We have been sharing a six-part blog series about some of the best parts of ministry last year. This fifth post is about education opportunities for current and future leaders and how this benefits their ministry work and personal development.
What Happened
Last year the three men Fernando has spent the most time discipling (see Part 4) began their undergraduate studies.
One reason young people in Honduras struggle with poverty and the temptation to get involved in unhealthy activities is lack of opportunity to study and work. Not only do they miss the chance to learn, grow, and make the most of years full of potential, this is a loss for families, communities, and the future of the country. As for pastors, most have to work in addition to their ministries, and more education usually earns greater respect from those they minister to. For these reasons, we feel it is highly important for young pastors and potential leaders to pursue higher education.
"I Never Thought I Could"
Some benefits of these three men's studies in their ministry work are quite obvious: computer skills facilitate documenting stories; advanced reading and writing skills aid Bible study; administrative abilities improve overall work performance; diligence and responsibility in their studies strengthens leadership.
However, perhaps one of the greatest gifts education has given them is something Wilber told me about recently when I asked him about last year's studies and this year's plans. Wilber is the first in his immediate family to study at a college level, and he really hadn't considered it until the opportunity was extended to him. You can also imagine that studying in one's second language presents unique challenges, as well.
But he said, "I love working on the computer, and I can't wait to learn more. I never thought I would like this kind of thing or even that I could do it!" Wilber discovered he was able to do more than he thought, and this is propelling him toward trying new things and taking new risks, not only in education, but also in leadership roles. In fact, by sharing his experience with other young people he could inspire them to do the same.
What Now?
Elvis, Alex, and Wilber have resumed classes after the holiday vacation and plan to study throughout this year. We would love to see more young people gain access to higher education for their futures and, especially, for the glory of God.
Coming up in Part 6: Wageira
Showing posts with label youth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label youth. Show all posts
Friday, January 16, 2015
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Best of 2014: Growing Pains
Welcome to Part 4 of a six-part series about ministry highlights from last year. This post is about how Fernando has mentored three young men and how they have grown.
Paul-Timothy Relationships
The Apostle Paul mentored younger men in the faith, such as Timothy, while they were serving in local churches. With this goal, Fernando has developed mentor relationships with Alex and Wilber (see Part 2) and Elvis.
Elvis (middle in the picture) is a young pastor from a community about an hour from La Ceiba.
He has shown outstanding commitment and discipline in his studies with the Garífuna seminary. This is what last year looked like for Elvis:
Fernando's role is spending one-on-one time with them and giving a listening ear. As they encounter difficulties in their work or in relationships, he prays with them; when they need to make decisions, he asks them questions to think things through; when they are discouraged, he helps them remember who God is and all He has done. As important as their ministry activities are, this relational aspect is key in developing character and perseverance.
Growing Pains
Not long ago, Wilber (above with Baby J) came to our house, and I (Alison) asked him about his vacation in his home community. I thought he would be happy, since going back "home" is usually the best part of the year for Garífunas who have relocated to urban areas. Instead, he told me he felt so sad because there are very few believers and the church there is weak and struggling. Many people are trapped in alcoholism, including teenager and young adults. Several years ago, this would not have bothered Wilber, at least not much. But this time he simply couldn't just "have fun" while knowing people did not know Jesus, who has changed his life. His question now is, "What can be done?"
Praise God with us for how He is working in Wilber's heart and pray that God will use Wilber to reach many people with the good news of Christ. Pray for his community and others like it, that light will overcome the darkness and freedom will break chains of bondage. And pray for the Lord to prepare and send Garífuna workers to the harvest fields.
Now What?
Paul-Timothy Relationships
The Apostle Paul mentored younger men in the faith, such as Timothy, while they were serving in local churches. With this goal, Fernando has developed mentor relationships with Alex and Wilber (see Part 2) and Elvis.
Elvis (middle in the picture) is a young pastor from a community about an hour from La Ceiba.
