Prayer Calendar February 28-March 5, 2016

Hubert Harriman, "The invention of photography will probably remain as one of the more memorable discoveries in the history of mankind—to be able to capture a moment in time. Some pictures stay with you for a long time; they speak to powerful truths and stories. Let me tell you about one of those pictures that will always stand out in my mind."

Praise God for the Manuelito Project, which rescues children from the streets in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. p.2

Rev. Isaka Bushingagira

Donald Hohensee, Retiree
January-March 2016

Rev. Isaka Bushingagira, 93 years old, was born before WGM began its work in the central African country of Burundi. He got saved at the age of 16 in 1938, and, two years later, began serving as the chaplain for the dispensary at Kayero. He pastored several churches before being assigned to the Buranga church district in 1945. He has served as a pastor, a district superintendent, and as the general superintendent for the denomination.

When he was a child, Isaka lost his eyesight in his left eye. For that reason, he was never able to get a driver’s license. Instead, he has ridden his bicycle thousands of miles, preaching the gospel. He retired in 2000, and his family takes him to his local church where he still preaches from time to time.

Isaka’s parents followed the traditional form of worship among the Barundi people. He heard the gospel during special meetings held near his home, and he sincerely repented of his sins. Later he learned that his heart could be cleansed and filled with the Holy Spirit. His parents arranged for him to marry a woman who was still following the traditional religion. He asked them to find him a Christian woman instead, whom he married on October 13, 1943. He and his wife had 10 children. Their oldest, Amos Ndayisenga, is also an ordained minister.

Isaka read in the Bible that Jesus, the apostle Paul, and others laid hands on the sick and on those who were deformed, and also drove out demons. He reasoned that this could still be done today even though he wasn’t seeing that practiced. He followed this in his ministry and has seen the sick healed, those who were barren give birth to children, and the demon possessed delivered from bondage.

One of today’s leaders in Burundi shared, “Rev. Isaka is still following what you people in WGM taught him.” He believes the Bible is the Word of God and he believes it can still accomplish what it did centuries ago. He still preaches that people need to repent; he still preaches that God can cleanse and fill the human heart.

PRAY: Pray for Rev. Isaka and for all pastors as they reach out and minister to the Barundi people.

Prayer Calendar February 21-27, 2016

Rev. Isaka Bushingagira, 93 years old, was born before WGM began its work in the central African country of Burundi. He got saved at the age of 16 in 1938, and, two years later, began serving as the chaplain for the dispensary at Kayero. He pastored several churches before being assigned to the Buranga church district in 1945. He has served as a pastor, a district superintendent, and as the general superintendent for the denomination. 

Pray for Pastor Isaka and for all pastors in Burundi as they reach out and minister to the Burundi people. p. 7

Material Poverty, Spiritual Wealth, Fear, and Jesus

Tasha Bailey, Teams Participant
January-March 2016

“If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people” (Exodus 33:13 NLT).

With three hours left before landing at the Entebbe Airport in Kampala, Uganda, I filled my journal with cries of desperation. Fear had spilled into every space of my being, and I questioned all that God had asked of me.

Later, I walked through the doors of Sanyu Babies Home, still wondering if God had mistakenly chosen the wrong person: “I’m not strong enough or brave enough for this.”

As our team of 12 American women walked through the orphanage, I felt out of place and altogether wrecked inside. I couldn’t contain the constant flow of tears puddling at the base of my chin as I looked around, eyes wide with pity and fear. Then I heard the prayers of 4-year-old Beatrice. With hands tightly clasped, the melody of her prayer swirled inside her delicate reverence, hovering with bold confidence in the air around us. The initials “SBH” shouted against the white cotton of her tired dress. But even the stain of Beatrice’s reality faded beneath the purity and redemption of her prayer. I was sure her words penetrated the heights and depths of the goodness of our God. I had come to a place known for its material poverty, but I was witnessing the freedom of spiritual wealth.

Sanyu isn’t a place where the abandoned are forgotten. God’s constant wave of hope and pulsating love are flowing deep and wide through every paint-chipped crib and every faded piece of “SBH” clothing.

I learned the absence of fear is the presence of Jehovah-Jireh, an unyielding force that infiltrated the life and breath of this journey. I have been completely broken but altogether made fully whole.

Maybe we all need to be broken, completely shattered into a million pieces of self, so the Holy Trinity can soar in like a blazing cavalcade of hope to rebuild us with a million pieces of Himself, fragments woven from a million moments made by His sovereign truth and relentless love.

