North Texas Presbytery's Mission To The World

Update from Caleb & Aimee Dunn, MTW-Monterrey, MX

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:21:00 +0000

Dear Ministry Partners,

We are coming to the end of a full and exciting semester, as the Theological Institute continues to develop its "discipleship style" of ministerial training, with its focus on the power of the gospel of Christ to radically transform lives.

We are seeing amazing growth through trial and suffering in Northern Mexico. The economic and security situation here, while improving, is revealing the profound need of an anchor and strength that can only come from outside of the person. The foundations of our society are being shown to be faulty, and the gospel is being shown to be the solid ground that Mexico so desperately needs.

Our family continues to grow, and little Samuel (almost 5 months) is nice and chunky. It has been fun to see his personality begin to emerge as he laughs at his older siblings. Abigail has just finished her first violin book, and Andrew is now using the bow on his cello.

Please pray for us in this very busy time, as I wrap up the Seminary semester, and begin planing for next year. I am very thankful for my Mexican ministry partners. God has blessed our MTW team with unity of purpose.

Please pray for Andrés Garza, Jorge Alemán, Rafael Rodriguez, and me, as we plan for training and church planting this next academic year. Please also pray for Aimee in this intense time, as she home-schools and cares for three kids and one husband. And, please continue to pray for our church planters, who are constantly bombarded, not only with their own needs, but also with the almost overwhelming needs of our churches.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support.

Your co-labourer for Christ,

Caleb Dunn

Instituto Teológico Ministerial
Theological Institute of Ministry
of Mission to the World
Monterrey, México
(904) 322-8746 (Office from U.S.)
caleb@mtwmex.net

Update from Luke Smith, MTW-Cambodia

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:25:00 +0000

Greetings from Cambodia,

The Cambodian New Year started yesterday. It is a three day celebration where most people return to their hometowns to celebrate with their families. The first day of the celebration is used to welcome new angels who will come for one year periods of time to take care of the earth. People often go to the temple to get blessed or mediate at home in hopes that an angel will stay with their family throughout the new year. The second day is a time when gifts are exchanged and donations are given to the poor. The third day is filled with more ceremonies at the temple centered around forgiveness for misdeeds against the elderly and blessing for the new year. Many businesses are closed and the city looks a bit like a ghost town, since most people return to their hometowns in the countryside. I am enjoying a few days without language school and trying to keep cool as we are now in the midst of the hot season.

Speaking of language, last week I started my second class at the Institute of Foreign Linguistics. Here is the course description of the class I am currently taking: “Students review consonants, vowels and consonant feet, and construct sentences. Topics include shopping, going to the restaurant, going to the post-office, family, school, housework, and seeing a doctor.” I have learned much in the past six months, but still feel like I have just begun the process.
I recently had the opportunity teach an intensive one-training session on the Gospel of John in another country in SE Asia. While I was teaching one group, Lloyd was teaching another group of students the Synoptic Gospels and Acts. Lloyd is the team leader for Cambodia and currently he and his family are completing the last few months of home missionary assignment before returning in June. I took several intensive one week classes in seminary and now have a new appreciation for the work that is involved in preparing an intensive course and the energy it takes to teach a compact course. My translator had learned most of his English in Singapore. I had a good laugh when he told me part way through the week that it was getting easier for him to understand my accent. It was encouraging to be around church workers in another country that are growing in their understanding of the doctrines of grace and desire to have their teaching founded on the Word of God.

My roommate, Daniel, has helped me make a blog. I have posted the previous updates there as well as a couple photo albums.http://lifeincambodia.org . Also, Here is a video Daniel made of traffic in Phnom Penh: traffic video

Thanks for your prayers and support,
Luke

MTW StreetChild Seminar

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:44:00 +0000

MTW StreetChild Seminar

Saturday January 9^th 9 11:30 A.M.

Fort Worth Presbyterian Church

6251 Oakmont Trail

Fort Worth, TX 76132

817-731-3300

Take advantage of this opportunity to meet Tom Stewart Director of MTW s StreetChild Ministry and Jamie and Monse Contreras National Directors of Sobre el Puente drop- in center in Acapulco, MX.

Special Guest Speaker:

MTW StreetChild Director: Tom Stewart

Tom will be giving an overview of StreetChild ministries around the world. In addition, he will share the vision for the future as we seek to minister to the least of these.

Special Guest Speakers:

Acapulco, MX

Sobre el Puente Ministry National Directors: Jamie and Monse Contreras

Jamie and Monse will speak specifically of the ministry at Sobre el Puente (Over the Bridge) in Acapulco. Their drop-in center has 10-15 children coming each day and 7 boys living at the home.

To register just send your reply to

cynthia@fortworthpca.org with your name, church and how many attending.

Map to Fort Worth Presbyterian:

http://fortworthpca.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=1&tabid=15

Update from Rick & Pam Box, MTW-Colombia

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:46:00 +0000

Dear Fellow Pilgrims,

Yes, it has been quite a while since you have heard from me. No, I don’t have any “real” excuses to offer other than succumbing to the tyranny of the urgent which isn’t a ”real” excuse in the purest sense of the term. Since I last wrote, my mom came for a month-long visit for the first time since we left for Colombia. That was in answer to years of prayers, so you can only imagine how excited I was that she was coming! Since returning to Texas, she has taken up an intensive study of Spanish in order to not have to have a translator (me) in tow on her next visit this coming spring!

After mom left, it was once again time for the revolving door syndrome at United Church. A few of our committed families had finished up their tour of service here in Colombia and were being sent off to other exotic locations around the world or were returning home. In any case, that is always a bittersweet time for all of us. Unfortunately for me, our music leader and his family were also leaving to vacation in the States for the summer, so he left me in charge of the music for the 8 weeks he was out! And that left me totally out of my comfort and skill zone, but as God is ALWAYS faithful, He saw me through and the 8 weeks are over and as far as I can tell, no one left the church as a result, so I count that quite a blessing!

Rick and I have recently returned from a whirlwind trip to Argentina and Chile. We were sent to Argentina to meet some pastors there who are interested in coming in under the Colombian presbytery until they can organize one of their own. We stayed in La Plata, which is about an hour and a half outside of Buenos Aires. Pastor Gabriel kept us running the entire three days we were there meeting various pastors and members of several different churches. The Argentineans are very warm and friendly folks, well, the ones we met anyway. Sunday, we drove to Platanos where we attended a worship service brimming with young people. It always encourages me to see that: gives me hope for a healthy future Church. After the lively service, we were invited for a traditional Argentinean cook-out called an asado. Everything we had heard about the meat there was absolutely true. Wow! How delicious! And all cooked over a wood-burning fire!

Monday morning, we flew on to Santiago, Chile where we met with the team of missionaries, since Rick has been asked to help with the leadership there until MTW finds someone to take it full-time. As usual, we had a wonderful time with the team. The highlight for me was the trip to Vina del Mar on the pacific coast. We drove down there to see the ministry that the Ruggs have started for the “differently abled”. John is blind and has been working in full-time ministry with MTW for many, many years in church planting. I remember the last time we were in Chile, visiting the Renaca church on a Sunday morning and there was John, leading worship in Braille! I am constantly amazed at how God equips each of us according to our needs! John and his wife, Cathy have recently started a church in Vina specifically targeting people with all kinds of disabilities; or “different abilities”, as they would say. While we were there a blind couple sang us several Chilean songs they had composed. How can I ever think that I “can’t” do anything God calls me to do? Below is a pic of the Ruggs (on the right), Rick in the middle and Sam and Lois Mateer (current country director,on the left) while we enjoyed a seafood lunch in Vina del Mar. There were also a group of pelicans roosting on the roof that I wish you could have seen. Pelicans are proof to me that God has a great sense of humor!

How thankful I am that God has called us to sojourn in such a marvelous place! I constantly find myself awed that He would be so good to me, when I fail Him so miserably on a daily basis. His grace still amazes me after all these years! I hope this much-delayed letter finds you all basking in His marvelous grace as well. Until we meet again on the road………

Blessed beyond words,

Pam

Update from Howard Shelden

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:48:00 +0000

Dear Friends,

Summer is a time for travel and, although we don’t plan any, once in a while we reminisce about the countries we’ve lived in. But it’s interesting that each person in our family tends to miss a different culture.

