09 Mar Light Comes to Centennial School

Joe Abu (middle) with four members of the November 2011 Engineers Without Borders team (l-r): John Cirucci, Lori Cirucci, Joe Abu, Tom Powers, and Bill McNair. 

Hoisting solar panels on top of the Administrative building in order to provide light in three classrooms and the breezeway.

Rev. Joe Abu, in addition to pastoring Mount Zion United African Church, a UB African congregation in Philadelphia, Pa., is also the official representative of the Sierra Leone Conference to UB churches in the US and Canada. Here, he writes about improvements made to Centennial Secondary School in Mattru, with help from Engineers Without Borders.

Joe Abu

In November 2011, a team from Engineers Without Border of Lehigh Valley left the United States for Mattru Jong in Sierra Leone, West Africa. The purpose was to work with the school community and the alumni association of Centennial Secondary School to install solar lighting in three classrooms and a portion of the administrative building.

Centennial Secondary School, a high school of over 1200 kids, has been in deplorable condition due to the civil war in Sierra Leone, and also due to age of the infrastructure. Engineers Without Borders is partnering with the school’s alumni association (Centennial Old Students Association–or CeOSA) and the school community to rebuild the school.

Here is a quick recap of the partnership activity:

The first trip was for a feasibility study. All partnership stakeholders met and agreed on the priorities of the project implementation.

On the second trip, as a school of numerous students without toilets, Engineers Without Borders worked with the partners on the ground to repair and upgrade the toilet buildings.

During the third trip, in November 2011, the team installed solar lighting in three classrooms, so students could study at night.

Students studying at night.

There was great joy as we flipped on the light at Centennial Secondary School after decades of darkness. Lots and lots of clapping, loud verbal acclamation, tears of joy, etc. Thanks to our donors, Engineers Without Borders, annual dues-paying CeOSA members,the United Brethren Church in Sierra Leone and America, and of course, the Centennial school staff, students, and community.

The main reason for installing the light was to enable the students to study at night. Bingo! During an unannounced visit after the rest of the team had returned to America, I found students and staff studying in all three classrooms and the breezeway.

During the EWB and partnership feasibility study, it was discovered that the school lacked equipment essential for education (like a chemistry lab and other labs). While one of the EWB team members came home and shared the need to her Keystone Quilters Guild, the 2011 CeOSA convention held in Silver Spring, Md., embarked on fundraising to provide sewing machines for the Home Economics lab. As a result, five sewing machines, boxes of sewing accessories, and a beautiful quilt were presented to the school.

Rev. Joe Abu (back) with three Sierra Leone Conference leaders (l-r): Rev. Justin Marva (Administrative Assistant), Mr. S. K. Foyoh (National conference treasurer), and Bishop John Pessima.

High on the priority list of the students of the school, during the project feasibility study, was a set of marching band instruments. While some EWB personnel intended to do something about it, the people were challenged to seek help within the country. As a result, some magnificent marching band instruments were obtained.

Inspired by this result, the local people went all-out to refurbish one of the unused buildings into a nicely painted and furnished library with a tile floor.

As we thank donors and all participants in the Centennial project, the Church of the United Brethren in Christ in Sierra Leone deserves special gratitude. The venerable Bishop John Pessima and his leadership have been very supportive of the project. He comes to cheer the team and to promote the project each time we were in Sierra Leone.

The next Engineers Without Borders trip will occur in late April 2012. The goal this time is to drill a well to provide pure drinking water to the school. This is a very expensive goal, as the well has to be drilled through a massive layer of rock.

08 Mar Cold Snap in Poland

Arek and Donna Delik are UB endorsed missionaries serving with Operatin Mobilization in Kutno, Poland.

Donna Delik

Extreme cold and heavy snow buried parts of Europe at the beginning of February, claiming hundreds of lives. Eastern Europe was particularly hard hit. In Poland alone, over 100 people died during a cold snap that lasted more than a week, with temperatures dropping well below freezing. Many of the victims were homeless people, and alcohol abuse was a main factor contributing to such a high death toll.

