Don and Martha Wehmeyer - July 2018 Update

Dear friends,

Greetings from Yucatán. Martha and I were traveling during much of May. We had a wonderful first-time trip to Israel. Our tour took us to see many sites that are mentioned in the Scriptures, and we learned a great deal. We really liked the Jordan River, Sea of Galilee, Dead Sea, and of course Jerusalem. What surprised us most was just how small the country really is. We had heard that before we left, but now we know for ourselves that it is really small. Would we go back? In a heartbeat. We were blessed to have been able to go and will savor many memories.

After Israel we went to our retreat with The Antioch Partners, which is held every three years. Mission folks from around the world gathered about an hour north of Budapest. It was great to see friends and hear the great things God is doing in so many places around the world. This time, however, it seems odd to be two of the “seniors” in the crowd. I remember not so long ago looking at the white-haired missionaries and admiring that they were still serving in their older years. Well now we have the white hair and we still enjoying serving in God’s great task of shepherding in the Kingdom of God.

Greetings from the New Wilmington Missions Conference

Greetings from the New Wilmington Missions Conference in Pennsylvania

The theme of the conference this year is, “Love your neighbor.” It has been a busy three days with inspiring presentations on the mission work with refugees and neighbors in many countries. I have participated in the South Sudan mission network meeting, The Outreach Foundation display at the mission fair, and daily teaching of high school groups. It has been a privilege to be here and meet and make friends.

John McCall - Update

Dear friends,

I am seeing a lot of the United States in the first half of 2018. I am traveling to fifteen states and twenty-seven churches to share the good news of what the Holy Spirit is doing in Taiwan. It has been wonderful to see many of you, and I regret that I have been unable to visit all of you. Last spring in one of my mission letters, I said that I would be coming to the U.S. on interpretation assignment this year, and my schedule filled up quickly.

I have seen some discouragement in the U.S. and in the church, but I have also seen that people are hungry for good news. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and other churches have a rare opportunity in a world of opioid addiction, global tensions, and overall fear of the future to share the abundant life that Christ offers to each person on this globe. It has been a joy to see folks here connect with Christians in Asia as they hear how God is changing lives and changing communities.

Asia, MissionariesThe Outreach FoundationJuly 23, 2018John McCall, Taiwan

Rev. John Tong Puk 1956-2018

Bob and Kristi Rice shared sad news about Rev. John Tong Puk at Nile Theological College in South Sudan. Please keep Rev. Puk's family, Nile Theological College and the Rices in your prayers.

"If the Lord Does Not Come"

As I nestled into the large outdoor couch overlooking the majestic African valley deep in Murchison Falls National Park during the early evening hours, I took out our iPad and quickly glanced at a few personal emails. One message grabbed my immediate attention and kept it. News had come from Khartoum that morning, Wednesday, June 13th, that Rev. John Tong Puk, a close colleague and friend, a leader in the South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SSPEC) and Dean of Studies at Nile Theological College (NTC), where I teach, had died that morning. I read the message over and over in disbelief. I had just been with him and greeted him before his journey to Khartoum to see family. Could it be? It was like a dream. For the next twenty-four hours I kept saying to myself, “John Tong Puk is dead,” a statement of sheer disbelief and quiet quandary.

Bob and Kristi Rice - July 2018 Update

A Proud Teacher
A proud teacher, like a proud parent, marvels and rejoices in the success of his or her students. I was thrilled with my students on the final examination day. For my two classes, Contextual Theology and Church History, I had grouped students together to present for our class, to share with us and teach us what they have learned. For my Contextual Theology class, I asked my students to create a local or contextual theology, a lived theology which speaks to the realities and concerns of the South Sudanese people. For my Church History class, I assigned each of the eight groups a question to respond to, each question covering a significant historical issue and/or person which we have studied together. For each of the two classes and their final group presentations, I was "tickled pink" to see my students use their imagination, their creativity, their gifts and their hard work in sharing with us and helping us learn together as a community.

Dustin and Sherri Ellington - June 2018 Update

Dear friends,

Greetings from Zambia. I (Dustin) find it enlightening to listen to my students talk openly about their experience with the church. I think you would, too. Recently, I sat with three students and asked three big questions of each. This time, I wrote down their answers to share. Perhaps their words will touch your hearts and give you insight into the church in this part of the world.

1. When you think of your church in your home country, what encourages you and leads you to thank God?
Naomi Daka (second-year student from Zambia): The zeal that people have to worship God really makes me thank God. People have zeal for Sundays. There are a variety of motives, but it’s still encouraging to see. People really want to be part of church. Something additional is the inclusiveness … [towards] female ministers; this really makes me thank God for my church.

