30 Apr Fishing Boats for Tsunami Victims

The tsunami that hit the east coast of India in 2005 dragged thousands of fishing boats out to sea. For people living in the region around the Godavry River in Andrah Pradesh, this meant they were left with no means to support themselves or their families.

Humanitarian gifts received during this time from United Brethren churches helped provide new fishing boats like those pictured above, which I encountered on the banks of the river while visiting our work in Narsapur.

30 Apr Two JBC Programs Receive Accreditation

Owen Gordon, President of Jamaica Bible College

I would like to share the good news that greeted me this morning, my first day back at work after returning from attending Huntington University Board of Trustees meeting.

The University Council of Jamaica called to inform us that the two programs we submitted for accreditation have been approved:

• Diploma in Theology
• Associate Degree in Business Administration.

We were told that because it is a ongoing development process, there are yet some things to be done, but due to our willingness to be transparent and willingness to demonstrate openness to continue working at the areas pointed out, our two programs have been accredited.

After several years of trying, we finally made a significant start in the process. We have started some other programs and will be submitting them later for accreditation. We literally had a celebration party this morning in chapel. Our campus family were filled with joy as we express our gratitude to God!

28 Apr Appreciation Service for Rev. and Mrs. Donald Dacres

Rev. and Mrs. Donald Dacres at the appreciation service.

On Sunday, April 25, an appreciation service was held in honor of Rev. and Mrs. Donald Dacres at the Fleming Memorial United Brethren Church. Rev. and Mrs. Dacres have given over 44 years of service to the UB denomination, and they founded the Richmond UB Church in Jamaica.

Special items were given from Jarrod Henry, Fleming Youth Choir, The Richmond Church, Fleming Dance, MIAC and choir. Tributes came from Pastor Daren Larmond representing the Western District, Rev. Jones representing the United Ministers’ Association, East District superintendent Rev. Lebert Thompson, and Mrs. Maud Knight. The address was given by Bishop Winston Smith and the citation by Ms. Annette Spencer. Gifts were then presented to the honorees, after which they gave their response. The reception was then held in the church hall.

22 Apr Global Ministries Team Begins Meetings Today

The Global Ministries Leadership Team will hold its spring meeting today and tomorrow (April 22-23) at the national office in Huntington, Ind.

21 Apr Over $155,000 Raised for Haiti Relief

Global Ministries is working through our two partnering organizations, Samaritan’s Purse and CH Global, to provide relief in Haiti. CH Global distributes relief supplies directly to our UB churches and their communities. To date, Global Ministries has received more than $133,000 for Haiti. Of that:

• $57,000 has been forwarded to Samaritan’s Purse.
• $40,000 has been forwarded to CH Global.
• $58,000 is being reserved for reconstruction efforts among our UB churches and members when the opportunity arises.

In addition, three other national conferences have directed contributions to Haiti:

• Jamaica: $6,000.
• Honduras: $900.
• Canada: $10,000.

Two of our churches destroyed during the earthquake need to be rebuilt. However, we’re uncertain as to when we’ll be able to send teams to assist in the construction, since shelter, supplies, and materials are scarce.

19 Apr Jamaica: Rebuilding at Malvern Camp in 2011

The main dormitory at Malvern Camp (click to enlarge).

In Jamaica, the Malvern Camp’s main dormitory building was condemned last year due to its poor condition.

Over a period of 8-12 weeks, beginning in January 2011, the dorm will be rebuilt. Global Ministries agreed to cooperate with Jamaica Conference in a 50/50 partnership to provide volunteers and finances.

Raymond Johnston of Golden Springs UB in Kingston, Jamaica, will oversee the project, while Scott Hughes of Mainstreet UB in Walbridge, Ohio, will oversee the teams sent from North America.

Watch for more information in the coming months and get your sunscreen ready!

18 Apr Haiti Update

Last week, while in Canada, I met with CH Global, one of the organizations with which we are partnering in Haiti. Here is some information from that meeting.

• Currently we have 60 at-risk children sponsored by UB members. Our goal for 2010 is 200 children
• Sponsoring a child is the most effective way to make a difference for the child and their family over the long haul.
• The program being operated by the Sybert UB church currently has 75-100 disabled or developmentally challenged children enrolled in full-day school programs.
• An after-school program is ready to begin at the Delmas UB church with the potential to have 200 students enrolled.

On May 13-18, I will be in Haiti with Paul Plato (Canadian missions director), Joan Sider, Jeff Gordon (building contractor) and Ed Sider (CEO of CH Global) to assess current needs. We know the church buildings in Cite Soleil, the most affected area of Port Au Prince, need to be rebuilt if our programming is to take place and ministry is to continue.

16 Apr Using Facebook in Latin America

Doug Weber, a Global Ministries endorsed missionary in Ecuador, writes on his blog about how Radio HCJB uses Facebook. They have five Facebook fan pages for Latin America, two of which Doug is responsible for.

15 Apr Honduras Sending Out Its Own Missionaries

COMIBAN, a Latin American missions consortium, recently held a consultation in Honduras. The United Brethren in Honduras were specifically invited to attend. Rev. Juanita Chavez, our Honduran Superintendent, and Marilyn Reeck, a Global Ministries endorsed staffperson, attended. Rev. Chavez sent this report.

Yesterday I returned from the 2010 Mission Consultation held in the city of Siguatepeque. It was a wonderful experience for me. I was surprised to learn that there are currently 45 Hondurans serving as missionaries in various countries. A number were present and shared their experiences.

As a result of our discussions, a number of proposals were presented as challenges to each of the participants. Areas to which the Honduran United Brethren in Christ have pledged themselves are:

1. Mobilization. Target audience: Churches, pastors and leaders.
2. Training. Target audience: Training centers, Bible schools, and teachers of missions.

We have no doubt that God will enable us to also send missionaries from Honduras to share the good news of the gospel with those who have yet to hear.

14 Apr Dice Family Concluding 8 Months of Spanish Study

Jeff and April are non-traditional staff serving as our Central American Liaisons. Jeff is primarily on staff with Brown Corners UB in Clare, Mich., but in partnership with Global Ministries will spend about three months of the year working on projects, training leaders, developing micro-enterprise opportunities, and coordinating short-term trips to the region. His family plans to spend as many as two months per year on the field with him.

The whole Dice family has spent the last 8 months studying Spanish at the Spanish Language Institute in Costa Rica. On April 13, they sent this note:

Hello from Costa Rica! We are now in the home stretch, as we only have 7 days of school left. We had our oral proficiency interviews last Friday and received our marks today. April and I both tested at the level “Avanzado Medio.” April also took the Comprehensive Grammar Exam and scored an 84.

We are ready to return to Michigan and find some Spanish speakers to befriend.  We have both decided to take as many CLEP tests for college credit in Spanish as we can. I may continue studying Spanish at Central Michigan University. Pray that we can find opportunities to speak Spanish in Michigan!

The “avanzado medio” translates “mid-advanced,” which is quite high for someone who has been there for less than an entire year.