15 Sep Rafa

The only reason Rafa attended church was to, as thieves put it, “case the joint.” His drug addiction demanded a constant supply of money, and he had heard that the local Hermanos Unidos en Cristo Church on the outskirts of San Jose, Costa Rica, had an expensive sound system.

As he entered the church, he was immediately greeted by people who seemed genuinely concerned for him. Most of his life, he had a growth on his neck that was then the size of a football, drawing stares and greatly affecting his self-image. However, no one at the church seemed to notice.

Within a few days, Pastor Erik Rojas visited with him. He too seemed genuinely concerned for Rafa, and the following Sunday he decided to attend the church’s services again. Within a few months, Rafa gave his heart to Jesus. The thief met the Savior at the cross.

Within months after Rafa’s conversion, the congregation raised money to pay for the expensive surgery to remove the tumor that had been such a burden through the years. Rafa was told by the surgeon that he could lose his ability to speak as a result of the procedure. However, the church prayed, and his voice was spared.

“I know that God spared my voice for a reason,” Rafa told me. “Now I’m using my voice to testify to the Lord’s mercy, and I’ve committed my life to proclaim the gospel.”

10 Sep Sobering Thoughts on Consumerism

During a recent trip to the Orient, I was struck by how much consumerism is taking over modern Asian society. I noted this during “free talk” sessions with teachers. You might say they are chasing the American Dream–pursuing a good education, to get into a prestigious college, to land get a high-paying job, to buy a big house, with the end goal of having a happy life. Perhaps it was their honesty and transparency that made the greatest impression, since I tend to hide my personal ambitions for much the same in my life.

Speaking to the insecurity of the human situation, missionary and author Alan Hirsch writes in The Forgotten Ways:

“It was Jesus who said ‘So do not worry’, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:31-31).

“Consumerism is thoroughly pagan. Pagans run after these things. Seen in this light, ‘Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Extreme Makeover, Big Brother’, and other lifestyle shows are of the most pagan, and paganizing, shows on TV. Even the perennial favorites about renovating the house paganize us, because they focus us on that which so easily enslaves us. In these the banality of consumerism reaches a climax as we are sold the lie that the thing that will complete us is a new kitchen or a house addition, whereas in fact they only add more stress to our mortgages and our families.”

In their groundbreaking book Affluenza: When Too Much Is Never Enough, economists Hamilton and Dennis detailed how having more than ever before has made us unhappier than ever before.

May the Lord not only help our Chinese friends recognize what brings lasting peace and contentment, but help us do the same.

08 Sep Guillermo Martinez Diagnosed with Stomach Cancer

Marilyn Reeck, UB endorsed missionary serving in Honduras, sent an email Sunday about the declining health of Guillermo Martinez, former superintendent of our work in Nicaragua. Rev. Martinez, a native of El Salvador, was a highly respected UB pastor in Honduras for many years. When the Soccer War broke out in 1969 between Honduras and El Salvador, he was imprisoned in Honduras. After the war, he couldn’t stay in Honduras, but neither could he return to El Salvador with his Honduran wife. So he agreed to go to Nicaragua, where a United Brethren work was in the beginning stages. He led the UB church there for many years.

Don Guillermo has not been well for some time now, has problems walking, and has become very thin. He is now 83 years old, and over the last few months has been in the hospital several times.

On Saturday it was confirmed that he has stomach cancer. Dr. Saul Hernandez took him yesterday to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to see a Christian oncologist. He confirmed the diagnosis and stated that he has to be operated on immediately. He would need to be taken back to San Pedro Sula again.

Three of his children live here in La Ceiba, one lives in Managua, and one lives in Guatemala.

Plese pray for the Martinez family, for seeking wisdom about the operation, and for the finances. The family, including the church family, have been supporting all these many months but the situation has become very difficult.

I personally remember Don Guillermo from away back when he first came to La Ceiba and became a pastor with the United Brethren, his wedding, and his move to Masaya, Nicaragua to start the work there. He served as Superintendent of the Nicaragua work for many years. My memories are of a great man of God. Each time I visit him now he says, “I prayed for you today.”

08 Sep Of Guillermo Martinez, and Opportunities Seized

We received word that Rev. Guillermo Martinez, long-time leader of our work in Nicaragua, has been diagnosed with stomach cancer.

Several of our international fields started almost by accident, a result of taking advantage of political upheavals and unusual circumstances.

