Long-Term Fieldworker Highlights

Honduras Veterinarians

Scott and Diane Karper have been serving in Honduras for over 13 years!  Their work currently focuses on animal health care training in the 600 family village of Guadalupe Carney.  Scott works with the farmers who now have 1400 healthy cows. Diane works with the ladies in the village to develop their skills into marketable products which are sold in a local co-op. Read on to hear more about them!

What a glorious day it was when Gladi heard her name called out in the crowd!  She didn’t recognize it at first since they were pronouncing the last name wrong…but who cared about that.  She had won FIRST PRIZE at the National Crafts Fair!  Gladi couldn’t believe her ears.  She had never won anything in her life.  She had never been noticed for anything she had ever done.  And now, at 33 years old, they were calling her to the stage with a check made out to her for the equivalent of $100!!! Gladi wasn’t sure if she should really walk up there in front of all those people who were clapping for her.  They loved her recycled paper baskets and beads.  Who would have ever guessed that old newspapers could bring her so much joy!  Not only has she been able to feed her family with the money from the sales of these baskets, but now she was going to be given more recognition and money.  Amazing. 

When Diane showed her how to make the baskets, she figured she’d give it a try, but she never thought they would be the hot item that Diane said they would be. Thank goodness she kept trying. And thank goodness Mari, Gladi’s sister, came to the fair with her.  Mari can read, and write and she knows how to do math, and she was able to tell Gladi what the check said. It took over a week for the reality of this day to set in…SHE HAD WON!!!

And not only Gladi was a winner, but the Sewing Group, Luchando por la Vida: Lucy, Nicolasa, Silvia, and Amparo also won a prize.  They took 2^nd place for their creative stitchery and craftsmanship.  They have been going to this fair for years, but this is the first time they have won anything. They got the equivalent of $80.  Their new designs of wall hangings, and table runners, and bedspreads are so unique and colorful. It is no wonder the judges liked their products. They are thrilled to have people liking their work.

And then there is more.  This past summer, Maria’s sea glass jewelry, Marlin’s origami earrings, and Ale’s tree-of-life necklace and earrings carved  on calabash, were shown at an international exhibition  put on by the Smithsonian on the Mall in Washington, DC.  Our artists are putting their lives into their work, and their hearts are showing in the quality of their products. 

The craft group is proud to have these fine artists in the group.  A  great honor has been bestowed on all these winners.  And they recognize God’s goodness in the unexpected gift of recognition and much needed cash.  We should all be looking for God’s grace and goodness in each of our unexpected gifts.  God surprised the world with His gift to us…so easy to see, but not everyone saw it.  Thank you Lord for your surprises in our lives. 

Scott and Diane

Want to hear more from the Karper's?  Take the time to donate to their ministry or read their web journal!

Dave Curtiss began serving with CVM in 2011 as the U.S. Ministry Director.  He serves to mobilize veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and related professionals to minister in their workplace, community, church and cross-culturally through short-term and long-term missions. He directs CVM’s presence at state, regional and national meetings including prayer breakfasts and evening seminars. Dave also works alongside Christian Veterinary Fellowship groups and faculty representatives at veterinary schools in the United States and internationally to encourage and empower them towards discipleship and service through their student groups. Read on to hear about Dave's latest student visit!

The alarm rang sharply and the coffee began brewing . . . ah, hot coffee on an early morning!  I began thinking of my trip today . . . I haven’t been there before . . . what are the people like? I know there’s a resistance to the Gospel.  In fact, they’re basically an unreached people group. “Lord, give me the discernment to see who You want me to speak to, give me the words to say, remind me of scripture that will open hearts and lives.”  I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the airport . . . another trip to a place where people desperately need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Where am I going?  What country do you think of when you know I’m going to minister to an unreached people group? Where in the world do people need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Are you thinking Africa, or Asia or . . . ?  But I was flying to a University where, in the last few years, only one student would identify as Christian to form a Christian Veterinary Fellowship. There was no Christian faculty to sponsor the group because being a Christian on this campus meant being ostracized and scorned for believing in Jesus Christ.  As the group filed through the door and took their seats I was praying, “Lord, make Yourself known in this place.”  I presented the overview of CVM’s ministry and ended with the devotional the Lord had given me based on our annual theme, Beyond Knowledge, Knowing God. They listened intently.

As I finished, a 24 year old, second year veterinary student walked up and introduced herself, “Hi, would you have a moment to speak with me?”  “Sure,” I said.  She proceeded to tell me she had never been to church in her life.  She had never seen a Bible or heard anyone read from it.  We had a great discussion; I sensed the Lord’s direction.  I shared about the great hope of Jesus Christ and my journey to relationship with Him.  She didn’t pray to receive Christ that day but she promised to follow through and to be open to the truth of scripture.  Later, with the student leaders, we prayed for her and others who needed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ on campus.  This girl and I have emailed back and forth, I’ve sent her a book to read, and CVF students on campus are following through with her, too.  Would you join me in prayer for this student who represents an unreached people group?  Please pray for veterinary students who have never experienced a relationship with Jesus Christ and pray for those dedicated Christian faculty and CVF students that they will remain vital in their walk with God and reach out to those around them who don’t know Him. I’m thinking about 1 Timothy 2:5-6, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men – the testimony given in its proper time.”

God’s timing is perfect!  Whether we’re in a veterinary school auditorium or visiting with our next door neighbor, God is always seeking those who are lost.  My meeting with this young student – and others along the way – is NOT random! Jesus came in human form, born of the virgin Mary, and as Timothy tells us, the testimony of God in Jesus Christ was given in its proper time! God has a wonderful purpose for each of our lives, and has created us specifically for just such a time as this!

As you have prayed with me over this past year for ministry to veterinary students, veterinarians and vet techs across the country, God has been using you.  Thank you!  He is truly at work, increasing the impact of the ministry in many ways.   But there is much to do and so many opportunities in ministry through CVM.  Would you pray with me about this ministry?

• In January our season of regional student conferences (Real Life/Real Impact) begins with seven conferences through May.  Please pray with me for the students who participate and the doctors who will be presenting.
• New student ministries are emerging at vet tech schools and we praise God for this!  Pray for ministry at Morehead State, Murray State, and Colby Community College.
• Soon, we launch a new ministry at Utah State.  There are challenges, but we are confident of His blessing and direction as we begin.
• Professional Continuing Education Conferences are still going strong. We minister to doctors, vet techs, practice managers and others through our exhibit hall booth and the prayer breakfast gathering.

Dave and Sarah Curtiss

Living Hope

Dr. Barry Schwenk began his relationship with CVM as a student at Kansas State University in 1995.  He has had the privilege of participating in short term missions, CVM short courses, and student leadership ministry.  And after practicing in the US for 7 years, he and his family moved to Ethiopia, where they served for six years.  They began with veterinary ministry and then, over the years, God used them to establish schools, drill wells, plant churches, develop curriculum, and disciple leaders.  Barry now serves as the Southwest Region Rep.  Read on to her more about his latest stateside adventures!

I don’t think I have fully adjusted to being in the US yet.  At least, that’s what my wife tells me.

Recently, I was preparing to go on my first official trip as the SW Regional Rep for CVM.  It was a 9 day trip where I would speak at three universities and two professional meetings in California and Nevada.  It would be a very full trip without Colette or the kids.  For our family, this would be the longest time apart, EVER.  I did my best to pack but, being the good wife that she is, Colette examined my bags before I left.  Apparently it is not necessary to pack your own toilet paper, food or bottled water when travelling in the US, unless you plan on camping.  I was not.  Also, certain plaid on plaid ensembles are not considered “professional,” which surprised me because I have met with government officials in Ethiopia who sported such a wardrobe.   There are, apparently, services that will help you when your car fails so there is no need to pack “car repair clothes” or misc tools.  I’m getting there.

Despite my rookie mistakes, the trip went well.  Over those 9 days, I had the privilege of having significant conversations with 43 university students and 89 veterinary professionals.  It was great to hear what ministries people are engaged in and pray with folks as they deal with day to day struggles.  The most common problem revolved around a desire to serve but being too “busy”.  It is a HUGE issue.  I myself have to deal with temptations daily to “work” even part-time which would greatly impact the scope of my ministry.  Life in Ethiopia was also VERY busy but it seems different here.  Our busyness there required us to trust God for every little detail and in almost every act, we saw Kingdom building potential.  Here, the busyness is very deceptive.  It drains our own strength and energy leaving us with many void activities and a life questioning purpose.  Life here is very difficult.  Pray for us as we struggle with these very issues and in turn, try to help others through it as well.

My first night in Reno, NV was very memorable.  I had never worked a booth in a professional exhibit hall before.  We have a CVM banner and a table with information on it inside a large hotel banquet hall along with hundreds of other vendors and exhibitors.  Veterinary professionals attending the meetings wander through the hall and talk with folks at different booths.  The very first evening I was feeling a little nervous and out of my element.  One of the very first people into the hall walked past me, stopped, turned, made a cross with his arms and yelled, “Get away from me Christian!”  Well, how do you do!  He proceeded to tell me that he is an anti theist and we Christians are delusional, dangerous people bent on destroying the world.  He continued to call me every other name in the book all while folks strolled by casually glancing at our banner.  To be honest, I’ve felt more comfortable in mosques!  I apologized to him because obviously someone had really hurt him to feel that way but he was trying to repel me by making a cross……I suggested that deep down he knew there was a need for him to draw closer to the cross.  His eyes bugged out and spun away.  All I could think to call out was, “I forgive you!”  It just made him walk faster.  I saw him often over the next 3 days.  Every time I smiled and waved but he would just spin around and storm off.  This living in America is tough stuff!

Thankfully we are headed into Christmas, the celebration of Christ’s birth.  The time of the year that is punctuated on serving one another.  A time when all across America, we put others first.  It is a time when it is more important to show love than accumulate stuff.  The craziness stops and we have compassion on others, no matter what their nationality, or religion.  We come together as a nation with peace and forgiveness.  We stop the busyness and love each other and share the joy that we have in Jesus.  I am so looking forward to this time when I am convinced the busyness will stop…..right?  Maybe it will take me some time to get used to living here again.  Until then, reclaim Christmas.

Living in Hope,

Barry

Want to hear more from the Schwenk's?  Take the time to donate to their ministry or read their web journal!

S.U.S.T.A.I.N (Haiti)

Dr. Kelly Crowdis has been serving in Haiti since 2006!  Her projects include Give A Kid to A Kid, an animal husbandry project with the children of the commuinty to teach them animal care skills, responsibility, leadership, environmental care and the love of Christ.  Read on to hear more about this project!

December is a special month because we celebrate the birth of a child, our Savior. This December is special for me as well because I am officially expecting!

Expecting what you wonder? Well to be a mom of course! God has blessed me throughout my life with the chance to be a part of many amazing children's lives, but he hasn't given me one of my own until now. On October 18, 2012,  I submitted the paperwork to adopt Ronald.

There have been many battles to reach this point - me fighting with myself, with Satan and even with God. Ronald has a mom who in her limited capacity loves her child. I am 49 years old and single.  I love my work and most of the time do too much of it.  I have no idea what my future holds, and I live on a very limited income and my retirement savings are nil. I have no money to pay for an adoption - these are only a few of the thoughts that have been running around in my head.

God, however, put this lovely little boy in my life 5 days after the earthquake in 2010 when he wasn't quite a month old. He made a way for him to be in safe hands in those first few months when things were so chaotic, and then He provided enough formula, diapers and other supplies to get him through that stage when he came to live with me. He has blessed me with a wonderful support system here in Haiti to help me care for him with godly men and women who are invested in both of us. He has placed people in my life who have given me wise counsel and those who are helping me find the funding necessary to pay for the adoption.

 I have prayed and prayed and realized that there is no way my life will be complete without Ronald being a part of the rest of it. I am excited, scared, and overwhelmed, and I feel very loved by the most special little boy. I have a new ministry that is the most important a person can have, the responsibility of raising a godly man. Having a child is something I dreamed about, prayed about and I had decided to be somewhat content that God had not called me to be a mom. However, He knows the desires of our hearts and His timing is perfect and now Ronald is with me.   I am enthralled and filled with trepidation over the possibilities of what the future holds and I know my life is forever changed.

We are nowhere near having things completed, the paperwork has to make its rounds through the various government agencies and that will take at least a year. It took me over 6 months to get everything ready to submit. Please pray for us while we are waiting to make everything official.

We are learning and growing together, as every new family does when they bring their child home from the hospital, and my life has a new dimension that I never imagined I would get to experience. Life is wonderfully lovely and chaotic and I can't imagine it any other way. I wish you could see me doing my happy dance :).

Things are going well in the goat project and a new group of kids will be getting their kids very soon. The kids that are not in school have started their program. We are having meetings with the gangs. We have been blessed by several short term teams and done some wonderful training in the past couple of months.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!!

Kelly

Want to hear more from Kelly?  Take the time to visit her blog, donate to her ministry, or read her web journal! 

Abounding

Dr. Lauren Spears has been serving in Bolivia since 2009!  She recently moved back to the states to get married, only to discover that she needed to go back to Bolivia to finalize her daughter's adoption process.  They are returning to the states on December 8th.  Read on to hear some beautiful words from her new husband, Jon!

Have you ever watched in amazement as something takes place that is far beyond your capacity to initiate or control?  Take, for example, when a symphony orchestra comes alive while performing Mozart’s Requiem or watching as a space shuttle was launched from Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral.  Entire crowds stop to view these majestic feats of composition and performance or science and engineering, coming alive before their eyes and ears.  One can’t help but feel awe as you see the product of so much focused energy, by numerous individuals, contributing to that specific glorious event.

If you can relate to this sense of wonder, you will understand the admiration I feel when I watch my wife of four months interact with Bolivians in their culture.  I always knew she was talented, but to hear and see her activities on a daily basis is truly awe-inspiring.  Granted, not every interaction is wonderful in and of itself.  However, I am amazed at the ease and simplicity with which she engages and navigates a seemingly endless sea of students, university faculty, mission leaders, friends, family (Angie included), and even corrupt bureaucracies.  Without a doubt, her honed skills and abilities contrast sharply with my own inability to simply give a taxi driver accurate directions in Spanish or order food from a restaurant without inadvertently insulting the server.  Naturally, happy endings don’t occur on a daily basis; perhaps we would grow immune to truly appreciating their beauty if they did.  Yet, the beauty of dividends from my wife’s investments in people’s lives over the past three years has been apparent and even highlighted by a couple notable events of late.

If you have read any of our prayer letters in the past year or seen the 2012 prayer card, you couldn’t help but hear about the chicken coop at the Cristo Viene Girls’ Home (orphanage), which was literally built with CVM workers’ and university students’ bare hands.  Turns out I also married an experienced brick-layer!!  This coop provides much needed protein to the orphanage girls’ diet through eggs.  Having eaten at the homes, I have seen the abundance of simple carbohydrates that fill stomachs, but lack nutritional completeness.  Now that the coop has been up and running for over a year, new chicks will be introduced as the older ones are rotated out, enabling the girls to have a second sustainable source of protein in their diets through meat.  Given the success of this endeavor, we are planning to expand with 100 chicks (a 200% increase) this week, which also has the potential to benefit other orphanages from the additional egg production.  The girls’ home has gained so much confidence through this project, that they are now ready to branch out by raising a couple pigs as well… one to be named Christmas, and the other New Year, appropriately, as they are to be the traditional holiday dishes.

Another direct result of Lauren’s focused efforts was clearly observed a few weeks ago as one of the university students successfully defended her completed thesis research.  If you will allow me to brag again for just a moment, I will tell you how Lauren helped to enable this student’s research.  Mayumi’s topic of canine endoscopy was almost unheard of in Bolivia until two years ago.  It was at this point when my lovely wife worked with VetRed to organize a trip where Dr. Glenn Gaines, a skilled CVM veterinarian, traveled to Bolivia.  As you can see, Dr. Gaines was effective in training the university faculty and students to use their new endoscope.  Since Mayumi’s research was new in the country, it contributed to building strong relationships between VetRed and the university.  During her presentation, the panel of evaluating veterinarians was genuinely impressed and she received the highest marks possible.  Now, Mayumi is also one of the leaders of VetRed’s campus ministry.

Some fruit takes longer to grow than others, but praise God for the nutritional needs that are being met, the relationships that have been formed, the trust and goodwill that have been built, and the lives that are being impacted by Christ’s love.  We are trusting God for more fruit in the future.

I love my wife, but it wouldn’t be fair to give her all the credit for the positive changes that are taking place.  Much of the credit lies with you, the reader, and our supporters.  You have enabled these events to take place, by enabling us to be here.  Thank you so much for the financial contributions you have made, which directly benefit the lives of so many orphans and students.  Thank you as well for your prayer support that sustains our family, opens doors for ministry, and creates opportunities for your contributions to be put to their best use.

At this writing, our fledgling family’s time in Bolivia is coming to an end as Christmas approaches.  As we return to the US, we are eagerly anticipating the next chapter in our family’s story.  Please continue to pray for Angie during this holiday season, as she is adjusting to life in the States, away from her native Bolivia.  Though she will certainly enjoy the novelty of snow, it’s our prayer that she will contently adjust to a different lifestyle as she continues to mature into the woman that God would have her be. 

May the love of Christ be with you this Christmas season,

Jon, Lauren, & Angie

Want to hear more from the Charles'?  Take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal!

Africa Vet (Uganda)

Dr. Val Shean has been serving in Uganda since 1995!  She currently serves as an Advisor to Community Livestock-Integrated Development (CLIDE) Consultancy which works primarily among the Karamojong people of NE Uganda.  And she's getting MARRIED in just a few months time!  Please pray for Val and her fiance Waffle during this transition.

The sun rose over Mt. Moroto today in a new way.  Standing alone among an awakening herd of goats, daylight broke around me.  As the new sun’s rays burst over the forested, rugged horizon, I turned to face the daybreak.  In that moment, the light of an awakening revelation beamed down on me in all the Fullness of Truth.  I am REALLY getting MARRIED!!   Can this be real???  Is this just one of those crazy, pre-dawn dreams which will end with wings sprouting out of my back and me soaring with Prince Charming over beautiful panoramas into the stratosphere?   A whole new reality is about to begin.  Am I ready?  TWO shall soon become ONE.  Can I grasp the implications of the imminent surrender of my individuality, the yielding of my privacy, giving up my personal choices and freedoms?  Have I considered the consequences this will result in for future decision making?  Am I ready to defer, to negotiate, to compromise and cooperate?  What am I getting myself into???  

I stood motionless among the bleating goats, as if teetering on the cusp of a precipice, riding on one of those two headed Push-Me/Pull-You’s of the Dr. Doolittle era.  My questions met Silence.   Come on God, how is this thing really going to work out?  What will happen to the “real” me?  What will be my new identity?  The rays of the sun began to engulf me.  I stretched my arms out to receive its warmth.  There in stillness and quiet, Comfort soothed my fears.  My doubts melted into a pool of peace.   My tense shoulders relaxed, my quickened heart calmed.  He who dropped me at this watershed moment, will carry me through.  An end begets a beginning.  It’s time to leave and cleave.  It felt as if I was at the entrance to some portal:  into the contraction and expansion of a new Universe.  A new reality awaited me. 

Laughing to myself, I remembered one time when a frog got stuck in our water system.  We had rigged up a pipe that went from the waterfall to our small, water turbine, which provided electricity to our homes.   The frog entered at the top of the waterfall, in a pleasant pool which drained into a large pipe.  As the pipe descended the hill, it transitioned into smaller and smaller diameters.   When our water turbine stopped working, we disconnected the pipe to see why the water was not flowing.  After a few minutes, we noticed something poking out from the end of the blocked pipe, some bulging nostrils and protruding eyes.  The pressure was building and building behind him, and then, all of the sudden, PWOOOOOHHHH!  Out flies the poor frog, like a flying projectile, a comet with a 30 foot stream of water behind him!  His contraction and expansion was not so successful!  I’d better pray!

Standing on that Alpha and Omega threshold, I turned back towards the sun and looked back on my singleness.  I praised God for His provision, protection and peace.   I reflected on the upcoming Omegas in my life:  my last independent road trip, my last autonomous financial choices, my last meal on my own, my last dark night of aloneness.  So many things that will be changing:  some with mourning, some with rejoicing.  Endings are necessary for new beginnings.  As you read this, I will be at my last Christmas as a single person:  a time which often seemed lonely and awkward, with nowhere to go to be part of a nuclear “family”.  I look forward to new traditions and shared memories, and writing new chapters together with Waffle.   Some of the new Alphas in my life will be amazing!  I look forward to times to discover and be discovered, to share, to harmonize and to unite.  I took a moment in that sun beam to mourn the losses, to disengage and detach from life as I have known it.  The time will come shortly to reengage and reattach as an amalgamated couple, joined in purpose and destiny.

Please pray for both Waffle and I in this transition time:

1. Pray for our families.  That we would have a balance of love for them and keep our hearts united in loving them.
2. Pray for our current relationships.  That God will preserve and transform them into a joint collection of friends and that we can relate well with one another. 
3. Pray for Waffle as he moves to Africa and establishes his new ministry here with the Ugandan villagers. 
4. Pray for me as I try to figure out how to open my life and home up to Waffle.  To be the person that the Lord would have me to be in his life. 
5. Pray for both of us as we surrender the freedoms of singleness and grasp a hold of the new dreams which will be revealed, as we become Two in One.  Pray for solidarity, unity, harmony and willingness to sacrifice for one another.
6. Pray for the traditional marriage and the wedding!!!  We will have three days of celebration with the community and church family in the peace villages here in Karamoja.

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross.”   Every transition is in some way a cross.  It is dying to one realm and resurrecting into another, with a full surrender to the process and the outcome.  Only God can unite us fully.  Let the spiritual symbiosis begin!

Thanks for praying.

Love to you,

Dr. Val

Want to hear more from Val?  Take the time to donate to her ministry, read her web journal, or watch a video about her peacemaking work!

To the Ends of the Earth (Mongolia)

Melissa White has been serving in Mongolia since 2008!  Melissa's ministry in Mongolia is two-fold: she is focused on discipling the young believers on staff through Bible teaching and relationship building, and she is also focused on reaching the Mongolian vets and nomadic herders with the Gospel.  Read on to hear about her fifth Winter in Mongolia!

Sometime in November I reached into the dark recesses of my closet and pulled out my big puffy down winter coat. This marked the official beginning of my fifth winter in Mongolia. As I put the coat on, two thoughts crossed my mind, “wow, I look puffy in this thing” and “I wonder how this winter will be different from the last four?”

It seems that every winter thus far has brought with it new challenges. My first winter was spent trying to adequately furnish my apartment, figure out how many layers I really needed to stay warm, making endless cultural blunders, and spending my Mongolian classes playing charades because my teacher didn’t know any English. My second winter I struggled a lot with homesickness and loneliness as the reality of living overseas really hit me.  My third winter was the year of the Dzud, a natural disaster that killed over 8 million animals and displaced many herder families. This brought with it many challenges for my organization as projects were re-evaluated in response to the disaster. Last winter I headed home to Oregon for furlough and experienced a challenge I had not foreseen: reverse culture shock.

