04 Dec New Global Ministries Staff: Stephanie Hamil

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries

We’re glad to welcome Stephanie Hamil to the Global Ministries family. Stephanie, a member of Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.), will serve in South Africa with a college campus ministry.

Stephanie has a very winning, confident personality. She feels very comfortable communicating. Her whole college experience involved engaging people for Christ, and she is very passionate about doing it in the future.

Stephanie Hamil graduated in 2010 from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Spanish Education. Upon becoming a Christian during her freshman year in college, she received personal discipleship through Campus Outreach. Through her discipleship and World Vision seminars, Stephanie began to learn and understand the importance of missions to unreached people groups.

Stephanie is preparing to spend five years with an organization called Campus Outreach. She will work at the University of Pretoria in Pretoria, South Africa. Her prayer is that God would use her to evangelize, equip, and establish students on the university campus, with the goal of successfully sending them out into their spheres of influence.

Interestingly, in Pretoria she will live just a few blocks away from Joe and Natalie Reed, fellow Global Ministries staff who serve with Nieu Communities. The Reeds are currently in the States on furlough living in the Meyers Mission House in Huntington. They and Stephanie were able to get acquainted.

Stephanie hopes to leave in December 2010, and is currently raising her support.

03 Dec Building Project in Kutno, Poland

Church people outside their newly-acquired building in Kutno, Poland.

The new building in Kutno, Poland.

Donna and Arek Delik (below, right) are endorsed staff with Global Ministries. Members of our Hong Kong Conference, the Deliks have been serving in Poland since 1999, starting a church and doing other ministry. They recently purchased a building which will become their worship center and be used as a rehabilitation center in their ministry to alcoholics, and as a teen center. Global Ministries has spotlighted the building as a project churches and individuals may want to contribute toward. Here is an update on the building from Donna Delik.

Donna Delik, Poland

We feel overwhelmed by the swift development of the building project! The whole bidding process was a nerve-wracking experience. We were in a tug of war with a businessman who was very determined, and so were we. In the end we won the auction with 430,000 zloty ($150,000 US), 20% higher than the basic price, but we believed that it was still a very reasonable price for this property.

When we went to see the building once again, we were convicted that it was the right property for our ministries, and we were overjoyed for this great gift from God.

We were supposed to pay the rest of the money, 400,000 zloty ($53,000 US), by December 3. That was absolutely impossible for us. So the next day we went to the owner and explained that we actually didn’t have all the money in hand and needed more time. PRAISE THE LORD–without a second thought he agreed to extend the deadline of payment to December 27, which gives us more time to find the money we need! Once again God assured us that He was on our side.

Within a very short time, we have already gathered about one-third of the money. For the rest we must look for loans from individuals and churches. We are very thankful that our home church in Hong Kong agreed to grant us a big loan, and we are very close to the target now.

There is some bad news about the building: the roof is leaking and there is water in the basement. Our architect and engineer friends have recommended that these  urgent things need to be fixed for the winter; then we can work out a detailed plan for the whole renovation project when spring comes.

Please pray with us that the rest of the money will come before the deadline or even earlier, so that we could work on the roof before it causes more damage.

Thank you very much for those who have already responded to this financial need. Every penny counts, and your donation for this project is a great encouragement and blessing for our church.

02 Dec Steve Saint’s Flying Car

The 2006 movie “The End of the Spear” told the story of five American missionaries who were killed in 1956 by Huaorani Indians in Ecuador. One of those men was Nate Saint, whose son Steve later returned to live among the Huaorani. This video shows what Steve has been doing lately–a fascinating invention intended primarily as a missions tool. While it’s not a Global Ministries thing, we thought you might be interested in knowing about it.

02 Dec Bishop Simbo Returns to Sierra Leone

After spending four months in the United States caring for his wife, Mamei, who was hospitalized for much of that time, Bishop Billy Simbo has returned to Sierra Leone. He arrived on November 24.

He reports, “I had a debriefing meeting with Rev. John Pessima, the Bishop-Designate, and I am very happy to report that he took care of things during my absence.

“I am adjusting to the heat, and the sweet (LOUD!) sounds of Freetown, and I know the next two months are going to be busy.

“One of the many things I enjoyed doing whilst I was in the US was attending the Abington at Edge Hill Rotary Club meetings for breakfast every Thursday morning. Tomorrow I get to go to my home Rotary Club, The Freetown Rotary Club after 4 months of absence. I am looking forward to it.

On Saturday, November 27, he and John Pessima headed up-country 200 miles for a church dedication the next day.