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Issue 23 Let’s Fish. Bible Fellowship Churches sharing resources to evangelize the world. A place for the exchange of ideas on short term missions projects and local outreach. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
All responses can be sent to office@bfcbom.org
Current and past issues can be found on the web at: www.bfcbom.org look in “Mission Events” then Let’s Fish
Greetings from Allentown!
1. Journal Journal Journal! (part 2) 4. Trips in the works (updated weekly) 5. Nelson’s Short-Term Nuggets
If you are a regular reader of Let’s Fish, you know that I have been advocating journal writing while on a missions trip. God teaches you so many lessons, you see so much, you meet so many people, and you would never be able to keep all of this information in your memory. It is after you get home that your journal takes on a special significance as you reread all that you learned and saw. There is however a tremendous value in taking the time to process a day on paper prior to going to bed.
Here is an entry from a Pastor David Schoen during a trip to Mexico:
Macuspana, Mexico … Sunday, July 3, 1994
Up at 5:30a to get prepared for the day. Called home to Bethel to give them an update. Left at 7:00a for the hour ride to Villahermosa for the radio interview of the team. Our host Miguel unexpectedly decided to bring his family with us for day … that meant there were 10 adults and 2 children in the 7 passenger VW bus plus all our equipment! To say we were packed in was a huge understatement. A very hot ride with temperatures already pushing close to 100 degrees. The van has no air conditioning, only two of the windows open and the engine compartment is behind the back seat giving off more heat.
Got to the station to find out they had “technical difficulties” and the interviewed could not be conducted. They really did have a problem and it wasn’t just a brush off. Enjoyed time walking about the city streets until church for our scheduled 9:30a puppet show. Got there around 9:00a only to find they had changed the time to 10:30a … our early start was all for naught.
The church show went very well with about 350 children, teens and adults in attendance. They were very responsive.
Hernan and I headed out to get some fruit juice and soda for the team. 90 minutes later we returned having found nothing.
We were told our afternoon show was at some type of “military” place. We had no clue what it could be. Turned out it was a Salvation Army orphanage! There were 25 children there. A worker at the orphanage asked to borrow our portable PA speaker for 10-15 minutes to walk around the neighborhood and invite more children. She returned an hour later … but our attendance swelled to more than 100 kids. The show went very well. A dog watched from the roof of a small shed nearby. All the kids (and the dog) were very attentive. Drank lemonade from a questionable water supply after the program, but since it was offered by our host at the orphanage we felt it best to drink.
We headed to another church to give a puppet show as a part of an evangelistic service they were having in the evening. Music was great … guitars, drums, tambourine. I preached, Sue translated. 6 people responded to an invitation given by the pastor. There were about 400 in attendance. Had some pizza around 8:30p and got back home around 10:00p. Everyone is bushed. It was a great day.
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During the 2 week puppet evangelism ministry the team presented 23 puppet shows to an audience of 4849 people. One show was to more than 400 elementary aged students at a Roman Catholic School.
If you have a special journal entry from a recent trip, please share it with us.
Wanted to pass along information concerning our mission trip to Minnesota to minister with the Pollocks. We leave on July 16th and our first stop is at Cedar Point, Ohio for some Roller Coaster fun. On the 17th we tour and have lunch at Moody Bible Institute. We then take a tour of the Pacific Garden Mission. Will arrive at Camp on the 19th. Will minister at church on the 20th and start a day camp ministry on the 21st. Day camp will run Mon. – Thurs. We leave for the return trip on Friday and expect to hit Newark, DE. On the 27th. Would appreciate your prayers for the trip.
__ Carol and I plus the Bruce & Cathy Stout family spent one week in beautiful Vt. With Gods help we accomplished the overhaul of two rooms in the Conference Building and some updating of room decor at The Cornerstone Boys Home. Sunday we worshipped with them at the Lyndon Bible Church . Carol was asked to play piano for their worship team. They are presently meeting in rented facilities and bulging at the seams. We received email pictures today of trusses being set on their new building. They are excited. We would like to see a team formed to further this effort as well as additional work at the center. In HIS service, ED Wigfield
__ Dear Dana Weller: My name is Alyssa Lord, and I attend Grateford Bible Fellowship Church. I am emailing you to ask that you add our group to the list of missions-trip participating BFC groups on the newsletter "Let's Fish." I was notified that we were not on "Let's Fish" (because we had never contacted you), so I am emailing you now so that we can get more prayer, and therefore support, behind us. The GBFC youth group is headed to a Crow Indian reservation about 5 or 6 hours away from Billings, Montana. We will be there the week of July 20-27. I hope this is all the information you need to put our group on the prayer calendar. Thank you so much for adding us, as I'm sure you will. In Christ Jesus, Alyssa Lord
