Darwin Jacksons

"Pray for prayer- pray till you can pray." Charles Haddon Spurgeon

What did the Mexican fireman name his two sons? Hose-A and Hose-B. Get it? Jose...I know, not so funny. Anyway, I thought of that after leading two men visiting from Sinaloa to Jesus on Sunday with Alfonso, and both of them are Jose.

We received the following letter from the Nogales Consulate: "The U.S. Consulate in Nogales wishes to advise American citizens that a protest is scheduled to occur in front of the Consulate building. We remind American citizens that demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence." Pray for peace. (I pasted the whole letter on our blog)

Pray for Mascarenas as we continue to try to work with our brothers and sisters to re-open the church. We did so on Sunday with a lot of encouragement, but pray they themselves desire to do so from a heart after Christ. We continue to work in the homes of those open to us (Chuy and Jose; Cesilia and Jesus).

Pastor Antonio and I continue to meet for study and prayer about how to implement T&M to our congregation in Buenos Aires. Pray for wisdom as we move forward. Our goal is to multiply workers and congregations.
Pastor Antonio's daughter Elizabeth and her fiancé Edgar are getting married on the 9th of May. Pray it be a great day of celebration for them and the congregation.

We thank God for all of you, you are an answer to prayer, "pray for prayer.

Your fellow workers,

Darwin, Mary Ann and Gracie Jackson

Jonni Sliver – Missionary Candidate

The World Missions Committee would like to introduce  our most recent missionary candidate, Jonni Sliver. 

Jonni has been a longtime member of Emmaus Lutheran Church (AFLC), Bloomington, MN.  She is a graduate of Bethany Fellowship School of Missions and has served in Brazil from 1988 to 2004. 

Because of health problems it was apparent that Jonni’s mother could no longer live alone.  Therefore, Jonni came home to care for her mother in 2004.  Last May Jonni’s mother went home to be with the Lord which freed Jonni to return to Brazil.

Because of her ties to the AFLC, Jonni has applied to be an AFLC missionary.  At this time it seems that Jonni will serve at the Miriam Infant home and our Bible school and seminary in Brazil.  Please be in prayer for Jonni and the World Missions Department as things progress towards a call.

MTI Students in Mexico

Thanks for your prayers.  Things have been going well here and we have less then 2 weeks left before coming back to the states. 

We have been busy with Spanish classes and learning the language and with Kids' Clubs as well as other random things.  Please pray for us as we're learning a new language and trying to learn how to say it correctly. 

 

The Schierkolk's have been sick for a couple of days, so please pray for them and that they would have a quick recovery. 

This last Sunday Memo and Memito went to church, so pray that God would be working in their hearts.  Cesar and Abril's baby girl Valeria was baptized this last Sunday as well-praise God.  Please pray for Claudia as she hasn't been feeling very well and that we would be an encouragement to her and her family.  Also pray for Abraham, that his heart would be softened to the Gospel. 

A huge praise is that Hannah and I have remained healthy and safe our whole time here. 

Also please continue to pray for Fernando and Nena, a couple I had mentioned a couple weeks ago, that God's will would be done and if it's His will that they would be reconciled and stay together.  Also pray for their children Eric and Samuel too. 

Kirstie Schierkolk and 4 others are being confirmed this Sunday, so pray for them.  I know they are nervous, especially Kirstie, but it is also very exciting.  Thank you for your prayers.

In Christ,

Amanda Bellefy

Tanzania – Jesse Long

By now, I am sure many of you have heard that I was involved in a very serious car accident just a few days ago.  Before giving more of an update, I would like to thank those of you who have been keeping us all in your prayers through these difficult days.  It seems to a large extent that we are through with the most difficult parts of this ordeal but there will certainly be recovery time for several involved and the repercussions will need to be dealt for the coming weeks and months.

For those of you who have not heard, I will briefly explain.  The first week of our Easter break was a very enjoyable time as Ben’s fiancé came for a visit and we spent most of our time doing various outings with Eivind, Nadia, and Neli.  For the first time since I arrived here in Tanzania I even had the opportunity to go flying with Eivind and see some of this beautiful country from the air.  What an experience!

As I mentioned in my previous update, the second week of our break was planned to be slightly different.  Ben and Adela went to Uganda to visit Ben’s brother, Nate, and his family and I accompanied three of my Tanzanian colleagues and a missionary friend from Norway to a workshop for East African Bible schools held in northwestern Kenya.  Ben and Adela had a good and uneventful trip to Uganda and even my trip (through Nairobi) to the workshop with these four others was a very enjoyable experience.  Even the days of interactions and various discussions we had at the workshop were very profitable for all of us.

