The Four Foundations of ASISTE: Spiritual, Structural, Educational and Experiential

This video is based on my original Four Foundations document that I presented as a capstone report after completing my last assignment with the IMB in Central America. My job in Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua was to explore and find what was lacking and needed to be implemented in these countries in order to foster and ignite a movement of responsible missionary sending to the ends of the earth. There are so many Christians and churches in this region, but very few missionaries serving beyond their borders.

Thru ASISTE, I am implementing the same principles translated now as our organization´s Mission. Please help me to continue to encourage, educate, equip and empower the body of Christ in Central America to reach the unreached peoples of the world and OBEY the Great Commission.

A Great Event for the Mobilization of Women in Latin America

Segundo Encuentro de Mujeres en Misiones

de COMIBAM Internacional

COMIBAM Internacional is a volunteer movement of churches, individuals and organizations that cooperate together to mobilize the church in Latin America to reach the unreached people groups of the world. I have been the Mobilization Coordinator for the region of Central America for about three years. El Salvador is getting ready to receive about 100 women from all over the continent to learn how to pray, give, go and mobilize to the lost in the ends of the earth.

My ASISTE team and volunteers from different churches in El Salvador are working tirelessly to put it all together. I am so excited to have this event in my region, but it is also a great responsibility. Thank you for the gifts that allow us to be able to organize events like this.

Please pray for all the logistic details that have to be in place so we can have a great and successful event for the glory of God and the blessing of the nations.

Promotional video for the event

The Miskito People in Honduras

I met Pastor Arnulfo Gream, the president of the Baptist Association of La Mosquitia, during a meeting of the Honduras Baptist Convention in Tegucigalpa.  I remember I struggled to decide whether or not to be at that particular meeting.  It was scheduled to be held the day after Thanksgiving (which is not a holiday in Honduras).  I had planned to spend this special day with my son in El Salvador. So, that meant that I would have to drive for seven hours the next day to make it on time for the meeting. After much thought and prayer, I made the decision to attend the convention meeting, and I am so glad I did! Pastor Gream invited me to speak to the pastors and leaders of The Baptist Association of La Mosquitia (Honduras) during their annual assembly to be held in December. About 100 pastors, deacons and leaders of the Association met in Puerto Lempira. Some of them had traveled for days to be there.They gave me several hours one morning to talk to them about me, my ministry and my plans for them.  Representatives of their 75 churches gathered under the trees to hear what I had to share.  I had to use a Miskito translator to share my message. I did not know it then, but that message was going to be one they had never heard before in their own language. It was something none of us were expecting!

Because of their poverty, the Miskito churches are used to be the recipients of help and assistance (most of it is temporary and not reproducible), but very seldom they see themselves as a group who has anything worth sharing or even able to give anything at all. When I started telling them about my ministry, a pastor asked if I was there to offer them spiritual support. He was surprised when I answered that I was actually there to ask for THEIR spiritual support! That morning, I proceeded to challenge them to give out of their spiritual abundance thru their disciplined, committed and intentional intercession for the nations. To lift their voices in One Voice for so many unreached peoples around the world that are not as blessed as they are. It was interesting to see the expressions on their faces as they were shocked to hear that I was asking for their help instead of offering any.  Let me tell you that there are very few committed disciples who do not mind traveling for miles under the sun on a boat, on the back of a pick-up truck or walking on muddy dirt roads to be part of a church meeting.  They did not think it was a big deal to fast for a day because there was not enough money to buy food for everyone attending (I joined the fast, too).  They do not considered it to be so extraordinary to get up before sunrise to have a 5 am worship and prayer meeting in the dark (there was no electricity in the place we were gathered. At night, we used a small borrowed generator to light a few bulbs).  You see now why I was there to ask for their help?!... It really makes you reconsider who is really rich and who is really poor.

