A team from Petra Fellowship New Holland, PA came down to the Petén to help us run a short youth camp. They were also involved in some other projects around Sayaxché during their stay here.

Friday afternoon the youth arrived at La Anchura, a former jungle clinic three hours from town by road. The site was great for running our weekend camp, but the roads are rough with lots of mud so the Guatemalan youth were delayed several hours when their bus broke down in a pothole.

The theme of the youth camp was “Developing Healthy Relationships”. We discussed aspects of the four key relationships broken by man’s fall from glory – our relationships with God, self, others, and creation. The youth also had personal and group devotional times where ministry and camraderie were fostered.

Free time was spent swimming in the passion river or playing volleyball and soccer. Reportedly a boa constrictor floated by as some of the US youth were hanging out in the river.

Overall it was a really great weekend and I have been pleased by the feedback from the youth from both Guatemala and the US. I think God really guided the teachers as they targeted key aspects of our relationships that need to be restored for us to live the abundant life He has planned for us.

Back in Sayaxché after the youth camp the Petra youth team kept busy helping us with a couple of fun development projects and two events at the Kid’s Club. Check out the photos.

Not a pleasant pic, huh? Well this is a common sight where I am living. Many times wash water is just run out into the street. Well guess what, there are environmentally friendly (and even productive) ways to use waste water. We chose four sites in Sayaxché to experiment with a waste water horticulture project. To start we dug a hole. From there we filled it with sand, then gravel, and lastly rocks (The hole is about 3 ft deep by 3 ft wide). The water from the pila drains into this hole through a pipe or trench and filters down through the layers of gravel and sand and then soaks into the surrounding soil. Organic waste such as leaves, grass cuttings, and kitchen scraps are thrown on the top to compost and become soil.

The dirt from the hole is used to make a border garden bed where we planted papaya seedlings. Papayas can grow over 10 feet in a year, so we decided they would be great to experiment with. The mature trees should soak up most of that waste water and flourish as well. Our hope is that this project with be an example to families here of a way we can be better stewards of the resources God has given us and really prosper as we take care of His creation.

The group of youth from Petra came and shared at two of our Kid’s Club events during their week here. The children were super excited when they came and I know that the team has helped to leave an impact on their lives. Thanks Petra youth team for all your hard work

Several weekends ago now we took a team of drama out to Chancani and both Elisha and David (our sons) performed with them. In the photo are Juan and Vicente who are leaders of the drama group. The first day was slow and was a time to battle in prayer.  But on Sunday the young people went out into the streets to witness and to invite people to come.  They even visited the police station and talked with them for over an hour about the Lord.  When we began the dramas in the plaza later in the day, three police officers came and stayed for the entire program.

There were four guys from another town working on construction.  All of them came to the dramas and to the bonfire.  Steven returned to the Lord and the others showed much interest in God. Please pray for the people in Chancani, Argentina.

Nancy was abducted by the rebels when she was 13-years-old.  The rebels raided her school, and she was one of many who were taken that day to live in the bush.  She made many trips through the bush, barefoot, in and out of Sudan to escape the Ugandan soldiers, and they would set up camp deep in the bush for survival.  She lived with the rebels for five years and gave birth to two children before she escaped with her children.  Today, Nancy is leading the women’s group in the village of Latanya and what did she ask us for?  A Bible!  Her story is common in the region that we live, and the horror that she experienced is beyond anything that you or I could comprehend.  Nancy will benefit from the use of oxen that have been given to Pastor Dolson, but we want to help her with her spiritual needs. Consider donating funds to purchase a Bible for Nancy and others like her in Uganda.

Donate now by clicking here and selecting “Supply a Bible ($12)” under Special Projects.

In the past I have said what a privilege it is to serve the Lord here in Zambia and the incredible opportunities in the prisons but this mission to Northern Zambia far surpassed previous missions. It was our most distant mission, it was the hardest and it was the most fruitful for the Kingdom.

