VOICE
January/February 1998
Missionary Memoirs
An Adopt-a-Church Oddity
Rev. Chip Birch Rev. Chip Birch
Behind the Tapestry
Rev. Chris Bauer Rev. Chris Bauer
From the Jaws of the Lions
David J. Brown David J. Brown
Is God Interested in Missions Today?
Dr. Alan Davis Dr. Alan Davis
Missionary Moments in Mexico
Rev. and Mrs. Martin Fuller Rev. and Mrs. Martin Fuller
MISSIONS IS NOT AN ADD ON!
Dr. Richard Gregory
". . . Come over to Macedonia and help us!"
Rev. Ronald Klein Rev. Ronald Klein
"A Voice from Hell"
Dr. Gregory J. Miller Dr. Gregory J. Miller
The Word of God Versus Ancestral Worship
Rev. Howard Pearman
Missions--Cost or Privilege?
Rev. Bruce Porterfield Rev. Bruce Porterfield
Mountain Treasures
Rev. Don Schroder Rev. Don Schroder
FEATURES
CHAPLAIN DIARY
MISSIONARIES IN UNIFORM
MISSIONARIES IN UNIFORM
CH (MAJ) Marshall Peterson
WOMEN'S VOICE
Hope Beyond the Casket
Mrs. Sharon Gregory
An Adopt-a-Church Oddity
Rev. Chip Birch
"How do you select a church for the Adopt-a-Church program? Would our church buy into the idea?
What basis would you use to adopt a church planter and his church from over seventy other candidates?"
These were some of the thoughts going through my mind just moments before we were to pick our
"sister" church at the annual convention in New York. I looked around at the options placarding the
auditorium walls, groping for direction from the Lord. The thought came to me, "Children! Look for a
church extension pastor having lots of kids. We have a number of large families in our church, surely we
would open our hearts to them!"
Directly across from our seats was the picture of a pastor and his wife surrounded by--no, make that
engulfed by children! Next to the family portrait was a photo of a log constructed church. This had to be
the one for us! I quickly grabbed the description off the wall and joyfully penned in our commitment,
confident of the Lord's leading in the matter.
Without looking further through the information sheet, I handed it over to our staff and family attending
the convention. Moments later, they came back with astonished looks on their faces.
"Did you see where this church is located?", they asked.
"No, I didn't", I replied.
"Take a look and see for yourself", they retorted.
Shocked at what they had discovered, I exclaimed, "I don't believe it! Ekalaka, Montana!"
You may wonder why this was such a surprise, especially if you look on your map to locate this town in
the eastern part of the state. What connection could possibly exist between them and a church is south
Florida?
Six years ago, Buck, a teenager from our church, spent his summer as a counselor at the Trails End
youth camp in Montana. While counseling that summer, he met a lovely, committed Christian girl and
after a long distance courtship were married in her home church. They returned to Florida to live and
farm with his family in Homestead. On July 4, 1992 the newlyweds were returning home from an
evening with our associate pastor's family, when a sixteen-year-old boy ran a stop sign and broad-sided
their car at a high rate of speed. Shawna, married only for two months, died as a result of her injuries
and Buck was left comatose for months before regaining consciousness. After years of therapy, he
remains confined to a wheel chair and has regained only a part of his communicative abilities.
Tragedy brought two church communities in touch with each other. As you may have already guessed,
Shawna was from Ekalaka, Montana. Her home church was the First Baptist Church of Ekalaka,
currently pastored by IFCA International church extension pastor Steve DeFord and happens to be the
church we selected.
Our congregation was as surprised as I was concerning this 'coincidence'. We presented the Adopt-aChurch skit to our congregation, sharing the opportunity we could enter into. Our folks were delighted to
make our commitment:
1. to pray regularly for their church and church planter
2. to communicate regularly with the church planter
3. to seek to help with needed projects
4. to seek to encourage the church in every way possible
5. to assist with financial needs as God provides
Our decision to unite in the fellowship of ministry is slowly knitting a bond between us. The 'Live
Wires', our over 40s fellowship group, chose to adopt Pastor DeFord's family for Christmas, providing
special gifts for each of their ten children! Individuals have donated money for the church and we pray
weekly for their ministry, using fresh information from E-mail or phone conversations to up-date our
prayer list. We are also learning our relationship is a two-way street! Our 'sister' body of believers is just
as eager to minister to us in whatever way they can, beginning with our most coveted need- prayer!
Together, we look forward to God working in us and we praise Him for orchestrating the Adopt-aChurch program which helped in bringing us together again, this time turning tragedy into triumph.
'The rest of the story', well- it is yet to come!
Pastor Chip Birch is the Senior Pastor of Southwest Community Church in Miami, Florida. He also
serves on the Executive Committee of IFCA International.
Behind the Tapestry
Rev. Chris Bauer
On a recent visit to Rome, I toured the Vatican Museum. It contains many well known and beautiful
pieces of art from magnificent tapestries to the spectacular paintings of Michelangelo on the ceiling of
the Sistine Chapel. The tapestries depict various biblical scenes. These pictures were beautifully woven
from multi-colored threads. But, if you were to turn the tapestry over, you would only see a maze of
various colored threads running to a dead end of knots at different junctures. It is very difficult to make
out the scenes that were woven by the artist.
When tragedy occurs I often think of a tapestry. It helps me get perspective at those difficult times. We
might see the tapestry as our lives and the artist as God. As He weaves the events of our lives He has the
final scene in view, a beautiful likeness to Christ (Rom. 8:28, 29). But as events unfold in our lives we
see as it were the back of the tapestry. Threads running everywhere and nothing but dead ends of knots.
It makes no sense to us. I believe this may be what Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Corinthians,
"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know
fully..." (1 Cor. 13:12 NASB).
On the evening of July the fifteenth of this past year I received a very distressing phone call. It was one
of the coordinators of a ministry that we have run during the past three summers. This ministry provides
host families for children who are brought over from Belarus for a respite each summer from the
radiation effects of the Chernobyl disaster of several years ago. In addition to the housing and family life
provided, we also run a Sunday school program for them in Russian using Russian language Bibles and
literature provided so graciously by Slavic Gospel Association.
The tragic news shared with me that night was that one of the children, a 12-year-old girl, had an
unfortunate accident resulting in her death. There I was that difficult night staring at the backside of the
tapestry, nothing but threads and knots, making no sense at all to me. The next day began a one week
blur of phone calls, meetings, and conferences with city, county, federal and Belarussian government
officials; insurance companies; ministry coordinators; Belarussian project coordinators; newspaper
reporters; and Slavic Gospel Association officials. All of this in an effort to respond as quickly and as
compassionately as we could to the grieving parents and family of the little girl. Our number one priority
was to return her home as soon as possible and to radiate the love of Christ to all concerned in the
process (Matt. 5:14-16; Phil. 2:15,16).
I left eight days later with a translator for Minsk, Belarus to accompany the child's body back home.
After a day of travel and another day of waiting for her body to arrive we headed for her hometown
which was 5 hours by bus from Minsk. We arrived about six-thirty in the morning and were met at the
outskirts of the town by her father, an uncle and some friends of the family. The most difficult part of
the trip had now arrived. She was returned to her parents. But at the same time it was relieving to finally
reunite them, though under such tragic circumstances. I returned home two days later.
Flying home I began to reflect on all of the events of those past two weeks. I traced the hand of the Lord
throughout them. There were so many wheels that needed to turn, each one meshing with the others to
expedite her return home. As we prayed the Lord answered daily as He oiled and set in motion each
wheel. There were many needs to be met. I needed a translator--God provided one through a SGA
contact in San Francisco. We needed a contact in Belarus-God provided through a contact I had made
the previous month at the IFCA International Convention in New York. We were uncertain of the
reception we would receive in Belarus-God provided a gracious, warm, and cordial welcome there. We
desired to communicate through our actions a Christlikeness-the Belarussian people were overwhelmed
by the fact that we would take the time and pay the cost of personally accompanying the little girl's body
back to her homeland.
But the question still remained-Why? When a tragedy like this happens we desperately need divine
perspective. The thing I have learned over the years as a pastor and just through my own personal
experiences, is that we usually don't receive an answer to that question. We must just trust the Lord. We
must remember who He is and that who He is governs what He does and what He permits. As the lyric
of a recent Christian song says, "When you can't trace His hand, just trust His heart."
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans a verse frequently quoted at times like those. "All things work
together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose" (8:28 NASB). Out of
the rubble of this tragedy the Lord has brought forth an opportunity that can have eternal value. Shortly
after the accident we began to think of different ways we could memorialize the little girl in her
hometown, viewing this too as another way to impress her family and the people of her hometown with
the Lord Jesus.
While visiting with my Belarussian friend, before leaving for home, he issued a tremendous challenge.
Why not memorialize the little girl by planting a church in her hometown? He is the vice-president of a
Christian organization in Minsk. His organization trains pastors and plants churches throughout Belarus.
While there he showed me several of them in Minsk. The Lord is doing a great work amongst these
people who for some 70 years were hindered from hearing the Gospel. He informed me there was no
Bible preaching church in her community, a town of about 6,000 people.
Their strategy has been to buy a home in the town which then prescribes the pastor to the community.