At one point that morning, I was sharing from the Book of Acts, and how the first disciples had become so comfortable and focused in themselves and their needs in Jerusalem, that they had forgotten that Jesus’ mandate was for them to be witnesses to the ends of the earth.  And so, God allowed persecution to give them a notch beyond their borders.  And as they were scattered throughout Judea, Samaria and the ends of the world, they finally fulfilled God’s original purpose for His children to become a blessing to all nations.  As I completed to share in Spanish this last thought, pastor Hector, my interpreter, looked at me with a puzzled expression on his face.  I repeated myself a little thinking that he might not have heard what I had just said. I knew he was familiar with this story. He went silent for a moment and then laughed as in his mind he had made sense of what he had just heard. He then proceeded to translate and explain excitedly with the rest of the Miskito audience.  He took a long time, so I knew that he had not only translated my words, but also his understanding of the matter. Suddenly, many of them were clapping and some stood on their feet.  When I asked about the reason of their reaction, they said that they had never heard this passage explained this way before, and now it made sense.  The next morning, as I waited for my tortilla and beans for breakfast, an older pastor approached me.  With a broken Spanish told me how the pastors had been talking late that night and he thanked me for sharing a "new message" with them.  I explained that it was not really new, but sometimes we get caught up with so many earthly things, that we forget the most basics of God's commands. 

Many churches in La Mosquitia are now giving out of their spiritual abundance to bless those ethnic groups that are not as blessed as they are.  I am looking forward to see how God will lead us to partner for His glory in the future. Maybe we could develop a cross-cultural training center to prepare our Central American future missionaries. Maybe we could find partnerships with others who will find reproducible ways to help the Miskito people to solve their physical and material needs.  There is so much we can learn from them... My life was deeply touched by just sharing those few days with such precious brothers and sisters.  Please pray for me as a continue to encourage and partner with the Miskito Baptists.  Please pray for them as they continue to share Christ deep in the jungles and corners of their Mosquitia, and as they prepare to touch the nations with their spiritual abundance and richness in Christ.

Mexico Mobilizing Tour - Part 4

We finally made it to Mexico City!

Let me share with you a wonderful story of God's touch...

The Martinez (a Salvadoran couple who serve in North Africa) and I visited the Baptist Seminary of Lomas Verdes in Mexico City.  After sharing in two very small mission classes during the day, we had a seminary-wide prayer event to intercede for a very specific unreached people group.   It was a very sweet and special time of sharing and praying.  I usually lead the group in a “concert” of prayer, but, as we knelt before the Lord during our last prayer block, God led me to ask one of the men to close in a final prayer...  

As this brother began to pray, God started to move among us in a very powerful way.  He started crying and asking God to forgive them for being so blind and disobedient to His Word and to their responsibility to reach the nations.  Soon the entire room was in tears and repentance… Men and women alike.  God´s Spirit moved so strongly that evening among us!  So strongly was His movement, that the next day, several of the students who had attended the prayer event, changed their field of studies at the seminary to missions!  They said that was the revival they had been praying for…Those mission classes will no longer be small!

Mexico Mobilizing Tour - Part 3

Cañón del Sumidero

Tuxtla Gutiérrez... What a beautiful place!

The second city in our mobilization tour was Tuxtla Gutierrez.  We left Tapachula at 3 on Thursday morning, so we could be at a meeting at 10.  We met with the team in charge of organizing their first missions conference: Ayer Chiapas, Mañana el Mundo (Yesterday Chiapas, Today the World).  This team included the president of the Central Baptist Regional Convention of Chiapas, the President of the Baptist Seminary and other key pastors and leaders of the area.  I shared with them the vision to come together in prayer in Una Sola Voz, and helped them include prayer related activities in their upcoming conference.  I was also invited to return to Tuxtla to share with more churches about the task of going beyond their borders to reach the nations for Christ.  Because of my many resposibilities in Central America, I am not able to be involved too much with the Chiapas churches, but I will continue to use the influence and testimony I have in that part of the world to encourage them to spread the glory of God among the nations of the world.  Please pray for the churches in Tuxtla.

