14 Sep Dennis and Debbie Osberg – Back in Honduras

Dennis and Debbie Osberg, former UB endorsed missionaries, are back in Honduras serving at Academia los Pinares (Academy of the Pines) outside of Tegucigalpa. Dennis is the elementary school principal and Debbie is a substitute teacher. For the past six years Dennis and Debbie have worked at Westminster Academy, part of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida. The church has taken them on as one of their many missionaries.

Son Eric and his wife are in Denver, where is is looking for a teaching job. Graham is in his last semester at the University of Miami and plans to pursue medical school there. Amanda is a sophomore at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Ga.

Debbie writes, “Dennis and I have loved our jobs and ministry at Westminster Academy. Several months ago the superintendent from Academia Los Pinares, the school we were at for six years in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, contacted us to see if Dennis would be willing to return as Elementary Principal. After much prayer and thought, we realized our goal for returning to the states six years ago–establishing our kids in high school and college–had been accomplished, so we were available to return to the mission field. We quit our jobs, sold our house, and bought a condo so Graham could live in it while in med school and we’d have a place to call home when we visit the States. Dennis and I have now begun a new chapter in our lives, serving on the mission field with our kids in the States.”

Debbie, the daughter and granddaughter of UB ministers, says that though they are no longer involved in a UB church or UB missions, “I’ll always be UB through and through.”

28 Aug Golf Outing for Anna Geivett

Emmanuel Community Church is sponsoring a golf outing on Sunday, October 1, to benefit UB endorsed missionary Anna Geivett. The outing will be held at the Chestnut Hills Golf Course in Fort Wayne, starting at 1:30. A banquet will be held at 6:30. The total cost is $65 per person (18 holes, cart, and banquet).

21 Jul Elisa Reeck Graduates from College

Marilyn Reeck with her four daughters and granddaughter. L-r: Chrysti (Reeck) Andino and daughter, Amanda, Elisa, Marilyn, and Teresa.

Roger and Marilyn Reeck are endorsed UB missionaries serving with Wycliffe in La Ceiba, Honduras. The entire Reeck family was present for the May 10 graduation of Elisa, the youngest of the four Reeck children. She, like her three older sisters, graduated from Pensacola Christian College in Florida. A Honduran flag was placed on the platform, alongside other flags, to represent Elisa.

After 700 graduates received their diplomas, the culminating Presidential Citation of Merit was announced. This award is given to one male and one female student for their Christian leadership and for exemplifying the ideals of the college. They were all excited when Elisa’s name was called out to receive the award.

After seven weeks in the States, Roger and Marilyn were headed back to Honduras when a major delay occurred. Marilyn was turned back at the airport because her passport expired in one month. A new law declares that passports must be valid for at least three months prior to entry into any Central American country. Marilyn sent off to Canada for a new passport and was able to travel three weeks later–just in time for a trip to Nicaragua. In the meantime, she waited in San Antonio, Texas, while Roger continued to Honduras. Daughter Chrysti, along with two little ones, live in San Antonio.

The Reecks were instrumental in translating the Bible into the Garifuna language, spoken in several Central American countries. During this trip to the US, they attended a Garifuna church in Houston which started three years ago. “As we listened to all of the singing and preaching in Garifuna, it seemed like we were back in Honduras. It was a very exciting time getting reacquainted with many we already knew and to meet others for the first time. It was fun to hear which town each person was from in Honduras.They were excited to receive news from back home and especially to hear our report of what God is doing in Honduras.”

21 Jul Director Gary Dilley Now in Asia

Gary Dilley, director of Global Ministries, is currently on an extended trip through Asia. He will be spending time visiting United Brethren ministries in Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, the Philippines, and India. He and his wife, Rhonda, left the US on July 19 and will return August 14.

21 Jul New Mowers for Sierra Leone’s Centennial School

During a recent trip to Sierra Leone, Rev. Joe Abu delivered four lawnmowers to the Centennial Secondary School in Mattru. The mowers were purchased with donations from former Centennial students now living in North American and Europe. Joe Abu is pastor of Mount Zion United African Church, a UB church in Philadelphia, Pa.

21 Jul Arek and Donna Delik: Poland Update

Arek and Donna Delik are UB endorsed missionaries serving with Operation Mobilization in Kutno, Poland. Here are excerpts from a recent newsletter.

