Schools Returned to ARP Mission
This email was received today, June 5, from Gary Letchworth, World Witness missionary to Pakistan.

Today I received a telephone call from the Education Department in Lahore offering me, “Congratulations!”  The Chief Minister has signed our petition for the denationalization of our schools, and the document had arrived at the Education Department for implementation.

I asked when an official notification would be issued, and he responded, “At 11 a.m. on Monday morning, June 8.”  I then asked how many schools will be denationalized and returned to the Mission, and he responded, “Three immediately, and the other seven at a later date.”  I accepted this, and made an appointment with the Additional Secretary of Education at the appointed time, for the handing over of the official notification for the three schools, which includes our Girls Mission High School, Sahiwal; our small primary school, Burewala; and our large primary school, Chichawatni.

God’s timing is perfect!  Schools have let out for the summer months, and no one is in the schools.  Our MLPS Hostel girls have returned home for the summer months as well.  This will give us time to do what repairs need to be done, and remove all the Islamic verses from the walls, and prepare for the opening of school the middle of August.

Now we need to pray more earnestly for the government to grant missionary visas for the Howard’s so that Andy can get his language acquisition and be prepared to oversee the management of the schools.  Shamshad plans to accompany me to the education office on Monday for the handing over of the official notification, and then he plans to go on to Islamabad to follow up on the visa applications for the Howards, the Branhams, the Beldings and Jane Jennings.

I’m writing a letter of urgency to the home office of the Minister of Interior informing of the urgent need for the visas for the Branhams and the Howards – because Branham is the hospital director, and Howard is to be the director of the schools being handed over to the mission.

Everyone in Sahiwal who has heard is ecstatic over the news.  However, I’m encouraging all to keep it quiet until the notification is in our hands and the schools have been officially turned over to the mission.  We never know when Satan will raise up his ugly head and stop the process.

In other words, keep praying.  I am!  Be greatly encouraged.  I am!  This has come at a wonderful time so that it can be announced officially before the USA General Synod on Wednesday, June 10, and before the Pakistan General Synod, Thursday, June 18, here in Sahiwal.  This is a great day!  Rejoice with me!