This in turn prevents the government officials from removing him because of his preaching. The house
serves as his home and as the church. My friend shared with me the approximate costs of the monthly
support for a pastor and the cost of a home. I returned to my church with great excitement about this
project. This very sad incident had suddenly opened a door of opportunity for the Good News in a
Gospel starved area. I thought of that verse in Revelation 3:8 which says, "I have put before you an open
door which no one can shut...."
Shortly after my return I gave a report of my journey of mercy and shared the challenge of raising the
funds necessary for planting a church in that town. We received a love offering for the project a few
weeks later and were overwhelmed by the generous giving of God's people. The total was in excess of
$25,000, enough to purchase a home and support the pastor for three years. Paul says of the Lord that He
"is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think..." (Eph. 3:20 NASB).
Since then the Lord has continued to be at work. The organization in Belarus has found a pastor to send
to the town. The funds have been forwarded and are on their way by courier to Belarus. Lord willing,
souls will be won to Christ, they will be nurtured in the Word and a church will be planted. Light will
shine where darkness has prevailed for so many years. I can't think of a better memorial to this little
girl's memory than souls won to Christ, trophies of grace for time and eternity. Out of tragedy has come
triumph in God's economy. "To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations
forever and ever. Amen" (Eph. 3:21 NASB).
Rev. Chris Bauer is the pastor of Santa Rosa Bible Church in Santa Rosa, California and serves on
the Board of Biblical Ministries Worldwide. He and his wife, Lorri have three children.
From the Jaws of the Lions
David J. Brown
"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the
day of Jesus Christ"(Phil.1:6 ).
The words of this familiar verse from Paul's letter to the Philippians rolled off the tongue of Peter
Engelbrecht in a new and fresh way as he started to preach his first message in a series on Philippians.
The congregation of Sandton Bible Church, a young, growing church north of Johannesburg, South
Africa, listened supportively. But to those who knew this student-pastor well, the words rang with a
special blessing. Peter and his family were modern miracles of God's overcoming and continuing grace.
Only four years ago, Peter was an excessive drinker and smoked marijuana on occasion. He was the
penultimate party animal. Although he was reared by loving parents in a stable home in the 1960s, Peter
emerged from his teens as an unchurched, self-oriented and restless fun seeker racing about the streets of
his hometown in Zimbabwe with the wild crowd.
His perpetual party was interrupted by two automobile accidents; one in which he was thrown through
the front windshield, and the second through the back windshield. From both accidents he walked away
with minor scars and an unchanged heart.
Months later, a friend pointed a semi-automatic rifle at Peter and, thinking it was empty, pulled the
trigger blowing a hole in the bedroom wall beside Peter's head and showering wallpaper down around
him like snow. Peter counted himself "lucky." Still, no change of heart.
An accident in 1982 catapulted Peter off his motorcycle, 100 feet through the air and onto the pavement.
He broke his arm and leg and suffered twenty fractures to his jaw and skull. He was many months in the
hospital. Still, no change of heart.
In 1986, Peter met Dawn, a girl with 22 earrings in each ear who was emerging from the punk rock
culture in England. They were married in 1988, and in 1990, they were blessed with a baby girl whom
they named Emma.
The marriage was difficult. Peter was happy to finally have someone to cook, clean up, and do the wash,
but he remained "one of the boys" who went to the pub each night after work, played cricket and partied
with his friends on weekends. Peter loved his family. . . when he could fit in the time. In 1992, Toni,
their second girl was born.
In April, 1993, Peter, Dawn and the two girls went up to Zimbabwe to visit a friend's lion breeding farm.
The lions were raised to be sold to wildlife preserves and zoos. Two lionesses, several cubs and a large
male lion were in one of the fenced enclosures. The sturdy fence was over ten feet tall, but the wire
mesh was wide enough for them to put their hands through and scratch a particularly affectionate
lioness. They stood by the fence talking with friends. Then came God's wake up call.
Emma, then age 3, was on Dawn's back and somehow got her right leg with a little red sneaker through
the mesh in the fence. One of the lionesses nuzzled, and then bit into little Emma's leg and started
pulling. The child screamed out in pain. Peter and Dawn spun around in panic. The lioness wouldn't let
go. She was pulling and clamping further and further up Emma's leg.
Dawn started screaming hysterically. They hit the lioness, poked her eyes, did anything they could to
distract her, but she wouldn't let go. The other lioness bit Dawn's hands, but despite the blood and pain,
she continued to hit them.
There was only one thing left to do. Peter sprung up the fence, over the top and down into the enclosure
beside the lionesses. The large male lion on the rock across the way rose to his feet and began to eye the
intruder in his domain. Peter was focused on Emma's leg. He grabbed the upper and lower jaws of the
lioness's mouth and pulled with all his might. Emma came free. They pulled Emma's leg back through
the fence and rushed her to the car.
Peter now turned around with his back to the fence and came face to face with two snarling lionesses
bereft of their prize. Peter was in an adrenaline rush, and rather than flee, he stood there and stared them
down. He knew that he would die, but he committed to give them the best fight he could. Their heads
twisted, and they snarled. He could smell their breath, and he started to snarl and roar back at them
mimicking their noises.
The male lion now began to move in on Peter. Dawn saw him coming and screamed for Peter to get out.
She was afraid to tell him of the approaching male fearing that he would be overwhelmed and pass out.
Suddenly, Peter felt a calmness and a presence of unbelievable strength all around him that he had never
felt before. Lionesses are hunters; they make short work of their prey. But although these lionesses
snarled, they didn't touch Peter; they almost seemed to be hitting a glass shield. Never having seen the
male lion, Peter quickly turned and started up the fence. The male sprung into the air, but his claws
missed Peter by inches.
Later, Peter tried to compose himself in the hospital waiting area. He had finally felt the impact of what
had happened. . . and what had almost happened. His mother looked at him and softly said, "My boy,
don't you think your luck has run out? Don't you think God is trying to tell you something?" The doctors
brought back the good report that Emma would be fine. Amazingly, there would be no permanent
damage to any muscles, tendons or bones, but there would be some scars from the razor sharp teeth.
Dawn had stitches in both hands.
When they returned home to South Africa, Peter and Dawn began their search to find "a faceless God."
They could no longer just live for fun or money. They felt utterly lost and confused; life seemed
pointless and harsh. They shared the story with some Christian friends who then shared with them the
good news that their sins could be forgiven and that God had a purpose for their lives. Peter put his trust
in Christ alone and truly became a new creation.
Their quest for doctrinal truth eventually led them to Sandton Bible Church, a church planting endeavor
of Biblical Ministries Worldwide in the suburbs of Johannesburg. It was there that Dawn asked God to
take over her life. In Jesus Christ, the Engelbrechts found the face of God, and the grace of God.
Immediately, their lifestyle changed. Attitudes changed. Their home changed. In a very short time, Peter
and Dawn knew that God was calling them to a more active role in His church. Having been Christians
for only six months, they yielded their lives to serve the Lord and His people, and entered the Church
Ministries Institute to train for full-time vocational ministry.
For three years, they have survived the torment and wonder of theological studies and have been
mentored into ministry under the discipleship of Dennis and Joanna Chapmon of BMW. Their
daughters, Emma (age 7) and Toni (age 5), have both trusted Christ, and the baby Benjamin (age 1) has
just learned to walk.
Peter concluded his morning message and smiled out a breath of relief. He had taken yet another step on
the path of the good work which the Lord had begun a few years ago when he and little Emma were
spared from the jaws of the lions.
David J. Brown is an attorney who practiced law near Philadelphia for seven years and is now
planting churches with Biblical Ministries Worldwide in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Is God Interested in Missions Today?
Dr. Alan Davis
Is God interested in missions today? To hear some people speak, God is not now, nor has He ever been
interested in missions. Others contend that the age of missions is past. But my family and I are living
proof that God is still interested in missions. If God were not deeply and personally interested in
missions we would not be serving Him in the Czech Republic.
We know that God was interested in missions during Bible times. Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; and
Mark 16:15 all make God's position on missions clear. We are to go into all the world and preach the
gospel. God used these and other verses to call my wife and me into the ministry. Just as he has called
all of His people to be witnesses wherever they are for His glory and grace.
God from the very beginning has sent His children to new and different places. In Acts 8:4 He used
persecution to drive His people from their comfortable homes to be His witnesses. In Acts 13 the Holy
Spirit commanded the church in Antioch to send Paul and Barnabas. Yes, to those who say God has no
interest in missions, I say that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
What He commanded in the New Testament, He commands today. In places like China God is still
using persecution to send His missionaries. In the States and similar places, missionaries, like my family
and me are called and commissioned as Paul and Barnabas were.
Fourteen years ago, my wife and I were married; knowing that the call of God was on our lives;
knowing that we would serve God in whatever He called us to do. In essence, we gave God a blank
check on our lives. He burdened us for missions. Let me tell you, when God gives you a burden, no
matter what the discouragement, that burden won't go away. We went to Bible college and did the things
that one does to prepare for that mission field. God shut every door just as He did with Paul in Acts 16.
Every mission board we applied to turned us down. God sent my sister-in-law, not us. It was a very
painful time.
