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...

San Pedro Sula, Honduras

A planning meeting with some pastors members of AMBAH, a recently formed missionary agency in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and Dave Clines, IMB Mobilizer in Panama.

Training for mobilizers from local churches in San Pedro Sula.

Introducing myself during the monthly pastor´s meeting of the Baptist Association in San Pedro Sula.

No Más Violencia (No More Violence) Ministry

Andrea Palmitano, Redención´s Pastor and Norberto Palmitano

I had the opportunity to visit some of the work that Norberto and Andrea Palmitano (missionaries from Argentina) are doing in El Salvador thru the ministry of "No Más Violencia".  The Palmitanos allowed me to tag along as they continue to encourage and train a very inspiring group of workers from Rendención, a church in Mejicanos, an area of great conflict in the capital city of El Salvador. The Palmitanos train churches to go into public schools to teach the children how to say no to violence and to become "agentes de cambio" (agents of change) using character values and biblical principles.

This group of enthusiastic young people live in the communities where they serve.  The Palmitanos shared that this is the ideal situation for their ministry, but is also the most challenging because their conduct on the street and their neighborhoods should reflect what they are teaching the young children in the schools.

Please pray for (left to right):

Jose Francisco, Jenny, Joel, Margarita, Brenda, Julia, Marlon, Ricardo, Johanna,

Diana and Jose Antonio

The training of this church is sponsored by a LifeGroup (sunday school class) of Humble Area's First Baptist Church.  If you want more information about sponsoring another great group like Redencion, write Dave Eaves, dleaves@earthlink.net.  He is the contact person (and tired less advocate!) for the group that sponsors this ministry.



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