Article submitted by Julie Merrin, Field Coordinator in SE Asia

That is a familiar cry from my little social butterfly. I guess some kids actually enjoy spending time alone…for a while, but not my daughter. She needs to learn to do it, so I insist on some quiet time on a regular basis where she can learn to play on her own and entertain herself, but this virtually always meets with resistance. “I want someone close beside me!” I remind her that Jesus is always with her. “But I want someone I can SEE!” Rachel knows Jesus is always with her, but as a human being, sometimes she just wants someone she can see and touch.

That is a common human condition. Yes, God is with us always. His Holy Spirit can speak to us in our hearts in ways that no human being can speak. But I believe he also understands that there are times when we need “God with skin on”. That is why we…the Church…the body of Christ is here. God wants us to reach out to those who are hurting – to those who need to know that someone is close beside them. God is always there, and He is perfectly capable of touching hurting hearts all on His own, without us. But often, He chooses to offer comfort through the hands of His children reaching out, through the eyes of His children that can cry with those who hurt, and through the feet of His children who will go out of their way to offer practical help.

I wonder who around you needs someone to be close beside them? Will you be “God with skin on” to someone today?

I thought our partners in ministry might enjoy a different glimpse of our sometimes less-than-idyllic life on the mission field in Oaxaca, Mexico. Oh, the things we used to take for granted.

A = availability of grocery items
B = bridges (here we drive through rivers)
C = chicken packaged nicely with no evidence that this was once a breathing, pecking, feathered, living thing
D= death not displayed for my children in newspapers and on the side of the road
E = exercise in air-conditioned house or outdoors without being stared at
F = fuel at the gas station
G = grains and flour that aren’t bug-infested
H = hot water any time I want it
I = Internet working reliably
J = just being able to drive where people respect the laws and speed limits
K = keeping the house presentable with no sand, dirt, and dust after cleaning
L = laundry without hanging, ironing, etc.
M = menu items I order at the restaurant actually being available
N = neighbors that don’t have loud music blaring all night
O = oven and stove not shutting off when the gas runs out unexpectedly
P = power
Q = quality for a price (here you pay more but it may not be better quality)
R = restaurants open before 7:00 P.M.
S = seatbelts and other safety measures
T = telephone service everywhere
U = urgent care help, ICU, emergency room facilities
V = vegetables and fruits that don’t require soaking and scrubbing
W = water
X = expiration dates being accurate and expectation that people will stand in line
Y = yucky stuff removed from the nicely packaged, already dead, meat
Z = zoos and other safe, fun places to take the kids to play

Video submitted by Bruce Mumm, MVI Pastoral Care

MVSouthAfrica partners with Pastor Eric to plant churches and impact communities in South Africa. Pastor Eric shares his testimony with Influence Living.

THANK YOU again for praying for us and for our ministry. You truly bless us and encourage us each month to keep pushing on.

April was an INCREDIBLE month! I could go on and on, but I’ll keep it brief and add some pictures.

We had the 3rd annual ANKUASH conference. Three days of focusing on the power & filling of the Holy Spirit. Five surrounding communities came (Kumay, Kawa, Kuakash, Chapinza & Tiwia) and there was also unity in and cooperation with many other pastors & missionaries.

Pastor Dale Brooks came down from Tampa, FL and blessed us with his leadership and great teaching and pastor’s heart. He walked through the jungle mud, tolerated long drives, different food, cultures, and really treated the folks in Ankuash and Namakim to many God-inspired messages.

We inaugurated a 4th Bible school in Ecuador. “CEMIA” – the Center for Missionary Training in Ankuash.  (In Spanish, this acronym means “the seed”.) We had 11 Shuar Indian students and 1 colono. The school is a 2-hour walk from the end of the road and is in the heart of Shuar territory. I’m not aware of another opportunity like this for the Shuar people anywhere in the jungle. Octavio, a Shuar CEMIM graduate taught 1/3 of the classes directly in the Shuar language to his people. Then there was Spanish, and the English teaching from Pastor Dale Brooks via translation.

The big roof that CCWC and Rev C/Albert helped us build almost 2 years ago was again a huge blessing and was the center-point of the conference & school events.  The new kitchen, latrine and all the tables and benches we built were used extensively during both events

Four students were baptized in the 1st ever baptism in Ankuash.  A great step in front of the community.

We also took a trip to Namakim, another Shuar village where we are getting a lot of students from.  The leaders there were encouraged and plans to help them evangelize and disciple in their surrounding communities were made.

We’ll be in CEMIM Bible School all this next week.  Please pray for Mary and Jenna while Im away again.  Please pray that the students arrive and that the teaching is clear, practical and applicable in their walks.

A great team of people representing Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA). The photo includes 10 new bikes for Honduran pastor/supervisors and are being ridden to the service where they will be presented.

There is nothing in the world like the thrill of hearing all those bikes revved up and ready to ride! Every year, CMA blesses us with several bikes to give away and this one is no exception. In a couple of hours, there will be some thrilled pastors, for sure. Thanks to CMA and all you members who make this possible through your faithfulness.