God placed me in the pastorate, but both Kim and I still had a terrible burden for missions. We prayed;
we fasted, and we wept. I served in the pastorate for four and a half years. We loved the people and the
work. But still, the burden for missions would not leave. I thought perhaps God wanted me to find a new
pastorate. Maybe God wanted me to lead a missions-minded church. But then, like Paul with the
Macedonian vision, God shut all the doors again. He made me a teacher in a Christian day school. In
truth, I couldn't understand what God was doing. Why did He give me these terrible burdens for
missions and the pastorate but no place to serve? Now I understand!
Just when my life hit its lowest point, God began to move in tremendous ways. My sister-in-law,
Bonnie, became deathly ill. I sent Kim to the Czech Republic to help her. When Kim arrived God began
to open doors. She was asked to teach Bonnie's classes at the elementary school because of her
experience teaching both as a home-schooling mom and in the classroom of a Christian school. At first,
we thought this was God's provision during Bonnie's illness, but it was much more.
The other missionary in Koprivnice was quitting. We started to pray for God to send another missionary.
We never dreamed it would be us because the last mission board we applied to said we were too old for
foreign missions. Meanwhile, I was looking for a church to pastor in the States. Again, God shut the
doors. Even when I was accepted by the board, I'd lose the congregational vote by one or two.
God began to convict me that I should be the missionary in Koprivnice. Someone has said, and I agree
with them, "to see a need and have the ability to meet that need constitutes a call from God to do it." At
first, I didn't want to go. I didn't want to step out by faith with no mission board and just go. Especially
since I'd been told I was both too old to adapt to a new culture and untalented in languages. I was
listening to the voices of godly but mistaken men, and God gave me no peace until I stopped.
A week later, I submitted to God's leading. That was the first week of May 1997. Three weeks later I
was on the mission field with my wife and children. In those three weeks God answered more prayers
than you can imagine. He provided: a mission board (Tentmakers); a growing circle of prayer partners;
plane tickets; a buyer for my car; passports; storage for our personal effects; and too many other things
to mention; including a job teaching English at the elementary school here. Without my experience as a
Christian school teacher, I would never have been offered the job. Without the jobs, we couldn't stay in
the country. God has provided everything.
Since my arrival, I've been pastoring a small group of English speaking believers. My family and I have
been learning the language and passing out lots of tracts. So far, God has provided every need, and I
know He will continue to do so.
We thank God that Bonnie has made a great recovery and our son Joel has accepted Christ as his Savior.
God has blessed us richly, but we covet your prayers. The Czechs are a loving generous people, but their
pride makes them hard toward the gospel. In truth, only prayer and fasting will win the victory here.
In conclusion, I would say that God is indeed interested in missions. Since God is interested, then God's
people ought to be interested and on fire for missions. Are you?
Dr. Alan Davis is the pastor of Bible Baptist Church of Koprivnice, Czech Republic. He graduated
from Antietam Bible Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1995. He was a youth and
assistant pastor at Landmark Baptist Church for four and one-half years. His wife is Kimberlee and
their children are Jasmine and Joel.
Missionary Moments in Mexico
Rev. and Mrs. Martin Fuller
This story is about a dear friend of mine, Luis Soto, Pastor of the first Bible Church in Chihuahua City.
The name of the church is "Cristo Viene" (Christ is coming). He is also the President of Maranatha
Bible Institute. Before I get to Luis I need to start at the beginning . . . .
I was working as a foreman for a General Contractor in Tucson, Arizona. During the fall of 1942, a
particular job site had fifteen houses that were waiting for the painting contractors. It was during the
time that the painters were doing their job that I decided we should take a vacation and visit our parents
in Oklahoma. During this visit, I accepted the Lord as my personal Savior and in doing so, He led me to
the Midwest Bible and Missionary Institute (now Calvary Bible College).
After attending the college for four years, we were led of the Lord to do missionary work in Old
Mexico. We moved to the border of Arizona and Mexico where we resided in Nogales, Arizona. This is
where I learned the Spanish language.
We arrived in Nogales in a 1935 Ford V8 Coupe and a two-wheel trailer carrying our possessions. This
was in 1947. Life was very different and we had to trust the Lord to provide for us. I had two children at
this point in my life and I had to make sure that they were taken care of also. We had very little money
and friends had lent us a house to live in for six months. When our friends returned from their trip, we
had to find another place to live. A little boy in our Sunday school class told me of a house next door to
him that was for sale. The Lord provided us with the resources in order to buy the house and I moved
my family into our new home.
I worked odd construction jobs in order to earn money so I could embark on my mission that the Lord
had sent me here to do. I would cross the border and attend the Mexican churches. I felt that this was the
best place I could learn the language. I was invited by a missionary couple to come and preach the
Lord's Word in a very small church in Carbo, Sonora, Mexico. My Spanish was so broken that the
townspeople came to the service just to hear the "funny-American" speak. At this time, a peg-legged
man heard the people laugh at me. When it came time for the invitation, this man was right in front of
me and he then stated that he wanted to accept the Lord as his Savior. This man broke the ice and next a
one-hundred-year-old woman came forward and also accepted the Lord. This is when I realized that the
Lord was really with me in this foreign place and this is where I needed to be.
I wanted to be able to reach more people at a given time and through a retired missionary the Lord
provided a 16mm projector and a generator. A whole village would come to see the films and we
learned not to turn off the projector or the villagers would leave. This gave me the opportunity to share
the Gospel of God's Word.
The pueblos (villages) along the Conchos River, in northeastern Chihuahua, were the homes of the
veterans of Poncho Villa's army. In the small village of Falomir, we met an extraordinary woman named
Mila. As we approached this pueblo for the first time, we stopped on a hill overlooking the pueblo, river,
and train track. Asking the Lord for guidance and wisdom, we headed down to the village. Our first stop
was in a small country store where we were able to drink a Coke and talk to the people. We also asked
questions. The first question usually was, "Do you know of anyone who has a Bible?" Vega, the yard
goods salesman, who was a believer, then told us about Mila.
Mila had won a Bible from a raffle and had asked Vega if he knew of someone who could explain it to
her. Vega told me how to find her home since there are no house numbers. We were told to look for the
house with the three China Berry trees with red paint on them in front. We were able to find the house
and were welcomed inside.
While visiting Mila, she told me that God had put it on her heart to build a room on the north side of her
home for Him. This had already been accomplished when we arrived. She allowed us to use the side of
her home to show our films. I had a white panel truck on which we would show the film. The whole
village came out that night to see the Moody science film. As I stood in the light from the projector after
the film, I was giving the invitation when a woman approached me. This woman, Senora Soto, was
Mila's sister-in-law. She stated that she wanted to accept the Lord as her Savior. Senor Soto did not want
to stay for the end and went home. While at home, he went to light the kerosene lamp and when he
struck the match the entire box was inflamed. He extinguished the fire and thought, "I better go back to
the meeting," and right there accepted the Lord as his Savior. This was the start of a long-lasting
relationship with the Soto family.
The Sotos graciously allowed the use of their home every summer for Vacation Bible School. We also
used their home for regular Gospel services. The Sotos generously donated land so a church could be
built. The church was completed and we began regular worship services. The church was the only
building in the village that had a tin roof and did not leak during the heavy rainstorms. Everyone would
pack the church just to keep dry. A baby was even born during one of these storms and the birth was
witnessed by the entire village.
The Sotos had a son whose name was Luis. Luis was eight at the time that his parents came to know
Jesus. When Luis was 10, the family moved to Parral, Chihuahua from their village of Falomir since
work had become scarce. In Parral, which is a mining city, there was a good group of believers. Luis
accepted the Lord at this time while attending Vacation Bible School. When it came time for Luis to
attend high school, a missionary lady, who had a soft spot in her heart for him, made it possible for Luis
to attend a Christian high school and Ebenezer Bible Institute in Hermasillo, Sonora. It was here that
Luis met his wife, Leticia. After graduating, Luis returned to Chihuahua to teach at Maranatha Bible
Institute.
His first pastorate was with a small group of believers who were meeting in train boxcars where the train
workers lived. They had three boxcars for Sunday school and worship services. The group grew to about
80 people and they had to look for a larger place in which to hold their services. They then rented a
small grocery store to hold their congregational meetings, but they soon outgrew this also. The church
then bought their own building, and it was also quickly outgrown. From these humble beginnings grew
the first Bible church in Chihuahua City. The church now owns its own land with a sanctuary, Sunday
school buildings and a house. There are plans to add a second story to the sanctuary building as the
congregation is ever growing.
In addition to Cristo Viene Church, six other churches have been established in the State of Chihuahua.
These seven churches have decided to support a young missionary family to go to the high elevation
areas of the Sierra Madres to reach the people of Baborigami, Chihuahua. The missionaries, George and
Yolanda, are graduates of Maranatha Bible Institute. The only access to the area that they have chosen to
minister in is by mule or by airplane. An anonymous donor from the United States supplied the funds for
the building of a church in this region. Luis has spent many weeks over the past few years overseeing
this project. George and Yolanda are to arrive in December of 1997 to take over the leadership of this
mission church.
Please continue to pray for Mexico. Many are waiting to hear the gospel. We serve with Biblical
Ministries Worldwide.
Martin Fuller is a graduate of Calvary Bible College. Following graduation he spent 49 years as a
missionary in Mexico with Biblical Ministries Worldwide. He is now retired and resides in Tucson,
Arizona with his wife Georgia of 59 years.
MISSIONS IS NOT AN ADD ON!
