Memorial

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”

2 Cor. 5v1

Pastor Elisha Samuel   8 May 1959 – 14 December 2019

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

1 Cor. 15v55

Dear Mission Friends,

Around midnight 14 December, the Lord took our friend and brother Pastor Elisha Samuel home. Elisha arrived in the Netherlands early 2000 as a refugee. Through friends he came in contact with Eastern European Outreach. Not long after that he founded the Mission Church at the mission centre of EEO. The Mission Church became the home church for many refugees from Iraq and Syria. Several Muslims joined their friends and found the Lord as their Saviour at the Mission Church.

Elisha had not forgotten about his country of Pakistan either and started the Mission Schools leading the projects first from the Netherlands and later from Hungary. These were founded to give the poorest of the poor proper education. Christians in Pakistan, if not always persecuted, are barely tolerated. Many Brothers and Sisters in the Lord are slaving away in brick kilns and are not able to pay for an education. Over the years hundreds of children have had a free education through the Mission Schools.

Elisha also founded local Mission Churches. The last few years Elisha has also organised Barnabas Youth events especially preparing local pastors and Christians for outreach and evangelism.

Besides his work in Pakistan Elisha started a ministry among the Roma Gypsies in his new home country of Hungary, where he lived for the last 10 years of his life.

In 2019 Elisha was able to visit his native Pakistan twice, seeing his children who are both still living there, and he was also able to finally meet his grandchildren.

His final visit was in October this year. A brief report has been included in the attached newsletter.

Elisha had been battling with diabetes for many years; this disease progressed so far that he needed kidney dialysis 3 times per week. Early last week he was hospitalised due to a broken knee. In the hospital he developed pneumonia, which later proved to be fatal.

Pastor Elisha has fought the good fight. He will be missed dearly for who he was, but also for his leadership for the projects, something which will continue, but his are big feet to fill.

God bless every one of you,

The EEO UK Board of Trustees