The Germany Mission Team.

The Germany Mission Team. Laura Branham (inset), from Nashville, Mich., was a late addition to the team.

The team at the home of Galen and Maritta Fiedler.

The team at the home of Galen and Maritta Fiedler (seated on the floor on the upper right).

The 11 members of the Germany Mission Team flew to Europe on Saturday, July 31. The team will participate in two five-day English camps at the Aloys-Henhoefer school in southern Germany, in what is a partnership between the school and Huntington University. Galen and Maritta Fiedler, Global Ministries staff, work at this school.

The first English Camp began on Monday, August 2. The day started at 8 a.m. with a team meeting, devotions, and prayer. They met their group for the week–2 team members, 7 students–and then traveled by bus to Karlsruhe for a photo scavenger hunt (get as many of the 19 photos as possible during the allotted time). After lunch at a park, they returned by bus to the school. The team members then went home with their host families.

Cathy Reich, co-leader (with husband J. R.), writes:

“Today was a great day for starting to build relationships with our students. Two team members were assigned 5 students and got to spend the day together, communicating to accomplish a task. The kids were great. Leaders within each team rose to the top and helped their team with what they needed to accomplish.

“The German students did a great job. They were mostly eager to try the American lunch, but weren’t terribly impressed with our way of making sandwiches. Most of them did not like the A&W root beer–it was too sweet! One even thought it tasted like bubble gum.

“Tonight (Monday) is the first night for the individual team members to be in their guest homes for the week. There is much excitement and very many opportunities to share their faith.”

Julie Hendricks fell on a humid bathroom tile Monday, July 26, breaking the same kneecap she broke last winter. She entered surgery at 8 pm Spain time (2 pm Ohio time), to repeat the same procedure with the same doctors.

Troy and Julie Hendricks and family are Global Ministries endorsed staff serving as church planters with SEND International in Spain.

Debbie, a SEND teammate, reports that Julie is doing well, and that she is not in as much pain as before; she was able to get medicated when needed.

An evangelistic campaign is underway in their city, and the Hendricks were an important part of it. Debbie writes: “We know God is sovereign, and wants to enter into the lives of those who live in this neighborhood. Julie’s main focus and request was that you stop and pray for her, of course…but that you NOT stop praying more so for the Campaign, team unity, the Spirit’s moving on this neighborhood as they hear the Gospel, and for our hearts to be constantly handed into his care.”

Arek and Donna Delik have returned to Poland after six months in Hong Kong (Donna’s home). Arek is pastor of a church they planted in Kutno, Poland. The Deliks write about how the church coped during their absence:

These 6 months were a real test for our church in Kutno. Many people showed great concern whether our church would cope without its pastor. Our people were not very comfortable with this because they got used to having their pastor run everything: Bible study, worship, and preaching.

However, those believers whom we had prepared to take up different responsibilities gradually fitted into their roles. We are very glad that this has united the church and helped us discover those potential future leaders.

We believe that our roles will be changed when we return to Kutno; we will continue to equip them, and pray that soon we could hand over the church to the local believers completely.

The Deliks are Global Ministries endorsed staff serving with Operation Mobilization.

Dave and Becky Spencer, Global Ministries staff serving in Brazil with Wycliffe Bible Translators, have returned to the States on furlough. They are now in Littleton, Colorado. They are staying in the home of a Wycliffe friend who travels a lot.

For transportation, they found a mini-van through RighteousRides, a ministry which provides reliable vehicles for a nominal fee to furloughing missionaries. The mini-van will be available until they return to Brazil in January 2011.

Though in the States, Dave is managing preparations for a conference in Brazil which will draw 120 indigenous representatives and 60 missionaries. The Scripture Use Forum will be held August 29-Sept. 3. Dave writes about some of the topics to be addressed in the forum:

“The traditions of language, culture, literacy, church denominations, syncretism, and many other issues create barriers that interfere with the clear understanding of the Scriptures. For example, how much of the Bible would you and I understand if we were instructed to read it only in Greek or Russian? What is the right translation of the Bible? What is the right church denomination? What language does God speak? We know of one church that prohibits the people from praying in the indigenous language, claiming that God does not understand that language! What are the biblical responses to these issues?”

