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A team–in this case, a baseball team–left for Nicaragua on Wednesday, January 4. This group, organized by missionary Jeff Dice, consists of college-level baseball players. They will conduct baseball camps and play baseball games in Nicaragua through January 17. This is Nicaragua’s “spring training” time of year. The group includes 14 players, plus Jeff Dice and Josh Kesler, pastor of The Well in Huntington, Ind.
Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries
Francisco Najera (right) is the superintendent of our Guatemalan Conference. He is also the oldest son in his family and as such is responsible for the care of his elderly father who is passing away. This responsibility has not only kept him away from his duties as superintendent and as the pastor of his church, but has left him responsible for the mounting medical bills.
Would you help us provide a “Love Gift” for the Najera family to help them with this need? Gifts should be made payable to “Global Ministries” and ought to indicate on the memo line or in your correspondence that the gift is intended for the Najera Family.
Thank you in advance for your willingness to share in this need.
The Sierra Leone team at the airport, ready to leave. Mick Bates is on the far right, and Jeff Sherlock is fourth from the right. (click to enlarge)
Today, January 4, a team of 10 persons is leaving for Sierra Leone, where they will train local people to identify opportunities and start up small businesses. Jeff Sherlock (left), a member of the Global Ministries Leadership Team, and Mick Bates are leading a group of 8 students from Taylor University on this Business as Mission trip. Both Sherlock and Bates are professors at Taylor.
At the request of the Sierra Leone United Brethren Church, the team will:
The team asks for prayer for the following needs:
If you are interested in updates on the team’s work, join their Facebook group.
Jessica Hollopeter (right), Global Ministries staff working with One Mission Society
Whether you are a parent, Sunday school teacher or Vacation Bible School leader, you’ve probably tried at some point to get your kids interested in missions. But let’s face it: kid-friendly resources can be hard to find. Now, however, One Mission Society (with its World Headquarters in Greenwood, Ind.) has a fantastic website devoted entirely to getting kids involved in missions!
The Global Access Mission Explorer (GAME) website takes kids on an interactive scavenger hunt through five countries (with more added every quarter), teaching them local customs and introducing them to missionaries and nationals working to share the Gospel in their country. Along the way, kids also learn how to pray for missionaries and help them in fun and creative ways.
Kids aren’t the only ones who will love the website, though. There are also great resources for parents and teachers! The Missions to the Max series takes kids around the world, presenting missionary stories, games, cultural facts, and recipes from more than 20 countries. Homeschool families have also found the website to be a great resource for teaching kids about mission projects they can do at home.
The goal behind the website is simple – get kids of all ages involved in missions, whether through learning, going, giving, or praying. New materials are added weekly, with content especially designed to get kids excited about serving God. It is truly your one-stop resource for all of your mission needs!
Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries
With the recent death of Kim Jong-Il, many are asking what lies ahead for North Korea. Dr. Carl Moeller of Open Doors comments:
“Today marks a significant day in North Korean history. Though this brutal dictator, who was responsible for so many atrocities, has died, the future is still unknown. Some speculate that his son Kim Jong-Un will be just as cruel to all dissenters. Others suggest that he may be more lenient. We simply do not know the future of North Korea, but God does.
“This is why it is vital that Christians around the world pray for North Korea during this transitional time. Pray especially for the brave Christians inside North Korea. They are fearful that they might face even more suffering. There are an estimated 50,000 to 70,000 Christians being held in North Korean prison camps where they face even more horrific treatment than other prisoners. People are starving to death. The people of North Korea are living a nightmare that never ends.”
Remember the suffering church around the world and particularly the church in North Korea. A number of mission organizations have personnel from neighboring countries living and sharing the gospel within North Korea. Pray for them as well.
Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries
Here are some ways your Thank Offering gifts have already been used in the last few months.
Resourcing Workers
In India, we provided 30 church planters and pastors with Old Testament and New Testament Bible commentaries in the Telugu language. Most of these pastors have no Bible helps whatsoever.
Leadership Development
In India, we provided the same group of 30 church planters and pastors with a three-day training event that featured, an overview of 1 John and five characteristics of effective leaders.
In the Philippines, we provided $8000 to hold a leadership development event with 65 pastors and lay participants from our Philippine UB churches. During this time, we worked on their national documents, presented the history of the United Brethren denomination, taught the five characteristics of effective leaders, and gave a number of other practical messages related to evangelism and church planting.
Business as Mission
We provided $10,000 toward the support of a Business as Mission training team headed to Sierra Leone in January 2012. The team of eight will present a five-day workshop with two separate groups–first in Bo, then in Freetown. The participants will consist of church planters, pastors, and lay members seeking to develop alternative means by which to support ministry.
Additional Administrative Support
We hired Frank Y as an additional associate director, overseeing personnel and working to advance our Business as Mission efforts. Funding is being used to assist in his salary and travel budget.
Strengthening the Work of International Partners
Funds were used this past year to bring Behnan (last name withheld) from Turkey to the US National Conference in July 201. He offered a workshop at the conference and spoke in some of our churches. Behnan coaches Turkish church planters and workers throughout Turkey, which is less than 1% Evangelical.
Jenaya Bonner, part of the Global Ministries staff in Macau, is on her way back to the States. Her grandfather passed away on Sunday afternoon, December 18, 2011. She had hoped to arrive before her grandfather’s passing. Please remember Jenaya and her grandmother, who has been quite weak as well. The funeral will take place Friday, December 23, in Huntington, Ind.
You can contact Jenaya at:
6187 N. Mayne Rd.
Roanoke, Ind. 46783
Email: [email protected]
In January and February, 3 work teams will travel to Jamaica to work on completing the dorm at Malvern Camp. We need more people, especially for the second and third weeks.
Week 1: January 28 – February 4. Eight persons are currently signed up.
Week 2: February 4-11. Just four persons have signed up.
Week 3: February 11-18. Only three persons have signed up.
The cost of the trip is $500 plus airfare, but if someone commits to a second or third week it would be $500 for the initial week and then $150 per week after.
Needed by Global Ministries before you sign up are the following:
If you are interested in going to Jamaica one of these weeks, please contact Donna Hollopeter in Global Ministries.
Through our child sponsorship program with CH Global in Haiti, we are able to offer Saturday Children’s Programming for both our sponsored children and those living in the community. Approximately 6500 meals were provided to children through these programs in 2011 at an average cost of 55 cents per meal. In fact the program has been so successful that our Delmas 33 United Brethren church in Port Au Prince increased the frequency from once to four times per month. This has resulted in the children benefiting from consistent programming and the provision of nutritious meals.
In addition to the nutritional program, positive interaction is demonstrated through games, and spiritual development is addressed through Bible stories and scripture memorization. Children are influenced consistently, and are finding faith in Christ along with their families.
Plans for 2012 include implementing a Saturday program at the Croix des Bouquet UB church. The church/school is completed and serves well for stability, thus increasing the success of this program.
Arek and Donna Delik (right) are UB endorsed missionaries in Poland serving with Operation Mobilization in church planting and other ministries. The Deliks are excited about Mission-Net 2011, a large missions conference for European young people being held in Germany December 28 – January 2.
Operation Mobilization, one of several hundred mission organizations and Christian networks supporting this conference, hopes to send 50 Poles for conference. Donna Delik reported in early December that 25 Poles had already registered for the conference, and they hope to send a full busload of 50 Poles.
Mission-Net is held every two years “in Europe, for Europe, and by Europe.” The 2011 conference is the second Mission-Net.