Mexico Mobilizing Tour - Part 2

 

Tuesday and Wednesday were busy days in Tapachula! Tuesday afternoon, about 75 women from 27 different churches gathered for a cross-cultural experience and special time of prayer for the Muslim women.  Thru this experience, they identified with these precious women beloved of our Father, and cried, prayed and made committments to continue to intercede for them.  On Wednesday morning, it was the men´s opportunity to be challenged! Around 40 pastors and leaders joined us for breakfast at Fileo Church.  They were touched by God´s Word and the information they received.  They heard from Hispanic servants just like them share how they followed God in obedience to the ends of the earth. The leadership of the Baptist Regional Convention of the Coast of Chiapas was present.  They were so convinced by what God impressed in their hearts, that they invited me to share again in December at one of their most important meetings where the mayority of their leaders and churches will be present.  They want to also challenge them to set aside any differences and come together in unity to pray strategically, intentionally and pationately for the unreached nations of the world. The president of the convention and the leadership that were present at our meeting would like to present Una Sola Voz as their first prayer strategy to lead them to become involved in fulfilling the Great Commission to the ends of the earth.

Mexico Mobilization Tour - Part 1

I arrived in Tapachula, Chiapas on Monday, September 3.  It was the beginning of 12 days in Mexico for the purpose of mobilizing the churches in three different cities, and to invite them to unite with us in Central America in a network of intercessory prayer called Una Sola Voz (One Voice).  Tapachula was the first stop.  As most of you know, this city is dear to me.  It is here where my missionary journey began, and it is here where I buried my dear husband and beloved daughter 13 years ago.  Before my commitments began on Tuesday afternoon, I was able to visit Gary and Carla´s tomb.  A dear friend and I washed and clean the white and black marble tombstone that was a gift from the Baptist Regional Convention of the Coast of Chiapas.  Later on, some more friends joined us to place a beautiful wreath on the tomb with a photo of those loved ones Gary and Carla left behind.  It does not matter how long it has been... standing there it seemed it happened just yesterday...

Special Prayer Request...

My dear and beloved friends,

I would like to share the following letter I received this morning from Phil Kesler, the leader of our mobilization cluster in the Americas.  We are at war!  God is using us to awaken a sleeping giant in Latin America to reach the nations, and the enemy is unsettled...

Hello there friends, family, and prayer warriors everywhere,

I want to ask you to stop right now and say a special prayer, that God will intervene against the evil one and bring healing to our mobilizers, family, and extended family members. In the last week to two weeks, we are seeing everything from small illnesses to very serious situations that require complicated tests and surgeries. Right now, a mobilizer is going in for medical tests, and several others have scheduled appointments in upcoming days. Some are waiting on a diagnosis and some are in that horrible period of uncertainty because a diagnosis is unclear.  Some extended family members are in the hospital with potentially life threatening conditions. Because of privacy issues, I cannot always say what these issues are, but God knows and He does hear our prayers, even when we are not sure what the specifics are!

Thank you for "watching our backs" and keeping us before the Great Physician.

BroPhil
Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Missions Event: Sinergia 2012 in Honduras

Please pray for the following missions event in Honduras.  This is a mobilization conference that will include the south of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.  I am coordinating the event asisting a newly formed missionary agency.  This is the sixth annual Sinergia conference, in 2013 it will be in El Salvador (my field also!).  There will be a great emphasis on prayer during the conference by our intercessory network, Una Sola Voz. Please pray for everyone involved.  Pray that it will truly reflect the spirit of "sinergia." 

Definition: Synergy comes from the Greek word synergia, meaning joint work and cooperative action. Synergy is when the result is greater than the sum of the parts. Synergy is created when things (or people) work in concert together to create an outcome that is in some way of more value than the total of what the individual inputs is.

Isn't synergy a fabulous word!!

