May 2006 - Posts

• Restoration Ministry

  A safe place for a delicate subject. Connie and her local Restoration team hosted a regional training for nearly 60 adults who came from several neighboring States (Amapá, Piauí, Pernambuco, Pará) and ours as well.  As usual, Connie was an excellent host, administrator, organizer and leader with her team and the out-of-town guests. At night her national leader spoke on how to relate and minister to Brazilians who are trapped in a homosexual life-style. I should probably tell you that for lack of any other option, the location where the meeting was held was a Catholic retreat center. To Connie’s surprise three of the nuns attended the evening sessions. During the weekend two of them later asked for personal help with issues related to the delicate subject matter being taught. Connie and her team were overwhelmed with this response. Posted May 17 2006, 03:00 AM by Transformed

• Libraries by Faith

  "Imagine that, building libraries can be an issue of faith!" Thank for your prayers for our trip to Kremenchuk. It was one of the most amazing ministry experiences I’ve ever had. Our team consisted of five people, all former students of KTS or REALIS librarian programs. For 8 hours, we taught a group of about 25 church librarians. I was so proud of my Ukrainian colleagues! They did an outstanding job. It was their first time teaching. They were all nervous going into this and felt they had nothing to share. Instead, they realized that they are seasoned experts who have a lot to give. It was incredible to see those whom I have trained now become trainers themselves. It’s hard to describe. The verse kept coming to mind: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 1:4). The amazing part was not that they just passed on information about libraries; it was that they were passing on their faith. You see, many of these librarians serve in small rural churches and resources are extremely limited to say the least. At first they complained that we were able to do what we did because we were “rich” and from the big city. However, my Ukrainian colleges told how we had no resources when we began either. We had to begin with a vision and by faith plan and pray. Imagine that, building libraries can be an issue of faith! Posted May 15 2006, 03:00 AM by Transformed

• The Shock of Prison Ministry for a Young Missionary

  “I shouldn’t be here, I’m scared” echoed in Manuela’s mind as she walked into the men’s prison in Kingston. Dougg & LeAnn Custer forward this report on the experience of Manuela, a short-term missionary sent out from their church in Austria: “I shouldn’t be here, I’m scared” echoed in Manuela’s mind as she walked into the men’s prison in Kingston. She had to line up like a prisoner herself and be checked off a list as she and over 30 of her Logos 2 crew mates entered through a tunnel. She was aware of over a thousand men looking down at her from their cells. A Spanish team member described the atmosphere as really tense. As soon as colleagues from Indonesia and Ireland started our mini-outreach the prisoners settled down and listened intently to all that the team was sharing. They seemed to really enjoy the dramas as crew members performed “In the Light” and “Redeemer.” There was loud clapping and shouts of “Amen” being called out as a team member shared about new life in Jesus Christ with many responding to the message. Manuela asked one of the guards what the men were in for. He told her “mainly murder.” She shuddered as she looked around at men as young as 20. “I’ve never been in prison before,” she remarked, “and I felt we shouldn’t be there at the start, but by the end we were all so encouraged.” (Excerpt from “Stories from Jamaica,” a short e-mail report from the Operation Mobilization ship, the Logos II, where Manuela from the Spittal church is serving as crew member for two years.) Posted May 01 2006, 03:00 AM by Transformed