Highlights from the January Board of Directors' Meeting

Transcription

1 O N W A R D The Newsletter of the Moravian Mission Society, Southern Province February 2017 Volume XXXVII Issue 1 Musings from the Mission Society Highlights from the January Board of Directors' Meeting The meeting began with a mission update from Kevin, who serves with his family as missionaries in the Middle East and is currently in the States for several months. Kevin talked about the challenges of offering the gospel to Muslim people, as he shared stories of new believers who now encounter hardships or face dangers from others in the community. After many questions from board members about Kevin's work and life in that difficult place, everyone was invited to enjoy refreshments provided by board officers. This was to celebrate that 100% of the board had recently renewed their membership in the Mission Society, or made a contribution if already lifetime members. Committee Reports Some follow-up information from the November Lovefeast offering was shared. Counting all the contributions that were received through the month of December, the final amount of special offering' given for the board-supported missionaries was $11,260, significantly higher than previous years. Donna has recently informed the 11 missionaries of this good news, and that they will soon receive a check for their part of the offering. Plans are beginning for the Mission Awareness Dinner on June 4. Jenna Nodine reported that her committee is discussing who they want to invite as the speaker, what church could host the event, and who might provide special music. Erin Key sent information about the short-term mission grants that have been awarded so far this year. $2850 was requested for a group traveling to Peru, another to Lumberton, NC, and for one person going to Nepal. That leaves a balance of $15,150. The 2017 final budget was presented by Joe Jarvis, who explained expenses and revenue. The board approved the budget, which included allocating the use of some endowment unrestricted funds from three accounts. Other Business When Donna reported that she has asked the missionaries for their birthdays and compiled a list by months, the board requested she that information to them. A recent letter to the Mission Society from the PEC explained that each provincial board was asked to send its president and one other representative to the up-coming intersynodal conference in February. Kay Vance was chosen to attend with Donna. Because of an emergency situation that has arisen in the small Mexican village where missionary Phil Raiford lives and following Phil's plea for help, the board voted to send $1000 from it's Emergency Relief Fund. This will assist in providing clothes and food for the 350 refugees who had to suddenly flee their homes in a nearby village, literally running to Juquila for safety. Scott Brent spoke briefly about his recent trip to Croatia, where he visited his son Michael who serves as a missionary there. Also, Matthew Allen reported on his trip to Lumberton, NC, where he and others from Olivet offered humanitarian aid to families affected by the floods. The meeting was ended with a special benediction. Articles Kenya/Lumberton p. 2 Mexico p. 3 Clemson p. 4 SP Handcrafts- p. 5 Magi-Land p. 6 PED p. 7 Alaska p. 8 Donna Hurt, President

2 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!! KENYA UPDATE I hope you had a wonderful hoilday season. We had a wonderful hoilday here at Ray of Hope. All the kids are back from home. They are doing well and getting ready to go back to school. They will be heading back to school on January 4 th. Thank you for your prayers over the kids while they were at home. As you can see we have started planting in our key hole gardens. We are using the well water to water them. We have enough rain water to get us through this dry season. We will be planting more next week. We will be planting oinions, eggplant, and bell pepper. The school is doing well. We have started class 2. We are still praying for more kids to come to our school. We are happy with what we have for now. Cecilia is doing well and she has stopped throwing up. We want to say thank you for your prayers. I will be keeping you up to date on what is happening here at Ray of Hope. Please remember Kenya this year since we are having elections this year. Pray for peace. Michael, Cecilia, and Blessing Tesh If you would like to have someone come speak to your congregation or group about this exciting ministry, please contact Donna Tesh ( ) from Christ Moravian or Cynthia Williams ( ) from Kernersville Moravian. DISASTER RELIEF TEAMS TRAVEL TO LUMBERTON New Beginnings and Richard Petty Racing sent out their second mission team on December 15th through the 17th. They sprayed approximately 12 homes in preparation for the beginning of rebuilds. In addition, they mucked out a home that was essentially the same as it was when vacated on the day of the flood. Finally, they delivered some toys to a local elementary school and some individual families that were brought to their attention through the United Methodist folks on the ground there. The plan for the near future is that the United Methodist folks have designated one home that New Beginnings and Richard Petty Racing can work on from beginning to completion. A work schedule for mission teams to go to this site and continue repairs for this home will be prepared and sent out in the near future. Hopefully, particular dates, projects, and supplies needed for each date will be identified. In addition to these two groups, individuals have been joining the teams to work for a day or two. If you have an interest in coordinating with these teams, contact Rev. Chris Thore at newbeginnings100@bellsouth.net or Justin Rabbach at justin@moravianmission.org. Teams from Bethania Moravian and Olivet will travel to Lumberton to work at other job sites in that area on January 13, They will have updates from their experience upon returning. Rev. Chris Thore 2