If you want to do synergy with us... just let me know!

@SloanGloria

Trying to stay more in touch with you...

 Follow me on Twitter: @SloanGloria

Una Sola Voz (One Voice)

"Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention."  Philippians 2:2 The Amplified Bible

One of my most important roles as a mobilizer is to lead us all in intentional prayer for the nations and for those who are reaching them... 

God has led me to develop a network of missionary intercession in the countries I serve, although it is actually overflowing way beyond Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua!  This has been quite a journey for me. As I began to share about this vision in the churches I visited, I wasn’t sure how it would unfold.  My invitation to the Body of Christ was simply to pray together for the unreached people groups using a guide that was published by the IMB Mobilization Team, “52 Semanas de Oración por los No Alcanzados” (52 Weeks of Prayer for the Unreached).  As I shared and people responded, God began to shape this effort into what it is today and to give us the vision into what it could become in the future.  It was like building a plane in the air! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3hge6Bx-4w).

As I laid on my bed one night trying to sense the direction God was leading our prayer network to go, He brought to my mind Philippians 2:2, and I heard Him use Paul’s words, “I want my people to fill up and complete my joy, I want them to have one purpose, be of one spirit, have the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention… I am tired of hearing so many voices each one pulling in their own direction, for their own purposes… I want to hear ONLY ONE VOICE!”  God’s words to me that night would make more sense to you if you had seen the way I found the Body of Christ in these countries I serve.  There is great division and competition even within the same denominations; especially, in the area of missions.  Just yesterday I had a long conversation with the president of a Baptist group in Honduras of a little more than 500 churches.  He said, “This is my fourth and last year to have this office.  I have tried to bring us together, but I have failed.”  He was encouraged to hear about “Una Sola Voz”, and was so eager to share it with the pastors of his denomination in an upcoming national meeting.  “Maybe we will finish well after all”, he said. This intercessory effort is bringing some hope of unity among us in our region.  God knew this.  So, the goal of our network is to unify the Body of Christ in intercessory prayer for the nations.

I am so amazed at what God has done and continues to do.  I ask you to pray for us as we strive to come together to reach the nations.  Even though Una Sola Voz is only in Spanish, please check our website and think of us, www.unasolavozporlasnaciones.blogspot.com.  Maybe if you subscribe to it, even if you do not understand the words, you will be reminded to pray for us when you receive a blog in your inbox.  Our prayer guide is in Facebook (52 Semanas de Oración por los No Alcanzados) and you can follow us in Twitter:@1SolaVoz.  So, connect with us once in a while as we continually connect to the One who is Faithful and True!

His Guiding Hand

There are so many new things in my life, that my prayer has been to feel Him close leading me as I plunge into new waters.  Such has been my Lord’s faithfulness to do just that!  I cannot begin to tell you how many times He has arranged encounters and opportunities that have proven to be key in my mobilization ministry and that have given me a specific direction to follow.   Let me try to explain how I feel… It is not the feeling of following my Master, but walking side by side with my Friend.  I guess this is the aspect of Himself He knows I need during this time of transition.  I can almost feel His hand on my back as He tells me, “Let’s walk this way… now stop… go here… don’t go there… talk to this person…” I am so amazed!  I know I shouldn’t be after so many years of walking with Him, but I love the way He manages to bring awe to my life over and over again!

Through these divine appointments, totally not seeking them myself, it is that I am now the new National Mobilization Coordinator for COMIBAM Honduras, which is a well-known and respected international missions organization in Latin America.  I will serve with the Honduras chapter, but this position opens doors for me in the other countries where I have to work.  I already received an invitation to be in the El Salvador’s COMIBAM meeting in January and in May with all the chapters of Central America in Costa Rica.

Just to make sure you remember, my ministry now is the one to encourage, educate, equip and empower the Body of Christ in Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua to fulfill the Great Commission unto the ends of the earth.  In other words, I assist the churches in these countries in the task of sending their own missionaries to the unreached peoples of the world.  I love my job!!  Thank you all for making it possible!!