 There is no doubt that winters have brought many challenges for me, but I have also found them to be the times when God has really met me and brought encouragement to me in special ways. So instead of sharing the struggles and challenges I anticipate this winter will bring, I want to share the special blessings I see God bestowing on me during this season:

-My new co-workers. This fall I was asked to start working in our small animal clinic as a vet technician. I honestly am pretty rusty working with small animals since it has been so long, but I was excited to accept the challenge and work within a different area of V.E.T Net. It has turned out to be quite a blessing. For four years I have been working with a team of mostly guys providing training for large animal countryside vets. I have a great working relationship with all of them, but because of the cultural, language, and gender barriers, I have found it hard to connect at times. At the small animal clinic it is all girls and I am finding it so encouraging getting to know new people, having a whole different work environment, and being able to use my Mongolian more. I have especially connected with the other vet techs at the clinic and have had great conversations with them while bathing, grooming, and treating dogs. These new relationships are definitely a blessing this winter!

-My roommate. I have now been living with Oyuka for a year, and have seen our friendship grow and deepen. This spring we went through a discipleship curriculum together that really helped us to connect on a spiritual level. I have learned so much from her about how to best minister and reach Mongolians at a heart level. Although it was one of the most difficult things for me to ask my former roommate of three years to move out, I see now God’s plan in it all and thank Him for His many blessings.

-Community of like-minded people. One of the biggest challenges I have faced as a single missionary is finding consistent community and accountability. I feel like every time I make a close friend here, they end up leaving one year later, so consistent community is something I have longed to experience. This spring I started connecting with a like-minded group of people of different nationalities, different ages, and involved in various types of ministry here in Mongolia. I feel I have learned so much by meeting weekly with them for Bible study, prayer, accountability, and fellowship. These last few months God has really been showing me how important it is to live out my faith in the context of authentic community, and these new friendships have been a great encouragement and blessing to me.

I hope all of you are experiencing God’s blessing in your own lives this winter season. I want to leave you with a verse that God brought to my mind as I was writing this. If you are going through a challenging season, I hope you will stop and take the time to identify some of the blessings from God in your own life.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness” –Lamentations 3:22-23

Melissa

Want to hear more from Melissa?  Take the time to visit her blog, read her web journal or donate to her ministry!

                               Imperishable Seed (Uganda)

Emily Arndt is a Long-Term Service Candidate who is currently raising support to begin serving in Uganda with Dr. Val Shean and the CLIDE team.  She will be working as a “Research Assistant”, and her duties will include ethno-veterinary research and development, livestock disease sero-surveillance, and livestock breeding programs. Other roles will include but not be limited to assisting with livestock health and husbandry trainings. Read on to hear about Emily's recent trip to Uganda!

Greetings Family and Friends! So what does working with livestock have to do with sharing Gospel? A LOT!!

Karamojong Warrior, Aguma M. is grinning from ear to ear as he approaches my research partner, Gomes, and me.  He reveals the contents of his plastic mug: 65 mL’s of milk. This might not seem significant because his cow, Alingareng, is a test animal in our milk production ethno-veterinary research. Our research guidelines instructed us to select animals with low milk production that had RECENTLY given birth. She had given birth to her calf eight months earlier and currently had NO MILK. Fortunately, Gomes had insisted that we “just try and see what happens, you know, for fun”.  Milk is an industrialized product in the western world, but it is a primary source of income and nutrition for these herdsmen and their families

The Karamojong Natural Healers partnering with CLIDE (Community Livestock-Integrated Development Consultancy) shared how they have traditionally used a local plant they call Edapal to increase milk production in their livestock. In addition to testing the actual efficacy of these medicinal plants, modernized preparations were explored which can be packaged, stored and sold. The income generated, through the development and sales, returns to the tribe who maintains the intellectual property rights of these natural medicines. The surrounding tribes also have the chance to benefit from the Karamojong’s knowledge while seeing the true God-given value of a tribe widely despised by their compatriots as violent and underdeveloped.

*insert picture me with silver container with the caption “Holding dried Edapal equal to 10.5 gallons of the traditional liquid preparation”*

Aguma continued to become more excited as he presented the increasing results of each milking. 84mL, 130mL, up to 168 mL. The last day of the study, as he was praising the wonders of Edapal, the door was open to share with him about the Creator of the Edapal who loves him, his family and his animals enough to know their needs and to put these plants around him that can help them! As Gomes was translating for me, Aguma began to grin even wider!! Alingargeng’s calf enjoyed the benefits as well!

*insert picture of calf suckling “Alingareng and her calf”*

This is just a very brief glimpse at how working with livestock opens the door for the Gospel. We are praying for God to continue to provide ministry partners so I will be able to move to Uganda by May 2013. I cannot effectively serve the people of Karamoja without the partnership of my church, friends, and family.

During my six weeks this summer in Karamoja, I had several people tell me that Luke 10:2 is very real, especially because of the harsh, unwelcoming environment of this region, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” As one of my favorite missionaries, Hudson Taylor, said, "The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed." So I’m excited and humbled as I follow God’s command for me to GO as a worker, as others follow the command to SEND!!

To God be the Glory!

Emily 

Want to hear more from Emily?  Take the time to visit her blog, donate to her ministry, or read her web journal!

Honduras Veterinarians

Scott and Diane Karper have been serving in Honduras for over 13 years!  Their work currently focuses on animal health care training in the 600 family village of Guadalupe Carney.  Scott works with the farmers who now have 1400 healthy cows. Diane works with the ladies in the village to develop their skills into marketable products which are sold in a local co-op. Read on to hear more about them!

This is a letter about God’s Amazing Grace in the midst of poverty, strife, and stress.  We are constantly reminded that no matter what, HE is in control (even though we like to think WE are!)

Mari and Ale got married last month. It all happened in a whirlwind in just two weeks.   I know you are thinking  they’d need a wedding planner, or at least a year to decide on the perfect dress, his tux, millions of dollars of flowers, a beautiful cake, chairs, ribbons, bows, and a full dinner for 70 people. But trust me, Hondurans have this all figured out, and only for a few hundred dollars.  Honest. 

In mid August, the government here announced that they would have free marriage licenses for anyone who registered and got married by the end of the month. Mari and Ale ran to the municipality and signed up since they have been thinking of this wedding for a few years anyway.  Mari got a friend to help her with the dress, which wasn’t finished until the morning of the wedding.  (My Canadian friend, Sharon, and I were a wreck, but Mari was calm and collected, laughing at us for being so nervous!) Mari had sewn Ale’s pants, and also pants for their two sons, Ariel and Samuel, and a dress for their daughter Jenni.  The morning of the wedding she sewed Ale a tie, since they couldn’t find one here. Sharon took care of making an arch of silk flowers that she had left over from graduation at the school she runs. I made the corsages and bouquet with my friend Carol, while still in the States, thinking they would travel fine, which they didn’t, so I remade them here.  We set up chairs from the church, tied bows and ribbons and balloons on everything in the yard, and we were ready for the wedding.   Mari baked the cake, which flopped and was about ½ inch thick!  Sharon and I were ready to SCREAM.  But Mari, just turned over the pans, stacked them on top of each other, and iced them! She even found a bride and groom for on top.  The actual cake got cut into chunks and put in little boxes Mari made for each guest.  We threw a dollop of icing on each chunk, and it actually looked OK.   

Mari’s mother and father came to the wedding by bus, which was a 12 hour trip, and we had to wait until they got there.  Then the lady from the municipality had to come to sign the papers, and she was only two hours late. Again, Sharon and I were a nervous wreck since it would be dark in just two hours, and we still had 70 guests to feed!!! The sister who made all the tortillas was in a bus that broke down, so she didn’t arrive until after the ceremony.  The only time I saw Mari panic was at that moment, how could they possibly serve the food without tortillas!! Really? But as always, GOD WAS IN CONTROL.  Everything fell together just fine, and Mari and Ale think back on their special day with fond memories.  They are so used to trusting God, that it is second nature for them to stay calm when everything is falling to pieces. Sharon and I learned a lot that day about how to do a wedding and about God’s grace.

 Last week we had a medical team here doing wonderful works in the village.  I wish we could have them more often.  The craft group did some of their meals.  Zenia, who was 8+ months pregnant, served the meal to the team with a big smile, happy that they were there.  An hour after the team went to their hotel, Zenia delivered a healthy baby boy, Eduardo.  He is the exact image of his father, who left Zenia as soon as he heard there was going to be responsibility in his life. So sad.  Zenia, 30, has weathered this storm quite well.  She has one daughter, Keli, who is 12.  The same thing happened with that man, and Zenia raised Keli alone, .and now she will do the same with Eduardo. But she accepts her responsibilities without anger.  She does wonder how this could happen twice, but she is happy to have a healthy baby, a house (2 9x12 rooms) to keep him warm in these rainy months ahead,  and a place in the craft group where she can make and sell her necklaces and embroidered coasters.  She realizes better than most of us that GOD IS IN CONTROL, and she is most grateful.

Yesterday there was a national exhibit of handcrafts done by women in Honduras. Gladi Ramirez, one of our artists who makes recycled paper beads and baskets won first prize of $100, and Silvia, Luci,Amparo, and Nicolasa (the 4 women in the sewing group) won second place, $80, for their beautiful bags and wall hangings  made of high quality materials and stitching.  These artists were declared to be the best in Honduras.  What an honor for them and for our craft group!

We will be in the US for Thanksgiving this year. Our annual Open House will be Nov 29, 30, and Dec1, from 9 to 5 at 532 Kraiss Ave, in Chambersburg, PA.  There will be items for purchase and all proceeds will go to the artists who made the products.  It is truly an opportunity to give gifts that give twice.  Hope to see you there.

Love,  Scott and Diane

Want to hear more from the Karper's?  Take the time to donate to their ministry or read their web journal! 

His Very Own (Uganda)

Dr. Daniel and Rachel Graham are Long-Term Service Candidates who recently departed the states for Uganda to begin their three year term serving with Dr. Val Sheanand the CLIDE team.  Read on to her more about their transition!

“Would you like to place the next sutures?”  I finish demonstrating the knots of the first ligature and pass the instruments off to the slightly trembling hands of an eager student.  She very, very slowly passes the suture as I guide her way around the tissue.  Her knots are successful and she proudly steps away from the table having placed her first ligatures in a live animal. 

October found us, unexpectedly, participating in the annual Uganda Christian Veterinary Mission Symposium.  A group of 4 amazing, resilient, hard-working vets from the US came out to run the week-long workshop with the CLIDE team and UCVM staff.  The week began at Uganda’s only vet school at Makerere University in Kampala.  The visiting vets gave lectures to the students in the mornings and in the afternoons we ran practical surgery sessions for the students at local vet clinics. 

For many of them, this was their first (and perhaps only) chance during vet school to participate in actual surgeries.  Mostly, we did spays and neuters, but the students also had a chance to try their hands at some more complicated procedures as well.  I had so much fun with the students and my co-teachers: Dr. Hillary (Florida) and Dr. Kathy (Oklahoma).  As we worked through the surgeries, we had time for teaching, sharing, encouraging, and praying with the students.  Many of the participating students were from the student Christian fellowship, but some were Muslims and my group even had a Sikh student. 

After the three days of lectures and practicals, we took the students out to an area called Namayingo in SE Uganda (near Lake Victoria).  This is an area with a large livestock population, but very little veterinary support.  We spent two days there doing community outreaches, treating animals and preaching the Gospel at the same time.  Working in three groups, we were able to provide services to about 10 different communities. 

East Coast Fever, Anaplasmosis, Trypanosomiasis, Lumpy Skin Disease, Goat Pox, Brucellosis; all diseases that I had never treated before in livestock, but Dr. Val gave us a crash course in tropical livestock diseases before we headed out to the field so at least I could fumble my way through things.  The diseases of most significance here are those spread by ticks or other insects (Tsetse flies for example), so they are things that people don’t have to worry about in the States.  Not only is God pulling me out of my comfort zone by working with cattle, I also have a whole new set of diseases that I am not used to.  I am learning fast!

At each location we worked at, the DVO (District Veterinary Officer) for Namayingo had previously arranged a central meeting area for the community to bring their animals to see us.  Some of the locations we worked at were school yards.  At the first community we went to, the kids were so excited to see us, that the teachers couldn’t even keep them in the buildings!  They brought all the kids outside and let them sit under the trees so that some of our group could speak with them while the rest of us started on the animals. 

Rachel had a chance to speak in front of the children there.  She shared with them about Jesus and encouraged all the girls that God had made them to be just as smart and capable as the boys and that they should work hard and stay in school (they have a problem here with keeping the girls in school once they are of a reproducing age).  She touched the lives of over 300 children that day. 

By showing them that we cared for their animals as much as they do, the communities were open to listening to the message that we brought them about the love that God has for them.  At the end of the week, we treated over 1,000 animals and around 200 people responded to God’s call and made decisions to make Jesus the Lord of their lives. 

Daniel & Rachel

If you would like to hear more from the Graham's, please take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal!

S.U.S.T.A.I.N (Haiti)

Dr. Kelly Crowdis has been serving in Haiti since 2006!  Her projects include Give A Kid to A Kid, an animal husbandry project with the children of the commuinty to teach them animal care skills, responsibility, leadership, environmental care and the love of Christ.  Read on to hear more about her life in Haiti!

Life is never dull in Haiti and the past two months have been no exception, God keeps me on my toes all the time. I’m happy to say there have been no “unpleasant” events to tell you about. God has been showing himself in mighty ways to the people of Merger and they are responding. 

I applied for a grant from a Dutch foundation that works here in Haiti building houses and schools, and they accepted to build a 2 room building on the forage garden land. It is a 16’ x 32’ building with 2 rooms.  All of the young boys and several of the gang members helped to pour the slab – the part of the building we were responsible for. It was a project that should have taken about 2 or 3 days and took us about 10 but it was so worth the extra time to have the community involvement. We used earthquake rubble to fill in and level the site for the building, the foundation is solid and built on God since the rubble came from a fallen church. We had lots of opportunities to share God’s word, teach about work ethics and keeping the environment clean. It was a great time. The guys are so proud of their work during the building process (which the company did) they came by daily to check on the progress and are so excited to use the space. Everyone wanted to know if I was building a house or starting a school, and I patiently explained over and over that this was a building for the community to use. Currently it is being used for 6^th grade at Pastor Johnny’s school (as he has out grown his school space) in the mornings.

By the time you read this letter we will be hosting a new part of the goat project in the building. We are starting a literacy class using the goat project model to teach children (8-18) who are not in school at all.   We are teaching the children about goats, while teaching them to read at the same time. The goal is to teach them the value of raising goats, to give them a means to have an income by giving them a goat, and to be able to read. Then next year, they can decide if they want to go to traditional school or pursue a trade, and they will have the means and the ability to do so. Also we are working with the gangs in Merger. There are 2 major gangs of about 40 young men who just sit and do nothing. They are always joking, but with a serious undertone, that I only help the little kids so I decided to give them a chance. I have given each gang 4 goats to look after for the project. They are the young males that the project will sell to buy more females for the children.  We can get the best price in December for them so the gangs are learning about goats and how to take care of them, and then they will get a part of the money from the sale.  We are also having classes on money management, safe sex or preferably celibacy, their value as people in God’s creation and his plan for them, among other things.  Pastor Johnny also hopes to start a driving school for them. You have to have go to driving school to get a license here and then you can rent a tap tap (local taxi) for a day and make money. It is a viable way for these young men to make some money and get ahead. It is an exciting time and so encouraging seeing these young men, who used to make rude noises and gestures when I drove by, now calling out Madame Kelly how are you today and I have a question about the goat or any number of other things.

Also by the time you read this, the first regional Konferans Agricol (Agriculture Conference) will be finished and about 100 people will have spent 4 days learning about the amazing work that is being done in Haiti and how they can do it themselves. Rhoda Beutler has worked very hard to make this a success and I am blessed to be a part of it.

Things are difficult in the country. We did not have rain all summer and the crops didn’t make it. Food prices are up and the people have been demonstrating against high food prices. The rains finally came in October, but it’s late, and I don’t know if they will have time to get a crop in before the dry season hits again in December. Please pray for the people as this is a difficult time for them. I am proud to say that even with no rain a few of our seed grenades sprouted but they died off with no rain. And a few even managed to sprout with the October rains. We will try again in the spring because if they can at least sprout with no rain, when we have regular rain we should be able to grow some trees.

Also a huge praise report we have imported another 12 goats with the Whitworth Grant we received in 2010. We are finished with the importing business for now. There are now new bloodlines being introduced across the country to improve the quality of the Haitian goats. Many thanks to Drs. Teri Harty and Ivan Barineau for all their hard work getting the goats to Haiti!!

Life has been a busy whirlwind of activity and I am grateful to be a part of it and I am excited to see where God will lead. Please pray for the projects in Merger, my stamina, time for me just to spend with God, and the country of Haiti. Thanks for being a part of all this, we are making a difference!

Love and blessings,

Kelly

Want to hear more from Kelly?  Take the time to visit her blog, donate to her ministry, or read her web journal! 

Shepherd's Gate (Nicaragua)

Jeff and Bethany Bracht have been serving in Nicaragua with their family since 2010.  Jeff is currently teaching veterinary medicine at the Universidad de Ciencias Comerciales (UCC) in Managua, Nicaragua.  And they have now been in Nicaragua for TWO years!  Let's celebrate this milestone with them - Read on to hear more!

By the time you receive this letter, we will have already celebrated our two year mark in Nicaragua.

2 YEARS!  In some ways, it has felt much longer (especially on hot days like today); and in some ways, it has felt very short.  While life here is not without trials; we would like to share some of the successes and blessings that have developed over the last two years.

• We have watched our children persevere through language and      cultural acquisition and emerge fluent (for their ages) and thriving in school.
• Last month, Jeff accepted an elder position at the International Christian Fellowship that we attend on Sundays.
• Bethany took a part time volunteer position at the Spanish-speaking Christian school as an aide to a student with special      education needs.
• Genuine friendships have formed and continue to deepen with      Nicaraguan families who care for us and our kids.
• Great friendships have been forged with other “re-locatable      Christians” here within the English-speaking community.
• Despite our falling short of our lofty language goals, we are      far more functional speaking Spanish than we were when we arrived!  (At least we have two in-family translators!)
• Jeff has been lecturing twice a week (in Spanish) at the      Veterinary School.
• Bethany meets with four Nicaraguan high school girls once a      week to share life and study the Bible.
• The kids have found wonderful friends!

So over the last two years, we have experienced the blessing that comes with following the Lord.  We believe that God delights in our co-dependency on one another as it plays out in friendships and  loving one another.  We are glad that He has gifted us with many relationships here in Nicaragua.   Let's “...consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another...” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Your Friends in Nicaragua,

the Bracht family

Want to hear more from the Bracht's?  Take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal!

Abundant Life (Thailand)

Rachel Buffington has been serving in the northern tip of Thailand since 2011. Many tribal groups live in this area, outcast in many ways from mainstream Thai society.  It is in these tribal villages that Rachel is showing others the way to an abundant physical life by taking better care of their families and communities; abundant livestock life by training them in useful animal husbandry and vet skills; and abundant spiritual life by introducing them to Christ. Read on to hear more!

They stood up one by one to say their final piece.  It was possibly the last time we would ever see some of them, and it will most probably be the last time all of us will be here together. Ours is an unlikely story: spending fifteen days of the past year with a group of pastors with whom I don’t share any mutual languages or (let’s be honest) life experiences, selected by a 3^rd party and sent to us without much of a clue as to why they were coming or what subject they would be learning.   But this group is imprinted on my heart.

Nine tribal pastors with calloused hands and feet; each struggling to provide for their wives and children by laboring daily in their fields, as well as shepherd what seem to be rather wayward flocks of Christians in their isolated villages.  These are not loafer-wearing public speakers.  They don’t have desks, Bible dictionaries, or conferences to attend.  But they know the ancient traditions of their people, the day the rice paddies are ready for planting, the natural rhythm of life in the village, and the love of the Lord.  These are fishers of men.

They stood up one by one on the last day to make some final remarks and share what had most impacted them over our time together in Animal Health Training over the past year. *

“I was able to go back to my village and teach my people how to give the right medicines.”

“After the first training, none of my neighbors believed what I said.  But when the animals I treated lived and the others died, they saw that I had gained valuable knowledge.”

“My new skills have opened doors for me to go to other villages on my mountain where the people are not Christians.”

“I want to invite other people from my tribe to come and learn about this.  It is very important for us.”

“[What I learned in]This training gives so many benefits to my village.”

“There was a buffalo in my village that was paralyzed.  I prayed with the owner for God to be glorified, and gave it some penicillin.  It recovered and I praise God!”

“Another animal health worker in our area comes to give sick animals the wrong medicines, and charges so much money.  But now my people trust me, and I tell them to pay only what they can.  It is a way for me to serve them and God.”

“At first, my village didn’t want me to come to the training.  But now they see that I have knowledge about the problems we have in our village, and they trust me to help them.”

“Before the training, I didn’t have any experience with animal health.  Now, I’ve treated over 500 animals and the local government calls me to vaccinate animals for them.”

“I had to start by being a good example with my own animals to show that I learned good information.  After my neighbors saw my health pigs, they want me to help them too.”

“I treated one animal and it got well.  The news spread to 3 other villages and now I have access to new communities.”

“I organized a training for my village to share what I learned and we also included a bible study.  Now my neighbors are so interested in coming to learn more.”

Praise God for these men and their hearts to serve their communities.  Praise God for the opportunity we’ve had to impact their lives and villages for the Kingdom of God.  Praise God that He is glorified even through giving penicillin to a buffalo. 

Blessed to be a blessing,

Rachel Buffington

Want to hear more from Rachel? Take the time to visit her blog, donate to her ministry, or read her web journal!

Good News for Mongolia

Dr. Mary and Richard Ballenger have been serving in Mongolia since 2004!  Their mission is to mentor and empower Mongolian and Asian veterinarians, business and government individuals and families to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ and use Christian principles to effectively manage, develop and maintain their personal, professional and business lives.