He has shown outstanding commitment and discipline in his studies with the Garífuna seminary. This is what last year looked like for Elvis:
- He started a church in his community, which has been growing and reaching people with the gospel, including those who have struggled with alcoholism.
- He communicates with all of the seminary students, giving them information about classes and asking them how they are doing in their studies and ministries.
- He has been an invaluable assistant for Fernando in the seminary.
Fernando's role is spending one-on-one time with them and giving a listening ear. As they encounter difficulties in their work or in relationships, he prays with them; when they need to make decisions, he asks them questions to think things through; when they are discouraged, he helps them remember who God is and all He has done. As important as their ministry activities are, this relational aspect is key in developing character and perseverance.
Growing Pains
Not long ago, Wilber (above with Baby J) came to our house, and I (Alison) asked him about his vacation in his home community. I thought he would be happy, since going back "home" is usually the best part of the year for Garífunas who have relocated to urban areas. Instead, he told me he felt so sad because there are very few believers and the church there is weak and struggling. Many people are trapped in alcoholism, including teenager and young adults. Several years ago, this would not have bothered Wilber, at least not much. But this time he simply couldn't just "have fun" while knowing people did not know Jesus, who has changed his life. His question now is, "What can be done?"
Praise God with us for how He is working in Wilber's heart and pray that God will use Wilber to reach many people with the good news of Christ. Pray for his community and others like it, that light will overcome the darkness and freedom will break chains of bondage. And pray for the Lord to prepare and send Garífuna workers to the harvest fields.
The goal for this year is that Alex and Wilber will take on greater leadership in roles where they can use their gifts (for example, Alex is a very gifted musician). The greater vision is that someday these three men will in turn mentor others in the faith!
Coming up in Part 5: I Never Thought I Could
Coming up in Part 5: I Never Thought I Could
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Some Praises to Share
Hi friends! We wanted to share a few praises with you:
Last night, Fernando led a story fellowship group (telling an oral Bible story with questions and dicussion) in a nearby Garífuna community, and a woman accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior! Thank you for praying for the OneStory project.
Alex and Wilber, who work full-time with Fernando, both found out this week that they have been accepted into college programs. Wilber received a scholarship for a one-year program that covers administrative and computer skills in the same university where Fernando completed his MBA program. This will give him solid preparation for future studies and jobs. Alex will be studying a four-year eco-tourism degree in one of the main Honduran universities. We praise God for providing them with the opportunity to study and still continue working on ministry projects with Fernando. We are proud of them, too. Thank you for praying for them!
I'll post soon about activities and prayer requests for this next month. Thank you for standing with us in prayer!
Last night, Fernando led a story fellowship group (telling an oral Bible story with questions and dicussion) in a nearby Garífuna community, and a woman accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior! Thank you for praying for the OneStory project.
Alex and Wilber, who work full-time with Fernando, both found out this week that they have been accepted into college programs. Wilber received a scholarship for a one-year program that covers administrative and computer skills in the same university where Fernando completed his MBA program. This will give him solid preparation for future studies and jobs. Alex will be studying a four-year eco-tourism degree in one of the main Honduran universities. We praise God for providing them with the opportunity to study and still continue working on ministry projects with Fernando. We are proud of them, too. Thank you for praying for them!
I'll post soon about activities and prayer requests for this next month. Thank you for standing with us in prayer!
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Beautiful Sounds
Recently I had the chance to combine several of my favorite things: phonetics (the study of the sounds of languages) + Garífuna language + teaching. The OneStory workshop we have helped with includes a one-week module about language learning. The facilitator offered the course in English to a missionary family who feel called to serve in Garífuna communities and would like to learn the language. The following week, the same material was offered in Spanish to the OneStory participants, who will spend the next few weeks in a Garífuna community to apply what they learned about language learning.
