West Texas Missioner: September 2016

Friday, September 30, 2016

From ServLife International ... "Microfinance Starts in 3 New Villages"

SPECIAL NOTICE ... Your investment and partnership with ServLife builds global community to plant churches, care for children and fight poverty. Your support has helped Pastor Daya serve people in his village and share the hope of Jesus. You have helped start a school in India for children that otherwise would not receive an education. And you have empowered Jamuna’s family to overcome extreme poverty with just a small business loan. Would you consider a gift today to deepen your impact to support pastors, children, and families?

• CLICK HERE for more information, and to contribute.

ServLife International is a movement defined by values of God’s kingdom, not programs built around human efforts and activities. The reign and rule of God should be made apparent to every person on the planet, despite their religion, race or socioeconomic status. We believe that issues of justice are inseparable from the good news that Jesus Christ came to proclaim. ServLife exists to take the gospel of Christ and the hope of a better, more just, world to the lives of people we touch. This happens through individual contributions of time, creativity, resources and dreams.

Microfinance Starts in 3 New Villages

ServLife Photo

We are excited to announce that in the last year we have launched our microfinance program in three new villages in Nepal. This unprecedented growth comes after nearly a decade of operating in only two locations, and while those two programs have been very successful we are looking forward to reaching even more families through these new locations ...

• CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post from ServLife ...

From Adam Nevins
Executive Director
ServLife International Inc.

Join Our Mission

ServLife International propels reconciliation and justice by building global community to plant churches, care for children and fight poverty. Compelled by the message, life and love of Jesus Christ, we seek to care for the spiritual, physical, social, and economic areas of life in northern India and Nepal. Learn more about our latest news, featured stories, and how to get involved at servlife.org


Support a Pastor Our church planters spread the love of Christ in some of the most difficult environments in the world. • Support Them ...	Sponsor a Child For only $30 per month you can help give a child food, education, care and, most importantly, hope. • Sponsor Now ...	Fight Poverty The HOPE Fund, our micro-finance program, provides start-up funds for a small business, paving a way out of poverty for families in need. • Learn More ...

ServLife International, Inc.
P.O. Box 20596
Indianapolis, IN 46220
USA

From @FWMission ...Friday Story: "“Share This Brew” Mobilizes Thousands"

Founded in 2001, Free Wheelchair Mission is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to providing wheelchairs for the impoverished disabled in developing nations. Headquartered in Irvine, California, FWM works around the world in partnership with a vast network of humanitarian, faith-based and government organizations, sending wheelchairs to hundreds of thousands of disabled people, providing not only the gift of mobility, but of dignity, independence, and hope.

FWM Photo

Friday Story: "“Share This Brew” Mobilizes Thousands"

Greetings, and Happy Friday!

This summer, a most unusual partnership provided the gift of mobility to more than 600 people in the Philippines.

The Bruery, a local business based here in Orange County, California, donated a portion of the proceeds from the first of its special “Share This™” brews to Free Wheelchair Mission’s efforts in the Philippines. “Share This: Coffee” is an imperial stout (beer) specially treated with coffee beans sourced from the Philippines ...

• read the rest of this story ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 30, 2016

PRESBYTERIAN MISSION AGENCY IN HUNGARY - In September of 2015, thousands of Syrian refugees found themselves stranded at a Budapest train station, making their way across Hungary toward the Austrian border. For most, the travel had been difficult, as they were turned away from other countries or settled in communities that were not very welcoming ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Thursday, September 29, 2016

From Uganda, Dr. Greg Bartha: "Kampala"

In describing himself and his present circumstances, longtime Midland physician Dr, Greg Bartha will say ... "Elderly physician embarks on a new journey in life serving God and the people of Uganda. My goal is to move from living a good life to living a great life." In addition to his long-term mission, working at a medical clinic in Uganda, he is also a contributor to the Formula Vita blog.