It was during our return trip to Tanzania that the accident took place.  We left Kapenguria Bible Center (where the conference was held) at 7am that Sunday morning (April 11^th).  The Norwegian (whose mission also owned the Land Cruiser we were in) started out driving.  We stopped for lunch around 1pm after which Per asked me to take over driving since he was feeling quite tired.  At about 3pm we were driving through a wide-open, rural area on a paved 2-lane road and came up on a tractor pulling a trailer and another car waiting to pass him.  For a yet unknown reason, prior to either of us passing him, the tractor driver was making frequent and sudden swerving motions.  However, when the car in front of me indicated his desire to pass by honking his horn, the tractor calmed down and remained in his own lane.  That being the case, the car in front of us proceeded to pass.  Since the road was still wide open and the tractor was still continuing in his own lane of travel, I also honked my horn (just to let him know that there was a second car) and pulled out to pass.  When we were almost completely past him, and again for no apparent reason, the tractor driver made a sudden swerve and smashed into the back side-panel of our car, pushing us sideways and instantly sending us out of control and rolling.  We rolled at least twice and finally came to a stop on our side.  Fortunately, as evidenced by the fact that they all fled the scene, none of the three on the tractor were hurt.  It appears that, after hitting us, the driver simply over-corrected and drove down a steep embankment and came to a stop in a field.

Our condition was slightly more serious.  I as the driver, sustained only a sprained shoulder and a scraped elbow.  The Norwegian, who was in the front seat with me, had two very deep cuts on his head that required about 15 stitches but was otherwise ok.  Israel, who is our treasurer at Waama and a teacher as well, was understandably sore but otherwise completely unhurt.  Pastor Gabriel, who is also a teacher at Waama, sustained a broken collar bone but thankfully nothing else.  By far, Pastor Zakaria Dallei, who is the Dean at Waama, was the most seriously injured.  Due to the fact that he was the only one in the car not wearing a seatbelt, he was thrown around quite a bit.  He sustained several broken ribs, a broken shoulder, and fairly severe trauma to his head.  We spent that first night at a hospital in the town of Kisii, Kenya before being flown the next morning to Nairobi where the level of available care is much higher.  It was there determined that in addition to some fairly serious cuts to the side of his head, Zakaria had 3 different fractures in his skull, and some resulting bleeding in his brain which was putting pressure on his right eye and causing double vision.

The following day, with the other three having been satisfactorily patched up, they headed back to their respective homes in Tanzania while I stayed in Nairobi to help keep track of the care Zakaria was receiving and help coordinate his transfer back to Tanzania as soon as possible.  Fortunately, by yesterday morning, in addition to having received several different scans and x-rays, he had been seen by a facial surgeon, an eye specialist, and a neuro-surgeon all of whom agreed that his condition was stable enough to be transported to his home town of Haydom where he could finish his recovery.  As a result, yesterday afternoon a flight was arranged that took him to Haydom (where he was met by a medical team and his wife who is a nurse at the mission hospital there) and I was brought to Arusha.

I have to say that the prayers and encouragement we have received from so many people around the world have been absolutely overwhelming.  The people of the Norwegian Lutheran Mission (having been involved with Waama for the past several decades and even being familiar with several of us in the car including the Tanzanian dean who was most severely injured) have showed especially generous concern.  They actually started a fund to help cover the many expenses that have resulted (flights, hospital stays, x-rays, etc) and the response of the first day alone was simply phenomenal.

So, my plan is to spend the remainder of this week resting up and debriefing with people here in Arusha.  Ben and Adela plan to return here from Waama on Saturday.  Adela will fly out that night and Ben and I will head back to Waama on Monday.  It has been unfortunate to miss this first week of classes but I am simply grateful that it will not be more than that.  In all this, please especially pray for the following needs:

· The 2 weekends of Jesus Film showings we have scheduled for this short semester.

· The classes that we will be teaching – that we would teach well and the students would grasp what is taught.

· The solar-powered Jesus Film equipment sets that we plan to entrust to various local teams in the remaining months.  The first set will be picked up from us this coming Tuesday.

· The complete and speedy recovery of all involved with this accident.

