Mar
30
Mar
26
Who is your Father? Who is your sister?
Each day of the Honduras medical trip was a special day. Thursday I had the opportunity to go door to door, leaving food supplies and doing some encouraging through a translator. In the afternoon we went a little further out into the countryside to distribute some food, flip flops and toys to children. The home we went to was typical of the region. It was there that we met Sandra. Sandra is a 17 year old teenager who had been attending church in Namasegue. She could not read, since school had not been an option for her. The local preacher had been studying with her. Tim Agee and I had the privilege of studying some more with her. Tim asked so many important questions and led her through some of the conversion stories in Acts. I was blessed with the opportunity to work through the steps of salvation. After going through the steps we went to Revelation 2:10; “…and I will give you the crown of life.” Sandra is that what you want? Her reply was yes! However, she wanted to get permission from her earthly father before she was baptized. It was at that point the discussion turned to obedience to our heavenly father. It is He who we ultimately want to please and serve. After a few moments of discussion with the local minister (all in Spanish) Sandra was willing to render complete obedience to God and be baptized. I was reminded of a passage about our heavenly father in Matthew 7:11; “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” At that point Sandra understood that her heavenly father not her earthly father, loved her so much that He gave his son as a ransom for her. We were able to load up in the vehicles and go to the river for the second time that day to witness a 17 year old give her life to Christ. I don’t know about you, or the others who were with us on that occasion, but that simple act of obedience will always bring chills up and down my spine and a smile to my face. Before and after her baptism we sang songs of praise to our God. When Sandra came up out of the water, she was greeted by her new brothers and sisters in Christ. One of my favorite pictures of the trip is several of the ladies arm and arm with Sandra. Who are her sisters? Kyla, Donna, Ann, Katie, Krista, and Kristen were there to hug her and let her know of there love. You also are her sister/brother. Check the bulletin board for a picture of Sandra and her sisters!
Mar
18
February 2010
The God’s peace lives in your hearts always. My desire is that you are bless every day in the love of the Lord.
February was another opportunity to learn something new in the mission of Jesus.
Here in Ramon Amaya in Tegucigalpa in February we begin new activities like new contacts search, of these new contacts we had a new sister, she was baptized in the second week of February.
We here did a lunch to sell and all the money we gave it to a brother who was sick, he needed money to buy medicine, now he is better, I was thinking that some brothers do not agree with the sales in the church but here it was necessary to help a brother.
I still try to teach to ours leaders of the church and to teach others to read and write but still it continues being difficult, in this place the persons is difficultly to learn because they fight every day to survive and cannot think about another thing. Sometimes I suffer for all that but I wait the God’s will is done.
Every Saturday I have begun a few special classes with the teenagers with teaching to the adolescence and sexuality; as all parts in this country, here the women have many children without having either house or food. I want to teach to the young men to love God and to obey the Bible, also to work and to study before make children, dooing this as way to the development.
Please brothers pray for the mission here and especially for the teenagers, they are in very much danger for the drugs and the violence in this country. there are very basic things that the people do not know here. The church is an alternative for the youth to learn to be different and special for God.
Blessigns
samuel
Mar
18
February 2010
Dear Brethren,
I wish you grace, peace and love from our God and Jesus Christ. I want to keep in touch with you and to inform you about the activities done by the church where I serve.
From the 7th of February to the 2nd of March
Now in El Salvador the life is critical, and somehow has affected the normal development of our lifes. First of all the economy it is not so good because the changes of new goverment are not so good (The hospitals don´t have medicines, the food and everything are very expensive). In the second hand the number of homicides in our coutry has risen, becasue many they cant´t to pay the extortions. Some members our Church are paying to the criminals, others are members are intimidating to pay the extortion. The last year I received a call of the criminals to pay…but thanks to God, I and my family are ok.
But, God always have a goods news to us, and my country have the name of our Jesus Christ (Saviour and spanis is “El Salvador”). The first Sunday of February the ladies group celebrated the baby shower of our sister Marlene. I am sure that this baby will be a member of the Church of Christ. Seily was giving some verses of the Bible and encouraging to our sister, Marlene was reciving gifts, a green container to take a shower of her baby.
So, this Sunday we were praying for our future building, and we started with walls. Just, we have for it, and a main door. We spent all our budget $2,700 to the walls, and $900 to the main door. But, we hope to continue giving constributions, and we hope recieved some help or friends, brothers and churches from out our church.