Dr. Richard Gregory
I was raised in a generation that understood that a church with a heart for missions was a church that
could expect the blessing of the Lord. One of the factors that contributed to this was that most of our
churches in the 1940s and 50s were new and vibrant with dedicated Christians. For the most part they
had left the comfort of their denominations to strike out for the Lord by starting new churches that were
true to God's Word. Having a heart for missions was a natural consequence of the spiritual energy that
was required to start from nothing in building a work for God. Following World War II a flood of young
men and women returning from the Armed Forces had been burdened by the spiritual need they had
observed in various places in the World. They came home to enroll in Bible Colleges and Seminaries to
prepare for missionary service to take the Gospel to a needy world. New mission boards were formed
and a wave of missionary interest spread across the land. At the same time there were Bible Conferences
like Word of Life, Pinebrook, Sandy Cove and Montrose in the East and Winona Lake, Gull Lake and
Marantha along with others in the Midwest that were contributing to the missionary vision. One of the
features of these conferences was the promotion of missions by featuring missionaries and this had great
effect upon the Christian public.
In the 50s there were several movements of the Holy Spirit upon the student population of some of the
leading Christian colleges. Five young men that came out of these "awakenings" went to South America
to reach the Auca Indians. The whole nation became aware of their martyrdom on that sandy river beach
when they were murdered by the Indians they were endeavoring to reach. There were hundreds that
stepped forward to "take their place" as the news spread abroad. These young people that surrendered
their lives to missions were highly regarded and encouraged by others. Missionary Prayer Bands were
organized at our churches, Christian colleges and Bible schools. Every spiritually serious young person
was challenged to look to the Lord and consider missions as a very real possibility. The result was a
flood of missionaries to all parts of the world.
Today, the story seems quite different. Those that went to the field in the post war years are now
reaching retirement age and are coming home. Mission boards are trying to replace them but find the
candidate pool to be sparse. Young people are not stepping forward with enthusiasm to replenish
dwindling missionary force. What has happened? For one thing, three new generations have come along
in the ensuing years. The world and the church have drastically changed since the 1940s. New
philosophies have flourished and the day of the "$60 a month" missionary is long gone. Studies have
been done to try to understand the effect of the sociological changes that have transpired and people are
today grouped and labeled as "boomers," and "X'ers." Church growth strategists have carefully put all
the data together and have "instructed" the church on how to adjust to the various characteristics of these
sociological groupings. One of the by-products of this "spiritual managing" is a lack of old fashioned
commitment to hear the call of God to a life of service to a ministry in a place one would not normally
choose to live and among a people that are ethnically different. To the modern mind this is looked upon
as sacrifice and is considered more than one should be expected to endure. The strategists believe that
the "boomers" and the "X'ers" are to be coddled and wooed by promises of gain, not expectations of
sacrifice and confrontation of their spiritual need. Feeling good and comfortable is a concept that is
incompatible with repentance and burden.
Additionally, there has been a worldwide emphasis on human rights. Although much of this has been
engendered by abuses, there is a residual effect that has had an impact upon the church in America as
well as around the world. Emphasis upon rights often causes believers to overlook God-given
responsibilities invested in leadership. The result is a tension and a distrust that hinders the blessing of
the Lord. Old orders and paradigms come under careful scrutiny and although changes are often
desirable and necessary, the changes are sometimes forced, demanded or hurriedly implemented..
Familiar ways of doing things are very hard to surrender and yet with the emergence of a national
church, the role of the missionary must be evaluated and changed when appropriate. Different places in
the world demand different roles. The missionary will always be a vital part of God's plan for the
church; however, who he is, how he is supported and by whom is he supported are questions that the
church in every part of the world is facing.
The lack of economic parity among the nations of the world is another contributing factor. Some
churches are able to provide missionaries but have no ability to provide the necessary support in another
economic culture. This was illustrated to us at our 1996 convention by a young man and his family that
were sent to the United States by the church in Nigeria to evangelize and minister to the Nigerians living
in America. It took 1000 Nigerian churches, each giving the equivalent of one month's support for one
missionary in Nigeria, just to pay the one way fare for the family of four to come to America. The
church could provide no additional support and thus it became the responsibility of that national
missionary to raise the necessary support to live in America from churches here in the States. Our
Operation Partnership which supports over 100 national missionaries in Ukraine and Belarus does
essentially the same thing in reverse. The church in Ukraine and Belarus provides the missionaries to
plant churches in their own country. Because of the economic struggle the church faces in these
countries, we assist them by providing support appropriate for their economy.
Some places in the world the church is still embryonic and it is necessary that we send American
evangelists and church planting missionaries to lay the groundwork and nurture the emerging national
church. This paradigm still appropriately exists; however, the missionary paternalism that often
accompanies this effort has proved to be counter productive given the atmosphere of nationalism and
human rights that pervades the world community. We cannot afford to plant "American" churches in
these cultures for it destines them to remain small, struggling and ineffective in reproducing indigenous
national churches.
What is the answer? I believe that local churches must be dedicated to reaching beyond their borders to
win men to Christ and to establish indigenous, self-propagating and self-supporting local churches that
reflect their doctrine and commitments. In order to do this a church must avoid a passive missionary
program that is satisfied to "give money" as its primary expression of its missions vision to missions that
are unwilling to make adjustments necessary to be effective in today's world. Although monetary
resources are necessary it should be a result of people being personally involved in missions and not the
essence of the program itself. Missions is people! It is vision! It is prayer! It is burden! It is information!
It is investigation! It is involvement! It is motivation! It is challenge! It is being biblical! The church
with a heart for missions will be praying that God will raise up missionaries from among the best of its
own people and lead them to people beyond its congregation that can assist them in fulfilling its biblical
mandate. It will send its pastor and some of its people to experience the work of the Lord it is
supporting. It will be dedicated to knowing and personally prayerfully interceding for the missionaries,
both American and national, that are being provided for through regular monthly missions giving. It will
educate and involve its youth concerning the biblical basis, history and present opportunities of the
missionary enterprise around the world. And most important of all, it will be dedicated to obedience of
the Word of God. The answer is a church with a heart to please the Lord. Missions is not an add on, it is
at the very heart of the mission of the Church.
Dr. Richard Gregory is the National Executive Director of IFCA International and the Editor of the
VOICE.
". . . Come over to Macedonia and help us!"
Rev. Ronald Klein
MACEDONIA: A SLEEPING PRINCESS
The words of a young Macedonian student, still ringing in our ears, reflect the frustration of a nation
which has experienced turbulent times for many centuries: "I guess this is the land that is asleep in time.
We are waiting for a prince to come and give us a wake-up kiss."
Through the power of the Gospel of Christ, this young man and many others may come to see that their
country is in need of awakening, not by fairy tale "prince," but by the Prince of peace. . the Lord Jesus
Christ!
Macedonia, previously a part of the Soviet Union, a former republic of Yugoslavia, is the same nation
that the apostle Paul visited in response to the call to "Come over to Macedonia and help us!" (Acts
16:9). Although it has greatly diminished in size over the centuries, a portion once again exists as an
independent republic. Bordered by Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia, Macedonia struggles for
recognition as a nation, challenged in its efforts to be accepted by its neighbors. There is conflict within
Macedonia among people groups; half a million Albanians, immigrants, a significant population of
gypsies, and Macedonians rooted for centuries in the land.
On the Vardar River lies the Capital City of Skopje. A team from Send International, located in Skopje,
works to bring the Gospel to the Macedonian people. Their work is maintained in an atmosphere that is
not favorable to "outside" influences. Recent political activity has brought increased pressure against
evangelical evangelistic efforts. Evangelical Christians constitute less than one percent of the
population. This "new" nation is primarily divided in religious beliefs between Atheism, Catholicism,
Macedonian Orthodox, and Moslem. After five hundred years of Turkish rule, and the influence of
Communism, the Gospel has been lost in darkness.
A NEW CALL
Today a new cry for help comes from Macedonia. A modern day version of "Come over to Macedonia
and help us!" is now coming from the people! This time the call comes not in a vision, but through the
Send International team living in Skopje.
Each year, summer mission teams organized by churches here in the states, travel to Skopje to teach
"American"/USA English. Throughout the summer, classes are offered, and each church participating is
asked to teach for two weeks.
A small notice in the bulletin of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio read: "Anyone interested in
teaching English in Macedonia for two weeks this summer, please meet in room 209 at 2:30 this
afternoon." . . . a life changing offer! The purpose, for anyone seriously interested in sharing the Gospel
and teaching English, was to share the Gospel by building relationships through teaching English to
teens through seniors.
A team of twelve committed to make the trip to Skopje. A diverse group in background, and giftedness,
found themselves in the process of becoming a "team." With the guidance and encouragement of the
Lord through spiritual leaders, we began to meet regularly to plan our trip.
GOD'S "APPOINTMENTS"
Cleveland. . .Chicago. . .Zurich. . . Skopje. The day finally arrived and we were on our way! Surprises
met us every step of the way. Confirmation that God was leading our journey was evident.
Sunday morning! We were in Zurich! For some of us, it was a first time in Europe. Our layover was to
be about eight hours long. Time to do a little touring. We set out in small groups to take a look at the
city. We reunited to hear a story from some of our team about a man who knelt on the sidewalk to accept
Christ after team members shared the Gospel with him. "I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks,
both to the wise and the foolish" (Romans 1:14). "For Christ's love compels us, because we are
convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died" (2 Corinthians 5:14).