I was invited to share about sounds of the Garífuna language. Here is a little snapshot for those who might find it interesting:
These are the consonants in Garífuna that sound like English sounds:
b as in 'boy'
ch as in 'child'
d as in 'dog'
f as in 'fun'
g as in 'girl'
h as in 'hand'
m as in 'man'
n as in 'nap' (one of my favorite words these days, as some of you might understand)
s as in 'sun'
w as in 'win'
y as in 'yes'
These consonants sound more like Spanish:
k as in 'coco' ('coconut'): it's a softer, unaspirated 'k'
l as in 'lata' ('can'): it's a lighter-sounding 'l' in which only the tip of the tongue is used, unlike the English sound of 'dull' where the back of the tongue is also raised
p as in 'poco' ('a little'): softer, unaspirated, like 'k'
r as in 'pero' ('but'), but never 'rr' as in 'perro' ('dog')
t as in 'taco': softer, unaspirated, like 'k' and 'p'
This consonant is not found in either English or Spanish: ñ. It is like a blend of the English 'y' and Spanish 'ñ'; it's like saying a nasalized 'y' or saying the Spanish 'ñ' without letting the top of your tongue touch the hard palate.
These vowels are like Spanish: a, e, i, o, u. A sixth vowel, ü, is unlike either English or Spanish. It is like trying to say 'ooooo' (or the Spanish 'u') with a smile instead of rounded lips. Any of these six vowels can be nasalized or lengthened. This six-vowel system with lengthening and nasalization is common in Amerindian languages.
As for prosodic features (musical characteristics), syllable stress is important for differentiating meaning. For example: 'agüragua' (first syllable stressed) means 'to bite' and 'agüragua' (second syllable stressed) means 'to tie up.' Also, intonation tends to be falling, or descending, even with questions.
While phonetics may be fun for some of us, the goal of linguistics and language learning is to communicate in the heart language of people for the Lord's work. If you think of it, pray for this missionary family, for the OneStory participants, and also for me to push on in language learning and remember why it is important. Thank you, and if you have questions you can post them in the comment section below!
I was invited to share about sounds of the Garífuna language. Here is a little snapshot for those who might find it interesting:
These are the consonants in Garífuna that sound like English sounds:
b as in 'boy'
ch as in 'child'
d as in 'dog'
f as in 'fun'
g as in 'girl'
h as in 'hand'
m as in 'man'
n as in 'nap' (one of my favorite words these days, as some of you might understand)
s as in 'sun'
w as in 'win'
y as in 'yes'
These consonants sound more like Spanish:
k as in 'coco' ('coconut'): it's a softer, unaspirated 'k'
l as in 'lata' ('can'): it's a lighter-sounding 'l' in which only the tip of the tongue is used, unlike the English sound of 'dull' where the back of the tongue is also raised
p as in 'poco' ('a little'): softer, unaspirated, like 'k'
r as in 'pero' ('but'), but never 'rr' as in 'perro' ('dog')
t as in 'taco': softer, unaspirated, like 'k' and 'p'
This consonant is not found in either English or Spanish: ñ. It is like a blend of the English 'y' and Spanish 'ñ'; it's like saying a nasalized 'y' or saying the Spanish 'ñ' without letting the top of your tongue touch the hard palate.
These vowels are like Spanish: a, e, i, o, u. A sixth vowel, ü, is unlike either English or Spanish. It is like trying to say 'ooooo' (or the Spanish 'u') with a smile instead of rounded lips. Any of these six vowels can be nasalized or lengthened. This six-vowel system with lengthening and nasalization is common in Amerindian languages.
As for prosodic features (musical characteristics), syllable stress is important for differentiating meaning. For example: 'agüragua' (first syllable stressed) means 'to bite' and 'agüragua' (second syllable stressed) means 'to tie up.' Also, intonation tends to be falling, or descending, even with questions.
While phonetics may be fun for some of us, the goal of linguistics and language learning is to communicate in the heart language of people for the Lord's work. If you think of it, pray for this missionary family, for the OneStory participants, and also for me to push on in language learning and remember why it is important. Thank you, and if you have questions you can post them in the comment section below!