Kampala

I spent two days in Kampala, in late September before returning to the US for a six week break. Pastor Simon Peter and I started off from the village about 8:00 AM. As is usual in Uganda, there were numerous side trips and detours: a photo op with school children at a water well, a brief stop to copy travel documents, a short meeting with another pastor in Mbale and a brief stop to change money. When we finally arrived at the bus area, the bus we had planned to take was still filling, so there would be a delay. We took another bus that was just getting ready to depart, the hour being about 10:30 AM. We took the last two seats. The ride was rough, but we arrived in Kampala in good time, four hours later. During most of the trip, salesmen were walking up and down the aisle hawking various products such as cough drops and liniments for men who work hard ...

• CLICK HERE to read the rest of Greg's post ...

In the News ... Foster care a critical need

OA Photo by Jacob Ford

• Bade: Early childhood trauma is also an issue

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - The Rev. Dennis Lee Bade got interested in social issues while studying at the Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, and he has pursued those concerns throughout the half-century since then ...

... Now semi-retired, Bade is a volunteer chaplain at Medical Center Hospital and a member of the H21 Drug Coalition and UTPB Early Childhood Coalition. “Odessa and Midland have a high rate of child abuse and neglect,” he said ...

• read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

PRESBYTERY OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - Chris Lim, a ruling elder at Indonesian Presbyterian Church in Seattle, wanted nothing less than what God wants—that God’s kingdom come. In fact, he wanted to use his expertise in technology to hasten its coming.

To that end, Lim formed a community of Christians at his workplace—Amazon—to discuss the theology of technology. “Because we are not only consumers of technology, but we also create it,” said Lim, “that means we have the opportunity to infuse it with the values of the kingdom.” ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

WAW Wednesday ... Have you thought about Christmas?

"The Word at Work is a ministry that mobilizes churches and individuals to answer God's call to minister to those in need," writes Rev. Tim Tam, Director of the Amarillo, Texas-based ministry. "Through our relationships, God reveals needs and opportunities for service. As we come along side the poor, new friendships develop and doors for ministry open. As we serve, God provides the resources to supply for the needs he reveals."

Have you thought about Christmas?

Hello Friends,

Our partners in Belize are getting ready and that means we are too! It takes some planning to get gifts for 30,000 kids shipped in time ... and we have lists to make and check twice ... and parties to help plan ... all to celebrate the greatest gift imaginable! I'm sure you'll want to know more about our Christmas Project, so please stay tuned!

We are amazed by the passion of our friends at Paoli Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania! This weekend they will pack and bless a shipping container headed for Belize! Their project is the culmination of months of planning and collecting items for all of our partners. TWAW's Tim Hagen will head to Paoli tomorrow to help with the loading; and, one of our Pinnacle Church team members, David Brandon, will join him to document the whole weekend in video. We can't wait to share more of this story!

Would you please pray with us:

- Praises for the body of Christ at Paoli Pres!
- Travel mercies for Tim & David
- Clear vision for what's next at Paoli as their passion for Belize grows!

We asked and you answered! Kenny Logan is coming to the States later this month....we want to make the most of his time here - so if you're interested in having him come visit your church, please shoot me a message!

(Oh, and we think he'll be here in time for his birthday on the 17th!!!)

And Finally .............

She's not a Spring chicken anymore, but we were happy to celebrate Mollie's birthday today (ahem...let's just say it was a "significant" number)! She said the only way I could include this greeting was if I also let you know when all of our birthdays are, so, for your reference in the future (because to be honest, our staff is AWESOME! :-)

Jo Cole - December 28
Tim Hagen - November 21
Kenny Logan - September 17
Tim Tam - December 30
Chepito Valencia - December 4

Thanks for being the Word at Work!

tt (Tim Tam)
The Word at Work

ps: Our Ministry Associate team gathers school supplies, toys, and stuffed animals through out the year ... we've discovered blankets are an ongoing need as well, so please be saving them, too. Click here to learn more about becoming a TW@W Ministry Associate, or get in touch with Tim Hagen for more information!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Speaking from my own first-hand experience - working side-by-side with Tim, Kenny and our brothers and sisters in Belize - won't you give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to supporting the efforts of Tim, the Word At Work staff and their partners? Please please fill out this Commitment Card and return it to their office!

Also, remember that you can follow The Word At Work on their Facebook page!