While the drive from Lusakato Kasama was long – eleven plus hours – at least we had paved roads with about a fifty mile stretch of major potholes. But when we left Kasama travel was mostly on gravel and dirt roads, some washed away by the rainy season but we never got stuck. One section of road (107 miles) took us 4.5 hours which can only be described as being in a blender. I am convinced that the car held together over these “roads” strictly by prayer!

I’ve never gone inside a prison and had the officer in charge say we were the first persons to come visit them. This happened in every prison except one where one American had visited the prison years ago. I can only guess it is because they are so remote and difficult to get to. I’ve also never seen so many souls starving for the truth of the gospel.

At Isoka Prison which is closest to the Tanzanian border there were 29 Somali Prohibited Immigrants (PI) – men who had crossed the border looking to escape the war situation in Somalia. As John Potter preached, one of the Somali PI’s covered the side of his face so the others could not see his face as he listened with a hunger and intensity I cannot describe. At the end John Potter asked those who wanted to accept Jesus Christ to raise their hand, this young man’s eyes simply pleaded with us to notice him. We smiled and relief filled his face followed by the widest smile and brightest eyes which made me wonder how he would be able to hide his transformation from the others! A Pakistani inmate sitting in the back, raised his hand for salvation. Please pray for their safety.

In prison after prison, officers in addition to the inmates came to faith in Christ. At the end of the message, this officer in charge at Mbala prison said, “You have told us things today no one has ever told us.”

Can you see what an incredible harvest field the Lord has placed before us? Can you see the difference your prayers and support have made? Can you hear my gratitude to the Lord for the incredible privilege of us serving these forgotten men and women.

The farther we travel and greater the obstacles, the greater the harvest. Glory to God!

It’s been cold here the last few days and today we woke up to about 0 degree celcius.  We’re giving our new wood burning stove a work out; yesterday we kept it burning all day!  While we are thankful for a cozy home, the sad reality is that most Paraguayans do not have the luxury of a source of heat inside their homes.  Many live in small wood houses that have no insulation.

Our three little neighbors came over yesterday to sit by the fire (while Norbert taught them a few chords on the guitar) to simply stay dry from the damp cold.

Our blanket campaign from Missionary Ventures’ Christmas Catalog is in full force and this year we are giving out over 80 blankets (we gave out 30 last year) to those who most need them!

It is important for us to support local artisans.  Last year we bought our blankets from San Miguel.  However, this year our blankets come from Carapegua, four hours northwest of us.  They are woven with vibrant scraps of cloth to make a very strong blanket that’s like your grandma’s old braided rug.  This year, the blanket project was a team effort.  Special thanks to missionary friends the Hagermans in that city for the contact; they and cousins the Martinez’ family brought them to us!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this helping this important cause here. We pray for each recipient and trust that not only would they sense physical warmth, but the warmth of Jesus’ love for them.

Rachel was sitting next to me recently…chattering away, as usual.  I’m not sure how, but somehow, the conversation turned  to her asking something about “her story”.  The story of how she came to be with me.  She has heard this story many times before, but she never tires of hearing the details. She asks me questions so she can hear the details again and again.  How I had prayed for her long before I never knew her.  How I heard about her.  How I got carsick on the trip to her village to pick her up.  (She never lets me leave out that detail.) What I thought when I first saw her.  What she “said”. (Wa-a-a-a-a!)  Her first bottle.  First diaper. First ride in the car.  How thankful I was that God had given her to me.

Rachel is a very busy, active little girl, and often, even as she is talking about one thing, her mind seems to be racing on to the next thing she wants to do or say.  But this time.  I looked over at her as I was answering her questions and saw her leaning back into her seat looking at my face with absolute rapt attention.  She was hearing “her story”.  The story of how God brought us together.  The story that affirms how very much she is wanted and loved.  At that moment, to her, nothing was more interesting.