Friday, May 30, 2014
OneStory Workshop: Worldview
Thank you to all who have been praying for the OneStory workshop the past two weeks.
Fernando has been helping the Wycliffe missionary coordinating the training. Participants include four young Garífuna men, two Colombians, and three Mexicans, along with two Miskito men who have also helped facilitate.
One afternoon this week I taught a module about cultural values and worldview influence the story selection of a OneStory project. The term "worldview" refers to the beliefs and assumptions a group holds about origin of life, God and/or supernatural beings, good and evil, causes and consequences of circumstances, etc. I was fun to be back in "teacher" mode and discuss different kinds of worldviews, their strengths and weaknesses, and how God's Word addresses those.
Today they will finish these classes and spend the next few weeks practicing crafting stories, leading story fellowship groups, and learning about language and culture acquisition. Afterward, they will travel to a Garífuna community.
You can pray the Lord will use this experience to prepare them for serving in missions.
P.S. Today Baby J turns four months old!
Monday, May 6, 2013
Playing Soccer to Go Fishing
Here is another praise report and big "thank you!" for praying for a new discipleship for teenage girls we started last month.
Teamwork and Pedagogy
Elma and Judith, two women from our church, have stepped up to helping me start a second discipleship group for girls. Kety, another friend, has become the leader of the first group, which I was asked to start two years ago. It has been encouraging to work together, learn from each other, and pray together for these girls we care about.
I am also thankful for what I learned in master's degree program (applied linguistics with an emphasis in pedagogy), as it has greatly helped me in finding interactive ways to do Bible study with teenage girls. It has also been useful for creating mini-workshops for these teachers, or informally preparing lessons together. Last week, Judith and I worked together to plan a lession, and she did a great job leading activities and discussions on Saturday.
"You're Invited!"
Elma lives in a very strategic neighborhood near many Garifuna girls, and we have held three discipleship meetings so far. She is able to stop by and invite those around her, and we have also made contact with girls after church and inviting them to come. We are studying "the basics" of what it means to be a Christian and follow Jesus. Some highlights for me are:
My Version of Soccer
We organized a soccer event for girls who were interested. Some of you know that my favorite part of soccer is socializing with people around me. :) But the best part of this soccer game was "going fishing" for new girls, and I met four who are interested in coming to discipleship group! One even contacted me today for more information. (But don't ask me how many goals were scored...!)
I deeply value your prayers in "fishing" for girls who Jesus would call to Himself, and for those who are growing in their faith to become "fishers" of others, as well (Matt. 4:19).
Here are a few pictures of the happy soccer players:
Teamwork and Pedagogy
Elma and Judith, two women from our church, have stepped up to helping me start a second discipleship group for girls. Kety, another friend, has become the leader of the first group, which I was asked to start two years ago. It has been encouraging to work together, learn from each other, and pray together for these girls we care about.
I am also thankful for what I learned in master's degree program (applied linguistics with an emphasis in pedagogy), as it has greatly helped me in finding interactive ways to do Bible study with teenage girls. It has also been useful for creating mini-workshops for these teachers, or informally preparing lessons together. Last week, Judith and I worked together to plan a lession, and she did a great job leading activities and discussions on Saturday.
"You're Invited!"
Elma lives in a very strategic neighborhood near many Garifuna girls, and we have held three discipleship meetings so far. She is able to stop by and invite those around her, and we have also made contact with girls after church and inviting them to come. We are studying "the basics" of what it means to be a Christian and follow Jesus. Some highlights for me are:
- Seeing girls understand what grace means and that salvation is a free gift.
- Helping them find verses in the Bible and encouraging them as they paraphrase verses using their own words.
- Watching them work together in groups to complete activities and relate truth to their lives.
- Welcoming girls who do not yet have friends at church.
My Version of Soccer
We organized a soccer event for girls who were interested. Some of you know that my favorite part of soccer is socializing with people around me. :) But the best part of this soccer game was "going fishing" for new girls, and I met four who are interested in coming to discipleship group! One even contacted me today for more information. (But don't ask me how many goals were scored...!)