Last week, our engineer submitted to the local government the required documents and blueprints for our church and rehabilitation center. Arek asked when we would obtain the construction permit, and the answer was, “We don’t know, just wait.”

It doesn’t sound very promising, and we pray for God’s intervention on our behalf. We are aiming to resume the work in March when the weather gets warmer. We hope that we can use part of the building by the beginning of summer. Much work remains to be done, but it is not a mission impossible.

08 Mar Global Ministries and Tornado Relief

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries

A few people have asked us about relief for the victims of tornados in the midwest. No United Brethren churches were affected. However, if you’d like to help, Global Ministries will be happy to receive funds for Samaritan’s Purse, which is working in the region.

We partner with Samaritan’s Purse in disaster relief both in the United States and abroad. They have the mechanisms in place to act as first responders.

Unless we notify churches otherwise, our policy is to forward 100% of relief funds we receive to Samaritan’s Purse in times of disaster. Donors simply need to make their check out to “Global Ministries” and write “Tornado Relief” on the memo line.

08 Mar Snapshots from a Whirlwind Trip to Honduras

The new addition at the Yoro church in Honduras

The Hebron church

The kitchen/dining hall at the retreat center.

Nancy and Wilbur Fritz, from the King Street church in Chambersburg, Pa., recently led a team to work at several places in Honduras. Here’s is Nancy’s report.

Nancy Fritz (right)

From February 18-28, 2012, a ministry team from King Street Church (Chambersburg, Pa.) made a whirlwind trip through parts of north-central Honduras. What a joy to see God at work in so many areas!

The UB church in Yoro is building an addition adjacent to their present church. This will provide classrooms for children and youth, restroom facilities, and the pastor’s study and personal area. Yoro UB church is doing outreach! Each week a group of adults and youth bring the Word of God to children in the village of Santa Ana where there is no church.

Hebron UB church in the village of El Pino is still home to some of the original families who settled there when the land was cleared and the first houses were built in 2002. Pastor Juan Carlos travels from La Ceiba to preach and minister to the people at Hebron. Faithful ladies still teach the Bible to the children. However, the church building structure is showing signs of the need for attention.

Bethel UB in La Ceiba remains solid, friendly, and active. They have a new pastor, Luis Granwell. With much support and encouragement from the Bethel congregation, former pastor Jose Rivera is now planting the Faith and Hope UB church, located about 10 blocks from Bethel.

Bethel Christian School, on the same campus with the Honduras Conference headquarters and the Bethel UB church, continues to teach students from kindergarten through college. Enrollment has reached 2000! They’re making good use of their newest facility–a technical training center where students learn elementary and advanced English, home-making, vocational subjects, and a wide range of computer skills.

The UB Retreat Center is located 6 miles east of La Ceiba on a beautiful landscaped hillside. Large shade trees, 2 covered pavilions, a canteen, picnic tables, swimming pool, basketball court, staff housing, and a hike up the hill to overlook the Caribbean all add to the ambiance that makes this an ideal setting for ministering to children, youth, and adults. (Superintendent Mrs. Juanita Chavez asks everyone to pray that God will send a director for the Center and provide funds to complete the refurbishing of the kitchen and dining area.)

The Balfate UB church is located about 90 minutes east of La Ceiba. It is growing steadily under the leadership of Pastor Daniel Melgar, with attendance now averaging 60-80 each Sunday. It was a long time coming, but after 3 years of godly perseverance and hard physical labor, Pastor Melgar and his family are extremely grateful to be settled in their own home.

Balfate UB is the home church of missionaries Rigo and Christy Andino. Christy, the daughter of Wycliffe missionaries Roger and Marilyn Reeck, is a teaching and practicing registered nurse as well as part-time administrator of the new hospital, Loma de Luz (Light on a Hill). Rigo drills wells to provide safe water and serves as ambulance driver for the hospital. The Andinos are parents of 3 young children.

07 Mar The Easter Offering in Action in Guatemala

Work in progress on the new Guatemala Central Office.

