West Texas Missioner: September 2021

Thursday, September 30, 2021

From @mmm_water ... 2021 Well Season: Daily Devotional

September 1 - October 31 is Marion Medical Mission Well Season for 2019. The season will include daily devotionals - one for each day the U.S. volunteers are overseas, sharing the love of Jesus by providing safe, clean, sustainable sources of drinking water to the extreme poor in sub-Saharan Africa. Marion Medical Mission is one of our mission partners at Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, and we STRONGLY encourage you to read these devotions to learn more about - and pray for! - their mission.

September 30, 2021

BBEYOND EXPECTATIONS
Tamra Keller
Volunteer, Colorado

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

I had had no “call” other than I didn’t want my husband to be in such a remote area of the world without me. I had written as much on my application to the MMM Wells Program; that did not keep me from being accepted.

During the long flights to Malawi, I had decided I was not prepared for this mission. My fields were education and publishing. Yet I was assigned to drive a four-wheel pick-up with pipes, pumps, and people on board over non-existent roads in a country I could barely locate on a map. I was to pray and give instructions at each well site to people whose language I did not speak. I was told that I would be “shocked” by the poverty. Those were my expectations.

What I found: No services. No phones. No roads. No bathrooms. No fresh water… And after the first week, my reason for going had been sent north with a truck of his own! But I found something else in Africa: that I was, indeed, prepared for this mission. For much of my childhood, my family had no running water and no indoor facilities. While in junior high, I had had experience driving a hay-hauling truck in the hot Arizona sun; the MMM truck was easier to drive. Growing up in rural Michigan and in Arizona, I was familiar with the poverty of destitute neighbors and of the Native American reservations; not so very different from Malawi. And I had taught ESL for several years, learning to listen to English spoken by various tongues; Chewa was only one more.

I hadn’t expected to be prepared for this mission. However, I discovered that God prepares us for wherever He leads us; I had been prepared through my previous life experiences. And as I was doing God’s work, I experienced what Paul wrote to the Ephesians: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Application Question: What is God preparing you to do?

Prayer: Lord, help us to be assured as we step out that You have prepared the place for us. Indeed, You have prepared us for the work you would have us do in Your name. Help us to remember that You do not send us out alone. You are always with us. Thank you, dear Lord. Amen.

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In the News ... "Ezekiel’s visions still astonish"

Engraving by Gustave Dore

• Sixth Century B.C. prophet imparted warning against idolatry

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - The visions of the Prophet Ezekiel are some of the most evocative in the Old Testament, giving an image of God above “four living creatures” with four faces and four wings each “who sparkled like burnished bronze ...

... God gave Ezekiel, who was about 30 years old and married, a scroll on which were written “words of lamentation and mourning” because the Israelites would be punished for their rebellion, say ministers Leslie Boone of Andrews and William Mark Bristow of Odessa ...

• Read the rest of this OA 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.

Contributed Photo

Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 30, 2021

SCHOLAR DR. LARRY R. HYGH, JR. - When telling the church’s story, it helps to know one’s own faith story well enough to tell it succinctly and powerfully.

That ability was on ample display recently as three national groups of communicators meeting simultaneously — conferences of the Religion Communicators Council, the Associated Church Press and the Canadian Christian Communicators Association — began with a talk by a United Methodist Church communicator turned scholar, Dr. Larry R. Hygh Jr. Hygh called his talk “Beyond the Little Black Box” ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

From @mmm_water ... 2021 Well Season: Daily Devotional

September 1 - October 31 is Marion Medical Mission Well Season for 2019. The season will include daily devotionals - one for each day the U.S. volunteers are overseas, sharing the love of Jesus by providing safe, clean, sustainable sources of drinking water to the extreme poor in sub-Saharan Africa. Marion Medical Mission is one of our mission partners at Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, and we STRONGLY encourage you to read these devotions to learn more about - and pray for! - their mission.

September 29, 2021

IN THE EYES OF THE CHILDREN
Dan Kingery
Volunteer, Illinois

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

I remember on the last night we were in Malawi in 2012, all the volunteers had gathered to worship. One of the things we discussed was “Where have you seen God while you have been here?” My answer was easy, “In the eyes of the children.” I also remember that incredible impression the children made upon my heart.