I deeply value your prayers in "fishing" for girls who Jesus would call to Himself, and for those who are growing in their faith to become "fishers" of others, as well (Matt. 4:19).
Here are a few pictures of the happy soccer players:
The winning team (I was told)
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Studying the Life of Christ
I just got home from discipleship group, and I am happy to see how the girls are growing in their understanding of God's Word and their faith in Christ. I started discipling three girls in 2011, and it the group continued to grow in the past few years. Some girls have become believers, and others have learned to study the Bible, while becoming friends with each other. It's beautiful to watch God at work in their lives!
Two girls sharing what they discussed in their small group
Last year, Kety, a friend from church, started helping me, and she is becoming the main leader. This is great advantage since she lives in the same neighborhood as most the girls and has wonderful ideas that have helped improve our times together.
Kety leading an activity
Last year we used a book that covered key topics in Christianity, such as prayer, fellowship, witness, etc. This year we are digging deeper in a study of the life of Christ, which includes daily reading and weekly discussion. Last year, my home church sent the girls Bibles in a version that is very easy to read, and this has been very helpful (some of them only had antiquated versions that are difficult to understand).
This girl has grown a lot in her faith and in participating each Saturday
Highlights from today included:
- Having group discussions about how to learn from Joseph and Mary's example of faith and obedience.
- Answering questions several girls had written down during their reading this past week.
- Hearing what they most liked about the passages they read.
- Finding out that, for some, this was the first time they had read the story of Jesus' birth!
- Seeing how they have grown in confidence when they read and summarize Bible verses (instead of waiting for someone else to do it for them).
- Having two girls come to Bible study for the first time.
Please pray:
- That they will experience Jesus in a deep and personal way through this study.
- That they will develop the discipline of spending time with God each day.
- That new girls will find a place to learn and belong in our group.
- That God will bless Kety in her role as leader and encourage her as she reaches out to the girls in her neighborhood.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Miscellaneous January Happenings
The past few weeks have been filled with miscellaneous activities. The Honduran school year runs from February to November, and January tends to be a month of catching up on loose ends, as well as planning and preparing for upcoming projects.
Here's a summary of some of what we've been up to:
January 6 is the "Día de los Reyes" (Day of the Magi Kings), celebrated in Latin America with a rosca cake. It's also the day Fernando and I met in 2006 (seven year ago - wow!). Our landlady gave us this rosca:
We also needed to clean out and organize our apartment. Part of that included purchasing second-hand furniture, including a bookshelf, file cabinet, and a tall chest of drawers to replace the piece of furniture below that our landlady let us use:
A big improvement (can you tell we are book people?):
We also have been preparing for Fernando's immigration interview at the embassy next month (with every possible document they might possibly ask for!):
I've also helped J with some of her writing assignments, and we went out to celebrate her 18th birthday!
In the midst of activities that don't often feel "spiritual," God has reminded me that He is always with us, teaching us, using us. For example, I have had opportunities to talk and pray with women while waiting for doctors appointments. While working around the house, I've also had more time to think and pray. Although I am looking forward to more "action" next month, I am thankful for this short season of reflection and preparation.
A main prayer request now is for the four new discipleship/theological training groups that several Garifuna pastors will start next month in their communities. Fernando will help coordinate as pastors who continue in their studies implement the same program in their churches to train more leaders. Pray also that the materials translated to Garifuna will be ready then. (To read about last year's classes, click here and here.) We will post updates on these groups as they get started.
Finally, I've changed the settings for posting comments, so feel free to comment on posts if you'd like. As always, we love hearing from you and knowing how to pray for you. Thank you for your partnership and friendship!
Here's a summary of some of what we've been up to:
- Going to doctor and dentist appointments.
- Updating our emergency plan.
- Uploading documents and pictures as an online backup.
- Revising the Garifuna translation of Bible school materials for classes starting next month.
- Preparing for the start-up of new theological training groups (see below).