Dave will travel back to Brazil August 21 – Sept. 8 to attend the forum and help in the administration.

2010 graduates of Jamaica Bible College

2010 graduates of Jamaica Bible College

Owen Gordon (right), a UB minister in Jamaica and president of Jamaica Bible College, sent this note:

“It has been a couple weeks since I requested special prayers for our lovely island. Thank you for being faithful in upholding us in your prayers! God continues to come through for us. The Security forces continue the relentless effort of putting the criminals out of business. Christopher Coke has been captured, extradited, and is now facing trial in New York. The evil forces of destruction continue to retreat as the law enforcement agents continue in the effort to restore this country to peace and quietness.

“Amidst the external turmoil, Jamaica Bible College is experiencing one of its best years. On Sunday, July 4, we graduated 54 students from our various programs:

  • 7 from Bible.
  • 10 from Business.
  • 12 from Pre-College.
  • 25 from Early childhood.

“We had a great day with Dr. Las Newman, president of Caribbean Graduate School of Theology, giving the main address.

“It was an added delight to have Dr. Joyce Thornton along with six friends from Union Chapel (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and Dillman UB (Warren, Ind.) churches as special guests at the graduation.”

Jenaya Bonner has begun her service as a member of the Global Ministries staff in Macau. She left Fort Wayne, Ind., on the morning of July 6. She will teach English as well as build relationships with local youth and assist as a teacher trainer.

Jenaya grew up near Huntington, Ind., and attended Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne. She graduated from Huntington University in 2009 with a degree in Educational Ministries with a cross-cultural focus.

2010 Honduras Medican Team

2010 Honduras Medical Team (click to enlarge)

The 19 members of the Honduras Medical Team returned to the States Saturday night, June 19. Co-leader Robert Cassidy called Donna Hollopeter in the Global Ministries office with an updated report.

  • The team conducted five clinics during their week in Honduras, treating over 3100 people.
  • They not only gave medical treatment, but prayed with people and were able to meet some other needs for various families (for example, provide funds for future surgeries that the team couldn’t handle, or arrange for ongoing medical assistance).
  • Several members of the team hadn’t participated on the previous Honduras medical trips. They testified that it was a life-changing experience for them.
  • Some persons, not being medical personnel, weren’t sure how they might be used. But everyone found a valuable role and kept busy all the time. Some took blood pressure, though they’d never done that before.
  • One woman dispensed all 600 of the reading glasses she took with her, and could have given out hundreds more.
  • The team stayed at a very nice facility in San Pedro Sula, the nation’s second-largest city. It was very secure and very clean, and the owner spoke English. Every morning they were fed breakfast, and at the end of the day, after a tiring clinic, they were able to jump into the pool. All of the clinics were held near San Pedro Sula.
  • The two largest clinics were in areas that were basically suburbs of San Pedro Sula. They treated 830 people in one, and 750 in the other.
  • The 19 participants came from these states: Kansas, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, and Ohio.

Donna Hollopeter received a call this morning from Robert Cassidy, co-leader of the Honduras Medical Team which is currently at work in Honduras.

On Wednesday, June 16, they held their fourth clinic, this one in the seaside city of Puerto Cortes. They saw 804 people. That brings the total persons treated thus far to 2328.

One member of the team brought 600 pairs of eye-glasses. They are all gone.

Robert reports that everybody is in good health, that the clinics are well-organized, and that Rev. Benulda Saenz, the Honduran district leader in whose district these clinics are being held, has been terrific to work with.

Today, June 17, the team will hold their fifth and final clinic in a small village outside of San Pedro Sula.