SWO NMI NEWSLETTER JANUARY-MARCH

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1 SWO NMI NEWSLETTER JANUARY-MARCH 100 th Anniversary Project Don t forget your offering for the 100 th Anniversary Project! We are providing funds for the house that Ben and Katherine Radcliffe will move in to. Project cost is $70,000! Please send these funds to Mark Emerson as soon as your church has taken it s offering. The children are working toward providing the roof ($15,000), the NYI is providing the Family Room ($3,000), and the rest of the project $52,000 is the challenge for the adults on Southwestern Ohio. A BIG project, but together WE CAN DO IT! IMPORTANT DATES February Alabaster Month District Council NMI Meeting February 28th, at 9:30 am Spring 2015 District Tour Larry & Addie Garman, Peru March 7-15, 2015 SAVE the DATE! NMI Convention Springdale Church of the Nazarene - Sunday, July 19 th 6:00 Opening Service - Monday, July 20 th 10:00 3:00 Convention Inspiration and Business - Dr. Larry and Addie Garman, retired missionaries to Peru th anniversary celebration of Nazarene Missions International! Saturday, March 7, 10:45am 12:45 pm SWO Children s Mission Event at Pump It Up in West Chester. Special Speakers Larry & Addie Garman Please Note: Change of address for Mark Emerson, NMI Treasurer mse3031@gmail.com

2 Page 2 SWO NMI NEWSLETTER JANUARY-MARCH Words from NMI President Elaine Mahaffey A blessed new year I am so thankful for each of you and the work you are doing to advance the Kingdom of Christ around the world. As I reflect on 2014, I must confess that I think it flew by! You may not do this, but I tend to measure my NMI life in increments of activity. Last January we had a Double Vision district tour with the Rojas and the Radi family in the midst of freezing temperatures. In April, May, and June, the district council worked very hard FOR missions on Southwestern Ohio and around the world as we prepared for our July 5-6 th convention! Then, in September, the President s workshop, a district council meeting, a regional council meeting and the Work & Witness conference, followed by a district tour in October with the Shalleys. Whew! Busy times I have taken the past few months a little easier (on the district level) to spend with family and for personal renewal. But now we begin to gear up again for My prayer is that we (including myself) will seek Christ with a devotion unmatched by anything activity allows. On the global level, we will most likely have a newly appointed Global NMI Director. I will represent our district at a leaders meeting in Kansas City next month, staying for the M15 conference to follow. These are crucial days for the Church of the Nazarene, and for missions specifically. Please pray with me for the selection of our new leadership and the direction of the global NMI. Many people around the world still have not heard the gospel message. This is no time to retreat, but to move forward with the tenacity of Kingdom followers. God is faithful and we must be. I would encourage you to embrace 2015 with the knowledge that God will provide EVERYTHING you need. He will direct if you look to Him for direction. He will equip those He has called with the gifts to complete the task. He will bless in ways we NEVER dreamed. Don t get in the way of His blessing for your life in May you have a God- blessed 2015! UPDATE ON THE YOUNG FAMILY Joe, Cheryl, Jonathan, Hannah, and Becky Young, Southwestern Ohio missionaries from the Bethel church, have arrived in South-East Asia and are in the midst of settling in to a new country and the cultural adjustment that follows. We praise God that they have arrived safely. (You may remember their presentation in the afternoon of our district convention last summer) In a recent newsletter, Joe and Cheryl listed the following prayer requests: Visas We are working on a language study visa, which will allow us to stay for 1 year before having to pursue other visa options. Pray the visa is approved quickly. Cultural Adjustment Pray for us as we adjust to shopping, driving, eating, relation to others, and the rigors of daily life that become a challenge when moving to a new place. Homeschooling Pray for our children as they home school, that they will have the courage to learn and study hard even as they adjust to a new environment. Pray for Cheryl as she teaches. Language Study Most people hear and only understand or speak very basic, and not conversational English. Learning the language is a necessity. As we learn, pray that we will learn quickly and well and can become conversational soon. Effective ministry Pray for effective ministry through and even as we make the language a priority.