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 28, 2016

PRESBYTERIAN DISASTER ASSISTANCE - In the aftermath of catastrophic flooding in the Gulf region, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance continues to provide assistance to victims of the disaster.

The flooding the weekend of August 13–14 dumped nearly 22 inches of rain in parts of Louisiana and other Gulf states, according to the National Weather Service. The American Red Cross and other agencies said it was the worst natural disaster to strike the United States since Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and some said the damage was more widespread than in Hurricane Katrina ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Word from Uganda: "Behind the Scenes at the Entebbe Zoo "

Missionary teacher Natalie Rolfe writes, "'When He calls me, I will answer ... I'll be somewhere working for my Lord.' My call was Mbale, Uganda and that is where I have returned to serve for another year. Specifically, I am teaching phonics at Lulwanda Children's Home, an orphanage and school for 90 kids." Natalie also keeps an online journal of her service at the weblog, When He calls me, I will answer ...

Behind the Scenes at the Entebbe Zoo

After arriving back in Uganda from Zanzibar, Melanie and I had 24 hours until she was to catch her flight to America for her furlough. We were able to cram in one more adventure ...

• read the rest of Natalie's post ...

• help raise funds for Natalie's mission ...

In the News ... 'See You at the Pole' set for 8 a.m. Wednesday

OA File Photo by Mark Sterkel

• Student led scripture, prayer event

Staff Report
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - See You at the Pole is scheduled at 8 a.m. Wednesday at middle and high schools throughout Ector County Independent School District.

The local See You at the Pole is part of a national event. The theme this year is “We Cry Out,” the See You at the Pole website said ...

• read the rest of this OA report ...

In the News ... Parochial school enrollment dips due to economy

OA Photo by Mark Sterkel

• “We have had a number of parents who have either had a job loss, or a cutback in pay."

By Ruth Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Like government entities and families that have experienced job loss in Odessa, parochial schools have been impacted by the downturn in the oil and gas business in the form of lower enrollment.

Unlike the public schools, which receive their funds from property taxes, state and federal funds, private schools rely on tuition and contributions, so fewer students can mean less money in the budget ...

• read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO - In conjunction with the Women’s Department of the Church of Christ in Congo, Presbyterian World Mission co-worker Christi Boyd recently helped facilitate the first Healing Hearts training event in the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Monday, September 26, 2016

From @chinaaid : "Authorities hunt for human rights lawyer after he recants forced statements’"

The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

Authorities hunt for human rights lawyer after he recants forced statements

CAA Photo

Distributed by ChinaAid, September, 2016 ...

HOHHOT, INNER MONGOLIA, CHINA – The mother of renowned human rights lawyer Zhang Kai published a distressed update yesterday, saying that police surrounded her home and attempted to seize her son. Earlier that day, Zhang had publicly renounced statements he was forced to make during an interview. ...

• more on this story from China Aid

In the News ... "52 Faces" Q&A with Bob Rice

MRT Photo by Tim Fischer

"52 Faces of the Community" is a feature of the Midland Reporter-Telegram that is recognizing the unsung heroes and volunteers of Midland, Texas. The latest installment in this series offers a question-and-answer session with Bob Rice, nonprofit executive and volunteer.

• read the rest of this MRT report

• visit the "52 Faces" index page

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

PRESBYTERY OF CAYUGA-SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - In the northeast corner of the country, the Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse made a dramatic decision. It reduced presbytery staff to just one person and got rid of its office space. Today, Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery has no building. The office is a laptop, and its number rings to a cell phone in Steve Plank’s pocket. As the lone presbytery employee, Plank has the dual job title of stated clerk/communicator. He works with a volunteer leadership team of 15 elected positions and four ex-officio members ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Sunday, September 25, 2016

In the News ... "Bargain Bash brings shoppers variety, while helping the hungry"

KOSA Photo

• Weekend event benefits food bank, continues TODAY

By Matthew Alvarez, Reporter
• KOSA-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - It’s finally here! Boutique Bargain bash is a 2-day shopping event where shoppers can buy deeply discounted items. CBS 7 invites shoppers to come buy everything from shoes, handbags and jewelry to clothing for men, women and children as well as home furnishings and accessories at low prices and it’s all benefiting the West Texas Food Bank ...

