Our God Moves Mountains

Here is a teaser from  Steve and Glenda Kvale’s quarterly newsletter:  Kvale Connection. 

This quarter’s prayer letter is opened with a word of praise to God who moves mountains. As you prayed with us concerning Steve’s computer project when our last letter was printed, we knew God was at work through the sleepless nights, extra hours of work on the project and the unity that grew in the team as communication increased to the benefit of the project. We needed to practice patience, understanding and cooperation to persevere in a project that seemed to be bombarded by the enemy with roadblocks. Victory is His as we persevere in trials. Steve felt stretched in this project for the Kingdom. We can say that through times like this, more equipping takes place to be even more effective for Him. Though we wish we could say the project was completed, it’s an even bigger answer to prayer at this point to say that the mountainous roadblocks to completing this project have been removed!  For this we praise God above! This project is in a vital restructuring mode with the team in Dallas, TX, for the time being.

Click here to read the rest of this informative letter.

Dear friends and prayer partners,

Twenty-one years ago, Dorothy began praying for an unreached people group in West Africa through the Bibleless Peoples Prayer Project (BPPP).  During what seemed like years of  silence from God, she persevered.  In 1993, one man (we call Dalmar) from the people group accepted Christ.  He began working with Wycliffe Bible translators.  His cousin accepted Christ and soon two more members of the community became believers.  In August 2010, twenty-one years after Dorothy began praying, the complete book of Genesis has been distributed.   After reading it, a man who used to persecute Dalmar for his faith has come to recognize the truth of God’s Word.  Through twenty-one years of prayer, Dalmars neighbors are finally reading the Scriptures-words that are introducing them to their Savior. 

You play a key role as you pray for us in support roles for the Lord with Wycliffe Bible Translators and for Bibleless peoples of the world.  Thank you for your prayers and financial gifts as together we work to reach the least, the last, and the lost with God’s Word.

Serving Him with you,

Steve & Glenda Kvale Family
AFLC Missionaries on loan to Wycliffe Bible Translators

Check out these links:  Translate the Word and  Wycliffe Bible Translators

Palmers Traveling to India and Uganda

We are leaving to oversee and encourage the work in India and Uganda.  Would you pray for us as we travel?  Especially pray for our heath and that God would use us as He sees fit. 

We leave May 23 and will return on June 7, a few days before the AFLC Annual Conference.

Keep up with us and other AFLC World Missions happenings by becoming friends of AFLC World Missions.  Follow the link below.

Prayer Update from Darwin Jackson

"Lord Jesus, thou art the way, the truth, and the life; hear us as we pray for the truth that shall make us free. Teach us that liberty is not only to be loved, but also to be lived. Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in books. It costs too much to be horded. Help us to see that our liberty is not the right to do as we please, but the opportunity to do what is right." Peter Marshall before the Senate.

On Sunday Alfonso and I went looking for Marcos again. He came to church on Sunday so we wanted to repay the visit and try to share the Gospel with him to lead him to Jesus. Instead we found Baja, a man from Jordan who has only been in Nogales Sonora Mexico for about three months. He says he came here looking for work, but that he doesn't like it because of all of the violence. Plus, he's really struggling with Spanish (speaks Arabic and English). He asked me what I was doing in Nogales visiting the homes, which of course lead us to talk about the differences between what Islam teaches about forgiveness and eternal life, and what Jesus in the Bible teaches. Pray we can visit him again soon, and that the Lord will open his heart and mind to the Gospel.

Alfonso is still asking for prayer for his appointment in Obregon to have his pacemaker and heart looked at. The doctors here say the pacemaker isn't working anymore (11 years old!). He's been waiting for over a month for the appointment.

Brother Jose out in Mascareñas is in pretty bad condition. We went to their house to hold a meeting as usual and there were a couple of doctors there treating him. It seems he has had herpes so he has a huge gaping sore on his back and shoulder. He has fallen a couple of times recently, and on one of them he either broke, or dislocated his shoulder. Which is giving him a lot of pain. They say they can't treat the bones in the shoulder until the sore is healed up some. Pray for this dear couple, poor Chui his wife says the whole village can hear him at night. He moans, even wails because of the pain.

