New EFCCM Staff in Mexico

Lane and Sheri recently joined Greg and Shelli in Hermosillo, Mexico. They are developing ministry to bring relief to the poor in a variety of ways. This is one that caught my eye:

"There is a lady in the church who is raising 3 kids (16, 13, 7) on her own and she is getting by, but with no room to spare. She lives in a tiny 3 room house in a very modest neighbourhood where there are many abandoned houses. Two of these abandoned houses front her property (one on the side and one behind). Now these types of houses tend to attract people who are up to no good. Often drug deals and other such things happen there. This family doesn’t have a wall to separate their property from the others and therefore after doing their “business” in these abandoned houses, the people will often walk right through their yard or even through their house! The 16 year old girl often cares for her younger siblings while Mom is at work. This obviously isn’t the type of environment in which anyone would want to raise 3 kids on their own!" (Read more here...)

They posted a clip that you can watch that gives a real impression of how strong a need this particular need is, and how it's being addressed.

Further to the Pulse

The EFCCM's contribution in the next Pulse is about radio ministry in Bolivia. I was just given this story by Jake and Mary. It is one of many, many stories that are emerging through the radio work. This one is about a Mennonite widow.

Jake and Mary met Mrs. Giesbrecht during a colony visit. She seemed very depressed, exhibiting low self esteem, and no ambition. They tried to encourage her but felt she just wanted them to leave. After their visit, they didn't hear from or see her again for at least six months. One day a lady came into Centro Menno who looked familiar, but very different. Mrs. Giesbrecht was unexpectedly happy and lively! She explained that she was now a Christian. She unfolded her story.

Her son had bought a radio and was listening to Radio Trans Mundial (RTM). She had begged him to sell the radio because it's forbidden to own one in the colony. He made a deal with his mother. He told her, “If you promise to listen to the radio all day Sunday -- just one day – and then still ask me to sell it, I will.” Seeing that that's what it would take to get rid of it, she agreed. “But,” she shared excitedly, “I accepted the Lord that day and have never been the same since. Now I want to buy my own radio!”

Often people appear deliberately closed to the gospel. But if they've been listening to the radio they become curious and eager to hear more. When approaching the people they visit, Jake and Mary regularly start by asking them if they've listened to RTM. There is usually a furtive look around before they answer. And they say that they have -- maybe even briefly in a taxi on the way in to town. They start asking questions and before you know it, they're engaged in a spiritual conversation at a level of depth they've likely never experienced before.

To me, this is a powerful testimony of how God uses human tools to accomplishes his goals. And we celebrate what is happening in Bolivia through radio ministry -- the impact that it's having is huge! And this potential is developing in several different countries across the world too.

Online Donations Back -- uh -- Online

We hit a snag recently with one of the technologies that runs our website. We were forced to disable the donations page, and scramble with our suppliers to get that working again -- and it is now.

I apologise for the outage, and for any inconvenience it caused. And thank you for your patience.

You can find our donations page by clicking here.

Teachers Needed in Bolivia

Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center (SCCLC) is looking for teachers in the following areas:

• Pre-school
• Elementary classes
• Grades 7-12 Social Studies
• Grades 7-12 Math/Science
• Grades 1-12 PE/coaching
• Librarian
• Elementary Principal
• General Director
• Business Manager
• Office Manager
• School nurse
• Activities coordinator

Rudy and Erna have alerted us to the current and urgent need for teachers in the school their children attend. The school has 230 students spanning kindergarten to Grade 12, and its students are from missionary, expatriate and Bolivian families. It provides quality Christ-centered, college-preparatory education.

If you feel led to get involved involved, please contact Rich either be e-mail, or by calling 604.513.2183 or toll-free 1.877.888.9911. If you know someone who could help, please get them to get in touch with us.

Short-Term Opportunity in Ukraine

Calling all who may have interest in the Summer English Institute in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine! Now is the time to pray and decide if you are going to be a part of this exciting outreach this year!

Are you a teacher or retired teacher? ESL teacher or someone who is in an entirely different field with a knack to teach in your area of expertise? In the past, we’ve had a sex education teacher, a nurse, businessmen, Canadian history & Canadian culture teachers and more.

This is open to anyone who:

• enjoys meeting people
• has a good grasp of English (is a native English speaker)
• likes to teach (and can put together a 3 week course)
• has a valid passport
• has a heart for reaching people
• has a team spirit and is a team player
• is flexible (really!)
• likes adventures and is not afraid to rough it
• is not afraid of a new and different culture and language
• is willing to joyfully give 3 ½ weeks of their precious time for this ministry opportunity
• will trust the Lord to provide the approximate $3,500.00 each person needs to raise for this trip

If you feel nudged to be a part of this ongoing effort, contact Rich by e-mail or by calling Home Office at 604.513.2183 or toll-free at 1.877.888.9911.

One Atheist's Opinion

Daryl sent me this article by a self-professed atheist who believes in the church's cross-cultural missions work. It's highly worth a read. Take a look, and then come on back and tell me what you think.

Click here for the article.

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a great Christmas break, and have enjoyed the first few days of 2009. I'm trying to catch up with the things that have been going on around here during my holiday, and there are many!

Of course, close to home, there is the constant news of the financial crisis. I saw a lot more news over the holidays than I'm used to (I tend to avoid TV news), and the scale is, shall we say, considerable. I think this is a great opportunity for faith to become real to people as they question their faith in corporations, markets and possessions. That's my prayer. But it's no fun watching families who are hurting and facing hardships.

One EFCCM family in a Creative Access Country (CAC) is facing a medical crisis. It was thought that the missionary wife may have multiple sclerosis, but tests have come back negative. However, those tests don't entirely rule it out, so more testing will have to be done later. Added to the stress of packing and travel (further testing needed to be done in a different country), there is the continued stress of not knowing what is wrong. Please pray for peace and healing.

Eddie and Bonita are settling in Rwanda, after having arrived in early December. Their prayer is for a suitable, more reasonably-priced house to rent, for the needed furniture and appliances to become available for affordable prices, and for their children to find good schools to attend. The Rwandan perception is that Christians are people who do "good things, and [avoid] alcohol and cigarettes". There is so much more depth available, and Eddie and Bonita want to help people find it.

In Japan, Dale and Ann announce a new program called KEEP, the Kanto Evangelistic English Program (Kanto is greater Tokyo). They add that they have a new colleague. Laura "transferred from ReachGlobal (EFCA) to the EFCCM and in October became the first evangelistic English class teacher in KEEP. She ministers in three churches, teaching up to fifteen classes each week. The classes, which are geared toward unbelievers, include Bible teaching". Please pray for strong unity and effectiveness in this ministry -- teaching ESL is an important 'in' with Japanese people.

There are some other stories that I'm developing for this blog, but that's at least a start. Please continue to pray for your missionaries wherever they are. It hasn't been an easy Christmas & New Year's for everyone, and even those with exciting new beginnings need the Lord's strength and provision. I have the sense that this is going to be a very full year!