Because material poverty is weightless against spiritual wealth, His perfect provision is alive in those who allow Him to wreck our worlds, only to rebuild something greater for His kingdom come!

(Thanks to my teammate, Abra Clampitt with www.giftoftodayphotography.com, for capturing these images and to the Metz family for sharing your Uganda.)

GO: Whether you want to do construction, paint, lead a VBS or kids club, take care of orphans, provide medical care, play sports, cook, or pray, there’s a team for you! Learn more at www.wgm.org/teams.

Prayer Calendar: February 14-20, 2016

Later, I walked through the doors of Sanyu Babies Home, still wondering if God had mistakenly chosen the wrong person: “I’m not strong enough or brave enough for this.”

Pray that God will break your heart for the unloved, unwanted, and abandoned - and ask Him to help you find a way to reach out to them, p. 8

WGM’s History in Pictures

Tracy Dubois, Support Staff
January-March 2016

“If we are to know where we are going, we need to know where we have been.” Retiree Burnis Bushong used this paraphrased quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln to introduce his book R.U.N., Reaching the Unreached Now: A Brief History of World Gospel Mission. As we look ahead to another year, let’s gain inspiration and encouragement from our strong, steadfast history.

June 1910: The Missionary Department of the National Association for the Promotion of Holiness was founded June 10, 1910, in University Park, Iowa. That same week, Rev. and Mrs. Cecil and Ellen Troxel and Rev. and Mrs. Woodford and Harriet Taylor were appointed to China as the Mission’s first missionaries. In 1920, the China Field had 15 missionaries and hundreds of Chinese Christians working to win souls for the Lord.

November 1910: Beatrice “Mother” Beezley became the first American staff member. Her title was Secretary of the China Bureau, and her office was simply her briefcase. On July 10, 1913, Mother Beezley and Iva Durham Vennard organized the first Prayer Band in Chicago. The group met for six hours every Friday to pray for missions.

1919: Call to Prayer was first published by Mrs. Beezley as a bimonthly magazine. In March 2009, the magazine was renamed The Call (www.wgm.org/call). It is now a quarterly resource that encourages readers to become missions active wherever they are.

1926: The Mission separated from the Christian Holiness 

Association and became incorporated in Illinois as The Missionary Society of the National Association for the Promotion of Holiness. In 1937, the organization’s name was changed to the National Holiness Missionary Society. The name officially became World Gospel Mission in 1954.

1946: WGM reported 102 missionaries on seven mission fields, including China, Kenya, India, Burundi, Honduras, Bolivia,
and the Texas/Mexico border.

1956: Men With Vision was founded as an outreach of WGM. Today, MWV has 15 active chapters in the U.S. In 1963, six young people served on the mission field, starting Summer Career Corps. This outreach later became known as the Volunteers In Action program. In 2015, WGM’s mobilization team appointed 13 missionary disciplesand sent out 28 Missionary Volunteer Partners, 30 VIA participants, and 64 ministry teams with 664 team members.

1967: WGM was actively working on 16 fields, including China, Kenya, India, Burundi, Honduras, Bolivia, Mexico, Japan, the American Indian Field, Taiwan, Lebanon, Peniel Missions, Egypt, Haiti, the Texas/Mexico border, and Brazil.

1969-1992: Ministries were started in Indonesia, Argentina, Nicaragua, Haitian American Ministries (in Florida), Israel, Tanzania, Paraguay, Hungary, and Uganda.

June 2010: WGM celebrated its 100th anniversary during International Celebration of Missions in Marion, Indiana. Partnering with local churches and Indiana Wesleyan University, WGM commemorated the past 100 years of doing God’s work together. An estimated 1,000 people from 19 different countries attended the milestone event.

Present: WGM partners with individuals, groups, and churches worldwide to make disciples of Christ and to encourage believers to become missions-active Christians. Visit www.wgm.org/locations and www.wgm.org/causes to learn more about where and how WGM’s nearly 240 missionaries are impacting the world with Christ’s love.

MORE: Take the children in your life on an in-depth trip down memory lane by following our Kids’ Curriculum for 2016: Time Travel Adventures (www.wgm.org/time-travel). Join siblings Bethany and Gabe and their tour guide, Dr. B, as they travel back in time to meet some WGM heroes, including the Troxels and Taylors, Ernie and Sue Steury, and Donald and Twana Hawk.