Deidre misses the people in Galela communities. She did most of the actual Bible translation and spent countless hundreds of hours immersed in discussing nuances of meaning with Galela friends. How are they doing? What happened to so-and-so?

Howard thinks of living out of Indonesian hotels for a week or two at a time. We didn’t do that very much, but that’s how we finished up during the last year or two. There had been religious civil war in the Galela area, so a large Christian city was about as close as we could get. Galela colleagues would meet us there, staying with their own shirt-tail relatives.

Robert thinks of Ambon, Indonesia, but has only vague memories. This provincial capital with Pattimura University, which sponsored our visas, was his most consistent “home” from age five through 10. He’d like to reconnect somehow someday, but the war changed it so much that none of us would recognize it.

Esther thinks of Manila and Davao in the Philippines. These were her pre-teen through mid-teen years. As she viewed American fads and pop culture from an international perspective, she saw through the shallowness and developed more altruistic values. She wouldn’t really fit into Philippine culture, though, so she’s what is called a third-culture kid.

Reminiscence wouldn’t be complete without recalling that our family was fully supported financially and in prayer. Since returning to the U.S., we have been below minimum support levels, even with the children grown and living on their own. Each of us continues to hold full-time assignments with Wycliffe Bible Translators, Howard as Corporate Communications Publicity Writer and Deidre as Strategic Training and Assignment Consultant.

Howard and Deidre Shelden

Howard_Shelden@WBT.org
Dee_Shelden@WBT.org

Preparation for Cambodia Update from Luke Smith

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:07:00 +0000

Dear friends,

This is my first update that I am sending to everyone. Since the time is getting closer for my departure to Cambodia, and I have a busy summer ahead, I'll plan on sending out updates once or twice a month. For the next two weeks, I'll be focusing on support raising and studying for ordination. Currently, I have 68% of my monthly ongoing support pledged, and 100% of my one-time support has been raised. Here are the places that I'll be traveling this summer:

-June 7-12 – I will be at Ridge Haven, North Carolina for Living in Grace. It is a "grace-based discipleship course that guides attendees in understanding and applying the gospel of grace to their own lives and ministries."

-June 12-14 – I will be at New Life Mission Church (Presbyterian Church in America) in Fullerton, CA. I will be speaking in their services about the mission work, and I will be meeting with their session (elders) and missions committee.

-July 1-31 – I will be at pre-field training in New York City. The time will be spent in the field and classroom studying language acquisition techniques, church planting and evangelism, and team building skills.

-July 31- August 3 – I am tentatively planning on being in Illinois and seeing my family and possibly speaking at their church.

Reflections on graduating from seminary

On May 9th, I graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary. Four years and 120 hours later, the degree is finally complete. It is nice to be done, but in many ways it doesn't mean much. A seminary is one of the few places that when you complete your degree you really have nothing. Sure, I learned many things that will help me in the gospel ministry. But according to Paul in 2 Corinthians 2-3, no one is sufficient for the work of the gospel. No degree, no award, no refined speaking or writing skills, or other human ability gives us the qualifications necessary for the work of the gospel. Paul's answer is that the sufficiency for the task of ministry and for that matter all of the Christian life only comes from God's grace. And so may our boasting be only in the cross of Christ for that is all we have and that is fine for that is all we need.

Newspaper article

The Alton Telegraph interviewed me for a story that ran in last Sunday's paper. Alton is located north of St. Louis on the Illinois side of the river. Here is a link to the article: Newspaper article

Thanks for your prayers and support. Feel free to send me a note to tell me how you are doing.

-Luke

May, 2009 Report of MTW Missionaries from North Texas Presbyery

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:55:00 +0000

Note: this report has been redacted to take out information from our missionaries in sensitive ministries.

MTW MISSIONARIES

FROM NORTH TEXAS PRESBYTERY

Rick & Pam Box #010519 Bogotá, Colombia

Christ Presbyterian, Flower Mound

Rick is working with the Colombian leaders in churches and church plants in four major cities of Colombia. He and his wife, Pam, are working with the growing reformed Presbyterian Church in Colombia, South America. While the primary task is church-based training of Presbyterian pastors and elders (through church planting), ministry opportunities extend far beyond to other evangelical churches and leaders who are hungry for the Word of God.

Andrew & Rebecca Bronson #010731 Thailand

Park Cities, Dallas

Andrew and Becky are in their first year of seminary work at Covenant in St Louis. Andrew is working part-time for MTW while in school, continuing to support the work of MTW Thailand from the States assisting in fund-raising and administration. They plan to spend two months this summer in Thailand.

Ruth Dinkins #011718 Brazil

Christ Presbyterian, Tulsa

The new school year began March 2nd. They have 28 in the 3rd year (graduating class), 28 in the 2nd year and 26 in the 1st year. Ruth has added to her full schedule a music class (flute) and an elective English class (translation) for the guys that plan to go on to seminary. So many of the books in the libraries at the seminaries are in English and they need to know the content of these books. Of course, the girls are allowed to take the English class too.

Peter Dishman #011731 RUF-UNAM, Mexico City MTW/RUM

Town North, Richardson

"We are past the midway point of the semester, and God is at work in the lives of UNAM students. Pray for the group to continue to grow in Christ as I preach through the 10 commandments, small groups knit students together around the word, and we work through individual issues daily. Praise the Lord for a fun and transformative Holy Week retreat in Guanajuato on "a precious faith, a promised future" taught by TE Marc Schiebe - pray especially for the many seekers who heard the gospel clearly there. Praise the Lord for our first RUF couple, whose wedding I co-officiated this weekend! Pray that their marriage will be firmly established in Christ as they finish their majors and move into the work force. Please continue to pray diligently for a ministry location and for the ministry team for next semester."

Caleb & Aimee Dunn #011783 Mexico Church Planter Training

Park Cities, Dallas

In Monterrey where he grew up, Caleb continues ministering as the Director of the Theological Institute of Ministry in partnership with RTS Charlotte. The institute currently supports church planters and lay leaders with a B.A. in Theology, and also offers continuing education for presbyteries. He also continues to work toward his D.Min in Pastoral Counseling at WTS Philadelphia.

Ben Graber #012803 East Germany

Fort Worth PCA

Well into his second year, Ben is starting up a third round of English courses and preparing for summer English camp. His support is now enough to last through the summer, and he is exploring the possibility of continuing his work with the church plant through the end of the year.

Chris & Julie Koiner #14017 Monterrey, Mexico

Heritage, Oklahoma City

Chris and Julie (and 5 children) are in the support-raising phase of the MTW process. They plan to join the church planting team in Monterrey and assist in the areas of finance/administration, evangelism and mercy ministries, short-term team support, training church leaders on financial stewardship, and women’s ministry.

Scott & Mary Ann Nelson #015418 MTW/Wycliffe SIL Support

Trinity Presbyterian, Plano

Based in North Carolina serving translation teams around the world, Scott provides computer support for Bible translators working in Africa, Europe, South America and parts of Asia. He maintains the servers and services to provide email, language/scripture text version control, remote collaboration and other tools used by translators and support staff. Mary Ann serves as a counselor for missionaries and their families with the stresses and issues they face.

Howard and Deidre Shelden #016816 MTW/Wycliffe

New Covenant Presbyterian, Dallas

Deidre directs personnel administrators in the Dallas office of Wycliffe USA, helping with the difficult decisions needed to care for and deploy Wycliffe missionaries. Howard writes promotional and publicity materials about Wycliffe missionaries' achievements and milestones to enhance credibility in academic circles and in foreign government relations.

Doug & Masha Shepherd #016819 Ukraine

Christ Presbyterian, Tulsa

Dawn Brady Sparks #010572 Ukraine

Fifth Street Presbyterian, Tyler

Dawn and her husband, Steve, are living in Austin. Dawn is continuing her financial and administrative duties from the U.S. supporting the Ukraine team from here, freeing the resident team members for other duties. Steve has almost completed his first distance course from Covenant Seminary and is feeling more confirmed in his desire to pursue his degree there.. You can keep up with them on their ministry blog www.sparksministry.org.

