19 Feb Recognizing the Chinese New Year

The Global Ministries staff (l-r): Donna Hollopeter, Jeff Bleijerveld, Frank Y, and Jana Gass.

February 14 marked the last day of the Chinese New Year celebration. The festivities always last two weeks, and end with a big bang on the final day.

On January 31, the first day of the celebrations, the Global Ministries staff sent the above photo to our Chinese church leaders in Hong Kong, and to the Global Ministries staff in Macau and China. A number of our United Brethren colleagues in the Far East responded with appreciation.

Frank was born in China and lived there until age 7.

17 Feb Surgery Feb 19 for Roger Reeck

Marilyn Reeck reports that her husband, Roger, saw an orthopedic surgeon on Monday morning, February 17. At 8 am on Wednesday, February 19, Roger will undergo an ankle bone fusion. They would appreciate your prayers. Roger has suffered from this ankle problem for a long time now.

Roger and Marilyn Reeck are Global Ministries endorsed missionaries serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Honduras. They both frequently travel to other countries, including nations in Africa and South America, to do training and consulting.

11 Feb Philippines Typhoon Relief: $7473

Typhoon Haiyan devastated parts of the Philippines in early November. We have about 20 United Brethren churches in the Philippines.

As always happens in the aftermath of major disasters, United Brethren people wanted to help. Our practice, through Global Ministries, is to partner with organizations which specialize in disaster relief. We partnered with Samaritan’s Purse following the 2011 earthquake in Haiti, and after the 2012 tsunami in Japan. UB churches and people were invited to channel money through Global Ministries, all of which was sent on to Samaritan’s Purse (Global Ministries doesn’t take a cut). That amounted to roughly $70,000 for Haiti and $11,000 for Japan.

The same process was used with the Philippines, as we once again partnered with Samaritan’s Purse. As of the end of December 2013, Global Ministries had received $7,473 for Typhoon Haiyan relief.

Franklin Graham, President and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, described Haiyan as “one of the strongest storms in history. Over 6,000 people died and another 4 million people were displaced. He wrote, “The destruction was the worst from  a storm I have ever seen. Entire towns have been reduced to piles of sticks. It’s hard to imagine how anyone survived.”

Even before the typhoon moved away from the Philippines, Samaritan’s Purse dispatched a team to the country. The next week, they airlifted 100 tons of emergency supplies, including a field hospital, aboard a 747. Another chartered 747 soon followed, this one carrying 8 million square feet of heavy-duty plastic–enough to build emergency housing for up to 10,000 families. And much more help followed. A special airlift of over 60,000 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, many of them packed by survivors of Hurricane Sandy, was sent to the Philippines.

11 Feb A Good Two Weeks in Sierra Leone

Dr. Ron Baker (right)

A short-term team spent January 22 – February 9 in Sierra Leone, doing medical and construction work. Upon returning, Dr. Ron Baker sent this report.

I am convinced that what made this such an excellent trip is that we had so much prayer coverage. This morning in church, I mentioned to several there that this was not just a very successful trip, but even more importantly it was significant and hopefully will help future teams.

Our team was blessed to have Kadie Allie, a friend who lives in Naperville, Ind., help co-lead with me. In addition, we had Dr. Abu Minnah on our team, a surgeon practicing in South Africa who was on leave in Sierra Leone. He willingly gave of his time to be with us and did all the surgery. So, this was actually an international team, which was a real blessing.

It was great to have on the team Dr. Jerry Sell, family physician from Rockford, Ohio; Mike Smith, anesthetist and pastor from Van Wert, Ohio; and Michelle Berg, nurse from Traverse City, Mich. (who had been a missionary nurse with us back in the late 1980s). Each one added areas of expertise and giftedness that the Lord used.

I felt so honored and grateful to be a part of this team that I believe the Lord brought together. I also want to mention how thankful the whole team was for the invaluable behind-the-scenes help and planning given by Donna Hollopeter of Global Ministries!

Almost 30 surgeries were done. In addition, we a lot of patients. We also had the opportunity to make some excellent contacts which I pray will help the hospital in the future, did a radio interview, and were able to have quite a few people over in the evenings to share several meals of rice together and enjoy their fellowship.

The first Sunday, our team was able to hold a service in the Moyamba prison. That afternoon on the way to Mattru, we were able to visit my brother Norman’s grave site where I once again shared with the many villagers who accompanied us the story of how God used his tragic death to shape my life.

The following weekend we were on our way back in to Freetown, where I was interviewed by a local Freetown newspaper. Last Sunday, our team was able to worship at the Lumley UB church before we headed out to the Lungi Airport and on home.

07 Feb With the Mexico Brethren in Jesus Maria

With the Rosa de Sharon congregation in Jesus Maria, Mexico. Bishop Phil Whipple is in the back (with someone’s hand partly over his face), and Jeff Bleijerveld is on the left side of the photo.

Bishop Phil Whipple and Global Ministries Director Jeff Bleijerveld are in central Mexico, visiting church with Bishop Denis Casco of the Mexico Conference. The are currently in the state of Queretero, about three hours north of Mexico City. They’ll be meeting with various churches and groups of pastors.

Last night (Thursday, February 6), Bishop Whipple preached at the Rosa de Saron (Rose of Sharon) UB church in the town of Jesus Maria. Jeff Bleijerveld translated for the bishop, who spoke about the experiences of four people who were at the foot of the cross.