^“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” Acts 20:24 NLT

“What is Jesus?” This was a question asked to our dental team in July. Dr. Bill and Peggy Pratt have been faithfully coming to work with V.E.T. Net in Mongolia for many years and sharing the love of Christ through dentistry. Many Mongolians have heard the Good News of Jesus Christ from Bill, Peggy and their Mongolian teams over the past years.  This year they brought Miki, a dental hygienist with them. Miki is from Morocco. When Bill, Peggy and Miki returned from the countryside, Miki shared an amazing and exciting part of their trip. This is Miki’s story as told during V.E.T. Net devotions:

“Our team heard about a remote community that very few people could visit. It was only about 45 km from one of our dental sites but we had heard that even though it would be a challenge to reach it was important for our team to go conduct a dental clinic. Starting out early in the morning, our team prayed for protection and wisdom for travel. We would have four mountain passes to drive over. Our Russian van coughed its way up the first rugged mountain pass until the four-wheel drive would no longer stay in gear. Bill, Peggy and I walked the rest of the way up to the top. Two of our Mongolian lady teammates held the 4 wheel drive in gear (one in the front seat and the other leaning over from the back seat) as our van crawled over the mountain.  Praising God for His strength, His ability and His protection we started up the 2^nd mountain pass still needing to hold the four wheel drive into gear. We all stayed in the van this time. At the summit, we cooled down the van. While resting it, two men on motorcycles stopped. They told us that the road ahead (going down the mountain) was washed out and to follow them. By the time we passed over the 4^th mountain pass (for a total of 4 hours to travel 45 km) we knew that we were on a special assignment from God.

When we finally drove into this small and very remote community, no one met us. In fact, no one even knew that we were coming! One nurse finally showed up and led us to a very dirty empty hospital building she said could be used for our dental clinic. After deciding that this hospital was in fact too dirty and could not be easily cleaned, we were allowed to set up our dental clinic in a school. News of our dental clinic quickly spread and within a few hours people were lined up, not only to have their teeth worked on, but also to see the foreigners and other Mongolians whom had braved the four mountain passes.

Our dental clinic stayed quite busy. While patients waited for their local anesthetic to work, Nuda shared the Good News of Jesus Christ. The words “Jesus Christ” were so new to the community that they had no idea what “it” was – “What is Jesus?” – they would ask. As they would hear and understand the Gospel message, they became so thankful to be told.  One precious Grandma in her 80’s came with worn teeth and only her roots showing. She was so excited to hear what Jesus Christ had done on the cross for her that she readily accepted Him as her personal Lord and Savior and smiled a smile that would light up the sky! The next day she brought soft cheese and butter to the ‘older’ foreign couple, Bill and Peggy. She had so little, but shared of what she had!

Unfortunately there were quite a few drunkards in this community. One such man kept trying to force his way into the dental clinic. He was told ‘No, you cannot come drunk.’ The next day when he returned Nuda talked with him. He told her that he had two sisters who were mentally ill, had no father or mother and his brother was a drunkard. He had a wife and two children and it was his duty to take care of all of them. He drinks because he is depressed. He asked Nuda “Who is this man who can help me?” Nuda answered him and gave him a Bible to read the Gospels and Psalms so he could cry out to God.”

In all, 500 people in this small community heard the Good News for the very first time! Had this team given up and never persevered the mountain passes, the people in the community would not have heard and not have had a chance to say Yes to Jesus. ¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”Romans 10:14-15 NIV.

Without the amazing prayer and financial support from you, our supporters, ministry outreaches like this would not be possible. Thank you always!

Serving Him Together,

Mary

Want to hear more from the Ballenger's?  Take the time to visit their website or donate to their ministry!

His Very Own (Uganda)

Dr. Daniel and Rachel Graham are Long-Term Service Candidates who recently departed the states for Uganda to begin their three year term serving with Dr. Val Shean and the CLIDE team.  Read on to her more about their transition!

We are very excited to be writing our very first prayer letter to you from Uganda.  Thank you for your prayers and encouragement last month as we sold our things and loaded up our packing containers.  Saying goodbye was difficult but a peace came over both Daniel and I as we waited for the first plane.  Our travel experience was very pleasant.  All of our luggage (eventually) made it to Uganda and our first couple of weeks, while filled with adjustments (from periodic power outages to learning how to communicate through new stressors), were filled with many confirmations that we are right where God wants us. 

So, how does one settle into a new life in a new country?  Well, here are a few things that we have been up to over the past couple of weeks:

We bought bicycles.  After a few claustrophobia-inducing days living in the Guest House we needed a way to transport ourselves around the city and get some exercise so we bought bicycles.  We ride every day and I think it has been a great way to get visibility in the community as we can’t ride a block without hearing “Muzungu.  Hi, how are you?” and it has been a very good way to learn how to drive on the left-hand side of the road.    

We went on a village visit.  Dr. Val had a visitor when we arrived and he and his church had helped raise money for goats, sheep and cows for a village not too far from Soroti so we went with them as they visited the recipients of these animals.  The recipients were determined by a church in the area and most of the new animal owners were orphans or widows.  A couple of the women had named their animals “Grace” as they were a gracious gift from God.  It was encouraging to hear the connection between the physical gift and God’s spiritual provision. 

We opened Ugandan bank accounts.  One common thread through our first couple weeks is this: nothing will be as easy as we want it to be.  Keeping this in mind, even opening an account proved to be a multi-day event, involving at least three visits with the bank manager, but in the end we were successful.   

We started working with a language helper.  Getting around Soroti is pretty easy with just English because everyone learns English in school but as we prepare for time in Karamoja over the next couple months we will need to learn the hakarimojoh (Ngakarimojong) language.  Bosco, our language helper, is one of the graduates of the Timothy Program and he just completed an internship with CLIDE.  We enjoy working with him as he is a patient language helper. 

We found a house to rent.  Ugandan house-hunting was quite the experience.  With each house we saw, we began to narrow down our list of wants to those few things that we actually determined were essential: a secure fence and gate, a house in the back for guests, close to the office, and land for a garden and a few animals.  After finding a house that met our needs, we began a multi-day negotiating process with the owner.  Our tenant agreement is now signed and we’ve paid our first 6 months of rent.  Our new address: Plot 13 Ochuloi Rd. Soroti, Uganda.  (this is not a mailing address)

We picked out a puppy.  The day we arrived in Soroti, so did 13 little puppies.  The puppies currently belong to our team leader, Moses, but I have my eyes on the runt of the litter.  Dogs are very useful for security here and we hope to have a couple of four-legged intruder alerts running around our property as we settle in.

As you can see, we have been keeping ourselves busy.  Each little step helps us feel more settled and prepares us for the next chapter in our ministry here.

Prayer Requests:

We appreciate your ongoing prayers as we settle into the new rhythm of life here in Uganda.  This month we would also like to ask for additional prayer for the Karamojong people.  This has been a very wet rainy season which seems like a good thing, but it has actually washed out all of the road access to Karamoja from the rest of the country (the only access now is through Kenya).  The people there are starting to experience shortages in necessary medical supplies and food.  In addition, a lot of the food crops have washed out in the rain.  There have been increasing reports of violence in the region as the situation becomes more desperate.  Pray that God would continue to provide for the people there and that He would show us ways that we can help meet both physical and spiritual needs. 

Rachel

If you would like to hear more from the Graham's, please take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal!

To the Ends of the Earth (Mongolia)

Melissa White has been serving in Mongolia since 2008!  Melissa's ministry in Mongolia is two-fold: she is focused on discipling the young believers on staff through Bible teaching and relationship building, and she is also focused on reaching the Mongolian vets and nomadic herders with the Gospel.  Read on to hear about her time in the countryside!

Thank you for praying for me this summer as I worked out in the countryside for two months. When I came back to the city in August, I experienced a bit of reverse culture shock. One time I caught myself boiling water to do the dishes, and then I realized that I could just turn on the faucet. I spent the summer sleeping on spring beds (which are kind of like metal hammocks), so the first few nights in my own bed, I couldn’t sleep because it was actually TOO comfortable! It’s a little bit of an adjustment waking up and looking out the window at cranes and newly constructed buildings instead of rolling green hills! I miss the countryside a lot—the peacefulness, the beauty, the simplicity, and most of all, the people.

I made some great friends with the local people this summer, especially the kids that I taught English to. We had many opportunities to witness to them, and I even shared the Gospel in Mongolian for the first time ever! Some of my students recently graduated and are coming to Ulaanbaatar for college, so I hope to have more opportunities to meet with them this winter here in the city. There was one woman that God gave me a particular prayer burden for this summer. I want to share her story with you so that you can join with me in prayer.

Her name is Boloroo and she is a single mom struggling to make ends meet. She has two boys, ages 7 and 13, from two different men that are not in the picture anymore. She worries about her sons’ future because she barely even makes enough money to buy rice and flour let alone proper clothing for them. Many people in the community know her because she manages the local well. Basically, this means sitting in a small concrete building all day and getting 10 cents for every water bucket she fills for people. I got to know her because every day we carried our water buckets to her well to be filled. The last two years VET Net summer teachers have been reaching out to her, and last summer she accepted Christ! This past January we invited her to come to our Bible training in Ulaanbaatar and this summer she got baptized. She joined us for our team devotion times each morning and I was amazed by her understanding of the Scriptures and her spiritual maturity after just one year. I clearly saw that she has a heart for evangelism and strong leadership abilities.

One night I sat down with her and asked her what her dreams are. She said that she wants her boys to be able to go to university in the future but she is afraid she will not have enough money to give them the life they deserve. She also really wants to go to Bible school and help start a small home church in her community, but this too costs money that she doesn’t have. And lastly, she wants to find a new job since she only makes about $50 a month managing the well. We spent some time praying together and she was greatly encouraged to have Christian fellowship. We will send a team to visit her and the handful of other believers in her community the end of October. There are many believers like Boloroo in the countryside that are in great need of support and encouragement. Many are also facing persecution and pressures from local Buddhist Lamas and Shamans to renounce their faith. Thanks for partnering with me in prayer for Boloroo and others like her.

Melissa

Want to hear more from Melissa?  Take the time to visit her blog, read her web journal or donate to her ministry!

Abounding (Bolivia)

Dr. Lauren Spears has been serving in Bolivia since 2009!  She recently moved back to the states to get married, only to discover that she needed to go back to Bolivia to finalize her daughter's adoption process.  They will be in Bolivia until December 2012! Read on to hear more about this transition! 

In some ways it’s as if we never left Bolivia.  In other ways we’re starting all over again.  We’ve been back in country for over a month now.  Jon’s been here for one week today.  So many things are the same, yet everything is completely different.  We found a new place to live, conveniently a two minute walk from Angie’s school and across the street from some of our best friends.  We’re borrowing the car of some other dear friends, the Janecke’s who are on furlough in the U.S, one of the few vehicles actually larger than my old Land Cruiser, a LandRover, and we’ve already taken advantage of its huge hauling capacity.

So many friends, both missionaries and locals lent us kitchenware, furniture, and appliances; some are even lending us our own stuff we had gifted or sold them before we left in May.  All these sweet loans are such a blessing, most of all to my sanity.  After selling everything in May at a yard sale here in Bolivia, our house was broken into and the proceeds were stolen, then over the next couple months we received many of the same household items as shower and wedding gifts, only to leave them neatly packed in their boxes for our return to Bolivia days after the honeymoon, to start over again with nothing.  God has such mysterious ways of teaching us the lessons he wants us to learn. 

I jumped right back in with VetRed on campus here.  Our English classes are up and running with the new twist that I’m now just supporting Mayumi and Charlene, the two thesis level students that we left in charge of the group while I was away, as they teach the course.  They’re doing a great job, and it’s beautiful to see them stepping up and taking responsibility as they continue to grow in their own faith, giving me more time to focus on other aspects of the ministry.  This week we started training in surgery again.  Today, we visited our precious hens and vaccinated them once more with the girls. And yesterday, we began our weekly Bible study.  Pray for the students, both those already involved in our group, and their friends and classmates, that they would come to know Christ better through Campus Alpha, the university version of the Alpha Course, a powerful and relevant tool for introducing people to Jesus.

Jon’s flexibility has been amazing as he’s fit in wherever most needed so far, and has plans to continue to help the orphanages with handyman projects when he’s not volunteering at the missionary aviation hangar or possibly filling in as a substitute teacher.  He’s working diligently to learn Spanish, instead of just hoping to absorb it passively.  And he’s been a huge help to us around the house, with Angie’s homework, and as an encouragement to me.  We’ve plugged back into our Vineyard church here, teaching Sunday School and sharing in our young married couples’ group. Our biggest challenge at the moment is perfecting the family-of-three, so please continue to pray with us for Angie’s adjustment, and that we might all glorify God with our words and actions no matter where He takes us.

So grateful for your love and support,

Lauren

Want to hear more from Lauren?  Take the time to visit her blog, donate to her ministry, or read her web journal!

Honduras Veterinarians

Scott and Diane Karper have been serving in Honduras for over 13 years!  Their work currently focuses on animal health care training in the 600 family village of Guadalupe Carney.  Scott works with the farmers who now have 1400 healthy cows. Diane works with the ladies in the village to develop their skills into marketable products which are sold in a local co-op. Read on to hear more about them!

We were lucky enough to spend July and the beginning of August in the States with family and friends.  It was wonderful and reviving.  We also got to see the Olympics for the first time in years.  It is amazing to watch these skilled athletes play their sport, swim their race, run faster than anyone, and dive without splashing in the pool!  Their stories of  passion, endurance, and practice made us stop and think. Are we capable of being that disciplined to devote our lives to anything?  It is totally amazing that anyone could devote every minute of their lives to achieve success…a gold medal…maybe. Their rigorous schedule for training seems utterly impossible to us.  And then we really thought about the athletes themselves…who are they without their sport?   They will now have to face the world…and do what? It will be a culture shock for them to return to a normal life. What tools do they have to walk in this new walk?  Hopefully, God.

God must be so happy knowing people can put that much energy into something they love.  But I wonder if He is also saddened because so many of us do not use that energy for His glory.  Very few of us ever put this kind of time into knowing God.  I have a friend who does…and I am constantly wishing I could be more like her. Instead, I get caught up in daily living all too often.  The nice thing about knowing God and working for His glory is that you ALWAYS win. It is HIS plan.  You are promised the Gold… gold paved streets of Heaven.  We pray for those athletes who now have to move on in life.  We pray they will know God personally. 

And that is what we do daily in Honduras. It is the same problem we deal with in working with our friends who are living in poverty.  Knowing God personally is hard to do if you don’t put time into it.  And how can you put time into this if you are living in poverty, without food, worrying about your house falling down, or illnesses in the family? It is why we are working there.  We can help alleviate their earthly problems in order to give them more time for their spiritual growth. We can’t fix, but we can teach how to deal with life better.  Farmers are getting healthier animals because they have worked alongside  Scott for so many years and they have learned what they need to do for their animals to get better production.  This in turn puts more money in their pockets and food on their tables.  Family health improves. They get a bit more free time to give to the Lord. It is a struggle for them, just like it is for you and me.

God asks for our best.  Those Olympians can do it for a gold medal.  We can have a passion for giving God His glory.  Thanks for your prayers for health and safety for us.        

Scott and Diane

Want to hear more from the Karper's?  Take the time to donate to their ministry or read their web journal! 

Rural School Projects (Mongolia)

Frances and Gerald have been serving in Mongolia since 1995! Through veterinary medicine and the education of herder children they are making an enormous difference in the lives of semi-nomadic people.  Read on to hear more!

Psalm 96:3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

This is election year for Mongolia… and America as well, of course. Mongolia’s election was in June and it was a peaceful process in this fledgling democracy moving rapidly from the former socialist government to a free enterprise system. It has been enlightening to live through this period of time and to watch the evolution of a nation. Frances and I have been discussing some of the major changes that have taken place during our time in Mongolia.

We get a taste of the past by looking out our living room window where we see rows of stark, faceless apartment buildings…grey, nameless, drab concrete structures identified simply with a number. For seventy years the Mongolian people were part of the socialist experiment that left a nation crumbling in disrepair as the Russians exited quickly when the Soviet Union dissolved.

But look further and you will see a forest of construction cranes breaking the skyline in a race for the tallest building. Skyscrapers reaching for the clouds now dominate the landscape. It is a modern day Babel where the gods of materialism have replaced godless communism. This is the new order and it is a view of modern Mongolia. The once vacant streets are packed with stagnant traffic. BMWs, Hummers, and Mercedes are commonly stuck in traffic along with myriads of lesser name brands. Roads that once were empty are now nearly impossible for pedestrians to cross. The changes we have experienced have been dramatic indeed over this relatively short period of history.

Though the city has changed drastically, the rural areas look very much as they did in the early 90’s. We gathered this past week with a small group of remote believers to worship our Lord. This was a tiny church that has come from the work of the “Claim a County for Christ” project in an area where Buddhism and Shamanism impact society by sheer fear. There was no real hope in that distant village. These people are very poor; and it would be a cruel teaching that would lead them to believe that becoming a Christian would usher them into a life of material blessings any more than political change has brought prosperity. But they have a sense of prosperity that few in the western world ever experience as we are caught in the downward swirl of materialism. They know a “new world” is coming and that they will sit at the “wedding supper of the Lamb” and spend endless days following their Savior and rule with Him throughout eternity.  

Glance into the future now and you will see this new order coming. There will be a write-in candidate who will lead a perfect government. But, it is He who will do the “writing-in” on the foreheads of men. There will be no need for democracy as every decision will be a perfect one and implementation will be without compromise. It is the true “new world order” and Jesus Christ will be in absolute command. There will be a permanent peace this world has never experienced. He will begin a reign that will last forever and His title will be Prince of Peace, Mighty Counselor, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We will all have had our “heart transplants” and we will reflect His image because we will be like Him. There will be no debate or argument since there is no higher authority. Justice will be flawless and rule based on the righteous Creator’s law. So, we will not only have perfect leadership…we will be perfect subjects.

Revelation 22:3-5 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

It is an amazing experience to look around the room and know that we will all be together throughout eternity. We are the people who will reign with Christ. Many of those who own the towering buildings will be duped into thinking this is true wealth and miss the “Pearl” of great value.  It is just as true today as it was in Jesus’ time that it is the poor who so often respond and follow Him. And one thing has truly changed in the rural parts of this country…many have been chosen to sit with Jesus and govern the universe.

Together in His service,

Gerald and Frances

Want to hear more from the Mitchum's?  Take the time to read their web journal or donate to their ministry.

S.U.S.T.A.I.N (Haiti)

Dr. Kelly Crowdis has been serving in Haiti since 2006!  Her projects include Give A Kid to A Kid, an animal husbandry project with the children of the commuinty to teach them animal care skills, responsibility, leadership, environmental care and the love of Christ.  Read on to hear more about this project!

Summer was a whirlwind - teams, clinics, trainings, projects and lots of life. One of the best parts of summer was something we called Operation Seed Grenade.

Years ago I attended a Permaculture class in Ohio and they talked about Urban Gardening. There were a group of people who wanted to plant trees in parks that were restricted by the city from planting. They couldn't dig and plant so they made what they called seed bombs - they put organic matter and seeds and formed balls and then threw them in the park and all of the sudden there were trees growing without anyone going in and planting them. One day while I was driving this memory popped into my head and I thought why can't we do that here and operation seed grenade was born.

We did some experimenting and some research and mixed local clay with well composted cow manure. We put in Moringa seeds, Lucenia seeds and Jack Bean seeds. They are all edible for animals or people, they are all self seeding and they all germinate easily. So the kids of Merger had a seed ball party and we made over 2000 seed grenades. It was an incredible opportunity to share with the kids of Merger about creation care and how we are to be good stewards of the land. We had over 100 kids, from ages 3 to 20, from all aspects of the village, those who go to church, those who go to school and those who don't.  

We let them dry and then distributed them in areas where there are no trees and where we hope trees will grow. Since there were so many kids we had to make 3 trips to place all of the seed grenades. We chose 2 mountainous areas for the older kids and then a flat area for those under the age of 10. Each trip was quite an adventure and the kids had so much fun. They are so excited to see if the trees will grow. Please pray for this project, the kids are so excited about it but it has been very dry here and we have had no significant rain since the end of April.

This project has such enormous potential and everyone is excited to see where it will go.  Bestcase scenario, we have a new way to reforest the high mountain tops where not much can grow. These plants and trees will create nitrogen fixation in the soil and allow the roots to hold soil so that more ecological native trees can be planted.  If they don't grow into large trees and bushes, we have still planted a year of forages for the animals roaming in the mountains this year. And if for some reason the seed grenades don't sprout and nothing grows, it will still be seen as a success because the kids of Merger are inspired and excited about doing something to protect their environment.  It has been an amazing summer and we are so encouraged to see how the Lord is working.

The fish are still growing and the vet work, training and short-term groups are still going strong.

Blessings till next time.

Kelly 

Want to hear more from Kelly?  Take the time to visit her blog, donate to her ministry, or read her web journal! 

Heeding His Call (Ethiopia)

Dr. Cherie Igielski is a Long-Term Service Candidate who is currently raising support to begin serving in Gesses, Ethiopia.  She will be helping to serve the Gumuz people who are a despised people group in Ethiopia, living in very primitive conditions. The women especially have very tough lives in that they do most of the work and receive very litle respect in their culture. Cherie's prayer is that they would come to know the love of Christ and that He would set their captive hearts free. She hopes to help spread this passion for Christ through teaching Bible stories, community health, and general literacy.

"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever."                                                                                                                                           ~Psalm 125:1

"So when are you actually leaving?" is a very popular question posed to me lately. I always answer something like, "Hopefully in the next couple of months" but what I really need to be saying is, "In the Lord's time." This whole journey to Ethiopia has been an exercise in trust and waiting on the Lord and His perfect timing - but, then again, so is life, right?

One thing that I really love about Ethiopia is that it runs on what is affectionately known as "African time." You get all set to go somewhere bright and early in the morning because you've been told that a ride will be there to pick you up at 8am. One, then two hours roll by - you may have been calling around trying to get a hold of your ride by this time.  Another half hour passes and your ride finally comes but boy are you disgruntled. In your mind, all that time you could have been out there "doing some good" in a village is now wasted having waited for your ride to show up. You get to the village and feel rushed, angry, and useless - all because you were a couple of hours "late." As Americans, we are so trained to be productive and useful with our time, but that certainly means something different once you experience most parts of Africa. There are probably at least 10 reasons why your driver was late - chatting with people in town, the truck needed fixing, family issues, he had to give people a ride somewhere, etc.  Being on time is not as highly valued there and it's one of the quirky things about life in Ethiopia. Instead of getting mad and frustrated that your driver isn't on time, you learn to adapt and fill the time with other worthwhile things. You can be at the appointed spot (just in case your ride happens to come early) but bring a book or your bible, play with the village kids, or sit down with the women and chat, just to name a few options. The last thing we should do is get mad - that isn't productive for anyone. And, again, trust that the Lord's timing is perfect - perhaps He is using that time to teach us something or protect us from something. Just because we aren't doing what we thought we should have been doing does not mean that we are wasting time.

Time is a tricky thing that can start to own you if you depend too much on it. So, through my experiences in Africa, I am learning to depend less on time and when I think I should be in Ethiopia, and rely more on God and trust that He'll get me there in HIS perfect timing. My pastor likes to say that there are a thousand things God is doing daily that you can't see. I know this is true in my life; so I will trust Him.