• read the rest of this KOSA report

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 25, 2016

MINUTE FOR MISSION: EVANGELISM SUNDAY - Evangelism is all about relationships.

In meetings with church leaders, I continue to grow in my faith and in what it means to follow Christ. Through these encounters I am going deeper into what I already know in my heart: that evangelism is good news, relational, messy, and takes time ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Saturday, September 24, 2016

In the News ... "Biker Bash BBQ to benefit local homeless children"

Courtesy Photo

• Fun event TODAY at 2:00 p.m. in Odessa

By DeAnn Lopez, Reporter
• KOSA-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - If you’re looking for a family fun event to attend this weekend stop by the 1st Annual End of Summer Biker Bash benefiting the Ector County Angels ...

• read/watch the rest of this KOSA report

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 24, 2016

HISPANIC LATIN PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN RENEW COMMITMENT TO UNITY, SERVICE - Despite tension and polarization in church and society, Hispanic Latin Presbyterian Women (MHLP, in the Spanish acronym) came together recently under the theme “Connect . . . Grow . . . Serve” for their triennial assembly. Almost 200 Spanish-speaking Presbyterian women from congregations in the United States and Puerto Rico gathered in Fort Worth, Texas, to celebrate Encuentro VIII ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Friday, September 23, 2016

In the News ... “St. Ann’s Family Fair starts the weekend off in a big way"

• Something for everyone in terms of fun and food

Rich Lopez, Reporter
• Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Whether it’s carnival rides or kettle corn, this annual fair really does have something for everyone in terms of fun and food. For almost 70 years, St. Ann’s has brought this Midland tradition to life through a team of volunteers and organizers, and it never fails to bring out the kid in everyone. The real wonder of it all is how they pack their space into a full-fledged carnival and fair without feeling cramped. The weekend-long event features rides, fair games, smoke-free bingo and the Odds and Ends garage sale where you can find almost anything.

Fair: 10 a.m. Saturday; carnival: 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Sunday at 1906 Texas Ave., Free admission to fair. $25 for carnival armbands. For more information, go to stannsfair.org

In the News ... “TONIGHT: Prayer events finds power in women united"

• Women from all denominations are welcome to participate

Rich Lopez, Reporter
• Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Volunteer organizer Barbara Dunton approaches tonight’s women’s prayer event with an emotional take. In conjunction with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth's Revive Our Hearts Women's Conference simulcast, First Baptist Church will host Cry Out! in its Fellowship Hall. Dunton finds an exhilaration to it all ...

• read the rest of this MRT report

In the News ... St. Lawrence Festival set

Courtesy Photo

• Sales of homemade German sausage, other events planned for Oct. 2

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

ST. LAWRENCE, TEXAS - This small unincorporated community south of Garden City in Glasscock County will get much bigger for a day with the Oct. 2, St. Lawrence Fall Festival.

Spokeswoman Martha Schwartz said more than 2,000 people are expected from around the Permian Basin and farther for the 60th annual event, which, modeled after the original 206-year-old Oktoberfest in Germany, is best known for the thousands of pounds of uncooked German sausage that the men of St. Lawrence Catholic Church make to finance parish maintenance and improvements ...

• read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

MINUTE FOR MISSION: NATIVE AMERICAN DAY - Bill and Lori Picard, Nez Perce tribal members of Lapwai, Idaho, exemplify concerned and visionary discipleship. In 1997 their son Quanah died in an automobile accident. Three years later their son Skylin also died in an automobile accident. But God called the couple to turn tragedy into discipleship ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

In the News ... Satan is real, ministers say

• Devil described as a former archangel cast out of Heaven for trying to supplant God

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Variously known as Lucifer, Mephistopheles, Belial, Old Scratch, Beelzebub and the devil, Satan is a real being who can be very destructive but is not as powerful as many people think, clergymen say.

Citing Ezekiel 28:14-19, Luke 10:18 and other verses, the Revs. Griffin Jones, Terry Pugh, Bill Melton and Erik Stadler say the Bible gives a true picture of the being it also calls “the Evil One” ...