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NEWS FROM BEAMM

Border Evangelism and Mercy Ministries

Steve Milvain, Village Seven PCA, is the Chairman of BEAMM Partnership.

Next Partnership Meeting – May 14-16 at Catalina Foothills Church (PCA), Tucson, Arizona. The meeting will be preceded by and followed by Vision Trips to Nogales, Sonora (May 15) and El Centro/Mexicali and Tijuana (May 17-18).

Contact Gene Bowman, (915) 838-3747 or glbowman@BEAMM.org, for details.

BEAMM Partners NTP Are: 5^th St., Tyler, Ft. Worth PCA, Redeemer, McKinney, and Westminster, Gainesville. steve@milvain.com

GREAT NEWS!! The land purchase for a community center in Juarez was completed last Friday, April 24. The Community Center in the city of Ciudad Juarez will become home to Gracia y Paz Church, the San Pablo Seminary, a place to house the short-term teams, and a place of outreach to the nearly two million people in the city.
Dan Young chosen as Eastern Region Director (Rio Grande Valley border area).
The donated 14,000 sq. foot building for Dios Soberano (Sovereign God) Mission, Mexicali, Western Region has been dismantled and is being stored at El Centro, CA, in preparation for being exported to Mexicali.
Missionary Units or Church Planters now headed for the border: Charles & Bonita Davidson have arrived and are settling in to life in El Paso; Ray & Michelle Call are in language school in Edinburg, Texas; Rick & Sharon Marooney, Julio & Arlette Navarro, Gary & Kay Whiting are in various stages of support raising.
Personnel Needs: English Language Trainers: Intern, Two-Year, Career:

Seminary Instructors: Two-week, Two Year, Career:

Contact Gene Bowman, 915-838-3747, glbowman@BEAMM.org

Summer Interns to host Summer Mission Trips – 2009,

Contact LuAnn Bowman, luannbowman@BEAMM.org

Special Note to Summer teams – don’t finalize any plans until you have communicated with LuAnn luannbowman@BEAMM.org Circumstances are different this year.
Check in at www.BEAMM.org to keep abreast of events on the border.

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AROUND THE PRESBYTERY

Planning a vision trip? Other plans to develop mission work in your church?

Notify John Butler. okcalvin@gmail.com

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OUR FEATURED MISSIONARY THIS QUARTER

LUKE SMITH #17118 - CAMBODIA

NEW ST. PETER’S, DALLAS

Luke grew up on a farm in west central Illinois. He went to college planning to pursue a career in agriculture. Through a couple of short-term missions trips with a campus ministry while in college at Western Illinois University, he started thinking about missions. Toward the end of graduate school at the University of Missouri, he was impacted by the missionary biography Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot, and his burden to be a missionary continued to grow. After completing graduate school, Luke went to Dallas Theological Seminary to further prepare for the mission field. While in seminary, he began to have a vision to serve in an area that was unreached and poor. He has continued to prepare by working with refugees in Dallas and serving in his church, New St. Peter's Presbyterian. Luke has been called to work in rural Cambodia training pastors. The majority of the country's population of 13 million live in villages spread throughout rural areas. It is a country struggling to recover from years of famine and civil war. Currently, fewer than 1 percent of the people are considered Christian. He is at 46% in his support raising.

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Report from Peter Dishman, 2/27/09

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:39:00 +0000

Note: Peter is Reformed University Fellowship / Mission to the World Campus Minister to the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City.

http://www.rufmexico.org/

The fall semester of 2008 was a semester of change at the UNAM. While we continued our second semester of large group (I taught through the gospel of John), as well as small groups located in three of the "faculties" of the school, our student makeup shifted towards newer students (both new converts this semester and Christians who for the first time discovered a Christian group to support and encourage them at the university). These students are now owning the group and developing relationships with one another, which is making for some good movement forward as we we enter the end of the first month of the Spring semester of 2009.

This semester I am teaching on the 10 commandments, and how the law points us to our need for Christ and his grace and teaches us to respond to our salvation with love for God and others. We also have five small groups, including one new study that began this week among the "yearly calendar" students (in the schools of Medicine and Dentistry) and another in the national school of Social Work (spearheaded by a new Christian who wants a Bible study in her faculty). Pray that the new small groups will catch on (especially the experimental one with the "yearly students"), and that student leaders will continue to emerge to direct these small groups.

We continue to have our English conversation clubs on Wednesday and Thursday, where we make many non-Christian contacts during the semester who often show interest in finding out more about our main activities. Last semester several English club students made their way into the RUF group, and at the end of the semester, several others asked to meet with me personally to talk about struggles with depression and decisions. English club attendance started out small this semester, but has grown to around 20-30 students, which is good especially since we have half the native English speakers we did last semester. Pray that God will send us some Christian exchange students (perhaps even from the PCA as he has in the past) to help our with the clubs. Pray for students from the clubs to take an interest in their spiritual lives by connecting with RUF students and checking out different avenues for involvement where they will hear the gospel.

This semester we have added a Friday social time called "a moment with RUF" (it sounds much better in Spanish), where students lead a community building activity (get to know you, discussion, etc.) and then we eat and do something informal (last week we played soccer, other weeks we have checked out different cultural activities at the UNAM). We hope this will enable students that cannot come to our Tuesday large group to get integrated, and for the students to build relationships with each other (remember that no one lives on campus, so most students have 2 friends from the UNAM, 2 friends from high school, and two friends from Junior High). Pray for this space to grow and for students to bring their friends.

Not only has our student group shifted, but our staff group has changed as well. Interns Josh and Amy Oettle headed to Austin at the end of the year, and we will miss them and their gifts and service, especially in developing the organic feel of our group and our outreach through the English clubs. Intern Jared Weatherholtz is engaged to be married to a Mexican girl who was working on staff with another campus ministry in Puebla, and will finish up his service in August. In addition to meeting with students, especially in the English clubs, and leading a small group Bible study, we are also excited about a CD of RUF hymns in Spanish that Jared is producing as part of the RUF music project in Spanish. Pray for more connection with RUF in the US through visiting campus ministers and groups at Spring Break and during the summers.

We don't have our budgets met in terms of support here, and need to work on building and growing relationships with givers. The financial situation in the US makes this a lot more difficult. Pray for us to be diligent communicators of what God is doing in Mexico and relationships builders, and for the Lord to provide the support we need to keep working in the church and among the 178 thousand students here.

NTP MTW Report, February, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 11:10:00 +0000

MTW MISSIONARIES
FROM NORTH TEXAS PRESBYTERY

February, 2009 Report

Rick & Pam Box #010519 Bogotá, Colombia

Christ Presbyterian, Flower Mound

Andrew & Rebecca Bronson #010731 Thailand
Park Cities, Dallas

They are in their first year of seminary work at Covenant in St Louis. Andrew is working part-time for MTW while in school, continuing to support the work of MTW Thailand from the States assisting in fund-raising and administration.
bronsons@mtwthailand.org www.mtwthailand.org

Ruth Dinkins #011718 Brazil

Christ Presbyterian, Tulsa

“Our new school year begins March 2nd. I will have 4 classes with the 1st year, 2 with the 2nd year and will be adding an elective English class for those interested in translation, and 1-2 flute classes. We have a saying in Brazil, "He who has one eye is a king in the land of the blind". I do play the flute and the Bible Institute has 3 flutes and there are some students interested in learning. So... here I go... to pass on what I know.”

dinkinsmr@hotmail.com

Peter Dishman #011731 RUF-UNAM, Mexico City MTW/RUM

Town North, Richardson

“We have just completed the first week of classes at the UNAM, and our large group and small groups will begin next week! Pray for the group to grow in strength and numbers this semester, for a location for the ministry to call home, and for university students in our ministry to grow in love for Christ and his church. Pray for intern Jared Weatherholtz as he completes his internship this semester, prepares to get married shortly thereafter, and looks longer term to returning to Mexico.”

pwdishman@gmail.com http://www.rufmexico.org/ (English) http://www.curunam.org/ (Spanish)

Caleb & Aimee Dunn #011783 Mexico Church Planter Training

Park Cities, Dallas

Ben Graber #012803 East Germany

Fort Worth PCA

Following a well-earned vacation to European capitols, Ben is back on the field, resuming his duties supporting the church planting team in place in Berlin. The monetary exchange rate has become a problem to his support budget. He needs prayer for peace of mind in financial matters.

