22 Oct ELIC/Global Ministries Partnership

Jeff Bleijerveld (right), Director of Global Ministries

This past year, we formed an official partnership with the English Language Institute/China (ELIC). Since 1981, ELIC has been placing passionately committed Christians in teaching roles across Asia and the Middle East. A number of United Brethren people have served with ELIC, including Global Ministries Associate Director Frank Y.

We are sending churches a packet of information, along with a DVD that contains a short video highlighting our partnership and the opportunity to be involved in either short-term or long-term ministry on ELIC/Global Ministries projects. We recommend that you use it during your announcements on Sunday, November 8, or at your earliest convenience.

Through ELIC, we have the opportunity to send a team of eight UB volunteers to work among Syrian refugees in Lebanon next summer. ELIC’s 7+1 program makes it possible for one volunteer to travel free for every seven that join the team.

We hope that you’ll take advantage of this unique opportunity and present this ministry to your church family. If you have questions, feel free to contact us at info@ubglobal.org.

07 Oct January 16-22: Vision Trip to Guatemala

Jeff Bleijerveld, director of Global Ministries, will lead a vision trip to visit Guatemala, home of our newest national conference. The trip will include participation in their national conference, and visits to local church and project sites.

Accompanying the group will be Mark Wallace, a UB minister from Canada and director of Christian Horizons Global. He will introduce team members to some of their work in Guatemala. They have been our partners in Haiti, providing support to UB schools and the development of small business projects.

Global Ministries is sponsoring a number of other short-term trips during 2016–to Jamaica, Honduras, Spain, Poland, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Sierra Leone.

07 Oct Thank Offering: Focus on Short-Term Mission Trips

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries

We’re preparing for this year’s Thanksgiving Missions Offering. Last year we raised $46,736 for our Antioch Fund to help support the mission efforts of our partner national conferences. This year the United States will focus on raising funds to support our short-term mission efforts. (Canada, our partner in Global Ministries, has its own focus this year.)

While Global Ministries creates budgets for trips, there are always cost overruns as a result of delayed flights, unexpected costs, emergencies, or just being asked by our hosts to do things we hadn’t planned. When these sorts of things happen, Global Ministries absorbs the expenses, since it’s pretty hard to ask for more money once the team returns home.

As a result, we have accumulated a sizeable deficit over the last few years—one we’d like to erase. In addition to wiping out our deficit, we’d like to build up an account to subsidize some trip expenses like medicines and supplies for medical teams, or to help small churches that might lack the base needed to raise funds.

Information is on its way to each of our churches. Churches have been sent a letter and order form for materials this past week. Bulletin inserts will be sent in the weeks prior to the American Thanksgiving in November.

22 Sep Relief for Flooding in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries

Bishop John Pessima (right) of Sierra Leone provides us with the following report concerning recent flooding in the Freetown.

“You may have heard of the situation in Freetown last week. I was in Bo when it took place and was called by my family to go home because the mission house perimeter wall was badly affected. Part of the wall fell toward the city downhill from the house but fortunately did not damage people’s property.

“Secondly, some of our members in the Western part of the city, particularly Faith UB Church in Lumley, were affected. The children there were in school when the flood took place, but thank God no one was hurt. The teachers kept them inside the church while the classrooms flooded.

“Many displaced people were housed in the national stadium, but this became intolerable for many. So our local churches have been offering what support they can while praying and soliciting support to meet the needs of the displaced and to reconstruct the mission house wall. Please, we need your prayers and support in this very difficult situation we are faced with.”

If you would like to provide assistance for this need, direct your gift to:

Global Ministries
302 Lake Street
Huntington IN 46750.

Indicate that it is for “Freetown Flood Relief.”

18 Sep November: Take a Trip to Macau

David Kline (right), Associate Director of Global Ministries

In November 2015, I will lead a trip to Macau as an opportunity to introduce Macau, its culture, and ministry to a few individuals who have an interest in supporting or serving the work in Macau and its staff. I would love for you to join me.

Here are a few things we will likely be do while in Macau:

• Visit our two existing Macau UB churches.
• Meet with some of our staff who are working in schools in China.
• Connect one-on-one with local UB church members.
• Pray with and encourage our current Macau staff.
• Look for possible connections in the future.
• Take in as many cultural experiences as possible.

On a more personal note, this trip will be a homecoming of sorts. My family and I served in Macau for almost 10 years. I love the people, food, language, and rhythm of that city. Can’t wait to share that passion with others on this trip.

I want to build a team of 5-10 people. The dates we are currently looking at are November 11-23, 2015. The sooner that we can firm up numbers and plans, the cheaper this trip will be.

Currently, airfare is just under $1000, which is extremely reasonable. We hope to keep the total cost of the trip in the neighborhood of $2500.

If you’re interested in joining this trip, I would love to talk to you. You can contact me by email or you can call me here at the Global Ministries office: toll-free (888) 622-3019. I look forward to hearing from you!

18 Sep 2016 Short-Term Trips by Global Ministries

Global Ministries is sponsoring a number of short-term trips in 2016. Perhaps you would like to participate in one. They involve a variety of countries and needs.

All Global Ministries sponsored trips have the following built into the cost:

• Round-trip airfare.
• In-country travel.
• Food and lodging in-country (travelers must pay for food in airports to and from the ministry site).
• Side-trips and entrance fees for special activities in-country.
• Travel insurance.
• Materials for ministry.

In some cases, special entry visas are needed. In these situations, that price will also be included in the advertised price of the trip.

Construction

January 16-23: Jamaica
Description: Work on the dining hall at Regent College of the Caribbean.
Team Leader: Dwight Kuntz.
Cost: $800 plus airfare.

January 30 – February 6: Honduras
Description: Work at the conference campground outside of La Ceiba.
Cost: $800 plus airfare.