- Studying material to be covered in upcoming ETBIL classes.
- Continuing to use linguistics to study and describe Garifuna grammar.
January 6 is the "Día de los Reyes" (Day of the Magi Kings), celebrated in Latin America with a rosca cake. It's also the day Fernando and I met in 2006 (seven year ago - wow!). Our landlady gave us this rosca:
We also needed to clean out and organize our apartment. Part of that included purchasing second-hand furniture, including a bookshelf, file cabinet, and a tall chest of drawers to replace the piece of furniture below that our landlady let us use:
A big improvement (can you tell we are book people?):
We also have been preparing for Fernando's immigration interview at the embassy next month (with every possible document they might possibly ask for!):
I've also helped J with some of her writing assignments, and we went out to celebrate her 18th birthday!
In the midst of activities that don't often feel "spiritual," God has reminded me that He is always with us, teaching us, using us. For example, I have had opportunities to talk and pray with women while waiting for doctors appointments. While working around the house, I've also had more time to think and pray. Although I am looking forward to more "action" next month, I am thankful for this short season of reflection and preparation.
A main prayer request now is for the four new discipleship/theological training groups that several Garifuna pastors will start next month in their communities. Fernando will help coordinate as pastors who continue in their studies implement the same program in their churches to train more leaders. Pray also that the materials translated to Garifuna will be ready then. (To read about last year's classes, click here and here.) We will post updates on these groups as they get started.
Finally, I've changed the settings for posting comments, so feel free to comment on posts if you'd like. As always, we love hearing from you and knowing how to pray for you. Thank you for your partnership and friendship!
Friday, January 4, 2013
Christmas/New Year's in Wageira
Happy New Year! We hope 2013 is off to a good start for you. Fernando and I are back in La Ceiba after spending two weeks with Fernando's family in Wageira. We are thankful for a good, safe trip and would like to share a few highlights with you.
We spent one day at a youth conference held at a nearby community, and Fernando was one of the speakers:
I enjoyed continuing to meet with Rosa (pseudonym), Fernando's cousin's wife. We had been studying the Bible and praying together in La Ceiba, and it is exciting to see her grow in her faith as she learns from God's Word. On Christmas Eve day, I joined Rosa and her sister to make tamales:
Filling the pot to cook it over the fire
On other days, people enjoyed soccer games:
I enjoyed practicing Garifuna and am encouraged because I can speak much more than I could a year ago. Wageira is the ideal place to learn Garifuna, as it is the language people prefer to speak and there are a lot of people to talk with.
New Year's Eve is also celebrated at church, where Fernando gave another sermon and we enjoyed special presentations by children and youth:
At midnight, each family there gathered to pray - probably my favorite moment of the holidays, thanking God together with Fernando's family and praying for each other as we start the new year.
On New Year's Day, there is a traditional dance called Wanaragua ('mask'). Fernando's cousin dressed up and ready to go:
We spent one day at a youth conference held at a nearby community, and Fernando was one of the speakers:
I enjoyed continuing to meet with Rosa (pseudonym), Fernando's cousin's wife. We had been studying the Bible and praying together in La Ceiba, and it is exciting to see her grow in her faith as she learns from God's Word. On Christmas Eve day, I joined Rosa and her sister to make tamales:
Cornmeal dough (masa) with juice from pork meat and other seasonings
Preparing plantain leaves
Filling the leaves with the cornmeal, meat (pork or chicken), vegetables, and rice
Later, we got ready for church, where the service continues until midnight or later.
Merry Christmas!
With Fernando's sister
Fernando sharing a Christmas message during the service
People spend Christmas Day relaxing with their families and eating the food made the day before. Fernando and I took a walk with some friends down the beach to a river. We enjoyed coconuts and swimming in the ocean.
While we were there, a truck had to cross the river on a raft. Here is a picture and a video of the process:
On other days, people enjoyed soccer games:
(No. 15 is a superstar)
I enjoyed practicing Garifuna and am encouraged because I can speak much more than I could a year ago. Wageira is the ideal place to learn Garifuna, as it is the language people prefer to speak and there are a lot of people to talk with.