Ben.graber@gmail.com http://bengraber.blogspot.com

Scott & Mary Ann Nelson #015418 SIL Support MTW/Wycliffe
Trinity Presbyterian, Plano

Scott_nelson@sil.org

Josh & Amy Oettle #015711 UNAM, Mexico City
Park Cities, Dallas

Final entry for Josh and Amy. Their 18 month UNAM tour completed, they are at home in Austin, finding new jobs and resuming their lives. VAYA CON DIOS!

Josh.oettle@gmail.com http://joshandamyoettle.wordpress.com

Howard and Deidre Shelden #016816 Wycliffe/Dallas

New Covenant Presbyterian, Dallas

Howard_Shelden@WBT.org Dee_Shelden@WBT.org http://www.wycliffe.org

Doug & Masha Shepherd #016819 Ukraine

Christ Presbyterian, Tulsa

Doug and Masha are continuing to make contacts in L’viv in the hopes of planting a church in this influential western Ukrainian city. The Shepherds are active ministering to university students, working with families, orphans, teammates and interns. “We are now in the States (Tulsa) and will return to Ukraine on March 2nd. We are traveling to different churches from coast to coast every weekend. The kids are enjoying their time with grandparents while we all get our medical checkups etc.”
Free2travel98@yahoo.com

NEW! Luke Smith # 17118 Cambodia
New St. Peter’s, Dallas

Just beginning support raising, Luke has been called to work in rural Cambodia training pastors. The majority of the country's population of 13 million lives in villages spread throughout rural areas. It is a country struggling to recover from years of famine and civil war. Currently, less than 1 percent of the people are considered Christian.
LBSmith62@hotmail.com

Dawn Brady Sparks #010572 Ukraine

Fifth Street Presbyterian, Tyler

Dawn and her husband, Steve, are living in Austin. Dawn is continuing her financial and administrative duties from the U.S. supporting the Ukraine team from here, freeing the resident team members for other duties. Steve is beginning Seminary classes as they continue to pray for guidance for future ministry. You can keep up with them on their ministry blog.
dawn@sparkstracks.com. www.sparksministry.org.

Chris & Julie Koiner #14017 Monterrey, Mexico
Heritage, Oklahoma City

Chris and Julie have just begun the support-raising phase of the MTW process. This family, God willing, will join the church planting team in Monterrey and assist in the areas of finance/administration, evangelism and mercy ministries, short-term team support, training church leaders on financial stewardship, and women’s ministry. They will also, through God’s grace, join the other families on the team in being a light in the darkness and an example of a Christ-centered covenant family. Children are: Jacob (9/19/97), Jaden (6/2/99), Jewel (12/30/00), Jennah (1/17/04), and Jillian (11/23/05).

New Missionaries from NTP: The Koiners

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:41:00 +0000

By Chris Koiner

We are all familiar with the account in the Gospels where Jesus feeds the 5,000, but I would like to focus on the insignificance of the two fish and five loaves Jesus used in order to describe our call to the mission field. Many of you are aware that Julie and I were officially approved in September as missionaries with Mission to the World (MTW) and are just beginning the fund raising process in order to join the church-planting team in Monterrey, Mexico. It is our prayer that God would use our story to encourage others to get involved in missions and, maybe for some of you, to answer God’s call to the mission field.

Our journey began about three years ago when God sparked a small flame in me after hearing a missionary give their story during the Sunday school hour at Heritage Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City. Julie and I discussed the possibility of missions and agreed to contact MTW. Providentially, God brought several MTW missionary families that Heritage supports through town over the next few years. We had a wonderful opportunity to share a meal and discuss their experiences on the field and how they discerned their call to missions.

We decided to start the MTW “process” by completing the application paperwork and going through a phone interview. I refer to the steps required for an MTW missionary to get on to the field as a process, because it is designed to help you discern and confirm your call over a period of several years. One can move through this process as quickly as two and a half years, but for our family, it could take as long as five years from the time we completed our initial applications in 2006. Julie and I, and our immediate families, have come to appreciate the time and care MTW commits to their missionaries, from the application and selection process, to the readiness evaluation and pre-field training. MTW thinks and plans long-term so their missionaries have the best chance of success once they are on the field.

We have just begun the support-raising phase of the MTW process, which usually takes about a year and a half, but, in our situation, could take longer than two years. MTW requires their missionaries, by design, to raise their own support through partnering with churches and individuals. The amount we are required to raise in monthly and one-time support is daunting, but we know that God will use this process to build our faith and confirm our call to Monterrey.

Our family, God willing, will join the church planting team in Monterrey and assist in the areas of finance/administration, evangelism and mercy ministries, short-term team support, training church leaders on financial stewardship, and women’s ministry. We will also, through God’s grace, join the other families on the team in being a light in the darkness and an example of a Christ-centered covenant family.

What can an accountant, homemaker, and five children do to help build God’s kingdom in northern Mexico? How can two fish and five loaves feed well over 5,000 hungry people? Inadequate, hopeless, impossible, yes, all the words I would use to describe the two fish and five loaves in man’s hands, but in our Savior’s hands they become satisfying, an over abundance, and a testimony to His lordship over all things. Our family is nothing special, we have the same struggle with sin and doubt that all of you have, which is why His name will be all the more praised by using us to build His kingdom.

So, we are asking you to partner with us prayerfully and financially, but we also encourage you to consider getting directly involved with missions work, whether through a week long trip, a short-term commitment, or as a career missionary. If God can use us, then He, certainly, can use anybody!

Introducing New NTP MTW missionary Luke Smith

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:55:00 +0000

Luke grew up on a farm in west central Illinois. He went to college planning to pursue a career in agriculture. Through a couple of short-term missions trips with a campus ministry while in college at Western Illinois University, he started thinking about missions. Toward the end of graduate school at the University of Missouri, he was impacted by the missionary biography Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot, and his burden to be a missionary continued to grow. After completing graduate school, Luke went to Dallas Theological Seminary to further prepare for the mission field. While in seminary, he began to have a vision to serve in an area that was unreached and poor. He has continued to prepare by working with refugees in Dallas and serving in his church, New St. Peter’s Presbyterian . Luke has been called to work in rural Cambodia training pastors. The majority of the country’s population of 13 million live in villages spread throughout rural areas. It is a country struggling to recover from years of famine and civil war. Currently, fewer than 1 percent of the people are considered Christian.

You may contact Luke at LBSmith62@hotmail.com to find out more about his intended work and to schedule him to speak at your church.

Doug Serven's MTW Vision Trip to Greece

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:14:00 +0000

Note: North Texas Presbytery's MTW Committee provides Teaching Elders and key Ruling Elders of our presbytery with monetary assistance to go on MTW's Vision Trips. See here for information on MTW Vision Trips.

Last week I returned from Athens, Greece. I went there with a group of RUF campus ministers and with some MTW workers.

We arrived in Greece on Saturday night after the long flights on KLM from Atlanta to Amsterdam to Athens. We were picked up by Yodis, one of the Greek pastors in Athens. We stayed in a church near the port, and we had excellent accommodations there, especially the food from the woman who cooked for us - Vicki.

Unfortunately, my bags didn't arrive until Sunday afternoon, so that put me out of sorts for a time.

On Sunday, we worshiped with Yodis at his church, the biggest in the Greek Evangelical Church. It was a blessing to worship together with these dear brothers and sisters. The church was full, and it was Reformation Sunday, so we sang A Might Fortress Is Our God in Greek. To think of the worldwide church in every tongue and language, did my heart good.

I preached on Sunday night in Pastor George's church, which is nearby. They were excited to have just finished a project at a nearby town where they had planted thousands of olive trees to replace those burned in a huge, devastating fire. There was a passion for service there, a heart for people, a love for the gospel.

One of the days we were there, we trekked up to Volos, a mountainous port city in the north. We met Pastor Melatus there, and he took us to an excellent lunch while we discussed his work, his church, and his need for help. There are 5000 college students in that town, and they're trying to reach out to the city in love and service.

