Who could help carry the load in Nicaragua? That was the question when Rigoberto Reyes took on the duties of Central America Ministry Director. Last spring we shared that his son Juan Carlos had been appointed as Nicaragua Ministry Specialist to stand beside his father in overseeing now 26 churches, an Extension Bible institute, agricultural development on the farm, Finca Belen; carpentry and welding vocational programs, and economic development, all saturated with evangelism and discipleship. 

However, Juan Carlos had no support. The Lord intervened and miraculously Juan Carlos was granted a ten-year multiple-entry visa to the United States. Last month he was able to visit churches and individuals here who made commitments for about 60% of his support. Praise the Lord with us! For a closer look, Paul produced a 5-minute video of his story. Ask us for a DVD or paste this link in your browser: http://youtu.be/V2KVJVtS-wY 

Let there be light! Last spring we reported visit-ing the Lenca Indian ministries overseen by Erick Sanchez, Isaias Cantarero and Jorge Lagos. Jackson Baptist church in NJ offered to help pro-vide solar power for churches without electricity. In the last few months two new installations are lighting up the night -- or at least the church build-ings. Church leaders, right, proudly display their new system. 

We’re ready to go, but we have to wait until July 22 to leave for Hon-duras where our group from Gar-den Spot Village in New Holland, PA will be working at Campamento Converge south of Tegucigalpa. In addition to construction, this year we will help with a group of disa-bled folks during their weekend retreat. Pray for our preparations and for the witness of our team.

Terry’s Tales 

Helping people at Payap with computer problems continues to keeps me busy. We also have 3 MA students that must complete their thesis projects in the next few weeks. I’m thus also busy doing format checking to make sure it fits our department guidelines, the Linguistic Society of America guidelines and the format guidelines that Payap requires before it go to Payap Administration for final approval. 

On a sad note, a longtime friend, Richard Steele, passed away on December 28, 2012 at his home near the JAARS Center. I met him many years ago when I first came to JAARS. He worked in many job over the years and held administrative roles. He had a unique history in that as a young man one day some blood vessels broke and his eyes immediately filled with blood. He was totally blind from that moment on. Yet God found him to be a faithful servant for all of his remaining years. 

Leilani’s Lines 

When Jamie and Chris move to Colorado next month, I plan to stay here in Ohio. There are various things that led up to this decision, but I have friends, a good church home and Bible study, and I’m happy here. I’ll be moving in with a couple from a military Bible study who are slightly older than me. I plan to continue my Athletic Training degree at nearby Wright State University. I’ve recently helped a friend by working security at various local events. I’m also looking for a part-time phlebotomy job, as I got my phlebotomy certificate last fall. 

Jamie & Chris’s Journal 

Thank you all for your prayers and gifts for Meilina. I’m enjoying motherhood and watching her grow and learn. The Air Force has approved my application to transfer from Active Duty to the Reserves. I’ll be assigned to my previous unit at Air Force Special Operations Command in Florida for my Reserve position. I’ll work there for about one month each year, and be a stay-at-home mom the rest of the time. Chris has completed his Master’s Degrees in Physics and will shortly be transferred to Colorado Springs, Colorado where he will be an instructor in the Physics Department at the Air Force Academy. I’ll be able to move there a few weeks after Chris. We are buying a townhouse in a new sub-division. It should be ready for us to move in by early June. 

Prayer Requests 

· That Leilani will do well with living in Ohio. 

· That the move for Chris and Jamie goes well. 

· That I will serve the Lord well in all things. 

Terry 

2 Timothy 2:2 says "... the things you have heard me say in the

presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will

also be qualified to teach others."

I've seen that happen first hand this week here in Istanbul,

Turkey. I'm here with the members of AIA's Global Leadership

Council. This group's charge is to set the direction for the future

of AIA Global and spiritual movements around the world using

sports. We were joined by regional and country leaders from

countries like Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan,

Pakistan and Uzbekistan. Our time together included time in the

Word and in prayer, reports from all of the represented areas,

evaluations of strategies, introduction of our new Global

Leaders, and a variety of planning

exercises. It's been a great time to plan for the future while

seeking God's continuing direction.

Turkey is a very interesting country. Although it has been an ally

of the West, it's a thoroughly Muslim country. Here are a couple

of my observations about this fascinating place over the past

week:

1) 5x/day (very loud public address system aided) calls to

prayer.

2) The Strait of Bosphorus which divides the city of Istanbul

(ancient Constantinople) also divides Asia and Europe. It's a

beautiful body of water with lots of daytime and nighttime

activity.

2) Istanbul is the leading candidate to host the 2020 Summer

Olympic Games.

3) All menus include multiple varieties of lamb and kebabs.

4) In a country of 80 million, there are 50,000 evangelical

Believers. That's .000625% of the population. Many

Christians have been banished from their families upon

conversion.

I will return to Phoenix late Monday evening. Thanks so much

for your support and encouragement of us and the work we are

called to... helping to change the world with the message of hope

that only Jesus brings.

Gratefully,

Dave and Connie Deal

Happy Easter from the Deals!

March 24, we will be baptizing three believers that have been attending our church in Bussy Saint Georges. The three women are originally from Mali (Muslim origin), French Guinea (nominal Catholic origin) and West Africa (nominal Protestant background). Cynthia and I have appreciated getting to know them better through the different preparation studies that we have had with them. I am also studying the different aspects of salvation and the topic of baptism with three other people that have been attending our church. They are all of French origin. It is exciting to see how the truths of Scripture are taking root in their lives and producing fruit. Their baptisms will probably take place before this summer.

More room for the church?

Our church in Bussy Saint Georges on the eastern suburbs of Paris has had two recent meetings with the mayor of the town regarding his offer to sell us a 5400 square feet piece of land in the above photo upon which we could construct a building for our church. This land is located in an area where the city is encouraging different religious groups to build their meeting places. There are already two Buddhist temples, a mosque and a Jewish synagogue. The price of the land is very attractive, but the building costs might be very expensive. Because there is a historical monument nearby, the building requirements are different than in other areas of the town. We need wisdom in knowing the Lord's will in this proposal. Would He like us to pursue this possibility or does He have other plans for our church? That is the question at the present time!

John and Estera Vatran - WorldVenture: General ministry background: My wife and I were appointed missionaries to Romania in 1994 by CB International, presently WorldVenture. Eighteen years have passed since then and we must say that God’s grace has been abundantly upon us. From the moment we arrived in the country we were overwhelmed by the amazing freedom and great opportunities for ministry. Out of all the EU nations Romania is considered to be one of the most opened to the gospel. The freedom Romania has and the abundance of opportunities that come with that freedom motivated us to take advantage of these blessed times and consider new possibilities to better serve the Lord. This freedom is provided and protected by law through the nation’s constitution. There is freedom to preach the Word of God, hold Bible studies, and organize evangelistic meetings in church buildings, public auditoriums, cultural halls, stadiums, state universities, or outdoor venues.

Religious education/bible classes are mandatory by law in the entire public school system from elementary school to high school throughout the nation. Bible is taught alongside math, chemistry, biology, history, and other courses. Classes on Christian values and ethics are greatly encouraged. It is very common for us to see church services attended by mayors, senators, or other local government officials.

Planting new churches or raising new church buildings is not only permitted but also encouraged by the local government. This is clearly seen in the help local government provides with building permits and approvals as well as financial assistance. On several occasions in many of our villages, towns, and cities, the land or property on which the church is built was donated by the city hall. 

These are some of the blessings God has brought about in Romania after the collapse of Communism in 1989. These amazing changes created a favorable climate which provided a platform to develop our vision and strategy for ministry without any obstacles or barriers.

Ministry Summary 2012  Note: The following statistical descriptions should be viewed taking into account the fact that the Vatrans were on home assignment in the States for half of the past year.

Evangelism  We have a two-fold ministry strategy. Winning souls to Christ has been a priority in our ministry. In the past year we had many opportunities to reach out and share the good news. I (John) have been invited to preach at many evangelistic meetings in various churches throughout the country. I also had the opportunity to preach at many youth rallies, outreach programs on university campuses or in cultural halls. Last year the Lord gave us again the privilege to see many people respond and receive the Lord as their personal Savior. This past fall quarter we were able to see at least twenty souls come to Christ. 

Besides the traditional approaches to evangelism, my wife and I both are investing in personal relationships with nonbelievers for the purpose of communicating the love of Christ and bringing them to the Lord. Many of our non-believing friends have come to attend events at “Mountain View Camp and Conference Center” where they hear the gospel preached clearly each time.