The first year, I think, has the most impact on you. It hits you for the first time just how different people live around the world. You see how people are impacted by circumstances they have no control over and how in some ways being less fortunate is not that bad. I know that sounds odd, how can being poor not affect you? Well, the children seem just as happy, if not happier, than the children I see every day here in the land of plenty. I have never seen so many smiles in my whole life. The children, I will admit, are why I have returned three times and hope to go again. Those brown eyes and beautiful smiles greet me everywhere I go. While the grownups are a little reserved (after all I have been told in some villages, I was the first white man to ever visit and in one case the first white person they had ever seen) the children are always smiling and happy and will even hold my hand as I walk to the well.

If in some way I can show the children of Malawi, Tanzania or Zambia how living the word of God will make the world a better place, my day is done. I have not made Africa a better place, it has made me a better person.

b>Application Question: How will you make the world a better place?

Prayer: Our Gracious and Heavenly Father, may we all be able to teach and to learn that following your loving ways, living your word and being your hands and feet are the best way to spread smiles and joy to our world. Amen.

In the News ... "Australian leads church"

OA Photo

• Pastor Johnson teaches that God empowers believers

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Pastor Brent Johnson was a teenager when he felt God’s call to become a minister, but he got an accounting degree and worked for three years till attending Bible college and starting life as a pastor. He led two churches in his hometown of Sydney, Australia, and was a pastor in Melbourne before coming to Presence Church at 901 Midland Dr. three years ago ...

• Read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

Photo by Simona Filippini

Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 29, 2021

UNDERSTANDING RACISM - “I’m a Black Italian, a Black European, a woman who was born in Rome with Somalian roots,” said writer Igiaba Scego. She spoke out about herself after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died in police custody in Minnesota after being pinned to the ground, and whose last words were, “I can’t breathe.”

“Every time I think about my education, I think of the Afro Americans. Without them, I probably would not have survived,” Scego said. Her words reveal the deep relationship between Europe and the U.S., especially in the fight against racism ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

In the News ... "Tom’s Coats"

• The drive will be held through the entire month of October

Staff Report
• KOSA-TV

ODESSA/MIDLAND, TEXAS - Chief Meteorologist Tom Tefertiller, CBS7 First Alert and the Salvation Army are teaming up to keep kids in West Texas warm this winter.

We’re looking for gently-used or new jackets or sweaters for the drive ...

• Read the rest of this KOSA report

From Presbyterian Giving Catalog ... Sustainable produce — and community — are in bloom at Garfield Community Farm

Valley View Presbyterian Church Photo

Community gardens bring nutritious food and sustainable skills to food deserts

Garfield Community Farm (GCF), a Pittsburgh-based program supported by gifts made through the Presbyterian Giving Catalog, has been supplying produce to feed its neighbors in predominantly low-income neighborhoods for years — and that mission was never more important than last year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, GCF more than doubled the number of households served through produce deliveries and experimented with distributing tomato seedlings to households with a note attached that read "We love you. We are praying for justice." One recipient of seedlings was Phyllis Conner, a Garfield resident from birth who lives one block away from the farm. Never having grown vegetables before, she delighted in the small crop that rose from the 5-gallon buckets she used for the gardening effort ...

Read more about Phyllis’ experience and the monumental impact Garfield Community Farm made for hundreds of local households ...

A gift from the Presbyterian Giving Catalog makes an impact that lasts long after the last present is unwrapped. Not only does your gift help teach the joy of giving, your gift could help combat hunger, provide access to clean water or connect those in need with health and hygiene resources. Fill your cart with life-changing gifts, like:

• Community Garden

More than 23 million Americans live in food deserts, typically low-income neighborhoods where fresh, affordable food is nearly impossible to find. With few healthy food choices, residents in these areas often experience lasting health effects, like higher rates of diabetes. Community gardens supply nutritious produce where it’s most needed, while providing employment and educational opportunities that nurture communities ...

Give Now ...

• Sapling Set

Globally, humans face deepening ecological crises, and vibrant ecosystems are under threat from widespread deforestation. A gift of 90 saplings helps restore God’s Earth by mitigating climate change, sheltering wildlife, reinforcing soil and providing nutritious food for surrounding communities ...