I might mention that these three pastors (George, Yodis and Melatus) all went to Gorden Conwell Seminary in Boston. All either have or are working on their PhDs, this is is a well-trained, educated pastorate. They are sending two more to seminary, and are wanting to plant churches in Athens - one to a university part of the the town and another to an immigrant community.

We toured two of the campus with the man who has been heading up the campus work there, Tim. He showed us around, explaining his heart for Greece, Athens and the university. We were able to meet many students, all of them who were passionate about the gospel and about getting together in fellowship. service and outreach.

We also had fun. We were able to tour the Parthenon, Acropolis, Temple of Zeus, Hadrian's Gate and Mars Hill. The historical value of Athens cannot be understated. To stand where Western Civilization began was truly breathtaking. Perhaps my favorite part was on Tuesday, when we were able to go to Aegina, a Greek island only an hour's ferry away. We rented mopeds and tootled around the island, trying not to get lost. The Aegean Sea always on our left, we circled the island until we stopped at a restaurant for one of the many great Greek salads I had.

I'd recommend you consider going to Athens and joining in what God is doing there:

* Church planting

* Campus ministry

* The faithful preaching and teaching of God's word

* Training and sending men to seminary

* Works of good for the community - food shelter, clothes, ministry to prostitutes, helping the city

* Involvement in a Bible college in Athens

There is much good to participate in. To learn about more opportunities, please contact Opal Hargrove: opal.hardgrove@mtw.org

November, 2008 Reports From Our NTP-MTW Missionaries

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:35:00 +0000

Note: we have not listed reports from NTP-MTW missionaries serving in sensitive areas of the world

OUR FEATURED MISSIONARY THIS QUARTER
Scott & Mary Ann Nelson #015418
MTW/Wycliffe Trinity Presbyterian, Plano

Scott and Mary Ann Nelson have been serving as missionaries with MTW and Wycliffe Bible Translators since their acceptance as members in 2000.Their first assignment was with the team in Nairobi, Kenya which provides the Scriptures in the heart language of unreached people groups in Africa.
Now based in North Carolina serving translation teams around the world, Scott provides computer support for Bible translators working in Africa, Europe, South America and parts of Asia. He maintains the servers and services to provide email, language/scripture text version control, remote collaboration and other tools used by translators and support staff. Mary Ann serves as a counselor for missionaries and their families with the stresses and issues they face.
With a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University, Scott worked for 12 years in computing before joining MTW. Mary Ann received her undergraduate degree from Wheaton College, an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary and an M.A. in Marriage and Family Counseling from Southwestern Seminary.
Together with MTW and Wycliffe, they seek to take God's Word-Life!-to those still waiting.
The Nelsons have three children: Leigh Ann, Drew, Peter
Scott_nelson@sil.org

Rick & Pam Box #010519 Bogotá, Colombia Christ Presbyterian, Flower Mound
In Colombia, Rick is working with the Colombian leaders in training and church planting. Rick pastors the only English speaking church in Colombia and assists in the development of three church plants. They are beginning training centers in English and Spanish in their church building this fall.
On a more personal note, Pam was able to be with her father when lung cancer took his life. Our condolences go to the family and praise for his Christ honoring life..
rbox@mtwsa.org / pamelajbox@yahoo.com

Dawn Brady Sparks #010572 Ukraine Fifth Street Presbyterian, Tyler
Dawn is currently in the U.S. on HMA. She and her new husband, Steve, are living in Austin as they seek to determine whether God is sending them back to Ukraine in the near future.
Meanwhile, Dawn is continuing many of her country-wide financial and administrative duties from the U.S. as she supports the Ukraine team from this side of the ocean. Please pray for Dawn and Steve as they seek to follow where God is leading. You can keep up with them on their ministry blog.
dbrady@mtwukraine.org www.sparksministry.org.

Andrew & Rebecca Bronson #010731 Thailand Park Cities, Dallas
“We are well into our first year of seminary work at Covenant in St Louis. Classes are going well, and we've quickly realized we have so much to learn! Andrew is working part-time for MTW while in school, continuing to support the work of MTW Thailand from the States assisting in fund-raising and administration. We continue to pray about the specifics of God's plan for us after seminary, even though that's a few years away - and we plan to spend next summer in Bangkok supporting the team.”
bronsons@mtwthailand.org www.mtwthailand.org

Ruth Dinkins #011718 Brazil Christ Presbyterian, Tulsa
“I arrived back in Brazil the 16th of July and in Patrocínio the 19th. Classes began the 4th of August. I have 2 classes with the first year in their field work, and 2 classes of Christian Education Theory with the 1st year. The rest of my time is observing students in their field work, helping in our work shop, translating materials, producing materials, and informal counseling. I am sorry that I was not able to get to TX to get to know you folks. One of these times it will work out for me to get down your way.”
dinkinsmr@hotmail.com

Peter Dishman #011731 RUF-UNAM, Mexico City MTW/RUM Town North, Richardson
“We are past the midpoint of the semester and headed into the final stretch. The Lord has brought some new students to the group and some newer students to faith. Pray that our group might finish strong this semester, and in particular for interns Josh and Amy Oettle as they finish their term of service here and head back to the US.”
pwdishman@gmail.com http://www.rufmexico.org/ (English) http://www.curunam.org/ (Spanish)

Caleb & Aimee Dunn #011783 Mexico Church Planter Training Park Cities, Dallas
Back home in Monterrey (after HMA), where he grew up; Caleb continues ministering as the Director of the Theological Institute of Ministry in partnership with RTS Charlotte. The institute currently supports church planters and lay leaders with a B.A. in Theology, and also offers continuing education for presbyteries. He also continues to work toward his D.Min in Pastoral Counseling at WTS Philadelphia.
caleb@mtwmex.net / aimee@mtwmex.net

Ben Graber #012803 Eastern Germany Fort Worth PCA
At the end of his first year of two: “How do I talk about a year like this? We were a little church meeting in a cafe when I got here….. But we are a little church with a home, a team of missionaries who have Done Ministry In the Community…. So here we are, trying to grow into the bigness of what He seems to be doing.”
Ben.graber@gmail.com http://bengraber.blogspot.com

Josh & Amy Oettle #015711 UNAM, Mexico City Park Cities, Dallas
The fall semester is well under way for students at the UNAM. Josh and Amy and the team are working with Bible studies and English Clubs and getting in touch with old students and new students. Josh and Amy are soon to finish their short-term mission and return to the States. Pray that their decisions about their future be always glorifying to God.
Josh.oettle@gmail.com http://joshandamyoettle.wordpress.com

Howard and Deidre Shelden #016816 Wycliffe/Dallas New Covenant Presbyterian, Dallas
Deidre directs personnel administrators in the Dallas office of Wycliffe USA, helping with the difficult decisions needed to care for and deploy Wycliffe missionaries. Howard writes promotional and publicity materials about Wycliffe missionaries' achievements and milestones to enhance credibility in academic circles and in foreign government relations.

Doug & Masha Shepherd #016819 Ukraine Christ Presbyterian, Tulsa
Doug and Masha have finished a busy summer training 6 American two-month interns in L'viv. The team also hosted a one week English Camp in the Carpathian Mountains for 53 Ukrianian university students. The team is now busy following up these contacts and starting a few bible studies. The Shepherds are scheduled to visit the States (Home Assignment) for three months this winter. Continue to pray for converts. Free2travel98@yahoo.com

NEWS FROM BEAMM Border Evangelism and Mercy Ministries

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:33:00 +0000

Steve Milvain, Village Seven PCA, is the Chairman of BEAMM Partnership.

Next Partnership Meeting – November 14-15 at Redeemer PC, Overland Park, Kansas.

BEAMM Partners NTP Are: 5th St., Tyler, Ft. Worth PCA, Redeemer, McKinney, and Westminster, Gainesville. steve@milvain.com

The search for land for a community center in Juarez continues.

The donated 14,000 sq. foot building for Dios Soberano (Sovereign God) Mission, Mexicali, Western Region has been dismantled and is being stored at El Centro, CA, in preparation for being exported to Mexicali.