· God’s clear direction for my life beyond Tanzania.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.  I trust you had a blessed Easter celebrating the ultimate victory that we have through Jesus.  God bless you all.

In His service,

Jesse Long

Mbulu, Tanzania

AFLC India – Annual Conference

Where the AFLC India is located, the temperatures are already reaching 110 and they are expecting it may reach 125 this year. In another state they have already reached 125 and there were a number of deaths because of the heat.  Northern India has experienced a tornado which is the first of its kind as far as President Luther Dasari knows.

AFLC India Annual Conference

The AFLCI will be holding its annual conference April 24-26.  200 people to come to the school and this will be a time specifically to strengthen the believers in their faith. Pastor Many from Hydrabad is hosting Messianic Jews and President Luther has invited them to share their testimony and about Israel at the conference.

Ambassador Institute

Training was held on April 9^th & 10^th. There are several people coming from the local community for these classes as well as AFLC Pastors and Bible women. Luther Dasari is designing a one year Graduate of Theology program that they will offer as well as a two year Bachelor of Theology. They are making fliers to advertise the course for this next month and they will begin with the Old Testament Survey. President Dasari  and Pastor  Devasahayam will be the teachers and they will mix the oral training with Bible book overviews.

Unreached People Groups

Regarding reaching the unreached people groups, the AFLCI is working among four people groups:

• The Madiga is the most common that makes up many of the present pastors in the AFLCI.
• The Fisherman Village is a people group of its own. The new schools are the greatest outreach into this community. Many of the Hindus are sending their children to these two schools and they are becoming open to the message of Jesus because the Christians are offering a wonderful opportunity for their children.
• The Mala is the people group that makes up the Pedepi area.  The AFLC is holding gospel meetings in several of the communities around Pedepi. This began as an initial outreach last fall and has become an area wide outreach.
• The Yadava people group is another caste that the AFLC has worked in and among. Pastor Yesu Padam’s church in Batpatla is from the Yadava as well as the village of Budduluratadu and Pastor Padmarou.

Pastor Nanraju, is working in the village of Karamechedu which has been a completely Hindu village up to this point. Pastor Nanraju was trained in Guntur and has been working in this village that is about ½ hour away from Chirala. He has about 10 families that are coming and hearing about Jesus for the first time.

Pray for the work in India, especially the Annual Conference.

Serving the Savior,

Pastor Kevin Olson, Ambassador Institute Department Head

Living to See All Saved

“Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell." ~ C.T. Studd

Are you longing for the salvation of the lost souls around you?

Some people may have the call to journey to far away countries like India, Africa, Mexico, or Brazil, but many people will stay right where they’re at in life. No matter the situation, all Christians are called to missions. Everyday we encounter people in our lives that are lost and in need of the transforming power of Jesus Christ yet we often times just sit by and take no action!

We may talk with them about the latest sporting news, the best cooking tips, or what the best shows on TV are but when it comes to talking with them about eternity we often shy away or avoid the subject completely. We find the time to make small talk about things that won’t make a difference in people’s lives down the road but never seem to get around to talking about what will make an impact on someone’s eternity!

As Christians, we need to wake up to the realization that millions around us are blind to any notion of the saving power of Christ! They are going to hell, some of them without ever actually hearing the promise of salvation. What makes the scenario worse is that we as Christians are letting them! We sit by, never reaching out to people, while Satan is gladly watching our feelings of contentment and complacency.

Sadly, many times today we as Christians are our own worst enemies. Satan doesn’t need to distract us or discourage us in sharing the gospel because we lack even the desire or heart for the lost. How can we truly call those around us our “friends” if we don’t care first and foremost about their eternal wellbeing?

BARNA research reports that only 2% of Christians share their faith on a regular basis… Does this sound like the book of Acts, Paul, or Peter to you? No way! Where have we gone that sharing the gospel with even one person a year seems like such a lofty goal that we have to put it as a New Year’s Resolution?

Therefore, let us all as Christians push forward for the salvation of those that are perishing! God’s will and desire is for “all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). So let’s live in the will of our Lord Jesus Christ and reach those in this world that are perishing! For our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ “came that they may have life and have it abundantly! (John 10:10)

Keep the faith; just don’t keep it to yourself!

Nathan Olson & Jon Nelson

Accident Update – Ben Jore

Thank you so much for your prayers regarding this accident. I talked with Jesse a couple times and he told me to thank all of you on his behalf. They are very encouraging to him.