3 VIOLENCE ERUPTS IN JUQUILA, MEXICO Hello everyone, many of you heard about the tragedy in Juquila through Facebook, and we thank you for your prayers and responses to those posts. First, we are safe and things have calmed down in the village, however the conflict is not over. Right now there are 350 men, women, and children who have been run out of their homes by gunfire seeking refuge in our village. They are in need of clothes, as many left their homes at night running for more than 4 hours through the woods without any possessions. Our village is helping to feed the families, inviting them into homes during meal times, but as you can imagine it is hard for already poor families to support other families for a long period of time. The government had promised a delivery of food, but that has not shown up yet. I am in Oaxaca right now collecting clothes to give out, along with some simple toys for the children. Our friends here in Oaxaca have been very helpful and responsive to our petition for clothes. We may have to organize a food drive for the village if the government doesn t come through with their promise to deliver food. The actual conflict that drove these people from their homes and killed and wounded many others happened last Saturday. Juquila went to a neighboring village to discuss a land dispute that has been going on for years but recently became more heated. They arrived in good faith expecting a dialogue when shots rang out. They were trapped in a valley in the center of town, being fired on from above in all directions. They immediately ran into a nearby building where they remained for 24 hours until men from our village snuck in and covered them with return fire so that they could escape. One of the most tragic parts is that a 15 year old boy was shot point blank in the head by his own uncle. This shooting has caused many of my friends to have symptoms of PTSD. We are planning for a team of local psychologists to go and talk with the people who were involved. In a village where alcoholism is already high, if these issues aren t dealt with the village could be in even more problems down the road. Also, when the mother of the boy went back to the village to pick up her sons body, she was also shot. She was even being escorted by government officials, who deny that that even happened. Unfortunately, the town who fired on Juquila has politicians looking out for them, and so the government and media are against Juquila even though we have the wounded and dead. It sounds like a conspiracy and it is. I fear that Juquila may be in the crosshairs of a political machine out of their control. They are now defenseless and in shock that they are the ones who were killed, yet portrayed by the media and government as the aggressors. Our family will be out of the village next week, waiting for the arrival of Hannah next month. I will continue to travel to the village, helping with food and clothing needs. We will also be taking up the psyche team some time in the next two weeks. If you would like to help with the cause we could use your help. Right now we are helping out of our own pocket, but we could use any help we can get. If you would like to donate, please go to our website and give. There is a lot of need and we would love to help as much as possible. With the government putting their spin on the situation, we expect little help from them or other Mexican organizations. Please continue to pray for safety and for peace. Juquila needs a lot of love and patience, and only Jesus can give us that true peace that we need. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel as people are willing to listen to any message of hope. Only Jesus can bring us out of our darkest moments into the light of His love. Thank you all again for your prayers and support. We are grateful to serve here in Mexico and we can t do it alone. If you have any questions or would like to know more on this complicated situation please me and we can talk on the phone next week. God bless us all! Blessings, Phil, Eunice, Ian and soon Hannah Donate by mail: Commission To Every Nation PO Box Kerrville, TX Note: Phil and Eunice Raiford Online: Facebook: Indigenous Mission Today 3