It occurs to me that that in the Bible, God tells us “our story” as well.  Yes, it is overall the story of Jesus, and God’s plan to bring people back to Himself when we were far away from Him.  But in a very real sense, it is also “my story”. In the Bible, I can find the story of how much God loved me and longed for me to be close to Him.  In His Word, He tells me how he sought me out, rescued me, and brought me home.  This story tells of the rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents and comes home to the Father.  It is a story of a love so big that even my love for my daughter is small in comparison.  I have heard that story many times during my life. May I never tire of hearing it.

Once again, it’s been a very busy time as always here in Puerto Maldonado, Peru—and a very hot and dry month.  We have not had a good rain all month and the river is really going down.  The last time Sue and I were upriver we had to push the boat through the mouth of the small river leading to the lake where we do a Sunday School program for the kids in Tumi, plus a discipleship class for a couple of families.  That afternoon, we had some help in pushing from a man who was going in as well in his own boat, but the next morning it was just Sue and I coming out of the mouth of the lake to the river and (with a lot of pushing) we made it.   Then we were off to the next spot, an indigenous community, for a Sunday morning service and Sunday School class.  We could not get the boat all the way up to the community, because the water was so low we walked a ways.

These parts of the river that we work on are always on a Saturday and Sunday.  Just the day before I had just gotten back in town after a week long trip to Arequipa and Cotahuasi, a small mountain town.  It required about 64 hours on the bus, to go there and back from Puerto Maldonado—a trip from the southeastern jungle of Peru to the southern mountain desert area.  Therefore, I was very tired and the temptation not to go was huge.  But Sue and I went and it was well worth it.

We got in very late for the Sunday school in the lake, but still had a good group of kids, plus some of the older kids who now go to school downriver in Laberinto all week, just coming home to Tumi on weekends.  This other town that they go to school is in a mining town and an ugly place, so we always like it when we get the opportunity to pray with and for them.  The following morning of the next day we traveled to the tribal community in Boca Imabarillo we had a good turnout of adults and kids.  These adults are becoming very interested now in learning more about our faith.  Every time we start to give a message, we get a little ways into it and then the questions start and rest of the time is used up in a very interactive conversation.  So now instead of a message, we are going to start a small and very basic Bible study.  But the encouraging thing for me is that they are now becoming interested in living a Christian life, and most importantly, in a relationship with God. So as hard as it was to get up there it was all worth it.  God is good!

Most people in Australia know Vanuatu as a tourist destination, but have no real understanding of the spiritual and humanitarian needs that exist within this nation. Missionary Ventures Australia has been working in Vanuatu for the past seven years and partners with the dynamic History Makers Church based in Port Vila.

Pastors & Leaders Conference Port Vila May 2010

In May MVA held a pastors & leaders conference in Port Vila hosted by Pastor Zebedee, senior pastor of the History Makers Church.  The MVA team consisted of three Australians, our Asia Pacific Regional Director based in Thailand and one of our national staff from Fiji.

Each morning for four days we held pastors and leaders training with 30 church leaders.. These leaders were blessed, challenged and encouraged as Rand Montgomery (MV Director Asia/Pacific) dealt with some vary important practical leadership issues. Great fellowship was enjoyed each day as we shared lunch together.

At night we held revival meetings where the team shared the preaching and Jesse from Australia, together with the History Makers Church band led awesome times of worship.  God moved powerfully in these meetings and people were healed, set free and touched by the life changing power of God.

On the last Sunday the team took a service in a slum community called Black Sand and it was a great joy to see five people give their lives to Jesus.

In May 2011 we are planning to hold Pastors & Leaders conferences at two locations in Vanuatu. If you would like information about this please contact mvateams@mvaustralia.org

Youth Team from City Wide Baptist Church, Tasmanian May/June 2010

At the end of May a team of nine young people from Tasmania along with a father and his ten-year-old daughter from Melbourne, Australia went with MVA to work in Vanuatu. The plan was for them to clean up the Black Sand slum community then put in a water pipe in and have it connected to the town water, also to build a small shelter for the community to use as a church and school.