As I write, three of the 5 who were involved in the accident are in Arusha, actually within 50 meters of me! They are Per (fellow

missionary) and the two Waama teachers (Israeli and Pastor Mao). Per is back home now and his wife and three children are very happy to have him back. The two teachers are heading back to Waama tomorrow. Actually Adela and I will join them so Adela can see Waama before she flies back to Minnesota on Saturday. Per is doing really well. He just has to be patient for the cuts on his head to heal. Israeli seemed to be doing really well - stiff and sore but well. Pastor Mao has a broken collar bone and he said that he can still hear it grinding if he moves the wrong way. I saw all three of them and talked with them. They seemed to be in good spirits all things considered.

It was decided that Jesse would stay in Nairobi with Pastor Dallei. I talked with Jesse last night and he seemed really down emotionally. I talked to him a couple times today and he seemed a more upbeat, but he complained that he had many hours of sitting around doing nothing when there wasn't visiting hours. So please pray for him as the temptation is to blame himself or somehow feel responsible even though everybody agrees that it was not his fault at all. He knows it wasn't his fault, but there's always the what if's. Pastor Dallei is still in pretty bad condition, but seems to be better than yesterday. When I last talked to Jesse, Pastor Dallei had just seen an eye specialist who said that the double vision was caused by pressure to some of the nerves near his right eye (where he sustained one of his fractures). So she prescribed some strong medicine to help reduce the pressure. She seemed quite confident that if the pressure was successfully reduced then the double vision would clear up. The general consensus is that as soon as Pastor Dallei is better stabilized and all the "specialty" procedures are done (exams from eye specialists, neurosurgeons, etc. and any possible surgeries), then he'll be flown to his hometown of Haydom, Tanzania (about 1.5 hours from Waama) to finish his recovery there. This would not only put him near his wife and 3 daughters, but there is a Lutheran Hospital at Haydom that is significantly cheaper than the Nairobi hospital. When Pastor Dallei returns to Haydom, Jesse will return to Arusha and from there to Waama. There are a lot of logistics that will need to be worked out when that time comes.

Thanks again for upholding these men in your prayers. Thanks to many of you who have written encouraging notes. May God bless you,

Ben

April Update – Paul Abels

One month from today we will be flying to the U.S. to begin our furlough.  Before then, there is a lot to be accomplished.  Please pray for us during this month as we work for closure in our various ministries here and as we organize and store things in our house for another couple to move in while we are gone.

Yesterday I sang and Paul preached at two of our churches.  He had an excellent sermon on baptism and why we baptize infants according to Scripture.  We count it a privilege to have been baptized and lived our whole life as part of the family of God.  We praise God for His faithfulness to our family in preserving each one in their baptismal covenant. Being taught the truths of God’s Word and living in obedience brings joy and blessing to our lives. There is so much confusion and controversy in the evangelical churches of our day over this beautiful gift from God for His people.  May those of you reading this value your baptism and live in the joy of God’s grace and forgiveness today. “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” Mark 16:16

One week ago we celebrated Easter.  It was quite different this year to not be involved in having the Passion Play after six consecutive years.  Instead we participated in a mission outreach with people from the Bateias church to the “back 40.”  The American short-termers were with us for the three-hour ride over the dirt roads to share with the people who eagerly wait for our group to arrive.  We had a special program for the children in the afternoon and an outdoor evening service.  We arrived home about 2:30 a.m. after a great day.  The others from Bateais stayed until Sunday doing more home visits, evangelistic presentations and clothing distribution.  A family in that area has donated land to build a church for whoever wants to help them.  Our people are interested in helping them build a simple wooden structure for a worship center. Saturday night we showed the DVD of the Passion Play at the Campo Largo church. Sunday we had our worship services and a nice family time at our house with John and Ruby and all the Curitiba relatives (about 30 of us).  That evening John and Ruby were in a car accident, totaling both cars involved.  We are thankful that no one was seriously hurt. 

This week John and Ruby are in Iguaçu Falls holding a 10-day evangelistic campaign.  Please pray for this outreach.  Our desire is that people would hear the message of salvation and come to Christ.  These campaigns are also a time for strengthening the local congregation.

Things are going well in Campo Largo and it seems that the group that left us a couple of years ago wants to return. We feel this would be a blessing to both groups and ask that you join us in prayer for a smooth transition. One other newsworthy tidbit is that the church in Campo Largo was able to finish the parking lot so they now have a wonderful place for parking, for outdoor programs, and small sports events.  Paul coordinated that effort and we are happy to have that project finished before leaving on furlough.   