Give Now ...

If you have a case that's close to your heart, you can find a way to help in the Presbyterian Giving Catalog. Explore a wide variety of gifts that provide real and positive impact around the world — including aid for refugees, access to clean water and helping to end hunger.

Presbyterian Giving Catalog
Presbyterian Church USA
100 Witherspoon Street
Louisville, KY 40202
United States
(800) 872-3283
presbyteriangifts@pcusa.org

From @mmm_water ... 2021 Well Season: Daily Devotional

September 1 - October 31 is Marion Medical Mission Well Season for 2019. The season will include daily devotionals - one for each day the U.S. volunteers are overseas, sharing the love of Jesus by providing safe, clean, sustainable sources of drinking water to the extreme poor in sub-Saharan Africa. Marion Medical Mission is one of our mission partners at Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, and we STRONGLY encourage you to read these devotions to learn more about - and pray for! - their mission.

September 28, 2021

UNFAMILIAR PATHS
Linda Allen
Volunteer, Florida

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them. I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do. I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16

The year was 2001 and our nation was rocked to its core. On September 11, a terrorist group hijacked four airliners. Two planes took down the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and a third hit the Pentagon. A fourth plane went down in a field in Pennsylvania. No one knew what would happen next. Where might they attack next? What airplane was safe? Was our country at war?

The uncertainty we felt was palpable even as we went about our normal activities here at home. But I had volunteered to go to Malawi with MMM, and I was to board a plane in Chicago in a few short weeks. Tom Logan came to me and said, “Go home and talk to Paul [my husband] about whether to continue on. We don’t know what is going to happen. When we get to Malawi, I can’t promise I can get you home.” What to do?

Four dear ones helped me make up my mind. Jim Nussbaumer, volunteer from Colorado said, “We have a job to do and we need to do it!” Yes. Rev. Suzanne Vargo Gorhau, Nebraska, told me, “We must overcome evil with good.” So true. Pastor Dan Whitfield preached a sermon on the rich, young ruler Jesus told to give it all up. And Dan remarked, “You know, we give it all up in the end anyway.” Wow. And then husband Paul said in his quiet, wise way, “What I think is...if you’re going to Malawi, you need to get your stuff packed.” And I did.

I’d never flown before. Never been out of the continental USA. Didn’t know where I’d use the bathroom in Malawi. Or what I’d eat. Or where I’d sleep. I didn’t know if I could do the work. Or if I could converse with folks. I stepped onto an unfamiliar path fully trusting in God and God’s children—my companions— both American and Malawian. I had a truly amazing experience, and returned to Malawi three more times.

Application Question: Every day is an unfamiliar path—how can I trust even more?

Prayer: Dear God. Help me to trust you implicitly and to step boldly onto unfamiliar paths, here, there—wherever you lead. Amen.

In the News ... "West Texas Food Bank partners with XTO Energy with a community garden"

KOSA Photo

• “There is nothing else like this in the Permian Basin where you can see this type of innovative gardening happening."

By Eduardo Huijon, Jr., Reporter
• KOSA-TV

MIDLAND, TEXAS - The West Texas Food Bank held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today with XTO energy for their community garden.

The XTO Energy Innovative Gardens will provide children the opportunity to gain access to learning about different fruits and veggies ...

• Read/watch the rest of this KOSA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

Synod of the Covenant screenshot

Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 28, 2021

HUNGER - Sharing food is one of my great joys. I know, I know … that isn’t altogether unique, and definitely not unique for Presbyterians I know. We gather around tables for myriad reasons, and in lots of different ways. But the act of sharing food can remind us of other things we share: namely a need for food — hunger — and the interdependence it takes to make a meal possible. I think it is true that we never eat alone. Not really. Even if we sit at the table by ourselves, we are eating with each and every person who finds a part to play in this interconnected food system that helps bring food to table ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Monday, September 27, 2021

From @chinaaid : "'ChinaAid and 44 other organizations urge Xi Jinping to release reporter"

The ChinaAid 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.

Photo: Reporters Without Borders

ChinaAid and 44 other organizations urge Xi Jinping to release reporter
Distributed by ChinaAid, September 2021 ...