New Year's Eve is also celebrated at church, where Fernando gave another sermon and we enjoyed special presentations by children and youth:
At midnight, each family there gathered to pray - probably my favorite moment of the holidays, thanking God together with Fernando's family and praying for each other as we start the new year.
Several hours later, there was still a praise party going strong! I needed a little rest, so I took this video:
On New Year's Day, there is a traditional dance called Wanaragua ('mask'). Fernando's cousin dressed up and ready to go:
After such a good trip, we are back home preparing for the coming months. We would appreciate your prayers for wisdom and faithfulness in our work each day, and for trust in the Lord for our plans this year.
We want to say, "Thank you!!!" to those who have sent special gifts in the past few months, which have been an incredible help for the projects we're working on as well as our own needs - thank you!
Also, thank you for visiting our blog, and we look forward to sharing with you again soon. Happy New Year, everyone!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
A Special Gift
Today was a special day for the girls discipleship group. We had our last meeting for this year, before people return to their home communities for the holidays. We celebrated with a meal, games, and birthday cake for those who recently had or will soon have birthdays.
A very special part was giving them Bibles my home church, Grace Community, sent us. Some of the girls' Bibles are very old versions of Spanish and are quite difficult to read. The Bibles they received today are a much easier version, more like the Spanish spoken in this part of the world nowadays. Kety (co-leader) and I included notes with a different Bible verse/promise for each girl. (Five of the girls weren't able to be there, so they will receive their Bibles later.)
We are so THANKFUL for the generosity of those who made it possible for the girls to receive these Bibles! They were very happy, as you can see in this video (saying "thank you" in Garifuna, Spanish, and English):
Please pray that each girl will commit herself to studying God's Word and continue to grow in her faith. It is beautiful to see how God has worked in their lives and knit them together as friends. Thank you for being a part of that through your prayers and partnership!
Here are a few other pictures:
A very special part was giving them Bibles my home church, Grace Community, sent us. Some of the girls' Bibles are very old versions of Spanish and are quite difficult to read. The Bibles they received today are a much easier version, more like the Spanish spoken in this part of the world nowadays. Kety (co-leader) and I included notes with a different Bible verse/promise for each girl. (Five of the girls weren't able to be there, so they will receive their Bibles later.)
We are so THANKFUL for the generosity of those who made it possible for the girls to receive these Bibles! They were very happy, as you can see in this video (saying "thank you" in Garifuna, Spanish, and English):
Please pray that each girl will commit herself to studying God's Word and continue to grow in her faith. It is beautiful to see how God has worked in their lives and knit them together as friends. Thank you for being a part of that through your prayers and partnership!
Here are a few other pictures:
Playing games
Happy birthday!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Pastoral Visit
This past weekend, Fernando and I enjoyed the visit of Stephen and Tammie, a pastoral care couple with CTEN (our missions organization). They visit CTEN missionaries in Central America to see how their work is going, spend time with them, encourage them, and pray for them. We shared conversation over meals and heard about how God has worked in their lives and in the ministries they visit in this part of the world. It was also fun for me to talk to them in English! :)
Tammie was able to come to discipleship group on Saturday, and we all went to church together yesterday. While Stephen saw Fernando preach, Tammie joined me as I taught the children's Sunday school class. It was fun to introduce them to people and share about how God is working.
Perhaps the best part of the time was when they prayed for us at the end. We are blessed to be part of such a supportive organization, and we are thankful for Stephen and Tammie's interest and encouragement toward us and the Garifunas!
Tammie was able to come to discipleship group on Saturday, and we all went to church together yesterday. While Stephen saw Fernando preach, Tammie joined me as I taught the children's Sunday school class. It was fun to introduce them to people and share about how God is working.
