Friday, July 29, 2011

Update about Alfonso in Mexico

This e-mail was sent to us on July 14…due to computer problems we are just getting this up now…please continue praying:

This is just a quick note. My brother, fellow worker, and friend Alfonso has been in and out of the hospital all week with a bad headache in the back of his head, in his chest, and he's having trouble breathing. I'm going to take him in today to see if we can't get him an oxygen tank to take home. He is looking pale as well. To me it doesn't look like he's got much more time with us. I told him I'd get a call out for prayer for him. He's pretty discouraged. The government will not give him an earlier apt with a specialist to look at his heart/pace maker until November.

Thanks for your prayers, Darwin
Darwin, Mary Ann and Gracie Jackson

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Darwin Jackson–Pray for VBS

"Nevertheless, I am continually with thee." Psalm 73:23 

If you get a chance to read Spurgeon's meditations for today on this text it is very inspiring for prayer. Perhaps this verse is the other side of the coin of "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world." Mat 28:20

Today we begin Vacation Bible School in Buenos Aires. Everything is in place, the teachers, songs, lessons, snacks, games, etc. Now, as if Jesus was reminding us in the Great Commission, we need prayer to remind us of His presence with us as we bring the Gospel to these kids, teaching them to "obey all things Jesus taught us." Pray Jesus power and presence with us these next three days.

Your fellow workers,

Darwin, Mary Ann, Gracie, Cesar, Gabe, Rachael and Melina

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

News from Curitiba

This is an update and some prayer requests from Erlend Straume, an AFLTS graduate and missions volunteer in Brazil:

Language study is going forward. I have finished my first semester of Basic 1 Portuguese and am now half way through an intensive 3 weeks Basic 2 class. I feel that I am a slow language learner, but I understand more and more, and am able to speak more with the locals, so I seem to be  going in the right direction.

I have now started looking for job opportunities for next year that may be combined with ministry here. I have contacted the Norwegian oil company Statoil. They have a position in Stavanger, Norway where they may be interested in hiring me. This could open for a transfer to their Rio de Janeiro office in a few years. I have also been in contact with "Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná" (UTFPR) here in Curitiba, and they seems to be very interested in my competence.

Prayer requests:
Language study-Pray for patience and progress in the studies.

Job opportunities-Pray that I get a job offer that can be combined with ministry here and that will make me a candidate for permanent visa. Also pray that I make the right desertions if I get several offers.
 
My family in Norway-My father who is 82 years old had a light stroke earlier this year and has some problems with short term memory after this. My mother who is 77 also has some problems with short term memory. Pray that my parents will be able to continue living in their own house and pray for salvation for my father. Also pray for my siblings that they will have understanding for the choices I have made by moving to Curitiba.

John 15:5: "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

In Christ,
Erlend Straume

Friday, July 15, 2011

Update on Long-Time AFLC Missionary George Knapp

The following is an e-mail update on George Knapp from his daughter, Carol:

Thought I'd let you know what is going on with dad. He is slowly making progress. Today the speech therapist checked his vision, and he read well. So it would seem that his vision is okay. He was able feed himself supper last night and breakfast this morning without any major problems swallowing. He is speaking, and able to make some responses; he made choices on his noon meal to the dietary aid this morning. Karen took his razor in this morning, per OT request so she could work on shaving with him. Well, dad took the razor and proceeded to shave himself without any prompting and did a great job.

The biggest all around concern is his inability to move his right side. We pray that he will gain strength in the coming days/weeks and regain his mobility and ability to care for his daily activities. More than likely he will be going from the hospital to nursing home for rehab. He was to have a carotid endarterectomy on Monday, July 18th. The doctor is still considering having that done (to clean out the clogged carotid artery the goes up to the brain).

Thank you to everyone for you e-mails, prayers and love. It is wonderful to have this family in Christ to reach out to.

We have our annual family gathering this week-end here at home. This morning Karen was quite insistent that no matter where dad is (hospital or nursing home), he will be brought home for a few hours to be with family. Which I'm sure he will enjoy.

Mom is doing well with this whole situation. We all know that dad's life is in God's hands, no matter what happens.

Til next time...thanks and God Bless,
Carol

Thursday, July 07, 2011

July 2011 Missions Devotional

I recently finished a book entitled, Movements That Change the World. It is an easy read and you would find it very encouraging. Steve Addison, the author has a track record as a church planter and writes out of that experience and what he has studied about movements historically and in contemporary times. This is not a book review but I thought it would be good to share his, Five Keys to Spreading the Gospel, “plus one,” for our personal lives and corporate lives. I can strongly recommend that you would read it.