4 NEW LEADERS AND NEW FAMILY ADDITION IN CLEMSON Pass it on!" Before Greek IV Chapter Ministry Leaders graduate or move on from the role of Bible study leader in their fraternity or sorority, we encourage them to prayerfully identity and invest in younger members with leadership potential. As these older students pass the torch of leadership, they leave a Christ-like legacy and opportunities for ministry to continue to grow and flourish in their chapter for years to come. Last December, Seth was a senior member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity who led a weekly Bible study and saw several brothers commit to follow Jesus. Before he graduated in May, Seth invested in a few younger brothers, including Drew (on the right in photo). This fall, I loved getting to spend time with Drew, Kappa Sigma's new Chapter Ministry Leader. Drew and I have been studying Scripture, talking and praying together about the joys, fears and challenges of leading Bible study and trying to reach out to his fraternity brothers. "From the time that Seth encouraged me to become chaplain, I have seen the core group of people who come to Bible study grow. It has been a journey that has not only helped the brotherhood within Kappa Sig, but has also helped me to grow personally in my faith," Drew said. After recently being selected to serve on Kappa Sigma's Exec Board, Drew reached out to Thomas (pictured next to Drew) to encourage him to prayerfully consider becoming the next chaplain. Now, Thomas, Drew, and several other brothers are committed to working together to co-lead Bible study and to keep reaching out until every fraternity brother is just one friend away from knowing Jesus! "I hope the same 'fire' for Christ can be sparked within our new chaplain and that it will continue to grow within and throughout Greek life," Drew said. Amen! As I reflect on stories like this from the fall, I have to pause and say THANK YOU again to each of you who help make this ministry possible with your faithful prayers and generous financial support. Your partnership is helping to leave a lasting legacy in fraternities and sororities at Clemson that will long outlive their time on campus. Thank you! Celebrate with us some of the many ways God has been at work this fall: 300+ students attended at least one Greek IV event. 108 students regularly involved in Greek IV Large Group or Chapter Ministry Bible studies. 22 fraternities or sororities with at least 1 student connection. 12 Apprentices trained to share their faith with their friends. 8 student-led Chapter Ministry Bible studies (2 new!) As always, each of these numbers represents a student whom God dearly loves, or a Greek chapter where God is bringing redemption. While there is much to celebrate, the need is also still great! Currently, there are hundreds of Greek students without a close friend in their lives to show them God's love or to point them to Jesus. We have been training a new group of leaders to commit to leading Bible studies and being those friends, but we need your help to continue to make new connections and pass the torch of leadership to more students like Seth, Drew, and Thomas! Another year is nearly in the books...and it has been a big one for us! Since I haven't been part of an update in a while, let me give you an update on our Harrison happenings: The summer started off with the final selling of our first home and buying of a new home. The process was long, but God's grace was evident throughout the process, and we are grateful to be in our new space, including a big back yard! As the school year began, the milestones kept coming. Reese started Kindergarten and is doing exceptionally well in Montessori class! The start of the school year also brought the loss of her first tooth! Lucy is enjoying her new 3K class, and loves to practice writing her letters. She is working on her name, and a very legible "Lu H" was her most recent signature! She has also started taking dance and is loving every minute of it. Finally, for those who haven't heard, we found out this summer that we are expecting a new addition to our family! In September, we learned that the new addition would be a BROTHER! We are excited about the newest member of our family who is expected to arrive in February! All the change has made for an exciting semester. But even with all the change, the constant through it all has been the love and support of family and friends like you! In this season of Thanksgiving, we continue to thank God for the blessing you all are to us! We hope you had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 4

