A Sri Lankan Connection from November, 1994

My connection to the nation of Sri Lanka began in November, 1994. In the early 1990's, in an effort to involve the children and youth of Westside Family Fellowship in World Missions, we raised upwards to $20,000. by collecting cans and bottles, conducting garage and bake sales! The first $10,000. was given to World Vision for the construction of water catchments in Kenya for Pastor Paul, a national pastor/church planter known very well to our church congregation. Then the second $10,000. was invested in a building project in Kandy, Sri Lanka, selected for us by Hope International.

During the month of November, 1994, twelve adults, including two leaders appointed by Hope International, traveled to Sri Lanka to build a classroom on a cross-cultural training school. It was during that time that I connected with Emmanuel Jayakrishna, a pastor from the Kandy Lighthouse Church, and a leader among the Fellowship of Free Churches of Sri Lanka. By means of my visit to Sri Lanka in 1994, and Pastor Emmanuel's visit to Canada in 1995, we were able to establish a working relationship between Westside Family Fellowship and the Lighthouse churches in Sri Lanka.
1. As a result of that relationship, I returned to Sri Lanka in 1997, accompanied by Brian Cornelus, to minister in many of the churches of their family of churches.
2. In 1998, Westside Family Fellowship was invited to sponsor a Family Conference for the leaders of the Fellowship of Free Churches of Sri Lanka, including their spouses and their children. 175 people participated in the three day event.
3. In 1999, Glenna and I were in Sri Lanka from August 1 to November 30, giving assistance to the English congregation in a multi-language church in Kandy.
4. In 2002, Marlo and I were invited to share the teaching on "Spiritual Fathering," with over one hundred pastors and evangelists from throughout the nation of Sri Lanka. During that same period of time, five girls, including Amber Alexander, Kristin Johnson, Kerry Mooney, Jolene Farmer, and Jessica Krahn traveled to Sri Lanka to minister to children.

One afternoon during one of our daily siestas on the shores of the Indian Ocean, I lay on the bed of our asigned room, and I thought about my retirement as senior pastor of Westside Family Fellowship. My thoughts were a prayer, "Lord, what will I ever do when I conclude that pastoral ministry at the church." As I lay there, I thought I heard the Lord say something very clear concerning the next ten years of my life. Then I said to myself, "But I could never tell that to any one, they would think me arrogant!" After our mission in Sri Lanka was done, I returned home. As I often do, I was reading one of E. Stanley Jones daily devotionals, and this is what I read: "When I was nearing the age of seventy, the Lord said to me, "I am going to give you the ten best years of your life and ministry." Later I repeated this to a friend of mine, and he said, "Oh Stanley, you don't even know if you will live that long, you may die during that ten years." Smiling, I said to him, "Well it will still be the best ten years of my life, don't you think?" After reading that, I thought, if E. Stanley Jones can write such words for all the world to read, then I can tell people what I heard in my heart that day during my siesta in my room on the shores of the Indian Ocean. You see, that is precisely what I heard in my heart from the Lord, "Arlo, I am going to give you the best ten years of your life and ministry!" Well, I am into the eighth year of that ten years already, and it has been the most amazing time in my life! I have been able to return on five more mission trips to Sri Lanka, and I have led another four of the largest, and most amazing tour groups to Israel with a total 123 people traveling with me to the Holy Land. For all of these wonderful blessings, I give all praise to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! God is so good to me! Praise the Lord!

5. In 2003, Glenna and I took thirteen young people (including Kinsley and Kristin Johnson, Lucus Chance, Ryan Doerksen, Katrina Liss, Tony and Beverly Vigar, Amber and Chelan Alexander, Randy Desmarais, Jolene Farmer, Jessica Krahn, and Ruth Barker) to work with Street Children in Day Camps for a three week period. Jolene stayed a total of seven weeks as she worked at Lotus Buds Children Home, and Jessica worked at Lotus Buds until near the end of 2003. In total Glenna and I were in Sri Lanka for seven weeks conducting three major regional leadership conferences, and several church-wide ministries.

It was in the last of these regional conferences in Badulla, that God did a new thing through our ministry in Sri Lanka, leaders from seven different denominations came together in this event. A miracle occurred, God's blessing was a strong indication of His approval on our attempt to increase the unity of the Body of Christ in a particular region. We did not know the future outcome of this conference, but God did!

6. In retrospect, we now see that the four conferences conducted from 2006 t0 2009 were the direct result of God's blessing that had been released on the Badulla Conference in 2003. In March, 2006, we (including Larry Keegstra, Marlo Johnson, and Arlo Johnson) conducted three regional conferences, three days in length. In March, 2007, we (including Tony Vigar, Marlo Johnson, and Arlo Johnson) conducted four regional conferences, three days in length. In March, 2008, we (including Arlo and Glenna Johnson) conducted nine, one day regional conferences, as we repeated our 2003 teaching on "Spiritual Fathering," to a greatly increased number of spiritual leaders from the rural and remote regions of Sri Lanka. In March, 2009, we (including Marlo and Arlo Johnson) conducted sixteen, one day conferences with 1,000 pastors and leaders in attendance. During the 2009 conferences we printed and distributed over 1200 copies of a book that included my teachings that I shared in the conferences of 2008-09.

FINANCIAL PROJECTS toward which contributions are needed during 2009-10 ... We are providing financial support for the feeding of upwards to 200 children in the poverty stricken village of Monaragala. The monthly cost is $400. We are in the process of completing the space and equipment needed to adequately operate a pre-school nursery at Mahiyangana. The completion of this project will result in the issuing of a legal permit to operate the school. This is very important for the future of God's work there. Approximately 50 children are being ministered to five days each week. We still need about $3500. to complete the project.

Monaragala has been declared as the poorest village in Sri Lanka. We are not only working in that village, but in another village attached to Monaragala. Presently, it is the location of one of our children's feeding programs. This ministry to these children could be expanded to include a Montessori School by the construction of a small educational building on an available piece of land, all for the sum of $5,000. A pastor in a remote area needs a Trishaw (motorized three wheeler) at the cost of $3,000. Prayerfully consider what you might do to assist in these needs.

You can contact me at 250-964-5638 to share your charitable donation. Arlo A. Johnson