If you would remember a couple of health issues in your prayers we would be grateful, too. Pastor Tom and Patricia’s 1½ year old daughter Hadassa is hospitalized with an unknown condition that causes fever, enlarged liver and spleen.  They are being stretched to the limit physically, emotionally and spiritually. 

 

 

Our little granddaughter Sarah broke her collarbone last month and has her arm in a sling for 45 days.  I managed to turn over a pot of boiling coffee grounds on my forearm last week incurring second degree burns.  Paul is suffering constant pain in his right arm and hand caused by a herniated disk.  We know that the Lord is our Healer and we trust Him for healing.   

 

Also rejoice with us for the five young people who are studying in Bible School this year.  Angélica and Robson (Campo Largo) and Vitor (São Braz) are studying at Bethany Fellowship  in Curitiba, close to home.  Saymon and Thomaz, both from São Braz, are studying at our seminary in Campo Mourão. 

We look forward to returning to the U.S. for seven months to share with our supporters and renew our strength to continue on in the work God calls us to do. Thank you for your partnership with us.  God’s blessings to each one of you!

Love in Christ, Paul and Becky

Your Prayers Made a Difference – Ben Jore

I just got off the phone with Jesse. Early this morning all 5 men were flown to Nairobi where they have been undergoing medical examinations.

Jesse appears to have had a number of minor cuts over his body and some major ones on his elbow, but all in all will be fine. His shoulder was x-rayed and there are no breaks. Israeli (teacher and treasurer at Waama), is plenty sore and stiff, but seems to have come out the best of everyone. Pastor Mao (teacher at Waama) broke his collarbone, but otherwise seems ok. Per (fellow missionary) received 12 stitches last night before going to Nairobi. Upon arriving in Nairobi the doctors there took out the stitches, re-cleaned the wound, and re-stitched - the doctors were concerned that the wound hadn't been sufficiently cleaned.

Otherwise he seems to be fine as well.

Pastor Dallei (Dean of Waama) had multiple skull fractures, one above his right ear, one by his right eye socket, and one at the base of the skull. The fracture above his right ear caused the bleeding out of his ear last night, which means that the bleeding was a lot more minor than originally perceived. He is experiencing double-vision. The doctors aren't sure if this is because of the fracture near his eye putting pressure on it, or if further damage was caused. They are monitoring it and hoping that it will resolve as the swelling goes down. Pastor Dallei also broke a number of ribs and has some minor bleeding to the brain.

The doctors aren't majorly concerned with the bleeding - it seems to have stopped or will stop shortly. Jesse said that Pastor Dallei waved in and out of coherency - sometimes he was completely coherent and conversing as normal, other times he seemed to just be babbling. The good news is that he has no neck injuries and the doctors are optimistic that he will recover quickly, though it looks like he will need to spend at least a week in the hospital in Nairobi.

All except Dallei are hoping to return to Arusha either tomorrow or Wednesday. Fellow missionaries in Nairobi will care for Dallei during his recovery. Please continue to pray with us.

Ben Jore

Car Accident Update from Ben Jore

I received a phone call from Jesse today informing me of his involvement in a car accident. He was traveling with another missionary, the dean of Waama (Pastor Dallei), and two other teachers from Waama - returning from an East African Lutheran Bible School conference in Kenya. I was not with him at the time as my fiancee Adela and I were visiting my brother in Uganda. Jesse told me that he was driving the Land Cruiser and was attempting to pass a tractor. When they had almost passed, the tractor suddenly swerved and crashed into the vehicle. This threw the vehicle out of control, causing it to roll 3 times. Everybody was cut from the flying glass. Jesse sustained some relatively minor cuts and appears to have sprained his shoulder. The two teachers were banged up and bleeding, but seemed to be ok. The other missionary needed 12 stitches for a head-gash but otherwise seems fine. The only major concern at this time is for Pastor Dallei. It appears he did not have a seatbelt on and was tossed around a lot. His collarbone was broken and he was still bleeding some out of his ears and mouth several hours after the crash. He was in a semi-coherent state. We hope and pray that there is no long-term damage. The crash was nearby a relatively large city (Kisii, Kenya) and all 5 were able to receive limited medical attention there. Because of Pastor Dallei's condition, they are hoping to charter a plane and fly him to Nairobi, Kenya first thing tomorrow. The other 4 will travel there as well and will be examined as a precautionary measure.