We have realized that younger generation is more open to the gospel, those that haven’t been brainwashed or indoctrinated with Communism and atheism. For this reason we organize monthly youth rallies at “Mountain View Camp and Conference Center.”  We have seen many young souls come to Christ through this ministry. 

Leadership Training  In the last few years, many new churches have been planted and many church buildings have been raised. Yet there is still an evident shortage of equipped pastors and church leaders. This is one of the biggest reasons why we believe it is important for us to continue to focus our ministry towards leadership training.

Leadership training is the second branch of our ministry strategy. We do this in a few different ways. For the past eighteen years I have been teaching at the Baptist Seminary in Bucharest, investing in the younger generation of pastors and church leaders. Every year we have approximately forty graduates, from the residential and distance programs together. These graduates are now pastoring churches across Romania and throughout the Romanian diaspora. On many occasions I am invited to visit and preach in my former students’ churches. 

One other way of training leaders is through a hands-on approach. Throughout the years I have interim pastored in many churches until seminary graduates were able to come and take on the churches. Last year, I served in two village churches near Ha?eg until this January when one of my former students was ordained and took over the ministry there. I will continue to serve alongside him, to mentor and encourage him, for the rest of the year.

A third method through which we provide leadership training and equipping for national pastors and lay church leaders is through conferences and seminars held at the “Mountain View Camp and Conference Center.” This provides continual education and enrichment for those who are just starting out in ministry as well as for veterans in ministry. We do this by inviting guest seminary professors or visiting pastors and teachers from the States. This provides a much needed resource for personal and ministry growth.

GOALS  FOR  2013:

• To continue to teach at the Baptist Seminary in the capital city of Bucharest.
• To continue organizing other conferences, training seminars, concerts, and various outreach programs at Mountain View Conference Center.
• To continue to serve in the 2 village churches alongside my former student who’s already been called by the churches and ordained.
• To continue to provide mentoring to younger pastors from our area as well as counseling when needed.
• To continue the evangelistic outreach ministry, preaching in different parts of the country. Traditionally, this takes place twice a year, in the first three months, and the last three months of the year. We are usually called in approximately a couple of dozen churches per year.

Family Update...
We are back in the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. With February being the coldest month of the year, it is as cold inside our Japanese home as it is outside. Victoria misses her friends at Alma Heights but is transitioning back to school in Christian Academy in Japan.

Continue to pray for Victoria's 9-month rehab now that she is 8 weeks post-op from her right knee ACL surgery.
 
Back on Track...
This is the inside cover of the HGF (Hallelujah Gospel Family) Spring textbook with the 3 core values written in Japanese. This bi-annual booklet is like a magazine which includes the lyrics of songs, bible verses, devotionals, testimonies, reports, and important dates. 1,000 copies are produced and distributed to the 50 plus churches that host choirs with the Not-Yet-Christian members all over Japan. The other resource that is currently in production is the practice CD with separate parts (Soprano, Alto, Tenor). About 700 sets go into households where many other family members listen to the songs and lyrics.

Pray that these gospel resources will make a deep impression in the hearts of the members and their networks.
 
Back on the GLOW(God's Love On Wheels)...
While in Bacolod, Philippines Bola was able to participate in a very special event. 10 wheelchairs were donated to two provincial hospitals in Negros province. One hospital CLMMRH is the only tertiary government and referral hospital for the province. This hospital operates on 400 beds but in reality services 650-700 patients daily. GLOW was represented by Pastor Jun Cordova and co-sponsored by the St. Scholastica's Academy Class of '78. For more pictures & other stories go to GLOW FaceBook

I am settled into my cozy home and enjoying life in New England. 
The Lord provided a wonderful place for me at a reasonable cost.

It is wonderful beyond words to be together with my wife!
Eriko is enjoying her last semester at Wellesley, tutoring students in Japanese 
and working hard on her psychology studies.  

I enjoy working out at the Bennett Fitness Center and then studying late into the afternoon
at Gordon Conwell Seminary.  My doctor of ministry thesis topic is about resiliency and self-care
for Japanese pastors responding to disaster.  I would like to have chapters one and two done by
mid-May.  We are grateful for your prayers for our studies.  

Our plans are to return to Japan in June.  We will give you an update on our future plans In April.

MENTOR FRUIT
Yesterday I Skyped with Ken Nishiono, a young seminary graduate in Japan whom I have been mentoring for a few
years.  He is working for an NPO connected to a church focusing on the care of earthquake displaced people in temporary housing in the city of Iwaki.
He was all smiles in telling me that the Hiwatashi family, mom and two children, had professed faith
In Christ and were baptized last Sunday at church.  This family lived near the Fukushima nuclear reactor
which imploded and were forced to move south to the city of Iwaki, and currently live in temporary housing.  Please pray
for the oldest child, a high school student, to receive Christ as her savior.    Pray for Ken that he could carry out his vision
to begin small groups in the temporary housing areas he is ministering in.

I bumped into Doo Min Cho, one of the students who lived in our Gedney dorm when I was a missionary-in-residence at Gordon College in 
2008-2010.  We talked a lot about life and ministry while living at Gedney.  He is now married and is a full-time seminary student at Gordon Conwell.

TRAVELS
I travel to California 3/5-18 for a pastors’ conference, two missions conferences and other church visits.  

Eriko and I so appreciate your prayers, notes of encouragement and financial support.
He is able,  John and Eriko 

We also reached a milestone.  We have now been a part of WorldVenture for 30 years!  We were appointed in January 1983, had a baby daughter, and no idea what paths God would take us down throughout the years.  After our son was born, our path took us to Japan. And the path was full of ups and downs, twist and turns, excitement, adventures, and we would not want to be on any other path.  We are reminded of Joshua 3:3-4 when God instructs the Israelites to follow the ark “since you have never been this way before.” For 30 years we have been privileged to be a part of God’s work around the world, and we have had the joy of partnering with many of you for all of those years.  Thank you to each one who has prayed for us, given to us, encouraged us, written us, remembered our children, and been a part of spreading the Good News.  We thank God for all of you, and pray God will use you and bless you on your own paths. Now for the next 30 years!  Marty & Denise Shaw.

Prayer Requests

1.      A missionary couple in India with two boys has a critical need for a teacher. A retired teacher or couple would be great.

2.      I will be at a gathering from next Thursday for a new area of Asia that we have some work in, but are looking to expand. Pray for wisdom.

A person from the Billy Graham Association stood up in church and said Franklin Graham would be coming to Chiang Mai in October. Many people are planning activities around his visit.

A translator asked a translation consultant who had many years of experience how to translate a certain word. The consultant wrote back saying “I don't know what advice to give you about how to translate "robe" for a people group who do not wear clothes.”

Asia Area is holding a one week computer training conference here starting next Tuesday. I look forward to getting updated on various programs that I am responsible to support. I will also be giving a short presentation about the programming work I’ve been doing on Speech Analyzer.  Terry

Sent Feb. 19. The government has finally posted the hiring of the teachers who graduated from Teacher Training College last year! You’ve been praying about that, so this was an answer to those prayers. The downside to this is that none of the teachers we trained were posted to the region they asked for – something that, to our knowledge, has not happened in the past.

You may remember that after graduation 4 of the graduates went to the “unreached “village of Mzenga where our colleagues, the Tanners, have been living and ministering for several years. These teachers have volunteered at the grade school, and in addition to teaching they’ve been sharing Jesus with the villagers. At Christmas time 6 people were baptized. Since then, one of these teachers has gone to teach at another school (still among the same tribal group).

We, the teachers and the Tanners really want these teachers to stay in the area. We are in California, our co-worker Betty is in Minnesota and the Tanners in Kenya – not exactly in places where we can go in to petition for a change! But yesterday Tim Tanner left the meetings he was in and flew back to Dar. Steve wrote and emailed a letter for the Ministry of Education, and Tim and some others carried it in to the Ministry of Education office. As he approached the door he saw a sign in big letters on the door saying, “WE DO NOT CHANGE THE POSTINGS FOR TEACHERS.” But with a quick prayer they went and submitted the letters with an explanation of how the morale at the school had been so low, and how the teachers had made a huge change at the school. Amazingly, the letter was accepted and the person they spoke to offered a glimmer of hope that there might be a positive response.

HALLELUJAH! Sent Mar. 2. You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth . . .! Ps 65:5

The four teachers and a representative for our mission went to the District office of the Ministry of Education on Friday. Even the principal of the school where they’ve been teaching went along with them to help make their case for getting these teachers assigned to the Mzenga schools.

This morning Steve talked to one of the teachers on the phone and found out that ALL FOUR OF THEM HAVE BEEN POSTED TO THE SAME SCHOOL THEY HAVE BEEN TEACHING IN FOR THE PAST MONTHS!  In the African system this would naturally/normally be an impossibility – but God is not “natural” or “normal”, is He! He has done the impossible. He is truly the only hope of Africa, America and all the ends of the earth!  Thank you for praying with us.  Steve and Carol

• “I never thought I would go somewhere where I would be afraid to name the name of Jesus. The bottom line is we have to trust in the Lord!”
• “I learned that I really have to trust the Lord among the forces of evil. I have a new call now . . .”
• “Where ever the Lord calls me I'm ready to go. God has given me a new passion . . .”
• “I want to use my teaching to share the Gospel . . .”
• “I'm ready to go. People need to hear!”
• When we go, we have to make friends with people before sharing about Jesus. Sometimes that takes time . . .”
• As a follower of Christ I need to obey Him and make followers of Jesus. I know in a new way that God will be with me wherever I go.”

Another exciting update from Discipleship Team #1. You remember that 4 from that team went out to teach in the village where our coworkers the Tanners are living. The Tanners write:

We have much to thank the Lord for in 2012. One of our greatest praises is the baptism of our son, Caleb, and six other believers on Christmas day! Praise the Lord! . . . Another church in our area heard of the planned baptism & joined us in baptizing 2 of their believers. We paraded down to a waterhole that’s full during this time of rain & had a joyful baptism together.

Tim baptized the kids; and Iman & Valles (2 of the tent-making teachers working with us) baptized the adults. The teachers were thrilled to baptize the adults they had led to Jesus = their children in the faith! It was the best Christmas ever!

On January 11th we’ll be meeting with representatives from several of our supporting churches in California in hopes of forming a supportive ‘consortium’ to stand behind our upcoming TIMO Team. Our main objective in the next two months is to be in those participating churches to share our vision for what this TIMO Team can mean, 1) for these churches themselves, 2) for continuing what has already been put into motion there in Dar es Salaam, and 3) even on a bigger scale, the potential of missionaries being trained to do this same thing all over Africa.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• Continue to pray for Steve’s healing.

• Keep praying for the Team #1 teachers. The word is out that they are soon to get their posting from the

government. It’s been a long wait for them since their graduation last May. May the Lord oversee this

process and put them in places where the Gospel has not yet been sown. Pray that K. will be encouraged

in spite of family opposition to his decision to take a job in the private sector (though he will still be

teaching among the unreached Zaramo tribe).

• Keep praying for Team #2. Ask the Lord to keep and grow the things He planted in their hearts during the

missions trip. The students will go back to school in mid-January, and almost immediately go out for 2

months of practice teaching. We’ll be back in Dar, the Lord willing, when they return to class in mid-March.

• Keep praying for Team #3 – which hasn’t really come together as a team yet, but these students have

been studying God’s Word and praying together as a pre-cursor to committing themselves to being

discipled with the goal of becoming teacher/church planting missionaries. May the Lord establish them in

their faith during this time when we are away from them.

• Ask the Lord to put together this ‘consortium of churches’ to stand behind us in prayer and support of the

upcoming TIMO team. Pray for clear communication.

• Africa Inland Mission has already come up with 3 families to be part of our TIMO team, and on the

ReachGlobal side, we have one family and one single going through the application process. Pray for

these families as they go through the support raising process during the coming year.

Thanks so much, dear friends for being on our “larger team”! Because the purpose of this state-side trip is so

focused, we regret not being able to visit every one of you. We’ll keep you posted on how the Lord answers

your prayers.

 If you’d like to see pictures of recipients and some of the thank you notes that Giving Tree received, you can visit http://on.fb.me/XDerpq. 

 Thanks to everyone who participated from the church.  We trust that God used and multiplied your time and efforts to make a difference in the lives of others.  A big thank you also goes out to Marcy Bates, our Children’s Coordinator, for overseeing our church’s involvement in this project, and to Anna Kjos for helping organize some of our warehouse volunteers.

The trip took place from December 27-31.  This is the fourth consecutive year that BCC has sent a team to Club Dust.  The purpose of Club Dust (www.clubdust.org) is simply to follow the charge in James 1:27 to care for “orphans and widows in their distress.”  Meeting practical needs of poor families in Tecate is just one way that we can demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way.   

A combined total of over $50,000 was spent on construction on the December trip.  This money went towards the building of 5 foundation homes, 5 latrines, 6 casitas (“pop-up homes”), and more than 35 sets of furniture.  In addition, money went towards local bricks for patios, interior paint, and other household items.  BCC Family and friends contributed more than $11,000 towards these needs and others like food donations, clothes donations, donation boxes, hair cutting, sewing clinics, and craft and teaching materials for children. 

Because of this trip and the generosity of those who contributed financially, 11 families are now sleeping in a safe and dry home.  For everyone that we helped, several others in the neighborhood asked for help.  As we all wrestled with what to do in those moments, these were wonderful opportunities for us to rely on the Lord as we listened to their stories, asked questions, tried to understand their needs, and considered what to do with what we had available.  We often pooled resources and others asked around for someone to help them provide help to another. 

The Club Dust trip continues to be a great intergenerational experience and a fantastic way for families to serve together, for kids and students to practice serving and using their gifts and abilities, and for everyone involved to gain valuable perspective on life and on God’s compassion and grace.

It has been a long time since I have written!  Let me give you an update:

ROAD TRIP WITH DAD
One of the highlights of my trip to California, was to go on a road trip with my dad, travelling from
Camptonville to Fort Bragg.  We had to navigate around fires burning in the area, but
we made it, and had a great time.  We were able to walk on the beach and eat some
great sea food! My dad is doing better as is Eriko’s dad.

SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF MY THESIS PROPOSAL
Yes, I am done with my last class at Bethel Seminary!  I am now awaiting my adviser’s
go ahead for the thesis.  I will begin field research next week.  More about that later.

GREAT CONNECTIONS WITH SUPPORTERS
I was able to share in both English and Japanese services at First Baptist Oceanside,
and participate in great mission fests at Lakeside Church, Folsom, and WestGate Church,
San Jose.  I was able to see several other individuals as well.  

TV AND VIDEO UPDATES
I have two programs for you.  One is a TV interview conducted 8/24 concerning my book
In Japanese, Stillness Tools.  Here is the link:
http://japan.cgntv.net/newsub.asp?pid=2439  
On the brown box on the left, click the second picture from the top with the words, ????? then click on 173.  
Sorry that it is complicated!
The second one is about my work with Crash Japan and the Disaster Response Chaplaincy movement.
It has subtitles, so I hope that you can get a sense of what we are doing.  I am on the steering committee for this.
http://vimeo.com/45891622

BIKE AND TALK
In eight hours I take off for the city of Mito, 140  kilometers  (85 miles) by bike from my house.  I will preach and do a 
seminar at Mito Bible Baptist Church, pastored by my friend, Mitsuru Kawasaki.  I will meet with
another pastor couple Sunday night, then ride back on Monday.  Please pray for a safe ride and
that I would present the material in a practical way as directed by the Holy Spirit.

FIELD RESEARCH
Next week I start my field research, by interviewing pastoral couples about their experiences
In the earthquake concerning emotional care.  I will be interviewing 12 couples in northeast
Japan and Kobe.  I will also interview professors at Bible colleges and seminaries. Pray that
I could line up all the interviews and have most of them done by November.  Pray that I would
ask good questions and listen well.  

OUTREACH AND CARE
Continue to pray from Mrs. Ogura and her daughter and husband, the Igarashii’s.  They are
mourning the sudden death in July of their husband and father, Toshitaka.  (See blog on July post).
My neighbor, Mrs. S., experienced the death of both of her parents this past year, and has been
asking a lot of questions.  I have given her some books to read.  

ERIKO UPDATE
Eriko left 9/2 for her last year at Wellesley.  I will be going to visit her in November.

Blessings,
John and Eriko

In January, my five weekly Good News clubs started up again ofter Christmas break - 2 clubs with elementary aged children, 3 for pre-schoolers. This is a time for teaching the children basic Bible truths and building relationships. It is exciting watching the children grow and mature.  

February, Teaching Children Effectively - Level 2. After the course was over, several students came to my Good News Clubs to do their teaching practicums. 

March, taught once again at the Bay Area Sunday School and Church Workers' Convention (BASS). I taught three workshops in the early childhood track and one in the Spanish track. 

April, Charlie and I flew to Champaign, Illinois, to spend time with friends who support his Paladin Ministries projects. I was able to share my CEF ministry. As a child, I attended a Good News Club in the basement of my grade school in Champaign. I thank God for those faithful teachers. 

May, translated "Meet the King." which had been translated in Spain, but needed to be tweaked for Latin American Spanish. Frances Santiago, a CEF worker in Puerto Rico, worked with me on the project. It is now finished and has been sent back to CEF Press for publication. 

June, Christian Youth in Action. It seems that the teens taking this course get better and better each year. During the last few years we have started a new program training teens who have been through CYIA for several years as "junior staff." They take part in the course, teaching and training their peers. 

July, I participated in four 5-Day Clubs this summer. The best part for me was working with CYIA teens that I had taught in Sunday School when they were in first grade. Their spiritual maturity and teaching ability absolutely blew me away. 

August, normally a slower time and I can catch my breath before fall ministries begin. However, things changed this year. In past letters I have mentioned Sue Taylor who is the CEF worker I have taught with many times. Sue is the one who developed the 30-hour course "Teaching Little Kids." She has asked me to accompany her to Brazil Sept. 12-24 to teach this course at CEF's Spanish Institute. The worker who normally accompanies her has health issues and can't go. I would be teaching some of the sessions translating for Sue as she teaches, and evaluating new instructor candidates as they do their practice teaching.

There is also an institute going on at the same time, training CEF workers from the Middle East. We have been asked to teach them a one-day preschool seminar on Saturday, which would normally be our free day. We would teach using interpreters since their languages are Arabic and French. An exciting opportunity. Apparently, the idea of teaching God's Word to preschoolers will be new to many of them. This is an expensive trip and I am in deficit for the past year, so any help and prayers are appreciated! 

Ken has been in Los Angels assisting Luke move into BIOLA, where he will be attending college. He is hoping to major in Kinesiology. Before that we were in Alaska with Anika. Anika has now moved from Fairbanks to Hawaii. Pray that the faith of our children (and us parents) will grow strong in the Lord as we are stretched out in this new stage of our lives.

Our September schedule will be in the San Francisco Bay Area, and at Bridges Community Church on Sept. 30. Hope to see you or connect with you soon. Please pray for our many journeys to reconnect and refinance our return to Japan.

Jesus' words - humanly impossible!  How difficult - even impossible - it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Albanians rarely think of themselves as being among the rich of this world, but having documents to work in Canada or the U.S. puts them right up there among the elites of the world. Material well-being can easily jump right to the top of the new immigrant's list of priorities. 

...but possible with God! As we consider how to reach out to the tens and hundreds of thousands of Albanian immigrants, we need for God to protect them and us from the false gods of the West. Let's pray for keen insight for all of us, so that we preserve that which has real value and reject that which can never satisfy or fill the emptiness inside. God has answers for the deepest longings in the heart of Albanians. Pray that we can see huge numbers of Albanians coming into God's family as our brothers and sisters, for God's glory.

One of the reasons for the gathering in Chicago was to reach out to Albanians who had moved there and help launch church planting among them. If any of you have contacts with Albanians in the greater Chicago area, please write us with their names and phone numbers (or other details) so that we can contact them. There are three main kinds of people we'd really like to talk with:

Albanian believers! So we can gather them in fellowship! There must be dozens in the area but we only know of a handful of them.

Albanian unbelievers! So we can reach out to them.

Albanian-"lovers," who have been on short-term mission trips or have served as missionaries in Albania or Kosovo or Macedonia. They may be a key to launching church planing among Albanians in the greater Chicago area (and else-where).

Please let us know at:  larrystucky@gmail.com

However, I was in the Cancer Ward this afternoon. What a delight to pray for people who will say, “Please pray for me. I have cancer.” Pray for Sandra. Sandra is a 12 year old cancer victim who just lost her leg and is suffering from severe pain and depression.

I have just wound up Recess Semester at the University and I leave for a prayer retreat in Kenya (last month, on August 13). I have been involved in this retreat for 15 years. It is the highlight of each year.

Thanks for your prayers -- Jack

Jack Smith - WorldVenture, retired, but still ministering in the field, writes:

Thanks you for praying as I struggle to learn a new language (Luganda). There have been a number of breakthroughs. I am at the point where I can share Christ and pray for hospital patients, although very crudely. In addition, Luganda has opened up an entire new group of people that can be reached for Christ.

Another area I want to thank you for is your generous support. Now that I am reclassified as an International Resource Consultant, I support myself. However, because of your kind contributions I have work funds that I can use. How am I using your money? Some of the projects are: evangelizing prisoners, providing medicine to hospital patients, training university students to become lay ministers, enabling psychiatric nurses to counsel patients with mental disorders. I also use your work funds to pay for gas, car repairs, and the language teacher.

Thank you for enabling me to have a full ministry in Uganda. Blessings -- Jack

Abby wishes to express her gratitude for all the members of the church who supported her financially for her trip to Montreal. And to ask the congregation to keep her in their prayers while the camp runs Aug. 4-11.

" I take great pleasure in sharing with you about our joint ministry activities over the last six months. We are very blessed because of your faithful prayers and support. These include the Children's Ministry, many sponsored by the Partners International Sponsor A Child Program. The _________ School, nursery to 8th grades, 315 students, building is complete, now approaching the government for a "No Objection Certificate," also need trained teachers with proper certificates. Micro-finance and agriculture loans and small businesses are thriving, providing family support for a number of families. In evangelism and church planting we have 322 new believers, 103 baptisms, 22 new house fellowships and 18 new local churches within the last 6 months. 

"In other more sensitive areas the ministry is growing slower. In one area the government requires a believer to pay 5000 rupees to change their religion from Hindu to Christian, and threats and other reprisals affect those making professions of faith. Even here 15 new baptisms and 5 new house fellowships have started in the last 6 months.

"In another sensitive area, the greatest challenges are that each tribe speaks a different language, and witchcraft is still practiced. House churches have been started as a result of prayer power and resulting cures of people who were under witchcraft darkness. One worker was able to win 15 people to Christ, and I will journey there to baptism them. 

"In another, even more sensitive country, they do not have freedom to preach nor are they allowed to build any church buildings. While there are fewer arrests now, there is still strong opposition in some areas and a few have been imprisoned. However, the witness goes on. Mr. _________was a high-ranking official in this country. When he became a Christian, he started witnessing to other officials and governors in country. Finally he was given a strong warning to either resign from his job or keep quiet and stop preaching. He replied that he is serving the King of kings. Since 1992, while he was still working for the government, he has won many souls to Christ. From his own tithe he has trained 57 leaders."

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1. For believers and workers who are suffering persecution. Pray especially for P_____ B_________, a new convert, who was beaten very badly and has been given a strong warning. 

2. For God’s provision for M____ who lost both his parents due to their faith in Christ.

3. For God to provide the resources necessary for the very sensitive area ministries.

4. For the health for our workers.

Our goat project is doing well, but we have to transfer those goats to a new family in the church, the first family was not able to take care of the new little goats. We also able to help provide some wheelchairs to those in need with our left over from the shipment last May.

Please pray that God will continue to provide needed funding to run ministry in Cambodia especially for the training Center, we need $1,000 per month to operate.

I would like to say thank you for those individuals and churches who have answer to the need to help provide food for flood victims in Cambodia. We thank the Lord for people like you who not only give to ministry but pray for ministry that you are giving. If you still want to give toward the need of the poor in Cambodia, you can still donate your gifts to Missions Door account 92582R.

We still have the program for middle school, high school at the Siem ReapTraining Center and it is doing well. Our computer and English classes also continue to do well. For those of you who want to make new Christian friend and learn a new culture in Cambodia, we’re still looking for people like yourself who are willing and able to go and live in Cambodia to help teach English, computer and other skills that you have. You
don’t have to live there for a long time, you can spend three months, six months or as long as you want. Your skill is needed very much in the country. You will not only teach your skill to Cambodian people, but you have the opportunity to make friends get to know them and learn a whole new culture! Please let me know if you are interested and I will help you to get there.

CMC continues to provide programs such as water wells to help the local community
with clean water, most of the rural area that we work with have no water in their
summer time. We thank the Lord that this year, with the help of one church in California,
we got funds for 30 wells, but we hope to do 35. We also provide food for the poor,
building homes for the poor, scholarships for poor kids to go to school (for children that
have lost parent(s) due to AIDS and children of poor pastors/leaders) and provide support
to national leaders for God's service. As you can see we have so much work to be done in
the ministry and we can't do it alone, that is why we need your help and prayers. Donations
for these ministries may be sent to Missions Door Account 92582M.

Update on the Middle East--Prayer Needed: Recently one of our teams in the Middle East had three of their team members expelled from the country, without cause or warning, and told they would not be allowed to ever return. John flew to meet the three in Europe to help them sort out what had taken place, and to help them prepare for their return to the U.S. Afterwards, John flew to the Middle East to debrief the team members still there, and to help them plan their next steps as a team, minus the three. Would you please pray for those three as they grieve the unexpected transition back to life and ministry in the U.S. and as they trust the Lord with their future plans? Also, please pray for those who are still there. Pray for their personal safety and the safety of those to whom they minister.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo... Seeing lost students become Christ centered laborers. This past

month, I had the opportunity to spend a few days with the staff and students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

This campus has one of the largest CCC ministries in the country. I sat in their Tuesday night weekly

meeting, where each week close to 1000 students learn about walking with the Lord and how they can make a difference on their campus and in the world. This coming year, more than 15 Cal Poly students will spend the year launching campus ministries in East Asia and El Salvador.

Thank you!! We absolutely love what we get to do and are thankful for the opportunities to serve. We are so

blessed and grateful for your partnership with us to the world.

Provided that I feel 100%, I have scheduled the following trips in the upcoming months after the holidays. Please pray that I will be able to connect with various candidates for the ministries overseas.

·          January 20-21 Mission Connexion in Portland, OR

·          January 23 George Fox University, Newberg, OR

·          February 18-26 Fair Oaks Church Conference, Concord, CA

2011 Bridges Community Church – Club Dust Ministry

For Photo Viewing:

Site Name: Club Dust 2011 (Bridges)
Site URL: http://clubdust2011bridges.shutterfly.com/

Hello,

I've created a website called “Club Dust 2011 (Bridges)” to share our Club Dust pictures with friends and family. Please become a member of the site and upload your own photos to the site. Feel free to share the website with friends. Come check it out at http://clubdust2011bridges.shutterfly.com/. At the website, you will be able to save photos. 

-Victoria 

Club Dust - December  2011

A team of 31 members and friends of Bridges Church joined by another 185 volunteers from Twin Lakes and Calvery Churches for this years’ Club Dust mission to Tecate, Mexico on December 27-31, 2011.  Everyone worked tirelessly to prepare meals and/or build 5 permanent and 6 pop-up new houses for families in need who were previously sleeping on dirt floors in leaky shacks.   The team also showed Gods grace by handing out food, clothing and shoe donations to a seemingly endless line of the poor in need. 

In contrast to the rain in the previous year, this year’s team was blessed with wonderful winter sunshine and unseasonably warm weather, which made the construction hot work.  Regular supplies of water and sandwiches for lunch kept the energy levels high and enabled the completion of the 11 new homes in just 3 days!  It was a wonderful and rewarding experience for everyone to see the houses rise so quickly from the dirt through this wonderful demonstration of Christ-like behavior. Eddie Huang’s girls used their creative talents to produce house-warming gifts that included a photo diary of the new house build including verses  1 John 4:8 and Hebrews 13:6, as well as several artistic pictures that included 1 John 4:8 ,Matthew 18:5 and John 3:16 to be placed on the walls of the new home that was sponsored by Bridges for Maria and her four children. There were tears in many eyes when the keys for the new homes and bibles (dual language versions in Spanish & English) were passed over to the families.   

The Club Dust team was also able to touch the lives of the least fortunate of people who were making their living scavenging for food and any articles on the local garbage dump.  This was done via an auction on one evening - which raised $6,100 to enable donations to buy food and basic resources: camping stoves, towels and water to make life a little more comfortable.  These donationsm[made possible in part by 2011 BCC-Club Dust Team’s strong, spontaneous, and sacrificial giving on auction night] were distributed the next morning at the dump  by Eddie, Mary, Victoria, Jocelyn, Sierra and Kathy from Bridges, so there was no delay in getting help to the families in need.

Eddie & Wendy Huang and Kay Chen along with the other kitchen staff provided the delicious meals for everyone to enjoy.  The salami sandwiches were a favorite of the construction team and also of the locals who waited patiently at the end of the lines for a meal. Miss Lee did a great job painting and the all-important translations into spanish. Pat Rossler worked hard on the roof!  Kathy Tomkins provided a hairdressing service under a tent erected by the locals and which became over-crowed at times due to stray goats and dogs that were attracted to the shade.  The Conklin family provided lots of willing hands to help with the construction.   Jason and Simon from the other Bridges Church in Freemont did some great work in the lofts and dry-walling, as did Christina Huang.   Mackinnon & Lily Chen, Jack & Henry Tomkins, Cole, Ping and Jo all did a tremendous job painting both inside and out.

Everyone celebrated the achievements and gave thanks at the gala dinner of meatballs and pasta on the last night.  Kay Chen received an award for providing “Never-ending Sunshine” in the kitchen.  Eric Chen and Paul Tomkins received awards for their long hours working to sheet-rock the loft area which was around 20 degrees hotter than ground level!  Lizette also gained an award for her contribution in organizing the painting Bridges crew, which included many of the younger children. She also helped out with the taping of the dry wall and mudding the sheet-rock.

Everyone felt this to be a wonderful and enriching experience and felt blessed to have had the opportunity to help those in need.  Thanks to all at Bridges Church for your prayers and monetary contributions and prayers that enabled a safe trip for all and the provision of new homes to those in need. 

? Physical strength to carry on with a very busy ministry schedule. 

? Victory over many health issues within our team. 

? Safety in travel for the team. 

? For Cam Taylor, a team member who is in long term recovery from an accident not of his doing. 

? For our team as each one faces the challenge of raising personal support for salary and ministry expenses. 

First, we wanted God to meet us in a way that He had not before and that He could use to fill us to be all He wanted for us as men, women and leaders. He did this indeed. We had concentrated time praying on Mt. Samgak, a place of historical significance to Koreans in the spiritual development of their country in the past 50 years. What a sweet time on the mountain we had! So, I believe our time was an important one on several fronts. Please pray that we would faithfully stay the course and respond to God’s calling daily.

Second, during our meetings, we desired to set a course for AIA’s future that would reflect more of His heart and not our own goals. Much Strategic Planning was completed for sure, but now you see additional areas of focus that include reaching the needy (i.e. Japanese tsunami victims), the unreached and poor (i.e. North Koreans) and serving the local church around the globe. Our goals in coming to Seoul were threefold.
Third, our desire was to spend time with both our country leaders and help to accelerate what is currently happening in the Korean AIA Ministry. To that end, we hosted AIA Country Leaders from East Asia (our area) from China, Korea, Mongolia and Singapore (brand new ministry!). What a rich time we had with these, my heroes! We even had a mini-retreat with the Chinese staff for two days following the GLC Meetings. And significantly, we were given the opportunity to a) meet (twice) with the Seoul Regional Campus Ministry and agree to resource them in beginning a movement on Seoul’s main sports university’s campus. b) participate in a church service at Korea’s Olympic Training Center, and c) help to commission a new group of students at the AIA Taekwondo’s Training Center. Some of these students are North Koreans who have a heart to one day see their fellow countrymen reached with the Gospel through their evangelistic efforts!

Please continue to pray for our family. This is the second of 4 trips scheduled for me through the middle of November. I will be returning to Asia on October 17 to teach at the (first ever) AIA sports ministry conference in Ulan Bataar, Mongolia and then back through Beijing to meet with our staff and other partners there. Finally, we would like you to pray for our financial support needs and perhaps put us in conduct with those who may be likeminded in reaching the world for Christ. With great opportunities come great challenges and we believe the enemy is trying to discourage us even as God is using our team so significantly. Thank you to those who already give so faithfully and sacrificially!

From CONNIE: the moment I met Joy as a freshman basketball player at ASU two years ago, I thought her name was perfect for her.  She exudes a sweet jo y and love for others that truly comes from within and from her relationship with Christ.  But she has also had her share of struggles.  Battling injuries, perfectionism, high expectations of herself, and pressure from coaches as well as her classwork, she has continued to pursue Christ and a more intimate relationship with Him.  We've been meeting this past year to continue to encourage her in that journey. 
In the spring, Joy decided she really wanted to participate in an Athletes in Action project, preferably overseas.  Unfortunately her schedule and the team's schedules were not compatible, but God orchestrated it for her to be able to attend AIA's Ultimate Training Camp in Colorado.  She was profoundly impacted by her week spent with other college athletes from across the country, learning AIA's Principles of Athletic Competition and being taught how to apply her faith to her sport.  She saw God meet her needs and those of her teammates as they pushed beyond what they thought their bodies could handle.  Following AIA's UTC, Joy also served as a camp counselor for an FCA camp and was amazed at how the high school girls at the camp looked up to her, "just because I play basketball."  In fact, on the second evening of the camp, one of her girls poured out her heart to Joy and shared about the very difficult life she has had.  Joy shared the hope of Jesus with the girl, and the girl asked Him to be Lord of her life that very night! Joy now has caught the vision for how God can use the platform He's given her, both in the lives of her teammates as well as with youth.  She has continued to maintain a relationship with the camper who accepted Christ.  She is eager to share the hope that is in her with her teammates, and has already testified to them about how she prays and quotes Scripture while she is running for their team conditioning times.  Please pray for Joy as she assumes a greater leadership role with the team this year, especially that she would continue to cultivate a rich and intimate relationship with her Creator.  The next time we meet, we'll be studying the Holy Spirit and the power that He gives.  It's exciting to see what God is doing in Joy's life!!

In June the city council in Bussy where our church is  being planted held a special meeting to present an urban project to construct housing in the area where we are thinking of purchasing a building for the future home of Bussy church. A few days after the meeting I contacted the urban committee so that they could clarify their intentions. They con?rmed that they would preempt any buildings in the area that would come on the market. Is this an answer to prayer? Is God telling us to look elsewhere? At the present time, this would seem to bethe case. The city of?cial with whom I talked mentioned that the city has set aside an area to the east of the town for the construction of buildings for religious groups. We will be exploring this possibility in the coming months. Please pray with us about this opportunity.

Prescott Baptist Church encouraged them by providing fleece materials which will be assembled for a women and children home on the reservation. Please pray for effective ministry using this home.

Tillie reports that in May she taught at a Native Women's Conference in Albuquerque. The focus of the outreach was to gather dNative Christian women from across Albuquerque and the surrounding Pueblos to fellowship and learn from one another while equipping them to minister among their own people. Several tribes were represented and, for many, this was the first time they attended anything like this. It was encouraging and the chance to meet other Native believers was wonderful. Please pray for the Native American women and that this ministry will flourish as they seek to provide sound Biblical teaching.

July 22nd is the official inauguration of the Belen farm (agricultural project). Our Chinandega brothers have organized a big party for God to celebrate. We know some North American brothers are coming, and we rejoice! Be ready to see the big thing God is doing in Nicaragua. You won't be visitors; you will be a family part of our ministry.

There was a spirit of unity, a humble attitude of service, great relations formed and of course the Lord put all that into His amazing hopper and out came a tremendous demonstration of His power during that week.

We saw lives changed, many opened their hearts to Christ, others re-dedicated their lives, others still made deeper commitments to be that man or woman of God upon returning home.

Maybe you didn't know, but when the Italian young people heard this team was coming back yet for a third year, our camp was completely filled up within two weeks of the p.r. going out.

As the kids were leaving the camp this year, many parents came up to me and wanted to leave a deposit to make sure their kids would be included for next years camp.

We had a young man from Brescia (that's 800 km.s north) come down as his parents wanted to make sure he did not miss this camp....he made a decision for Christ.

We had a young girl fly down from MILANO (900 kms. north), and she too opened her heart to Christ.

Please know that your investment in prayers, in financial support, in words of encouragement and their overall trust in this group has done much to further the Kingdom of our Lord here in this very very dark and difficult place.

Let the team know that the only problem now is.....

how in the world are they going to top this camp next year?????

Ciao for now,

douglas

He and Eriko request prayers for the following 10 days:

Pray for collaboration. Several teams will be working with local churches.

For spiritual and physical stamina and discernment.

For hearts to be open and that we would listen closely to the Lord for his appointments.

Pray for Eriko as she works with Wheelchairs of Hope in Tokyo during this time.

For preparation for the Karuizawa Summer Retreat. Currently 30 are signed up including staff, but he would like to see more. They would like to give tired pastors a real break.

A week later, Ireni visited one of the women who had come to the tea, who lives in a slum community. She shared her excitement over coffee. "Thank you for the Women's Tea. I had never played games like I did on Saturday. That was the best day of my life. When I was a child, I was the oldest so I could not play, but had to take care of my siblings while my Mom worked."

At the tea they gave away a number of prizes. The last prize was a basket full of basic foods like rice, beans, noodles, tomato sauce, oil, vinegar, etc. The young woman who won the basket was one that did not come often to any of Restoration Ministry's events in her community. She had been invited, and at the last minute decided to come. She was feeling sad because she had nothing to give her own mother for Mother's Day. When she won the basket of staples, she took it home and gave it to her mother and wished her a Happy Mother's Day. The mother began to cry. She wanted to cook a dinner for all her children, but did not have anything in the house. Her salary was late so she had no money to buy even rice and beans. This young woman and her mother saw the care of the Lord for their family through the gift from Restoration Ministries. Please pray that these experiences will cause this family to become followers of Christ.

Paulo and Ireni ask prayer for resolution about Iguatemi Center where small group meetings are held. Tension exists between the community and the management of the property. Also pray for Teresinha who needs heart diagnosis and test, but because of the waiting list may not get the tests for up to a year. She suffers from not feeling well and pain in her legs, and for her granddaughter who lost her mom and now is very depressed. Please pray for Fabiano, a 13 year old boy who is growing in faith no matter what the circumstances, willing to serve and learn about Jesus. He will be baptized soon. Also pray for Josepha who is having heart problems and getting tested via catheterization. And pray for all the kids that will be attending the Agita Program, and for the homes Paulo and Ireni will be visiting. May the Holy Spirit be touching these peoples' hearts. 

Please pray for the following: 

funds to finish the remaining 20% of the Training Center in order to have a place for worship and a library; for Radha as he meets very large commitments for both Cambodian and US ministries; for Samen who is having some health problems; for more partners to reach Cambodia for Christ; for more Bibles for Cambodia, for wisdom to translate the training programs, and for funds to send more students to school for education and Bible training. 

Our worker's classes resume at the end of September, with an intense schedule to continue studies, tutorials, and dissertation, as well as co-teaching a Masters/PhD-level course entitled "Thinking Anthropologically for World Mission" as an Instructor in Training.

A new little girl is expected soon in their household to join two older sisters who are very excited about the prospect of teaching new sister all the things little girls like to do. Our workers also learned that the proper way to share news about a new child in the Maple community is that the parents of the couple share the news with their village friends and gossip about the new grandchild coming. Our workers' parents have shared this good news by e-mail with members of the Maple community, who responded with joy, and have begun the gossiping traditional in the villages.

Our workers also have the following prayer requests: 1) for peace in South Asia; 2) for God's protection over the Maple Christians who are preparing to be the initial Bible translating team; 3) for our workers as they continue studies and raise their family; 4) for their house helper's 4-year old son, recovering from a severe burn during the past winter, now healing but suffering from scarring. 

Humberto is the leader of the ministries on the North Coast of Honduras. When he was young we went to the Island of Roatan to start a church. He encountered 3 languages in the small town where he was sent: English, Spanish, and Garifuna (an African language brought over by slaves). He started the church in all 3 languages. After it was stable, he went back to the mainland and studied at the Honduras Extension Bible Institute and began planting churches. When the missionary that started the Institute and the church association left, he passed on the directorship to Humberto. At that time there were 60 churches and over 100 students at the Institute (20 years ago). Under Humberto’s leadership, there are now over 200 churches and over 250 students at the Institute. They have extended the ministry into seven departments (states) and 13 regions.

Humberto led Rigoberto Reyes to the Lord and baptized his entire family. He sent Rigoberto to start the Nicaragua Extension Bible Institute and church association in Nicaragua, which will celebrate its 10^th anniversary in July. Today there are 27 churches, the Institute has over 150 students, two vocational schools, and an agricultural project.

One of the churches Humberto started led a Cuban doctor living in Honduras to the Lord. Humberto went to Cuba to start ministry there. Presently he is training two Cuban leaders that live in Honduras to go back to Cuba and start an Institute and church association. He is also starting churches and training leaders among two indigenous people groups (Pech and Mosquitos). Lastly, he is starting churches and training leaders among the Garifunas, descendents of an East African tribe that escaped from St. Vincent Island in the 1790’s and ended up on the East Coast of Central America. There are 42 villages in Honduras with only a few having churches. They still speak the East African language and have many of the customs that they brought with them as slaves. Humberto wants to see a church in every village.  Currently there are five churches.

Humberto needs construction teams to help build small church buildings for poor churches that could never raise the funds to build a building. He also needs funds for travel and materials for training leaders, and funds for regional directors to train leaders.  Please pray for the work going on in Honduras and Nicaragua, for provision for these new churches and for travel and health for these dedicated church planter and training national ministers

Laura Reed is retiring from being a principal at an inner city school in Sacramento.  She is reinstating her law license and is ready to start a legal clinic again, a huge need in their neighborhood. They ask your prayers for this ministry.

William Jessup University in Rocklin, CA, is moving ahead with TeachBeyond to develop a 2012 summer program where students could earn academic credit as they assist us with English camp programs. Please pray for WJU leadership and TeachBeyond as they work out the details.

TeachBeyond is a Christian service organization. The name reflects a strong commitment to obeying the Great Commission through educational initiatives. There are over one hundred workers serving overseas and in North America. It is the founding and sponsoring organization of Black Forest Academy, a school that serves international missionary and business families and is located in Kandern, Germany. The Storrs served there for many years. 

• The 12 church-planting students currently studying
• For the church planters teaching them.
• For success in finishing the documentation process for the church on the shelter.
• For God’s provision of resources to finish the church.
• For Yura, their church planter’s preparation to move to Donetsk this summer to partner with us in the ministry of church planting.

Eriko is on a ministry trip to Mongolia with Wheelchairs of Hope.  They are delivering 26 chairs and providing training for chair maintenance and encouragement to believers there.

John has just met with his first clients with Three Stream Ministries. He says it is a blessing to connect with this couple.  For more, visit his blog at:  http://web.me.com/houlettesinjapan

We thank God that health problems are being addressed for both Lesly and our son, who is now in preschool. Please pray for God's grace and power to continue to abound, especially as we enter into the season of many groups coming down to experience God in a new way in Central America.

In this time of great need, there is a sense that many Japanese will seek Jesus Christ and be saved. What a great opportunity to share the hope giving message of the Gospel. However, there is another important indicator in a revival. That is, the coming together of the Church of Jesus Christ. The unity of believers to serve and share to those in need. 

 This is being manifested before our eyes. We are experiencing an unprecedented collaboration and cooperation among churches locally and abroad. The news coverage rarely talks about how Christians are among the relief efforts. Also, CRASH Japan is being used by God as a platform to bring help and hope through and by the local churches. Hundreds and soon to be thousands of volunteers from various denominations, churches, mission groups will continue to be involved in relief, rebuilding, and recovery. The Holy Spirit is giving us solidarity towards the mission of sharing the gospel to the Japanese.

We have started again the Black Gospel Choirs as we are currently serving 50 churches all over Japan. Hundreds of choir members, most of whom are not-yet Christians are taking the message of each song they are learning to a deeper level. Pray that their spiritual journey will take them to having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!  

We praise the Lord for many of you who have responded in giving sacrificially to the needs here in Japan. Currently, our personal support has been greatly affected by the weak dollar against the yen. Here are ways you can get involved in helping financially. Taylor support directly through WorldVenture, support of HGF (primary ministry in reaching the Japanese with the Gospel music), WordVenture-Japan Earthquake to support Japan churches, and CRASH for Christian based relief efforts to Japanese churches. 

They had their yearly Mainland South East Asia Conference April 1-7. They had a Help Desk in the meeting hall where he worked on 3 to 5 computers each day. Recruitment in Wycliffe last year saw a six-year high of 207 new members. Some recent information regarding the Gospel was: there are currently 6.9 billion people on earth who speak a total of 6909 languages. About 4.7 billion of those people (68%) have a Bible available in their first language; a further 542 million people (8%) have at least the New Testament. Translation work is currently underway in a 2,026 languages, but an additional 2,078 languages need translation work to begin. 75% of these unreached languages are in Asia.

Terry's daughter, Leilani, reports better health since she was diagnosed with celiac disease and is now using a gluten free diet. She was able to travel to visit a friend and even take up some jogging again. She is planning to move back to North Carolina sometime in the beginning of August to prepare for her return to UNC Charlotte for fall classes. First though, she needs to get the official confirmation that she has been accepted in to the clinical portion of her major. Notification of who is accepted is supposed to be mailed during the month of May, so she is anxiously waiting that letter right now. Terry's elder daughter, Jamie, and her husband, Chris, both Air Force officers now stationed in Florida, will be reassigned soon, Chris to Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, and Jamie hopes to be relocated there, too. Then in two years, they will move to Colorado where Chris will teach at the Air Force Academy. Jamie currently provides support to deployed Special Operations personnel.

Prayer requests are that: Terry will continue to be effective in the work he does in Thailand; everything will work out smoothly for all of Leilani's college needs; and that Jamie will get the assignment she needs for working at Wright Patterson AFB.

Since our arrival at the church in the town of Bussy Saint Georges in 2003, we have been renting a room for our Sunday services and other large group ministries. It has served us well and has permitted the church to obtain a certain visibility and credibility in a context where many French people still equate church with a physical structure (Notre Dame de Paris, for example). The time has come for us as a church to think about a more permanent home. A certain building  came to our attention a few months ago as a possible solution to our need for more space to help fulfill our ministry in Bussy. It is located near our present facility and has a 2900 square foot building on 7600 square feet of land. One part could be converted into a 1300 square foot worship center that would double our present space. In addition we would have room for classes, a kitchen and a welcome area. We have made several visits to the building and have a good relationship with the family that owns it. Pray as we next discuss the price and look at financing.

Since March, I have three new jobs.  

1. Launch Axios, the earthquake version of Three Stream Ministries.
2. Coordinate WorldVenture earthquake funding and ministry.
3. Coordinate Pastor Care for Crash Japan.

I have come to realize that my project for writing a devotional through my Bethel Seminary project and Axios, is about developing stillness tools. Pray for us as we learn in a better way to be still and know that He is God. We so appreciate your prayers, financial support and care for us.

From a medical perspective, the group was able to treat a total of 1,963 people who came with all sorts of ailments.  Also, they all received basic education in nutrition and water purification, were able to see a medical professional, were given the opportunity of getting glasses, seeing the physical therapist or dentist, and then given the medicine prescribed by the doctor.

Pray that the seeds that were planted continue to grow as they did following the medical mission trip last year, from which there are now four new churches. The Association is planting churches so fast that they cannot keep up with the demand for church buildings (there are seven ready for buildings right now). They just need church groups to come down and help out. They also need transportation for the pastors who don't have vehicles or even gas money to visit the various church plants, and new leaders need training in the areas where they are working, so they can eventually be pastors. Anyone interested in meeting any of these needs or wanting more information, please contact Mike at michaelnajjar@gmail.com

In April, Mike will be coordinating a medical team in Nicaragua, where they took a similar team last year. As a result of last year's team, 4 new churches were started.

Please pray for:

• the medical team and that the Niaraguan Health Ministry always put up at the last minute to frustrate the team.
• for continued good health and success in coordinating Mike's  travel, building and church planting projects, son Jeremy's schooling, and family life. 

• Prayer  for further progress in the new partnership that will facilitate more project options for future workers;
• for our friends as they prepare for conference workshops they are leading in April;
• that the conference will be a blessing and refreshment for those that can come out of their countries of work and enjoy the fellowship with other associates;
• pray for their countries and world area that are going through huge changes in structure, that elected leaders will bring good provision for their people;
• and praise and prayer for our friends' ongoing opportunities to speak to the lives of local families around them, families who are open and welcoming, who have adopted them as extended family. 

• to prepare  for reaching 150 new positive contacts,
• that God would use their web site,
• partnership with another web ministry and other channels to begin face to face contact with 15 true seekers (late breaking news - they have already had 6 new face-to-face contacts),
• that 5 growing new believers would be added to the fellowship,
• for at least 3 baptisms,
• that 7 currently inactive believers would begin attending their gatherings, increase their commitments, enjoy victory over fear and the removal of obstacles that keep them from attending,
• and for growing servant disciples who are willing to shoulder the load and committed to gathering together.
  
  They also send personal greetings to friends at Bridges Community Church.

• Pray for Fukushima First Bible Baptist Church. Pastor Sato has moved with 50 of his flock three times. They were located two miles from the nuclear plant and will not be able to return to the area.
• Pray for rest for the group and immediate and future logistical needs - homes, work, transportation, etc.
• Pray for Pastor Minegishi in Kessennuma. His church and parsonage were totally destroyed. He is living in an evacuation center.
• Pray for pastors Otomo, father and son, who pastor the Shiogama Bible Baptist Church. The father's parents' home was destroyed along with his brand new car. This church is a key base for relief work. They have been working non-stop for several weeks now.
• Pray for churches in Ofunato and Ishinomaki where much devastation occurred via the tsunami.
• Pray for Japan Baptist Fellowship as the Houlettes work with their church association to give timely and strategic manpower and financial aid. He also reported doing relief efforts in the town of Tagajo, near Sendai Port, the huge amount of work needed to help people get debris moved, their homes emptied of mud and families who had survived but lost family members to the tsunami, family members who had had flu and been hospitalized, stress piled on stress. 