An unexpected delay in our flight to Skopje offered other opportunities to share the Gospel with others
God placed in our path. We were not yet at our destination; nevertheless, God had made "appointments"
along the way. We continued to see God's plans unfold after we arrived in Skopje.
INTO THE WHIRLWIND
Avioimpex, the Macedonia airline, touched down in Skopje on Monday, July 7, at 1:30 in the afternoon.
Finally, we were in our new "home" and ready to begin the task set before us. We were here to teach,
and at 6:00 that same evening, that is precisely what we would do!
A rented office building becomes a school for two hours each night. Not unlike Superman's swift change
in a phone booth, we needed to transform offices into "classroom" in a very short time.
Here come the students! Over the months before our arrival, we prepared diligently for this moment.
Face to face with students for the first time! This is where the "rubber meets the road." By the end of
class that first night we were both exhilarated and exhausted.
"TABLE TALK"
Due to laws currently in place, we were unable to share the Gospel with students during our teaching
times. However, it is the practice for students and teachers to go out after class to socialize. We could
feel relatively free to speak of our faith in these surroundings.
Our conversation was about many things and as we talked, friendships developed. Perhaps some of these
friendships will last for years . . . and by God's grace. . . perhaps some will last eternally!
The Macedonian people are intellectual and intelligent, enjoying conversation about thought provoking
topics. This gave us many opportunities to share our living faith in Jesus. They are also warm and
welcoming! Their sense of humor is similar to ours, so we found it easy to be ourselves with them and
have fun.
"YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE, MY ONLY SUNSHINE"
We know of at least one hundred and twenty Macedonians who have the words to this song. They may
very well be singing it all over Skopje to this day!
One of the highlights of our trip was a "Western Night" party. Our Parkside Team hosted a night in the
"Wild West" for the students. With the help of the Macedonian team, and each of the Parkside team
members using their gifts in a variety of ways, we roped, sang, and ate our way through the American
west!
One hundred and twenty students ate a dinner (prepared by our team) of barbecue beef sandwiches,
coleslaw, salsa and chips. This was a special time for teachers and students alike. In this time of singing
and celebrating life we were able to express, without words, that "we love you, and so does Jesus."
UNBELIEVING PEOPLE. . . OR COMMITTED FOLLOWERS?
The Parkside Church mission statement is, "To see unbelieving people become committed followers of
Jesus Christ." That is why we went to Macedonia. That is why we continue to pray for and support the
ministry there, and for the special people God placed in each of our lives. God has opened our eyes,
hearts, and church to world missions in a very dynamic way! The door of ministry is still open. Could
God be calling more ambassadors as He called us? Are we praying, giving, and going as the Lord calls?
". . . A great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me" (I Cor.
16:9). Join us as we continue to endeavor to express the love of Christ, and share the Gospel with as
many as possible. After all, we are ambassadors of the KING...of the PRINCE who wants to "awaken"
the people of Macedonia, the USA, Cleveland, and the world.
Note: At the time of this writing, I received word that some of our students have professed faith in
Christ as personal Savior and there is a serious threat to the Send International Team in Macedonia for
having Evangelistic Bible studies. There is a possibility of expulsion from the country.
Rev. Ronald Klein is Pastor of Care Ministries at Parkside Church in Chagrin Falls, OH. Following
graduation from Moody Bible Institute in 1960 he served as assistant pastor in Buffalo, NY for two
years followed by 31 years in Pastoral ministry at churches in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
During his Pastoral ministry he also earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Moody Bible Institute.
Prior to coming to Parkside Church, Ron served with Moody as Field Representative for Eastern
Ohio for two years. He has been in the IFCA for more than 30 years.
"A Voice from Hell"
Dr. Gregory J. Miller
Do you ever hear voices? Let me suggest three voices from Scripture that call us to missionary service:
A voice from heaven, a voice from the earth, and, ultimately, a voice from hell.
Isaiah heard a voice from heaven and recorded this in Isaiah chapter 6. His country was without a leader
and apostate. Isaiah looked up to heaven. God revealed to him an image of a holy and sovereign God
enthroned in His glory. He looked inward towards himself, "Woe to me," cried Isaiah, "for I am a man
of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord
Almighty." The Lord spoke and said, "Whom shall I send?" Isaiah looked outward and replied, "Here
am I. Send me!" Many fellow missionaries appreciate this call from heaven and can identify with
Isaiah's response.
Paul, in Acts chapter 16, recalls the vision he had of the man of Macedonia. In this startling experience,
Paul heard the pleas of the man from another culture and country so far away to "come over and help
us." Multitudes of missionaries have responded to a call from specific geographic regions or ethnic
groups by way of mission reports, encounters with nationals, or travel experiences. They have gone over
to foreign shores and crossed cultural, social and geographical barriers to evangelize those in darkness
and to edify the national church.
My wife and I have been ministering for twenty years in the Amazon estuary of Brazil. Several years
ago I had the duty to minister at the funeral of a daughter of one of the church families. This young
woman had lived a very profligate life and had died by injecting an overdose of some stimulant into her
veins. They were a poor family, representative of millions of others living in the squalid slums of
northern Brazil. We took the body by taxi to the local medical examiner to obtain the necessary death
certificate and from the morgue went to the church building for the "velorio" or wake. This lasted all
night and, as embalming is not practiced in these areas, the body began to putrefy in the tropical heat.
The poor are commonly placed in coffins made of strips of wood covered with gaudy purple plastic
sheeting. The retinue of coffin, family members and curious onlookers made their way to the steamy
cemetery where the grave diggers were busy carving shallow graves out of the mud. There were flies
everywhere, dogs and chickens running about and hordes of people wailing and moaning. This,
combined with the stench, heat and humidity was about as close to hell as I cared to be. There were
seven bodies laid out awaiting burial in the pauper's section and, as I was the only minister there, several
families pleaded for some words, a prayer, anything. As I gazed about on this scene I was reminded of
the call from hell that Dr. Luke recorded in Luke 16:27-28, "...send Lazarus to my father's house, for I
have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment." It was
too late for Dives but he, in his torment, cried out for the spiritual condition of his family! Even as I
reflected on this cry of anguish and dismay, the workmen were exhuming the bones of previous
occupants of the shallow crypts and placing their remains in a common grave in order that these new
bodies could be interred in their place. I had no words of comfort for the family, only admonition and a
call to receive Jesus who is the "...resurrection and the life."
This cry from beyond the grave should constrain us to bring the light of the Gospel to those who are in
darkness before it is too late. We may often respond enthusiastically to the call from God in heaven to
"go for us" or even a calling to "come over and help" a specific people or country. The call from hell,
however, radiates a certain urgency and finality. Listen and attend to the call! Respond and warn the
world of the danger of ignoring Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life!
Dr. Gregory Miller and his wife, Christine, have served as missionaries in Brazil with UFM
International for the past twenty years. He holds several degrees including a BS from Eastern State
University, M.Ed from both Temple University and Lesley College and a DMin from Trinity
Seminary. Presently he serves as the Director of Abaetetuba Bible Conference Center serving the
churches of the lower Amazon River basin.
The Word of God Versus Ancestral Worship
Rev. Howard Pearman
"Through death He might destroy him, who had power of death, that is the devil, and might deliver them
who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:14, 15).
For twenty-nine years, my wife and I worked among the Carib or Garifuna Indians, as they call
themselves. The Carib Indians are given over to ancestral worship. When a loved one dies, they feel it
necessary to hold a feast, called "dugu." That is supposed to rid them of the evil spirits, especially the
devil, whom they call "Maafia." Education did not necessarily rid them of these beliefs.
While we rested in the middle of the day, we heard a horrendous scream. Running outside we asked our
neighbors about the problem. A shrug of the shoulders was supposed to tell us that they did not know,
but really meant that they were not going to tell us.
Later we were informed by believers that our neighbor had seen a spirit. A Carib man, who had gone to
New York City, had been killed in a dance hall there. The body had been sent back to the family in
Limon, Honduras, our village. The body was kept out for several days, as they beat their drums and
prayed to the spirits to leave them.
A young boy, who attended all the celebrations, told the people he had seen his spirit. It was dismissed
as a child's fancy, until one day he visited his aunt.
Looking at the door in terror he said, "Auntie, see there is the man I saw and he wants to take me with
him." The scream we heard was our neighbor, as she and the boy leaped through her window and ran
screaming through the village. A "dugu" feast was held, but the spirit kept appearing to the unbelievers.
The village fathers decided that the boy would have to leave the village.
Some of the young believers were curious about the spirits appearing to the boy, so they went to see
what the excitement was all about. They saw nothing. "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the
world" (1 John 4:4).
The first man to be saved under my ministry in the village of Limon was Regino Valentin. Regino had
been an altar boy when he was young. He continued in his ancestral worship. He knew that he had no
peace and became involved in the world. He attended several meetings before he saw his need of Christ.
When he visited our home he was under much conviction. When asked if he would like to accept Christ,
he stated that was the purpose of the visit.