Praise God for bringing in 67% of my monthly support needed! It is so amazing to see how He continues to steadily draw people in to partner in this ministry. Thank you all so much for your prayers, friendship, and support. It is my desire to be in Ethiopia soon and I pray that God will see fit to fulfill that desire.

Love,

Cherie

Will you please join us in praying for Cherie as she continues to raise support to serve in Ethiopia?  And if you would like to hear more, please take the time to read her web journal or donate to her ministry!

Abundant Life (Thailand)

Rachel Buffington has been serving in Thailand since 2011. She celebrated her one year anniversary on the field just this past January!  Read on to hear more!

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

The rainy season is in full swing here, bringing life and vigor with it.  We are enjoying moderately cool temperatures and overcast days here in Chiang Rai as women move their drying laundry in and out as the bursts of showers come and go, street vendors sell their barbeque pork kebabs and ponchos and fresh fruit under plastic tarps, and farmers plant the last of their rice in the paddies.  With the rain comes mud and potholes big enough to engulf my car along the winding red, dirt roads.  Driving to the office in the morning, I see black crabs, speckled with mud, scurry across the path that was once a proper road, going from one rice paddy to another looking for the small fish that wash into the paddies from the streams nearby.

As the water changes the landscape by shifting roads and fields, I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 3, and I am thankful that my foundation does not shift with changing conditions, but my foundation is the firm Cornerstone, Jesus Christ.  

The farmers use small huts made from bamboo and thatching in their fields, which are not permanent and can be relocated as the rain and mud undermine the area.  What am I building in my life?  Am I building easy structures with temporary bamboo?  Or am I building something of value, made of gold and precious jewels that will endure on an unchanging foundation?

Whether across the world or in our hometown, it’s all too easy for us to get trapped in a routine of responsibilities performed dutifully, free-time protected fiercely, and our own comfort regarded supreme.  Their god is their stomach…their mind is on earthly things.  (Phil 3:19)  What is my mind on when my neighbor invites herself over to talk and interrupts my plans?  What is my mind on as I’m buying vegetables from the little old man with a toothless grin at the market?  What is my mind on when my co-worker calls on a Saturday morning for help with a report that should have been done weeks ago? Those things which my mind is on and my subsequent reactions are the building materials with which I build on my foundation of Christ.  Is what I am building in these minutes and moments going to last? 

I have to admit, it seems like more often than not I struggle to lift the stones and heavy jewels required to build something so permanent.  Choosing hay and straw doesn’t require breaking a sweat, or sacrifice, or humility, or energy or time.  But it won’t result in anything that will endure either. 

I don’t want to waste my solid foundation on a hay house.  I want a house that is worthy of Christ.  One that can withstand fire.  And that means choosing at every opportunity to do the heavy lifting, knowing that one day I will receive a reward that I will gladly offer back to Jesus.

Oh God, give me grace.

Blessed to be a blessing,

Rachel Buffington

Want to hear more from Rachel? Take the time to visit her blog, donate to her ministry, or read her web journal!

Shepherd's Gate (Nicaragua)

Jeff and Bethany Bracht have been serving in Nicaragua with their family since 2010.  Jeff is currently teaching veterinary medicine at the Universidad de Ciencias Comerciales (UCC) in Managua, Nicaragua.  They hope that this opportunity to teach at the vet school at UCC will open a gate of learning & motivation to reach people with the knowledge of how to care for animals as well as sharing the Good News.   Read on to hear more!

At the veterinary school, I often find myself in conversations where I'm in way over-my-head as it relates to my level of proficiency in Spanish.  It's really my fault for getting into these conversations; but because I don't like to take the blame for anything, I will blame God.  If you must know, I pray daily that God will give me the opportunity to have meaningful conversations at school and quite often (nearly every time I'm there) He allows that to happen.  Do you see what I mean?  It is his fault.  The thing is that with “meaningful” conversations you end up talking about deep things of the heart with profound implications (not to mention harder vocabulary and grammar).  Thankfully, the students have a lot of patience with me.

Just the other day, a student stopped to talk with me as I was reading my Bible in between class periods.  He asked me what I was reading.  “The Bible” I replied (I was in the middle of reading Hebrews).  My friend went on to explain his feelings and experiences with reading the Bible.  He shared with me that often he doesn't want to read the Bible because he doesn't feel worthy to read God's words.  I was quick to empathize and share that I sometimes feel the same way because the word of God is sometimes uncomfortable.  It not only exposes my actions that rebel against God, but even the darker motives of my heart.

Hebrews 4:12,13 says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” (NLT)

Yikes!  No wonder my friend and I want to hide from this.  Like a sword splitting us in two, we are undone by the word of God.  Of course, there are some warm and fuzzy parts of the Bible, but at the end of the day this is our experiential reality.

However, it doesn't stop there.  Thankfully this passage of Scripture continues on "...since we have a great High Priest, Jesus the Son of God, [who] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”  Heb. 4:14-16 (NLT)

This is the beauty of being undone by the word of God.  Because of Jesus' life, death and resurrection we have the opportunity to trust in him for the forgiveness of our sins (the same sin that often keeps me from desiring God and his word) and then BOLDLY approach a gracious God.  Now that is good news.

So, let me get personal,  how do you approach God?  And, if you don't feel like you can or want to approach God...why is that? 

Undone Yet Understood,

Jeff

Want to hear more from the Bracht's?  Take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal!

RAIN (Bolivia)

Kim and David Carney are Long-Term Service Candidates who are currently raising support to begin serving in Bolivia with VetRed.  Serving in a ministry model of university service affords a platform to reach professors, students, and animal owners directly, and through the continued influence of the students in the future.  Read on to hear more from them!

O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might…so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.  You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.  Psalm 65:5-8

We have had a wonderful month of seeing God’s strength!  Our Independence Day holiday was spent camping in Yosemite with other CVM fieldworkers.  What an amazing place!  We live in the Appalachian mountains, so are used to pretty vistas from our front porch, but what a tame view we have in comparison to these huge granite mountains.  The psalm above speaks of His strength in making the mountains and by this being girded with might and wow, how mighty is our God. 

This morning as I write this I am recovering from a rather strenuous ten mile hike around Yosemite.  I am tired and sore, but my stiff legs remind me of the joy “of the morning and the evening” spent in those high places of God’s strength.  The awe of looking at El Capitan or Half Dome or even the giant sequoias reminds us of how great God is.  It also serves as a great reminder to our family that though “those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs” they don’t hear the gospel from those fabulous views. Surely these great signs point to the presence and might of God, but not the redemptive power of Christ.  This is where God wants to use all of us to spread the Good News to those dwelling at the ends of the earth.  The stones cry out and these other signs testify to the greatness of God, but without Christians to share the grace and love of Christ, these people are still living under the law.

We are ever pressing toward our goal of being in Bolivia to share Christ’s love with those dwelling at the ends.  Progress report?  Monthly pledges are at around 20% of what we need.  We pray that you would strongly consider partnering with us monthly instead of one check or one prayer and then forgetting us until next year.  Your faithfulness in this, whether $5 or $500, is critical to our reaching and remaining in Bolivia.  Also, we firmly believe that your prayers will be more faithful and regular when you sacrifice something to reach these people of Bolivia.

Faithfully yours,

David, Kim, and Caleb Carney

Want to hear more from the Carneys's?  Take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal!

Abounding (Bolivia)

Dr. Lauren Spears has been serving in Bolivia since 2009, and she has recently ended her term, moved back to the states and gotten married, only to find out that she has to go back to Bolivia until December 2012. Read on to hear more!

So, I think most of you already know I’d choose interesting over mundane any day. Wouldn’t we all?  But maybe more than most I’d accept, even sign up for, major life upheavals at nearly the drop of a dime, as proven by my move to Baltimore, followed a year later by the move to Bolivia, succeeded a year later with the adoption of a child, and topped off a year later with the engagement to a man I’d been on roughly three dates with.  Maybe it’s in light of all those recent huge redirections, or maybe it’s because I chose all of those and I’ve had no choice in this one, but for once I was ready to vote “mundane” when faced with God’s next idea for our life.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately, since we know His plans are so much greater than ours) we were not given a say, and so our hopes of returning from our honeymoon to the sweet Cape Cod Jon’s worked so hard to restore, and setting up house, and work, and life, close to family, in our native language and culture, with wonderful fall colors, tastes and smells for the first time in four autumns, are not to be. As lovely as all that sounded to us, and as excited as I am about my new position as the Southeastern Regional Representative for CVM, there must be something even better in store for us, because God, and U.S. immigration, have vetoed that agenda, and instead are sending us back to Bolivia.

You heard correctly. For the next four months, Angie and I will be back to our old normal in Santa Cruz, with one awesome exception; this time Jon’s going to be with us as husband and father.  It was a curve ball we weren’t anticipating, but we’re trying to look at it as an adventure instead of the inconvenience it appears to be. For Angie to gain U.S. citizenship we need to reside in Bolivia past December 1st.

After the initial shock, lasting 2-3 weeks, where we mourned losing our parents as babysitters for weekly date nights among other things, we’ve already begun to see some huge blessings in this change. I was fully confident in the three young ladies we left VetRed with, but I was not satisfied with the abrupt transition. Now, I’m excited to be there as a support while they lead their first semester of campus ministry. In a few short months two CVM veterinarians plan to move to Bolivia to start ministry with VetRed, I’m looking forward to being able to help lay the groundwork for their arrival.  Jon has visited us in Bolivia three times, but we’re eager to see what God will do in his heart toward missions and Latin America during his ~three months serving with us. 

Please pray with us during this unexpected turn of events and financial burden on the heels of the wedding.  And pray for Angie, as the transitions back and forth between cultures will likely affect her the most. When life gives you lemons, God’s making lemonade. 

Trusting His divine plan,

Lauren, Angie, and Jon

Want to hear more from Lauren?  Take the time to visit her blog, donate to her ministry, or read her web journal!

His Very Own (Uganda)

Dr. Daniel and Rachel Graham are Long-Term Service Candidates who are currently preparing to begin serving in Uganda with Dr. Val Shean and the CLIDE team.  They hope to depart for Uganda in SEPTEMBER for a three year term!  In their latest prayer letter, Rachel shares the joys and the pains that come from saying goodbye.  Will you please join us in praying for them as they prepare their hearts to depart?  

…I said goodbye to Granny Ann this morning.  I know I am not supposed to say "hate" but I really hate goodbyes.  I barely got the words out of my mouth before the tears came.  Even as I type these sentences I feel hot, salty tears run down my face and watch them fall to the tray table on this crowded airplane.  The flight attendant just walked by and our eyes locked for a fleeting second, she saw my tears.  I wonder if she thinks that I just have a case of the "pre-flight jitters”?...

We bought our tickets and are now officially in the “good bye for now” phase of our preparation.  As you can tell from the above excerpt this new phase comes with some mixed emotions.  While we experience sadness as we say goodbye to the ones we love, we also experience great joy as we realize that we will soon be joining our ministry team in Uganda.

What we did in July:

July was great.  We started the month at Winema Christian Camp on the Oregon Coast where we shared with over seventy 4^th, 5^th and 6^th graders about the Karamojong.  We built a small hut (see the picture) and the kids helped put gift bags together that are going to Uganda with a short-term team for the orphans in the Timothy program.  The next week was spent with family in Kentucky followed by 2 weeks of language learning technique training in Colorado Springs. 

We ended the month with our hearts warmed by our time with family and the responses of the kids at camp and with our brains overflowing with new knowledge from our training.  

Prayer Requests:

Final Details – We have a big garage sale, some shopping, lots of packing to do and many hugs to give out (and receive) this month.  Please pray that we would use our time well and that we wouldn’t be too overwhelmed.

Travel – Over 45 hours of travel time separates us from Soroti, Uganda.  Please pray for patience as we traverse the gauntlet that is airport security, Customs, hot & cramped airplane seats, boredom, and (let’s be honest) grouchiness.

Garage Sale:

If you are in the Portland area, or if you’ve always wanted an excuse to come visit mark your calendars for the most exciting (missionary to Uganda supporting) garage sale of the year on August 17^th and 18^th.  For more information visit our blog at www.danielandrachel.net and click on the Super Sale link.

A special thanks to those of you who checked out the blog and Facebook page.  Just think, one month from now we will be updating you from Uganda.  Praise God!

Rachel & Daniel

Will you please join us in praying for Daniel and Rachel as they prepare to depart for Uganda?  And if you would like to hear more, please take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal!

 Africa Veterinarians (Ethiopia)

Drs. Trent and Tabby Cox have been serving in Ethiopia since 2001!  The Coxes live among the Banna in a little village called Alduba.  Through veterinary medicine, they are able to meet a felt need among the numerous semi-nomadic pastoralist tribes in Southwest Ethiopia.   Their veterinary skills provide a platform by which they, along with local church leaders, have been able to enter new communities and minister in both word and deed.  Read on to hear about the latest addition to their family!

I'd like to introduce you to a very special young lady.  Her name is Jessica Cooper, and she is an answer to prayer!  She will be coming to live with us next year to help with Jack and Lily, and I, for one, am very excited.  

Thrilled, actually, thrilled that there will be someone else besides me pouring into my children, someone with more time, with different gifts and talents, and someone who can enrich their lives.  One of the very few downsides of raising my children in the bush has been the absence of just that.  No Sunday school, no pre-school, no mother's day out group, no art classes, no t-ball, no outside venues where my children are exposed to other passionate, excited, talented teachers...and that’s how it came to be that Jack, at five and a half years of age, had never been in a classroom with peers; had no idea what glitter was; had no idea what Sunday School was; etc.  

Thankfully we’ve been blessed with many opportunities to catch up.  Most notably was when we were in Redwood City, CA, and Jack was allowed to participate in our church's pre-school for 3 weeks.  He had so much fun and was exposed to so many wonderful people and wonderful things: art, music, story-time, playtime, etc.  This classroom experience was so valuable and will hopefully go a long way in helping him understand what "school" actually is.  Then, just this week, he attended his first VBS and LOVED it.  And this wasn’t any normal VBS - it was huge with about 1,000 kids in attendance.  He wasn’t sure about it at first, but thanks to the program director and his group leaders, who took Jack under their wings and made sure he was ok, he went from not wanting to go to being sad it was over.

And that brings me back to Jessica...

Jessica brings a lot to the table and will be that other person with whom the kids can interact and from whom they can learn.  In a way, this will come naturally to Jessica – the teaching part that is, not the living in Ethiopia with a family she barely knows part – because she’s from a home-schooling family and very familiar with it.  The oldest of five, she has helped her mom with the care of her younger siblings, Abe (14), Emily (12), Henry (5), Ruby (3), and Clara (8 months). 

So please add Jessica to your prayer list.  She is currently serving as a counselor at a Christian camp this summer and will come join us mid-September.  Thanks to her church and even some of you, she has raised all her financial support, but she will need your continual prayer support as she steps out in faith on this great adventure God has called her to.  Pray for her adjustments as she leaves home and moves to a foreign country.  Pray for her relationship with God to really grow during this time.   Pray for strength and joy for each and every day.  And finally, pray for Trent and I to have the humility, grace, love, and insight to shepherd and encourage this young lady and to know how to help her get the most out of this time.  We are truly looking forward to welcoming her into our family.

With a heart full of gratitude for each of you,

Tabby for the Cox family

Want to hear more from the Cox's?  Take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal!  Click HERE to watch a new video of their work.

His Vets (USA)

Fred and Vicki returned to the states in 2008 after having served for 25 years in Ethiopia as veterinary missionaries.  Their daughters, Cori and Jodi, spent the month of June doing grant-funded research, teaching English and helping with other ministries in Thailand.  Read on to hear more about this experience!

“Oh Jodi!  I have given up having any faith in distant flashing lights,” my sister informed me as we plodded along the dusty road, cars spewing exhaust fumes our way as they passed.  We were just back into Thailand from a side trip to Cambodia, and we had just navigated the infamous Poipet border crossing.  Thanks for praying!  By God’s grace we had avoided the many, clever scams, one in which you naively pay a lot to ride on a minibus the whole day in order to reach a destination you didn’t know was really close by.

But now we were across, and heading for the station 7 km away to catch a train back to Bangkok.  We could have hired a relatively comfortable “tuk-tuk”, a 3-wheeled motorcycle taxi for a whole dollar each.  But since God had blessed us with plenty of time, we determined to further experience Thailand by walking, a decision we were increasingly tempted to regret as we stubbornly trudged on, longing to see the train station sometime soon. 

Not to say that this walk wasn’t fun, but Thai heat and humidity added to the sweat on our backs as we carried our heavy bags.  My sister saw some flashing lights in the distance and thought for sure it was the train station: she was wrong. She lost faith in the flashing lights as a guide to our destination. Good thing God leads even when the flashing lights fail!

This scenario makes me think about what we are putting our trust in. It can be very easy to trust what you can see right in front of you, but so often our eyes are deceived.   We get scammed.  We don’t know the whole picture; God does.

The great thing about being in a place where you don’t know what you are doing or where you are going is that you have no real choice but to trust the Lord. Cori and I were very blessed by being in the place of NEEDING to see God provide each day. It became a sort of routine to wake up, thank God for the day, and pray that He would get us through to the next step. And we saw Him provide each day in ways that we never expected or imagined!

Some people were rather nervous about two girls travelling to Thailand alone.  But this is what I always come back to: you are as safe as you will ever be if you are living in God’s hands. His arm is not too short to save and He owns the cattle on a thousand hills! What a God we serve! How come we so often expect so little of Him when He is the King of the Universe?!  How come we so often trust our own security nets and hope in flashing lights?

My fear in returning to the States is complacency. The comfort of having so many fall-back options that we forget God is the God who provides and guides.

"I want to live a life that is impossible without God." This is what I wrote on the inside of my God-journal.  I told Him that I wanted this life, a life that is dependent upon His grace and faithfulness to carry me. After seeing Him provide for my needs on this trip in ways I had never even imagined, I am encouraged to pursue this life for all I am worth.  I want to live a life that is impossible without God.  Besides the obvious fact that life itself is impossible without Him, I truly want Him to be my All in All.

We must recognize that even here in the States, everything we have is a gift from Him. To know that He is the One who provides the food I eat each day (even when the pantry is full) and to know that He is the One who provides safety at night (even when we have locked doors and a fairly safe neighborhood). To trust Him each day even when we don’t specifically see why we would need to trust Him.

And His provisions are but a ripple in the ocean of who our God is. On my trip God kept bringing me back to this verse in Job (and it seems rather fitting):

“And these are but the outer fringe of His works; how faint the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?”

So I’d say it’s okay for us to lose faith in the “flashing lights”—let’s just fix our eyes on the Light that never fails.

Jodi, for the Vee Gee Six

Want to hear more from the VanGorkom's?  Take the time to read their web journal or donate to their ministry!

Rural School Projects (Mongolia)

Frances and Gerald have been serving in Mongolia since 1995! Through veterinary medicine and the education of herder children they are making an enormous difference in the lives of semi-nomadic people.  Read on to hear more!

Psalm 96:3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

There is, in the western part of Mongolia, a county called “Joy”. This is the 3^rd year of “Claim a County for Christ” project there and the gospel is beginning to take root.

When we started our Veterinary Continuing Education program in “Joy”, the main veterinarian was a Buddhist lama. This seemed a rather dismal place to work, but then…we don’t look for the easiest places for our project sites. In fact, we are excited when we, like Paul, can take the glorious living, giving Gospel to people who have never heard.

Frances and I were there last week as part of a team of vets and teachers to train herders. The children were already involved in the education outreach; and bringing useful information to the herders on how to better care for their animals was widely accepted. Truly, this combination is dynamite as they see our love for their kids who have so little opportunity; and then we are also there to help them improve their livelihood.

Now, the lama’s wife has become a Christian and church leader…poor guy, he hasn’t got a chance. Their son has recently graduated from veterinary school and is now working with his dad. He and his wife accompanied us to a rural site to train and share the love and message of God. This young couple took a Bible and Bible guide and are very open to the faith. They are searching for the “Living God” and I pray their eyes will be opened to see clearly the “Truth” that leaps from the pages of His Word. The herder families where we taught also held their new Bibles with enthusiasm.

Another veterinarian in the county of “Joy” came to faith through the ministry last summer. In years past these vets were mostly working at other jobs to survive and now they are beginning to have viable veterinary practices and their herder clients are also seeing improvement in their incomes. This vet now has a new office and house and is a great example of the power of the free enterprise system and the freeing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ on the souls of believers. It is an enormous blessing to see these community leaders coming to God and giving stability to the struggling body of believers in these very remote places.

Our travels then took us from the county seat of “Joy” to another group of herders 30 miles away. This somewhat painful trip took 4 hours to matriculate as we crossed five steep mountain passes on treacherous, muddy, rocky “roads”. At this herder site, two of our summer teachers are laboring for our Lord at the very “end of the earth”. Thirty herders assembled in the tiny room where the children are being taught. Relationships had already been built through their children and they were able to see the love of these teachers who sacrifice so much to live in this desperate mountain area. The faces were stark as we taught how modern veterinary medicine can help them improve their animal profitability. As we looked across this group of stoic herders, we hesitated to share the Gospel with them; but, after all, what is our purpose in being there? We told them of this Creator God who loves them and offered them a gift of a Bible with a guide. Expecting they would evaporate quickly as we started to give out the Word, we were astounded that they practically fought over the copies of the Bible in their language until our supply was completely depleted.

God has said that there is power in His Word and we ask that you pray with us that these Bibles will come alive to these people and that the darkness of Buddhism and Shamanism will be dispelled and light will flood their beautiful mountain valley. As you have been so faithful over the years to pray for His work here and support the many ministries, you are surely speeding the return of our Savior as we see the gospel going out to people in some of the most remote places in the world. We praise God for you and your committed partnership with us in this ministry.

The real meaning of joy is now coming to this distant community and their world will surely never be the same.

Together in His service,

Gerald and Frances Mitchum

Want to hear more from the Mitchum's?  Take the time to read their web journal or donate to their ministry.

R.A.I.N (Bolivia)

Kim and David Carney are Long-Term Service Candidates who are currently raising support to begin serving in Bolivia with VetRed.  Serving in a ministry model of university service affords a platform to reach professors, students, and animal owners directly, and through the continued influence of the students in the future.  Read on to hear more from them!

Today has been a day of firsts for Caleb.  He had his first piano lesson and he played his first game of Risk.  It has been a great day not only for him, but also for David and me to really understand how different our lives will be and how different our message will be to the people we encounter. We are looking forward to many firsts as this year progresses.

As I watched Caleb learn the most basic things I take for granted, like “this is treble clef and this is bass clef” or even where middle C is on the keyboard, I realized how rote many things in our lives become.  It is easy to assume that people have similar backgrounds and already know things, but it just isn’t so! 

I can imagine how much more this will be true when we are in Bolivia.  We are accustomed to living in the Bible belt, and even the non-believers we talk to have a basic knowledge of God that aligns with ours.  Our “cultural Christianity” in the South is pretty high.  While I think this will be true of much of Bolivia as well, the belief systems syncretized with Christianity will be vastly different.  Walking through Biblical truth will look different there than here, though I know God will provide understanding for both parties.