__ Maybe it's too late for this info from New Life Church in Oley, but here's what's happening ...
June 28-July 5, 36 youth and adults to Oaxaca, Mexico - DVBS, construction and literature distribution& one nurse to Mexico City to do medical work w/ the people who live on the garbage dump ! July 12-19, 12 people with NYC Ministries doing personal evangelism in New York City parks & subways. [Our pastor and family are part of this group !] July 18-25, two of our men going to Oaxaca, Mexico for building construction and evangelism. [Gideon Bible distribution and children's ministry] July 24-26, Motorcycle Tent Ministry our people suppling food and fellowship evangelism. Note: The "Reading Motorcycle Club" owns a property about 3 miles from our church in Oley. Each year they have a "bash" with unlimited alcohol etc. available ! About 5,000 MC riders attend ! We put up a small open- sided tent on church property right along Rt. 73. We provide free food, last year serving over 200 just for breakfast in one day ! [hot dogs, hamburgers, snacks at any time, spagetti dinner, full breakfasts each day i.e ham, eggs, bacon, pancakes, hash browns, sticky buns, etc.] We also provide free small engine repair and Christian testimony ! We have been doing this for 11 years and have the blessing of the Reading MC. They give a sizable donation to help each year ! You, Carolyn, or anybody can come, but you must come on your motorcycle ! If you know anything about motorcyclists, your know that they are a breed/culture all of their own ! Many come just to get away from the wild partying on the RMC property ... for a little peace and quiet !
Write me. I love e-mail! office@bfcbom.org
Short term Missions Symposium
Purpose:
To gather the leadership from all short term efforts of local BF Churches over the past months to debrief and to plan for the future. Time:
September 19 5:00 p.m. Place:
Blandon Bible Fellowship Church
Cost:
Nominal to cover meal expenses.
Format:
Dinner and meeting on a Friday September 19.
Topics covered:
>My #1 “best idea” that I will use in every future trip. Round table. (Open mike during dinner includes introduction of the leader and an update on the trip). (30 min.) >My #1 “worst idea” that was a total flop never to be repeated. Round table. (open mike during desert.) (20 min.) >Partnership opportunities now available with BFC missionaries. >Craftsmen mobilized and ready when needed >Long term ministry partnerships. >Preparing for your trip part 1 Bonding and Training. >Preparing for your trip Part 2 Practical ideas >Fund raiser ideas and IRS issues >Church preparation for individuals going “solo”. >BOM resources >If you can’t debrief don’t go. Getting the long term advantage
Don’t Miss It!!!
4. Trips in the works (updated weekly)
The Board of Missions is keeping statistics of all short term missionary trips (both by teams and individuals). Please let us know all the important information about your trip. WHO, WHAT, CHURCH, MISSIONARY, COUNTRY, and DATE. Contact: office@bfcbom.org
To Date the following ministries being done by BFC’ers have been registered with Let’s Fish.
May 26- Aug. 5 Alicia Billups Team Coordinator for RGBI June – August Rachel Bechtel CE summer missionary July 2- August 1 Rebecca Zurbrick from Paradise BFC will be going to Panama July 5-20 Elizabeth Studenroth and Clay Martin Moscow with the English Exchange July 6-August 10 Kara Lapp from Paradise BFC will be going to Wyoming to disciple youth and lead an outreach with YWAM July 10, 24, and 31 Reading Church Good News in the Park July 11-26 Serbia Trip Reading (spaces available) July 12-20 Sunbury to Haiti construction and ministry July 12-19, Oley 12 people with NYC Ministries doing personal evangelism in New York City parks & subways. July 13-20 Royersford Youth Missions Trip to Delmarva to do a VBS July 16-20 Hatfield at Toms River with Chris Merrick Work and Ministry July 16-27 Newark Del. to the Pollocks Day camp ministry July 18-25, Oley to Oaxaca, Mexico for building construction and evangelism. July 20-27 Graterford Crow Indian reservation Montana
Trips highlighted need our prayer support RIGHT NOW!