It is such a wonderful thing to experience God’s loving and firm hand as He guides your steps.  He does this not because I am a missionary (this is WHAT I do), but because I am His child (this is WHO I am).  If you are His child too, I encourage you to appreciate what He does in your life every day lovingly guiding you… Follow His lead!  If you are not sure you are a child of God, send me a note… I would love to talk to you to dissipate all doubts.

Taquile Island and the Puno Quechuas (Day Three)

I finally made it Taquile Island, home of a group of Puno Quechuas, the best weavers around!  In this island, weaving and cooking are chores for both men and women alike.  Taquile has about 2,000 people living in it.  There is one leader for every one hundred.  All of them profess a form of religion which is a mix between the Catholic church and the anismistic worship of their ancestors... they have not been presented with any other choice. 

There are several arches along the main roads of Taquile.  This is the first one.  It had taken us about three and half hours to get there by boat, and from this first arch, we had to walk for almost one hour.  The altitude and the steep hills made it a challenging hike, but it certainly was worth the effort!

This picture was taken in the main square. Even though we were able to see the outside of their Catholic/animistic temple (it had a lock and chain on the door), we were not allowed to go near their ritual sites where they practice an even more pure form of the Inca religion.  Some animal sacrifices are still performed.  They do believe that there is a higher god whom they call the Creator (Viracocha), even more powerful than Inti, the Sun god and any other gods. They just don't know yet that this Creator, left a book that is ment to show them how to have a personal relationship with Him...

The Puno Quechua carry heavy loads on their backs as they get supplies from the main land.  There are close to 500 steps in the island and many steep hills.  The physical loads are in plain sight, but their spiritual needs are as real as the loads on their backs.  The following are prayer requests for the Puno Quechua...

 

• Pray that the Puno Quechua will have the opportunity to hear the truth of the Word of God, and that they will realize that the God of the Bible is the Creator, and that they will trust and worship Him alone.
• Pray that God will burden some of His children around the world to pray for the Puno Quechua.
• Pray that God will give His children creativity and wisdom to share the Truth with the Puno Quechua in such a way that it will be received gladly.
• Pray that the eyes of the Puno Quechua will be open to the Truth, and they will be able to see the Devil's deception behind their animistic practices.
• Pray that as the Puno Quechua come to know Christ, they will use their uniqueness in culture, color, dance, music and art to express worship, thanksgiving and love to their one-and-only God, the Creator of the universe and the Savior of their souls!

The Floating Islands of Uros (Day Three)

I am so amazed at the creativity and resourcefulness that God has placed in people.  The floating Islands of Uros, are exactly that, floating creations of people trying to survive and use what is around them.  The Aymaras, a friendly, open and skillful people!

The Aymara people make their houses (and almost everything else they use) out of a plant that grows in the lake called Totora.  They even eat it!

We were welcome with a kiss on both cheeks as they greeted us by saying, "kamisakari", which means "how are you?" We were told to answer, "waleki", which means, "I am fine".  As our boat left the islands, our friendly hostesses sang in their native Aymara, French and Spanish... and then they shouted, "hasta la vista, baby!" 

I hope to have the opportunity to return to Uros.  In my next blog, I will tell you about the Puno Quéchua... We stilll had to reach Taquile Island, about two and half more hours by boat into lake Titikaka.

Puno, Peru (Day Two)

Puno curbs around the edge of a lake, Lake Titikaka, which is the largest high altitude body of water in the world.  I am now at 12,421 feet, even higher that Cuzco!  I have been taking my altitude pills and my Coca leaves tea, and so far, so good.  In Cuzco I was welcomed with tea, in Puno (the folklore capital of Latin America), I was welcomed with dance!  A mix of Aymara, Quéchua and modern Peru.