As we began the game of Risk, David and I were struck by how different it is to know how to do something than it is to know how to teach it.  We had to read the rules a few times and then figure out how to coach Caleb through some of the strategy.  Our primary tasks in Bolivia will be teaching both formally and informally.  Our Training of Trainers week in Nicaragua helped us prepare for some of this and working with other fieldworkers has further enlightened us.  Seeing the challenge of teaching basic animal health to highly literate veterinary students and then to  preliterate peoples has encouraged me to be a much more thorough teacher at home as well.  My tendency has been to hand someone a book or an article and assume they will understand, and yes, I have even done that with Caleb’s Latin. That may work a little, but can you hand an average 6 year old a blueprint and expect a skyscraper to be built? Seeing clearly the different levels and styles of learning has made me much more aware.  Now I am cognizant that freshman Vet Tech students I teach really may not know how to hold a dog or open a syringe case!  Really! 

Our family’s attitude toward this lack of exposure has become a conscious goal.  Like the “really” in the prior paragraph!  We find ourselves giving each other the look—you know, like the “you might be a redneck” signs and then realizing that it isn’t necessarily that person’s choice.  If we have knowledge and fail to share it in a meaningful and appropriate way, we are the ones who should be wearing a sign!  It makes me wonder what God thinks when He sees me floundering—“Really Kim, you think that is what I want?  I gave you an instruction manual!”  God goes beyond handing us a textbook though, He came as a Teacher and then sent the Holy Spirit to continue, and He has placed many wise teachers in our paths.

Not having childhood knowledge of something can be a great blessing too!  Seeing the novel approach Caleb takes to a task offers great innovation (yes, I know he is a child, so this is childhood knowledge).  I see this too in the insight adults have from reading the Bible anew.  If there is a feeling of “oh, yeah, I know that story”, then the scripture is often skimmed and God’s word is limited.  When we slow down and read or listen like it is new it is amazing.  Ok, some of the stories are crazy and I think our childhood faith and knowledge may help us accept them easier, but a rational and deep searching of the text as an adult can outstrip the childhood understanding.

We have read and heard that language and culture acquisition makes you feel like a toddler—unable to communicate and just learning how to talk, not fully understanding what is going on.  We will become dependent on our new friends and our prayer partners at home to support us through this and hold us accountable.  We are anxiously (in the excited-happy and excited-nervous sense) awaiting this humbling rebuilding of ourselves.  Pray that it is soon!

Updates on our progress and prayer needs:

Monthly pledges are around 20% of our budget—only 80% more!  Will you join us with a monthly commitment of any amount?

August will see us at CVM Shortcourse in Kansas City for a week.

Speaking engagements—we’d love to share our ministry story with you, call to get us on your schedule!

Eyes to be open to new insights and attitudes receptive to learning and teaching in new ways.

Kim, David, and Caleb

Want to hear more from the Carneys's?  Take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal!

To the Ends of the Earth (Mongolia)

Melissa White has been serving in Mongolia since 2008!  Melissa's ministry in Mongolia is two-fold: she is focused on discipling the young believers on staff through Bible teaching and relationship building, and she is also focused on reaching the Mongolian vets and nomadic herders with the Gospel.  Read on to hear about her time in the countryside!

“Welcome to Nariinteel town, population 1,000. Will you stay for two years and teach our children?” These were the first words out of the school director’s mouth the day I stepped foot in the small mountain community. When I left Ulaanbaatar the beginning of June my first thought was, “Can I really survive two months out in the middle of nowhere?” But then my doubts turned into a prayer, “God, use this summer to teach me how to be a servant and how to best minister in this culture to these people.” Life in the countryside here is kind of like taking normal life and slowing it down 200%, and then taking away every comfort you have (including privacy, soft beds, showers, good food, internet, and every other form of entertainment). I am here working with a Mongolian teacher named Oyunaa, teaching English and providing training to herders. I am apparently the first foreigner to set foot in Nariinteel town, so the first few days I was here, people from the town kept stopping by our room to just sit and look at me. One time I came in to my room and there were three people sitting on my bed and an old man drinking out of my water bottle. I admit, there have been times when I just want to hide under my sleeping bag with my book and ignore everyone that walks in my room. But then I am reminded that I am here to serve those God puts in my path, and He has definitely been giving me a greater heart for the people.  Here are some of the people He has put in my path so far this summer:

Sogar and Saraa. Sogar is the town’s school director and his wife Saraa is an English teacher (though she can barely speak English). One day, they invited me and a Canadian short-termer from VET Net to go visit his father who is a herder. After I had spent an hour milking goats and yaks in the hot sun and was covered in hair, milk, and manure, I had a pretty good picture of how hard it actually is to be a herder out here! Another teacher named Uugna also came along and over a meal of fatty dried meat soup, he peppered me with questions about Christianity. What followed was a very interesting conversation about Buddhism, Shamanism, and how most young people in Mongolia basically aren’t religious. Later, on the top of an 8,000 foot mountain he told me that he wants to know more about Christianity. Sogar and his wife also call themselves non-religious, though they believe in spirits and have many superstitions (they told me the mountain god would get angry if I picked the flowers!) Please pray for this young family as well as Uugna and his family. They are genuinely caring and hard working people, but their fears and superstitions have blinded them to the truth.

Zola. A couple days after I came here, a teacher named Zola moved into the room next to us. She works in Nariinteel town during the school year, but usually spends the summer with her family in a different town. In June she had gone home to visit her family, but when she heard that an American was coming, she decided to come back to Nariinteel for a few weeks. She really wanted to spend time practicing her English. She told me she was a bit bored so I tried to include her in the activities Oyunaa and I were doing. I even convinced her to hike up to the top of the highest mountain in the town one day, and it wasn’t until later that she confessed that she is afraid of heights! She opened up a lot with me sharing about her family and her struggles and loneliness teaching in such a small community. She too is non-religious, but came to one of our Sunday morning meetings with the local believers and told us she was thankful to learn about God. There are only four believers in this county and they are all very young in their faith. We are praying about starting a small home church this year, but so far no one has stood up to be a leader. That is the greatest challenge when working in small remote communities like this!

Prayer Requests:

1. Please pray for Sogar, Saraa, Uugna, and Zola, that I and others from VET Net would have more opportunities to share with them and that they would be open to hearing the truth.
2. Please pray for Nariinteel county, where I am working, as well as Sereglen county, the place where I worked last summer and am financially supporting for three years. These places have few believers and our prayer is to see a home church started in the next few years. I hope to visit Sereglen county again soon and give you an update.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Melissa

Want to hear more from Melissa?  Take the time to visit her blog, read her web journal or donate to her ministry!

photo courtesy of Bing

His Very Own (Uganda)

Dr. Daniel and Rachel Graham are Long-Term Service Candidates who are currently raising support to begin serving in Uganda with Dr. Val Shean and the CLIDE team.  They hope to depart for Uganda in SEPTEMBER for a three year term!  In their latest prayer letter, Rachel shares their pre-departure butterflies, their summer schedule, and their prayer requests.  Read on to hear more!

It was early enough in the morning that only a peachy sliver of the sun was visible and still cool enough that I (Rachel) pulled my fleece jacket tightly around me, as I uncurled from the back seat of the car.  My friends and I had just driven 2 hours in the wee hours of the morning to close our week-long road trip with the last item on our check list: Sunrise at the Grand Canyon.

Have you ever stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon just as the sun is coming up?  It’s breathtaking.

My friends and I had seen a lot of beautiful scenery on our trip through the National Parks in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona but there was something so different about looking over the Grand Canyon.  We just stood in silence.  The Grand Canyon made me very aware of God’s beautiful, massive creation and it made me feel very, very small.

I feel those same butterflies when I look forward to  the next couple months of our life.  It’s the feeling of looking out over something that is massive and so clearly displays the fingerprint of God, then appreciating the fact that God is big enough to handle it (because I am not).  Selling our things, saying goodbye and packing up all seem, at times, to be impossible tasks to me but the same BIG God of the Grand Canyon is taking care of these details and for that I am thankful.

Our Summer Calendar!

July - has a lot of fun in store for us - we are the missionaries for the Jr. Camp at Wi-Ne-Ma the first week of the month.  The last 2 weeks of the month we will be in Colorado Springs for a language acquisition training called PILAT.

August - we will be back home to pack up.  Stay tuned for details on our long-awaited garage sale - your chance to buy an invaluable piece of Daniel & Rachel memorabilia!

September - Uganda here we come!  Balancing our prep time with ministry activities already on the schedule in Uganda and the price of plane tickets, it looks like we may be flying out September 1st.  We shall see what God has in store for us though!

Prayer Requests

Friend and Family Time: That even in the busyness of this summer we would stop and enjoy the precious time with family and friends.

Finances: We are currently at 93% of our monthly support!  Wow, it’s an answer to prayer that we are so close.  Please pray that we would receive commitments for the remaining 7%.  There are also some personal items that we need to purchase before we leave and we are praying that God would provide those as well.

Daniel and Rachel Graham

Will you please join us in praying for Daniel and Rachel as they prepare to depart for Uganda?  And if you would like to hear more, please take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal!

Shepherd's Gate (Nicaragua)

Jeff and Bethany Bracht have been serving in Nicaragua with their family since 2010.  They celebrated their one and a half year anniversary on the field!  Read on to hear more!

We love giving gifts.  It satisfies something deep in our soul.  However, giving gifts, particularly monetary gifts, is quite complicated here.  A great need exists; yet, there are implications to giving.  (If you want to get hyper-intellectual about it, you can read a book called When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert).  Here are just a few questions that need to be considered before handing over resources of any kind:  Am I doing something for this person that he can do for himself?  Is this a good use of resources?  Does this gift put this person in a 'dependent-on-me' position?  Like, I said, it is complicated.  At times, it can feel frustrating and paralyzing to us. 

Earlier this week, Jeff was reading in the book of Romans.  Romans 12: 6-8 says: “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.  If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.  Then Jeff and I read it together and remembered that giving isn't just something that we both enjoy doing — it is a gift from the Lord that needs to be exercised.

Several years ago, Jeff and I took one of those nifty “Spiritual gift surveys”; we both rank high on the 'gift of giving'.  So, it makes sense why the complications of giving here are so frustrating to us.  It is hard to stifle one's gift.  Of course, we need to exercise caution and wisdom, especially since we are in a different culture than we are accustomed to...however, we do need to exercise our gift.  It is something that we will need to continue to explore and exercise so that we can use our gifts to the max.   

So, let me tell you a story.  Take this story, simply, as a real life illustration of this topic.  There is a Nicaraguan family that has truly befriended us.  They are trying to live life according to the Bible and follow God in all they do.  Due to the unrepentant sin of another person, they both lost their jobs at the church where they worked.  The husband/father of the family has been looking for work that is conducive to providing for his family, but does not sacrifice precious family and ministry time.  Many of the jobs he was looking at were jobs that required transportation.  He considered getting a motorcycle; however, since he has a young child—his wife was less than excited about that option—understandably.  Now, let me jump several months back, we purchased a second vehicle for Jeff to commute to and from the university.  It was a 'fixer upper' for sure, a 1980 Toyota BJ40.  The dream 'fixer-upper' for my husband.  As God continued to intertwine this family and ours, we became privy to many of their needs that were unknown to others.  Half jokingly, I suggested that Jeff lend his Jeep to this family.  Jeff gave me a “that's not funny” side-ways glance and remained silent.  Yet, several hours later, Jeff admitted that he thought that God was indeed asking him to consider lending his Jeep to this family.  However, that would put us in the position of needing another vehicle.  Hmmm. What to do?  After much prayer, seeking counsel and a lot of faith, we did decide to hand the Jeep over to this family; and somewhat miraculously, God provided us with another vehicle.  Let me add, I wasn't able to drive Jeff's Jeep; however, our new vehicle is 'Bethany-friendly' and is better suited for our life and ministry here.   Sometimes, what makes sense in the mind of God is certainly not what makes sense in the world's eyes.  However, we were able to exercise our gift of giving in a God-directed way.  Jeff is still grieving the loss of his Jeep...but there's always the memories!

The Bracht family

Want to hear more from the Bracht's?  Take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal!

Heeding His Call (Ethiopia)

Dr. Cherie Igielski is a Long-Term Service Candidate who is currently raising support to begin serving in Gesses, Ethiopia.  She will be helping to serve the Gumuz people who are a despised people group in Ethiopia, living in very primitive conditions. The women especially have very tough lives in that they do most of the work and receive very litle respect in their culture. Cherie's prayer is that they would come to know the love of Christ and that He would set their captive hearts free. She hopes to help spread this passion for Christ through teaching Bible stories, community health, and general literacy.

I have big news! Some of it is exciting and some of it is fairly sad. I recently found out that the family I was going to be serving with in Gesses will not be returning to Ethiopia for the time being. This is a very difficult decision for them so please be praying for peace and understanding during this time. Two families still remain on the Gesses station -  so I will not be alone. 

And all because of this new development, a house and a truck are now available for my use in Ethiopia. These two items made up the bulk of my one-time financial needs that are included in my budget. Now that they have been provided for, my budget has decreased significantly and I am much closer to reaching 100% of my support - praise God! The Lord certainly works in mysterious ways and while I'm a little apprehensive about this new development, I know that God has prepared all this in advance, and He knows exactly how it will all work out for the good of each one of us.

What does this all mean exactly? This means, I am at 100% of my one-time expenses needed and have 58% of my monthly expenses met - praise HIM from whom all blessings flow! If 13 people are willing to support me at $100 per month or even 26 people at $50 per month, this means I can leave for Ethiopia! Would you please pray about the opportunity to partner with me in this ministry? Or, if you know you are not able to give right now, would you make a suggestion to someone you know who might be interested? This is such an exciting time, and I have hope that God might see fit to send me to Ethiopia in the next couple of months, but I certainly cannot do this on my own. All of you who have stuck with me for the past few years - I'm just so grateful to you and awed by your generosity and I can't wait to share with you the work  God has called me to do.

Not only has my financial situation changed, but the work I will be doing at Gesses has taken an interesting turn as well.  Previously, those at the Gesses station were in charge of the Gumuz school nearby because it had been built and developed by our missionaries working there. Now, however, the government has decided to take over the school as well as build more grades onto it. This frees our time up to continue different projects that have already been started in the community. Another huge praise is that a missionary couple has set up a health post very near to Gesses and many of the Gumuz are able to go there for their treatments and medicines, rather than us having a stash of medicine on-hand or driving them to the hospital that is at least an hour away. This, again, frees up more time and I hope to still teach women about health issues with the intent of having them go out to teach other Gumuz women in the surrounding communities. One of the biggest projects that I plan to be a part of is teaching women how to read in their own language as well as meeting regularly with them for bible studies. I hope to be more involved with the younger women in the community, the 8 to 12-year-olds, as many of them are already married by this age.

In June, some more exciting news happened in Gesses where 10 men and 13 women became baptized by putting off their old selves and embracing a new life in Christ. This is definitely a huge praise and a large step towards freedom from Satan since the Gumuz are constantly surrounded by the oppressive strongholds of animism and witch doctors learned from their ancestors. Please continue to pray for spiritual freedom that only Christ can bring for all the Gumuz.

Thank you for letting me share all this with you, I cannot WAIT to see what God does next!

Cherie

Will you please join us in praying for Cherie as she continues to raise support to serve in Ethiopia?  And if you would like to hear more, please take the time to read her web journal or donate to her ministry!

Abundant Life (Thailand)

Rachel Buffington has been serving in Thailand since 2011. She celebrated her one year anniversary on the field just this past January!  Read on to hear more!

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.                                                                                                                                        ~Jeremiah 29:11

One of the great perks about following Christ’s call in life is watching the amazing results God brings about in the lives of others as we choose to be obedient.  It’s not guaranteed that we’ll see the fruit of our works – Moses died before his people entered the Promised Land, and Jim Elliot’s obedience led to his death by the hands of the very people he went to serve and was the catalyst for a major transformation of the Waodani people.  But sometimes, in God’s infinite grace, He allows us to catch a glimpse of what He’s doing and the bit of tapestry we have a privilege to be a part of, each life a single thread in the masterpiece.  I was blessed to catch that glimpse last month during a follow-up trip to some remote villages where a few of our Animal Health participants live. 

Almost one year ago, our local partner appointed 10 poor, rural, hill tribe pastors to take part in two, 5-day Animal Health trainings.  We were prepared to train people that were livestock raisers – that had some experience and were respected as a “model farmer” in each of their communities.  As observed from Animal Health trainings that have taken place all over the world, these are the types of people that can act as the greatest agents of transformation in their own societies – leading the way for improved animal health and care for the whole community.  So when we heard that we would be training pastors, all of our plans flew out the window.  Would they have ever raised animals before?  Would they even be interested in the topic?  Would they be respected in their home communities as Animal Health Volunteers after the training?  I was skeptical.  But as we had no control over the situation (as if we ever really do), and these 10 pastors had already accepted the invitation to attend, we decided to be thankful for the opportunity to encourage some brothers with very difficult and isolated ministries and forge ahead.   And I’m so glad we did!

During the first training, we learned that these men are pastors of churches that are not able to tithe adequately to provide support, so each of them spends about 5 to 6 days every week in their own fields, raising water buffalo and pigs, and growing rice and vegetables to provide for their families.  They had a tremendous hunger to learn about how to better care for their livestock.  During the second training, which was a few months later, we saw that they were able to correctly apply the concepts they had learned, and many were gaining a reputation in their villages as knowledgeable livestock raisers.   But just last month, Boon and I, along with a few others, were able to travel to a few of these hard-to-reach places and follow-up with some of our new friends.  And God revealed a bit of his tapestry.   

Let me tell you about Luka.  As the second associate pastor of a large village, Luka is not considered a ranking leader in his community, but he works hard and does his job well.  He raises buffalo and pigs to earn cash to pay for the school fees of his 4 children.  As we entered his home, we couldn’t help but notice that he had plastic-wrapped and prominently displayed his certificate from our Animal Health training.  Now, his animals are healthy and thriving, and he is well-known for his ability to treat sick animals.  He is not only called on by his neighbors, but also other villages on his mountain, and  the government has asked  him to give antibiotics and vaccines to their buffalo and pigs.  Beaming from ear to ear, he is thankful for his new role in the community – Animal Health is a way for him to serve God through serving others, as well as an opportunity to raise his own livestock more efficiently, making more time available to care for his congregation.

And then there’s Samuel.  During our trainings, Samuel was often reluctant to volunteer for hands-on practice and didn’t speak up much.  His records indicated that he hadn’t treated many animals in his village.  But it wasn’t until we visited Samuel at his home that we understood why.  Though most of Samuel’s neighbors keep pigs for nutrition and sometimes to sell for cash, the pigs were poorly looked after, slow growing, and diseased.  More than that, the pigs were that way simply because their owners don’t care!  In their eyes, if they lived they lived, if they died they died, even though the family would lose a significant investment.  Samuel, now armed with knowledge about how to feed, examine, and treat pigs for common diseases, had no place to put his skills into practice.  Oh!  But his own pigs were a shining example.  Clean, well-fed, and growing happily – they  stood in sharp contrast to his neighbors.  He told us that he knows his village doesn’t have interest in proper livestock care, but that doesn’t mean he can’t research with his own pigs to find what combinations of food, housing, and care work the best for his community.  Though he knows it’s an uphill road ahead, he’s willing to endure and be a good example in his community, praying that they come along behind him.

God does indeed have a plan for us – for welfare and to give us a future and a hope.  God prepared our trainings with guys like Luka and Samuel in mind.  God is preparing a way for them to take care of their families and their communities through better livestock care and by providing a positive example and building relationships through serving others.  And God had a plan through this experience to give me a future and a hope as well – through a glimpse of how He is using our Animal Health trainings to provide for His people in a powerful way.  What a great reminder of just how marvelous His results, and how beautiful His tapestry!

Rachel Buffington

Want to hear more from Rachel? Take the time to visit her blog, donate to her ministry, or read her web journal!

His Very Own (Uganda)

Dr. Daniel and Rachel Graham are Long-Term Service Candidates who are currently raising support to begin serving in Uganda with Dr. Val Shean and the CLIDE team. They hope to be ready to move within the next 6 months and their initial term there will be for 3 years.  In their latest prayer letter, Daniel shares a beautiful story about his experience tutoring Somali refugees in Oregon.  Read on to hear more!

What are we up to these days?

We made some new friends recently, a Somali family who recently arrived in Portland.  Typically on Wednesdays, I stop by their apartment and pick up the oldest son and we ride out to Oregon City together.  Our church has a Gleaners program on Wednesday afternoons.  For a few hours, they open up the storehouses of donated food; slightly damaged or past its expiration date but the price is always right - free for one and all.

After picking up the food box, there are always plenty of kids waiting at the door for us to return, ready to snatch the food from our hands. The youngest immediately pulls out the choice products; Coco Puffs and Oreos which he washes down with a can of soda. Ohh, to be 5 again...

On one particular occasion as I swing by the apartment and wait for my new friend to be ready to go, I see the rest of the family engaged in one of their favorite activities.  Eager to pick up their new language, they love watching ESL videos from the library.  Mom, high school-aged daughter and a hand-full of little kids all have their eyes glued to the TV set. I make myself comfortable on the couch to soak in a short ESL lesson while I wait. 

Quickly, I realize that despite the English subtitles, the actors in this video are definitely speaking Spanish.  I never determined if they actually realized they had picked up a Mexican soap opera instead of the standard ESL video, but they were loving it none the less.

Soon after, the youngest boy jumps up and switches DVDs mid-scene. Romeo, a singing and dancing cartoon dog pops onto the screen. This is his favorite movie, and it is frequently on when I come by the house. No subtitles on this one and the dialogue is mostly in Hindi with a few English words mixed in. They love watching Indian movies – at least this time they know they aren’t listening to them speaking English.  

Later the same day when we return with our Gleaners food boxes, I see there is a different movie playing with a different set of kids gathered round. Again I sit down on the couch with them and start watching Pinocchio...in Chinese...with Chinese subtitles.

This time, I have to know what is going on.  I ask the oldest son, the only one who can carry on a conversation in English.  He tells me that it is in fact an English language movie, but they don't have a remote for the DVD player so they can't change the language options.  To make the best of it, they just watch it in Chinese.

Everyone says that kids are really amazing language learners and can easily absorb a new language through immersion.  Despite their unorthodox approach, these kids are quickly picking up English and adapting fantastically to their new home.  I hope when we get to Uganda, we can be just as flexible!  

Our summer plans!

Its official, we are heading to Uganda!  We are still fleshing out our timeline.  As you all know, our departure date has always depended on us reaching our funding goal.  While we aren’t quite there yet on our funding, we are close enough to start moving forward in our plans.  What does all that mean?  It looks like we will be going to language training in Colorado Springs in July, followed by a little bit of time back home to pack up and clear out our house, then off to Uganda at the beginning of September!  