Missionary Units or Church Planters now headed for the border: Jeff & Heather Vaughn are now settled in El Paso; Charles & Bonita Davidson are scheduled to join the team in January 09; Ray & Michelle Call are in language school in Edinburg, Texas; Rick & Sharon Marooney, Julio & Arlette Navarro, Gary & Kay Whiting,.

Personnel Needs: BEAMM Regional Director - Eastern Region: Career:
English Language Trainers: Intern, Two-Year, Career:
Seminary Instructors: Two-week, Two Year, Career:
Contact Gene Bowman, 915-838-3747, glbowman@BEAMM.org
Summer Interns to host Summer Mission Trips – 2008,
Contact Luann Bowman, luannbowman@BEAMM.org

Check in at www.BEAMM.org to keep abreast of events on the border.

dropping by

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:46:00 +0000

via i am probably overthinking this by Ben Graber on 10/29/08

I remember a lot of frustration over the 14 months of my support-raising before I came out here when I realized that I had no Missionary Stories to grab the interest of my hearers and readers, no tales of God's mighty deeds abroad among the heathen and all that.

Eventually you do start to collect those stories, particularly when He sticks you right there on a street corner in the field and makes you visible. Day in and day out, I sit in the entry area of our church, which has a big bright sign and posters in the great big plate-glass windows and interesting-looking pictures on the walls, and people drop in.

read the rest:

A Russian lady wondered if it would be possible to rent out our space for the exercise classes for seniors that she leads. A couple of folks wondered if we knew where a charity grocery service's offices were. Some people are curious about English. Some wonder who we are and what kind of weird church we are. Some remember when this place was a sketchy bar whose proprietor was murdered a decade ago, and how long it sat empty afterward, and they're impressed with the renovations.

And some people have more questions. Another Russian lady said she had never felt comfortable walking into a church with her questions about the basics of Christianity, but she worked up the courage this time. A young father and his little daughter came in because she felt a sudden compulsion to do so; he's an atheist, but somewhat favorably disposed to churches, and he's interested in having his daughter take part in children's programming.

And today - right now, as I write - there is a man who came in saying that he is contemplating suicide, and he's sitting in David's office. Judi and Alex and I prayed for a little while, while the kids here for Kids' Camp ate their snack, while the heating repairman poked around, while all this ministry chaos raged, and I suppose I am still writing this as a prayer that God will show Himself through David right now, that He will save another life, that He will bring this man into the place where he can be healed and know that there is Someone to live for, Someone Who would send His Son to love him and give Himself for him.

Just one little corner of one city of one small continent in this whole world - I try to picture the human experience here, and it's an incomprehensible swirl, a maddening blur of paths crossing and diverging and running parallel, burning passion and dark, cold loneliness, sparks of hope and glow of love, and everywhere need, pushing and pulling them all.

And here we are on one little corner of that little corner, and a lot of paths run by us, and a lot of them run into our home, and we get the stories.

Sharon Abebe Prepares for Mission Field

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:35:00 +0000

A member of Metrocrest PCA in Carrollton, Texas, Sharon is planning to leave for her native Ethiopia by the first of February 2009. We are very excited to see this fulfillment of Sharon's desire to minister to the women of her country. She has become a Certified Biblical Counselor, and is finishing her studies in Bible training. Be praying for her preparation and for her prayer and financial support to come in as she gets ready to enter this new chapter of her life. To support Sharon:

Payable to Life Wind, P.O. Box 576645, Modesto, CA 95357

Memo on all checks/cheques/online gifts: “LifeWind – Account #S084”

You may also give online at www.LifeWind.org

Sharon writes:

I was born and grew up in Ethiopia. As an adult I came to the U.S. to work and study but I have never forgotten my home country. Since I was a child in Ethiopia, the Lord has given me a great burden for hurting people. I want to not only pray for them, but also get right in the midst of their pain and help them in tangible ways. Over the years, and as I have grown in my faith, a vision has emerged: I want to go back to my country and get deeply involved in the suffering of my people. There are so many in Ethiopia who are spiritually and emotionally broken. My greatest burden by far is for my sisters in the Ethiopian villages. The compassion I feel for these women is overflowing! As a Board Certified Biblical Counselor, I will be working directly with women who are divorced, abused, and whose marriages are in trouble and need healing. I will also be training women to help minister to the needs of these families in crisis.
Because of the vision God gave me as a child, I believe He is calling me to go back to Ethiopia with an organization called LifeWind International to work as a teacher and family counselor. LifeWind International works with expatriate and indigenous missionaries to reach people in over 80 countries with a life changing message of community development, basic health education, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. My work will mostly be focused on women’s and children’s issues as well as marriage counseling. My knowledge of the Ethiopian language and culture will be a big advantage. Please come alongside me and pray that God would financially prepare the way for me to go and serve Him in Ethiopia and to give families hope and a future.
In His Love
Sharon Abebe

Beginning of the Year Wrap Up

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 01:39:00 +0000

From Peter Dishman, RUF @ UNAM

The best way that you can see the first few weeks of the year at the UNAM has to be via the updates from Josh and Amy Oettle on their blog. There you can see some pictures of our kickoff party, and if you scroll down far enough, of our pre-semester retreat as well.

It has been a good semester so far - sadly, a bunch of our regular folk are starting to disappear as they move into their thesis and social service phases (in some cases, students in this fifth year phase have lots more time, but generally they have a lot less as they move towards post-UNAM life); at the same time, however, we have also seen a number of new faces at our group as people discover our group and begin to become part of it (one of the new things that we tried this year was having an information table set up outside of one the main entrances of the UNAM - we have never seen a Christian group do this before, but we have garnered a lot of confused looks and a good amount interest in “Christian community at the UNAM”).

This semester at our Tuesday large group, we are working through the gospel of John, and last week we talked about the mystery of the incarnation - how Jesus the divine missionary enters human history to redeem a people for himself. We are still learning what that missionary invasion means in our lives as well as what it means for our lives at the university. We also have student and intern led small groups going on Ephesians, the letters of John, and the Foundations of Christianity in Filosophy and Letters, Engineering, and Sciences.

English Club has been big this semester - a lot of new faces among the 40 or so that have been coming out on Wednesdays and Fridays to learn to talk like “real gringos”. Lots of relationships beginning to grow there, and you can pray that our group draws positive attention from the administration and from students alike.

Posted by Peter Dishman on Sunday, August 31st, 2008 at 3:10 pm.

Praying for Muslims and the Muslim World: 30 Days of Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:22:00 +0000

Pray for the Muslim World's conversion during their month of Ramadan, staring September 1st! Click here for an online, interactive prayer guide.

August Reports from MTW MISSIONARIES FROM NORTH TEXAS PRESBYTERY

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 13:15:00 +0000

Rick & Pam Box #010519
Bogotá, Colombia
Christ Presbyterian, Flower Mound
“In Colombia, Rick is working with the Colombian leaders in training and church planting. We are planning to constitute one of the three church plants in Bogotá next month (September). In September, we have six Colombian men scheduled to undergo exam for elder in Cúcuta, Colombia. This is quite a blessing for us since we have been training and preparing these men for several years. We continue to partner with the only English speaking church in Colombia and we hope to begin training centers in English and Spanish in their church building this fall. On a more personal note, please pray for Pam's father who was recently diagnosed with lung cancer.”

Dawn Brady Sparks #010572
Ukraine
Fifth Street Presbyterian, Tyler
The Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ukraine (EPCU) was particularized on April 16! This is a great step forward for the church we work with in Ukraine. Dawn married Steve Sparks on April 26 and they will be thinking and praying about whether God is calling them to return to Ukraine. For the remainder of 2008, Dawn will be on HMA and will be visiting supporting churches and giving reports on the work in Kiev.
Dawn plans to be with us at Presbytery.
www.sparksministry.org.