Holistic Evangelism in Tete Province, Mozambique - June 2018 Trip Report

Dear friends and supporters of Tete Province,

We had a wonderful trip to Tete Province. Our six-person team sponsored by The Outreach Foundation departed on Monday, June 11. After three flights, we arrived in Blantyre, Malawi on Wednesday, June 13. We were met at the airport by Nedson and his daughter, Esther. We enjoyed a lunch at Nedson’s home prepared by his wife Sarah. After unpacking the medical supplies donated by our home congregations, we drove about three hours to the Malawi town of Ntcheu near the Mozambique border in the northeast portion of Tete Province. On Thursday we had a full day of visiting remote congregations in the Angonia District of Tete Province – places we had never visited. We were welcomed warmly with singing and dancing. We saw newly constructed church buildings at Melenyangu and Mtangowatsanja.

José Carlos Pezini - June 2018 Update

Dear brothers and sisters,

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Let me begin by thanking you for your prayers. God has been great to us. After spending some time in the U.S., I returned to Brazil at the end of May to find that the SARA Retreat Ministry for Pastors continues to grow. In this update I want to share with you the testimony of a fellow pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Brazil, the Rev. Marcio Tenponi, whom God gave me the privilege of helping in his ministry. This is the Rev. Marcio’s testimony:

At the age of 17 I began to follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. I served the church as a lay leader until I received God’s call to the pastoral ministry. I surrendered to God and went to the Presbyterian seminary.

Todd and Maria Luke - May 2018 Update

Dear friends,

Below, you can read about:
•   twentieth anniversary for sanctuary
•   twenty cisterns in January and February
•   “Curious Creature” paradigm success
•   new cistern molds with a 10cm annulus
•   five cisterns in March and April – Mexican labor, Mexican funding
•   invitation for 2019

Happy 20th Xpujil Sanctuary
The Xpujil Presbyterian Church sanctuary opened in the spring of 1998. Presbyterians from across Calakmul County recently joined the local congregation for a special worship service to celebrate the twentieth anniversary. Stories were shared about the early days of our new partnership, rooted in a simple “Amigos en Cristo” spirit. Also remembered were those Mexican men and women who came to Xpujil to teach, preach, and lead: Pastor Francisco Chan, Pastor Manuel Pech, Pastor Francisco Mutul, Obrera Ernestina Chan Pantí, Pastor Isaias Beh, Obrera Vernonica, y Obrero Abdiel. God used our little partnership to bring them to the region and make their families feel at home. Twenty years later, the Xpujil church is active and serving their neighbors.

Church Construction in Kenya - May 2018 Update

Dear friends,

We recently received this joyful report from Stu and Annie Ross, The Outreach Foundation’s East Africa Mission Consultants:

Yesterday was a very eventful day for us. We dedicated PCEA Manyatta Church, the 300th church that The Outreach Foundation has assisted in building in East Africa. This is a great milestone but we reached this milestone only with the help of many partners and donors....and of course, God protected us and was with us throughout. As we do this Kingdom work, we move farther from our base to very difficult, remote and sometimes dangerous areas. Our aim is to spread the gospel to many that have not heard and to add capacity to those that have heard and can reach out and spread the good news of Jesus Christ themselves.

Africa, Missionaries, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationMay 11, 2018Church Construction in Kenya, Kenya, Stu Ross

The Antioch Partners - April 2018 Update

Dear friends of The Antioch Partners (TAP),

Easter was celebrated and together we affirmed, “The Lord is Risen! He is Risen indeed!” Our shared belief that in Jesus Christ, God has revealed himself to the world and with his death and resurrection, triumphed over sin and death, forms the basis of our mission and our calling. We have Good News to share with the world!

TAP's Commitment
TAP is committed to supporting our Partners (“Partners” is the term we use for missionaries) as they seek to share (and be) the Good News – as church planters, Bible translators, business people, community developers, teachers, language learners, pastors, friends and neighbors. Such support is often referred to as “member care” and reflects our desire to care for our missionaries so that they can be healthy and effective and able to thrive in their cross-cultural contexts and ministries.

International, MissionariesThe Outreach FoundationMay 10, 2018The Antioch Partners

Alan and Ellen Smith - April 2018 Update

In Their Weakness, the Lord’s Light Radiates
For the last 18 years, most of the ministry we have been involved with in Russia has been with small churches. The largest is a church of about 300 members but most are between 12 and 50 members. The 12-member churches are not a part of the partnership program, but they are a rich part of our lives. We have not yet connected American partners with them because the size of most Presbyterian churches could overwhelm them but remember the “not yet.”

I spend time reading about the small church movement and the simple church movement. I think I am drawn to these topics because of our rich experience with the small churches of Eastern Europe. I know the depth of fellowship, the courage and the inspiration of small churches struggling in an often-hostile environment. I need their witness. Their witness is a complex mixture of humility, courage, tenacity and grace.

Europe, MissionariesThe Outreach FoundationMay 9, 2018Alan and Ellen Smith

Bob and Kristi Rice - April 2018 Update

Mama Sarah
Mama Sarah stood and spoke before the large group of mostly men, those being trained at Nile Theological College to serve as pastors and community leaders. While women are unheralded and not valued in this culture, Mama Sarah quickly and easily gained the rapt attention of everyone in the room, sharing her own story in the context of our teaching on forgiveness…

One of the great joys in life is the people we meet. Last month Kristi traveled to Rwanda for a training in healing and reconciliation with three South Sudanese colleagues. One of these colleagues is the inimitable, irrepressible, and unforgettable Mama Sarah.