It is really amazing for us to see how faithful God has been through this whole process and to be surrounded by family and friends who are ready and willing to support us in this new adventure.  We still need to have a few hundred dollars a month committed before September to finish up our budget, but we are moving forward with our plans trusting that God will bring us through to the end just as He has brought us this far.

Daniel & Rachel 

Want to hear more from the Graham's?  Take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal!

To the Ends of the Earth (Mongolia)

Melissa White has been serving in Mongolia since 2008!  She was recently in the states on furlough, and she is now back in Mongolia.  Melissa's ministry in Mongolia is two-fold: she is focused on discipling the young believers on staff through Bible teaching and relationship building, and she is also focused on reaching the Mongolian vets and nomadic herders with the Gospel.  Read on to hear about her transition back to Mongolia!

So there I was, standing over a dead horse head with suture in hand and a group of eight military veterinarians huddled around me, hanging on my every word. Unfortunately, I kind of left them hanging. With no translator, I found it a bit difficult to try to communicate the following: “So now thread your suture through the dorsal eyelid, into the palpebral surface of the third eyelid about 3 mm behind the leading edge, passing behind the cartilage but not through the conjunctiva of the bulbar surface.” That was what I hoped to communicate. Instead, I’m pretty sure my broken Mongolian sounded something like this: “Ok, now take suture. Put through eyelid. 3mm from here (pointing). Behind, uh, this (pointing to cartilage) but not through this (again pointing).”  Half way through my demonstration, my group decided it was time to have a smoke break and so there I was, enveloped in a cloud of smoke standing over a dead horse head, speaking like a two year old and wondering to myself, “how did I get here?”

Maybe I should back up a second and give you a little context.  In April we had a group of 60 Mongolian military and border force veterinarians come for training for a week. This is the second time we have had the opportunity to work closely with the Mongolian military and we had a great turnout. During these times we always provide a practical day of hands on training outside the city. I went along this time thinking I would just watch and take pictures. Well, as we were dividing all the military vets into groups one of my coworkers said, “Ok, Melissa, here is your group and your horse head is sitting over there in that bag.” I was handed a document in Mongolian with a few drawings of eye suture patterns and told to teach my group. Fortunately, there was an Australian vet that had come to watch so I pulled her into my group and coaxed her into helping me. What ensued was quite a comical teaching session as she demonstrated the suturing and I tried my best to translate. Being flexible is the name of the game here!

Over lunch I was talking to some of the military guys in my group and they were asking me why I was in Mongolia. I told them I was here because I wanted to help the vets and herders in this country. Then they asked me how much I was paid and I told them I didn’t get a salary. The next questions was, “Are you a Christian like the rest of the people at VET Net? Is that why you are doing this for free?” I love that I don’t have to hide my faith here, but have the freedom to talk about it openly. I ended up talking to one of the guys for 10 minutes about Christianity and how it is different from Buddhism. At the end of the day he found me and told me that he wanted a Bible. You just never know the ways that God is going to work to open doors for sharing. In this case, the “door” happened to be a rotting horse head on a table!

I have had many similar stories since I have gotten back from furlough…I think God is just trying to remind me that I need to stay flexible in order to be used by Him. I thought I was pretty flexible before I came to Mongolia, but I keep finding myself stretched more and more the longer I am here. As I write this I am preparing for my work and ministry this summer. I will be spending June-August out in the countryside working in three different counties, teaching English, working with the local vets, training herders, building relationships, and discipling young believers. Would you join with me in praying for a fruitful summer of ministry? Here are some specific prayer requests:

1. The longest I have spent out in the countryside at one time is 33 days. This summer I will be out there for eight weeks, which means eight weeks without a shower, eight weeks of only mutton and flour, and eight weeks with little communication with the “outside world.” I’m pretty sure I can handle it, but it doesn’t mean it won’t be challenging at times!
2. Please pray for the 30 short termers from the U.S, Canada, and Australia that are coming to work with VET Net this summer. I have put a lot of work into organizing their time here and am very excited about how God is going to use them in the countryside.  Please pray that God would use them to encourage my Mongolian teammates and to open doors for sharing with herders and children in the rural counties where we will be serving.
3. Please pray that God would continue to stretch me, use me, and equip me to be the most effective servant I can be this summer.

Thanks for your prayers. Can’t wait to update you again in August with more exciting God stories!

Melissa

Want to hear more from Melissa?  Take the time to visit her blog, read her web journal or donate to her ministry! 

RAIN (Bolivia)

Kim and David Carney are Long-Term Service Candidates who are currently raising support to begin serving in Bolivia with VetRed.  Serving in a ministry model of university service affords a platform to reach professors, students, and animal owners directly, and through the continued influence of the students in the future.  Read on to hear more from them!

It is spring and it is raining, again.  Ok, this is the southeast US, it always rains….  Perhaps this is why RAIN is our ministry name; every event in our lives seems to be marked by rain. 

It poured rain on our wedding day, Kim’s graduation, David’s graduation, Mother’s Day last month; pretty much every event we can think of.  Now, if we lived in the desert that might be surprising, but here it is just a nuisance. Remembering our theme verse and how important rain is to the function of God’s creation sets a better reference frame for us on these dreary days of celebration!

Shower, O heavens, from above, and let clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the Lord have created it.  Isaiah 45:8 

Every time in the Bible that I can find, rain is seen as a blessing and the withholding of rain is a curse from God.  It is obvious in agricultural based societies that rain at appropriate times is essential, so I realized I should understand rain as a personal blessing for me and our family.  How do we tend to spend our rainy days?  They are often the best snuggly family days we have!  There is no imperative to mow or weed eat while everything is wet, so we spend time reading, praying, playing games and enjoying an enforced Sabbath.  While our grass grows, so does our relationship with each other and with the Lord.

So God showers blessings and righteousness on us, but what has to happen next?  Look again at Isaiah 45:8.  The earth must open and let those blessings in to sprout and bear fruit just as we must be open to the word of God to be planted in us.  If we are analogous to the earth in this verse, we must cause God’s righteousness and salvation to sprout in us—it takes us actively accepting and worshipping God to bear fruit.  Just think of your overwatered plants or a great flood—things become rotten and spoiled if they only receive water (blessings) and don’t absorb and use it!

Finally, lest we forget, “I, the Lord, have created it.” We do not seek glory for ourselves, but to glorify the name of God by our growth and fruit.

Having always lived in the Deep South, the average annual rainfall we are accustomed to is in the 50 to 60 inch range annually.  We have many days of reflection while we watch the glorious storms.  As we pray for Bolivia, and eagerly await to move, we see that we’ll be in an area that is near the Amazon basin, so the rainfall will be similar.  Our prayer is that our ministry is able to help the Lord advance His kingdom by opening the earth (people’s hearts) there and encouraging them to grow in their Christian faith.  Remember that many Bolivians worship Pachamama, the earth goddess, so bringing to light the last part of Isaiah 45:8 is central to the whole ministry.

We’re praying that you rejoice in each rainy day as we head toward the drier times of summer in North America!

Kim, David, and Caleb

Want to hear more from the Carneys's?  Take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal! 

Rural School Projects (Mongolia)

Frances and Gerald have been serving in Mongolia since 1995! Through veterinary medicine and the education of herder children they are making an enormous difference in the lives of semi-nomadic people.  Read on to hear more!

Psalm 96:3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

The parable of the runaway horse:

A Mongolian herder went to a distant place to trade for a new horse. He proudly placed a lead rope on his purchase and started back on his long journey. However, there was a problem….there were no fences to hold his horse. Almost all of Mongolia is open range and there was nothing to keep this horse at the new home…no friends, no familiar surroundings, no memories.  He had been taken completely away from his world and placed in another, quite alien to him. He craved his old friends and the pastures he knew so well. He longed to go back to all that he left behind.

The new believer, be he Mongolian or western, is suddenly jerked from his old environment into a completely foreign world…it is the world of Christianity. A new language with words he does not understand, new values that he is not quite ready to embrace, and a whole new set of friends with different habits, life styles, and a future eternal addresses. They read the same “Book” year after year after year and ponder its pages with wrinkled brows. They meet regularly together to sing, to worship and praise God, and to encourage one another. He finds himself in a very strange world indeed and wonders nervously how to fit into his totally new surroundings without seeming hopelessly out of place.

The herder finally arrived at his home valley and approached his ger with his new addition. He was tired and ready to rest himself from the long journey, but knew he could not simply leave the new horse with his comfortable, complacent herd. Though they were “birds of a feather”, he knew his new horse would quickly take flight and return to his old life. If left on his own, he would fly away not to rest until his hooves felt the earth they had plied for years. He would whiney to his old friends as he topped the last hill to alert them of his return.

Our new Christian friend is equally likely to flee as well. He may sit stoically in his padded pew, but the pads will not comfort him from the lonely feeling of displacement from that he has known in his past. He will thirst for his old life and long for things left behind.

The wizen herder took a short length of rope and fashioned a loop to slip over his new horse’s head…loose enough not to choke, but tight enough to avoid him slipping free. The other loop was placed on an old and reliable home-range horse. The old horse led his new burden down where the clear water streams through the rocks and he taught him where the best grass in the valley grows. He was tied to this new annoying, frolicking “friend” for many days. He taught him the ways of this new place and helped him forget the memories of the life gone past. And then one day the rope was no longer needed. The joy of being accepted and at home in the new herd had brushed away the losses of his old life. Exhausted from the lack of privacy and the grind of always having someone grazing beside him, the old horse still reveled in the knowledge that he now had  a new close friend in the herd who was adjusting and contributing to the good of the whole.  

This is the totality of the great commission as clearly given us by Christ Himself….go and tie yourself to young believers and lead them closer to Me. This is the need at V.E.T. Net; it is the need in our churches; it is the need anywhere we encounter young Christians. And it is the only way the “Faith” can truly impact our world. It produces multipliers and it leads to a strong and sustainable church.

This is a matter worthy of our prayers…that we would, every one of us, look for some young believer to tie ourselves to and draw he or she closer to Christ. I pray that for you and your church; and I pray that for V.E.T. Net. Frances and I are grateful for your prayers for the work here, that we would continue to see many come to know Him; and that they would have a “firm foundation” through being actively discipled.

Gerald and Frances Mitchum

Want to hear more from the Mitchum's?  Take the time to read their web journal or donate to their ministry.

Living Water (Mozambique)

Steve and Julie henderson have been serving in Mozambique since 2009!  They currently serve as part of a team in rural Mozambique where they work with a non-profit organization called Malo Ga Kujilana, an agricultural resource center that works with self-initiated projects with 8 local co-ops of 3 to 5 families each. 

It was February 2009 when I found myself traveling alone for the first time in a foreign country; it was a time that stretched my faith. Of course I wasn’t really alone; I was surrounded by lots of people, just no one I knew. The previous year after traveling to Burkina Faso, Steve and I both felt the call to longer term service in the foreign mission field and were considering options when Rusty and Ann Caldwell invited us to see the work in Northern Mozambique, so we planned a trip in February. Compassion International also had a discounted advocate’s tour in Rwanda that same month and being set as I was on visiting a child we sponsored there I decided I would combine the two trips; it seemed silly and wasteful to fly across the ocean twice in such a short time span. As there was no direct flight from Rwanda to Lichinga, Mozambique, I booked a series of flights for myself from Rwanda to Blantyre, Malawi the day after the Rwanda trip ended. Meanwhile Steve, who was not going to Rwanda, would be leaving from the US, connecting in South Africa and on to Blantyre. In theory we were supposed to arrive in Blantyre within a few hours of each other, Rusty would pick us up and from there and we’d drive on to Lichinga.

It all seemed great on my itinerary but as I waved goodbye to my friends from the Compassion trip, and their smiling faces faded in the distance, fear and doubt crept in. What was I thinking? Would the flights all work out, all the connections be made? This is Africa not America and that doesn’t even happen in America anymore. I don’t know a soul here, I don’t have a cell phone that works in Africa and even if I did I don’t have a number for Rusty or even know how to place a call or text message. How would I contact anyone if I missed a flight? Where would I stay? I must have been crazy to plan this trip.

It was about 4pm as I waved goodbye to the others and my flight out of Kigali was to leave at 4am, with a 2am check in time. Full of doubts and fear, I went back to my room and read a passage from a devotional book and then prayed. “Dear Lord, please let me know I am safe with You. Send me a friend to talk to while I prepare for the next part of the journey. You did send me here didn’t you?” …fine time to check in on that, Julie.

I went downstairs to the hotel restaurant and sat at an empty table. Looking around I saw a woman looking at me and when our eyes met she smiled warmly and said “why are you sitting alone? Come sit with me”. So I did and as we dined together, she told me her story, how she had survived the genocide in Rwanda because she was away at a boarding school but she returned home only to find her entire family had been killed with the exception of her mother, who after witnessing the slaughter had gone insane. As I listened to her story of tragedy, redemption, and faith; my own faith was strengthened and the fear melted away. A peace settled in my heart and I knew God in his infinite patience and understanding had heard my prayer and answered it.

The rest of the trip was smooth, a taxi driver named Moses picked me up and took me to the airport, all the fights connected, Steve made it to Blantyre within a few hours of myself and we began our journey to Mozambique. Since that time I’m convinced that when God calls us, He will make the way, will go ahead and prepare a place for us and we will find Him there.

Just a little while now, and the world will not see Me anymore, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. (John 14:19, emphasis added)

Sometimes we have this crazy idea that we are bringing God, as if on a platter, and presenting Him to a lost people, as if God hasn’t yet made it to Northern Mozambique. While it is true that the vast majority here has never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ and is perishing, it is also true that He has gone before us. He prepares the way, prepares hearts, and His work is evident all around us. Now, as we work and minister to the Yao, one of my greatest joys is discovering God’s presence here and in them.

Just one example is in our next door neighbors, Emilio, Lucia and their three beautiful children (family in the photo above). While there are many examples of brokenness here, this family exemplifies much of what is right and beautiful in this culture. They live by the fruit of their labor farming in the same way their ancestors did with dignity and respect for the land, their tribe, and their Maker. And God has blessed them.

Please pray that as we seek to share the risen Christ with our neighbors, we will be sensitive not to crush and destroy the beauty that God has wrought in their culture, taking joy in it as He does and seeing Christ in them. And that even as we teach, we will also continue to be learners of what God seeks to teach us through them. Thank you for your prayers.

Julie and Steve Henderson

Want to hear more from the Henderson's?  Take the time to read their web journal or donate to their ministry.

To the Ends of the Earth (Mongolia)

Melissa White has been serving in Mongolia since 2008!  She was recently in the states on furlough, and she is now back in Mongolia.  Melissa's ministry in Mongolia is two-fold: she is focused on discipling the young believers on staff through Bible teaching and relationship building, and she is also focused on reaching the Mongolian vets and nomadic herders with the Gospel.  Read on to hear about her transition back to Mongolia!

After being home for three months it took me a little while to adjust back to my life here. For instance, I used the tap water to brush my teeth the first few nights I got back. Oops. I tipped a waiter which resulted in him staring at me very strangely and immediately handing me the money back. Embarrassing. And I got in a van and buckled my seatbelt which resulted in my coworkers laughing at me (no one buckles seat belts because usually there are 2-3 people sitting in one seat!) So now I am learning to rid myself of all my Americanisms and revert back to my Mongolian self.

I came across this comic on Facebook recently and when I saw it I literally said aloud, “Wow, that is totally my life!” Well, not exactly, but here were some of my thoughts when I looked at the pictures:

What supporters think I’m doing: Ok, granted I know that most of you don’t picture me standing on pedestals preaching to the masses. But I’m guessing you don’t picture me sitting in an office all day long analyzing livestock data from hundreds of herds either. That is indeed what I have been doing this last month. I am quickly learning that being a missionary means being available to serve God however he may want to use you. So yes, I share from time to time all the amazing stories of people coming to Christ and reaching the unreached herders with the Gospel, but what I don’t share very often is my day to day life here in the city spending my time teaching English, doing jobs in the office that no one else wants to do (analyzing data, writing reports, working on budgets), and trying to encourage my Mongolian teammates as they work and minister.

What local people think I’m doing: It’s difficult being a “rich white foreigner” at times because I don’t want people to look at me and just see money. I don’t blame them for seeing dollar signs though. So many foreigners have come in here dropping millions of dollars into development projects that have had short lasting results.  We are currently in the process of applying for a big development grant through USAID…we’re talking millions of dollars. The challenge we will face if we get this secular grant is staying true to our philosophy that it is not money and projects that will change lives and bring about change, but Christ and the Gospel.

What the secular world thinks I’m doing: On the flight to Mongolia I had an interesting conversation with an engineer from America. He was coming to Ulaanbaatar to help design some infrastructure near one of the big mines in the Gobi Desert. When he found out I was a missionary he basically said, “No offense, but I don’t see why foreigners should come in and force their religion on others. Especially Mongolians who are tied so strongly to their Buddhist roots.” If only he knew how little ‘forcing” we ever have to do in Mongolia…the people have such a spiritual hunger that they literally are seeking us out to find the truth!

What I am actually doing: This by far is my favorite picture, mostly because I feel like this most of the time. There was one time I was sitting in a ger with a woman my age and I felt prompted to share the gospel with her. Well, what followed was me using my very broken Mongolian to try to explain to her who God is and she looking at me completely blankly. I had to call my teammate in to help translate because I am pretty sure she had no idea what I was saying! What a humbling experience. Communication here is so challenging at times and can be incredibly frustrating. Thank goodness for the work of the Holy Spirit!

Thanks for your prayers and support!

Melissa

Want to hear more from Melissa?  Take the time to visit her blog, read her web journal or donate to her ministry! 

S.U.S.T.A.I.N (Haiti)

Dr. Kelly Crowdis has been serving in Haiti since 2006!  Her projects include Give A Kid to A Kid, an animal husbandry project with the children of the commuinty to teach them animal care skills, responsibility, leadership, environmental care and the love of Christ.  Read on to hear more about this project!

Goats, goats, goats! That’s been the theme of the past month. God has truly been blessing the Give a Kid to a Kid program and has been testing us as well.

We were blessed to have camp for 40 children from Merger and Pernier. It was a very good 3 days. We played hard, learned a lot and prayed hard. The kids learned anatomy of their goats, how to feed them better and control breeding.  They got to have an afternoon of swimming and learned that God does answer their prayers – even if it is for their goats.

Easter afternoon the third class of children in Merger received their goats. It’s turned into a family affair. Moms and dads along with little brothers and sisters are all coming to be a part of getting a new goat. It’s so amazing to see how God is using this project to change a community. There is so much more unity in the community, one is looking out for another. People who aren’t in the program, older farmers are hearing and seeing what the children are doing with their goats and now they are starting to carry forage to their goats every night so they can improve their nutrition. There are no words to describe the impact this project is having. Thanks to you for all your prayer and financial support; you are truly making a difference!

The other exciting GKK news is that we are going to expand the program. We now are going to include a group of children who have never had the chance to go to school. They will learn the same things as the traditional program but they will go to class 3 times a week and have literacy and Bible training as well. It is very exciting; we are working on the curriculum now. The traditional program is helping kids go to school but this new phase will overcome what may be the most severe handicap one can have, illiteracy. I have trouble sleeping some nights as mind mulls over the possibilities for the new class. These kids will have a chance to decide if traditional school is for them or if they want to pursue a trade school and they will have a way to pay for it.  God is ever faithful and has put just the right teacher in place who is excited as I am. To help with these kids will be the same $100 for a goat, buckets, rope and all medicines but there will be an extra $25 per child for books/materials.

In other goat news….Shortly after the earthquake we were awarded $5,000.00 for helping feed the people of Haiti. What better way than help them have bigger goats with more meat?  Since early 2011 we have been working to import goats to Haiti. It has been a long process and couldn’t have been accomplished without the help of Drs. Ivan Barineau and Terri Hardy who found the goats and did all the testing and paperwork on the US side.  To make a long story short in April we received 7 purebred goats that we will be able to cross with Haitian goats to make bigger babies. We were quite the hit of the airport as the dog crates and wooden crates came through baggage claim.

God never promised us everything would go as planned and it seems the past month or so has been a test for the kids (both 2 legged and 4 legged) and me as well. We had two goats stolen, one hit by a truck and 5 killed, 2 injured in one night by wild dogs. Then we had one with a mysterious (probably bacterial) diarrhea that almost killed it and another with a leg broken when a cow stepped on it.  The children who have lost goats will receive replacements. There were a lot of tears shed and I never want to see that look again on a child’s face when they see their goat torn apart by dogs, so I have been trapping dogs in live traps at night and then taking them away for humane euthanasia. It has been a long process but I think we have the culprits under control. In Merger where this problem has occurred we are going to build a special corral for the project goats to sleep in.  We didn’t initially do this because it creates more of a chance for disease but everyone voted and has decided it will be for the best.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Love and God’s blessings to each of you.

Dr. Kelly Crowdis

Want to hear more from Kelly?  Take the time to visit her blog, donate to her ministry, or read her web journal!  Click HERE to watch a video about the Give a Kid to a Kid Program.

Vet Net—Rural Schools Projects (Mongolia)

Frances and Gerald have been serving in Mongolia since 1995! Read on to hear more!

Psalm 96:3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Our last letter was a request for you to join us as we prayed for the remote home group/church leaders who came to the annual “Shepherd’s Conference”. These are extremely poor people who live in these very rural areas. They have been called by God to lead “the flock” of local believers. There were 68 of these people who came from nine states (half the country of Mongolia) for Bible study, leadership training, and fellowship with fellow Christians. We thought it important to share with you some of what God is doing so that you can also join us in praising Him for the success of this very special event.

We had the opportunity to share lunch/dinner with these participants throughout the week. The stories we heard were sad, joyous, inspiring, encouraging, and packed with a variety of emotions. There was a common thread woven through virtually every testimony….my life was a wreck…I was depressed and living without hope…then, I found Jesus and now I am so happy. They are still poor and they still face health issues, but they now have a deep happiness that is unexplainable, short of the transforming power of God.

We were busy listening to the stories of so many, yet we noticed a woman across from us with a perpetual smile. She waited until the others left and she quietly said, “I want to tell you my story.” Her husband was unable to come until the next day so she shared the story of how God had found them and was working in their lives.

Senglenge began, “Life was so difficult… I was always crying. I was often sick and my husband was an alcoholic, drinking heavily much of the time. He was without work. There were gold mines near where we lived and we would pan enough gold from the tailings of the mine to buy bread and feed the alcohol addiction of my husband, Batahuu. This was six years ago. Then, I met Jesus and there was this unexplainable joy. I was so happy even though we were still very poor and living a difficult life. Batahuu became quite jealous…he thought I had found another man. One day he sneaked into our little church group thinking he would catch me with this new person, only to find that he did not exist. He did, however, find someone else…He found the “man,” God, Jesus Christ, and his life was turned upside down. He stopped drinking and became a good husband. Before, I was so stubborn and disrespectful to him. Now, I too am changing and becoming submissive to my husband. We have two children and both of them have also accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. 