Later Regino brought his wife to our home and she too was saved. This was the first family in Limon
who broke with ancestral worship. They were not to escape persecution. The men railed at Regino for
leaving their customs and the women refused to make cassava bread with Mariana, which was
considered a disgrace.
Regino continued in the faith unto his death. He gave out tracts, went on trips with the missionary and
other believers. His people finally saw that Regino was a changed man.
Bacilio Martinez was the next Carib to come to Christ. He, as Regino had done, attended the services a
number of times before he accepted Christ. One night he stood up in the service to say he wanted to
follow Christ. Natividad, his wife was in no hurry to become a believer. She would wait and see if
Bacilio's lifestyle changed. She had reason for that, since Bacilio had two women and had fourteen
children between the two. He understood that he could not have two women and be a follower of Christ,
so he left his concubine and stayed with Natividad, his wife.
He grieved for his children, until the missionary explained that he should see and provide for the
children of the other woman. He then left the other woman and was true to Natividad, his married wife.
Natividad then accepted Christ. Although they suffered verbal persecution, Natividad's sister, a reader in
the Catholic Church for their Hail Mary, encouraged her to continue in the faith. She would not leave the
Catholic Church, but Natividad would live a better life with the Evangelicals.
The former two men were in their mid-fifties when they came to Christ, the third man to make that step
was in his early thirties.
Before our first furlough, Bacilio had brought a New Testament. He and Regino made the rounds of the
village witnessing for Christ. Nieves Ramirez had attended the services, also, but he had no intentions of
accepting the Gospel message. When the men read to him from the New Testament, something
happenend to him. He became curious as to what that little book contained. Although Bacilio prized his
New Testament, when Nieves asked him for it, he gave it to him.
Nieves did not want anyone to see him reading the little book, so he climbed up in the very top of his
thatched roof and lay down on the wood. It was dark in that corner, but he had his flashlight. He began
to read in the Book of Revelation. He had not noticed that the weather had changed, until a friend called
him from below. They chatted for awhile, then his friend noticed he had the New Testament in his hand.
He laughed as he asked Nieves what he was doing reading that book. Then Nieves told his friend of
something he had read. He explained that God was coming back to the earth and destroy all mankind.
He asked his friend to look around at the weather. God might judge the Carib people for their
wickedness. His friend laughed some more, until a cloud swooped down and flattened Nieves house. His
friend helped Nieves with his house to be sure there were none of the smaller children there. Nieves
gave this testimony later.
"Lord if you will not take my life until the believers meet tonight, I will accept your son Jesus."
So when we returned from our furlough, we had a new believer. Nieves probably suffered more than any
of the believers. The men of the village had no intention of letting their best drummer and drinking
buddy off so easy. One said, "I will give you six months, then you will be back with us." When six
months had passed, Nieves remained faithful so they gave him up as a lost cause. Not so with his
companion. She declared she would not live with an evangelical. Yes, it was true he no longer drank up
all their money and did not abuse her anymore. She liked him better the other way.
The believers encouraged him, telling him to keep praying and some day his companion would change
her mind. His desire was that he might be married to his companion, so he could be baptized. He went to
the city to work for a few months and when a believer from there came bringing a letter from his
companion, Nieves believed this was an answer to his prayer. When he had read the letter, she informed
him that she wanted nothing else to do with him. When he returned to the village he found her with child
by another man. Nieves went through a dark time. He prayed that he would not lose his faith. After
working in the city for a time he heard of a faithful Carib girl, Martina, who had accepted Christ after
hearing the Gospel in her language. She and Nieves were married soon after that. Although they served
the Lord together, a sorrow came into their life when their first baby died a few months after birth. Since
the Carib women have their babies at home, Martina was no exception. When Martina became pregnant
again, her child died soon after birth as did the first one. The people began to talk. Something must be
wrong and it must be because of their following the Gospel. One of Martina's family pointed a finger at
Nieves and said, "Nieves, you are responsible for all these deaths. The spirits are angry with you."
Nieves was too broken to answer. However, he decided if they had another child, he would take Martina
to a medical doctor.
When Nieves took his wife to the doctor, the medic explained that their blood was incompatible, for that
reason their children died. The doctor explained that he had an injection that would remedy that
problem. Their next child and four more that followed were normal children. The whole village heard
the news from Nieves. They decided he (Nieves) was a smart man. When an article was needed from the
city, Nieves was the one entrusted with their money. Why, he even brought back the change! Later, he
was made mayor of the village of Limon, which office he served for many years.
Nieves is now pastor of the Evangelical Church in Limon. The Lord had added to the church through the
years and Nieves' son, Edito, helps with the work of evangelizing their people. Although the Carib have
not come to the Lord in great numbers, these who have believed and suffered for His namesake, are
testimony that the Word of God is greater than ancestral worship!
At present, a young couple, Clifton and Jane Bullock work in the village of Limon with the national
church. They are with Biblical Ministries Worldwide. Please uphold them in prayer.
Howard Pearman is a graduate of Dallas Bible College. He served for 29 years as a missionary in
Honduras with Biblical Ministries Worldwide. He is now retired and lives with his wife Minnie in
Jacksonville, Texas.
Missions--Cost or Privilege?
Rev. Bruce Porterfield
Deep in the soggy Bolivian jungle, known as the Green Hell, I tossed and turned in my World War II
jungle hammock. I was grateful for the attached mosquito net and tarp but sleep wouldn't come. The
noises of the nocturnal creatures, the buzzing mosquitoes clinging to the outside net nor the tapping on
the tarp from the heavy dew dripping from the trees that kept me awake. I was used to that from
traveling the jungle trails for years. Dominating my thoughts and emotions was a savage Indian named
Toughy. He was the most aggressive in roughing up missionaries, even now and then threatening to kill
us. He was the source of the battle raging within my soul. Two days before, this naked primitive man
nearly choked me to death. It was still painful to even swallow water.
With the penetrating warm dampness and the anger building up within, I wiped the beads of sweat once
again from my brow. Suddenly a frightening thought flashed to my mind like a lightning strike.
"Toughy, go to hell and sizzle real good. See if I care if that is the way you're going to keep treating me
and my fellow missionaries. I'm never coming back." Like an overcoming wave the agony of shame
flooded my soul for even entertaining such an invasive thought. What right did I have to interfere with
the plan and leading of the Lord for my life?
As I continued to struggle with this inner conflict, the Lord began to impress upon my heart that He
loved Toughy just as much as He loved me. He bore his penalty for sin as well as mine upon the cross.
He was not willing that any should perish and that included Toughy. Gently the Lord reminded me that
my suffering was nothing in comparison to what He went through on the cross in order to reveal and
give forth the Good News of the Gospel. My heart was broken for my lapse of not caring for the souls of
the Yuqui tribe. For a moment I had lost the vision, commitment and leading of the Lord to reach
neglected tribal people. I could imagine faintly the torment of Peter when he turned his back on the
Savior.
I don't know how this idea of becoming a missionary started, but as a teen I sensed that the Lord wanted
me to serve Him in this way. I was brought up in a godly home, but rebellion delayed my surrender to
Christ as my Savior until I was twelve years old. Mission conferences didn't exist in the church that my
family attended. Neither was there a library with books with stories about missionaries or information
about the mission field or even a challenge to get involved. Because of a lack of knowledge along with
the wild imaginations about the so-called dangers of the mission field, I sensed that I lacked the menu to
be made into a missionary. Adding to my defense, I concluded that God wouldn't choose me for I was an
introvert and hated my English classes to the point I studied just hard enough to average D- on my report
cards. I fought against the inner urge to be a missionary for three years. I joined the Navy Seabees in
World War II with the idea of impressing God that this could be my place of serving Him. It didn't
work. The conflict continued. It wasn't long until I ended up in the naval hospital that resulted with a
medical discharge.
In November of 1943, I read a short paragraph in the local newspaper about five New Tribes Mission
missionaries lost in the jungle of Bolivia and believed killed by the Ayore Indians. They had hoped to
reach this warring tribe with the Gospel message. My heart was smitten. All of my reasoning and
excuses for not serving the Lord came thundering in upon me. I cried "Okay Lord, I'm willing to take
their place." These men were willing to die for their convictions of reaching tribal people. My resolve to
live for self melted.
Dawn finally crept through the dense jungle reaching our camp. I had spent a nearly sleepless night
"wrestling" with Toughy and the Lord. As our small band of missionaries were in the early stages of
trying to maintain a "friendly" relationship with these warriors, we began to have some doubts. They
were still killing the national farmers. The farmers retaliated by killing also and even captured four of
their children.
Even though the Lord spared my life dozens of times, I can't give an answer as to why He allowed
others to die, as the world concludes, prematurely. But prematurely doesn't fit into my theology since
God has a timetable for everything and everybody. My buddy at the age of thirty-three was killed by the
cannibals and I buried him in the jungle. There were five killed by the Aucas in Ecuador. One thing
seems to stand out as to why God didn't use His angels to prevent death. Perhaps He chose to multiply
their lives more through death than through an extended existence. We have lots of evidence that there
are thousands serving the Lord that began with the conviction, "Lord, I'll take their place."