It looks like our little Malina might be going to a family member soon. They have found a great aunt who is going through the hoops to try to adopt her. That is bitter sweet news. We have really gotten to love this little gal. We've had her for about five months now, since she was sixteen days old.

Thank you all so much for all of your prayers. They are deeply felt and appreciated. Your fellow workers in the liberty with which Christ has set us free, 

Darwin, Mary Ann, Gracie, Cesar, Racheal, Gabe, and little Melina

Jonni Sliver’s May 2011 Newsletter

I went to church last night and saw something I haven’t since the furnace went out at Emmaus in November - people sitting in the pews wrapped in scarves, wearing mittens. Winter is coming to Campo Mourão! No, it really doesn’t compare with the winter that was in the Upper Midwest but the cool nights in an unheated room makes me very grateful for many things - the lovely, cozy apartment that was prepared for me here at the Miriam Home and Bible School; the electric blanket that I inherited from Connely Dyrud; a cup of really good coffee on cold mornings. I am settling in to life in Brazil.

Lucas is 11 years old and his stay in the Miriam Home was a short one; he was only with us for a few weeks. Lucas is a happy young man who plays with exuberance and is
helpful around the house. He is a smart young man and is doing really well in the fifth grade. All of this is a little surprising for a few reasons, first because he has been going through a rough patch recently.

To read more about Lucas and Jonni’s ministry, click here for the PDF version of the newsletter.

Christ for the Nations

Rachael Ballman recently wrote an essay for Global Encounters website.  here is just a small part of it.  Read it in its entirety here.

Missions is the very heart of God! It is the central theme of the Bible and gives Christian people purpose and meaning. Jesus sent out the first missionaries uttering the Gospel imperative, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…”(Matthew 28:19‐20a). Missions, then, is fulfilling the command of Jesus to make disciples of ALL nations!

Greetings from Darwin Jackson

"Trouble is one of God's great servants because it reminds us how much we continually need the Lord." Jim Cymbala

We had a great conference in Nogales Sonora last weekend with brethren from Puebla, Sinaloa and of course here in Sonora. The theme of the conference was "United in the Spirit." I took Gracie for a couple of days so that she could experience the joy of it all. She knew several of the brother and sisters, some hadn't seen Gracie since she was four or five years old. (see pictures on our blog) Brother Juan Fernandez came all the way from Bolivia to participate and help us to partner with other Latin American Lutheran bodies and the World Mission Prayer League in praying and sending Latin Americans out into the mission field. It is very exiting to see, hear and envision what God it doing today and how we can be co-workers with Him.

On Sunday Alfonso and I encourage a 17 yr old teen to come to church with us, and he did. So, we'll visit him again this weekend, pray for Marcos. Also, one of the Dad's of a couple of our Sunday school kids came to one of our house meetings. But our brother Jose is not doing good in that home. He just had his eightieth birthday, it seems he's going fast. We were able to serve him communion. But he's not able to walk. Pray for his wife Chui as she tries to care for him.

Thank you all for praying with us, your fellow workers.

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

Pillmans Accept Call to AFLC World Missions

Justo and Patricia Pillman have accepted a call to be missionaries with AFLC World Missions.  The Pillmans will be commissioned at the WMF Missions Festival at AFLC Annual Conference in Sioux Falls, SD, June 14-17.

Justo and Patricia will be assigned to Ecuador after the details are worked out with the national church.  Before they were married, Justo worked as a Short Term Mission Assistant with the national church in Ecuador.  They will begin deputation in the coming year.

Refreshment in HARD Places–May Devotional

As I was thinking about Psalm 84 recently, and looking at verses 5-7 which describe those who believe in the Lord, I realized that v. 6 describes a unique way of doing the work of missions:

“Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring;  The early rain also covers it with blessings.”