"Now, Batahuu is a missionary in the Gobi desert. He rides his motorcycle about 1400 kilometers in the summer and shareshis faith with herders in ten of these huge desert counties. The herders love to hear about this Jesus. They beg Batahuu to come back next year and these poorest of the poor say… ‘please come back and tell us more about Jesus and we will buy the gas for your motorcycle’.  We live in the county of Jinst in the western state of Bayanhongor. Batahuu is the leader of our little church and I direct the children’s ministries. This training at V.E.T. Net is so important to us. We go back to our village and to the Gobi and teach our people everything we learn. We get ‘our spiritual gas tanks’ filled for the year.  The thing that makes this such a blessing to us is the way the V.E.T. Net Team loves and serves us, and the training is always relevant to our life in the countryside.”

You can see how critical this kind of training/discipleship is for these struggling churches. A multiplication of the gospel is happening throughout these nine states, and it is the result of your prayers and wonderful support. You are changing lives for eternity and we praise God for each of you.

Gerald and Frances Mitchum

Want to hear more from the Mitchum's?  Take the time to read their web journal or donate to their ministry!

Africa Vet (Uganda)

Dr. Val Shean has been serving in Uganda since 1995!  She is currently in the states on furlough - Read on to hear more!

Rushing, rushing, rushing.  Deadlines, appointments, due dates.  My hour hand seemed to be moving as fast as the minute hand used to!   It often seems like my world is in fast motion when I’m here in the states.  So many things to do, people to see, presentations to organize and places to go.  After four months here, I had tried to adjust to the speed of life, but was not finding it satisfying.  Something needed to change.

A friend of mine has a tradition in their family.  At times when they want to relax on a journey, they engage in what they call “shiny mode”.  This means that they allow themselves the luxury of not demanding that they meet a specific time schedule, but take time to spontaneously stop along the way at whatever looks like an interesting spot:  a café with fresh alligator meat, a historic, old building, a babbling brook with fish jumping, etc.  I’ve been thinking about that during the last couple of months and decided that I want to live my life more in “shiny mode”.  I’ve been rushing so much, pressing towards the goals that I have in mind, that the people I meet along the way have often been just a blur of color and motion.  I feel that I’ve been missing some of the purposes that God has set for me. 

Here’s my verse for the month:  “By His power, He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.”  II Thessalonians 1:11

For several days, as I was driving to various appointments around Corvallis, I saw an older, scruffy looking African American man standing alongside the road with a crumpled cardboard sign.  “Anything can help”.  I passed by, once, without concern, trying to look the other way as I approached the stop light where he was stationed.  The second time, at least I said a short prayer for him, “Lord, help him with his needs, lead him to the right people that can draw him to you”, while changing lanes so that I wouldn’t stop directly in front of him at the stop light.  The third time, I realized that the ‘right people’ that I had prayed for…  actually included Me!  I looked him in the eye, immediately connected with his humanity, and saw God’s purpose come to light.   I pulled into the parking lot and rolled down the window.  Having just come from Fred Myers, I pulled out a box of granola bars to share, while he told me his story.  Lawrence is from Alabama, had been a house painter and a cook for a couple restaurants, got in some troubles, then needed to get out of there.  Lost his house, didn’t want to talk about family, except his mom, who he still called to check on.  My mind pondered the direction that I should go.  Was a granola bar and “good luck to ya” enough?   Probably not.  I needed to shift into “shiny mode” and release my obsession with speed and efficiency and step off of the treadmill.  God has purposes that he wants to fulfill in me by His power, through my faith in Him.

Now it’s a month later, Lawrence cleaned up his scraggly beard; we got him into some low cost housing; and he’s been joining our church men in working on home projects for the needy and elderly.  He’s going to church and has put in several job applications with restaurants in town.  He calls me his “big sister”!  I saw that the turning point for both he and I was when I looked him in the eye.  There was no more denying his need and my ability to step forward.  God had a purpose for both him and me to fulfill, and He intersected our lives at that point.

Too often, I haven’t embraced life intersections, opting for tangential relationships rather than parallel.  I think because of hurts and pains of the past, I can tend to dissociate myself from the deepest needs of others, including friends and family members.  My heart sought to be emotionally detached rather than risking involvement.  It’s time for a shift in perspective, a change in posture, a deepening of presence with people. 

I’ve been in I Peter the last couple months.  “…have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.”  I Peter 1:22.  “…love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” I Peter 4:8-10   I think part of loving deeply lies in offering hospitality in your heart.  Allowing others to enter and reside with you in your core being.  This is the path that God has me on.  Please pray for my commitment and my courage to open the door and to look humanity in the eye.  Please also pray for my plans, as I head back to Uganda at the end of May.  Thanks!

Val Shean

Want to hear more from Val?  Take the time to donate to her ministry, read her web journal, or watch a video about her peacemaking work!

Abundant Life (Thailand)

Rachel Buffington has been serving in Thailand since 2011. She celebrated her one year anniversary on the field just this past January!  Read on to hear more!

Worldview (n): 1. The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world.  2. A collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or a group.

She was there on the shoulder, wearing a stained yellow t-shirt, jean shorts with plastic sandals and a distressed expression on her face. 

I had started my morning like most other days: making coffee by mixing the grounds with hot water, remembering at the last minute to put food in the dog bowl before quickly loading the car with my laptop and Thai study materials for my lesson in the afternoon.  As I rounded a bend where two streams of traffic merge, I saw her trying to flag somebody down.  Several cars passed and motorcycles whizzed by on the shoulder, just inches from where she stood. 

She made eye contact with me as I approached her in my car, but it was too late to pull over and I passed her too.  I can still picture how discouraged she looked as I drove by; I knew that I was one of many that morning that had seen her need for help and had not stopped. 

A short distance up the road I found a place to turn around.  When I returned, she was talking and waving her arms to two young men dressed for work who had slowed their motorcycle near her.  I passed her again.  “Good,” I thought.  “They can speak Thai and will know how to help her far better than I can do.”  Now that I was going the opposite direction of the office, I had to merge once again, find another u-turn, and wait several minutes in traffic to correct my direction.  I could have gone down to the next intersection and taken a different route, but I was glad I had decided to check on her one more time when I finally rounded the same bend and saw her still standing there, still waving for help.

This time I was ready and pulled over.  I rolled down my window and asked her what had happened.  She was speaking rapidly in the northern dialect and I could not catch most of what she said, but that she had no money and was trying to get to the bus station to go back to her home in another province which is several hours away.  She offered me her Thai drivers’ license to prove she was telling the truth about her identity.  I told her I would help her and she got into the front seat.  She had several scabs and bruises and I could tell she hadn’t showered for several days, a severe breach of standard social protocol.  

As we started out towards the bus station, I asked her again to explain her situation.  She was 18 years old and pregnant and had been imprisoned in a house by two men for several days with little to eat.  She told me they had hit her.  I wondered if they had done more.   She had been lured to move several hours from her home by a promise of a good job in her friend’s company.   I don’t know how she ended up in that house, or whether one of the men was the “friend” who had promised her the job.  I don’t know how she escaped from the house which was an hour’s drive from where I picked her up.  I asked her if she had gone to the police, and when she affirmed that she had, she said they had not done anything to help her get home to her parents.  She had escaped with nothing but her ID card and her old cell phone.

We parked at the bus station and went to the ticket counter.  She would have to make a transfer in another city and wouldn’t get home for several hours.  But she would be home.  I handed some money through the slot in the window.  As we walked towards the back of the bus station, I asked her if she was hungry.  She responded by putting her hand into mine and whispering, “Yes.” A few seconds later, she said “I miss my mother.” As we waited for the bus on plastic stools, she inhaled her plate of boiled chicken and rice.  I desperately wanted to talk to her about Jesus, but when I asked her if she had ever heard of Him, she nodded politely, a clear sign she was not interested in the topic.  She finished her meal and I handed her some money and her tickets.  With a big grin, she thanked me and waved from where she stood as I left the parking lot. 

And I felt terrible for what I had done... 

Rachel Buffington

Want to hear the rest of the story?  Read Rachel's final thoughts here.  Take the time to visit her blog, donate to her ministry, or read her web journal!

 Shepherd's Gate (Nicaragua)

Jeff and Bethany Bracht have been serving in Nicaragua with their family since 2010.  They celebrated their one year anniversary on the field just a few months ago!  Read on to hear more!

There are kids that hang out on the street corners and intersections all over the city.  Some beg, some juggle for money, some sell various items like water or fruit, and some just sit.  At one particular intersection that we pass through several times a week, there are two boys, Fran and Carlos that have claimed that corner as their own.    In the first few months of living here, we would shake our heads 'no' through the closed windows of our car when they would beg for a 'peso' (a nickel).  We had been warned about the reasons why it is not wise to give money to street kids.  However, with each passing month, our hearts softened to these boys.  We decided that just as these kids claimed that corner as their own; we'd claim these two boys to be our 'street kids.'  Occasionally, we would give the boys a toothbrush and toothpaste or a pack of crackers.  Eventually, we asked them for their names.  A few weeks passed and Carlos asked us for our names.   In time, they would run when they spotted our car and they'd come say 'hi' and ask us for whatever drink we had sitting in the console of the car.  A few more months passed and they started selling water rather than just asking for money.  They quickly learned that we would never just give them money, but we would always buy water.  (Ironically, we don't drink the water as its purity is questionable.  So we freeze it and use it as ice packs.) 

This has been going on for nearly a year.  The other day, the kids and I  approached the intersection and stopped at the light.  Carlos and Fran came running as they always do when they spot our car.  I rolled down the window, expecting them to ask me to buy water.  They didn't ask.  Carlos greeted me by name... “Hola, Betania, como está?  Donde está Jep?”  [Translation: Hi Bethany, How are you? Where is Jeff?]  I answered his questions and asked how he was doing.  The light turned green and I drove away.  I saw them waving and smiling in the rear-view mirror as I drove off.  I commented to my kids that Fran and Carlos never once asked if I wanted to buy water or asked for money.  I mused to the kids that Jesus created us for relationship.  We crave friendship.  I commented that Fran and Carlos crave friendship/relationship.  The ultimate friendship that we crave, whether we know it or not, is frienship with God.   I wondered out loud about Fran and Carlos's need for a friendship with the Lord and suggested that, for now, we can be “Jesus” to Fran and Carlos.  Ella said, “That's why we are here, Mommy.”  Yes, indeed, that is why we are here...and that is why WE are HERE in existence...to have a friendship with God made possible through Jesus Christ.

Bethany Bracht

Want to hear more from the Bracht's?  Take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal!

UB Vet (Mongolia)

Dr. Karen Smirmaul has been working with V.E.T. Net, a Mongolian NGO, since 2003.  She works in the small animal clinic, in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. Read on to hear more!

Saved from Danger

One of our veterinary technicians and one of our teachers have had the same experience: near suffocation from smoke and poisonous gas inhalation.

One of the dangers of living in a ger is the possibility of the chimney becoming plugged. Sometimes the child accidently slides the vent across the chimney unknown to the parents until there is a smoke- filled ger. Sometimes thieves intentionally plug the vent from the top to poison and smoke the family out. As they are coughing or fainting, the thieves can steal. Each of these employees of V.E.T. Net woke up in the middle of the night and thankfully escaped before it became more serious. One incident was due to the child moving the vent over while playing and the other was simply an ash plugged chimney. One of our teachers needed to be treated for sometime before she recovered. But she is doing well now. Thankfully all of the children from our technician’s family were safe, too.

Each of these two employees recall their situation with a smile on their face. No fear. No trauma.  Just testimony of God delivering them and joy in knowing that they can face any trial, any obstacle, any danger and they will overcome. As I write this, I can recall both of their faces as they told me their stories about 2 months apart from each other. Both faces were radiant with a confident smile. Oh- what a privilege to know and work among such strong women of faith who continue to love and serve and overcome.

What are you doing in 2012?  Better question…Who are you becoming in 2012?

I was thankful I wore my black coat the day the snow came. Real snow. With immaculate perfect individual snowflakes that had a flat surface like a mirror. Hundreds landed on my outstretched arm but I could only behold and appreciate a few. Out of the millions and millions of perfectly crafted snowflakes that fall from heaven, how many are seen by a human eye and how many human hearts give their praise to God? The vast majority fall on uninhabited land or if there are people present, they scorn it as a cause of slower traffic and slippery streets. As those snowflakes landed on my black winter coated arm, my heart rejoiced. I did say to myself, “Surely, You are God and Creator. And surely, I am loved by You.” It was not a waste to God to send the millions of snowflakes to the earth knowing that only a few would bring back any return in relationship or appreciation. I couldn’t even touch it because the warmth of my fingertip even as it came near melted the divine crystals into a common earthly water droplet. God is always sending an outpouring of mercy and grace and love down on earth even for the few that will respond. We can’t always touch it but it can touch us if we take the time to stretch out our arms and stand still.

In all of your plans for 2012, would you set the goal of drawing closer to the One who truly matters? More than a new i-device or getting to feel more financially secure, more than obtaining a better living standard or even getting all of our relationships sorted out, let’s know Him in 2012.

Dr. Karen Smirmaul

Want to read the rest of this prayer letter?  Take the time to read her web journal or donate to her ministry!

His Vets (USA)

Fred and Vicki returned to the states in 2008 after having served for 25 years in Ethiopia as veterinary missionaries.  Read on to hear more!

Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay…

On a moonless Ethiopian night in 1995 up on the Alduba airstrip, over 200 Bunna gathered to watch the Amharic version of the “Jesus video”, taken from the Gospel of Luke. With the soundtrack turned low, one of the believers translated as the movie rolled—a very difficult task, but it would have to do. Someday, we’d have it translated directly into Bunna language.  But even if it was in a language they could not understand, the Bunna were fascinated with the words and life of Jesus. They exclaimed with amazement as He healed the lame, gave sight to the blind, cured the leprous, raised Lazarus from the dead, cast out demons and fed the 5,000. They gasped and wept as the soldiers beat him. They wailed as he died on the cross.  But then, the moment came. He rose. Alive! They trilled, a high pitched “La la la la la….” with joy at the resurrected Messiah—more powerful than disease, evil spirits or even death!

Today? “Someday” has finally come. It’s translated. After many bumps along the way, the Jesus Video dubbed in the Bunna language was publically shown for the first time on the evening of Ethiopian Christmas, January 7. Bible translator, Carolyn Ford wrote, “The next day, a young man approached the church elders, ready to put his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who suffered so much to bring us hope. Praise God!”

In addition, the Bunna New Testament should be ready to print later this year! It’s taken 4 translators and 2 decades of hard work and prayer, but especially in a nomadic people group no church is strongly planted until they have the Word in their own language. They are already learning to read. It will be a joyful time when they finally have God’s Word in their hands. 

CVM’s Trent and Tabby Cox are working in Alduba now. Tabby wrote that after Trent explained to their little son Jack that their friend Garsho did not follow God’s way, he was heart-broken.

“Dad we need to tell him about God’s way!” Trent explained that sadly, many people have heard, yet still choose to follow their own way. Shortly thereafter, Tabby found Jack earnestly telling Garsho about God’s way in perfect Bunna, warning that everlasting fire and horror awaits mankind, but God has provided life through His son Jesus. Garsho hugged Jack and acknowledged that he needed to follow Jesus. But he’s unwilling to pay the price; any Bunna who follows Jesus is forced to leave everything else behind, even family. The non-believing community doesn’t allow one foot in two worlds. Both demand absolute and exclusive devotion. I wonder how in America we get around this idea of complete devotion to Jesus?

Thank you for partnering with these ministries, and remembering us in your prayers. “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to His harvest.”  Speaking of which… Last month 3 people called me about applying for long term missions. All in one week!  One said, “We tried to put it off. But the Lord won’t leave us alone. We have to go. We have such a fire in our hearts—we can’t NOT go!”  I mentioned the need for a veterinarian to join a team in Senegal. They about shouted in the phone…they explained that in the past year as they had been praying through the people groups in Operation World, for some reason the Lord had put Senegal on their hearts in a special way. It could be the Lord has called them just for that need!

What fun to mentor and train and send the ones He calls!

Dr. Fred Van Gorkom

Want to hear more from the VanGorkom's?  Take the time to read their web journal or donate to their ministry!

Abounding (Bolivia)

Dr. Lauren Spears has been serving in Bolivia since 2009, and she is moving back to the states soon!  Read on to hear about this transition!

Angie and I have less than 50 days left in Bolivia (probably even less now since she wrote this a few weeks ago!). I generally steer away from countdowns; it’s so tempting to look forward to some big event or long-awaited occasion in the future, that I could easily forget to live in the moment and rejoice in each new day. But this semi-countdown is less an attack on being content in all circumstances, and more a ticking reminder to tie up all the loose ends, and finish well.

At the end of May, Angie, Ruby and I will be embarking on possibly the biggest adjustment in their lives, and both of my girls have been through quite a few transitions. Culture shock, language immersion, family changes, new schedules, new home; the list is kind of enormous. But due to their tumultuous pasts, their flexibility puts my own to shame, so I’m confident they’ll do great.

One rock in the transience of our future, is Christian Veterinary Mission. My country of service with CVM will change, but my role will remain surprisingly similar. Brad Frye, my director, says that “CVM is all about the crossroads of the Great Commission and our Great Profession, or for many vets and students -- their great passion.” Living at the intersection between our faith and our profession, brings new significance to our work, while serving Christ and the less fortunate with our skills brings glory to God.

For the past three years I’ve been spreading this message, encouraging vets and students to find the sweet spot between their love for Christ and for animals, here in Bolivia. For the next phase of life God has provided a way for me to do the same thing, but with a home base in Kentucky, to accommodate our growing family’s current needs. In the States, instead of representing VetRed, I’ll be stepping into the position of CVM’s Southeastern Regional Representative. Networking between seven regional veterinary universities, various conferences and state representatives, I’ll be working to challenge, empower and support veterinarians and students to hit the sweet spot for God’s kingdom.  Whether motivating them to serve overseas in short or longterm missions, or casting a vision for how vets can minister in their practices through the unique relationships they have with their clients, I hope to inspire an excitement for putting 1 Peter 4:10 into practice, “God has given each of you a gift. Use it to help each other. This will show God’s loving-favor.”

As a “former” tennis player, I’m elated to say that I think this role will be the sweet spot for me as well. Combining my love for working with college students, my history with CVM, my experience speaking to groups, my time serving abroad as a veterinary missionary, my affinity for administration, and the flexibility I’ll need to continue improving as Angie’s mom and start improving as Jon’s wife.

I will continue to depend on your support, even more so than before as expenses are much higher in the U.S. I hope that you’ll prayerfully consider how God would have you be a part of this ministry. Jesus calls us to multiplication, through your prayers and generosity we can disciple more followers to share His love through their profession.

Dr. Lauren Spears

Want to hear more from Lauren?  Take the time to visit her blog, donate to her ministry, or read her web journal!

Loaves and Fish (Haiti)

Drs. Jonathan and Leanna Dohanich are Long-term service Candidates who are currently raising support to begin serving in Haiti with a technical school in Hinche, Haiti called the Mckenna Technical Center (MTC).  In their most recent prayer letter, they share their thoughts on vocation and their connection to Haiti.  Read on to hear more!

Knowing that one is called to a specific vocation can be both exciting and intimidating. Upon hearing of our plans to move to Haiti, several people have commented about the dangers of moving a family to a developing country. We know these people are well meaning and care for us, but we cannot help but notice how these comments tie into fear and spiritual warfare. The second book of Timothy 1:7 says, “God does not give us a spirit of fear but one of power, of love, and of a sound mind. We have God’s perfect love and perfect love casts out all fear.” In fact, the Bible (both Old and New Testaments) tells us not to fear over 365 times –enough to remind us each day of the year!

Keep in mind we are not going to Haiti naïve. Leanna, Jarren, and our son-to-be will be entering a culture where they do not know the language. We will need to be watchful of diseases unknown to the U.S. for generations. We will hand wash most of our clothes – including baby diapers. Very acute and long-term challenges lie ahead for each of us individually and as a family, but we cannot let fear guide our decisions.

We know we are entering a war zone spiritually, physically, and mentally. It will take a great deal of faith and prayer to overcome these looming battles. However, in all this, we cannot help but think about the beauty evident in Haiti’s natural environment and through its people.

Experiences in Haiti tend to be very raw and leave a lasting impression. The first time Leanna traveled to Haiti, she was “baptized” by one of the nuns of the Little Sisters of the Incarnation, a religious congregation that works in some of the poorest areas of Haiti. This “baptism” was reserved for all the people in our group at the time who were visiting Haiti for the first time. It was indeed a fitting prelude for these “first-timers” because a visit to a place like Haiti changes a person emotionally, spiritually, and mentally for a lifetime. Jonathan is still trying to figure out what happened to him during the time he lived there over ten years ago.  We have drawn collectively from our experiences in Haiti to make our own lives more fruitful. We have learned from the Haitian people about things in life that matter the most, and things in life we can almost certainly do without. This has created in our lives and married relationship a strong magnetism for the place.

Jonathan and Leanna

Want to hear more from the Dohanich's?  Take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal!

New Life in Asia (Mongolia)

Leon and Heather Heisey have been serving in Mongolia with their family since 2008.  Read on to hear more!

On Independence Day November 26, 2011, about one hundred missions minded Mongolians came together from about 10 Mongolian National churches to celebrate their call to missions.

With the population of only 2,754,685 and with the population of the capital city of Ulaanbaatar at 1,240,037 that leaves only about 1,514,684 in the Mongolian countryside and in the other three main cities of Erdenet, Darhan and Sukhbaatar.... About 35.2% of the population lives below the poverty line.   Mostly the remote herders fall into that category.

We continue to have vision to reach the poorest of the poor in Mongolia, the herders, through veterinary medicine and the gospel.  This vision is being accomplished through our education project (Claim a County for Christ) for the herder children and through our veterinary continuing education that provides training both to the countryside veterinarians and herder clients.   Accompanying this work are ministries of sharing the gospel of hope to those who have no hope of eternity in heaven.

It became apparent through our church’s missions conference, that God has called us not only to reach the Mongolians in the remote areas of the country but also the remote areas of the World.  There are about 11 million Mongolians leaving outside of Mongolia; including 5.8 million in China, 862,613 most from the Buriad clan in Russia, many in South Korea, 307 in Toronto and even a population in Washington D.C. and Denver.  In addition to these 11 million Mongolians are the 30 million Hazara people groups in India, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan who are believed to be the descendants of Chinggis Khan (www.hazara.net) and the Inuit Eskimos in Alaska and Northern Canada who claim to have roots in Mongolia.

