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July 2007 |
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 Click here to download the July 2007 MBMSI Newsletter 374.09 Kb
PASTORS VISIT MBMSI MISSIONARIES IN THAILAND
Thirteen pastors and mission representatives from seven Ontario churches spent sixteen days in Thailand supporting MBMS International missionaries this past May. The team consisted of Bob Enns, Pat Bartley, Art Loewen, Phil &Lydia Hamm, Jim Evans, Ted & Daniel Ens, Steve Mortley, Nancy Boese, and Philip Serez.
"I tell my church, 'Don't feel sorry for our missionaries. They love Thailand and have a passion for the Thai people. Their hearts beat for the country. I wish we had the same heart for Niagara; that we would weep for God to move in this land."
Pat Bartley, Pastor, Scott St. MB, St. Catharines, Ontario.
"Global mission is changing. Today we are focusing on urban centers and planting churches among the middle class. In all my trips, I have never seen such passion, vision, clear goals and strategy that the MBMSI missionaries have in Thailand. They are far beyond us over here. "
Henry Wiebe, Minister at large, Vineland MB, Vineland, Ontario
"You could hear a pin drop in our church when we reported from the trip. When we shared about praying for "L" along the Mekong River and literally shouting "grace" over the country I was overcome with emotion that I couldn't stop.
Pat Bartley, Pastor, Scott St. MB. St. Catharines, Ontario
"There is a spiritual openness in Thailand, a season of harvest, an open window. We need to act now."
Pastors affirming a common theme they heard from Thai leaders and missionaries.
"I have already been challenging my colleagues and friends here to get involve; even if they are not Christians. We're going to raise money for the AIDS medication; maybe even make trip to serve in the communities we visited."
Nancy Boese, Mission Chair, Fairview MB, St. Catharine's, Ontario
"It was a totally new experience, to see how God is moving in people's lives and in their churches. It was a new experience to be with people who wanted so much to be close to God"
Dan Ens, young adult, Orchard Park Church, St. Catharines, Ontario
For more information or to get involved, contact your Regional Mobilizer or visit our website at www.mbmsi.org.
HEALING PRAYER
By Bob & Erika Sukkau, MBMSI missionaries in Peru
Edgardo and Maribel, a couple from our church, live across from a family that struggles badly from muscular dystrophy. One of the daughters, Cristina, 14 years old, was hospitalized and progressively becoming more paralyzed. She was finding it hard to even breathe and had to be connected to a respirator. The doctors told them that she would never be able to breathe on her own again; so Edgardo and Maribel asked our church to pray.
To our amazement, after just a week of concentrated prayer, it was obvious that God was touching her in a special way. She is at home now and, while limited to her bedroom, she is breathing on her own, works on her computer, and stays in touch with everyone with her cell phone. Her mother is thrilled at the change and is open to the Gospel. Please pray that this family would find Jesus!
"Just so you know" . . . UPCOMING EVENTS at MBMSI:
July 2nd-Aug.8th: ACTION Program out of Fresno, CA. Teams are serving in Peru/ Thailand/South Africa.
July 5th: CMN [Celebrate Missions Night]: the first of seven CMN's to be held in the US begin this evening at the Central District Convention in Rapid City, SD.
July 8th-Aug. 15th: ACTION Program out of Winnipeg, MB. Teams are serving in Mexico/DR Congo/ Asia/ First Nations reserve.
July 11th- 25th: SOAR Montreal
July 11th-30th: DMI national mission in the DR Congo.
Fall TREK is accepting applications now! Visit www.mbmsi.org/trek DMI [Disciple Making International] is accepting applications now! Visit www.mbmsi.org/dmi
TREK & DMI are both short term mission programs of MBMSI. For more information on these and other programs, please visit our website.
DO YOU BELIEVE?
From an interview with Jake Schenk, Winter TREK '07 Participant From Smith Center, KS
God is totally faithful! One of the things I learned from serving in North Africa is that God gives you what you need when you need it but not necessarily when you think you need it. We served in so many different ways while in North Africa -performing dramas, singing, helping with Sudanese refugee schools, praying - our team really learned to be flexible.
One of my personal highlights, near the end of my time in North Africa, was an opportunity I had to go and visit my cousin in Jordan. I had a great experience visiting him but when I tried to return to my team's location, I was refused entrance back into the country. I wondered why this would be happening but I knew that God had a plan for it.
For about 12 hours, I was detained in the airport. During this time, I had the chance to sit and talk with some Muslim guys. We shared our beliefs with each other and I was able to share about Jesus and the message of love that He brings! We read the Bible together and I decided to leave it with them.
As soon as I gave them my Bible, the attending officer informed me that it was time to leave. My plane was leaving for North America.
I was frustrated at not being able to return to my team but God taught me a lot during this whole process. If I was only sent to North Africa for those couple of hours where I got to sit and talk to those guys in the airport, then it was totally worth it.
The whole time I was serving in North Africa, I felt God asking me, "Do you believe that you are here for a reason?" I believed, yes, but I didn't see it until those last few hours at the airport where I got to sit down and share my faith with those guys. God knows what He is doing and even though I couldn't understand it at the time, I had to believe.
"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3: 20-21
For more TREK stories & photos, visit www.mbmsi.org/trek.
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