Please praise God with us that the injuries sustained were minor considering the severity of the crash. I talked to Jesse a few times since the accident and he seems shaken up but otherwise well.

Please pray for Pastor Dallei. His condition is definitely the most concerning. Pray for wisdom for everyone involved. Thankfully some fellow missionaries from Kenya were able to get to the scene of the accident a few hours ago and assist. This is a huge help and morale boost.

Thanks for upholding us in your prayers, Ben

Jesse Long in Car Accident

Please pray for Jesse Long who was in a serious car accident. He seems to be okay but others who were along are seriously injured. Ben and Adiela are with Nate and Rhoda and were not in the vehicle.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Easter Greetings from India

I just talked to Luther Dasari in India and exchanged Easter greetings with him.  Here are some of the Holy Week traditions the AFLC in India observes.

Good Friday

Their Good Friday tradition is to meet at 11:00 until 3:00 in the afternoon for prayer and to go over the 7 last words of Christ on the Cross. On Saturday they decorate the tombs at the graveyards.

Easter Sunday

Sunday they go to the graveyards at 4-5 in the morning for a prayer service like the women did on Easter morning. Then they meet for their regular service at 11:00 am on Sunday.

May the Lord bless you as you worship His this Easter Sunday.

Kevin Olson, Head of Ambassador Institute

Short Term Missions - Brazil

Thank you so much for your support in our ministry here in Brazil. We have seen God working in so many ways in the short time that we’ve been here. One example of God at work was in the lives of three young girls who came to live at the Miriam Infant Home. After living there for only a couple days, they were reunited with their very concerned and loving father, whom they had not seen in months. Please continue to pray for Melina (11), MariaGuarda (8), and Gabriella (5) as they settle back into a safe home life.

God has also shown great faithfulness to His Word as we have had the opportunity to share in churches and with different individuals. When we arrived in Curitiba we were able to visit The Language House, an English school owned by Paul and Becky’s daughter Christina. Over three days, we were able to talk to hundreds of students that came through the school. Many opportunities to share Christ arose, through their questions of what four crazy Americans were doing in Brazil. We are looking forward to going back and spending a bit more time at the English school, developing deeper relationships with some of the students and teachers. Please pray that God would give us the right words to say as we are presented with these witnessing opportunities.

On the weekends, we have been able to visit quite a few of the AFLC churches here in Brazil. We are looking forward to sharing with many more churches during our time here, through songs, puppets, testimonies, and preaching the Word of God. Also, we will be able to share at the tent revival meetings that Pastor John Abel is working on in Iguazu Falls. Keep these meetings in your prayers as they’ll be lasting for two weeks and pray that many hearts will be changed.

We would like to be able to travel to all of the AFLC churches in Brazil, two of which are 36 hours away. As we look into visiting so many of these AFLC churches, we are overwhelmed with the cost of doing so. So far, we do not feel that we have the financial means to make these trips to the churches. We would like to ask for your prayer and financial support as we go forward to do what God has called us to do.

Some other future opportunities that we are looking forward to are an English camp that we are putting together for the first weekend in May and two AFLC children’s camps in July. We are currently putting much work into structuring the English camp since it’s about a month away and we are the primary planners and staff for the camp. Please pray for many opportunities to share with the students that come, and that we would get a good turnout. We are hoping for 100 campers to spend the weekend with us.

Please continue to keep all of these things in your prayers. Check our blogs at: www.bethanyandamanda.blogspot.com and www.preachandteachbrazil.wordpress.com for more prayer requests and other updates. Thank you for joining with us in the ministry in Brazil.

God Bless,

Amanda Aldrich, Bethany Marschner, Jon Nelson, and Nathan Olson

Easter Greeting from World Relief

On Sunday, we will celebrate a major event in our church calendar - the Resurrection of Christ.  As I reflect during Holy Week, I am struck once again by the words of God - "I am making all things new." I am humbled by the role He has given us - His Church - to participate in that process of making all things new.  He has promised to finish the work He began, and He has invited us to be a part of His ministry to a hurting world. When Jesus stood in the temple for the first time, He announced what His ministry was about: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.   (Luke 4:18-19) The AFLC has been an effective part of this ministry - preaching the good news to the poor and proclaiming the Lord's favor - in your communities and throughout the world.  Together, we have empowered local churches to serve millions - bringing physical, emotional, and spiritual restoration in the lives of the most vulnerable. We are so thankful for your partnership, for your hearts to serve, and for your active decision - day in and day out - to be the hands and feet of Christ to the world's most vulnerable. May God richly bless you this Easter season as you live in the power of the resurrection. Christ is risen!