Mama Sarah is a widow in her late forties; her husband died almost twenty-five years ago. Mama Sarah has raised four children on her own. She has also taken in children not her own from other clans and tribes, an unheard-of reality here in South Sudan. Mama Sarah is a grandmother and she relishes her role as “matriarch,” calling others sons and daughters and cherishing her well-deserved title and status as “Mama Sarah” (Mother Sarah).

Africa, MissionariesThe Outreach FoundationMay 4, 2018Bob and Kristi Rice, South Sudan, Juba

José Carlos Pezini - April 2018 Update

Dear friends,

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Let me begin by thanking you for your prayers. God has been great to us. In January I had prostate surgery. Thanks to God’s grace, I recovered well. Within two weeks of the surgery, I was ready to return to my regular ministry activities including my international travels. Odete and I are so thankful for your lives and the care that you have demonstrated towards us.

The SARA ministry has grown exponentially in these last couple of years. Today there are 13 mentoring core groups spread out all over Brazil. Each one of them has two retreats per year. This year alone, we have scheduled 26 different retreats. It is through God’s mercy that we have already reached around 500 pastors in 13 different denominations. We have helped them through their daily struggles. Many of them have testified that through our personal mentoring and spiritual formation retreats, they have been able to conquer depression and other signs of burnout. As they recover from their personal burnout, they feel motivated to perform their ministry with enthusiasm and great joy again.

Nancy Collins - March 2018 Update

Dear family and friends,

Greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ from Justo Mwale University (JMU), Lusaka, Zambia where I have my home. It is quiet, very green, a lovely place to live. I enjoy having the theological students and faculty as my neighbors, and I appreciate when they stop by calling “odi” to say hello.

The 2018 JMU Bachelor of Theology (BTh) program is well underway now, although it got off to a bumpy start. Cholera broke out in Lusaka in October 2017. By January 12, 2,840 cases were recorded with 64 deaths. At the end of December, the Minister of Health, Dr. Chitalu Chilufya, banned gatherings of more than five people (including worship) and outlawed street vending. Military police patrolled the streets to enforce the bans. At the beginning of January, Dr. Chilufya postponed the opening of schools nationwide. The ban on public gatherings was lifted February 3.

Africa, Missionaries, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationApril 7, 2018Nancy Collins, Justo Mwale University, Zambia

Philip and Bacilia Beisswenger - March 2018 Update

Our family deeply appreciates your commitment to God’s work in Guatemala. Thanks for the ways that you partner with indigenous churches in Cobán and the surrounding region, as well as your generous missionary support for our family through The Antioch Partners. Here’s some news from this corner of God’s vineyard:

Antioch Presbyterian Church
Started 3½ years ago, the church Philip pastors has 55 active members, with an average of 75 in worship. Most are ethnically Q’eqchi’ and new to the Reformed tradition. In 2017 24 new members joined, 12 by profession of faith. The congregation continues its hospitality ministry, receiving international groups and nearby theological students. In November the church hosted 300 Presbyterian women from across Guatemala for their annual convention.

Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell - February 2018 Update

Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Matthew 4:19

Dorothy and I are in the United States for six months speaking at churches about our work in Brazil, where we are PC(USA) missionary co-workers working in partnership with the United Presbyterian Church of Brazil. We are working in leadership development in the local church as well as evangelism. We have been in Governador Mangabeira in the state of Bahia for the last 2½ years, which is a couple of hours from Salvador on the coast.

We arrived in the U.S. the first week of December. We spent several days at headquarters working on our talks and being oriented by the staff. Everyone was focused on Christmas in December, so we took advantage of that and went to see our children.

South America, MissionariesThe Outreach FoundationFebruary 21, 2018Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell, Brazil

Daniel and Elizabeth Turk - February 2018 Update

We are so thankful for the many supporters of Dan and Elizabeth Turk’s ministry in Madagascar. In response to God’s command to steward and care for the earth that God declared good, Dan is leading remarkable work focused on biological diversity, caring for creation, food security issues and other agricultural programs that express the grace and goodness of our Lord. Thank you for helping to make this work possible.

Update from Daniel Turk on the Fruit, Vegetable, and Environmental Education (FVEE) Project

During 2017 the Fruit, Vegetable, and Environmental Education (FVEE) project of Madagascar’s largest Protestant church, the Fiangonan’i Jesoa Kristy eto Madagasikara (FJKM), established a fruit center at Mahatsinjo; continued training in fruit growing, gardening, and environmental education at three FJKM seminaries; and began a new collaboration with the FJKM schools. The following gives details of how the project is making an impact on various groups of people in many locations in Madagascar.

Africa, Missionaries, ProjectsThe Outreach FoundationFebruary 14, 2018Dan and Elizabeth Turk, Madagascar

Partner Updates