is about 2 miles from the orphanage. This will save us spending on firewoods to boil water for drinking. Pray for the success of project.

3. As we care for hundreds of “Children at Risk”, who are growing into teenagers really fast, please pray for wisdom and love from above so that our team would be equipped to meet the daily challenges.

4. Financial needs - We are $10,000 deficit due to decrease of dollar-rupee exchange rate, and addition of about 20 orphans who took shelter with us as the orphanage they lived faced bankruptcy and closed down. Please pray that the Lord will continue providing extra funds for us.

Covenant School: This year the Lord has blessed us with 738 students. These students are overcrowded in their classrooms since the school building is still incomplete. As preparation for 2008 Academic Session, we are in need of $30,000 for construction of the School building during the month of December 2007 – January 2008.

Church Planting: The newly planted six churches meets in the home of the church members. They are in need of church buildings. Our church is committed for $5,000 and we still need another $5,000 for each church building. Please pray with us so that the Lord will provide additional funds.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support. God bless you.

In His grace,

Lian & Clara Tombing

04.02.2007

Dear friends and supporters,

New Year greetings! and a heartfelt thanks from our family and ministerial staff at Covenant Children’s Home and Covenant School for your faithful prayerful and financial support throughout the year 2006.

As the Lord has brought us this far to see the New Year of 2007, it is evidence of His grace and renewed calling to serve Him as best and as faithful as we could for one more year. May we envy your prayerful and financial support even this year again. Our family is excited to begin this new year and to start to continue the ministry by His grace.

And here is our update for April 2007 in order for you to know about our schedule and pray for us more effectively.

Praises:

1. We had had seven friends from New City Fellowship, Fredericksburg, VA and Bethesda Presbyterian Church, MD from January 6 - 15, 2007. It is quite exited and best way to begin a new year with seven people who has a heart for the orphans at Covenant Children’s Home, and to teach students, elders and pastors in various disciplines. The staffs at Covenant Children’s Home and Covenant School, and our pastors, elders, women in the church, and youths are greatly encouraged by their ministry.
2. Our family is enjoying God’s grace by having good health and loving relationships. Our youngest daughter, KHUMI turned almost 7 months now. And the eldest one, Agigail will turn 7 next month, and our second daughter, Zoulian will turn 5 in March. Clara is enjoying her time with the children at Covenant Children’s Home, and maintaining and building relationship with members of families and friends. She is truly my better half as she takes care of half the responsibilities in our ministry.
3. We are planning and praying to get more orphans in the Home. The pressure is strong and the need is real. But the One who call us in this ministry is above all and in control. He will do all the needful and takes care of the orphans and widows by providing all their needs.

Prayer Concerns:

1. Lian is planning to visit Mimbung Presbyterian church on January 27 - 29, 2007. This church was planted at the border of Manipur and Mizoram. The church is sick and need prayer supports.
2. Pastor Brad Evans and Carl Mohrbacher from the Presbyterian Church of Coventry, CT are planning to visit us from February 2 - 22, 2007. Pastor Evans will leave on February 9, and Carl plans to stay till February 22. Please pray for obtaining Protected Area Permit (PAP), and God’s interference in enabling them to come and do ministry as much as they desired. During their visit Rev. Brad Evans will train pastors and elders on “The fencing of the Lord’s Table” and on “Reformed Doctrinal Standards”. While Carl Mohrbacher would stay in remote villages and help them get water supply for them. If it is God’s will, Carl plans to stay for at least one month in Manipur.
3. Please pray for the need to raise support for the First Phase of Covenant School Building Construction for the year 2007 that needs to completed in January before the classes begin in February. We need $10,000 for this.
4. The Orange Farm at Tonglon need to be cleaned and pesticide. We need $5,000 for this. Presently we have more than 1,000 trees bearing fruits, and more than 3,000 saplings of 3 to 4 feet height. Our plan and purpose for this orange farm is to make it an income generating project to support the orphanage, and the church.
5. We do not plan to take in more orphans this years due to lack of funds. However, an orphanage is sending 20 orphans to Covenant Children’s Home, since these children have no relatives to go back and live with. We are somehow compelled to take them. Otherwise these children would spend their whole lives in the streets, and in the course of time, turned to be drug addicts or prostitutes.

Thank you once again. And God bless you.

In His grace,
Lian & Clara

12.10.2006