3 Page 3 Spring 2015 District Tour Larry and Addie Garman, Peru March 7-15, 2015 We need a church to host the NW zone rally. Please contact Elaine Mahaffey as soon as possible to schedule these wonderful missionaries (bemahaf@fuse.net) Saturday, March 7 District Children s Event Pump It Up, West Chester Sunday, March 8 am Crossroads Pm Georgetown Monday, March 9 7:00 NE Zone Rally Hillsboro Tuesday, March 10 7:00 NW Zone? Wednesday, March 11 Springdale Thursday, March 12 7:00 SW Zone Rally Montana Ave. Friday, March 13 7:00 SE Zone Rally Sardinia Saturday, March 14 Fairfield Sunday, March 15 am Faith Promise at Fairfield pm Blanchester

4 Page 4 SWO NMI NEWSLETTER JANUARY-MARCH Dear SWO Friends and Prayer Partners, UPDATE FROM THE RADCLIFFS We want to thank you for your faithful prayers and praise the Lord that He has brought us safely back to Papua New Guinea. 1. As we were welcomed back on New Year's Eve, the Lord has shown us that our medical leave of absence was God's way of doing a spiritual work in our lives and the lives of those we've come to serve. Jim's strength has returned steadily and he is looking forward to working at the hospital today. 2. We were blessed to speak about what God is doing in Papua New Guinea in churches in Florida, Alabama, Illinois, Texas, Tennessee, and Ohio. Each one of us (Jim, Kathy and Lydia) shared in the services. Lydia played her ukulele and we sang in Melanesian Pidgin. We received wonderful encouragement and support from many Nazarenes! 3. It has been a blessing for us to see what God is doing in the USA. We count it a privilege to pray for the people and congregations we have met as they shared their needs and dreams with us. 4. Praise the Lord! Priscilla has received her work permit and entry visa to come to teach the missionary children at Kudjp. 5. We are thankful that Ben and Katherine have received their PNG medical licenses and work permits! They have yet to receive their entry visas so that they can purchase their tickets and come. We are praying that the visas will be granted next week and they can travel to PNG before the month is over. Priscilla is waiting to purchase tickets also, so that she can travel with them to help with Matthias and Simeon on the long trip. 6. We would value your prayers for God's timing and help in all of this, and for strength for Jim as Dr. and Mrs. Kerrigan (our Godsent volunteers) hand over the patients to Jim today. (Jim is really looking forward to Ben's help.) In the next few days, Kathy will be working on the preparations for the lovely home that SWO is funding for Ben and Katherine. 7. We would appreciate prayer for our parents, Garnet Beam and Rev. David and Helen Radcliffe. It was difficult to leave them now in their mid-80's, and we want to trust the Lord for their care. God has given us His Word and assurance through your prayers that He is with us! May you see His Hand in your lives as you enter the New Year! Jim, Kathy and Lydia HAITI WELL UPDATE District: North Central district Name of the town: Docine (a small community in Gonaives, Artibonite department, Haiti) Church: Nazarene of Docine Pastor s name: Sylvain Charleron 1. How many people attend the church? Pastor: about Is there a Nazarene school here? Pastor: yes (Primary school) 3. If so, how many pupils attend the school? Pastor: about How many people on average get water from the well per day? Pastor: more than How many days per week the well is open? Pastor: everyday 6. How can you thank donors? Pastor: immediately when the well company has started drilling the well people were gathered to see and they were so happy. They said water is life. So the whole community and the church thank donors for that great gift. May God bless them abundantly. Pictures of the well in Docine, Haiti THANKS TO YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS DURING OUR WATER PROJECT TO BUILD WELLS

5 Page 5 SWO Missions Council invites all SWO children to: Pump It Up For Missions! Saturday, March 7, :45 12:45 p.m. with special speakers: Larry and Addie Garman Nazarene Southwestern Ohio District Children are invited to an exciting missions-themed event at Pump It Up West Chester located just off of I-75 at the Liberty Road exit - across the street from Voice Of America Park Service Center Dr. West Chester, OH ( ) Children will have lunch with the Garmans and learn about Nazarene Missions after they play on giant inflatable slides, bounce houses and obstacle courses in the private, indoor, climate-controlled arenas. Please arrive at the event before 10:30 a.m. to complete registration. Signed waivers are required for participating children. Play begins promptly at 10:45. Please look for forms in additional . For more information contact Pam Carroll: (H), (C) or pamcarroll@fuse.net DID YOU KNOW? In July, you collected 70 crisis care kits and in October, 121, totaling 191 CRISIS CARE KITS! 40 boxes School Pal Paks were also sent. SWO NAZARENES you are awesome! Thank you!

6 Page 6 SWO NMI NEWSLETTER JANUARY-MARCH Work & Witness Updates SWO Work & Witness June Cherokee, North Carolina Registration Now Open To Self register: OR kurt@kdconsulting.com ( ) OR Mail Form: Projects: VBS Light Construction/Renovation Food/Clothing Pantry School Supplies Quizzing Food Team Cherokee North Carolina is about 30 miles south of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in the heart of the mountains. We will be staying at the Jellystone Campground in Air-conditioned cabins, a five minute walk to the Nazarene Church and Compassionate Ministry Center in the heart of the Cherokee Reservation. Many of the cabins include full kitchens which our cooking team will use to feed all participants. The campground is in a beautiful location in the mountains, with activities throughout the park and a river running right through the park. The river is a great fishing river as well as tubing and swimming. This work & witness trip is the perfect one for families, teens and those of any age. It's a great location for everyone, and everyone is needed.

7 Page 7 MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES ON THE DISTRICT W&W TRIP Construction: Minor repairs to local houses. Handy people or willing to work/help. Will have the best opportunity to experience local living conditions. VBS: Most SWO teens. VBS material from the district and supplemented by quizzing concepts. Must be willing to have fun. May use children's quizzing ideas and boxes. Food/Clothing: The church operates an emergency food box and clothing pantry. We are requesting donations at District Assembly (bring canned/dry goods and bring infant supplies: diapers, formula, baby food). Blankets for winter months. Clean and prepare clothes. Sort and manage food supplies. Work in the pantry. Cooking: Plan menus based on group information and food questionnaires. Prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner most days. Shop Transportation: The church provides limited transportation to: Laundromats, Grocery Stores, Doctor appointments. This is an optional program which we will do based on need and availability. You will either be driving your own vehicle or a church vehicle with appropriate insurance and permission. We will do this in pairs. Bible Quizzing/Teen Fellowship: We will be sharing our time with other teens in the community in the afternoon following the VBS. This will be a time of fellowship, fun, and sharing using teen quizzing materials and concepts. This is a great time for coaches and those interested in quizzing to join for an in-depth look at the program, and an opportunity to find out how exciting and fun it is for those involved. Additional Work & Witness Opportunity Papua New Guinea The West Chester church is going to Papua New Guinea June 9-23 rd and has space available for additional team members. The cost is $3500 ($2700 flights, $400 expenses while there, and $400 expenses in Sydney, Australia before returning home. Please contact Dr. Bob Aarom through the West Chester church ( ) if you would be interested in joining this team. The assigned project is to work on a lodge on the hospital property. This is a wonderful opportunity to go to New Guinea while the costs are down! LINKS REMINDER Don't forget your LINKS and district missionaries!! Don't forget if you have not paid your LINKS budget of $35.00 to do so...thank you so much for your support!!

8 Page 8 English Education Within Our Multicultural Community by the FCN By Ted Collins Fairfield Church of the Nazarene has had an English as a Second Language program for 4 years, now. We have taught students from many different countries who have come to our classes to learn and to improve their English. We have been blessed as teachers and workers to get to know these students and we have worked to show them God's love in all that we do. We have two Muslim families from Senegal who have attended our classes for about 6 months. One of them was in the hospital recently as she delivered a full term stillborn baby. We were able to minister to her and to her husband in the hospital and were able to help translate for them with the doctors and nurses. The other student from Senegal invited a Hispanic woman that she works with to come to ESL class. The woman then started attending our Hispanic congregation a few weeks ago and received Jesus as her Savior. Isn't it amazing how God works? Another amazing story is about a young man from the Dominican Republic who was brought here to the USA by his mom. At the age of 16 he was left with his brother to survive by themselves. At high school one of the ladies of our church was his teacher, along with a teacher from Cuba. They began helping him with his education on their own time. He graduated with honors against all odds. When our Hispanic church was but a dream, he helped us to locate all the Hispanic speaking families in our area and introduced them to our local church pastor. He shared with them about our ministries in food, clothing and about a new Hispanic church forming. When our Hispanic church started, he became our first convert. Today he is our miracle young man. At the age of 24 he has had brain surgery, gall bladder surgery, several kidney stones and currently his hip joints are dislocated. The church is his lifeline and his advocate. We have prayed for miracles for this young man and we have seen answers from God. ESL classes have opened doors to all of our community. Through ESL, marriages and families have been restored and our students have a shoulder to cry on and a caring ear to listen. Who to call your SWO District NMI Council Elaine Mahaffey President/Deputation bemahaf@fuse.net Country Oaks Station West Chester, OH Kurt Johnson Vice President/W&W kurt@kdconsulting.com Lana Roe Secretary ljroe@fuse.net Emberwood Ct West Chester, OH Mark Emerson Treasurer mse3031@gmail.com Donham Dr. Middletown, OH Pam Carroll Children pamcarroll@fuse.net Dan McLean Mission Call dr.daniel.mclean@gmail.com Edie Baker Compassion danbakerauctioneer@gmail.com Ted Collins Educating Coordinator az0272t@gmail.com Joyce Campbell SW Zone/Giving e.campbell1@juno.com Phyllis Davis NW Zone momandpopdavis58@aol.com Carolyn Hamilton NE Zone/Prayer chteach123@yahoo.com Denna Pence SE Zone dennac@roadrunner.com Paige Graves LINKS paigemichele19@yahoo.com