When you are in the mission field, sometimes you are forced into a position which you may feel inadequate and not comfortable with. This is how we feel this year. We are so thankful that the team has expanded from two of us to six adults altogether in the last eight months. And we realize that instead of being leaders with no members to lead, we now have four co-workers with us. We had been working alone for the last five years, and so used to do everything by ourselves and sometimes even wearing ourselves out. Then we had to learn to work differently when there are others in the team. We don’t feel very comfortable with this shift in responsibility and we know that our inadequacy may disqualify us as leaders.
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21 Jul Update from Dave Datema Family

Dave and Cathie Datema are endorsed UB missionaries serving with the US Center for World Mission in Pasadena, Calif. They sent this update on July 7.

“For the past year, we have been considering our ability to care for Cuyler’s needs while living in the rented house we currently occupy. We have considered moving to a different part of the country where housing is more affordable. We’re still not sure what the final solution is, but as we seek God’s guidance it doesn’t seem that we should leave the work here in Pasadena, for now. In the meantime, we have peace about Dave continuing on with the INSIGHT program.

“For INSIGHT’s first four years Dave was the Program Director (August 2001 to May 2005). During this past year, Dave served as INSIGHT Coordinator, helping to facilitate other INSIGHT programs beginning elsewhere. One will begin in Minneapolis this fall and another is slated to begin in Detroit in the fall of 2007.

“Beginning in mid-June, Dave once again resumed the position of Program Director for the site here in Pasadena. Dave missed the daily interaction with students and is looking forward to taking on this role again.  There is much work to be done in the next seven weeks to be ready.”

21 Jul Update from Jennifer Blandin

Jennifer Blandin, UB missionary in Macau, sent this update on July 7.
“During the month of June, our staff took a short trip to Hong Kong for a team retreat and to check out the new Disneyland. Like most things in Hong Kong, Disneyland is compact. But we still had a lot of fun! We also gained a new appreciation for Mickey, Minnie, and the gang! I’m guessing even the best trained athletes wouldn’t last 10 minutes of being in those costumes! But it would be a quick way to lose weight!
 
“Besides visiting Disneyland, we enjoyed walking around Hong Kong, hanging out at the hotel room, and playing a marathon game of Phase 10. It was nice to have some down-time together.
 
“Before Carlson and Naomi Becker headed back to the States for the summer, Living Stone Church had an outing into China for a steak dinner. The food was close to steaks you get in the States, and the time with people was a definite bonus.”

14 Jul Six Persons Headed to Sierra Leone

On July 13, six persons from the US National Conference began traveling to Sierra Leone, where they will participate in a major leadership development initiative. This trip begins a three-year effort to bring renewal and strength to Sierra Leone Conference. It will include training, a series of additional teams, plus projects which UB churches in North America can help accomplish.

This is something of an “intervention,” and it comes only at the request of Sierra Leone Conference. The civil war in the 1990s cut short many things, including the training and development needed to successfully move the Sierra Leone churches from “mission field” to self-governing “national conference.” The conference realizes its need for outside help, and called to us for that help.

The persons currently in Sierra Leone are: Ruth Ann Price (team leader), Jeff Sherlock, Randy Fennig, Luke Fetters, Todd Fetters, and Billy Simbo. Todd Fetters is the only one who is not a member of the Global Ministries Leadership Team. Billy Simbo, a Sierra Leonean and former President of the Sierra Leone Bible College, now pastors a UB church in New Jersey.

These US leaders will spend six days meeting with about 70 African pastors and lay leaders. They will interact on leadership development, biblical decision-making, preaching, and principles of financial management. Presentations will be given, case studies will be considered, and then the participants will break into small groups to discuss specific ways to implement what they have learned. The overall theme involves drawing lessons from the life of Joseph. At the conclusion, each participant will be challenged to make a personal action plan for growing as a leader.

Randy Fennig and Ruth Ann Price visited Sierra Leone in February of this year to assess needs and bring back recommendations to the Global Ministries team. It was their impression that the war left such devastation and trauma that the Sierra Leoneans lack the ability to “rebuild the walls” without assistance. After the leadership training, Randy, a former Africa Inland Mission missionary in Mozambique, will spend an additional week in Sierra Leone studying needs and possibilities.

“We are giving this our best effort and hoping that something very good will happen,” says Gary Dilley, the US Director of Global Ministries.

Sierra Leone was our first mission field, started in the 1850s, so our ties and history run deep. They currently have 35 churches and 5000 members. Islam is advancing aggressively in Sierra Leone and now claims 60% of the population, compared to 30% tribal religion and 10% Christian. The evangelistic challenges for our churches are great. Sierra Leone is also the world’s poorest country.

Please pass this information along to your congregation and remember this effort in prayer.