The college also has provided a house (construction nearly finished) and they are in it. They are still learning the intricacies of how electricity, water, phone and internet coverage and other such things work, or not, and the guest room is still full of boxes, but the welcome mat is out.

1. A motorcycle for the Center to run around for ministry cost $1,600
2. Three laptops to use for teachers and other ministry at the Center cost $1,500
3. Ten bunk beds for the Center at $150 each total $1,500
4. Bring in a power line for the Center, right now the Center operated without any power, we have to use car battery and a small generator for some light, to connect to main power line it will cost $13,000
5. Need for shipping one container of wheelchair from Japan (this is for fee at the Cambodia port and transportation in country) cost approximately $3,000
6. Need for my trip to Cambodia for the Summer $2,500

Radha writes: "Thank you for your support over the years, anything toward any need above would be appreciated. Your prayers for these needs are most appreciated."

MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI
DEVASTATE JAPAN

With each passing day, the news out of Japan remains grim in the aftermath of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami disasters. News of the crippled nuclear reactors and release of radiation only compound the stress and grief of survivors. In these dark hours, many individuals and churches want to express the love of Jesus by giving to help relieve the immediate and overwhelming needs in Japan. The WorldVenture team in Japan is hosting the coordination of relief efforts in their ministry center in Tokyo.

To follow the current events, Click Here

1. Kurihara City.  There are  two CBAJ churches there and this is nearest to the epicenter.  

2. Kessenuma City.  This is the city that is in flames.  There are two CBAJ churches there.  

3. Natori City.  This is where the tsunami inundated farm land.  There is a church there as well.  

4. There are 30+ churches within a 60 mile radius of the epicenter.

Ken Taylor, WorldVenture Japan Field Leader, reports that local church and mission groups in Japan are organizing for coordinated responses to the overwhelming needs. In the days to come, we anticipate releasing specific details in which individuals and churches can participate in those efforts.

In the midst of the heaviness of this tragedy, various WorldVenture personnel have been emailing, blogging, and facebooking their accounts of the earthquake and the hours following.

John and Eriko Houlette praise God for His protection of Eriko's parents in Sendai.

Ken and Bola Taylor shared that their kids, Luke and Tori, had an earthquake drill at their school the day before the earthquake struck. Given the transportation disruptions, the Taylors had six "new" sons from the Christian Academy in Japan stay with them overnight until they could be reunited with their parents. In each of the accounts, all are grateful for the emails and facebook postings expressing concern and prayers.

Click here to donate to the WorldVenture relief effort!

In a phone conversation today, Dr. Marty Shaw, WorldVenture's Asia Ministries Director, reported that all WorldVenture personnel and Fellowship of Evangelical Baptists (FEB) International personnel in Japan have been accounted for and that they are physically okay. However, there is great concern for the people of the Sendai area where many of the Conservative Baptist Association (CBA) of Japan churches are located and where the Sendai Baptist Seminary is located.

Please join with with us and WorldVenture in praying for those impacted by these events that in the midst of their shock, anguish, and suffering, God's power and grace will meet their deepest needs. WorldVenture anticipates that in the days to come as the extent of the damage is better known, we will be responding with assistance.

Click here to donate to the WorldVenture relief effort!

Today (Feb 1), Egyptians are trying to send 1 million people into Tahrir (Liberty) square to demand an end to the Mubarak regime.  Amazing really!

My friends have now made it safely back to Egypt.  Our former mission team has managed to board a plane and leave the country.   I have been taking in a steady diet of TV and internet media to try to keep pace with the events in Egypt.  I almost gave into the temptation to write my political and social analysis of the events.  Aren’t you glad I resisted?

But there is something to say about what is happening in the “Kingdom of God” in Egypt and throughout the Arab world.  The people want transparency, dignity, freedom from oppression.  They are calling out for an end to top-down governance that fails to respond to the real needs of real people. 

Egypt is a land of prayer.  Egyptian Christians that I know gather for long seasons of prayer.  The church our family attended there has recently established an all-night prayer meeting once a week.  There is a yearly prayer conference that draws Egyptian Christians from all denominations to the shores of the north coast to seek God’s intervention in their country.  That lasts for a week each year.  Did you know that Egypt has many Coptic monasteries and the monks keep regular prayer vigils sometimes starting their prayers at ridiculously early morning hours—like 3 a.m.?  I know because I’ve watched these prayers personally.

And Egypt is shaking…

The slogans and demands I hear Egyptians making sound like they are hungering for realities that only the Kingdom of Jesus can deliver. 

I could not help but notice that the people of Egypt intuitively distinguished between the internal security police and the army.  They ransacked the offices of the police and burned their buildings.  The army, on the other hand, was rewarded with the affirmation of a grateful people.  To me, that means something.  It is the internal security police of Egypt who have abused, tortured and imprisoned Muslim background followers of Jesus.  It is the internal security police who have interrogated Egypt’s Christians and destroyed their properties.  It is the internal security police who have deported a steady stream of expatriate servants of Christ over the past nearly twenty years.  The Psalmist expresses his despair over the Lord’s slowness to enact justice on His enemies and who among us hasn’t asked “how long O Lord?”  I thank God for what He is doing in Egypt.

I noticed one placard amidst the demonstrators in Cairo.  The young woman’s sign read:  “I am Muslim.  I am against terrorism.  I am against destruction.”  I hope that Egypt’s moderate Muslims can join hands with many Christians there and find an expression of government that allows true freedom of conscience and religion along with necessary fiscal and social reform.  Let us pray.

It is far too soon to declare victory.  Something tells me the struggle for the soul of Egypt is just beginning.  Darkness is deeply entrenched and it does a masterful job masquerading as light.  The slogan of the Muslim Brotherhood is “Islam is the solution.”  That premise is scarcely questioned by the vast majority of Egyptians. 

Nevertheless I am proud of my second home.  I’m proud of the people of Egypt.  I am deeply grateful to God for the Egyptian Christians—Evangelicals, Copts and Catholics and I have deep sorrow and pity for Egypt’s Muslim people.  May God have mercy.

Please pray for the people of the region. For leaders to seek His Will and for God to move through the power of His Holy Spirit in this important area of the world.

Pray for plans in 2011 to partner with about 10 more churches, a total of about 1000 choir members.

Pray for Jack in this new phase of his on-going ministry.

Prayers are requested for Quichua believers in Ecuador. The Quichua are the largest indigenous group in the nation. The Bible Society of Ecuador is printing a revised version of the Quichua Bible, a joint effort of the Bible Societies and Avant Ministries. Printing had been stalled due to the global economic crisis, but is now underway. The new Bibles will be available in the Spring of 2011.

On the first day of Christmas my true God sent to me....the call to be ambassadors of reconciliation to God.

On the second day - a memorable family reunion with their 3 kids, spouses, and 3 grandchildren.

On the third day - news of two more grandchildren on the way.

On the fourth day - praise for continuing good health during the past year.

On the fifth day - another follower of Christ was recently baptized, and feels called to return to her native land of China. Pray for Marie and her witness.

On the sixth day - redemptive relationships with several couples in their home town of Torcy, France.

On the seventh day - more room needed for Sunday morning services; more Sunday school space needed in order for young families to integrate into the church. Pray for right decision about possible purchase of a building in the town of Bussy Saint Georges.

On the eighth day - wonderful fellow missionaries who know how to cook, and served a feast at Thanksgiving.

On the ninth day - home assignment, 4270 miles driven, 9 "being together, sharing dinner" with 89 participants, 13 pounds gained (by Craig, then most of it now lost), and 19 other meetings, while reconnecting with their support team.

On the tenth day - the joy of studying Paul's Letter to the Church in Rome with other believers during this past year.

On the eleventh day - other believers committed to helping one another grow in the context of a weekly small group ministry.

On the twelfth day - music students who desire to serve the Lord through their God-given talents (and a little practice helps, too!).

In other news, several pastors are reporting great things: one person John baptized seven years ago, will graduate from seminary in March and will be called as an evangelist at Saikyo Hope Chapel (church). Three men were recently baptized at Saiko, and one of them was led to the Lord by this seminary graduate. Another pastor of one of the church plants is being considered for a major leadership position in a church multiplication ministry.

Pray for these disciples, and for John's "bike" ministry to three churches he visits on rotating Saturdays. The churches range from 12 to 22 miles away, and John says he keeps fit and has prayer time on these bike rides. 

John was recently able to visit his family in Massachusetts, where wife and children are pursuing college degrees. They invite you to visit their website for more news about the new ministry and goals:  http://web.me.com/houlettesinjapan/HOULETTESINJAPAN