Andrew & Rebecca Bronson #010731
Thailand
Park Cities, Dallas
"The summer has been a busy time of moving to a new place and diving into full-time academics again. God has been gracious in his provision for us. Thus far, we are really enjoying St Louis and Covenant Seminary. This will be a place we feel we will learn and grow much over the next few years. We have also continued on part-time staff with MTW Thailand assisting with finances and church partnership administration state-side. This is exciting stuff for us to stay involved in; we look forward to continuing to support www.mtwthailand.org

Ruth Dinkins #011718
Brazil
Christ Presbyterian, Tulsa
“I arrived back in Brazil the 16th of July and in Patrocínio the 19th. Classes began the 4th of August. I have 2 classes with the first year in their field work, and 2 classes of Christian Education Theory with the 1st year. The rest of my time is observing students in their field work, helping in our work shop, translating materials, producing materials, and informal counseling. I am sorry that I was not able to get to TX to get to know you folks. One of these times it will work out for me to get down your way.”

Peter Dishman #011731
RUF-UNAM, Mexico City
MTW/RUM
Town North, Richardson
“The first week of school is upon us here at the UNAM, after a summer of interns and trips and retreats! Please pray for us as we connect with students at the beginning of this semester: for students that we know from RUF and the English Club, for students that we don’t know that are coming in from the churches, for students that we would like to know as they see the flyers for our semester activities. Pray that the Lord will bring us the students he wants us to minister to this semester and that we will be ready to receive them!”
http://www.rufmexico.org/ (English) http://www.curunam.org/ (Spanish)

Caleb & Aimee Dunn #011783
Mexico
Church Planter Training
Park Cities, Dallas
Back home in Monterrey (after HMA), where he grew up; Caleb continues ministering as the Director of the Theological Institute of Ministry in partnership with RTS Charlotte. The institute currently supports church planters and lay leaders with a B.A. in Theology, and also offers continuing education for presbyteries. He also continues to work toward his D.Min in Pastoral Counseling at WTS Philadelphia.
Our deepest sympathy goes to Caleb and the family on the home-going of his grandfather Harold Dunn.

Ben Graber #012803
East Germany
Fort Worth PCA
Well into his two-year term, Ben is preparing to lead a children's English camp in the new rented rooms of the church plant he serves in Berlin, where he also hopes to offer adult English courses in the fall. The church held its first worship service there in August and is planning a neighborhood festival and concert to reach out to the community in September.
http://bengraber.blogspot.com

Scott & Mary Ann Nelson #015418
SIL Support
MTW/Wycliffe
Trinity Presbyterian, Plano
“We have been trying to solve a communications equipment problem between the Eastern Congo and Kenyan translation centers. The new equipment was received and we are waiting on approval from the government to be able to use the equipment to connect these folks to each other wirelessly. Pray that the application is approved and the equipment serves them well in their task.”

Josh & Amy Oettle #015711
UNAM, Mexico City
Park Cities, Dallas
The fall semester is just beginning for students at the UNAM. Josh and Amy and the team are preparing for Bible studies and English Clubs to start, and getting in touch with old students and new students. It’s an energetic, busy time. At the first of the month, they had a 3 day CUR (Spanish for RUF) Retreat at the home of Ruth’s parents in Tequisquapan, a city a few hours away. http://joshandamyoettle.wordpress.com

Doug & Masha Shepherd #016819
Ukraine
Christ Presbyterian, Tulsa
Doug and Masha have finished a busy summer training 6 American two-month interns in L'viv. The team also hosted a one week English Camp in the Carpathian Mountains for 53 Ukrainian university students. The team is now busy following up these contacts and starting a few bible studies. The Shepherds are scheduled to visit the States (Home Assignment) for three months this winter. Continue to pray for converts.

Fwd: Lot's Going On!

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:14:00 +0000

From Peter Dishman, RUF @ UNAM, Mexico City

This past week, in addition to English Clubs and intern studies, we were at the Salvation Army Orphanage with a number of students putting on a vacation Bible school. We had about 30 kids on the first day, and about 60 kids on the last two days. It was a great time with puppets, crafts, games, movies and hangout time as we learned about how God made us, God loves us, and God listens to us. You can see LOTS of pictures at my smugmug site. When we left, the kids said - "next time come back for a week, and sleep over!" I hope that we can do that; it is a very needy place with some really wonderful kids, some of them without parents, some of them whose parents couldn't afford to keep them. In one of the crafts, the kids got pictures of themselves - seemed like for a lot of them it was their first time to have their very own personal photo.

On Saturday, we went to El Rollo, the infamous water park where I got six stitches last year. This time it was great, though, and we had about 20 to 25 people in our group zooming down slides and bobbing up and down in wave pools. I'm pleased that El Rollo lived up to its billing (as a quality certified ISO-9000 approved water park). Pictures of folks on the trip to Jojutla (try and say that: ho-HOOT-lah) are up at smugmug as well.

This week we have had a few visitors (maybe more on that later) and have had good English Clubs and hangout time. Yesterday we played soccer after the club, and just after we had tied 2-2 and were walking to the chemistry faculty to eat, we almost got struck by lightening. Glad we stopped when we did! After eating, we watched and briefly talked about Gattaca - maybe you have seen it? Lots to talk about there. Tomorrow we will have the last English Club of the semester and the farewell of our two summer interns, Abby and Meredith, and then we will have a sleepover so that we won't have too much hassle taking them to the airport at around 3:30 AM. Ouch!

In the news for the near future - studying for next semester next week, then we have a team retreat in Acapulco, then RUF staff training in Atlanta for a week, then a visit to a supporting church in Athens (Georgia, no Europe), and then finally back here for a retreat before school starts and then school. Should be a full, fun, and exhausting rest of the summer.

Posted by Peter Dishman on Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 at 4:31 pm.

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:09:00 +0000

The box chronicles

FROM NTP MTW MISSIONARIES RICK AND PAM BOX:

Dear Fellow Pilgrims,

The journey often gets complicated and the way strewn with potholes and rocks and it keeps one’s eyes open and alert for dangers ahead and the mind distracted, or maybe just focused, and in the meantime, days are ticking away and before you know it, two months have passed without you even being aware! It seems much more difficult these days to stay on top of a monthly letter, so I hope you will be patient if the monthly letter turns into a bi-monthly letter or even worse, a quarterly one! Since I talked with you last, Rick and I had the privilege of visiting our daughters in Texas, oh, and our grandkids! I was able to spend a full two weeks, but unfortunately Rick could only be there a week as he was in the middle of training sessions for deacon and elders in United Church. But, even though the time was short, we had a wonderful time of refreshment and as usual, much too soon the day came for us to head back to Colombia. On our return, we began planning for the ordination service for the first elders and deacons for United Church. It was a very joyous occasion and a new beginning for this only English speaking international evangelical church in Bogota. We have four covenant children on the way and three weddings scheduled before Christmas! Rick and I have been doing quite a bit of pre-marital counseling and other counseling as well, hence, the lack of time for writing the “Chronicles” or even much musing! But, we both do much better with busy, so all is good.

A couple weeks after we returned from Texas, I came down with a most horrid flu that put me in bed with a 102+ fever for three days. I really don’t have much recollection of those three fever filled days, but after the fact, I realized that I must have missed taking my low-dose hormone therapy because my emotions were all over the place. I am learning to have compassion for all who are on meds that alter hormones or serotonin levels! Wow! Thankfully, after a week I was more or less recovered from the flu symptoms and have been convinced from now on to get the yearly flu shot. I am not a very good patient, no, I am a horrible patient! And, I have figured out a sure-fire way not to “forget” taking my hormones! Who would have thought that losing a couple little ovaries could cause such a stink?