July 24-26, Oley Motorcycle Tent Ministry our people suppling food and fellowship evangelism. July 26- August 3 Q’town & Lehighton missions trip to Asheville, North Carolina. July 26-Aug 3 Harleysville Ixamal, Mexico August 1-6 Terre Hill at Spruce Lake VBS outreach August 2-18 - Emmaus Ukraine Trip doing puppet shows, drama, music and coffee house ministry as well as a morning camp program with Push-the-Rock each morning. August 8-21 Cedar Crest trip to Pollocks Team of 11 teens and 7 adults for day camp among Native Americans and work projects. Aug 14-17 Harleysville Wildwood Boardwalk Chapel Aug. 15-30 Serbia Trip Reading (spaces available) August 16-23 - Emmaus going to Wissinoming BFC for VBS and evangelistic puppet shows. August 20-24 Pastor Carl Cassel Canada with Rob Patterson August 20-28 Cedar Crest to Morocco Work team and ministry. August 22-24 - Walnutport BFC Weekend Block Party. Emmaus will be doing puppet shows and a Saturday block party. September 18- 29 Royersford Barnabas Team to visit with the Moyer's in France and with Rick Erb in the Ukraine. September 19- 29 Royersford Work Team to put roof on Church building in Palowice, Poland. Sep. 26-Oct. 11 Serbia Trip Reading (spaces available) Oct. 9 - 17; work trip to Guatemala (Mi Refugio). Building skills sought. Several from the BFC mid-Hudson churches are planning to go -- elder Hans Waldvogel (Faith BFC, Holmes, NY) is the contact person hwaldvog@jhmc.org October date to be determined Cedar Crest to Kosovo Work and ministry. Nov. 7-22 Serbia Trip Reading (spaces available)
5. Nelson’s Short-Term Nuggets
We all know that God works in mysterious ways, sometimes through behind the scenes servants who are rarely recognized. Early this year I learned of a little organization in Kentucky called Master’s Provision. Master’s Provision gathers used clothing, shoes, and medical supplies and ships the items to countries such as the Ukraine, Kosovo and others. I have had the opportunity to take two truck loads of aid to Master’s Provision for shipment to my missionary friends in Kosovo.
The unusual thing about this organization is that they operate on a shoestring budget. Their small warehouse and loading dock is donated by Marathon Oil. God provided them with a machine to compress and then band their clothing bags. He also provided the bags and boxes used for each shipment, which by the way fit perfectly into a shipping container so that there are no empty spaces.
Roger, the headman of the group, is a missionary, just like many of us, as are the other members of his staff. In the last four years, Master’s Provision has loaded and shipped over 160 of those big shipping containers with clothing and supplies to be distributed to those less fortunate than us in the name of our Saviour. What a blessing this group of men and their volunteers are to many, and some day in Heaven they will be able to meet with those that came to know Christ through their work. Please remember to pray for Roger and his staff as they continue to serve our Lord.
“My Father never stops working, so why should I?”
As I write this we have BFC people ministering in at least a dozen places around the world in a short term ministry! Others have just returned and still others are preparing to go. It matters not if the trip is to DelMarVa or Russia, Tanzania or Montana, one thing all trips have in common: team members are finding that God is at work in His world!
Look at the passion of Jesus in the verse quoted above. Oh that we too would have such passion! As God brands into your very soul lessons learned from your short term experience, I encourage you NEVER lose the vision! NEVER lose the passion! On the first day of your journal it may be well to write this phrase:
“My Father never stops working, so why should I?”
Most of all, Keep Fishing!
Dana
Reminder
November 14-16 BOM Missions RWR This annual work/study weekend sponsored by the BOM is for high school and post high school young people serious about knowing God’s will for their life and the possibility of career missions. This weekend fills up quickly so register early by e-mail to office@bfcbom.org. Name, age, church, e-mail and snail mail address, and phone # required.
Registrations are already coming in! Don’t miss out!
September September 19 Short Term Debriefing Round-up
December 27- January 1 Urbana
A cooperative effort of the churches of the BFC to win the world for Christ Your response is always welcome at: office@bfcbom.org 610 398-8776
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