MIDLAND, TEXAS – OChinaAid, Reporters Without Borders, and 43 other non-government organizations (NGOs) signed a letter to Xi Jinping, the State Chairman of China, asking him to release Zhang Zhan. You may find the signed letter below ...

• More on this story from ChinaAid ...

From @mmm_water ... 2021 Well Season: Daily Devotional

September 1 - October 31 is Marion Medical Mission Well Season for 2019. The season will include daily devotionals - one for each day the U.S. volunteers are overseas, sharing the love of Jesus by providing safe, clean, sustainable sources of drinking water to the extreme poor in sub-Saharan Africa. Marion Medical Mission is one of our mission partners at Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, and we STRONGLY encourage you to read these devotions to learn more about - and pray for! - their mission.

September 27, 2021

WIDOW'S GIFT
Jan VanHeiningen
Volunteer, Tennessee

I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on. Luke 21:3-4

When we are leaving the village after installing and dedicating the well, we are often escorted back to our truck with exuberant villagers bearing gifts. Especially in Africa, gratitude comes in many forms. Along with additional hugs, handshakes, songs and dances, these gifts might include an offering of maize, ground nuts, dried beans, sweet potatoes, therere (dried okra leaves) or even a chicken. Considering the poverty and limited resources in most villages, these gifts are humbling. They are definitely not given out of their wealth.

To avoid inadvertently insulting a gift bearer, learning to be a “gracious receiver” has been a difficult task for me among such poverty. However, one such gift, still brings tears to my eyes as I recall a wise, petite, unassuming GoGo (grandmother). As I visualize her, she reminds me of the woman in the crowd who simply wanted to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. She moved silently through the crowd of villagers and approached where I was standing beside the truck and offered me 2 small chicken eggs. Apologetically she placed them into my hands saying – “this is all I have.” Out of her poverty – she put in all she had. I snuggled these precious eggs within the glove box of the truck inside my work gloves for safekeeping for the remainder of the day’s driving challenges.

I will always remember her sacrifice for me. My prayer is that I too can follow her example of Jesus’s words in Luke to give “more than the others” often reminding myself that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Application Question: Will we recognize today’s opportunities to give with a gracious and a generous heart?

Prayer: Gracious Father, thank you for the ultimate gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, who you sacrificed for us. Open our eyes, Lord, to opportunities that will bring honor and glory to you as we who have so much seek to help those who have so little. Amen

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

Photo by airfocus via Unsplash

Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 27, 2021

DIVERSITY, EQUALITY AND INCLUSION - These days, every organization is coming up with a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — commonly referred to as DEI — strategic plan. The hiring of diversity and inclusion executives has grown 113% in the last five years. As of February 2021, half of Standard & Poor’s 500 companies have a chief diversity officer. The national agencies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are also putting together DEI plans as a response to the General Assembly mandate for a Race Audit in 2018. However, this is not the church jumping on the latest business trend. DEI has been a core value from the birth of the church. In fact, the church practiced them first. Consider the basic definitions of DEI and how they were present in the early church, from its Pentecost birth ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

In the News ... "‘Soldiers work to improve quality of life for Afghan evacuees"

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Quintin Gee

• "It feels good, and it feels right to help people that are in need."

Staff Sgt. Brandy Herrmann, Operation Allies Welcome – Operation Allies Refuge
• El Paso Herald-Post

EL PASO/FORT BLISS, TEXAS - An unlikely team of Soldiers from the 40th Brigade Engineer Battalion (BEB), 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, came together recently, working tirelessly to provide Afghan evacuees safety and security upon their arrival to Fort Bliss, Texas ...

• Read the rest of this EPHP report ...

Monday, September 13, 2021

From @mmm_water ... 2021 Well Season: Daily Devotional

September 1 - October 31 is Marion Medical Mission Well Season for 2021. The season will include daily devotionals - one for each day the U.S. volunteers are overseas, sharing the love of Jesus by providing safe, clean, sustainable sources of drinking water to the extreme poor in sub-Saharan Africa. Marion Medical Mission is one of our mission partners at Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, and we STRONGLY encourage you to read these devotions to learn more about - and pray for! - their mission.