With the strong natural instinct for survival, I wasn't ready to figure out the possible reasons that God
might allow my life to be taken in the prime of life. Thus, I didn't relish the thought of hiking the many
miles to meet the Indians again. We needed, however, to keep our word. As we didn't know their
language, we had acted out our message that we would come back in three days and pointed to where
the sun would be around ten o'clock. They agreed by acting out that they would be waiting for us. As we
were packing a few knives and an axe or two for gifts, apprehension as to how they would treat us still
had a grip on me. The truth of Psalm 91 came to my rescue to provide calmness and assurance of His
care. The jitters began to lose their intensity.
After a few hours of hiking, we stopped to rest. Amazingly, it dawned on me that I wasn't scared
anymore. I had a calmness inside. Words and tunes of hymns were singing within strengthening my
heart and resolve to keep pursuing the goal of eventually giving them the Gospel message. Only He can
meet such needs when the hour comes.
Later as we silently and slowly approached the clearing where we were to meet the Indians, it looked
like they had forgotten or misunderstood. We wondered if they had something else in mind? Then we
heard certain soft whistle-like sounds and realized that we were surrounded. We could now see arrows
taut in their bows poking through the brush from every direction. It sure looked like a shortcut to Glory.
Something happened to stop them from shooting that I didn't find out about until several years later.
During the following years I became involved in making friendly contacts with another group of
primitive people. I also became involved in many other responsibilities of leadership at our Bolivian
headquarters. On our third furlough the Lord led us to become Mission Representatives on the home
end.
Meanwhile, our missionaries were learning the Yuqui language and were teaching them from the Word
of God. They built and finished an airstrip. Upon its completion our son flew the mission plane in for his
first time. The natives began to crowd in cautiously toward the plane. Slowly Toughy moved out from
the group with searching eyes fixed on our son. Possibly he was wondering what was on his mind, for he
knew my son was aware of how he had treated me in the past. He finally put his arms around our son
and shared how many times he and others had their arrows drawn to kill us. Later we found out that they
had planned 16 ambushes but couldn't shoot as each time someone unseen pinned their arms down.
Toughy went on to say that he doesn't get angry anymore because he is a born-again believer. When our
son passed on the news to us here in the States, the song came to mind. "It will be worth it all, when we
see Jesus, life's trials will seem so small, when we see Christ. One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow
will erase, so bravely run the race, till we see Christ." Toughy is up in Glory now. When I see him,
others, and my wonderful Savior, I'm going to thank my God for the privilege of being a missionary.
Rev. Bruce Porterfield spent three terms in Bolivia serving with New Tribes Mission. He is the author
of three books: Commandos For Christ, Jungle Fire and Twice Burned. The books are available only
through New Tribes Headquarters in Sanford, Fl. He has been a member of IFCA International
since 1972.
Mountain Treasures
Rev. Don Schroder
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves
break through and steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6: 19 and
21).
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be building a dam in the rugged Andes mountains
of Ecuador in South America. Much less did I realize how God was going to use myself, my wife,
Monnie, and our four children to reach many Quichua Indians for the Lord.
HCJB World Radio needed more water for their electric plant and planned to build a dam on a lake high
in the Andes mountains. The major problem was that they had no one to head up the project. Being a
printer, I figured anyone could build a dam, so I volunteered. I soon learned that it was a major project
as the lake is at an altitude of nearly 14,000 feet and six hours walk from the main road. That meant that
everything had to be taken in by hand or mule back. I hired Quichua Indians as they were the only ones
who could take the extreme altitude as well as the cold, damp climate. We built housing and packed in
all the supplies needed to build the concrete dam. In all, we carried in over 110 tons of supplies over the
treacherous mountain trails.
During the eleven months of building the dam, I had Bible studies with the men and 143 of these
Quichua Indians accepted the Lord. We had a baptismal service in the cold mountain lake. I could
hardly wait to get into that icy, cold water to baptize all these men! I put on my goose down underwear,
my goose down booties, my clothes over that, a goose down coat, and a pair of rubber waders I had
borrowed from another missionary. I didn't feel too bad when I first entered the water. The Indians just
kicked off their rubber boots, took off their shirts and rolled up their pant legs. As they entered the water
they would gasp for breath and all the other Indians would laugh. That made for a very spiritual service!
As I baptized each man my coat sleeve went into the water and, in turn, the water started running down
inside my waders and the further down it got, the faster I baptized!
After the project was completed I returned to Quito to continue as director of the HCJB printing
department. As often as possible our entire family would travel to different villages to visit the men who
had accepted Christ. The Indians and I had become very close. I was their boss, nurse, doctor, helper and
friend. We prayed together, lived together, worked together, ate together, laughed and cried together. I
also had become their pastor.
We found they were still walking with the Lord and they would ask us to come back and hold meetings
and show gospel films. This could have turned into a full-time job, but with my responsibilities at the
print shop we could only go out on weekends and holidays. Sometimes we would take vacation to
minister in a week-long Bible conference.
We purchased a portable power plant, a movie projector and some gospel films to use in the villages.
Upon our arrival at a village, we would put a white bed sheet on the side of an Indian hut and at dusk we
would start the first film. Since the Indians had never seen a film before they would come by the
hundreds. Then we would preach the gospel message, have the second film and give an invitation. At
first we could not believe the response. I would tell them to go back and sit on the ground. Then I would
almost try to talk them out of coming forward. I would tell them they may be stoned, their homes burned
down, crops destroyed or they might even be killed. Then I would say, "Now, how many of you want to
accept Christ?" That man or more would come forward and a little church would be born.
The persecution did come. One Indian told me, "They burned my home, destroyed my crops, and killed
my animals." Then with tears in his eyes, but a smile on his face, he said, "But they can't take away my
God, can they?" Faith like this is why the Quichua church was growing.
While building the dam I went deer hunting with some of the Indians. We had walked all day and it was
getting late when I looked through my binoculars, looking for deer. Instead of seeing deer I saw, in the
distance, what looked like an Indian hut in the valley. I asked the Indians if people lived down there.
They told me there was a small village in that distant valley. I told them we should go there someday to
tell them about Jesus. The Indians emphatically told me, "no, they will kill you! It is a village formed by
fugitives from the law. You do not want to go to that village!" But I did want to go.
I couldn't get that little village of Oyacachi off my mind, even though several months had passed since I
had seen it. I found two Indians who would take me part way into the village, but they refused to go all
the way. Finally, one Indian agreed to go into the village with me. So I started broadcasting over Radio
Station HCJB that on a certain day we were coming into the village. We broadcast in both Spanish and
Quichua several times a day for a month. I hoped they had radios and would hear the message.
The day finally came for us to leave. We drove to the top of the mountain and met our two guides who
had brought horses for us to ride. There was no trail to the village, but the guides knew the general
direction. We made camp that night and when we woke up in the morning our tent had collapsed around
us during the night because of a layer of heavy, wet snow. It was cold and wet the entire trip.
After two hard days on the trail we saw the village in the distance. Our guides told us they would wait
right there and we could go in alone. We had to lead the horses down the very steep mountain in a
zigzag manner so they would not lose their footing and roll down the mountainside. I told the guides to
wait for us until ten o'clock the next morning and if we were not back to go for help. We had no idea
what would happen to us.
When we reached the river below we started following it. Soon we found a horse trail that led into the
village. After riding some time we saw some Indians standing on the trail watching us. We hoped they
had heard our announcement over HCJB radio. As we approached them we saw that they were smiling.
That was a good sign.
We were thrilled as we entered the village and people came from every place to see us. No one had ever
visited their village before. The leader told us there was one man we must meet. The young man had
accepted the Lord while listening to HCJB radio. He was so excited and asked if we could have a church
service. That afternoon we had the first gospel meeting ever to be held in that remote village. When I
gave the invitation, 16 Indians asked the Lord to come into their hearts.
The next morning as we mounted our horses to return home, our hearts were full of joy and thanksgiving
to God. As we left we told them we would return. That is when they told us of a shorter way into the
village. It would be just an eight hour horse back ride instead of two days.
Soon a church was started in this village. God blessed this little church and over the next five years they
established five other churches in the jungle and mountain area. Each trip I made into the village kept
me busy with preaching, baptisms, weddings, child dedication and a communion service. They have
now built their third church building and they tell me that 98% of all the Indians in that area know Christ
as their Savior. The first believer in this village is still the pastor. They built the church and paid for
everything themselves. All I did was to help them in their understanding of the Word of God. This is in
the strictest sense, an indigenous church.
Many times, after a meeting in a village, the unsaved Indians would dig a large ditch across the road and
wait there to attack us with clubs, machetes, rocks, etc. The Christian Indians would advise us that the
road was cut and we would simply wait until the drunk Indians had gone home or had gone to sleep and
then we would fill in the ditch and go home.
On one trip we arrived at the small village high in the mountains and found nearly 300 Indians waiting
for us. Some of them had freshly cut clubs in their hands. Others had hoes, rocks, machetes and
whatever they thought they could use against us. I knew we were in trouble so we tried to reason with
them, but they kept yelling and screaming. I told the believers to get back into the car and we drove off
as fast as we could. The clubs were hitting the car and rocks were pelting the windows. As we drove
away one of the believers told me that we had left three believers behind in our hurry to get away. I
knew we needed police to help save them so we kept going only to have an Indian on the road shoot at
me. Just as he fired, his gun hit my rearview mirror, deflecting the bullet into the front door of the car.
