07 Sep Haitian Village Wiped Out

When the recent hurricane struck Haiti, it wiped out a village where one of our churches is located. People were killed. The government has ordered that the village not be rebuilt in the same location.

15 Jul Global Ministries Slides of Missionaries

A growing number of UB churches run announcement loops prior to services–PowerPoint slides, shown via an electronic projector, which contain announcements and information about upcoming events, birthdays, etc. This is like the slides often shown in theaters before the movie. You have a captive audience, and people will watch whatever’s on the screen. It’s a good communication vehicle.

Global Ministries has produced slides for all of our missionaries, as well as for a number of our international leaders and countries. These can be added to your announcement loop to help people become more familiar with the things we are doing in missions, and particularly with our missionaries. The slides are available on the website, and can be downloaded directly to your computer. Or, Global Ministries will be happy to burn a CD containing all of the slides currently available and mail it to your church. You can find the slides here.

15 Jul Angela Oesterle Returning to Jamaica

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.

15 Jul Macau Updates

• 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.

06 Jul News Items from Hong Kong

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.

06 Jul News from Macau

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.”

06 Jul Luanne Brooks Leaving Haiti

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.”

06 Jun Wusts Home on Furlough

The Wust family is now in the States for their annual Stateside visit. Their time will be spent visiting with family, doing their annual supply shopping, speaking in churches, meeting with individual supporters, attending board meetings and getting their oldest son, Andrew, ready for college life at Huntington College.

Dan will also be doing some studying in preparation for teaching at the new pastor training facility that is soon to open. The Arise & Shine pastor training center, a dream of Dan’s for several years, will target uneducated and poor leaders serving the Lord in the rural churches of Honduras. Dan writes, “We have been striving now for two years to get to this place, and praise God that we are now here.”

03 Jun Political Situation in India

India’s recent elections saw the Hindu Fundamentalist party (BJP) lose power to the more moderate Congress party, which is headed by Sonia Gandhi, wife of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated in 1991. Sonia, despite controversy over the fact that she was born in Italy, was eligible to become Prime Minister. However, she didn’t want the job, and instead proposed Dr. Manmohan Singh for the job. He was sworn in on May 22.

Our couple in India are encouraged by the change in government. They write, “Dr. Manmohan Singh is nationally and internationally known as an outstanding economist. He has a clean image, a simple lifestyle, and a good name among all parties. He says he will focus on the poor and give secular and stable government. Under his leadership, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians feel secure. We need to wait and see.

“Amidst the political turmoil in this month, we could sense God’s guiding hand. In Tamil Nadu State, after the Anti-Conversion Bill was passed three years ago, Christian evangelists, workers, and organizations were harassed and their bank accounts were frozen. Those who became Christians had to stand in front of a judge and give reasons why one wants to become a Christian. With the defeat of the Hindu Fundamentalist party, the Tamil Nadu State government removed this act and there is absolute freedom for Christians. The unexpected defeat of BJP shocked all Hindu fundamentalists. They really did not know what hit them. We see God’s hand keeping the doors open to proclaim the Gospel in India.”