The “valley of Baca” is the valley of “weeping”, or the valley of “suffering”. It is a HARD place. We, as Jesus’ people, are intended to bring “refreshment” to HARD places.

According to Christian radio, May 1^st was to be observed as “Holocaust Remembrance Day”, in order to remember the 6 million Jews (and others) who were put to death during World War II, by the Nazis in their concentration camps, etc. The Holocaust experience was definitely a “place of weeping”, a HARD place.

When I think of that time, I always think of Corrie ten Boom (see photo on right) and her family who were sent to the concentration camps because they had hidden Jews from the Nazis in order to save their lives. On our return from India, a couple of years ago, Pastor Bob W. Lee and I had the opportunity to visit the Corrie ten Boom museum in Haarlem in the Amsterdam area. We were able to see the secret “Hiding Place” in their home where the Jews were hidden. When the ten Booms were arrested for their “illegal” activities, the hiding place was not discovered and the Jews hiding there were later let out by friendly Dutch policemen. The ten Booms were practicing this unusual missionary work of bringing “refreshment” to HARD places in their hiding of the Jews. They continued to fulfill Ps. 84:6 as they were sent to the concentration camps. Corrie writes in her “Tramp For The Lord”:

“When I was in a prison camp in Holland during the war, I often prayed, ‘Lord, never let the enemy put me in a German concentration camp.’ God answered no to that prayer. Yet in the German camp, with all its horror, I found many prisoners who had never heard of Jesus Christ. If God had not used my sister Betsie and me to bring them to Him, they would never have heard of Him. Many died, or were killed, but many died with the Name of Jesus on their lips. They were well worth all our suffering.

They fulfilled both parts of this verse:

1) they made it a place of “springs”, a place of unexpected refreshment, like a spring of pure water bubbling up from the ground. A week after her sister died in Ravensbruck (see photo at left),  Corrie and the other thousands of prisoners in the camp were gathered in the cold morning wind for roll call. Corrie was called to stand apart and she wondered why? Was it for punishment?...or freedom?…or execution?...or to be sent to another camp? A young girl was called to stand beside her. The girl thought they were to receive the death sentence. Corrie prayed for the Lord to give her all the love and wisdom she needed for Him to use her to make use of this last chance to bring someone to Him before she arrived in heaven. She introduced herself to the girl and asked if she read the Bible and if she believed in God. When the girl wanted to know more, Corrie told her about Jesus who died on the cross for them and is always with them even in their suffering and who took away all her hatred and bitterness for her enemies. For the 3 hours that the roll call lasted, she explained many things about Jesus with the prisoners behind them listening. She told her how to ask Jesus into her heart and the girl did. The siren sounded and the prisoners left for work. Corrie was left standing alone and released to freedom due to an administrative blunder.

2) the early rain covered it with blessings. As they came to this HARD place, trusting in the Lord, He acted in their situation, answering their prayers, and bringing them a “SHOWER” of blessings. When they first came to Ravensbruck, Corrie was carrying a Bible, hidden in a bag on a string between her shoulder blades. They needed to take off all their clothes and walk naked past the guards. But they asked to use the toilets and were let into the shower room and they were able to hide the Bible in a pile of benches and retrieve it later. But then it made a bulge under her prison dress, so Corrie prayed the Lord to send His angels to surround them and be “untransparent”. The woman behind her and her sister after her were both searched, but they didn’t touch or even look at Corrie. They went through another examination line, but when Corrie slowed down for it, they moved her along. As a result they had God’s Word and held Bible studies in their barracks which became known as “the crazy place, where they hope.”

WE are also called to bring unexpected “refreshment” to HARD places, the valleys of our own sufferings, and the valleys of other’s sufferings. Are you refreshing, and being refreshed, by Jesus, today?

Editor’s note:  If you want to see a live interview with Corrie ten Boom on YouTube, please click here.