• Our work in Sierra Leone ties into the fate of freed slaved who originally came to America on the slaveship Amistad. Slaves seized control of the ship, and after a trial in New England, were allowed to return to Sierra Leone. The mission established through those former slaves was later turned over to the United Brethren church.
• Jimmy O’Sullivan was headed to the Bahamas to start a new mission for the United Brethren church. When a hurricane shipwrecked him near Jamaica, he started preaching there. He never made it to the Bahamas. Thus started our work in Jamaica.
• When communists took over China in 1948, the UB workers in China fled to Hong Kong, which is now the center of our ministry in China.

Guillermo Martinez, a native of El Salvador, was a highly respected UB pastor in Honduras for many years. When the Soccer War broke out in 1969 between Honduras and El Salvador, he was imprisoned in Honduras along with hundreds of other Salvadoranians.

After the war, he couldn’t stay in Honduras, but neither could he return to El Salvador with his Honduran wife. So he agreed to go to Nicaragua, where a United Brethren work was in the beginning stages. He led the UB church there for many years, including through the Sandinista revolution. The full story is told in the book Tio Archie.

03 Sep The Dice Family: Learning Spanish Together

My first few weeks of language school in August 1990 were particularly humiliating. I’ll never forget the three-year-old neighbor who asked his mother why the “gringos” didn’t know how to talk.

I can’t help but think that Jeff and April Dice and their four children are facing similar circumstances as they began Spanish language study this week in San Jose, Costa Rica. Their children–Camden, Mason, Karis and Ellie–are attending a transitional school that will move them from English to Spanish-only over a period of months.

Jeff and April Dice have been to Nicaragua numerous times as short-term team leaders. Jeff, a former missionary to Macau, is Associate Pastor of the Brown Corners UB church in Clare, Mich. Because of the partnership Brown Corners established with the Nicaragua Conference, the church is sending the Dices to Nicaragua for 3-4 months of the year to serve as the Global Ministries Central American Liaisons. In that role, they will oversee numerous projects and assist in leadership development and pastoral training throughout Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.

In addition, this partnership with Global Ministries allows others to come on board as part of the Dices’ support team. Although Brown Corners has been a major contributor, Global Ministries would like to expand the Dices’ support base as “non-traditional” staff so they can resource and assist others working with our Central American conferences.

31 Aug Medical Issues Delay Webers Return to Ecuador Until 2010

Doug and Ruth Weber and family, UB endorsed missionaries serving with Radio HCJB in Ecuador, returned to the States this summer, and have decided to delay their return to Ecuador until January 2010. It will be classified as a medical leave. They are facing medical bills not covered by their insurance. Doug wrote about it on his blog.

19 Aug 27 Boys Attend Jamaica Bible College Camp

Owen Gordon, President, Jamaica Bible College (Mandeville, Jamaica)

We completed another successful camp for boys at Jamaica Bible College. We had a total of 27 boys from Tuesday to Saturday. The boys were mainly from neighboring New Green and Greenvale communities, with one from Clarendon and another from St. Elizabeth.

The boys were exposed to presentations on health, security, and conflict management. We had lots to sporting activities, food, and a good dose of challenges from the Word of God.

Each boy was presented with a special shirt highlighting the importance of doing all things thru Christ.

We received much help from young men from Salem UB Church and Jamaica Bible College. As usual, Ms. Joan Scott and the Police gave us solid support.

This is the fourth year for this important outreach program. Several of the boys  committed their lives to follow Christ.

04 Aug Global Ministries Coming and Going

Jeff Bleijerveld and Donna Hollopeter returned from China, and were in the office today until jet-lag got the best of them (about mid-afternoon). The trip went very well.

Darlene Burkett, administrative assistant in Global Ministries, and her husband Phil took off for two weeks to celebrate their 30th anniversary. They’ll be in California visiting their daughter Carissa, and at a lodge somewhere in Colorado. Today begins the second week of their vacation.

16 Jul 70 Students Graduate from Jamaica Bible College

The 2008-2009 academic year for Jamaica Bible College concluded with a  graduation service on Sunday, July 5. Over 70 students graduated. Follow the link below to read more about the graduation and see several more photos.
(more…)

16 Jul Agri-business Development in Sierra Leone

Randy and Toni Fennig, UB missionaries in Sierra Leone, divide their time between:

• teaching and mentoring at Evangelical College of Theology in Jui.
• Developing an agricultural cooperative in partnership with the Sierra Leone National Conference in Bumpe.

In the photo above, Randy works with students at the college to prepare a garden plot that will be used to demonstrate the advantages of using a very simple drip-line system that employs a five-gallon bucket as its source.