5 Southern Province Handcrafts Support Worldwide Mission Bonnie Tucker from Friedberg Moravian and her friend from high school Carol Madison from Greensboro love to crochet. Last summer they started making scarves for adults and children and donated them to a church in Greensboro to help areas in West Virginia and Kentucky. This project ended but Bonnie and Carol kept making scarves. Bonnie contacted the World Mission Board to find another place to send the scarves. It was determined that they could send them to Moravian areas in Alaska and Labrador. Bonnie asked for help with crocheting and yarn donations from Friedberg Moravian Church. She got several yarn donations from ladies at Friedberg and help with crocheting from Linda Craver and Peggy Anderson. They were able to get 135 scarves made to give away. Some were also given to "On the Wings Like a Dove." Bonnie Tucker Members of the Global Mission Group from Kernersville Moravian have worked hard in 2016 preparing layette kits and birthing kits for women and children in different Moravian Provinces. Maggie Gray and Betty Hollifield sewed bags for the kits and some blankets. Bobbie Hayes was able to purchase many of the needed clothes from the Next Step Ministry in Kernersville. The entire congregation participated in the project by donating funds and supplies. 100 layettes and 100 birthing kits were taken to the Moravian Churches in Peru by the Come and Worship Mission Team traveling to Peru in mid-january. Bobbie Hayes Ladies at New Philadelphia meet regularly to sew pillowcase dresses to send to many areas around the world. Recently, a member of their congregation is sewing shorts for young boys. The Come and Worship Group left on January 11 for Peru where they will be preaching, performing music, and working with young children in ministry. New Philadelphia had prepared 50 dresses and 30 pairs of short pants to send with the team for young children in Peru. In addition, 50 pairs of underwear for girls were purchased and donated as well. Jane Wynne The effort of the ladies to reach out to others in need in distant places is much appreciated by those receiving these gifts made with love and compassion.

6 MAGI-LAND MISSIONARIES VISIT U.S. Happy 2017 to you and yours! By God s grace, we find ourselves back in America (North Carolina, to be specific) and thankful for a brief break from life in Magi-land. We love our work and we are so blessed to get to live there and serve God there. We are also grateful for the chances we get to return to America and serve Christ here, too. As anyone who has lived overseas can tell you (as well as the research we have read(, living in a different culture means living with a daily stress and sense of discomfort that can build up over time. The lack of consistent electricity and water, the daily stresses of language and operating in another culture, and the difficulties of the ministry can easily wear us down if we do not (1) seek the Lord daily and walk with Him, and (2) take occasional breaks from life in Magi-land. Coming back to America also gives us the opportunity to speak about His work among the Magi and hopefully, add to those who regularly join in the work through prayer. As we mentioned in our previous newsletter, we will be in NC for most of January and February, and in Georgia and Alabama in March. We will return to Magi-land in early April. We would love to see you. For our phone numbers and address, call or the Mission Office ( ). It would be great to see you and share with you in person about how God is moving among the Magi! Thank you for those who prayed for our last days in Magi-land and our travel. We were able to make a family visit to Valley Town in order to see some of our brothers and sisters there before we left. Our kids said goodbye to their Magi kindergarten teachers and friends, and even our travel went well. Of course, 24 hours of travel (3 flights, 4 airports) is not easy with three kids, but they did well and we survived. We enjoyed a nice Christmas in Georgia and we are thankful for the New Year. May 2017 be the year that God pours out His blessing on Magi-land in such extraordinary ways that many come to faith and a movement of multiplying churches takes off! Thank you for your continued prayers to that end! Grace and peace to you, Kevin and Charity Prayer Request For unbelieving spouses and relatives of the believers may they hear, understand and believe the truth. That God will grow the believers in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. For Kevin as he travels to Wake Forest, NC for a seminary class from Jan. 9 13, and for Charity as she parents (mostly) alone that week. That God will bring peace to Magi-land, both physical and spiritual. Thank you Jesus that you bring peace between God and man. For a restful and refreshing time in America. 6

