It's begun...

A new partnership was dedicated between Iglesia Bautista Shalom in Zacapa

 and Iglesia Bautista Shalom Chiquimula and First Baptist Church of Mt. Pleasant, SC. 

 

Pastor Rolando and his wife, Maria Inez - Iglesia Bautista Shalom, Zacapa

Vision Team of FBC, Mt. Pleasant

 

 

Certificate of Partnership

 

Pastor Elfidio and his wife Marcia - Iglesia Bautista Shalom, Chiquimula

Vision Team, Mt. Pleasant, SC

 

What a blessed time it was to share in worship and Biblical challenge to the task before them.

 

In the past month, Pastors Rolando and Fido had visited the adopted areas

of Corral de Piedra and Chancó seeking permission from the aldeas leaders to begin a Bible study. 

A young girl, overhearing their request, offered her family's home. 

So our first visit the next day was to visit this family.

 

 

Dad was away working but we were able to meet with the others.

 

Alicia, their 19 year daughter, shared the family's story.

The father accepted christ about 26 years old after listening to a message on the radio. 

The entire family are believers.  Two older brothers are in the states and are preachers.

She will be married in December to a young pastor and will move to

another village about 4 hours away from Chancó.

 

We all listened attentively as she shared their story and decision to follow Christ.

They walk about an hour each way to attend a church in a different aldea

since there is no evangelical church there.

 

 

After walking up the hill to the school,

 

the team was able to spend some time with the students.

 

Liz and Dr. Charles shared their testimonies.

 

 

The team had brought Spanish Bible story booklets, silly brand bracelets,

stickers and candy to share with the students.

 

The students listended very intently to both testimonies.

I saw one older young man listening very intently to Dr. Charles.

Pray for God's work to bring to take root in these students' lives.

 

 

We were able to visit in three homes and pray for the people.

 

 

We were received warmly at each place and invited to return.

 

This woman is the aunt of Alicia and has cancer.  She has not received Christ.

Alicia and her family pray that she will be healed physically

 but more importantly, that she will be healed spiritually.

One of the team members shared the Bible story of the woman

who was healed by faith after toouching the hem of his garment. 

 

 

In February, FBC, Mt. Pleasant, assisted Iglesia Bautista Canaán with a medical clinic in Nearar.

Now God is opening the door for them to work in these two aldeas, Corral de Piedra and Chancó.

Nearar is on the right of the map and Chancó is on the left..

 

Already their hearts are burdened for this area;

their minds are at work as they consider how God will use them to invest

in the lives of these precious people who need to hear of the saving power of Jesus.

 

The vison team, national leaders and family -- all partners together in the work of Christ.

 

 

 

 

Just like God...

The morning after I wrote the last post, I was reading in one of my devotional books, Streams in the Desert, book 2, and just like God does, He dropped a timely word. Perhaps it is because we live in a foreign country apart from past comfort zones, or perhaps it is because we see these things happening on a daily basis, or because we have walked in places where the evidence of the evil one is very real, but whatever the reason, we are more aware of the need for prayer covering than ever before.  Hear our heart in these words.

The weapons of our warfare are...mighty to the pulling down of strongholds
(2Cor. 10:4)

 

In the Great War in France a strong position had to be taken.  The enemy's lines were so defended by trenches, parapets and barbed wire, that any assault, however determined, by whatever number of men, must have failed.  However brave the attackers might have been, not a man would have reached the enemy's trenches alive.  It was, in fact, quite impossible for the place to be taken by infantry assault.  But the attacking general had collected large numbers of the most powerful artillery, firing the most powerfully explosive shells.  With this excessive strength of massed artillery a continuous fire was kept up for over five hours on the one objective till trenches were blown in, palisades thrown down, and wire entanglements blown to pieces.

Then, when the artillery had done its work, the waiting troops were at last able to go up "every man straight before him," and, with comparatively little loss, to capture the position.  What had been absolutely impossible to them before had been made possible by the sustained fire of the artillery.

I believe this is a most accurate and instructive picture of spiritual warfare.  There are positions of the adversary that cannot be stormed or starved.  There are defenses that are impregnable.  There are obstructions which effectually bar the progess of the most devoted members of God's great missionary army.  Before such can possibly succeed, there is necessary the sustained and continuous fire of the artillery of prayer.  Nothing else will take its place.  Nothing will avail until it has done its work.