Like a good missionary, I usually eat everything I am served, but tonight in Puno was really hard!  I ate Guinea Pig, a popular dish here.  I kept telling myself, "Pretend it is chicken, pretend it is chicken...".  I did not help that they serve the whole animal - head included!  I started eating it the best I could, and then I was told, "you have to eat 'cuy' (guinea pig) with your hands!".  Well, I survive the cultural culinary experience... and I am not sick...

It looks like a big rat!!

Tomorrow is a special day.  I will be going to the Uros Islands (Aymara indians) and finally to Taquile to find the Puno Quéchua, an unreached people group.  Pray for safety and health during the trip.

Cuzco, Peru (Day One)

I completed my second of three trainings in Lima, and I have a space of five days before the next one starts.  So, my backpack and I are now traveling thru Cuzco and Puno!

This is the sight of the beautiful Andes mountains from the airplane. What a Creator!!

I was welcomed in Cuzco with "mate de coca" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca_tea), a tea made with Coca leaves, not the drug!  Everyone drinks, chews on them or eats the leaves in the form of candy to help with the discomforts of the altitude (11,200 ft).  It didn't work for me though... I over did it the first day and I ended up with a bad headache and nausea when I returned to the hostal that evening.

This is the Cathedral... The local guide said something very interesting.  He said, "This is not a Catholic church only.  Our people have mixed the religion of the Spaniards and the religion of our ancestors, and that is what is practiced here today".  I already knew that, we call it syncretism. It is the same throughout Latin America, but this is the first time I hear that statement from someone local.

I visited three archeological sites on my first day in Cuzco... Bad idea!  Too much for the first day! This picture was taken by a lady from Colombia.  We were both traveling alone so we decided to make each other company.  We spent a lot of time together, so, I had the opportunity to share my faith with her... Mention Amparo in your prayers today! Please pray for me as a travel.  Pray especially for my health during the trip.

On Steady Ground

Some had asked about this article published by The Commission Magazine in 2000.  Here it is...

Learning in Lima!

Even though I have been a church planter for 24 years and a missionary for 13 years, missions mobilization is a new ministry for me.  Although I have such great conviction about this new direction in my life, and a great passion to lead Latinamerican Christians to reach the ends of the earth with the gospel, I admit I still have so much to learn!

I am so grateful to be part of an organization that allows me to adquire the knowledge and skills required to do my job well.  That is the reason I am here in Lima, Peru.  The main offices for

the Americas affinity is in this beautiful city by the beach.

 

I have had the privilege to meet so many amazing people from different mission agencies and countries.  Such inspiring testimonies and challenging lives. As mobilizers in the Americas, our job is to walk along side these wonderful people and their organizations to help them send missionaries to the world.  They have an awesome responsibility and I consider it a privilege to be a part of they are doing.

Please pray for me as I continue to learn here in Lima.  The first of three trainings is over and I have had the day off to read, walk by beach and write this blog.  My second training starts tomorrow.  Pray that I will have the wisdom to apply everything I am learning in the context of the countries I am serving (Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua).

Garang Athian Serving in South Sudan

Garang and I participated together in a mission´s conference at Vida Abundante Baptist Church in San Miguel, El Salvador.

Getting to know missionaries like Garang Athien is an added blessing to my ministry of mobilization.  Garang was born in Sudan but was raised in Cuba and Guatemala.  This is a story that exemplifies the awesome grace and sovereignty of our God.  Sometimes is strange to hear a man like Garang speak Spanish so well and quote Mexican popular TV shows... African body but a Hispanic heart!  Please pray for Garang as he serves in the newly formed nation of South Sudan (www.goss.org).  This new country calls itself "Christian", but according to Garang, the title only means that they are not Muslim and want to separate themselves as much as possible from North Sudan (strictly Islamic).  The reality is that out of the eight million of South Sudanese, less than 2% has a personal relationship with Christ.  Please pray for me as I mobilize workers from Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua to serve alongside Garang in South Sudan... Pray for this new country...