Sunday 7th we are prayin Wenesday 10th we beginning to build the walls
The second week of Frebuary I was visiting to a lady who was transplanted a kidney
This a really blessing to me because I have been blessed, so I have the mission to talk about my experience, but the great blessing that I have is: “Pray and talk about the Almighty God and really so good”.
Saturday 13th The Association of Transplanted Renal of El Savador celebreted the “The Kidney donors” I was saying some spiritual words to the doctors, nurses, transplanateds, and donors”. So, my sister Rubia donor was sharing and saying words about her experiencie and ecouraging to be “kidney donor”.
Sunday 14th I was preaching to couple of church of Christ (central church and founded by missionaries from United States in the sixty years). It was my first time that I have preached a wedding.
The Third Week I was visiting two sister are sick they live 1oo miles from Santa Ana , they have cancer and kineys…with my mom, brother in law and my wife were praying for them and trying to help with somehin to them.
The fourth week and the whole month I saw Jesus, and I was really blessed when I was visiting to members of Church. My mother got some clothes to our brethren. They don´t have basic needs, and they don’t have enough food to meet their needs… One family gave us “bananas”, and a widow gave us some coins of 25 cents. She was celebrating her birthday, now she has 60 years. 25 cents per every year ($15) this money is to help to build our building.
On March we wil have a meeting in home of one family that have problems to come in the middle of the week. The purpose is to teach and feed to our brothers, and the future have one new church there.
Needs we would like to have a program to give food to the hungry, scholarship to our kids and youth, and someday a medical brigade. The last year brothers from Una ChurchofChrist from Nashville, Tennessee and it was their first time that they were visited us.
Thanks God I am doing well. Just, I ask your prayers for my family and needs.
Through Him your brother,
Mario&Seily Lara
Mar
18
MISSION WORK REPORT
Marvin Tercero, Bogotá – Colombia
Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Once again I have the joy to tell you about our work in Bogota, Colombia. We have seen how God has blessed us during the time in Colombia. After almost seven years our lives have been built in such a way through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit that it is impossible to tell you how grateful we are for many, many blessings for the Church and for every life of our brothers.
Elders Appointment Process
From the very beginning we came to Colombia, our vision was to establish a new congregation and before we leave, appoint Elders in this congregation. But since one year ago we have seen that we are ready to start an official process for the Church has its own elders. There are three couples that we believe are very faithful and have a serious commitment to the Church. We have talked with these three couples about this process and that they are part of it, and they told us that they are thinking and praying about it. If they say they agree we shall start an official process. Our plan is this: FIRST. We shall start an intensive care and teaching for these couples being trained in God’s word and Church Doctrine during all this year and the next. SECOND. We shall present these three couples to the Church on July for the Seventh Anniversary, asking if they agree for them to become Elders, having time to express their ideas during the next six months. THIRD. If the congregation doesn’t have any abjection, we will appoint Elders and deacons on December. We don’t have the very date yet but it would be the first weekend. Please be praying them during this process and for us that God lead us to do right. I’ll let you know the steps to carry this out.
Alfonso Guevara Ailton Hoyos Geovany Patiño
These are our candidates to become Elders.
Special Visits
This month we were so blessed with some visits from U.S.A. Our brothers Greg and Jenny Nance came from Signal Mountain, Chattanooga; with the purpose of teaching and help our congregation with Sunday School staff and they came also to teach a seminar. They came from February 23rd until March 1st. Brother Greg Nance was teaching great lessons about leadership; how to be a leader as Jesus. All of our brothers at the Church were very glad with the teaching and they praised God for sending our bother Greg and share with us what God has given to him. Were four days where our brother was teaching us about lead with a servant heart for our Lord’s glory.
Jenny Nance was teaching our teachers about Sunday school. Our teachers were so blessed by this seminar and by Jenny for the great advices she gave to us. It was a wonderful time of sharing with the entire congregation and with my family. This was like a dream come true, because since so long we have wished that these brothers could came to visit us and thanks God, it was possible. We knew from the very beginning that they would be such a blessing to the congregation, and it was very so.
No matter how much we could say, it would not be enough to say THANK YOU very much, for your great help brother Greg and Jenny. We thank Signal Mountain Church of Christ; also, for the staff for Sunday School our children, our teachers and the whole congregation will always be grateful with all of you. Thank for your love and care.
New Brothers
Two souls more were added to God’s Kingdom this month: Esteban Ríos and Fabiola Castaño. We praise the Name over all names for these new brothers in Jesus Christ. Please be praying for the new members of our Christian family.
Also pray for those who are studying the Bible with us that they become Christians soon.