Jeff writes: “Pastor Guadalupe Velazquez leads this church and another new plant nearby. It’s a church of about 100 of all ages and the only evangelical church in the community.”

05 Feb Mattru Hospital: Report from an African Newspaper

Adapted from an article in the African newspaper Awoko, by Keifa M. Jaward (Feb. 5, 2014)

The United Brethren Church (UBC) Hospital in Mattru Jong is said to be in dire need of qualified and committed medical team that can assist in the provision of better healthcare services in the community.

This and other related problems were discovered by a medical team from Michigan who came to render free surgical services and donate updated surgical equipment and medicines to the hospital.

The United Brethren Church Hospital at Mattru Jong was founded as a dispensary by the missionary Baker Family in the 1950s. It has been a major health center for the community, and has also expanded to establish a nursing school that has, over the years, produced nurses who have been contributing to Sierra Leone’s healthcare delivery.

In an interview with Awoko in Freetown, Dr. Ronald Baker (right) explained that the medical team, which includes a surgeon specialist, family practitioner, anesthetic, nurses and other humanitarians, conducted over 30 operations in a week’s period.

Analyzing the needs of the hospital, Dr. Baker stated that the UBC Hospital can be very efficient if it has two medical doctors and committed nurses that will be handling emergency cases including obstructed labor. The government is fighting to reduce maternal morbidity in the country.

He maintained that the medical needs are overwhelming, as the hospital is challenged with facilities and medical supplies, including basic x-ray machines.

Baker recommended that the hospital should have a good and uninterrupted water supply, maintenance of facilities, supply of up-to-date medical equipment, and drugs. He added that much needd to be done in preventive measures and good road network in the community in general.

Baker commended the contributions of two Sierra Leoneans, Dr. Abu Minnah and Madam Kadiatu Allie, who equally sacrificed their expertise, time and resources, and also encouraged other Sierra Leoneans, especially medical practitioners abroad, to reconsider working back home.

Madam Kadiatu Allie, who provided hospitality for the team, expressed her happiness for assisting the team in that direction. “I would have done even more than that, if I had the opportunity, especially when they were in the country to contribute to the healthcare system.”

28 Jan New Superintendent in Guatemala

The sixteen churches of Guatemala Conference held their annual conference January 15-17. During this time the conference elected Rev. Jaime Chun as their new superintendent. Rev. Chun and his family serve our largest congregation in Escuintla (located southwest of the capital of Guatemala City.

The out-going superintendent, Rev. Francisco Najera, was instrumental in bringing the churches of Guatemala into the United Brethren with the help of Rev. Juan Pavon of Nicaragua. He continues to serve his church on the outskirts of Guatemala City.

Rev. Chun came to Christ about the same time Francisco did, in his early 20s, as part of the movement happening among the churches being planted there. He and his wife have five children.

Global Ministries director Jeff Bleijerveld visited them when they were planting the church they now serve. The Chuns, all seven of them, were living in one room, which doubled as living room, bedroom…everything. The kitchen was outdoors under a tarp. They’ve now added a room for a small market, a personal business which helps support them. They area in which they live is mostly migrant workers who harvest sugar cane.

Guatemala became our 10th, and newest, national conference in 2010.

28 Jan New Name for HCJB: Reach Beyond

HCJB Global, the Christian radio ministry, has changed its name. The organization is now called “Reach Beyond.”

Doug Weber, a UB endorsed missionary whose family serves with HCJB, writes, “HCJB are really the call letters of our flagship radio stations in Ecuador, and they will continue to use these letters in their name. And for now, the technology center, where we will work in Indiana, will retain the name HCJB Global Technology Center. However the letters ‘HCJB’ don’t really convey the ministries that we do in healthcare, training, or leadership development. Nor do they convey the international scope that our ministries now enjoy.”

Doug says HCJB supporters don’t need to do anything different. They will simply see the new name on receipts, credit card statements, and EFT bank charges.

In the video above, Wayne Pedersen, president of Reach Beyond, explains the reasons for making the name change.

Pedersen says we need to reach beyond our borders, beyond our comfort zones, and beyond our perceived limitations.

Two other organizations that recently changed their name are:

• Cru: the new name of Campus Crusade for Christ in the United States. They still use “Campus Crusade for Christ International” for their global work. The Brian Birdsall family, Global Ministries staff, served with Campus Crusade in the Ukraine and are now stationed in New York City.
• One Mission Society: the new name of Overseas Mission Society. Sarah Bonner and Roger and Mary Lou Skinner, Global Ministries staff, work with OMS at the international office in Greenwood, Ind.

22 Jan Global Ministries + Huntington University

Global Ministries has partnered with Huntington University to organize all of their short-term mission trips, and possibly do trip orientation and team leader training. Global Ministries can offer locations for valuable ministry experiences for HU students.

22 Jan A Different Future for Living Stone Church

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries

In Macau, Living Stone Church will soon be without a meeting place. The owner is significantly raising the rent.

We’re exploring ministry models that combine a business with a church venture. For instance, a facility could provide daycare during the week and be used for church services on weekends. This would provide income for the church, plus opportunities for interacting with young families.

This would open the door to different kinds of missionary staffing, moving away from the English teaching model to early childhood education and family ministry.