September 13, 2021

I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WILL BE LIKE
Carol Nussbaumer
Volunteer, Colorado

"He will cover you with his feathers, And under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart, You will not fear the terror of the night.
Psalm 91:4-5

One year, our granddaughters’ Christmas gift from their aunt was a trip to Disney World. Addie, age 9, was jumping for joy. Izzie, age 6, broke into tears sobbing “I don’t want to go!” Her dad asked “Why don’t you want to go?” “Because I don’t know what it will be like.”

Maybe that is why I resisted God’s call to Malawi for so long. I didn’t know what it would be like. Where would I sleep? Could I eat the food? I don’t know the language – how will I communicate? Will I be safe? What about the culture differences? Can I afford it? I hate needles – what about all those vaccines? I don’t like to fly…. I can’t do it. I don’t know what it will be like.

Even after we accept the Call and make the long trip to Malawi, there are still moments when doubt kicks in because we don’t know what it will be like. Maybe there is a change in assignment and the new area and new people to work with make us wonder “I don’t know what it will be like. I’m comfortable here now.” That path seemingly going off into nowhere causes a bit of nerves. “I don’t know what it will be like.” After years of working in Tanzania, there is a sudden change of plans and the new assignment is along Lake Malawi. “But, I don’t know what it will be like.”

Every day has a new challenge and you don’t know what it will be like. What you do know is this: you are sheltered under the wings of God who is riding alongside you in the truck and with the psalmist you can say “My God, in whom I trust” (Psalm 91:2). It’s not a bad idea to have that on your tongue most of the day. Maybe alongside my frequent prayer in Malawi: “Lord, I need some help here.” You may be surprised at how often that prayer is answered, but be prepared: you don’t know what it will be like.

Application Question: How will you ask God for help today?

Prayer: Almighty God, you alone know what this day will be like for me. Thank you for giving me whatever I will need to manage the tasks ahead. Thank you for being always beside me wherever I go and for being ready to help whenever I ask. Amen.

In the News ... "‘One soldier’s past, Afghan evacuees’ present"

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Christina Westover, 24th Theater Public Affairs Support Element

• "She’s been absolutely essential in building relationships with the [Afghan evacuees]"

Sgt. Brandon Banzhaf, Operation Allies Welcome – Operation Allies Refuge
• El Paso Herald-Post

EL PASO/FORT BLISS, TEXAS - Plane after plane, every Afghan evacuee who gets off has a different story. One soldier who is able to hear those stories is Sgt. Simranjeet Lidder, a cavalry scout with the 6th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division ...

• Read the rest of this EPHP report ...

Sunday, September 12, 2021

From @mmm_water ... 2021 Well Season: Daily Devotional

September 12, 2021

A NEW THING
Reverend Wade Halva
Volunteer, Illinois

"Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18-21

To travel with MMM was to do a new thing. To travel far from home, to drive stick, to drive on the left side of the road, to be absurdly wealthy by comparison to those I was working with, to explore new landscapes, and to meet new friends. It was a new thing that God was clearly driving.

Driving, God makes a way in the wilderness, for a truck with an uncertain driver, for a truck at all, in a land where bicycles and foot traffic are the modes of travel, and for the love of Christ made real in the flowing of clean water from just below the surface up a 4 inch pipe into buckets of many colors.

Watching the t-handle pump go up and down, and up and down, and up and down, and the sound of water climbing the pipe, the new thing was springing forth, flowing forth, bursting forth for a village, a community, many families. Cheering begins to break forth, and song, jubilation, and hope. A river of clean water drains out of the apron of the well, dripping from the dusty hands of the beloved of God who drink deeply from the water of life.

It is a new thing. And eventually the old thing will be forgotten, to be told as a “once upon a time,” or a precautionary tale, or as “you don’t know how good you have it.” The new thing doesn’t stay in the village. It roots itself deep in me, deep in us, as we travel to the next village, the next well, the next guest house, the airport home, and into the rest of the world.

Application Question: What is the new thing bursting forth that you see, hear, taste, feel, or experience?

Prayer: God who names me your child in the waters of baptism, may your will and your work be visible to me, and visible in me. May your love and grace burst forth and gush out, even in the wildernesses of my life, and may I drink deeply of the new life given to me. Amen.