7 PRAY EVERY DAY FEBRUARY Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. Pray for Dusty & Christin Harrison Greek Inter- Varsity in Clemson. 2. Waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. Pray for Brian (pilot/mechanic) & Heather Marx with MAF in Indonesia. 3. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Pray for Steve & Ann Marx with MAF Headquarters in ID. 4. Who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? Pray for Safiatu and Mohamed Braima in the Mission Area of Sierra Leone. 5. Sunday. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Pray for the Antioch Project and for Jill Kolodziej, Director. 6. If you have received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift? Pray for Rob and Anne Thiessen in Mexico. 7. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of the heavenly lights. Pray for the Woo family. 8. Who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? Pray for Ed Dehnert and Barb Weide at Alaska Bible Seminary, Bethel AK. 9. By awesome deeds you answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation. Pray for disaster relief in areas devastated by natural disasters. 10. Rejoice in hope. Pray for the Moravian Volunteer Resources, Justin Rabbach, Director. 11. My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God. Pray for Drs. Bill and Peggy Hoffman with HIV/ AIDS Ministry in Tanzania. 12. Sunday. People will come from East and West, North and South, and take their place at the feast in Kingdom of God. Pray for Moravian/Richard Petty teams doing flood relief in Lumberton. 13. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance. Pray for Michael, Cecilia, and Blessing Tesh serving in Kenya at Ray of Hope. 14. From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Pray for Michael and Brenda Brent in campus ministry in Croatia. 15. Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. Pray for Charlie & Vickie Brent in campus ministry at TX A&M. 16. Jesus says, "Because I live, you also will live." Pray for the Likewise Aids Ministry. 17. Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. Pray for Kevin & Charity in Middle East. 18. God called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Pray for Dr. Louis and Susan Sutton. 19. Sunday. The Lord will again rejoice over you for good as he rejoiced over your fathers. Pray for Ruth Snyder and Claire Wilson with Changed Choices. 20. I have set up a rainbow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Pray for Adopt-a-Village program in Tanzania. 21. In him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible. Pray for the Mission Areas of Sierra Leone and Peru and Mission Province of Cuba. 22. I will astound these peoples with wonder upon wonders; the wisdom of the wise will perish. Pray for BWM Board of Directors and staff. 23. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Pray for R and B in the Sudan. 24. In his love and mercy the Lord regained them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Pray for Phil & Eunice Raiford serving in Juquila. 25. Although you have not seen Jesus Christ, you love him. Pray for the advisory board of the Unity Women s Desk. 26. Sunday. In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. Pray for Annie B. Mission with Star Mountain in Palestine. 27. The word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. Pray for the clinic & church in Ahuas, Honduras 28. Let the steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. Pray for Phil & Ashley Sineath serving with Campus Outreach Global, AL. Helengulledge1090@gmail.com 7

8 ALASKA SEMINARY NEEDS CUSTODIAN/CARETAKER The Alaska Bible Seminary is seeking a full-time Custodian/Caretaker for its facilities in Bethel, Alaska. Successful candidate will perform various duties to maintain the cleanliness of the seminary buildings and grounds. The goal of this position is to provide a clean, sanitary, comfortable, orderly and safe environment for all staff, students, building users, and the general public. Candidate must have good English communication skills both written and verbal. This is a full-time position during the school year. Work hours are flexible, variable and may include some weekends. Candidate must be willing and able to work around various activities when cleaning. Background checks are required on all applicants. Compensation package may include housing and utilities with semi-monthly payroll and life insurance depending on the applicant s experience. Applications and a detailed job description are available at the Seminary Dean s office located at 481B Third Avenue, Bethel or you may send your resume to the Alaska Bible Seminary, P.O. Box 2084 Bethel, AK If you would like additional information, please call the Seminary at The AK Bible Seminary does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, nor national and ethnic origin in the administration of its policies or programs. 8 Contact the Mission Society: sbeaman@mcsp.org ONWARD 500 S. Church St. Winston-Salem, NC ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED