Engage Magazine from The Nazarene Mission International of The Global Church of the Nazarene in Lenexa, Kansas, United States - Issue No. 117 for Wednesday, 16 November 2016

Engage Magazine from The Nazarene Mission International of The Global Church of the Nazarene in Lenexa, Kansas, United States - Issue No. 117 for Wednesday, 16 November 2016
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Cuando Dios tiene un plan diferente by Richard Gammill
OSSIAN, INDIANA -- Cuando Steve Jones sintió que Dios lo llamaba al ministerio de tiempo completo, dejando su carrera de maquinista, él asumió que se convertiría en pastor de alguna iglesia. Pero Dios tenía otra cosa en mente.
Antes de que le entregara su vida a Dios a los 30 años de edad, Jones había buscado placer en la música rock, saltando de bar en bar y bebiendo alcohol en exceso. Todo eso cambió cuando Jesús entró en su corazón y le dio un propósito más grandioso para su vida.
Años más tarde, cuando sintió que Dios lo llamaba al ministerio, él tuvo dudas acerca de sí mismo. Él era un maquinista; ¿qué sabía él acerca del ministerio profesional? Él enseñaba una clase de escuela dominical para adultos mayores y ministraba en casas de cuidado, pero sentía que Dios lo llamaba a hacer algo más. Él le habló a su pastor acerca de su llamado y en 2003, la iglesia le otorgó una licencia de predicador local.
Jones se inscribió en la escuela de ministerio del distrito noreste de Indiana (EE. UU.) y allí comenzó sus estudios. Durante los siguientes ocho años, él completó 24 cursos mientras que trabajaba tiempo completo. Cuando su esposa sufrió un infarto, él se tomó varios meses de reposo para cuidar de ella, y luego continuó con sus estudios. El objetivo se mantuvo firme: calificar para el ministerio pastoral.
Él completó sus estudios en el otoño de 2011 y recibió su ordenamiento el año siguiente. Recientemente, a los 58 años de edad, Jones envió su currículum a los distritos nazarenos de Ohio e Indiana. Él esperó sin tener respuesta alguna.
Pasaron muchos meses. Jones intentó no cuestionar su llamado y no desanimarse. Entonces se dio una serie de grandes dificultades.
En el trabajo, en enero de 2013, un caño de acero cayó sobre su cabeza. Un primer examen médico no reveló nada alarmante, pero una semana más tarde él comenzó a experimentar maeros y náuseas. Un examen más minucioso reveló una concusión y diabetes. Así que él comenzó un tratamiento de insulina, cambió su dieta y se retiró del trabajo por ocho semanas. Perdió 20 kilos y al poco tiempo su doctor dijo que ya no necesitaría medicamentos para la presión, ni insulina. Al sentirse saludable una vez más, él se dedicó a enviar otra tanda de currículums. Aún así, siguió sin tener respuesta.
Durante un retiro de adultos mayores en 2013, él le preguntó al superintendente general, “¿Cómo puedo encontrar una iglesia para pastorear?”
El superintendente respondió, “Desafortunadamente, el tener capacitación y ordenamiento no garantiza que seas llamado a una iglesia.”
Un mes más tarde, él sufrió un infarto y el doctor encontró un coágulo de sangre en su cerebro, aparentemente resultado de su antigua herida. Eso significó otras ocho semanas de reposo.
Luego de que Jones se recuperara, él se detuvo en una escuela intermedia para ver la práctica del equipo femenino de softbol. Él se presentó ante el entrenador Herb Bergman. Luego de conversar un rato, el entrenador le dijo, “¿Te gustaría venir a orar con el equipo antes de su juego?”
En ese momento, Jones encontró su ministerio. O mejor dicho, su ministerio lo encontró a él.
Jones comenzó a reunirse con el equipo no sólo para orar, sino para tener devociones.
Animado por la respuesta del equipo, Jones ofreció sus servicios a los equipos de otras escuelas. Cautelosos debido al posible conflicto de tener a un ministro cristiano involucrado en una escuela solventada por impuestos públicos, inicialmente se negaron. Más tarde, en noviembre, un equipo de básquetbol de niños, así como uno de niñas, lo invitaron a reunirse con ellos. Ahora estaba ministrando a 50 atletas.
En octubre de 2015, él asistió a un banquete de premiación de un equipo de básquetbol de niñas, y el entrenador le preguntó, “¿Podría venir a tener devocionales con mi equipo?” Durante un juego, una mujer se acercó a él con una solicitud: “¿Podría reunirse para orar con mi grupo de porristas?”

En mayo de 2016, un entrenador de fútbol americano invitó a Jones a orar con su equipo en la próxima temporada de juego. En agosto, Jones asistió a un evento de recaudación de fontos y se le pidió que comenzara a reunirse con el equipo de voleibol.
Al ver crecer su ministerio de deportes, Jones, dice, “¿Puede creerlo? Estoy haciendo ministerio pero no tengo que preocuparme por presupuestos de la iglesia, reuniones con la junta, el mantenimiento de un edificio, ni nada de eso. Puedo enfocarme en ser amigo de estos jóvenes e invertir en sus vidas antes de que se gradúen de la secundaria.”
Jones compró su primer teléfono celular para poder estar disponible para cualquier estudiante con dificultades que necesitara alguien con quién hablar. Para ese entonces él estaba ministrando a un equipo de voleibol, uno de fútbol americano, equipos masculinos y femeninos de básquetbol, un grupo de porristas y un equipo de softbol.
Su pastor en la Iglesia del Nazarano de Ossian, Bob Miller, dijo, “Nada se interpone a que Steve ministre a estos jóvenes. Él tiene pasión por esta nueva generación y por alcanzarlos mientras que tiene la oportunidad. Muchos de estos jóvenes no asisten a la iglesia. Steve es un ávido estudiante de la Palabra, y él la comparte con estos jóvenes atletas. Él quiere dejar su marca en sus vidas mientras que puede.”
El entrenador Herb Bergman dijo, “Yo sólo esperaba que él orara con mi equipo de softbol, pero él hace mucho más que eso, ofreciendo devocionales y amistad. Él realmente se preocupa por estos estudiantes. Por ciertos motivos no puedo llamarlo capellán, pero ése es el rol que cumple.”
"Él es un gran modelo de ministerio 'fuera de la caja'. Es genuino en su amor por los jóvenes y estamos muy orgullosos de él", dijo el Dr. David Roland, superintendente del distrito noreste de Indiana.
En enero de este año, el motor de su vehículo dejó de funcionar, forzándolo a comprar uno nuevo. Luego, en octubre, su compañía efectuó una reducción de personal y su trabajo fue eliminado. Ahora se encuentra en busca de un nuevo empleo que no interfiera con su ministerio de deportes. El pastor nazareno de Pleasantville falleció y Jones ahora hace el viaje de 80 kilómetros de ida y vuelta cada domingo para servir como pastor interino.
Steven Jones se preparó para responder al llamado a ministrar. Cuando las oportunidades se presentaron, éstas no fueron lo que él esperaba, pero eran lo que Dios había ordenado. Él encuentra gozo y satisfacción al hacer lo que Dios ha puesto delante de él.Leer más
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When God has a different plan by Richard Gammill

OSSIAN, INDIANA -- When Steve Jones sensed God calling him into full-time ministry from his career as a machinist, he assumed that it would be as pastor of a church. But God had something else in mind.
Before he turned his life over to God at age 30, Jones had sought pleasure in rock music, barhopping and heavy drinking. All that changed when Jesus came into his heart and gave him a greater purpose for living.
Years later, when he felt God calling him into ministry, he had doubts about himself. He was a machinist; what did he know about professional ministry? He taught a Sunday school class of senior adults and ministered in nursing homes, but felt God leading him to do more. He told his pastor about his call and in 2003, the church granted him a local preacher’s license.
Jones enrolled in the Northeast Indiana District School of Ministry and began his studies. Over the next eight years, he completed 24 courses while working full time. When his wife suffered a stroke, he took several months off to care for her, and then resumed his studies. The goal was always before him: to qualify for pastoral ministry.
He completed his studies in the fall of 2011 and was ordained the following year. Now, at age 58, he sent his résumé out to the Nazarene districts in Ohio and Indiana. He waited in vain for a response.
Several months passed by. Jones tried hard not to question his call and keep himself from being discouraged. Then began a series of major setbacks.
At work in January 2013, a steel pipe hit him in the head. An initial medical examination revealed nothing, but a week later, he was overcome with dizziness and vomiting. Further examination indicated a concussion and diabetes. He began insulin treatments, changed his diet, and was off work for eight weeks. He shed 46 pounds of weight. His doctor soon declared that he no longer needed either blood pressure medicine or insulin. Feeling healthy once again, he sent out another round of résumés. Still no response.
At a Prime Time retreat early in 2014, he asked the general superintendent, “How can I get a church to pastor?”
The superintendent responded, “Unfortunately, being trained and ordained does not guarantee that you will receive a call to a church.”
A month later, he suffered a stroke and the doctor found a blood clot on his brain, apparently the result of the head injury. Another eight weeks of rehab.
After Jones got back on his feet, he stopped by the middle school to watch the girls’ softball team practicing. He introduced himself to Coach Herb Bergman. After some conversation, the coach said, “How would you like to come and pray with my team before their game?”
At that moment, Jones found his ministry. Or . . . his ministry found him.
Jones began meeting with the team, not only for prayer but also for times of devotions.

Encouraged by the team’s response, Jones offered his services to other school teams. Cautious about any potential controversy in having a Christian minister involved in a publicly tax-funded school, they initially declined. Then in November, both a boys’ and a girls’ basketball team invited Jones to begin meeting with them. Now he was ministering to some 50 athletes.
In October 2015, he attended an awards banquet for a girls’ basketball team and the coach asked, “Can you come and lead my team in devotions?” During a game, a woman came up to him with a request: “Would you meet for prayer with my cheerleading squad?”
In May 2016, a new football coach invited Jones to pray with his team in the upcoming season. In August, Jones attended a fundraiser and was asked to begin meeting with the volleyball team.
As his sports ministry grows, Jones says, “Can you believe this? I am in ministry but I don’t have to worry about church budgets, meeting with church boards, maintaining a building, or any of that. I can focus on being a friend to these young people and investing in their lives before they graduate from high school.”
Jones bought his first cell phone to make himself always available to any troubled student who needed someone to talk with. By then he was ministering to a volleyball team, football team, boys’ and girls’ basketball teams, a cheerleading squad and the softball team.
His pastor at Ossian Church of the Nazarene, Bob Miller, said, “Nothing gets in the way of Steve’s ministering to these kids. He is passionate about this young generation and reaching them while he has the opportunity. Many of these kids don’t attend church. Steve is an avid student of the Word, and he brings it to these young athletes. He wants to make his mark on them now.”
Coach Herb Bergman said, “I expected him to just pray with my softball team, but he goes beyond that with devotions and friendship. He really cares about all these students. For certain reasons, I can’t call him a chaplain, but that is the role he fills.”
"He is a great model for ministry outside the box. He is genuine in his love for the kids and we are all very proud of him," said Dr. David Roland, Northeast Indiana District superintendent.
In January of this year, the engine in his car blew, forcing him to buy a new one. Then in October, his company downsized and eliminated his job. Now he is looking for new employment that will not interfere with his sports ministry. The Nazarene pastor in Pleasantville passed away and Jones is making the 50 mile round trip each Sunday to serve as interim pastor.
Steven Jones prepared himself to answer the call to ministry. When the opportunities came, they were not what he expected, but they are what God ordained. He finds joy and fulfillment doing what God set before him.
Read More
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Misioneros peruanos en Ecuador traen transformación a una aldea by Shirley Fischer and Gina Pottenger
Cuando Alex tenía 12 años de edad, él dejó su relación con Dios y comenzó a beber alcohol.
Él odiaba a su padre, quien era alcohólico y maltrataba a su madre. Aún así, desde su infancia Alex había comenzado a seguir los pasos de su padre rumbo al alcohol.
Cuando se hizo mayor, Alex estudió para ser chef durante los días de la semana y se dedicó a beber desmedidamente durante los fines de semana. Él pudo dejar a un lado el alcohol luego de que un amigo lo invitara a jugar fútbol semi profesional, de modo que su motivación por mantenerse sobrio fue su ambición por convertirse en un jugador hábil.
Él llegó a su punto quiebre espiritualmente cuando visitó a su familia en la ocasión del 60 aniversario de bodas de sus abuelos. Mientras que visitaba, su madre lo invitó a ir a la iglesia, diciéndole que él estaba llevando una mala vida. El oir esto esto lo hirió profundamente.
Esa misma noche, su tío sufrió un grave accidente. Sacudido por los eventos, Alex fue a una reunión de la iglesia y le entregó su vida a Dios. Rápidamente, Alex comenzó a hacer cambios positivos en su vida, e hizo amigos que lo apoyaban en cuanto a sus nuevas decisiones. Él comenzó a estudiar para ser mecánico electricista y empezó a asistir a la iglesia en forma regular. También le pidió perdón a su padre por su mal relacionamiento.
Un día, mientras que estaba sentado en la iglesia esperando a que otros llegaran para dar comienzo al servicio, Alex le dijo a Dios, “Siento tu Espíritu cada mañana. ¿Qué es lo que quieres de mí?”
Por su mente pasaron tres diferentes accidentes de los que él había podido escapar con vida. Entonces Dios le dijo, “Yo estaba contigo.” Alex preguntó una vez más, “¿Qué es lo que quieres de mí?” La respuesta de Dios fue: “Sírveme.”
Alex decidió asistir a una escuela cristiana. A pesar de que su padre jamás apoyó nada de lo que él hacía, eventualmente él expresó su apoyo en cuanto a la decisión de Alex de recibir educación teológica. El resto de su familia se vio muy contenta.
A los 18 años, Alex conoció a Cynthia, quien era secretaria de la escuela cristiana. Ellos establecieron una buena amistad.
Como hija de pastor, Cynthia siempre se opuso a la idea de ser esposa de un pastor, ya que ella deseaba ser misionera desde temprana edad. Su primer encuentro con misioneros fue al conocer a unos amigos de la familia, quienes tradujeron la Biblia en Quechua, y ella los admiraba grandemente.
A pesar de que sus padres eran cristianos fuertes, ellos intentaron persuadirla de no convertirse en misionera ya que sabían que sería una tarea ardua con poca compensación financiera. Ellos le sugirieron que consiguiera un título, así que se dedicó a estudiar arte. Luego de conseguir su título, ellos continuaron oponiéndose a su ambición por ser misionera, así que se dedicó a enseñar en la escuela durante dos años para luego convertirse en secretaria.
Después de haber conocido a Alex por algún tiempo, Dios cambió su corazón y ella se interesó por un ministerio con la iglesia local. Su amistad se tornó romántica y en el año 2013 ellos se casaron.
Ellos comenzaron su ministerio en la iglesia local donde Alex servía como pastor de líderes y predicaba. Debido a que su inexperiencia lo frustraba, Alex a menudo pensó en renunciar. La seguridad del llamado de Dios fue lo que lo ayudó a perseverar.
Alex comenzó a sentir que Dios lo llamaba a dejar su país natal de Perú y a estudiar en un seminario en Ecuador. A pesar de que completaron todo el papeleo necesario para ser aceptados y para mudarse a Ecuador, el liderazgo de la iglesia no apoyó su deseo de hacerlo. Así fue que ellos esperaron.

Entonces, Mario Paredes, superintendente de distrito, se comunicó con ellos para decirles que estaba en busca de pastores para plantar iglesias en Ecuador. Mientras que ellos oraban en cuanto a esta oportunidad, les llegó una carta del primo de Cynthia. Dentro del sobre había un dinero que su primo dijo era para que pudieran ir a Ecuador. Así fue que sintieron la confirmación de Dios para ir. En pocos días, ellos tomaron el autobús hacia Ecuador.
Paredes describió la estrategia de su distrito, en la cual se asocia con International Compassion Ministry ("ministerio internacional de compasión" en español, o ICM), una organización no gubernamental, para realizar obras de compasión en áreas desprivilegiadas dentro del distrito. A través de estas obras de compasión, las personas aceptan a Cristo y de esta manera se forman iglesias. Paredes quería enviar a Alex y Cynthia a San Miguel, una pequeña aldea en las montañas, para plantar una iglesia. Él les dio los nombres de 200 niños locales que habían sido descalificados para participar en el proyecto de ICM en esa localidad.
Como parte de este proyecto, existe un pequeño personal que sirve alimentos a los niños dos días a la semana y que ofrece clases para apoyar el desarrollo de su vida espiritual, emocional y cognitiva.
Tres viernes al mes se ofrecen clases para padres, en las que se les enseña cómo cuidar de sus hijos, en cuanto a su bienestar, disciplina, y el criar a los niños en un hogar cristiano. También se ofrece educación bíblica. A veces se presentan 140 padres a estas clases, las cuales se llevan a cabo en el patio de un hotel cercano.
Los padres también participan de clases de discipulado los domingos. El grupo ha crecido de 18 a 40 o 50 por semana.

El primer año fue muy difícil, pero la breve experiencia de Cynthia en el ámbito escolar le fue de ayuda. Algunos padres se opusieron al programa por diversas razones, tales como objeciones religiosas o porque le quitaba a los niños tiempo de trabajo en sus casas.
El segundo año pudieron ganarse la confianza del 90 por ciento de los padres y miembros de la comunidad. Alex conoce a casi todos los 400 niños de San Miguel por nombre, y siempre que camina por las calles para hacer mandados, él ora por ellos.

Los niños de San Miguel se enfrentan a grandes obstáculos al crecer. Cuatro por ciento de ellos son víctimas de abuso físico. Alex y Cynthia creen que cerca del 40 por ciento de ellos son abusados emocionalmente. Algunos de ellos reciben poca alimentación en sus casas. El año pasado tres padres de estos niños fallecieron debido a problemas de salud, así que Alex y Cynthia trajeron a un psicólogo profesional para ayudarlos.
Los padres han visto cambios significativos en el comportamiento de sus niños, y han dicho, “¡Mi hijo ha cambiado por completo!” Si bien muchas familias no son cristianas, los niños aprenden a orar en la escuela de ICM, y ellos oran ante sus padres en la noche. Es una gran manera de testificar.
A pesar de que Kevin, de 11 años de edad, es muy grande para calificar para el programa, él a menudo frecuenta la escuela atraído por la presencia de otros niños y las actividades en las que participan. Sin embargo, él solía buscar peleas, usaba mal lenguaje y generalmente causaba problemas. En lugar de tratar de mantener a Kevin alejado, Alex comenzó a pasar tiempo con el niño y a incluirlo en algunos de los juegos y actividades. Gradualmente, el comportamiento de Kevin comenzó a mejorar, y él ha aprendido a pedir perdón cuando se porta mal. Él le dice a sus padres, “El pastor dice que debo hacer esto y que no debo hacer aquello.”
Todos los niños son apadrinados, y ellos les escriben cartas. Cuando Kevin preguntó quién era su padrino, Alex se rió y le dijo, “Yo te apadriné.” Así que Kevin le dice a todos con entusiasmo, “¡El pastor es mi padrino!”
Cuando Jimmy llegó al programa por primera vez, él solía morder a su maestra. Él sufría de problemas de comportamiento porque su madre lo había maltratado antes de que sus padres se separaran. Ahora lo criaban sus abuelos.
En cierta ocasión, a las 11 de la noche, Jimmy llegó a la casa de Alex y Cynthia queriendo jugar. Ellos lo llevaron de regreso a su abuela y le urgieron que cuidara más de cerca al niño. Con el paso del tiempo, el mal comportamiento de Jimmy ha disminuido enormemente y ahora tiene una actitud más recta, deseando hacer lo correcto.
Hace poco tiempo, un equipo de Trabajo y Testimonio de Peoria, Illinois (EE. UU.) vino para ayudar a construir una nueva iglesia. El equipo colocó un techo en el segundo piso de la estructura, trabajó en la instalación eléctrica y colocó bombillas de luz en todos los salones.

A pesar de que Cynthia había abierto su corazón a un ministerio local en lugar de convertirse en misionera, Dios combinó ambos llamados al dirigir a esta pareja a Ecuador.
“Ellos AMAN a los niños y genuinamente se preocupan por ellos y por sus padres,” dijo la misionera Shirley Fischer, quien junto con su esposo llevó el equipo de Trabajo y Testimonio a San Miguel este verano. “La comunidad los ama. Nosotros nos quedamos en un hotel junto con el equipo de trabajo, y los dueños del hotel permiten que Cynthia y Alex lleven a cabo sus clases para padres en su hermoso patio. Ellos son creativos en la manera en que ministran y hacen que el ministerio funcione efectivamente. Por sobre todo, ellos aman al Señor y están comprometidos con su llamado.”Leer más
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Peruvian missionaries to Ecuador bring transformation to a village by Shirley Fischer and Gina Pottenger
When Alex was 12 years old, he walked away from his relationship with God and began drinking.
He hated his father, who was an alcoholic and mistreated his mother. Yet, even as a child Alex was beginning to follow in his father’s footsteps with alcohol.
When he was older, Alex studied to be a chef on the weekdays, followed by drinking away his weekends. He managed to put aside the alcohol when a friend invited him to play semi-professional soccer, and Alex was motivated to be sober by his ambition to be a skilled player.

He reached a spiritual turning point when he visited his family for his grandparents’ 60th wedding anniversary. While home, his mother invited him to church, telling him he was leading a bad life. Her assessment hurt him deeply.
That same night, his uncle was in a bad accident. Shaken by these events, Alex visited a church service and gave his life to God. He quickly made positive changes in his life, and found friends who were supportive of his new decisions. He began to study to be an electric mechanic and attended church regularly. He also asked his father’s forgiveness for his part in their poor relationship.
One day, while sitting in church waiting for others to arrive and begin the service, Alex told God, “I feel your Spirit every morning. What do you want of me?”
Memories flashed through his mind of three different accidents he’d walked away from. God then said, “I was with you.” Alex asked again, “What do you want of me?” God’s answer: “Serve me.”
Alex decided to attend a Christian school. Although his father had never supported anything he did, eventually his father gave his approval to Alex’s theological education. And the rest of his family was very pleased.
At the age of 18, Alex met Cynthia, who was secretary at the Christian school. They established a good friendship.
A pastor’s kid herself, Cynthia had always been opposed to the idea of being a pastor’s wife, because she dreamed of being a missionary from a young age. Her first encounter with missionaries were family friends who translated the Bible in Quechua, and she admired them greatly.
Even though her parents were strong Christians, they tried to discourage her interest in a future as a missionary because they knew it would be hard work with little financial compensation. They counseled her to get a degree, so she studied art. After earning her degree, they still opposed her ambition toward missions, so she taught school for two years, then became secretary at the school.
After she’d known Alex for some time, God changed her heart toward local church ministry. Their friendship became romantic, and in 2013 they were married.
They began their ministry in the local church, where Alex served as the youth pastor and preached. Because inexperience undermined his confidence, often he wanted to give up. The assurance of God’s call kept him going.
Alex began to sense God leading him to leave their native Peru and study at a seminary in Ecuador. Although they filed all the appropriate paperwork to be accepted and move to Ecuador, the church leadership did not support their desire to move. So they waited.

Then, Mario Paredes, a district superintendent, contacted them saying he was looking for pastors to plant churches in Ecuador. While they prayed about this opportunity, a letter came in the mail from Cynthia’s cousin. Inside was money that her cousin said was so they could go to Ecuador. They felt this confirmed God’s leading to go. Within days they boarded a bus for Ecuador.
Paredes described his district’s strategy, in which it partners with International Compassion Ministry (ICM), a non-governmental organization, to start compassionate works in disadvantaged areas in the district. Through these compassionate works, people accept Christ and thus churches form. Paredes wanted to send Alex and Cynthia to San Miguel, a small village in the mountains, to plant a church. He gave them the names of 200 local children who had been qualified to participate in the ICM project there.
As part of this project, a small staff serve the children meals on two days a week, and provide classes in which their spiritual life, emotional, social and cognitive development are supported.
On three Fridays a month, there are also classes for the parents which teach them how to care for their children, from well-being to discipline and raising children in a Christian home. There is some Bible teaching, also. Sometimes as many as 140 parents show up for the classes, which are held on the patio of a nearby hotel.

The parents also participate in discipleship classes on Sundays. The group has grown from 18 to 40 or 50 each week.
The first year was very difficult, but Cynthia’s brief experience with school teaching helped. Some parents opposed the program for a variety of reasons, such as religious objections or because it took their children away from housework.

By the second year, they had won the confidence of 90 percent of the parents and community members. Alex knows nearly all 400 children of San Miguel by name, and whenever he walks through the village to run errands, he prays for them.
The children of San Miguel face huge obstacles as they grow up. Four percent are physically abused. Alex and Cynthia believe that as many as 40 percent are emotionally abused. Some are undernourished at home. This past year, three of the children’s fathers died of health problems, so Alex and Cynthia brought in a professional psychologist to help them.
The parents have noticed the significant behavioral improvements in their children, saying, “My child has completely changed!” While many families are not Christian, the children are taught to pray at the ICM school, and they pray in front of their parents at night – a great witness.
Although Kevin, at the age of 11, is too old to qualify for the program, he often hung around the school, attracted by the presence of other children and the activities they were doing. However, he tended to pick fights, use bad language and generally cause problems. Rather than try to keep Kevin away, Alex began to spend time with the boy and include him in some of the games and activities. Gradually, Kevin’s behavior has improved and he has learned how to ask forgiveness when he misbehaves. He tells his parents, “The pastor says I need to do this, and shouldn’t do that.”
The children all have sponsors and write letters to them. When Kevin asked who his sponsor is, Alex laughed and said, “I’m your sponsor.” So Kevin excitedly tells everyone, “The pastor is my sponsor!”
When Jimmy first came to the program, he would bite his teacher. He suffered behavioral problems because his mother had mistreated him before his parents separated. Now he is being raised by his grandparents.
Once, at 11 p.m. Jimmy came to Alex and Cynthia’s house to play. They returned him to his grandmother and urged her to keep a better watch on the boy. Over time, his misbehavior has greatly diminished and he now has an attitude of wanting to do what is right.

Recently a Work & Witness team from Peoria, Illinois, USA, came to help build the new church. The team put a roof on the second story structure, worked on the electricity and put in lightbulbs in all the classrooms.
Although Cynthia had opened her heart to local ministry rather than being a missionary, God combined both her callings when He led the couple to Ecuador.
“They LOVE the children and genuinely care about them and the parents,” said missionary Shirley Fischer, who along with her husband brought the Work & Witness team to San Miguel this summer. “The community loves them. We stayed at a hotel when we had the work group there and the hotel owners are allowing Cynthia and Alex to have the parent classes on their beautiful patio in their hotel. They are creative in the ways they minister and help to make the ministry run effectively. More than anything they love the Lord and are committed to their calling.”Read More
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'More Indian than American'  by Eurasia Region Communications
Having moved to India at the age of 3, the child of American missionaries to India, Rev. John Anderson grew up there, and eventually gave his life and ministry to India as a Nazarene missionary, as well. This summer he passed away at the age of 83 with his family near him, along with close friends Sunil and Sarah Dandge. He mentored and discipled Sunil from his childhood. Today, Sunil is the strategy coordinator for Nazarene work across India.
A number of today's Nazarene leaders in India were deeply influenced by the love and personal investment into their lives by Anderson. They pay tribute to his personal sacrifices and love for the Indian people and culture which led him and his wife Doris to pioneer Nazarene work in Delhi and Calcutta that lives on today. Read several tributes below.
June 24, 1989. 11:30 p.m. New Delhi railway station. Very noisy. Very hot and humid. My train was 15 hours late. I reached my destination after a 45-hour journey, tired, hungry and very worried. Worried, because at this hour I had no place to go.
As I looked out of the train compartment, I saw amongst a sea of hundreds of brown faces, a white face with a broad smile, waving at me!

God’s angel? Yes!!
My tiredness disappeared… no more worry!!
Yes, it was John Anderson, waiting to pick me up. That day my long association and friendship with John and Doris Anderson began.
I had gone to New Delhi for my Masters in Public Health. During my two years in Delhi, I would spend every weekend at their home and every Saturday evening we would sit on their lawns discussing almost everything possible on this earth. I gradually realized that I was being spiritually mentored to play a role of leadership at a later stage.
I would address him as Bhai (a respectful term for big brother in Hindi).
He always emphasized the importance of being obedient to the Word of God. He had been exemplary by his “servant leader” lifestyle and had a great role in my life and my career by being a great role model.
I pay tribute to a great man of God, who always will be fondly remembered for his ‘Indian-ness,’ his love for India, his humility, his dedication and, most of all, his faith in the Living God.[Dr. Arun Noah]

To begin with, I have a great respect for early missionaries who reached out to the people with the good news of Jesus Christ and brought many to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. My dad and mom came to the Lord due to Rev. Anderson’s parents’ ministry.
My father was a Nazarene preacher and as a child I knew Rev. John Anderson’s parents, who were missionaries. The late Rev. John Anderson came into my life when I was studying in the college in Aurangabad. He was then stationed in Washim and was an advisor to the district. Then it was called NYPS. I was District NYPS Vice President and used to go to Washim whenever there used to be the meeting of the NYPS District Council. Though there was not much interaction with him, his simplicity impressed me. His wife, being a good host, often used to cook meals for us after the meeting.
I never knew that I would be in the ministry after I finished my master’s degree in Commerce. After working for a central government project for few months, I took up a job in the hotel industry and started working for a five-star hotel in Aurangabad. Whenever Rev. Anderson would come to Aurangabad, he would visit me in this hotel, bringing some international visitors. During my work with the hotel, he directly and indirectly kept influencing my life.
While working for this hotel, the Lord started working in my life and I gave my life to the Lord and, after a few months, I felt the Lord’s calling on my heart. I resigned my job and the Lord opened the doors for me to attend seminary. Rev.Anderson was one of the missionaries whose initial encounters encouraged me to seek the Lord’s direction in my life.
When the national and international leaders started focusing on going to cities, Rev. Anderson was sent to Delhi. He was the pioneer missionary to start our church-planting ministry in and around Delhi city. After developing Indian leadership, he handed the work over to Indian leadership.
I finished my seminary training and was called to be a pastor of our church in Mumbai in April 1979. When I became district superintendent of Western Maharashtra District in 1990, he wanted to come to Mumbai to help me in the ministry. He made frequent trips to Mumbai, staying with us a good number of times.
The mission leaders asked him to move to Kolkata. Though his heart was very much for Mumbai, he respected the leaders’ direction and went to Kolkata. Meantime he became very close to me, encouraging me in the district leadership. He indirectly was mentoring me in my initial period of district superintendentship. He was an encourager for me and often would introduce me as his Timothy to others. He was more Indian then American, living a very simple missionary life and won the hearts of many Indians.
His willingness to take advice from his subordinate impacted my life.
I am so thankful to the Lord for Rev. Anderson’s role in my life.[Diwakar Wankhhede]
John Anderson, a long-time Nazarene missionary to India, was noted for his ability to identify closely with Indian culture. Many said he was far more Indian than American.
John was 3 years old when his parents, John and Mary Anderson, who served long years in India, arrived there in the 1930s. He grew up there, and attended Woodstock, the well-known expatriate school in the Himalaya mountains. His facility with language, his childhood experiences of growing up in India, his deliberate intentionality of making India the focus of his life’s ministry, were all part of what made up the soul of John Anderson.

In terms of career, John and his wife Doris were noted for their old-fashioned pioneering work of planting the church in north India, operating from the capitol city of Delhi. It is impossible to overstate or exaggerate how difficult this task was. He networked with government and business persons, started a church, began and pastored the international church (in this case with the target expatriates including several US Embassy personnel), etc. He began the district structure and trained leaders.
Later, the Andersons left Delhi and moved to Calcutta, replicating much of what they had done in Delhi, digging out the work under impossible conditions. Part of this was the employment of Sunil and Sarah Dandge who are now leaders for the work of India.
It is really difficult to overestimate the contribution of John and Doris to what we have now in central, northern, and eastern India.
John and Doris are examples of missionaries who received very little public recognition, serving many years under difficult circumstances.[Dr. Franklin Cook, Eurasia regional director emeritus]Read More
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Rolling toward hope: Wheelchair ministry in Tonga changes lives by Carol Anne Eby
One-hundred and 15 wheelchairs recently rolled off a ship at the Island of Tonga, changing lives for disabled people across the island, thanks to a partnership between numerous groups initiated by a Nazarene mission leader in Alabama, U.S.
Fred Faith, former president of Nazarene Missions International (NMI) for the Alabama North District, visited Tonga to help layman Donald Hunter in building a missionary house there. During the trip he met with Nazarene missionaries In-kwon Kim and his wife Jeong-Seok Kim, directors of The Mango Tree Centre, which provides rehabilitative therapy, vocational and social training, and spiritual formation to help not only the disabled but their families in Tonga.
In many South Pacific Island cultures, disabilities are traditionally viewed as punishment from God. Additionally because of rampant diabetes, many have lost their legs. Founded in 2005 after more than 11 years of service to the disabled of Tonga by retired Nazarene missionaries Duncan “Doc” and Charmayne Old, today The Mango Tree Centre brings together physical therapists, doctors and other workers to serve the precious people who have been pushed to the fringes of society and burdened with undeserved shame. The Kims became directors in 2007.
“The ministry touched me [deeply] and the Kims’ dedication to serve these people challenged me to do more,” Faith said.
Rev. Kim told Faith about the need for more wheelchairs for disabled people on the island, and Fred returned home to share the need with current district NMI president Casey Faulkner and her leadership team. They began praying.
Faith and Rev. Kim started communicating with Joni and Friends, the Christian ministry of Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic who is an international advocate for people with disabilities. Once the organization received the application and saw the need, they were happy to partner with the Church of the Nazarene Mango Tree Center. The chairs were used but refurbished like new through an educational program at the Stafford Correction Center in Aberdeen, Washington.
“The inmates were very helpful and thankful to be a part of helping others,” said Faith.
The chairs were each packaged with a Bible. So raising the funds required to ship them became a top priority. The district wanted to raise funds to keep Hunter in Tonga to complete the construction of the missionary home, as well as raise funds to ship the chairs. God provided in various ways. While Hunter was building in Tonga, volunteers were also remodeling a home for a disabled child locally. The Alabama North District Assembly received offerings, and a corporate friend of Fred’s matched the offering received. There was enough to complete both projects and some to add to the shipping fund.
Alabama children also contributed by selling candy and holding other fundraisers to ship the chairs. The port for shipping the chairs was only 20 miles from the Stafford Correctional facility. Additionally, when the shipping company learned what the shipment was for and who it would help, they sent Faith a check for $250 to help.
When the shipment of 115 chairs arrived in Tonga, the Kims donated 50 of them for adult patients at the Vaiola Hospital, relieving a shortage there. They will continue distributing the wheelchairs to those in need throughout the year, with a portion given to people during the Special Wheelchair week in 2017.
“I believe that whenever wheelchairs are given to the disabled, the love of Jesus is shown and the Good News is spread,” Rev. Kim said.
Maneo and Misa are living testimonies of this. Maneo lost both his legs a tragic factory accident. He did not lose hope though, and from his wheelchair he began taking computer classes at the Centre. He is now employed at one of the leading network providers in Tonga and is a man of faith.
Misa, a pastor, came to the Centre only a few days ago and requested a chair for an elderly man she was caring for who was homeless and couldn’t walk. She submitted a photo, and by measuring the man’s body size through the photo, they were able to send him a chair. Misa cried tears of joy. Pastor Kim said this was made possible thanks to the donations from Wheels for the World, the fundraising from children in Alabama and the Church of the Nazarene in America. All of this was possible because Jesus tells us to love one another.
So many pieces came together for God’s plan of hope to go rolling on. SangAmDong Church in Korea sent a team to build a wheelchair workshop building. An anonymous Nazarene from the region donated funds to purchase a wheelchair van.
Specialists have come from New Zealand and Australia to help fit people to their chairs. The Korean government provided support to construct a building for teaching Braille classes. The Japanese government also made it possible to construct a therapy building.
Ongoing needs include additional physical therapists to join the staff, and sufficient, ongoing financial support. And, of course, prayer that God will enable Mango Tree Centre to continue to serve those who are living in darkness and bring them to the light of hope.Read More
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The day the refugees fed me by Chris Lewis
K* and his family arrived at the Bregana border crossing between Croatia and Slovenia not long after the last refugees were allowed through the border. After this the refugees would be going a different route and no longer going through Slovenia at least for the moment. Thousands had gone through, but now this group of 28 relatives were stuck there alone in the hot no-man's land between two countries.
When K and his family arrived they were told they were not going to be allowed across the border. They were very upset. Several of the women were crying, and the men were angry because they said they had been promised they could go through Slovenia. One of them said to me, "We've been told so many lies. We don't know what to believe anymore." They decided to just wait at the border hoping the police would change their minds and let them cross.
I didn't know what else to do but to wait with them. Once they had gotten over the shock of being denied entry somewhere once again, I discovered them to be a very friendly group of people. A lot of them spoke English, so we were able to have great conversations.
The group included men, women and children. In spite of a lot of media that tries to paint a different picture, this is the reality we often see on the ground. A lot of families are fleeing the terrors of war in search of freedom and safety.

I asked this group several times if they needed anything. "Do you need some water...food?" Every time I asked they said they didn't need anything. They had enough for now. I asked one of the men, Jamil, "Do you need anything at all?" He replied, "I just want a home."
At one point I just sat down with them to talk, listen and laugh as they joked and made the best of their difficult situation. I held one of their babies, a beautiful child, and then they started getting food out of their bags.
It wasn't a fancy lunch, mostly just apples and bananas. But they handed me an equal portion with the rest of them and asked me to join them.
For one quiet moment in no-man's land I was reminded of a universal truth. We are all people, and we all need to be loved. The world focuses upon our differences, but we really aren't that different. And in case you are wondering what was so special about eating together, these new friends come from a culture where eating together is an ultimate sign of acceptance and equality.
Jesus lived in a culture that shared this same value, and He did a lot of his greatest ministry while eating with people. It's at the table (or in this case, sitting on a hot curb) that we recognize our common humanity, as well as our common needs.
I've fed a lot of refugees, but on the day they fed me I was humbled. After about five hours the police finally let them cross the border, but for that short while time stopped and reminded me that we are all just people who share the common need of love, fellowship and a Savior.
When asked how we can pray for the hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing across Europe, I often say this: pray that they will be treated like people.

I've often seen them treated like criminals, surrounded by police and armies with guns. I've also seen them treated like cattle, with people herding them into vehicles like cows or throwing them food at them with no sense of dignity remaining to them. A lot of people also sit around and discuss them from the comfort of their homes as a political problem. But what they often miss out on is the truly human touch.
These are people who need Jesus. A lot of them are disillusioned, running away from a militant version of their religion and are ripe for the Gospel. Others are Christian brothers and sisters who need our love, prayers and support.

I heard from K a few days later after he and his family had made it safely to Sweden. He is an artist, and he shared with me the last piece of art he created before he left Syria. He called it “The Departed.”
When he showed me the pictures of this piece of artwork, I noticed especially the broken faces. I told him I had a good idea what they represented. He replied by saying that the faces were broken because he knows that after the immigration and all the separated families, “Nobody stays whole.”
K chooses to remain anonymous, but he gave me permission to share his artwork with you on behalf of hundreds of thousands of broken people who are without a home and seeking a place of safety. Looking at these broken faces reminds me of the thousands of broken lives I see day after day. They are real people who need to be loved, and their only chance of being whole again is Jesus.
In our first conversation after he arrived in a safe place, K repeated to me what he and others said that day on the border, "Thank you so much for everything you have done for us. It means so much."
Now I know that this "thank you" is not just meant for me. It's meant for everyone who is giving of their time, money or energy to help them. Have I seen some bad attitudes of the type the media often tries to tell us is the norm? Yes, I have seen it in a few people. But from most of the people I just find gratitude.
*Name changed for security reasons
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