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries

The annual Easter Offering is used to bless various United Brethren missions efforts. Funds from the 2011 offering were sent to Guatemala, our newest international conference, where new churches are being planted regularly.

Some of the funds we sent at the end of 2011 enabled the Guatemalans to buy property in Aguas Calientes, where a group had already been formed. They were also able to begin construction of a conference office. Superintendent Francisco Najera’s coordinates the efforts to lead more than 20 churches in the areas surrounding Guatemala City and Escuintla.

07 Mar Raudales Family Now in the US

Francisco and Maira Raudales, along with son Jimmy, have moved to Miami and are now residents of the United States. Francisco was superintendent of Honduras Conference 1997-2009.

23 Feb Sierra Leone Planning Retreat

Participants share their vision statements for the conference. (Click to enlarge)

Sierra Leone Conference held a planning retreat February 1-4, 2012, in Bo. Over 150 people participated, representing churches and groups throughout the country. Bishop John Pessima says the final report is still being finalized.

20 Feb News from Honduras Conference

Honduras Conference held its annual meeting January 16-21, 2012. Superintendent Juanita Chavez (right) sent this report.

Juanita Chavez, superintendent of Honduras Conference

We are rejoicing in the Lord for the strong representation that we had from our churches at this years conference. We had nearly 300 people present each day.

Here are just a few items to report:

1. Although Zion Church of Puerto Cortes nearly left the denomination, they have now asked that we send them a pastor. Pastor Neptaly Ponce has been assigned and will soon relocate along with his wife and new baby. In total there were four pastors reassigned at this year’s conference.
2. Four new district superintendents have been appointed. None have been part of our administration before, but are outstanding young leaders who are acting quite responsibly.
3. Five pastors were ordained–four men and one woman.
4. The church plant in El Chaparral was officially received and a pastor has been assigned.
5. We have now officially assigned Pastor Gonzalo Alas to El Salvador only. He no longer divides his time between El Salvador and El Copan in Honduras. We trust this will encourage the growth of the work in El Salvador.
6. We have two feeding programs providing nutritious meals to more than 200 children through Mercy Ministries and our United Brethren in the United States. On March 10, 2012, we’ll have the first meeting of the Combehul Cooperative. The leadership team of Honduras has approved the construction of a retreat center on the Maria River. The goal is to develop a self-sustaining ministry that will benefit ministry to youth in this area.
7. We continue training pastors and leaders regarding stewardship using a program called Total Stewardship.
8. During the first week of March, we will launch a church-based theological program. We’ll be offering four-week intensives each month in various districts.
9. Abdiel Lopez of Guatemala continues to offer seminars and training in the integration of scripture in ministry for pastors and leaders.
10. We were blessed to send out 10 teenagers for 33 days of intense missions training with Teen Missions. It was a wonderful experience. These young people have returned with a renewed commitment to the Lord and his work. They have also been awakened to consider becoming missionaries.

We continue to thank the Lord for the short-term teams that come to Honduras and especially the medical team that will be arriving in the coming months.

17 Feb New Sound System for Sierra Leone

On February 5, Sierra Leone conference unveiled and dedicated a new sound system and instruments, made possible through a $3000 donation from a United Brethren couple in the United States. Bishop John Pessima wrote:

“Please extend our gratitude to the donors and let them know that we have started using the system to reach out to the unreached, and we are also using it to talk to the youths to stay away from violence as we are approching elections in November.”

14 Feb Get Acquainted with John Pessima

John Pessima (right), the new bishop of Sierra Leone Conference, came to the United States last fall to meet with the Global Ministries Leadership Team. During that time, he sat down with Communications Director Steve Dennie for an interview. The resulting article, much longer than a regular UBCentral post, is published in the new “Features” section of UBCentral.

Bishop Pessima talks about his childhood and call to the ministry, his experiences during the rebel war, his leadership team in Sierra Leone, various bright spots in the conference, and his priorities as bishop in seeing Sierra Leone Conference move forward.

Read the full article about Bishop John Pessima.