On the Colombian front……..we are in the middle of a challenging situation with Javier and his wife, Sandra. Javier has been pastoring the Cristo Rey church for about 15 years, but lately, Sandra has been diagnosed with a severe OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and can’t work and struggles in relationships with people, so Javier has considered resigning. As a result, they have been on a one-month sabbatical to seek the Lord and pray for His direction for their lives. The Colombian presbytery, of which Rick and Joe Harrell are both members have been covering the ministry at Cristo Rey during this month. The sabbatical is now at an end and it seems like Javier won’t be continuing on as pastor of the Cristo Rey church. He desires to continue on in full-time ministry, but is looking at other options as well. To further complicate things, Javier and Sandra have been living on the second floor of the Cristo Rey building, so now, have nowhere to live and no income at present to find a place to rent. We desperately need your prayers for the Lord to make clear to Javier what it is he is to do now and to open the appropriate doors whether it be to return to secular work or continue on in the ministry.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting a sweet Colombian-born young woman who was taken to Florida to live when she was seven by her mother. Years later, her mother married an American citizen, but he didn’t adopt Alina, so she never got her papers. Minors can’t apply for their own papers; the parents have to petition. Alina’s mom finally tried to apply for her papers when she had just turned 21, but then was told that Alina would have to apply herself, as an adult, but that if she did, she would be deported. Alina was in college at the time and did not ever remember living in Colombia, so didn’t act. Later she married an American citizen and when in the process of filling out the paperwork for marriage was arrested and put in a detention facility for six months. Two years ago she was deported to Colombia. Can you imagine how frightening that would be; to be sent to a country that you don’t remember living in at all and dropped off there? Her husband has been petitioning for her for two years, but she is still here. Alina came to United Church with another young Colombian woman in the exact same situation a couple weeks ago. They are here in the country of their birth, but aren’t really Colombian at all. Alina doesn’t even know how to read or write Spanish! I thought the immigration problem in the States was so black and white until I met these people. Alina went with me to the ladies bible study yesterday and said that she knows that God has a purpose in her being here even though it is extremely painful to be apart from her husband for so long. She has great hope that she will be able to return home soon. Alina is a third culture person: she’s not really Colombian, but she’s not totally American either. I have jokingly said that we may need to change the name of United Church to United Church, Home of the Deported! It is such a privilege to be able to minister to these needy believers!

Well, I have been extremely long-winded this time! It has been nice to take a little respite and muse over the past few months of highlights with you. But, it’s time to get back on the road. There are many pitfalls that need to be leapt over, rocks that need to be moved out of the way and pilgrims whose hands need to be taken in mine so that we can walk the way together. But, in those times when there is no one else on the path, I know I am not alone……I walk with Jesus.

Always with Jesus,

Pam

HINTS Newsletter June 2008

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:31:00 +0000

HINTS International
a charitable trust for
Help In New Testament Study
Rev. John R. Werner, Ph.D., Chairman
 
306 Woodcrest Dr.
Richardson, TX  75080-1946
JohnRWerner@yahoo.com
JUNE, 2008
 
==============================================================
 
     The LORD will be awesome to them
      when he destroys all the gods of the land.
     The nations on every shore will worship him,
      every one in its own land.
             Zeph. 2:10-11 NIV
 
==============================================================
 
Dear friends in Christ,
 
As you know, God took me to Greece at age 26 to make me an 
international Christian and a husband. I'd thought I was going there 
just to study Greek archaeology. And I did.
 
A few days, ago, I read the newsletter of the archaeology school. 
You'd be shocked, as I am, by an item in it. A scholar blasts 
"Christian intolerance and fanaticism" resulting in "Christian 
mutilation and desecration" of pagan idols. He praises "attempts to 
revive the very native religions of Greece that inspired the past 
achievements and glories of Greek civilization."  Another item in 
the same newsletter tells how this year's students enacted a pagan 
rite.
 
How sadly atheism leads to a slide back down into paganism!  (As of 
June 6, that issue is not yet on line. When it is, you can see it at 
www.ascsa.edu.gr/index.php/publications/Akoue/.)
 
No, I'm not saying we should swing sledge hammers at early art 
objects. But a nation may turn to the one true and living God. They 
may choose not to save their idols as art. I think no one should 
object to their smashing them.
 
Maybe no land has more idols (of the visible kind) than India. You 
may recall that in 2002 summer we were in Calcutta. The same mission 
has asked us back August 11 to December 19. They want me to teach 
Greek and a New Testament book (not yet chosen). The Lord willing, 
we'll be there.
 
As you know, I'm trying to sell my house. As of this writing, some 
agents have seen it but no buyers. Please keep praying.
 
Sold or not sold, plans are to move in with Beth and her family in 
California. We're to leave Dallas in mid July. After that move my 
address is to be:
 
        915 Westmont Rd.
        Santa Barbara, CA  91308-1035.
 
No phone number:  I'll just catch up with the 21st century by adding 
a cell phone to Beth and Maurice's plan. My e-address will stay the 
same.
 
Thank you for being at my side in prayer. You've been there each 
time we've helped Bible translators.  You've been there each time 
we've taught up-coming preachers and teachers. I'm counting on you 
to be there also during this time of change.
 
If you change your e-address, please send me your new e-address.
 
Your fellow servant,
 
      John
 
gratefully serving the Lord Jesus Christ,
through His gracious supply
through the grateful offerings of His people and through
HINTS International Charitable Trust
John R. Edwards, Treas.
7916 Anchor St.
Frisco, TX  75035-6339
JREdwards@waymark.net     HINTS is a "501(c)(3)" org.
972-712-1017                All gifts are tax deductible.

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Fri, 30 May 2008 18:34:00 +0000

Advice to Missionaries (and All of Us)

May 29, 2008 | By: John Piper
Category: Commentary

As I was working on the fifth volume of The Swans are Not Silent series about the lives of William Tyndale, Adoniram Judson, and John G. Paton, I found a letter written by Judson from Burma on June 25, 1832 with sobering counsel to missionaries.

Actually, these are hard and good words for all of us. Here are five of his points:

Fourthly. It may be profitable to bear in mind, that a large proportion of those who come out on a mission to the East die within five years after leaving their native land. Walk softly, therefore; death is narrowly watching your steps...

Sixthly. Beware of the greater reaction which will take place after you have acquired the language, and become fatigued and worn out with preaching the gospel to a disobedient and gainsaying people. You will sometimes long for a quiet retreat, where you can find a respite from the tug of toiling at native work—the incessant, intolerable friction of the missionary grindstone. And Satan will sympathize with you in this matter; and he will present some chapel of ease, in which to officiate in your native tongue, some government situation, some professorship or editorship, some literary or scientific pursuit, some supernumerary translation, or, at least, some system of schools; anything, in a word, that will help you, without much surrender of character, to slip out of real missionary work. Such a temptation will form the crisis of your disease. If your spiritual constitution can sustain it, you recover; if not, you die...

Eighthly. Never lay up money for yourselves or your families. Trust in God from day to day, and verily you shall be fed.

Ninthly. Beware of that indolence which leads to a neglect of bodily exercise. The poor health and premature death of most Europeans in the East must be eminently ascribed to the most wanton neglect of bodily exercise.

Tenthly. Beware of genteel living. Maintain as little intercourse as possible with fashionable European society. The mode of living adopted by many missionaries in the East is quite inconsistent with that familiar intercourse with the natives which is essential to a missionary.

another walk

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:44:00 +0000

another walk

via i am probably overthinking this by Ben on 5/29/08

Took a walk along the East Side Gallery (the longest still-standing section of the Wall) yesterday. Here's a nice shiny new slideshow for your enjoyment (click on the slideshow window to go to the album and look through at your own pace).

noreply@blogger.com (John Owen Butler) — Sat, 24 May 2008 02:48:00 +0000

From John Piper's Blog.....

When Iain Murray gives an account of the “rise of the missionary spirit” in Scotland in the 1800's he comments that “a new zeal to take the gospel to the world was born out of a new experience of its power.” Then he draws attention to the connection between the renewed homelife and the missionary upsurge:

Friends, parents, neighbors first it will embrace
Our country next, and next the human race.

The Gospel does affect homes first. In Scotland it led to a type of home life and family religion fitted to produce young men and women whose great interest was the service of Christ.... [John Paton’s] autobiography provides an unforgettable account of the prayerfulness of his father...

The Lowland cotter’s lad cherished and guarded in his heart the spell of his father’s habit of communion with God, and the vision of his mother’s absorbed passion to win her children to see fear and love the Most High. These were his main equipment in life. No science can produce them; no money can purchase them.

One of the most remembered sounds of Paton’s childhood was his father’s voice, at family worship, as “he poured out his whole soul with tears for the conversion of the heathen world to the service of Jesus.” The thatched cottage of the Patons was only one of many such nurseries. Most of the Scottish missionaries came from homes and backgrounds where simple living, hard work, many sacrifices and earnest devotion were the every day experiences of youth. (A Scottish Christian Heritage, 222-223)