The team then planned to travel to Pele Island to make concrete blocks for a community toilet in one of the villages and to build relationship with the village people.

Black Sand Community

The team did an awesome job cleaning up the community and soon children were everywhere having fun.  The water pipe was put in and connected so for the first time the community had clean drinking water. Finally, with the help of the young men from History Makers Church the shelter was finished. The community was so excited at what had been done for them they put on a special celebration luncheon for the team.

This team demonstrated the love of Jesus in a way that the community will not soon forget. Pastor John from History Makers Church has now planted a church in the shelter and will continue to bring living water to this community.

Pele Island

The next day the team traveled to beautiful Pele Island where the village had arranged a very special and exciting welcome for us. The team members were hosted by families and lived in their homes. This was very special as we built strong relationships with the people and were taken into their hearts and community.

To make the blocks we had to carry sand from the beach to where we where the blocks were to be made, very hard work in the hot sun. The village men then taught the team how to make the blocks and were amazed how quickly the team learnt the skill and then went on to make 260 blocks.  That was a good day’s work.

Our nightly devotions with folk from our village were special, however by the Sunday word had got out and we ended up having full on revival meetings each night with people coming from a number of villages. This was God as His presence filled the place and many lives were touched by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The team also enjoyed lots of swims, fun with the kids and a four hour trek around this beautiful island.

Leaving was very hard with many tears, both team and villages, God had done great things in all our lives and knit us together in love. The pastor on Pele begged us to come back, Pastor Zebedee will be going back with a team from his church in July to do more teaching and ministry and also help build the toilet. The work continues.  Well done, team.

For information on the countries MVA works in, teams and projects visit www.mvaustralia.org

The team has presented the gospel in drama, flags, testimony and songs at 4 high schools and 8 primary schools across Vava’u island, and helped distribute approximately 2,000 copies of the Book of Hope.  We have taken part in outreaches, Bible studies and a ladies’ meeting – with a team combining members from New Zealand with young people from Tongatapu and Vava’u islands … up to 22 team members in total.

We’re still busy until Saturday with a major presentation to a school of 1,300 tomorrow, then a disabled children’s center and youth event tomorrow.  On Saturday we’re recording another TV show for broadcast across Tonga after we leave. The last show we did last year has been shown several times, with many receiving Jesus as a result. We praise God for our partnerships with the Brethren Assemblies, CEF, UCB Pacific Partners and other groups across Tonga … and especially for the hundreds of children and young people who have received Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

This week has been amazing for us as we have been able to be a conduit of blessing for so many. October of 2009, we had a team come to serve in Nuevo Progreso while the women on the team held a health workshop for the women of Moyobamba. During that time we visited a village called Yantelo and planned on holding a baby workshop for young teenage moms but due to the lack of follow through on the clinic’s part we returned to Moyobamba with a suitcase full of gifts and educational books on caring for your baby during and after pregnancy.

During the medical clinic we recently held in Nuevo Progreso and Santa Catalina we had the team give out the gifts and books to any first time moms. Yet we returned with a half a suitcase of books and gifts.Today we went to the hospital and had the great joy of delivering some more of the gifts and books to the new moms and blessed the hospital with what was left to give to future moms. The director of the maternity ward was so happy to receive these gifts and loved the books called Mama y Bebe (Mother and Baby) and said he would like to use one of the books to have a meeting with the other obstetricians to share the information on nutrition and how to encourage the mothers to understand the birthing process and what to expect the first year of the baby’s life.What a great day in the Lord as we not only handed out the gifts but were able to pray for each one of these new moms and their precious treasures. God’s name was lifted high and we were walking on clouds! I am always blessed to be such a conduit for His love!

Of course, none of this would happen without the donations we receive from our partners and teams who come to visit and labor in the love of our Lord with us. To God be all the glory!