Too often, in the absence of prevailing prayer, the assault has to be made without, and precious lives are sacrificed, time is lost, and all efforts are in vain; not because God is unfaithful, or the servant is not devoted, but because the artillery of prayer has been lacking, and no breach has been made in the enemy's defenses.

Northcote Deck, Streams in the Desert, book 2

 

Will you join with us as we make a continuous fire on the strongholds in the Chorti area? 

It is just like God to answer in accordance to our prayers.

 

We have work in

La Cumbre de Nearar

La Iglesia Bautista Canaán, Chimaltenango

Pastor Victoriano Cojti

Pastor Nahum

David and Regina White

Local Believer and Leader Reyes

Brainerd Baptist Church, Chattanooga, TN

 

Beginning work in

Lagunetas

David and Regina White

Chorti Baptist Agriculture Development Project

 

Beginning work in

Chancó

Corral de Piedra

Iglesia Bautista Shalom, Zacapa

Pastor Rolando Cruz

Iglesia Bautista Shalom, Chiquimula

Pastor Elfidio Castillo Arroyo

FBC, Mt. Pleasant, SC



Go Forth in Boldness!

The recent medical team to Nearar with the partnership of Iglesia Canaán and Brainerd Baptist included a young man whom Pastor Victoriano has been discipling.  Upon his return home, Antonio was so burdened about the lostness of the people there that he told his wife he had to return.  The church dedicated him, collected money for his trip and for his family (wife and two small boys) who remained at home, and confirmed his call.  Kinda of sounds like the first missionaries sent out from Jerusalem, doesn't it?

Antonio left on the 10th and traveled by bus to the area and then by pickup truck up the mountain to Nearar.  He stayed with Reyes, the strong believer/leader and went out daily visiting door to door, helping Reyes and being a witness in the community.  Last  Friday as he and Reyes were visiting in a home, the man said he accepted Christ.

Our fellow missionaries, David and Regina White, live in this area and each Sunday morning have Bible study with Reyes, his family, and any other believers who will join them in his home.  As a result of the medical team and the salvation decisions that were made at that time, they also return each Sunday afternoon to led a Bible Study in another family's home.  This past week, Regina and the two boys remained at home for the morning study.  As David was teaching, Reyes received a phone call, interrupted David with the message that someone had been killed, and as a community leader, he had to go to the site.  David completed the lesson with the others and then returned to his car.  The man had been murdered right behind David's car.  It was the man to whom Reyes and Antonio had witnessed on Friday and who prayed to receive Christ. 

We are glad that Regina and the boys had remained home that morning and were not subject to the scenes and activity.  We are very saddened by this latest death in Nearar.  There is definitely a spirit of evil that rests heavy among the people.  They have little value for life; when there is a dispute, the chief method of resolution is murder.  It is really sad, but the reality.  We pray that the man had indeed accepted Christ.  He left behind a wife and several small children.  Please pray for them.  David and Regina and planning to visit the wife and children sometime in the coming days.  Pray that God would give them just the right words to encourage them and that would lead them to Christ.

Pray for the spirit of the evil one to be bound.

Pray for hearts to be open to the Gospel of Jesus.

Pray for salvation to come to that area, that many would come to know the Prince of Peace.

Pray for the believers to walk under the covering of God's protection being bold in their witness.

David and Regina were able to return to Nearar that afternoon for the Bible study in the other home.  Although the men were out looking for work, the women and children were ready to listen.

 

Pray that they hear and grow in their understanding of the Word of God

which is able to change their lives.

Pray for the Spirit of God to reign in their hearts, minds, and lives!

It's Birthday time again!

 

Rebecca Lynn Miller Durham

She's the one celebrating this time.

 

 

She's always zipping along,

enjoying life,

 

 

and a really good laugh.

 

 

She loves her mom and dad...

 

 

her families...

 

 

and lovingly treasures her husband.

 

 

She's an "artista"

with works that adorn our walls...

 

 

GO Dawgs for her folks

and a Quetzal too.

 

She fills our tummies with tasty delights

 

 

that brings sweet memories of the year past.