The author begins by talking about a, White-Hot Faith. I guess another way of describing what he stresses, is to have, “a fire in the gut!” I am not talking about eating too much Mexican food but a Holy Spirit Got-to-do-it drive that needs to go and tell. It is that dynamic which we read about in Acts 1:8 and what was moving the early believers to talk to other people about Jesus and salvation in Him. I have to ask myself as I ask you, “Do we have a “White-Hot Faith?” We need revival! Movements happened when there is a spiritual movement in the hearts and lives of people!

Secondly, and this is the “plus-one,” – A vital prayer life. Sloth in prayer is the formula for spiritual sloth. It is so easy to let our private and public prayer time slip away from our daily lives. Prayer less churches are powerless churches. I am saddened and deeply concerned about how few AFLC congregations have prayer meetings and also, how few attend. We in the AFLC are in need of spiritual revival so that prayer is not a matter of convenience but necessity!

Thirdly, the author talks of a “Commitment of a Cause.” He points to Jesus commitment to the Father’s cause to save the world. Quoting Addison, “Jesus expected the same unwavering commitment from his disciples. … Only those willing to take up their cross and follow him could be his disciples.” Once again, convenience has superseded what Jesus spoke of and a commitment to a cause does not fit our comfort zones. I really believe that we are spot-on theologically within our AFLC but being doctrinally correct must follow being spiritually fervent. Addison says, “Committed people make history by living in alignment with their deeply held beliefs.”

Fourth, he talks about Contagious Relationships. He points out that movements are not so much about some sort of program but the result of saved people maintaining viable relationship outside of their spiritual huddle groups called the church. It is a great chapter giving principles of contagious relationships but to me it really boils down to this, to be real people to real people coming out of that ‘white-hot faith.”

The fifth is the Rapid Mobilization and I am not going to say much about this point except to mention that Addison is correct in his emphasis on the difference between sterility by external control verses turning the new believer free to do what God has called him to do – Go! Tell! To again quote Addison, “Christianity has flourished when it is not longer dependent on foreign leadership, funding and control.” That is another a good focus for us.

Lastly, Adaptive Methods. I agree with the author that too many times we have been caught up with conforming people to programs or fads rather than to let God move people. That is a true movement – God at work in the hearts and lives of deeply burdened souls that just needs to express themselves.

This book has helped me to keep in balance the great need for spiritual life and fervor as well as living free in obedience to the work of the Holy Spirit. We have great opportunities in AFLC World Mission Committee to listen, catch the vision, counsel, prayerfully support and sent those whom God has called. Let’s be a movement!

by Dick Gunderson

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Jonni Sliver’s July Newsletter

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Here is a sneak peak at Jonni’s July newsletter.  Read the rest of it here.

They aren’t singing and there isn’t much choreography, but the Miriam Home does have new kids on the block. I am pleased to introduce Adriana (16 years old) and her little sister Deborah (11 years old). Middle children in a family of 11 children, the girls come from a family that has already experienced great difficulties. Adriana and Deborah have siblings with physical handicaps and though our young ladies are healthy both have moderate learning disabilities. Sadly, it wasn’t issues of education or even physical handicaps that brought these young people to the Miriam Home - they came because they have been exposed to long term abuse, having been used by their oldest brother.

imageAdriana and Deborah have only been with us a short time (about three weeks), they have started school, gotten involved with the Free Lutheran Church in Lar Parana and are starting to settle in. A quick look says they are doing pretty good. A closer look shows a world of hurt that only God can heal…

Saturday, July 02, 2011

Jacksons Head to FLY in Estes Park, CO

Dear E-mail Prayer Partners:

image"Your prayer life denotes how much you depend on your own ability, and how much you really believe in your heart when you sing, "Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling..." The more self-confidence you have, the less you pray. The less self-confidence you have, the more you have to pray." Lars Widerberg.

Well, this is it. Today we pull out for Estes Park Colorado for the FLY convention. I will have a full van of seven kids and myself. We will meet our brethren at Abiding Savior up in Tucson, then we will travel in a convoy of three vehicles.

As you can imagine our kids are all exited about this trip. But our confidence is that Jesus will do more than we could ask or think on this trip. Pray that each participant, every teen and child would receive all that God would have for them in the grace of our Lord Jesus.

Let not our confidence be in ourselves, but in the One who raised Jesus up from the dead that our confidence might be in Him. Pray also for our families and congregations that we leave behind.

Your fellow workers,
Darwin, Mary Ann, Gracie, Gabe, Rachael and little Melina

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Read more at our blog spot.