What’s coming
We have invited the Bro. Manuel Calderón, a Puerto Rican preacher who right now is working in Fort Worth, Tx. He comes to teach a seminar about how to have “Creative Marriages”. This will be on March 21st and 22nd and we expect many blessings during this seminar to all the couples of our church.
Also we are planning a whole prayer night with the youth of our congregation to strength our spirits and the fellowship between us. We will have a special time of prayer, singing, Bible study and communion with one another.
About other things
As may be some of you know I’m getting ready to come to the States on June, since I’ve been invited by the brotherhood of Bammel Latin Church of Christ to be part of the Youth National Gathering. This time Bammel is the host. This will happen on June 9 to 11. Now I’m planning to come with my whole family to visit my brothers in Maple Hill Church of Christ and Signal Mountain Church of Christ. These two last churches are helping us to get the visas and airplane tickets for Gisela and the girls. Please be praying for these plans and if God wills we could come to the States to visit you, that would be wonderful.
Please be praying for Fabian Cañate. He is one of our brothers in our congregation. He and his wife Sandra have few months being Christians and right now they are passing for a difficult proof. Our brother lose his right hand during his job and now he is recovering in hospital. They are so sad for all of this and we, too. But we trust God will raise Fabian from that bed.
Thank you for everything and we want to tell you that we love you so much and pray for you being blessed to much.
Because He lives,
Marvin Tercero & family.
Mar
18
February 2010
Dear brothers,
We praise the Lord once again, because His mercy is forever. We thank the Lord because he lets us share with you once more what goes on here in the Cartagena Mission.
On February we begun a new subject in our Wednesday night studies: Defending Christianism, with the purpose of helping our members to have certainty of what they believe and to be able to give a ready answer when ever it is necessary (1Peter3:15).
On Sunday, February 28th, a new member was added to the family of God. Sugey was baptized for remission of sins. She is a friend of Daisy (Desil’s girlfriend), who had been visiting the church for some time now, and decided to give her life to Christ.
In February we had another special activity for married couples. Not only of the church, but also non-christian couples were invited to take part of a conference on a very interesting topic for all: “Enjoying Intimacy in Marriage”.
During the month of February we have gotten a boost in our Sunday attendance. Many of the people that are studying the Bible are visiting the church, and the best part is that some of them come back. Please pray so that many more may decide to surrender their hearts to Christ Jesus.
Thanks once again for your commitment to Jesus in supporting our work. May the Lord always shower blessings over your lives and ministry.
In Jesus,
Cartagena Mission Team
Mar
18
March 2010
Our dear brothers and sisters at the church of Christ at Maple Hill,
This is proving to be our busiest month yet! It really started with the last weekend in February, when we had our first annual “Gathering of the North American Saints” at Baxter Institute in Tegucigalpa.
There were 12 folks present, representing 5 different organizations from around Honduras. We had such an informative and rewarding visit that 100% of the participants said it was worth their time and they will do it again next year.
The following weekend was a department (state) wide women’s meeting hosted by the church at La Sosa, about 30 minutes east of Catacamas.
The day started at 9am and ended at 1pm. We had over 300 women present from 40 different congregations! It was less than standing room only, with women out the doors and around the open windows.
We had a second set of seminars with Dr. HM Motsinger from NewLife Behavior Ministries this last week. He does a very good job of teaching others to teach his material. He has used the material in prisons for many years and in recent years has literally taught it around the world. We felt very fortunate to have him here.
This past Friday, Rebecca arrived from Texas for a visit over Spring Break. She is helping out in the office today (Monday), and tomorrow and Wednesday will be working with a brigade from Amarillo, TX at Por
Los Niños, the children’s home here. Because her Spring Break
coincides with that of ACU this year, we will be leaving Thursday morning to drive to Trujillo where our daughter Mary is co-leader of an ACU team. We will help Little Hands Big Hearts get that team back to the airport in San Pedro Sula over the weekend, before driving straight south to Teguc. on Sunday afternoon to return Becca for her Monday flight.
In the meantime, Joanne is trying to keep pace with her two new classes that started last week; Environmental Health and Epidemiology.
(Only by God’s intervening grace and generosity and your prayers, did she pass both of her last two courses with A’s.) Thank you.
Dwight now has 10 computers running – 8 in the lab and 2 outside the lab. The 2 are for use during class so that the class is not continually interrupted by non-students. One of those 2 is on a roller computer table and is moved out into the covered garden area for use. Nice! He is also getting the second half of the computer lab wired Tuesday so that there is more room to move about in it. It will also allow all 8 computers to have a good source of electricity.
