Angela Oesterle is returning to Jamaica Bible College in September, and plans to serve there for a year. She is from the Eden UB in Mason, Mich. Jamaica Bible College is a primary training institution for many of our Jamaican UB pastors, along with students from many other denominations. Rev. Owen Gordon, a pastor and leader in Jamaica Conference, also serves as president of the college. Angela previously served six months at JBC, and returns now to help organize their new library, reach out to women students, and assist with occasional teaching responsibilities. Angela is raising support for her year of service, and would appreciate any financial support from UB people and churches. You can contact Global Ministries about supporting her. Call toll-free: 1-888-622-3019.

  • Michael Chan is a new Chinese coworker in the English Language Program. Using his training in small group development, Michael will work with Bible studies and outreach events on the island of Taipa, where we are in the process of starting our third church in Macau. Michael is initially working in an internship role, but it will evolve into full employment with the ELP.
  • Mee Fong Ngai was sent by Hong Kong Conference to spearhead outreach to the poor and lower classes of Macau, especially women. She is working under the authority of the Living Water UB church in Macau.
  • A group from the Brown Corners UB church (Clare, Mich.) is currently in Macau working with VBS and doing kids classes. The group includes senior pastor Chuck Malson and associate pastor Jeff Dice (a former UB missionary in Macau). When they leave, another church group will arrive to do much the same thing.
  • Macau is enjoying a very encouraging round of outreach classes for children this summer. There are English language classes for kids, plus chapels which expose kids to the Gospel.

For over ten years, a group of teens and adults went to Jamaica during the summer to conduct VBS in Jamaican churches. We called it STUMP — the Summer Teen United Ministry Program. There is no official STUMP group this year. However, our Open Bible Fellowship church in Safford has stepped into the gap. They are sending a group to Jamaica to conduct VBS in four churches, all in the Kingston area. The group will leave on Friday, July 17.

A group of 15 people from College Park UB church will travel to Mexico July 17-25 to work with our Hispanic churches in Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas (across the border from each other). They’ll do VBS in three places, and also help construct a Sunday school area for one of the El Paso churches. We have three churches in Juarez and six in El Paso. Gary Dilley, Director of Global Ministries, will lead that group.

Dr. Walter Burkholder passed away on July 9, 2004. The Pennsylvania native pastored at United Brethren churches in Pennsylvania, Fort Wayne, and near Geneva, Ind., and served as general secretary of Christian Education for the United Brethren denomination.

Surviving are wife, Erma; children, Alan, Ann Oden, and Sharon Bryant; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Services were held Tuesday, July 14, in Huntington, Ind.

Here are some news items taken from Hong Kong Conference’s June 2004 report. It includes news about two missionaries who have come from Hong Kong Conference, and about work in several other countries.

Arek and Donna Delik (Poland). The summer English camp has been canceled due to a lack of tutors. Donna and Arek will start evangelism in Kutno and promote the mission work of Operation Mobilization….Donna and Arek will take 22 youths to participate in the Conference on Street Evangelism for youths in Germany from July 31 to August 6.

Myanmar. The move to the newly purchased centre has been postponed as the contractor is still not ready to hand over the centre to us….In June, the English classes started and the admission is good. As a result, two more tutors are required.

Northern Thailand. At present, an Akar missionary couple is working with Pastor Lee….In August, Mr K. K. Fung will lead a short-term mission group to Northern Thailand. There are five participants.

Bridget Ho. Ms. Bridget Ho completed her short mission in Nepal and returned to Hong Kong on June 20. She will attend a talk on Youth Mission in Taiwan.

Macau. At Living Word church, a coworker for student evangelistic work is required so that Pastor Connie Sung can have more time for church pastoring and training….Mr. Michael Chan is serving in the English Centre. He is from the Cell-group Training College. The Centre is open from June to August to facilitate English studies.

Jana, Global Ministries staff in Macau, sent these items on June 29.

  • “Karis Vong is celebrating her tenth year as pastor of Living Water Church this month. I’m so thankful for her friendship all of these years I’ve been in Macau. Praise the Lord for her faithfulness in serving Him.
  • “Summer classes have started. I’m teaching one class for Primary 1-3 students and another for Kindergarten students each Tuesday through Friday afternoon. I enjoy this chance to work with children. Pray that these kids will come to understand the gospel through our daily Bible times together.
  • “Two teams will be coming in July from the States to work with us. Pray for them as they prepare to join us in ministry. We’re thankful for the extra help and energy they’ll bring this summer!”

Jennifer Blandin sent these items on July 1.

  • “June 1 marked the beginning of new roles for Jana and me on the UB Team. Jana is enjoying the chance to refocus her energy on spending time with people, teaching, and doing evangelism. I am wading through lots of stuff as I try to figure out and take on the role of Team Leader for the UB missionary staff in Macau. Gary Dilley is now our remote field director, which is an added responsibility for him, as well as a new style of leadership for the Macau team. Please keep us in your prayers as we work to adjust to this new structure.
  • “Starting in July, Michael Chan, one of our former secretaries, will be doing a ministry internship with us out at the Taipa Center. Michael has been taking a yearlong program in how to develop cell groups. In August he will be joining our staff full time as a ministry layperson. We are very excited, and thankful, to have a local person join our staff at the ELP Center!
  • “Athletes are always talking about needing to take their game to a new level. If you really want to win, you need to look deep inside and play at a higher level. In April, I wrote about a trip I took with some ladies from our English classes. They are a great bunch of ladies. Up until that trip, I would say we had a decent friendship. If we got together, we would always have fun. After that trip, deep friendships have develop. At this level, I’m learning more about what is on these ladies’ hearts and they are learning more about what I care about and the concerns I have. Just as it is for athletes to take it to the next level to win the big games, as Christians we also need to take it to a deeper level with people we know to be sure Christ is reaching them at the level they are at.”

Luanne Brooks has been a missionary in Haiti since March 2003. She has been a UB missionary, but working with OMS International. Luanne has decided to conclude her ministry with OMS. She explains:

“When I signed on with OMS, I signed on for two years. My plan was to work here for two years and by then, the UB church would be ready for me to move down to Port au Prince and work with our churches there. God threw a monkey wrench into that when our church began merger talks with another denomination. And so I thought that maybe I would just stay here with OMS. But God has been speaking to my heart about that, too. I now feel that God has another plan for me.

“I will be returning to the States and continuing my education. I believe God is calling me into fulltime ministry as either a hospital chaplain or in women’s ministries. When I return home I will finish my bachelors degree at the University of Central Florida and then look into seminaries.

“Please pray for me. This is going to be a big change. I am leaving many people I have grown to love and admire. My leaving has not been good news for the clinic staff; many have expressed their regret. I will be returning home on Tuesday, November 30 (my birthday), and will try to a short-term position in South Florida with my daughter. My plan is to move back to Daytona after about six months, in time to start school at UCF. I hope to work with my church and help with Haitian ministries. We have two Haitian churches in our conference.

“If you are supporting me financially and/or in prayer, I ask that you continue to do so. I do not have enough money in my support account to finish my term if the giving stops. I will need your prayers for knowing where God is leading. I want what He wants. He knows better than I what is best for my life.”