In the month of March and April two medical teams came to help out the people in the mountains around Matagalpa, Nicaragua. The first team consisted of pharmacy students from the University of Florida. They were able to attend to many people in areas that have no access to medical care.  They also learned how to work in difficult situations where they had no access to medical testing. It was great having this team back. Great job!

The second team came from Trinity UMC. They also were able to care for patients in remote areas and got to care for people that they had met last year. This team had a doctor, several nurses, and an eye doctor. It was so fun watching people’s faces when they could see for the first time in years. They were also able to give fluoride treatments to many of the children. Both teams had a fun time zip lining at Mombacho.

Sometimes, “Loving Your Neighbor” means digging a ditch!

When our neighbor’s houses are flooding, what do we do? Hurt for them, Cry for them, Pray for them! Yes, we do all those things! But, I really LOVE what my husband did! Today I’m thanking God for a husband with a tender heart of mercy! And learning the answers to our prayers sometimes come when we pick up a shovel and start digging!

Article from Al Barrett, MVI Threads of Hope

We now have the greatest opportunity to erect a Maasai Sewing Center – Co-op building on a Maasai Project in Ngoswani, a 100 acre demonstration plot where our Maasai Partners donated 2-1/2 acres to us to construct this outreach. The project land has been fenced and has been underway for several years now. Housing, barns, living quarters, guest housing and gardens are in place. It has become essential for the Maasai to learn new skills as the government is now allocating lines of demarcation by family groups and the land is being fenced, thus eliminating their old ways of nomadic life and free-ranging their cattle sheep and goats which is their livelihood. This project is to teach new skills to be able to survive in the future on smaller tracts of land.

The Maasai have prayerfully asked us to build this Center on the front of the property facing the main road where tourists will be able to see and stop to purchase goods the women/widows make, a blessing that will make this a sustainable project for generations to come. There are ten widows wanting to start. An African lady named Agatha, a skilled sewer is willing to lead this Center. She currently has her own sewing shop in Narok, one hour away, and is willing to move to this location to train in sewing and business skills. Also, Agatha’s husband is skilled in computers. This project has all the potential to be very fruitful by ministering and training many for miles around. They will come from far distant villages and take these skills back for others to learn along with the Gospel, while learning the Word through personal involvement. Africans raising Africans God’s way. Praise the Lord!

Here at Casa Compasiva we are experiencing our own version of growing pains.  Things are going so well on so many levels (God has done a beautiful work!), but at the same time we are being forced to grow and stretch in so many areas at the same time. It is good growth, but it is so rapid that it is sometimes exhausting, and we don’t even have the option of stopping.

For example, in order to achieve compliance with such-and-such government regulation, we must develop such-and-such a system first, which requires the implementation of such-and-such a program, which is dependent on such-and-such a project already being in place.  You get the picture?

We don’t have the luxury of growing slowly; we must advance on many fronts all at the same time!

The result? Casa Compasiva staff members currently have “aching bones” as we all try to make sense out of our shifting roles and struggle to catch up with new requirements and systems.  It hurts the most “when it’s raining”– when misunderstandings and relational strains occur from lack of time to communicate and process all the changes.

So all of this is to say: we need your prayers!  Please hold us before the throne and ask for God’s peace and comfort as we go through these growing pains.

These are the highlights of my recent trip to Zambia. However the Lord always surprises us with many other answers to prayer like:

 Miracle for Chingola Prison

As the team baptized the last prisoner in Chingola the chaplin approached the team and asked whether we would help to build a chapel for the prisoners. We asked what materials were need and then said we would pray about what could be done. After ministering at a church in Kitwe we were approached by a businessman who wanted to know what needs there were in our ministry. We shared with him about the need to finish the chapel in the Chingola prison. After sharing he said he would have a truck loaded the next day with all the materials and have it delivered to the prison. What a mighty God we serve!

Helping the elderly

Whilst visiting the Kabwe Maximum security prison we met a very old lady. She had no family and was kept by the prison because there was no one to care for her although she had finished her prison sentence. The team was able to assist her with money for charcoal and food. I will never forget how thankful she was. It is such a privilege to be part of God’s work.

Two young pastors receive new bicycles

On one Sunday we went to Chondwe prison where we shared the gospel. A seven hour return journey but well worth the drive. Many gave their hearts to the Lord and were baptized. Just before we preached we met two young pastors who had also come to share the gospel with the prisoners. They were both at Bible school and had borrowed two bicycles to attend the service. Elizabeth Ratliff (MVI Field Coordinator in Zambia) felt led to bless the two young pastors with their own bicycles so that they could keep up the good work. The look on their faces was incredible to say the least. They left that prison having received a miracle of God’s provision for their ministry. It was just so wonderful to see what God did in the lives of these two pastors. I would love to have been there when they got home and told their families about their unexpected blessing.