15 Apr Honduras Sending Out Its Own Missionaries

COMIBAN, a Latin American missions consortium, recently held a consultation in Honduras. The United Brethren in Honduras were specifically invited to attend. Rev. Juanita Chavez, our Honduran Superintendent, and Marilyn Reeck, a Global Ministries endorsed staffperson, attended. Rev. Chavez sent this report.

Yesterday I returned from the 2010 Mission Consultation held in the city of Siguatepeque. It was a wonderful experience for me. I was surprised to learn that there are currently 45 Hondurans serving as missionaries in various countries. A number were present and shared their experiences.

As a result of our discussions, a number of proposals were presented as challenges to each of the participants. Areas to which the Honduran United Brethren in Christ have pledged themselves are:

1. Mobilization. Target audience: Churches, pastors and leaders.
2. Training. Target audience: Training centers, Bible schools, and teachers of missions.

We have no doubt that God will enable us to also send missionaries from Honduras to share the good news of the gospel with those who have yet to hear.

14 Apr Dice Family Concluding 8 Months of Spanish Study

Jeff and April are non-traditional staff serving as our Central American Liaisons. Jeff is primarily on staff with Brown Corners UB in Clare, Mich., but in partnership with Global Ministries will spend about three months of the year working on projects, training leaders, developing micro-enterprise opportunities, and coordinating short-term trips to the region. His family plans to spend as many as two months per year on the field with him.

The whole Dice family has spent the last 8 months studying Spanish at the Spanish Language Institute in Costa Rica. On April 13, they sent this note:

Hello from Costa Rica! We are now in the home stretch, as we only have 7 days of school left. We had our oral proficiency interviews last Friday and received our marks today. April and I both tested at the level “Avanzado Medio.” April also took the Comprehensive Grammar Exam and scored an 84.

We are ready to return to Michigan and find some Spanish speakers to befriend.  We have both decided to take as many CLEP tests for college credit in Spanish as we can. I may continue studying Spanish at Central Michigan University. Pray that we can find opportunities to speak Spanish in Michigan!

The “avanzado medio” translates “mid-advanced,” which is quite high for someone who has been there for less than an entire year.

09 Apr Easter Story: Brazil

From Jean Bell, UB Endorsed missionary in Brazil

Because none of the churches in our small Brazilian community hold an Easter Sunrise service, we missionaries meet together to worship and celebrate Christ’s resurrection. But this year’s service was not quite the normal service.

The setting was near the baseball diamond of our school for missionary children. We sat about 25 feet from home plate. To our left grows an enormous rubber tree along with two gigantic mango trees, and to our right the school’s playing field, just in front of the elementary wing of the school.

After our favorite Easter songs in English and praying in English–oh, what a treat!–a colleague began his Easter meditation. Hardly had he begun when in our our peripheral vision we perceived movement in the air: a toucan. Not more than a few minutes later, a second toucan soared by and landed in the nearby rubber tree. Then, yes, 3 more that joined the others. They were very quiet for toucans, not squawking or making their deep clicking noises.

A former student leaned near my ear to whisper, “They’re Christian birds.”

“Congregating, right?” I returned.

Within minutes of the rising sun, swarms of small, raucous parakeets and parrots dipped and circled overhead. I whispered to Wes, “All we need now are the ibises and blue-gold macaws.”

Within minutes the ibises honked and hooted overhead, but the macaws never joined our worship service.

Needless to say, we missionaries and our families had our powers of concentration tested at the Easter Sunrise Service.

08 Apr Easter Story: Freetown, Sierra Leone

From Francis George, layperson from the Wellington UB church in Freetown, Sierra Leone

We started celebrating Easter by organizing a passion week service which lasted four days.

On Palm Sunday, the young adult group, which consists of about 24 persons,  presented their program which they called “Africana Sunday.” They gave prizes to the best Africana dress, both to men and women.

To raise fun, a competition was organized. We divided everyone into two groups, and each group selected a candidate to be the Africana Star. One group chose sister Mariatu Lengor, and the other group chose Brother Francis Alie Simbo. Brother Simbo finally won the competition as Africana Star.

The young adults decided to give 60% of the funds raised to the church (since the church is under construction) and 40% to the group.

For Easter Sunday, the men and women competed to raise the highest offering for that day. It is rather unfortunate that the women defeated the men.