HAITI UPDATE World Relief has been working in Haiti for over 15 years and is committed to working with the local Haitian Church long into the future. We are planning for the gradual shift from emergency response to recovery and development work, even as we respond to immediate needs. Last week, World Relief and the network of Haitian churches we work with provided: 15 days worth of food to 3,000 vulnerable people 40 truckloads of water - totaling 128,000 gallons - to 27,300 families tarps to 2,550 families jerry cans for water to 1,360 families hygiene kits to 160 vulnerable families Learn more about World Relief's work with the Haitian Church here.

Craig Pixley

Senior Church Engagement Director

CPixley@wr.org

Darwin Paccha - Ecuador

Dear Family and Friends,
Praise the LORD in all your circumstances. He is always working in our lives for our good. We hope you continue to follow and trust Him in the good times and bad times. We have many reasons to praise the Lord as we look back on the month of March. . .

Teaching Bible at the Bilingüe 
We will be starting the 3rd and final trimester at the Bilingüe next week. The last trimester is very short with approximately four weeks of regular classes due to extra activities. Darwin will be teaching Bible to two grades during this last trimester. He has always wanted to teach Bible, but the timing seems to be more frustrating than exciting. Darwin has a full plate of activities and these classes have simply been added to his schedule with no change to his other responsibilities. Pray for strength for him as he prepares classes and that he would be an example and encouragement to his new students.

Paz de Dios Church
We had a wonderful night of praise and worship at church on Friday, March 26th. The worship coordinator put together people from each worship team to lead worship for this service. We had four singers, one guitar player, one bass player, two people doing percussion, a pianist (Darwin), and a flautist (Kirsten). Praise the Lord that many people
came to the service. We pray that hearts were drawn closer to our Savior. There will be pictures on the blog later.  A friend took pictures for us, so we do not have them yet. We are going on a family retreat with the church April 1st-3rd for Easter.  The title of the retreat is “Listening to God’s Voice.” Darwin is teaching two times. Pray that the Spirit would speak through him and the other speakers on this retreat. Also pray for safety, a great time of fellowship, and open hearts to God’s Word and His Voice.

Miss Ecuador!
It is finally official! Kirsten is Ecuadorian! Darwin said that now she can run for Miss Ecuador, but of course that is not possible since she is married. Maybe Mrs. Ecuador? I (Kirsten) don’t think so. ☺ Darwin dropped off Kirsten’s papers on a Friday with a girl who was working while the regular man was on vacation. This girl had been to the states
and was a little ‘full of herself.’ She told Darwin how this process of naturalization is supposed to take 15 days, but she could do the process in a week. Darwin just thanked her for her work and left the papers in her hands. The man who normally did this job had told Darwin he needed another type of seal on some of the papers, but this girl and  other workers said that was unnecessary. This little detail is important because this man would not process the papers because of these couple seals. Everything was in God’s hands and His timing. The substitute girl called Darwin back in 4 DAYS! She said the papers were ready. When, we went to get the paperwork, the regular worker was back, but because the substitute had done the work, she finished the process with us. Praise God for using prideful people, including us, in order to finish His work. Now, Kirsten just has to get her Ecuadorian ID card and passport. Pray that
we don’t encounter any more problems in trying to get these two documents. Praise God for His help in finishing the naturalization.

Thanks for your e-mails and prayers!
God’s Blessings!
In Christ,
Darwin and Kirsten Paccha

Praises
*Kirsten is Ecuadorian!
*Safety and Health- healed mosquito bites
*Celebrating Darwin’s 28th Birthday
*Water for the Paccha’s in Santa Isabel
*Marriages being reconciled in our church
*Growing relationship between Gloria and Kirsten
*Great night of Praising God at church
*Easter family retreat April 1st-3rd

Prayers
*No problems getting Kirsten’s ID documents
*Summer camp for senior high students
*Revival among students at the Bilingüe
*Close friends who are seeking God’s direction to
know where to serve
*The 2 young people we are each mentoring
*Pastor of our church: strength and wisdom as he
serves the congregation