• read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

MINUTE FOR MISSION: GLOBAL WEEK OF ACTION AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE - Do Not Stand Idly By (DNSIB) is more than a catchy phrase; it is a biblical mandate and founding principle that guides the work of a campaign started by the Metro Industrial Areas Foundation, an ecumenical coalition of congregations across the country. We seek to stand with and work on behalf of those who have been impacted by gun violence. This national campaign seeks to get safer, smarter gun technology into the marketplace and to pressure manufacturers to work toward safer, smarter dealer networks ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Invitation to Prayer from Faces of Children ... TODAY

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Invitation to Prayer, TODAY

Hi Friends,

Thank you for joining me in prayer for the children of the world. If you can, we'd love to have you pray together with us this Wednesday - TODAY - at 11:30 a.m., in the gym conference room at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, followed by lunch together.

Also, Faces of Children is now on Facebook ! I invite you to like our page so that you can see regular stories, prayer needs, and updates from partner ministries.

All the best,

Carrie

Dear Intercessors,

INDIA // invite you to join me in praising God for the work that the Treasure Commission, a ministry supported by FPC Midland, is doing in India. Through medical clinics, training schools, and pastoral training, they are bringing hope and love to some members of unprivileged castes. Next month, 57 women will graduate from a 6-month tailoring school, giving them marketable skills in a society where they are at risk for trafficking due to poverty. The Treasure Commission hopes to purchase sewing machines ($123 each) for the top 10 students, and they have asked us to pray for God to supply the resources to purchase these machines. The Treasure Commission also provided a free medical clinic in an area tea garden, providing medical care for 258 people. They also are praising God for providing 3 motorcycles for 3 pastors, enabling them to take the Good News to more people and more places each month!

Treasure Commission's Medical Clinic in Ellenbari Tea Garden

Please continue to pray that God will uphold and protect the ministry of the Treasure Commission and multiply their efforts and energy. Amen.

SYRIA // Another FPC-supported ministry, Partner's Relief and Development, is expanding its work from Myanmar into Syria. This week we join them in praising God that they were able to deliver emergency food supplies and hygiene kits to 1,666 displaced families in Southern Aleppo, Syria. Their local partners delivered the food and hygiene kits despite significant risks to their safety because like us they believe that to love is to act. They said: "We have been distributing in the Southern and Eastern part of Aleppo countryside in the places that are today hard to reach areas where no International NGO dares to reach out." Praise God for those boxes filled with jam and olive oil and beans; for 1,666 families who received the first food they have had in weeks.

• Learn more ...

Please pray for Partner's as they work to raise funds and distribute ration kits to thousands more people who are just as hungry. Amen.

PR&D Photo

USA // Please be praying for International Justice Mission and the 400 churches across the USA (including FPC Midland) who will be coming together on September 25 to dedicate an entire Sunday to freedom. Together we will experience God's heart for justice and see how His people can lead the way to slavery's end. Please pray for this first annual event to deepen awareness within the church for the world's 45 million slaves and build anti-slavery efforts in communities across the country. To learn more or to see how your church could participate, please visit IJM's website.

• Learn more ...

Praying with you,

Carrie

Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153

If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to info@facesofchildren.net

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

MINUTE FOR MISSION: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE - Everyone can do something for peace.

What can one person do to advance world peace? Elizabeth Meehan, an elder at Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church of Saratoga Springs, New York, learned. Eight years ago, Meehan wanted to get involved in peacemaking, a cause that touches the environment, equitable access to resources, hunger, and many other topics. Meehan gained the support of her church’s Social Concerns Committee, and the Peace Fair was born ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Invitation to Prayer from Faces of Children ... TOMORROW

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Invitation to Prayer, TOMORROW

Hi Friends,

Thank you for joining me in prayer for the children of the world. If you can, we'd love to have you pray together with us this Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., in the gym conference room at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, followed by lunch together.

Also, Faces of Children is now on Facebook ! I invite you to like our page so that you can see regular stories, prayer needs, and updates from partner ministries.

All the best,

Carrie

Treasure Commission's Medical Clinic in Ellenbari Tea Garden

PR&D Photo