 

 

 

Hope your birthday meal is tasty.

We wish we could be there to share

but know we send you love from wherever we are.

We love you Rebecca Lynn!

Happy Birthday!

 

Second Partnership is well underway!

The second partnership between Iglesia Bautista Dios es Amor, San Andres Itzapa, and Bull Street Baptist, Savannah, Georgia, has officially begun with the first team's evanglistic ministry.

 

 

Iglesia Bautista Dioes es Amor has begun a work in El Porvenir II, Cantón, San Lorenzo.

Pastor Apolinario comes every Sunday morning to meet with the attendees -

a group of eager to learn children.

No adults attend at this time but weekly he works diligently with these children,

 teaching them songs and Bible stories with eternal truths.

 

 

The enthusiastic group arrived ready to be the "ayudante" to the church and the pastor.

Each day they visited homes in the colonia,

often accompanied by some of these young smiling faces,

and shared the love of Jesus, leaving behind a gift of the Gospel of John.

 

 

And on Wednesday afternoon this group of children grew

 

 

and included parents and grandparents

for an afternoon Bible story and activity.

 

Attentively they listened.

Even some parents helped prepare the needed supplies.

 

Little eyes were amazed at "it" all began to come together.

 

Everyone was involved in the activity...note Pastor Apolinario right in the middle.

 

 

And the finished product...a sock puppet.

Yes, Pastor Apolinario will use these in his Sunday morning teaching lessons with the children.

Another method to share the Gospel of Jesus with little ones like these.

 

Reminds me of the chorus we used to sing when I was a little one too:

 

Jesus loves the little ones like me, me, me.
Jesus loves the little ones like me, me, me.
Little ones like me,
Sat upon His knee,
Jesus loves the little ones like me, me, me.

 

Jesus loves the little ones

so much He died for them too.

Anyone, any age, of any nation

can receive Christ as Savior and become His eternal child.

 

Fuego Vocanic Activity

Recently I posted some pictures of the volcano Fuego and her activity. 

Well, she has been at it again. 

 On our morning walk yesterday we noticed more activity. 

 Since we can't see the volcano from our house,

David walked back to a place where he could and took some pictures.

 

We left Antigua at noon for a meeting in the capital.

Fuego was smoking so much as we left that we returned to town briefly to get a better look.

We almost returned home to get the camera and take some more pictures

because it was a really awesome site. 

 You know it is really an awesome site when the locals are standing in the street taking pictures.

We were in a meeting all afternoon in the capital and did not know that it has really erupted

until we were almost home around 8:30 and received a phone call.

The wind carried the smoke and ash to the south and west so we are not affected here in Antigua

- at least we did not see anything as we returned in the dark.

 It was too cloudy or smoky toward the volcano to see it last night.

 

 

 

Click this link to see more pictures and details written in English about the eruptions

that ocurred during the day while we were gone. 

Evidently it was a quite show.

http://www.businessinsider.com/guatamalas-volcano-of-fire-is-errupting-and-causing-massive-evacutations-2012-9?op=1

 

We took these pictures about 30 minutes ago on our morning walk this morning.

Looks like Fuego's indigestion has settled and she is just back to puffing.

 

Thanks for being concerned about us, checking on us, and praying for us.

Continue to pray for those over 30,000 who were directly affected by yesterday's display.

**Happy BiRtHdAy DAVID!**

Happy Birthday David!

 

Just a few photos that make me smile...

He's a Father,

(a future abuelo too)...

 

 

Who loves his children...

 

 

And knows how to have silly fun with them.

 

 

He'll do crazy things with them -

like zip through the jungle

 

 

and climb volcanoes. 

 

 

 

 

He knows how to relax; 

 

  

 

He definitely knows how to drive --

chapin style, no less.

 

 

He enjoys his sibs,

and wishes they would all come to visit.

 

He's a man with a heart after God,

sharing the Truth.

 

 

He's a man with a vision that all may hear and respond to the free gift of salvation...

no matter where...

 

 

with co-laborers like these

 

 

who love to share the good news of Salvation;

 

 

no matter the cost...

 

 

no matter the trail...

 

 

 

no matter the language.

 

 

Happy Birthday David!

You're the one!

 

 

I love you!