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

Rev. Dr. David Gambrell

Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 12, 2021

CHRISTIAN FORMATION CELEBRATION WEEK - Heading into the 2021/2022 church program year holds many questions, anxieties and hopes for new beginnings and new ways of gathering. Faith formation is the heart of our communities, and we are beginning to live into exploring how formation happens in a variety of contexts ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Saturday, September 11, 2021

In the News ... "Abilene Sermons: 09/11-12/2021"

• What's happening at churches in the Big Country?

Staff Report
• Abilene Reporter-News

ABILENE, TEXAS - Local and area church sermons this weekend.

Encourage your pastor to tell us the upcoming week's sermon topic. It's FREE, and it's open to churches throughout the Big Country. Email it to publishme@reporternews.com by 2 p.m. each Tuesday. Please put "sermon" in the subject line. Include the topic, who will deliver it, a synopsis limited to 60 words, when services begin and the name and street address of your place of worship ...

• Read the rest of this ARN report ...

From @mmm_water ... 2021 Well Season: Daily Devotional

September 11, 2021

LIVE JOYFULLY
Rick Delaney
Volunteer, Ohio

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:3-6

Paul writes to encourage the Christians at Philippi to live joyfully in every circumstance. To know and celebrate the belief there is a partnership between the followers of God and Christ. Paul points to Jesus’ death to show that God can take even the darkest moment in history and turn it into a reason for joy “in the Lord.”

Three of my four seasons in Karonga – I had “my guys.” Lewis, Robert, Richard, Jaswell, and others. We toiled, prayed, laughed heartily, and shared personal connection cultivating our closeness. Trip #1 - my last day in the bush 2010, I was saddened knowing I would not be working with “my guys” the next day…

Richard settled the moment by reminding me to discover joy in every circumstance and God would reunite us “to carry it on to completion.” That we are a family of Christians who love one another and are graced by the words of the gospel and blessings from our Father. I remember driving the tarmac reflecting on Richard’s words and the calm it provided as I prepared for the next day’s departure. To his word, we worked two more campaigns together as we celebrated joy “in the Lord.”

Sadly, this past winter I received the following message from Lewis (Mr. Silungwe): Dear Sir, I must let you know that we lost Richard Vinkhumbo due to a road accident on 17 January 2021 and was buried on 18 January 2021……

I had to read it twice – check my journal for the spelling of Richard’s last name. Partners for only three seasons, yet he was profoundly important in my life and experience with MMM. I look upon his picture and feel heartache for his family, friends, and community. Yet, as we find in scripture, I also know Richard was willing to be used by God with purpose, ministry, and the spirit of a better life through clean water for all God’s people. Our friend Richard is remembered with joy and thanksgiving in spreading Christ’s love to lift up others.

Application Question: Are you remembered with Joy by your acts of kindness?

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for Your Church, which is the body of Christ and the family of God. As we lift up the needs and requests of our brothers and sisters, may our prayers be bathed in love and grace, forgiveness and faith, care and concern. Amen.

In the News ... "Odessa Church News"

• Today and in the days ahead, in Odessa-area houses of worship

Staff Report
• Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Coming events include worship services, classes, Bible studies, community outreach, fundraisers, mission opportunities and more ...

• Read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

Provided Photo

Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 11, 2021

REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11 - Chaplain Joanne Martindale remembers:

On Sept. 11, 2001, I, as well as all the other chaplains and chaplain assistants of the New Jersey and New York Army National Guards were called to active duty ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Friday, September 10, 2021

In the News ... "Bible Baptist Church hosting Parent’s Night Out program"

KOSA Photo

• Friday evenings at BBC

By Shane Battis, Reporter
• KOSA-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - Shane Battis was joined by Pastor Aaron Shipman of Bible Baptist Church to discuss their Parent's Night Out program ...

• Read/watch the rest of this KOSA report ...