Perhaps the best part of the time was when they prayed for us at the end. We are blessed to be part of such a supportive organization, and we are thankful for Stephen and Tammie's interest and encouragement toward us and the Garifunas!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Working on OneStory in "Wageira"
Fernando and I spent one week in "Wageira," the community where he grew up and where his family lives. ("Wageira" means "our community," our blog nickname for it.) Our main reason for going was to work on the OneStory project in Garifuna. (Click here to read more about the project.) We are working on a set with stories from the Bible about covenants with the goal of demonstrating how Jesus provided the way for God's covenant with His people. Story sets are then used for evangelism and discipleship.
In order to test out the stories, we have people listen and retell them. However, in La Ceiba, it can be difficult to locate people, who tend to be busy working and studying. In contrast, in rural communities, plenty of native speakers are within walking distance and available to help.
These are the stories we worked on:
We invite you to pray for CB and the others who are helping us, and for God to use us to provide His Word in this format so that many more come to know Him!
In order to test out the stories, we have people listen and retell them. However, in La Ceiba, it can be difficult to locate people, who tend to be busy working and studying. In contrast, in rural communities, plenty of native speakers are within walking distance and available to help.
These are the stories we worked on:
- Birth of Isaac (showing how God fulfilled His promise to Abraham)
- Ratification of the God's covenant with Israel in Exodus 24
- Gold Calf (showing how Israel broke the covenant right after it was made)
- Fall of Jerusalem (showing the consequence of breaking the covenant)
- Promise of the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah 32 (which points to Jesus)
We invite you to pray for CB and the others who are helping us, and for God to use us to provide His Word in this format so that many more come to know Him!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Spending Time with J
One of the best things about being back in Honduras is reconnecting with the girls in the discipleship group I've helped lead this year. One of the girls is my sweet friend, J, an MK ("missionary kid") in her senior year of high school. Some of the things I appreciate about J are her tender heart toward the Lord and her kindness toward others. Since we both live in the same neighborhood, I get to see her a few times a week.
When I got back to Honduras, J asked me to help her with some of her writing assignments for the distance homeschool program she is carrying out. I was homeschooled, as well, so I understand the challenges of a more independent learning situation. It's fun to go over her assignments, discuss how to make writing easier and more fun, pray together, and (of course) have some time to talk, too!
Please pray for J's studies, particularly a research project she's working on, and for the Lord to guide and prepare her as she seeks His will for her future. I am excited for what He has in store and I know that He will use her in beautiful ways. It is a blessing to get to know her better as we spend time together.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Studying Together
Thank you for checking in! We are so thankful for your prayers and interest in our lives and ministry.
One of my favorite parts of the morning is when Fernando and I study the Bible together through the BILD program the Garifuna Bible school has been implementing. After the week of classes in September, we have submitted our homework and begun preparing for the next week of classes, which will be held in December. The goal is for students to maintain ongoing study habits and meet together to go through discussion questions related to what they're learning.
It has been encouraging to do this as a couple, digging into God's Word and talking about how to apply it to our lives and ministry. Here are several of the many benefits of doing this together:
- Finding God's Word come alive as we talk about it
- Learning from each other
- Brainstorming about how to apply what we're learning
- Praying for each other and others more specifically
- Increasing accountability and motivation
The topic of this set of lessons is "Belonging to a Family of Families" and addresses God's plan for the church. On Saturday I shared a devotional with the discipleship group girls about how those who accept Christ are adopted into God's family (Eph. 2) and that someday people from every nation will worship Him together (Rev. 7). It is a particularly fitting topic since we represent three cultures, with Garifuna girls, one Miskito girl (another ethnic group in Honduras), and two of us from the U.S. It also is a great reminder that God has given us a place where we belong and can invite others to join.
On Sunday Fernando incorporated some of what we're studying into the sermon he gave. Here is a short clip of him preaching in Garifuna (left) with another pastor translating into Spanish (right):
Praise God for being able to study together and apply what we learn to our current ministry roles. Please pray that we would continue to grow together in the Lord, that God would show us how to put what we learn into practice, and that He would use this program to build up the Garifuna church.
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