Finally, late at night, we returned with 17 armed soldiers and found the three believers nearly beaten to
death. We took them to a nearby hospital for medical attention. The unsaved in this area saw how the
believers reacted to the persecution and decided these believers had something they wanted. The church
began to grow and a year later we had two thriving churches in that area. It is amazing how the church
grows under persecution.
Most of the mission work I did was in the mountains, but on occasion I would be invited to go to the
jungle. Once I went on a medical caravan into the jungle as the evangelist for the team. By the time the
week was over I had pulled 73 teeth as, during the day, they put me to work as the "dentist." The Lord
blessed as 32 Indians accepted Christ as their Savior and followed the Lord in baptism.
We always tried to include our entire family in the ministry. The children would sing and pass out
literature. They were even present sometimes when we were attacked. This gave them an understanding
of the blessings and dangers of serving the Lord.
After 23 years of service in Ecuador we returned to the U.S. to do representation work for the mission.
Many encouraged me to write a book about our experiences, but I resisted because I didn't want to shine
any light on myself. Then someone reminded me that Zacchaeus climbed the tree to see Jesus, not to be
seen. So I wrote my book, Give Me This Mountain that Jesus may be seen in His mighty work among
the Quichua Indians. It tells in detail the many wonderful things the Lord did in and through us as
servants of God who simply said, "Lord, take us and use us in any way you want."
A copy of my book, Give Me This Mountain, may be obtained by sending ten dollars to Don Schroder,
5909 Enid St. Ft. Smith, Arkansas 72903-4848. Shipping and handling are included.
Don Schroder attended Calvary Bible College prior to going to Ecuador as a missionary serving at
radio station HCJB. He spent 23 years serving as a printer, construction supervisor and evangelist.
He now is an Area Representative for HCJB.
MISSIONARIES IN UNIFORM
The Bible Churches Chaplaincy, the chaplain endorsing ministry of IFCA International has 63
missionaries in the active duty, Reserve and National Guard military chaplaincy. Their ministry touches
the lives of men and women who would never darken the door of a Christian church. CH (MAJ)
Marshall Peterson shares with us a slice of life in the days of his missionary ministry at Ft. Knox,
Kentucky...
I served as Post Duty Chaplain for eight days. Normally, no prisoners arrive at our Regional
Confinement Facility on Saturdays. However, twelve arrived for me to visit. Among them was a Black
Muslim soldier filled with anger. He told me of his experience. He was a Staff Sergeant with ten years in
the Army. During Desert Storm, by mistake, he was overpaid, as were many others. The Army policy
for reimbursement resulted in him not being paid for nine months... pretty slim pickings for a family of
four. While out with friends one night he picked up a wallet and used the cash and credit cards. A civil
court tried and released him. He re-enlisted in the Army and twelve months later he was tried for the
same offense, found guilty, and sentenced to two years confinement.
It was a remarkable opportunity to witness of the love of God to a man raised Roman Catholic and
converted to Islam. As I spoke to him for about an hour of Christ and biblical principles and my own
experiences, I could see the anger drain from his face as he purposed to make the best of his situation
and trust God's power. Conversion??? no. However, here was an Islamic soldier who said at the end of
my visit, "I know we're of different faiths, but when you come back, I want to help you set up your
service" (implying he would most likely attend). The Gospel is the power of God to reach lost humanity.
Another soldier of Latter-Day Saint background asked me several questions about spiritual help and
evidenced by his biblical responses that he was moving toward the Kingdom of God. All he needed was
help along the way. No stirring conversion - simply being there when he needed God's help.
Chaplain Peterson also served with Joint Task Force- Bravo... a six nation deployment mission to
Honduras. Many in the Chapel community came from the U.S. Air Force.
A senior flight NCO came to see me. He had four children although not married. He had recently
wrecked his car, and suffered from alcoholism. It was a joy to see the power of Christ transform sin's
hopeless captive into a child of the King of glory and the body minister to him in love helping him to
structure his life. As we formed a prayer circle around him and prayed, he later testified, "I felt a power
go out of me." During the deployment a middle-aged medical officer came for counsel, having been
jolted by the recent break up in a six year lesbian relationship. Not sure whether she would trust the
chaplain, she came out of despair only to discover the one who loved her from all eternity was truly the
mender of broken lives!
Please remember your missionaries in uniform in prayer. They encounter many unusually demanding
spiritual challenges and opportunities in the course of daily ministry and unexpected deployments.
Warren Dane, Ch, Lt Col, USAF (Ret.), Director of Chaplaincy
Hope Beyond the Casket
Mrs. Sharon Gregory
The caskets were lined up on each side of the room, perhaps a hundred of them, in the huge open room
of the funeraria in downtown Manila. Families were crowded around each one vying for the small space
around their loved one's casket. The air was blue from hundreds of sticks of burning incense and heavy
from the abundance of tropical flowers. Some of these families were Buddhist and some were Catholic.
As employees of the funeraria began to close the caskets, the wailing exploded. My husband and I
watched in open-mouthed horror as family members actually tried to fight off the men closing the
caskets. We were viewing all of this from a second floor balcony which was open to the main room and
the whole scene seemed unreal, like something from a horror movie. As if in slow motion, the families
began to follow the caskets out through the wide doors to begin the long walk out to the cemetary
several miles away. Wailing continued from hearts so broken that some of the people could hardly walk.
Many more friends and relatives who could not get into the funeraria waited outside to join the
procession. The procession was so huge that it filled the street and stopped traffic for blocks.
What we were witnessing was the result of the capsizing of an excursion boat on its way to Corregidor
for the day. A Chinese businessman was providing an outing for his employees, both Filipino and
Chinese. Many businesses in the Philippines are family-run so many of the people on the boat were
related. As they were well out in Manila Bay, a sudden rain squall, typical of the tropics, bore down
upon them. In order to try to keep dry, everybody went to the opposite side of the boat where there was
an awning. The boat rolled, pitching its passengers into the bay. There were elderly people as well as
children who drowned immediately, and others, who were not able to hang on until help could come
from Manila, slowly disappeared into the dark waters. Over a hundred lives were lost that day and the
magnitude of the tragedy touched many hundreds more. Quite a few of the families lost grandparents,
uncles, aunts, cousins in the blink of an eye.
As missionaries at a Christian Chinese school, we sought for ways to minister to these families. Our
senior missionaries had visited families during the days of vigil before the funeral. On the day of the
funerals, they went to another funeraria, and asked us if we would visit one of the Christian families at
the large location where most of the services were being held. I won't know until I see our missionary
friends in Heaven to ask them if they sent us there on purpose that day to learn something. Being young,
inexperienced missionaries, we had a lot to learn and the impact that day had on us has been
incalculable. We will never forget it and I still think of it every time I see a casket. The thing that shook
us the most was that these people had No Hope!
ABSOLUTELY NO HOPE! What good is a religion that can't help you when it comes time to die?
When that lid was latched, there was total devastation for these families. The scene was repeated over
and over as the men went down the rows closing lid after lid. Some of the people who were saying
goodbye to several loved ones were beside themselves. Never before had we fully comprehended what
the Scriptures mean when they say that "that ye sorrow not as those who have no hope!" As we stood
there on the balcony that day, our hearts were so full of thanksgiving for the gift of eternal life that God
has freely provided that the tears just flowed down our cheeks.
At the same time, in a room ten feet away from where we were, the Christian family we had come to
offer our condolences to, quietly said good-bye to their auntie and little cousin, the small casket
alongside the large one. No incense, no wailing or screaming, no struggling to keep the lid open, but
mourning that testified to the mighty grace of God. Confidence in the resurrection that God has
promised us brings us peace that "passes understanding" when the time comes. We have HOPE! We
CAN Rejoice! When Paul wrote the words of I Thess. 4:13-18, was he smelling the incense? Was the
wailing of hopelessness ringing in his ears? The early Christians of Thessalonika were used to pagan
ceremonies that brought them no comfort. So God sent them words to bring them hope. Words that are
life changing, words that drive away the smell of incense... "Brothers, we don't want you to grieve like
the rest of men who have no hope...Jesus died and rose again so that we can be with Him. With the
sound of the trumpet, the dead in Christ shall rise and we who are alive and remain shall meet Him in
the air! And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Let me comfort you with these words!"
As we found our way out a side door to avoid the confusion of human grieving and the masses in the
procession, we were reeling from the shock of what we had just seen. I had a splitting headache from the
suffocating incense and we spoke no more than a few words to each other the rest of the day. What a
great God we have Who has made it possible for us not to have to go through this wrenching sorrow of
saying goodbye to a loved one who is in Christ. God certainly wanted to impress this upon my husband
and me and He did it in a big way! He also has given all of us as believers the responsibility to
encourage each other in times of grief with the hope that we have. Why? So that our fellow believers
will have a testimony before their unsaved loved ones and friends of the promise of eternal life that God
has made available to everyone. The unsaved need to see us "sorrow not as others who have no hope!"
Only our Heavenly Father can give us the strength to confidently lay another one of His children in the
earth and commit them to Him. Only in Christ can we rejoice in the cross when our hearts are breaking.
There is life and there is hope beyond the casket!
Dale and Sharon Gregory spent a term of missionary service at Grace Christian High School in
Manila, Philippines. Dale is the music director at Limerick Chapel in Limerick, PA, where they have
been for the past 25 years.