We had a donation for that from a family in College Station, TX. Now we need a donation for the Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSes) for those computers.
Dwight has also started assisting a young man, Anival, a university student and worker at Predisán, in teaching the youth class (mid-teens until married). He noticed that no one was teaching the youth off and on and found that Anival had to spend every other weekend in Tegucigalpa attending classes there. So they have agreed to partner in working with the youth.
Living in Honduras: Ants
We have six types of ants that are constant companions in and around our home: The leaf-cutter ants are large and red and can completely strip a bush or plant in one day. We have left home for the office in the morning and come home to find a potted plant completely bare. They travel in a line that actually tramples a well-beaten path and they look like a string of tiny (and not so tiny) leaves moving along the ground. The second outdoor ants are the fire ants, similar to those in the U.S. While the mounds in our yard are not as large, the sting of the fire ants here are just as painful. The third type of ant is also a leaf cutter ant, but it is as much like the others as a snapping turtle is like a little painted turtle. They are larger, have protrusions, and are armored. If one tries to crush them with their finger, they are likely to have a gash in their finger. They are even difficult to crush with a rock. Their nests do not seem to have near as many of them (thank God), but they are still very capable of stripping a tree quickly and they seem to be able to carry a much bigger load.
The other three types of ants are very common in every room of our home; the carpenter ants are just like those in the States, the black sugar ants are very hard shelled and move in a slow-paced, casual meander most of the time. But they can eat through plastic (we found a nest that had eaten a hole through the side of one of those one cup Ramen soups). The biggest problem we have are from teenie, tiny ants that are everywhere and move very fast. They are on the bedroom dresser, the bed, the living room couch, the coffee table, and the bathroom sink (and mirror), in addition to the refrigerator, our plates on the dining room table, the kitchen counter, and around the kitchen sink and counter. They are constantly changing direction at high speed, thus we call them crazy ants.
Prayers
Thank you for your prayers on Joanne’s behalf on her courses. We thank God for his more than gracious answer. Please continue to pray for her new classes. Pray for our continued support, both personally and for the MPRC. Pray that we can continue to touch lives here and help strengthen the churches. It is such a blessing to see more and more brothers (and sisters) coming in to use the Center on a regular basis. Especially pray for the School of the Good Samaritan evangelistic campaign that we are helping to coordinate for the Metro church in Orlando, FL. It will be the week after Easter.
Love, Dwight & Joanne Tomkins Alégrense siempre en El Señor.
Mar
18
February 2010
My dear brethrens like the Bible say every day I consider than I no take hold but also I know than our Lord is with us, and He help with our task and some day we will be with HIM and the angels because He promise and I Believe in HIM.
Dears this is my report of February month, We don`t have much different activities than you know, we are working in our project about our local conference in holly week, we wish to rent a ranch for it, this is near of the city in a save place, so brothers from Cali, La Union, Cartago, and from Tuluá have all together this days, also brother Gary from Cartagena will came for preach for it because we don´t know him and is good listen a new preachers I know than this meeting will be a bless for all us, brothers from Tuluá did a collect of food, for be all us together and no have any necessity and no leave of the ranch in this two day, we have a big organization for have a teaching, play, have a wonderful food, and we have a tree teams of sisters than have this responsibility, I hope than our God will bless in it and also we will learn of brother Gary, also this month we will continue in this project.
This moth came from la union brother Hamil de Jesus Jaramillo he was a big transit accident five years ago and he was unconsciousness for one year, God bless him and he wake up, he understand than it is a opportunity of God I preach him when he was yet in the bed, now he is a good Christian in la union, but for this accident his wife don`t continue with him, and she have his children, he don´t have much opportunity of see them, because her wife leave far of la Union, well here no finish his bat history the last year her mother sister Aurora Jaramillo die, he have all problems economic because he can`t work, many brothers in La union church help him, and some of his relatives but he is along, this month I has been helping because he is very sick thank to the accident, he have date with the doctors in Cali, because it is our Capital of our state, he has been in my home and with my family, yester day he return to La union after to finish his evaluation I went to him to Cali I talk with the doctors and the doctor give a paper when say all about his medicine, a he need came back in tree month more I will continue helping him and please pray for him because he is a good Christian and good man but have many fiscal problems, and we try to help but is difficult because he is in La Union and is difficult be with him in all his need.
Well thank God after visit a sister Irene Toro and is very rare because I was to visit her and her brother Jose Yepez listen back of the door, believe me I never know it but some day he was to the Church and he say me brother Carlos I always than you study with my sister Irene I hear you and I learn than I need to Jesus forgiving my sins and this Sunday our new brother José Yepez decide to baptized in the Jesus name and be now member of our church In Tuluá and glorify we us the name of our God and His Son Jesus Christ, brother Hermes take his Confection and I go with him to the water, let me show this moment.
My dear this is my report of this month thanks for all work than we did together, I hope than all plans continue like now and our God will continue blessing every day how he do always.
Our God Bless you.
In HIM.
Carlos Julio Zuluaga.
Mar
18
Which Direction
It was Wednesday of the Honduras trip. Part of the group was left at the second building site. It was hot, dusty and the little shade that we had was quickly giving way to the sun. A truck pulls up in a cloud of dust and tells our crew that we are needed to go get some grain for the ranch. I thought to myself anything will be better than where we were. We load up and head out for Las Pitas. Nick was driving our truck and we were desperately trying to keep up with the intern from Mission Lazarus who was leading the way. We came to a fork in the road and realized we didn’t know which way he went. He was so far ahead of us that we couldn’t even see a trail of dust. The decision was made quickly and we went left. It was around curves, past impoverished homes and uphill. Ray Chitwood was the only one in the truck who had been to Las Pitas and he was as lost as we were. Each curve, each house, each hill looked like the last one were on. We finally get to the top of the hill and the road dead ends. Ray informed us that we must have gone in the wrong direction. When we finally reconnect with the intern and get to Las Pitas, we saw one of the most beautiful and inspiring places I have ever seen in Honduras.
We are constantly faced with choices in life. And the choices make determine what direction we are going to go in. Choices about who we date, and eventually matter helps chart the course for our life. The career that we choose has an impact on the life that we live. As important as these matters are, there is one other decision that we make that has the greatest and longest lasting impact on us. Am I going to accept Jesus as my savior! You may be at a crossroads in your life, wondering about what you need to do. You realize that your life is taking you around one curve after another. For too many, they find out too late that the road of life that they have been on leads to a dead end. I remember the words of the old warrior Joshua who at the age of 110 said “if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” For Joshua and countless others through the years, that choice makes all the difference. That is the choice that gives direction and guidance to life. Instead of ending at a dead end, one will be able to enter the joys of that beautiful place called heaven. Maybe we need to follow our savior a little closer so we want go in the wrong direction!
Mar
3
January 2010
My dears brother and sisters
The grace and the peace of Jesus stay with you.
January is my first month in Honduras.
I live in a community called Ramon Amaya Amador, in west side of Tegucigalpa Honduras it is a very poor and a bit dangerous place.
The international help comes here, this helps big to the people here.
Last year there was the missioner brother Marvin of choluteca but was necessary get out because was threatened by bad men. Now it is a place more safety because many bad men have died, the newspaper says the bad people are killing each others, There is some but they live with fear,
The first week I arrive here they thought I could be a police.
Some years ago the church in Ramon Amaya was more 100 members.
yesterday Junuary 31 we got a good atendace
23 teenagers 25 adult and 66 children
The borther Reiner Mineli has been the preacher around 12 year here, but some times he travel to Catacamas he work with the Honduras Bible school there, but he help in Ramon Amaya too. The people in Ramon Amaya is very friendly and the brotherhood at church is very special , I feell well here, every morning I go run and the weather is good.
Afternoon and night I work preachin about Jesus christ with the Neighbor and brothers.
I try work with young people because they are in danger and they are in vacation in January, the last Sunday morning 8 of them became to be a new members and some more will come soon. God bless the work this first month.
The Tuesday and Thursday 5 pm I have ABC School but now I have just one student of 26 years old, he is learning read and write with me, in the beginning there was more 10 student, but the people here are difficult to learn, they don’t want learn to write and read. There is many problems here about education, I understand them because we have 500 years Without good education or no school in Honduras, is the reason some people think is no necessary go to school, I want help here is my reason why I return to my country.
In Ramon Amaya es difficult make a leader because people don’t have education, the men come to church but they don’t are able to study the bible. They are looking God and it is good that but is difficult to them to study the bible very deep. The church in 12 years is no able to make worship without preacher, I hope help change this.
Like a nurse I help a little bit here too, I teach Preventive health to the teenagers and pregnant woman.
Please brothers pray about the mission in Ramon Amaya I special the 8 new members.
Blessings
samuel
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