I believe that God is calling the Mongolians to reach not only to their country for Christ but also their blood relatives scattered in the lands that Chinggis Khan had conquered.  That is why we are investing in CVM's work in Mongolia, and the Mongolia Mission Training Center (MMTC).  We are excited about the obedience of 8 daytime students and 23 evening students at MMTC.  We believe that investing in Mongolian Christians is the best Kingdom investment.  We believe that God will use them just as he used some Christian Navajo Indians to share the gospel message to their ‘brothers’ in Mongolia in the early 1990’s.

Please pray for us that we would be able share the message of salvation clearly.  That we would prepare the Christian Mongolians to go and serve so that, as there are ‘open doors,’ Christians would be ready to go and serve just as when the iron curtain fell in the former Soviet Union and Mongolia welcomed freedom of religion in their new democracy. Thank you for your giving and prayers.

Leon Heisey

Want to hear more from the Heisey's?  Take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal! 

His Very Own (Uganda)

Dr. Daniel and Rachel Graham are Long-Term Service Candidates who are currently raising support to begin serving in Uganda with Dr. Val Shean and the CLIDE team. They hope to be ready to move within the next 6 months and their initial term there will be for 3 years.  In their latest prayer letter, Daniel shares a beautiful story about his experience tutoring Somali refugees in Oregon.  Read on to hear more!

I was nervous. It was my first day and I didn’t know what to expect. Would the kids like me? Would I know the answers? Would they even understand me? Glancing around the room, I spotted an empty seat in the back row and I quickly slid into it. Nonchalantly, I surveyed the room around me; it was busy with activity and noisy with shouts and chatter. Soon enough, two girls wrapped in head scarves and floor-length skits came and sat next to me. “Mister, you help us?”

With notebook and pen in hand, I pulled my desk next to theirs and we got to work. Fawzia pulled out her papers and worked silently with her head bent down. Her face was nearly touching the pages as she cautiously wrote. Occasionally, she furiously erased and started over.  Her friend Haweeya seemed more social, speaking to me one word at a time and pointing at various things on her paper. I tried to ask her a question and she looked at me, squishing up her face; “Huh?” We went on like this for about 2 hours, her most frequent response to anything that I said being the same, “Huh?” Always with the same squish-faced look of puzzlement, she occasionally scratched her head to emphasize our lack of communication. When we really got in a tough spot, Fawzia giggled quietly, leaned over, and whispered something to Haweeya under her breath – I can’t understand the language but Haweeya looks at me with a smile: “Ohh!”

That was 5 months ago. Every Wednesday since, I have been going to that same room at David Douglas High School for after-school tutoring with Somali refugee students. Haweeya only stops by occasionally, but Fawzia is a regular. As it turns out, Fawzia isn’t even in the tutoring program, she just comes because she really wants the help; she wants to do well in school.  Mostly, the students want to work on math. Some are working on mastering fractions while others are in pre-calculus.

Fawzia is in algebra, but still struggling with adding and subtracting.  She is a hard little worker, first to come to tutoring and the last to leave. She isn’t much for smalltalk, her hearing loss evident in the way she pronounces most words. But each week, she comes right in and sits down next to me. With a big smile on her face she works on her math homework for the full 2 hours, trying to squeeze out any extra minutes of help that she can get. Every week she tries to ignore when the other girls pack their things to walk home together in the dark, insisting that she wants to stay a little longer and will walk home alone. Our resident ESL instructor from the high school tells her that her father would be very upset if she goes home alone and kicks her out to catch up with the other girls.

I really enjoy working with the Somali kids. It has been good practice in cross-cultural communications, especially with other East Africans. Plus, it keeps my math skills sharp. There is a lot I can learn from Fawzia. One day, when we are in Uganda, I will be the one struggling to understand and be understood. We will be working in a foreign culture, finding it hard to adapt at times I am sure. Not to mention the language. I am sure my first phrases in Karamojong won’t be pretty. Speaking with the complexity of a 4-year-old’s vocabulary will not be a big boost for my self-esteem. But like Fawzia, we will put in the work and keep on trying, always eager to learn and never losing hope.

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you.” 1 Chronicles 28:20

Daniel Graham

Want to hear more from the Graham's?  Take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal!

Africa Vet (Uganda)

Dr. Val Shean has been serving in Uganda since 1995!  She currently serves as an Advisor to Community Livestock-Integrated Development (CLIDE) Consultancy which works primarily among the Karamojong people of NE Uganda.  Read on to hear more about Val's work in Uganda!

An ancient African legend records that: "The baobab was among the first trees to appear on the land. Next came the slender, graceful palm tree. When the baobab saw the palm tree, it cried out to God that it also wanted to be taller and more majestic. Then the beautiful flame tree appeared with its multitude of red flowers; the baobab was immediately envious of its radiant blossoms and bemoaned its own hidden white blooms that only appear for one night each year, to be pollinated by bats. When the baobab saw the magnificent fig tree, it prayed for tasty fruit as well. God became angry with the tree and pulled it up by its roots, then replanted it upside down to keep it quiet."

Looking at the photo I took in Namibia of the baobab tree, you can see that it is a unique tree; at first glance it can actually look like a tree that has been uprooted and pushed back down in the ground upside-down. The legend tells us that the Baobab was disappointed with its qualities and attributes, continually judging itself against the other trees in creation and finding itself wanting. Often, we humans can belittle our unique qualities as well, often seeing others as more talented, skilful or attractive, more capable, spiritual or resourceful. When in Uganda, I can often feel like I don’t have the resources or the ability to stretch myself into the responsibilities and opportunities that the Lord puts on the doorstep of my hut. Usually it is a problem of vision, and not of ability.

Muya was an abandoned two month old baby girl dropped off at our church by her destitute grandmother, after her mother, who was a single parent, died. Everyone at the church gathered around, but no one stepped up to help. Not really feeling the mothering instinct, I also stood back and watched as the grandmother pleaded with the group. I turned away, left the church and walked back to my hut. Sitting on the veranda in my hut I prayed a conflicting prayer about Muya. I prayed for her health, for her grandmother, for someone to step up and help them. I prayed that it didn’t have to be me. I blocked it from my mind and went out and worked in my veggie garden, but all the while, the face of little Muya was stuck in my mind. Later, I heard that the grandmother had come and taken the little babe to her village again, although she had no food or milk to feed her. Entering into a needy person’s life can be exhausting. It’s so easy to look away and disregard their need. Surely someone else will help... I have alot of other responsibilities... I need time for myself... I’m not the baby-type!...

Well eventually, as I was moving through my zucchini patch, God broke through. I could see that I really needed to take time for a prayer of discernment, to seek the Lord’s will, rather than pray a prayer of self protection.  “God, please send someone else! I don’t know how I can do it...I don’t want to take the time to do it...” This self-doubt and self-protection can really damage our willingness to step out to serve God, if we believe the lies of the judgmental voice that disqualifies us or focus only on meeting all of our own needs.

When I entertain doubts about myself, I demonstrate the doubt that I have in God. My courage wanes and I step back from the plate. He could provide the strength for me. He could provide the skills. He could provide others to help me as well. When the grandmother showed up again the next week, with a slightly more frail baby and a more desperate look in her eyes, I agreed to find a place for her to live. She stayed for a couple days with me, and I actually really enjoyed her! At that point, however, a wonderful baby orphanage, run by YWAM (Youth With a Mission) agreed to take her in. Her grandmother may be able to take her back after she gets a little stronger. She may also come up for adoption. God has a plan for her, and in the end, I was glad that I could play my role and be part of her life.

In the closing months of this recent term in Uganda, many challenges came up. Whether it was caring for an abandoned orphan baby, treating over 200 animals affected by the recent Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak, convincing an angry warrior whose brother just got killed to stop raiding, or mending my 3rd flat tire in the bush using tree sap, rubber inner-tube straps and duct tape, I often can feel inadequate for the job. I wanted to run from the path of responsibility, close the doors of opportunity, or at least sneak out the window of avoidance!

During those trials, I continue to go back to my times of deeper prayer with the Lord, reminding myself of His love and empowerment in my life, and His desire for that love and power to flow through me to others. He “took the cup” and asks me to join Him, and take it as well. Our destiny is woven from the threads of our history. As we take steps, day by day, to stretch ourselves beyond the barriers of our understanding and aptitude, we find ourselves doing the previously impossible. As we approach Christmas and a New Year, I want God to do new things in my life, open up new areas of growth and new opportunities for deepening my love for Him and others. Christ came to earth, knowing the cup that would be put in His hand, His fate was ordained from eternity, but for the joy set before Him, he took the cup and gave thanks. Let us also take the cup that the Lord hands to us, and allow Him to strengthen us with His power, soften us with His grace and enlighten us with His wisdom.

Dr. Val Shean

Want to hear more from Val?  Take the time to donate to her ministry, read her web journal, or watch a video about her peacemaking work! 

Abounding (Bolivia)

Dr. Lauren Spears has been serving in Bolivia since 2009, and she is moving back to the states soon!  Read on to hear more!

We met one week before I moved halfway across the world. I’d seen him a few times over the summer before my huge move south, and I thought “Wow, who’s that?!” but we didn’t have our first real conversation until the week I was packing to leave for Bolivia. As I was saying goodbye to everyone I’d ever known, God was introducing me to someone I’d adore for the rest of my life. God’s timing is such a mystery.

Four months later this new friend against all odds, traveled over 4,000 miles to visit me for my first Christmas away from my family. On Christmas Eve, together, we met a shy little girl, ecstatic to have found a refuge just three days earlier at Talita Cumi. Yet again, only God knew what role in our lives this little angel would play. And what a sweet move on His part to introduce Angelica to us at the very same moment.

Now, two years, and too many Skype minutes and email messages to count, later, I’d like to introduce you to the guy who still makes me say “Wow!” Actually, I’m more awed by him all the time. Jon Charles lives in Louisville, KY where we met through good friends from our church. For those of you who need to know such things; he’s a banker, a pilot, a homeowner, a servant to the homeless, and a graduate of the Christian college, Asbury University. But more interestingly, he stole my heart by speaking my love languages of service and quality time. On his first trip to Bolivia I could barely wash a dish on our mission trip with my church to a small humble community, because he snatched them all away from me, and he takes even better care of me now.

On his second trip down, he wooed Angie as well with his ability to give you his full and undivided attention, like there’s no one else in the room. But more than anything, when he decided to pursue me, he won me with his love for the Lord and his devotion to prayer and spiritually leading us. One of my favorite moments, was when I called him at work right after Angie’s adoption was finalized and he didn’t skip a beat, but said, “Let’s pray,” so that we could thank God for His goodness in the difficult process.

We just celebrated our third Christmas together, and first as the three of us. On New Year’s Eve he proposed, confirming that we’ll be spending the rest of our Christmases together, making both Angie and me giddy with excitement. We’re not sure exactly what the future holds for us. In June I’ll be heading back to the U.S. to take on a state-side ministry role with CVM that I think will be a great fit for us; I’ll tell you more about it in my next letter. After that, the only thing we’re sure of is that we’ll seek God together for His plan for our life and ministry, and that we look forward to serving Him together for a long long time.

Lauren and Angie

Want to hear more from Lauren?  Take the time to visit her blog, donate to her ministry, or read her web journal!

Living Water (Mozambique)

Recently, we got an up close and personal look at some of the things that keep a poor man poor and even drive him deeper into poverty…I was riding my bike and got waved down by a police woman. She asks to see my license; you’ve got to be kidding. This is a bicycle, not a car. She says I’m required to have a bicycle license. She has the forms, and I can buy one for 100 mets, along with a bicycle owner license for another 45 mets. Yes, that is one tax for the bike and another for the owner, to be renewed yearly. She was nice and when I told her I had no money on me she allowed me to go home and get what I needed and come back, a bit more exercise than I was planning on but no harm done.

My friend (and co-worker) was not so fortunate. He was stopped the same week on the bike purchased for the orphan project while out visiting the secondary schools scattered around Lichinga to verify attendance of the kids enrolled in our program. He also had no license or money, and the policeman said he would impound the bike until he paid a fine of 500 mets. He called his wife who went to a friend’s house and managed to borrow 300 mets, which was sufficient to appease the officer for the fine, but not to pay the tax to receive the 2 licenses. So he left the bike at home and finished his work that day on foot wondering where he’d find enough money to pay the taxes and the loan back.

I was telling this story to my cousin who exclaimed “but that is so unfair!” Only the relatively rich (i.e. westerners, foreign national merchants, and government workers) have vehicles in Mozambique.  Everyone else gets around on foot or bicycle. The yearly tax which is applied to all bikes in use whether new or falling apart is the equivalent of almost 2 days’ labor. The vast majority of Mozambicans survive by what they can grow in their fields and by day labor when they can get it. It is unreliable and pays about $2-3/day. This enterprising guy is an example of the type of people the tax applies to.  He bikes 30 km out of the city to reach countryside that hasn’t been fully deforested. Then he buys as much charcoal as he can afford and carry on his bike and returns to the city and sells it at a profit in small portions, enough for one day, which is all most can afford to buy. By doing this hard work he might net about $3/day.
 
And this leads us to our second story…

Steve and Julie Henderson

Want to hear how the second story ends?  Read more from this prayer letter.  And take the time to read their web journal or donate to their ministry.

Abundant Life (Thailand)

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5

As a new year is once again upon us, I am reminded of the Lord’s graciousness and goodness to me. We were never meant to be self-sustaining creatures, you and me. We were meant to depend on God for strength, renewal, and daily provisions. The past year has been a lesson in dependence as I learn to trust God in a deeper way.

I am learning to be a learner. In everything. This past year has been a lesson in becoming like a child again as I navigate a new culture, language, and way of living. I have been deeply dependent on so many here in Chiang Rai to hold my hand and walk me through even some of the most basic steps of life, such as obtaining drinking water, how to fill up my car with gas, use a cell phone, and so many other commonplace activities I used to take for granted.

I am learning to recognize and let go of my expectations: of Thai culture, of the future, of myself, of God’s provisions for my life. I am learning to be content, whether I have little or much, like Paul. As I let go of my expectations of what I think I need to be productive in Thai culture, and learn more about the people God has sent me to serve, I am learning that my definition of “productive” needs changing: from my Western ideals based on my past experiences to just the fruit the Lord wants me to produce.

Is a grape vine productive if it bears olives? Is a passion fruit vine (you didn’t know they grow on vines, did you?) successful if its fruit is avocados? In reality, our definition of “productive” is producing the type of fruit that our Vine chooses for us. I’m learning that as we are dependent on the Vine, he will give us the specific things we need to produce the fruit that he’s chosen for us. I can see that the Lord was calling me to produce different fruit in Kansas two years ago than he is today here in Thailand. And He’s providing different “nutrients” (like church, family, fellowship, resources, energy, time, and all the daily needs) to make that fruit perfect in His time.

I’m praying for the Lord’s grace to focus on the specific fruits that He has already chosen for us to bear, you and I, and the provision of each need we have to be productive.

Rachel Buffington

Want to hear more from Rachel?  Take the time to visit her blog, donate to her ministry, or read her web journal!

 Bolivia Veterinarian

Water for Ityu – In my last letter I described the situation in Ityu, their lack of potable year-round water, and how enthusiastically they had taken to training in transformational community development. Well the latter has come to take on the former and we are thrilled to see things happening.

The people have been inspired and empowered by their training and have decided to stop waiting for others and take matters in their own hands. They organized a hike to the nearest spring to their community and invited us and the water engineer from World Vision. They had talked to us about this spring on many occasions, but I was beginning to think it was wishful folklore. There was no evidence to support the idea that there was a spring in the area. Now we would see. When they said it was about 7 km to the spring, I didn’t think much of it, but after about an hour of walking I began to understand how badly I had miscalculated. First of all, it was hot and it was high. My body is a pretty big organism that requires a fair amount of oxygen and has more insulating capacity than cooling ability. What’s more, this was no walk through the meadow. We were in mountainous country and we went up and down them way too often. I am also significantly wider and taller than my Guarani friends. They call me “Karaiguasu” which basically means “big white guy”. The trail was cut by short brown guys. I must have lost my hat 50 times as it was torn off my head by thorny bush after thorny tree and back again.

Whining aside, the journey was very productive. There was a spring, and despite the fact that it’s pretty small, the water engineer thought it was more than sufficient. The interesting thing was that the spring forms a small stream, which disappears back into the ground after about 300 yards. It is in dense brush and if you didn’t know it was there, it would have been easy to miss. The engineer immediately began to envision how a system could be built to get the water to Ityu. It will not be easy or inexpensive. The water will need to travel 4 miles and have to be pumped up hill before it can travel by gravity the rest of the way to Ityu. But the engineer thinks it’s feasible and he has begun to draw up the plan. The leaders from Ityu have gone to the local government to request the needed topographical studies and to request that funds for the project be included in the next budget. It looks like that will happen. Stay tuned. Good things are happening in Ityu.

Dr. Bill Janecke

Want to hear more from the Janecke's?  Take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal! 

 
New Life in Asia (Mongolia)

Thank you for helping send us to Mongolia. In David Platt’s book, Radical, he talks about how Jesus said his followers would actually live. Jesus said they would leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for Him. They would abandon everything for the gospel.

That is exactly what we are seeing occur here in Mongolia. The church has grown to about 100,000 Christians over the last 20 years. The Mongolian Evangelical Association (MEA) goal for 2020 is that 10% of the country would be Christian disciples, mature Christians who are leading others to Christ. Last month, I wrote about many significant dates as the gospel has been introduced to the country over the last 20 years. Another milestone reached is Mongolia’s first mission school. We have seen Mongolians become very interested in sharing the gospel both at home and abroad. We have seen individuals go and return. To help prepare more people for service for the kingdom, Mongolia Mission Training Center (MMTC) was inaugurated to prepare and equip Mongolians to be sent. The mission school started October 4th with 8 daytime students and 20 evening students and was dedicated on October 25th.

I had the opportunity to listen to the testimonies of the full time students. As individuals shared their calling to distant lands such as Toronto, places in the Middle East, Holland, and even other parts of Asia, I continue to be amazed at how God is building His Kingdom around the world as we answer the call to send and be sent. The testimony of these students coming to Christ is also amazing. One student became a Christian in 2002 by reading a Christian book. She traveled 700 km over two days looking for a church. She had no education, no parents; all she had was Jesus. At 18 she went to music school and is now using her voice to Glorify God. She is elder of a church of about 50 people. The vision of her church is to have 500 people regularly attending her church by 2020 and she believes that they may be closer to 1000 worshiping together.

Another student was imprisoned for assisting in a crime. She was facing 8 years in prison and a fine she would never be able to repay. Through a prison ministry, she became a believer her third day in jail She was released at the time of sentencing after a time served of only 40 days. God has set her apart, and she sees many similarities in the Apostle Paul’s life and hers. All the students came from very diverse backgrounds but God is preparing these dear Mongolian brothers and sisters to build His Kingdom.

Leon Heisey

Want to hear more from the Heisey's?  Take the time to visit their blog, donate to their ministry, or read their web journal! 

Africa Veterinarians (Ethiopia)

At night from the top of Harvest Drive you can look down onto Redwood City and San Carlos and see a blanket of lights: yellow, white, and red mostly. And looking south you can see Palo Alto and Menlo Park as well. It’s amazing really, all of the lights. There must be millions shimmering in the darkness.

And if you gaze across the Dumbarton Bridge and onto the east bay the lights seem endless. I can’t help thinking about the people and all the lives represented by the lights. And so I begin to wonder…how many of these people are presently experiencing the best part of life they’ll ever know? And how many of the millions will never know an eternity with our Creator?

“Enter through the narrow gate. Wide is the gate and broad is the path that leads to destruction and many enter through it, but small is the gate and narrow the path that leads to life and only a few find it.”  Matthew 7:13-14

Lately, as Tabby and I stand before our supporters to give an account of the work in Ethiopia, I’ve found myself feeling as if we need to justify why there are only 1000 Bunna believers among a tribe of 35,000.  That equates to a mere 2.85 % of the population. There are times when I feel almost ashamed to bring up such a small number. In America, the great Christian society, which boasts of a larger percentage of Christians than almost any other nation, a mere 3% sounds like failure. I wonder though, if the numbers we are seeing among the Bunna nation are not more in line with those foretold in the Bible. I wonder how many of the people who declare Christianity as their faith on the decennial census really understand what they are claiming. I wonder how many people walk down the aisle and repeat a few words in unison with the preacher and then cruise out the Church doors believing that they have just fulfilled all of the requirements for getting into heaven. I wonder how much of a disservice the Church is providing to mankind by propagating this type of cheap eternity. I wonder how many of the people who call themselves Christians are actually fooling themselves and consequently their lives and futures are presently no more secure than the non-believing pagan roaming the vast expanses of Africa.

“Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who do the will of my father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21

I wonder how many of us are haunted by the above verse? I know that I am. I’ve felt challenged lately to examine my faith to make sure that I am believing and following Jesus on his terms instead of my own. I pray the same for all of you.

Dr. Trent Cox

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S.U.S.T.A.I.N (Haiti)

Marilove (Mary-Love) tied her goat up behind her house as she does each evening after having it out grazing all day. It is about 5 feet from the house in a small passage way, not out in the open at all. The next morning when her father came out her goat was gone. Had it gotten loose? Or worse, stolen? Right away everyone in the family and the neighbors started searching for the goat who was just completely missing. Now it was becoming a big deal; she hadn't gone to graze or to "visit" other goats. The search expanded to include the entire village. Marilove's goat was nowhere to be seen. So the verdict became stolen. A stolen goat is never recovered as the people spirit it away in a vehicle and then take it straight away to slaughter. The project goats are marked with ear tags and tattoos so they wouldn't take it to the local area where goats are slaughtered. They would just do it at home. Everyone was gathered around and talking about how bad the situation was in the usual very 'animated' Haitian manner. Marilove spoke up and said, "I'm not worried about my goat being stolen. God gave me my goat and He wouldn't let someone steal it away from me." Everyone was telling her yes, yes but sometimes things happen and God doesn't control them, and she wouldn't give up saying, "NO my goat wasn't stolen - I will get it back".

Later in the afternoon, across the major road about a mile from the village in an area where the goats have never been, someone from Merger was walking and saw a brown goat with a yellow ear tag and knew right away it was Marilove's goat. The rope was still attached to her neck and she was just wandering down a dirt road. They hurriedly took her back to the village and to Marilove. Besides her big, big smile she said, "See I told you God wouldn't let my goat be stolen". Everyone was amazed! Never has a stolen goat been recovered and certainly not just walking down the road by itself. The villagers were saying, “See, this is God's project and God's goat. He made the rope get hot in the thieves’ hands, and they had to let the goat go”. There is nothing else to say except “Thank You God” and admire the faith of a little 11-year-old girl!

Dr. Kelly Crowdis

Want to hear more from Kelly?  Take the time to visit her blog, donate to her ministry, or read her web journal!  Click HERE to watch a video about the Give a Kid to a Kid Program.