March 19-26: Nicaragua
Description: Work on construction of the conference center in Masaya.
Cost: $800 plus airfare.

October 6-22: Sierra Leone
Description: Construction at Mattru Hospital in Mattru.
Cost: $2,750.

Medical Team

June 25 – July 2: Honduras
Description: Conduct five free medical clinics in local United Brethren churches in the Tela region.
Cost: $800 plus airfare.

Ministry Teams

June 1-11: Spain
Description: Two teams will conduct English camps in Spain—one in southern Spain, the other in the Basque region of northern Spain.
Cost: $1,000 plus airfare.

June 1-11: Spain
Description: Construction/sports ministry in southern Spain.
Cost: $1,000 plus airfare.

June 10-17: Honduras
Description: Conduct VBS/children’s ministry in Honduras.
Cost: $800 plus airfare.

June 24 – July 6: Poland
Description: Work with an English camp in an area of new outreach.
Cost: $850 plus airfare.

July 23-30: Guatemala
Description: Work with CH Global to conduct children’s ministry in UB churches in Guatemala City.
Cost: $850 plus airfare.

Note: Global Ministries can also connect individuals with a medical/construction/children’s ministry team going to Jamaica. Check with the Global Ministries office for more information.

17 Sep Help Support BILD in Latin America

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries

In March 2015, United Brethren leaders from six Hispanic conferences–Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica–gathered in Nicaragua. There, they heard about a new approach to making and multiplying disciples and leaders. Since that time, they have continued to gather regularly, for five days at a time, to continue their training.

BILD is a discipleship and leadership development resource based on the model Paul presented to his disciple Timothy when he wrote, “And 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.”

For the past three years, Honduras Conference has used BILD with great success. This local church-based training makes possible the exponential multiplication of disciples and leaders at very little cost and without the need for elaborate infrastructure.

The third of six trainings to mentor our Hispanic leaders into the program takes place September 21-25 in Masaya, Nicaragua. Each country has been raising funds to send their delegation to the quarterly training, but we’d like to provide you the opportunity to contribute a gift to get them over the hump, so to speak. Any gift you provide toward this project will be used to supplement their fundraising efforts.

Send to:

Global Ministries
302 Lake Street
Huntington, IN 46750

27 Aug Urgent Opportunity to Improve Healthcare in Ebola Ravaged West Africa

Maintaining the solar panels which power Radio Douentza. This radio station was opened in 1993 and broadcasts in local languages.

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries

USAID is providing an opportunity for small organizations like ours to be provided funding to improve healthcare in Ebola ravaged West Africa. We are currently involved in preparing a grant proposal that would provide the funds needed to install a solar electricity system with sufficient capacity to supply the needs of the Mattru UBIC Hospital and a surplus that can be sold to the surrounding community.

If you know of a public organization or for-profit company that might be interested in providing support, pass the following letter on to them. Please note that we have a deadline of September 20, 2015, to submit our application, so letters of intent would need to be received in our office no later than September 7th.

12 Aug New Endorsed Missionaries: Seth and Becca Mallay

Seth and Becca Mallay and children.

Seth and Becca Mallay have joined the Global Ministries family as endorsed missionaries. They are members of Hillsdale UB church in Hillsdale, Mich.

The Mallays serve with World Medical Mission (the medical arm of Samaritan’s Purse). They are preparing for medical mission work in Togo, a small country of 6.8 million people in West Africa. they will spend the entirety of 2016 learning French in France before arriving in Togo.

Seth is a family physician who will work at the Hôpital Baptiste Biblique in Adéta, Togo. He will provide a variety of medical care, while evangelizing to and praying for his patients in the hospital and clinic. Becca will work in education, discipleship, and children’s ministries in the community in and around the hospital compound.

Seth felt the call to become a fulltime medical missionary as a child, and remained committed to this call throughout medical school and residency. He is honored to be able to serve in a country like Togo, where basic medical care is still a desperate need and where a significant percentage of the population has yet to hear the Gospel.

Becca’s parents were missionaries, and she was raised on the mission field in Brazil. From a young age, she felt called to fulltime mission work in Africa.

When Seth and Becca met in Michigan, they immediately recognized their common calling and decided to pursue their future in medical missions together. They have four children.

Address for Contributions

Samaritan’s Purse
Attn: Post-Residency Program
P.O. Box 3000
Boone, NC 28607

Please make checks out to “Samaritan’s Purse” and write “Dr. Seth Mallay, Account # 005125” on the memo line.

You can also give to them through the World Medical Mission website by entering “Mallay” into the search bar under “FIND DR/MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.” Their names, account number, and photo will appear, along a place to enter your donation amount.

03 Aug Osbergs Beginning Final Year in Honduras

Dennis and Debra Osberg

Many United Brethren will remember Dennis and Debbie Osberg, who were endorsed missionaries serving in Honduras at a school called Academia Los Pinares. Debbie is a UB pastor’s kid, the daughter of Marvin and Grace Ann Price, and is also a niece of former Wycliffe missionary Ruthann Price.

The Osbergs initially served in Honduras 1994-2000, and went off the endorsed list upon returning to the States. But in 2006 they returned to Academia Los Pinares for another ten years. The Osbergs are now preparing to return to Honduras for their final year there. Debbie writes:

“As August begins, it finds us packing up again to return to Honduras for another school year. However, this year is bitter sweet as it will be our last year living in Honduras. After 16 years of serving the Lord through Academia Los Pinares…we feel it’s time to move on. This year marks Dennis’s 40th year in education, which is a good time to wrap up his career in education and begin a new area of work. We anticipate the Lord to provide abundantly for the needs of the school as well as for us through this big transition of location and job. We’ll be moving back to the States next June and looking forward to settling in Colorado close to our children and grandchildren.”