From @mmm_water ... 2021 Well Season: Daily Devotional

September 10, 2021

SERVANT LEADERSHIP
Mavuto Alexander Chikankhe Nyirenda
MMM Field Officer, Malawi

"But whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be the first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life a ransom for many.
Mark 10: 43-45

The work of MMM in the rural community is a great manifestation of servant leadership. Starting from the water point committees at the well, zone members, supervisors, field officers and MMM board, to volunteers in the USA, all have shown and come to understand that serving others gives joy and peace of mind. Working with MMM over the years has given me happiness and realization as I reminisce about some of the incidents that have touched my heart and become implanted within me. On one encounter there was a 22-foot well which had a problem in pumping water after installation. Over 30 women attended the installation with their buckets ready to get water. Despite the problem, people’s joy, happiness and expectations were not dampened. The people were overjoyed and sang songs in praise of God and MMM in the work being done from the beginning to the end of installation. This testifies to the trust that people have in MMM and its staff and the roles people expect to play in their lives to end their ordeals.

In all the experiences I learn that we have been created to serve others, not ourselves. By serving others, that’s when we feel real contentedness to the work we have accomplished. For the legacy of man is not on what he/she accumulates for himself/herself but rather for what he/she has contributed to the wellness and betterment of others without scruple and self-proclamation.

The MMM program is worth praying for, for its smooth running.

To Him, we are indebted for all our capabilities. To Him, belong our powers of body, mind and soul, and for Him these powers are to be used. Our time, our influence, our capabilities, our skills, all must be accounted for to Him who gives all.

Application Question: How can I serve others today?

Prayer: Dear Lord, God, Father Almighty give us the zeal to work for you in your garden just as Adam and Eve were instructed to. Make us realize our potential attributes to accomplish the work that you created us to do on this earth. Amen.

In the News ... "Romero preaches transformation"

OA Photo

• Juarez native has led The Gathering Church since 2012

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American

MIDLAND, TEXAS - The Rev. Jorge Romero began working as a professional musician in his hometown of Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, and first visited Midland in 2003 as the bassist in a Christian band.

But he had always felt drawn to the ministry and after stepping in at a small church here when the pastor left, the Rev. Romero became associate pastor of The Gathering Church in 2009 and lead pastor three years later ...

• read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook

Contributed Photo

Today in the Mission Yearbook: September 10, 2021

HOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY - Presented by the Presbyterian Hunger Program, the Rev. Dr. Patricia Tull, an environmental theologian and author of “Inhabiting Eden: Christians, the Bible, and the Ecological Crisis,” recently led more than 50 participants through an online presentation highlighting her and her family’s journey toward building a zero energy home located in Henryville, Indiana ...

• CLICK HERE to read more.

Thursday, September 9, 2021

From @mmm_water ... 2021 Well Season: Daily Devotional

September 9, 2021

SAFETY SO FAR FROM HOME
Ellen Dozier
Volunteer, Arkansas

"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8

When I told my American friends I was going to Africa with MMM, they often asked, “Is it safe there?” My answer was, “I feel as safe there as any place on earth.” The next question they asked told me a lot about their own fears and experiences. “Where will you sleep? What will you eat? What about wild animals? Are there bandits?” I responded to their questions patiently (most of the time), pointing out that my peace is not necessarily dependent on safe and familiar physical circumstances. My peace comes from the Prince of Peace, the One who will never leave me or forsake me.

Now, the truth is, if I heard an unfamiliar sound in the night in Malawi, I woke up with my heart beating fast. I prayed, remembering where I am, who I am and Whose I am, and I go back to sleep. If I didn’t understand what was going on around me during the day, I asked my African partner if there was something I need to do, and his answer brought me peace. When I made mistakes in language or got the truck stuck in sand due to a lapse in judgment, my peace returned with the laughter which followed the correction.

The peace I found in Africa surprised me the first year. I was a long way from home, separated from my husband for the first week of training. At lunchtime, I was parked in the shade on the side of a dusty track with five African men I barely knew. I could not have found my way back to my lodging or even the tarmac road after all the twists and turns we had taken that morning. Yet I felt as safe there, with them, as I ever had in my life. My sense was that they would have laid down their lives to ensure my safety. In the laughter and peace of a roadside lunch, God was in charge of our safety. Indeed, there is safety in Him regardless of how you define home.

Application Question: How can I trust God to be in charge of my safety?

Prayer: Father, help me to be ever mindful that I am safe in You, regardless of where I sleep or where I dwell..