Craig Wentzel

“Pass It On”–Paul Abels Newsletter

"We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power and the wonders He has done." Psalm 78:4

We took over 70 youth and adults from the Curitiba area to Carnaval Camp in Campo Mourão in March. We were happy to have 280 campers with representatives from all the Free Lutheran churches in Brazil for 4 days of spiritual fellowship. Paul translated for Pastor Mark Olson from MN who did a great job as our evening speaker! The theme "A Generation in the Hands of the Potter" was the basis for lots of great personal ministry in the lives of the campers.

We've enjoyed having lots of company in March. The day after camp we headed to Campo Grande to spend time with our friends from the Mission Committee who spent three weeks in Brazil observing and encouraging the ministry efforts here.

Glenn Mork, Del and Karen Palmer, and  Bonnie and Paul Handsaker.

This is just the highlights from the Abels’ newsletter.  Please click here to read the entire document and know how to pray for the Abels.

Honoring John and Ruby Abel

John and Ruby Able travel to Brazil annually to hold evangelistic meetings.  Most of our churches in Brazil have been started or strengthened through these meetings.  This March John became ill and was taken to the doctor.  The doctor diagnosed him with congestive heart failure.  This illness cut short his trip to Brazil.  It is questionable if John will be able to hold evangelistic meetings in Brazil in the years to come.

The Church in Brazil honored John and Ruby for their lifelong service in Brazil on Sunday, March 27^th.  It was a wonderful service with a ladies choir from Arlington, WA singing.   There were many from the AFLC in the US who spoke,  World Missions Director Del Palmer, Missionaries Connely Dyrud, Jonathan  Abel and Paul Abel, Lutheran Ambassador Editor Craig Johnson and World Missions Committee members Glenn Mork and Paul Handsaker.  There were also many from the AILLB (Brazilian AFLC) that spoke, President  Joel Mendez,  the chairman of SETELL (Seminary) and Miriam Infant Home Silvio Santos Paes and  the Dean of SETELL Natanael  Camarg.  John Abel was helped up to the pulpit and he addressed the group at the close of the service.

Please praise God for the ministry of John and Ruby and pray for John’s health in the days ahead.

Andy and Monica Coyle Commissioned

Andy and Monica Coyle, AFLC Missionaries on loan to Eastern European Missions Network , were commissioned by EEMN on Sunday afternoon, April 10th at 2 p.m.   The service was held at the AFLC Schools Chapel in Plymouth, MN. 

The Coyles will be deployed to Ukraine in the days ahead so please keep them in your prayers as they make their final preparations. 

Brazil Video Project–April 2011

Update from Andrew Abel

Dear Family and Friends,

                I am finally getting an update out about my trip to Brazil in January to work on a video documentary of the AFLC Brazil mission field.  First off, I want to thank everyone who prayed for me and supported me financially for this project.  I am happy to say that this portion of the project has been fully funded, thanks to you!

It has been a busy semester so far, and I am finally getting caught up with life. I have been keeping busy with school and work here on campus as well as working on the Brazil video project. We just had Spring Break here at Northwestern, and now my schedule has lightened up a bit allowing me more time to work on editing the video.  This is part of my senior project as I look forward to college graduation in May.

Now rewinding a bit, my time in Brazil was a great blessing! I was able to spend some time with family, see many friends and visit seven of the AFLC churches. I spent the first week with my sisters and their families since my parents had not returned yet. The next week I took off for Maringá with Missionary Jonathan Abel and his family. I spent a couple of days in Maringá and then continued on to Campo Mourão where I spent four days getting footage in the churches, orphanage, Bible School and Seminary. I then returned to Curitiba with my parent’s pickup that had been with Jonathan while they were in the US.

Upon returning to Curitiba I visited the churches in the area and spent a week recording audio for the annual Passion Play in Bateias. This event usually draws about 1000 people to hear and see the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Due to some circumstances in Brazil they have decided not to do the play this year but I am already working on the sound tracks for the 2012 play.  Each year some scenes are changed and different voices are recorded.

One thing that stood out to me about this trip to Brazil and my work on this project  was the excitement of the Brazilians towards the project. I was well received in all the churches  and people were very willing to give me interviews and to help me out in any way. I would like to eventually have a Portuguese version of this project so that the church in Brazil can also benefit from it.

Well, I think that is it for now. The Brazil video project will be available to view in the beginning of May. When it is completed I will send out a link for you to be able to view it online and instructions on how you can order a hard copy if you would like.

Thanks again for your support of this project!  Please pray that the final result will be a blessing to the AFLC and to the missionary outreach in Brazil.  I will keep you informed of future projects.

In Christ, Andrew Abel

Kvale Connection–March 2011

Steve is currently assigned to a Wycliffe/SIL partnership project. SIL is the Summer Institute of Linguistics based in Dallas, TX. The goal for this computer
project is to make more language resources available to language workers
around the world.

It’s also a joy to be able to revisit supporting churches now and share ministry updates. We are looking forward to sharing at a supporting church on the West coast for the first time and attending their district Bible Conference this Spring.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing, by the word of Christ. 
Romans 10:17

Wycliffe Bible Translators and The Seed Company work in partnership with
Faith Comes by Hearing, which produces Scripture in audio form made available to those that cannot read or are in situations where it is inconvenient to keep written materials with them (like soldiers) or maybe they are not allowed to. Wycliffe Bible Translators remains committed to the vision for the Scriptures made available to every people and every tongue.

One of our recent language releases is Akha. About 56,000 speakers in Thailand, the Akha are farmers that have also become known for their artistry. When including the surrounding region, it is believed that nearly 600,000 people speak Akha. And now they can listen to God's Word in their own language!

There is so much more to read about the Kvale’s.  This is just a taste of their informative newsletter.  So check it out here and also know what to pray for the Kvale family.

Jonni leaves for Brazil

Many of you have been following, with much interest, Jonni Sliver’s saga of getting her visa for Brazil.  Well, today she boarded the plane for Brazil!  In attendance to pray with her before she left were:  Pastor Kevin Olson, Pastor Dick Gunderson, and Pastor Elden Nelson.   We wish you God’s blessings, Jonni , as you serve at the Miriam Infant Home in Brazil.  Please uphold Jonni and the work in Brazil in your prayers!

How to Win the Super Bowl

The following is the April Mission’s Devotional by Jim Fugleberg:

Perhaps few of us who watched the Super Bowl about a month or two ago knew another important football game was going on at the same time.

This one was between the big animals and the little animals:

The big animals were crushing little animals and at half time, the coach made a passionate speech to rally the little animals.

At the start of the second half the big animals had the ball. The first play, the elephant got stopped for no gain. The second play, the rhino was stopped for no gain. On third down, the hippo was thrown for a 5 yard loss.

The defense huddled around the coach and he asked excitedly, "Who stopped the elephant?"

"I did" said the centipede.

"Who stopped the rhino?"

"Uh, that was me too" said the centipede.

"And how about the hippo? Who hit him for a 5 yard loss?"

"Well, that was me as well," said the centipede.

"So where were you the first half?" demanded the coach.

"Well" said the centipede, "I was having my ankles taped."--Borrowed

Some activities in life take time, but pay big benefits. Changing oil on the car takes time, but it preserves the life of the engine. Filling your almost-empty gas tank may be an inconvenient thing to do, especially if you’re in a hurry, but you won’t get far if you don’t.

What about time taken to spend in communication with God? Our quiet time is a daily opportunity. Sunday worship is a regular opportunity. And now, leading up to Easter, Lenten Services are a special opportunity.

Just as dirt has a tendency to accumulate unless we keep cleaning, stuff unless we keep throwing, and weeds unless we keep pulling, so the old attitude “rhinos” and lusts of the flesh “elephants” have a tendency to take over unless we continue to be cleansed, guided, exhorted, and corrected through the Word of God. Just as the tank continues toward empty unless we keep filling it at the pump, and the bank account depletes unless we keep adding the paycheck, so our spiritual life needs to be renewed, lest we have no energy against spiritual lethargy, strength against temptation, or power to serve in love.

In the super bowl of life, the devil regards “two-hand-touch” as sissy stuff. He’s in there for the tackle, and he’s out for blood.

“Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom resist, steadfast in the faith.” (1 Pet. 5:8-9) And “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Rom 10:17)

Let’s make sure we have our “ankles taped.”

Ambassador Institute Curriculum in Belarus

The Ambassador Institute has released their Spring Inquiry Newsletter which can be found on the AFLC website here.  Here is a taste of what is in that newsletter:

East European Missions Network (EEMN) will be translating the Ambassador Institute Curriculum into Russian for use in Belarus.
Belarus is a closed country to the gospel and yet the constitution has a provision in it to allow the Lutheran church to operate freely and to open a school. That provision comes because of the long history that the Lutheran church has had in that part of Europe. EEMN has a partnership with the Lutheran church in Belarus and together they want to start the training with material that has a strong Biblical emphasis and a Lutheran understanding of the Word of God. Praise the Lord for this new open door. Pray for the translation work and for this future training in a country closed to the gospel.

Testimonies From the Jinja Class in Uganda

Dear friends,
        John is one of the students in the Jinja class.  He was raised a Catholic in the village and knows very little of the Bible.   Towards the beginning of our term, I taught the story of Cain and Abel. Afterward John asked, "How did God know that Cain killed Abel?"  His question illustrates his basic lack of understanding that God knows and sees all.
    John has been attending the class now for the past several months and is learning a great deal.  The students' assignment each week is to share in their communities the Bible story they have learned in class.  Last Thursday in class, John shared this testimony:
    One evening, as he came home from work, he found one of his neighbor's kids crying and bleeding from the nose.  (John stays in a small
rented room in tight quarters with many others who are also renting.)  They told him that a certain neighbor woman had beaten the child.  The woman had a habit of treating children badly. She herself had not been able to have a child for the past 8 years.  John asked his wife to invite her to their place as he wanted to talk to her.  It just so happens that our story for that week was the story of Hannah.  John began to share how Hannah was barren and suffered at the hands of her co-wife.  Yet, instead of retaliating or becoming angry, Hannah responded as a godly woman and brought her pain to the Lord in prayer.  After hearing how the Lord answered Hannah's prayer and gave her children, the woman was really impacted.  It is common here for a woman in Hannah's situation to get revenge by harming the co-wife's children. (Polygamy is commonly practiced here in Uganda.) The woman was challenged by Hannah's godly response to her situation and how God answered her prayer.  She thanked John again and again for sharing the story with her.
    God is doing a great work in another student's life.  I have shared about Godfrey (pictured left with Nate)  several times before.  He shared this testimony in class yesterday (Thursday):
    Wednesday night he was awakened after midnight by the sound of a woman crying.  It was one of his neighbors crying for her daughter (around 18 years old).  At first, Godfrey thought the daughter had died, but soon discovered that the girl had just gone mad (not speaking, drooling from the mouth, and wanting to run out into the night).  She had been fine that day and went to sleep that night acting normal.  By this time all the neighbors around the place were awake and everyone knew that the girl had been "bewitched" or possessed by a demon.  The common answer to witchcraft here is to use "anti-witchcraft" to cancel out the curse.  Godfrey said his neighbors, even those professing to be Christians,  all started bringing out their witchcraft charms in an effort to free the girl. (It is common here to see "Christians" resort to using witchcraft when they are in a difficult situation.)
    After observing for a while, Godfrey suggested that they pray and ask God to heal the girl.  The people mocked him, saying he did not know what he was talking about.  Godfrey got one of his neighbors who was a Christian and the two of them began to pray.  The demon, who had been silent from the beginning, began to speak through the girl.  Godfrey and his
neighbor asked him why he had come and he replied that he had been sent by the girl's step-mom in the village who was jealous because she was "going far in her education"  Godfrey told the demon that he would have to leave in the Name of Jesus.  The demon told the people around, "I am leaving for now because there are people here who can make me leave, but I will be back at any time."  The girl cried out loudly and was back to her normal self again.  At two o'clock in the morning, Godfrey shared with his neighbors the Word of God, urging them to repent of their witchcraft and believe in Jesus.
    Our mission in Uganda is fairly simple: We teach people the Word of God who in turn teach it to others.  The Word of the Lord does not return empty, but accomplishes the work for which God sent it.
    Please keep us in your prayers. They are truly a lifeline to us!
With gratitude,

Nate Jore and family

Update from Darwin Jackson

"How often have we prayed something like, "O Lord, be with cousin Billy now in a special way"? Have we stopped to consider what it is we're requesting? Imagine that you are a parent who is preparing to leave your children with a babysitter. Would you dream of saying, "O Betsy, I ask you now that you would be with my children in a special way?" No way. You would say, "Betsy, the kids need to be in bed by 9 pm. They can have one snack before their baths, and please make sure they finish their homework. You can reach us at this number if there's any problem. Any questions before we go?" We are very specific with our requests and instructions for our babysitters. We want them to know specifics. It should be no different with prayer." David Jeremiah

Man can we relate to this these days. We got a knock at the door at 2:00 in the morning the other day with a sweet little strawberry haired six year old who needed a place to stay. So, we're up to six kids now. She wants prayer to be able to go to her mommy soon, Cesar and Gabe want prayer that they would be organized at school to be able to get their grades up, Gracie would like prayer that she wouldn't be nervous during her dance program at the high school next week, Rachel would like prayer for a cell phone (noooo, not yet!), and Melina wants her bottle filled.

Mary Ann has left the Nogales rescue mission, so she could use prayer for this transition in her life. I thank you for prayer for me across the line. Last week I had kind of close call as I was downtown Nogales just before a shooting (see our blog for more of the story). Alfonso's (pictured on the left) pacemakers battery has gone dead, he has to wait until next month before he can see the doctor (socialized medicine). So he too needs our prayers.  The Mexican Lutheran Apostolic Alliance (who we serve here in Mexico) is having our conference here in Nogales this year (April 21-23). So we sure appreciate your prayers.

Thank you for being specific in prayer, your fellow workers,

Darwin, Mary Ann, Gracie, Rachel, Gabe, Cesar, Frania and Melina.

World Relief–Japan Earthquake

The AFLC Partners with World Relief for relief works around the world.  Contributions to help with the earthquake in Japan can be sent to:

World Relief or to,

AFLC World Missions
3110 E. Medicine Lake Blvd.
Plymouth,  MN  55441

Please indicate that it is for the Japanese earthquake.

 

Dear World Relief Partners and Friends,

After an 8.9 magnitude earthquake shook Japan, Pacific Rim countries and islands have braced for tsunamis that have already begun to hit.  While the extent of the damage is still unknown, the death toll continues to rise especially in Japan as ships and trains have vanished and land is flooded. Warnings have been issued from the Philippines to Hawaii to Kenya.

World Relief has been in communication with our partners in these countries including our alliance partner in Japan, the Japanese Evangelical Association, who is monitoring the damage there. Our staff is on high alert and prepared to respond- especially in Southeast Asia where islands and countries are highly vulnerable. World Relief is standing with our brothers and sisters and our prayers are with those in the path of this devastation.

We will continue to post updates as these events unfold.

As a church, if you are interested in taking a special offering on Sunday for this disaster, please visit worldrelief.org to learn more and donate to our Japan tsunami relief efforts.

Sam Wolgemuth, CEO World Relief

Thanks from Jonni

The latest report is that my visa has been approved in Brazil and there are just a few i's to dot and t's to cross, but within days I should have my visa! In celebration I felt a snow angel was appropriate!

Thank you so much for your prayers. God has blessed me so much in this time of waiting -      reminding me of what is important! Recently I was in my car expressing a bit of my frustration in prayer and I told God that I felt like I didn't have any control of my own life. He said "exactly". Paul's words in Colossians 3:3 came to mind "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." - it isn't my life and I'm not suppose to have the control anyway! It hasn't been my easiest lesson in the last six months but it might be the best!
Bless you,
Jonni