Standing On The Promises

Paul and Lois Steward, Retired Missionaries
January-March 2016

Revised from The Call, May/June 2010, Page 19

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”  (Psalm 32:8 NKJV)

What a promise for two new missionaries left in charge of the isolated mission station of Santa Maria, Bolivia. Having been on the field only a few months, we were still struggling with learning the language and the culture, and we had absolutely no medical training. We were trusting the Lord to instruct and teach us.

Nestor was a Siriono Indian who lived at Santa Maria. Several of the Siriono were invited to live there by earlier missionaries. Nestor was a slave who had escaped two different times. He earned the name El Diablo after killing a man with an ax. He had come to live at Santa Maria several years before we arrived, was converted, and now he had a small family.

Nestor was injured while he and several men were traveling on the river. The water was high and the current pushed the canoe into some trees along the river. A sharp point of bamboo hidden in the leaves entered Nestor’s arm and tore it open about eight or nine inches.

The older missionary family had left for medical reasons and we were staying in their house. Nestor’s friends brought him to us. Nestor’s wound was the worst I had ever seen. There was no one else to help, so we were the ones who had to take care of it. The Wings of Peace airplane was out of service and medical help upriver was too far away.

We asked the Lord for wisdom, and the promise that He would guide us with His eyes was very special. Lois boiled thread and curved needles (a bit rusty from the high humidity). Nestor was in a lot of pain, and I found some Novocain in the medicine cabinet. There were no disposable syringes back then, so after we boiled a glass one, I filled it with the medicine. I remember thinking: Where do I give the shot?

Then I remembered from experience that the dentist always put the shot as near the bad tooth as possible. I injected several places along Nestor’s arm and his pain lessened. We cleaned the wound and were very thankful there was no bleeding. One tendon was damaged, but it seemed like it would heal. We started at one end of the wound and began stitching. I had to give him more shots for pain, and we kept him at our home that night. We made some mistakes (we knew that a career in medicine was not for us!), but his wound healed without infection, although with a big scar. Nestor still lives today as far as we know. Truly Jesus was with us and helped us do something we never expected to be able to do.

Note: When the other missionary family returned, they said that if we had tried to send Nestor out, he would have died. This took place in 1959, so there was no way for us to communicate with the other missionaries until the next morning. We know people in the U.S. were praying for us.

PRAY: Missionaries are often placed in situations they don’t feel qualified for. This is when they need your prayers more than ever. Commit to praying for God’s provision on behalf of missionaries for the rest of this year.

Prayer Calendar: February 7-13, 2016

What a promise for two new missionaries left in charge of the isolated mission station of Santa Maria, Bolivia. Having been on the field only a few months, we were still struggling with learning the language and the culture, and we had absolutely no medical training. We were trusting the Lord to instruct and teach us.

Pray for God's provision for missionaries who are serving in areas outside of their expertise. 

How to Make Missions Trip Photos More Compelling

Q&A with Adam Lorenz, Support Staff, and Tracy Dubois, Support Staff 

January-March 2016

Q. What specific things should a person consider when taking a photo?

A. As a photographer, I’m aware of lighting, depth of field, and other things that are not necessarily something the average person taking photos on a missions trip would think about. Lighting is too broad to cover here, but let’s talk about depth of field or how in focus an object is. If I’m taking an up-close photo of just you, I want you to be in focus and the background out of focus. However, if I’m taking a larger group photo, my depth of field has to be bigger. You always want your photos to be about a specific subject.

Q. What’s on your Top 10 list of things to take photos of when you’re on a field?

A. The biggest thing is to have variety in your photos. I try to take photos of individuals, groups, and the scenery (wide and closer shots). I also take close-up photos of people actively doing ministry and pictures of them paused, looking at the camera, and posed for the camera. I try to plan ahead before I take a trip, because I never know how my photos are going to be used by a missionary. For people going on a missions trip, it would be helpful to think ahead of time what message you want your photos to convey.

Q. Why is it important to ask for permission before taking a photo?

A. It has been my experience that it is very easy to tell if a person is willing to have their photo taken. It is also very easy to get permission by simply asking, “May I take your picture?” Getting permission always leads to better photos.

Q. How do you handle getting copyright releases?

A. At WGM, we need to get copyright releases when we use photos to raise money. However, in the case of most missions trips, the fundraising is already done and the photos are being used to share what happened on the trip. So, during a missons trip, it is more important to get permission to take a photo than to get a copyright release.

Q. Do you recommend a specific type of camera? Are cell phones sufficient?

A. The camera absolutely matters, but not in terms of a specific type of camera. It’s more important that you know how to use the camera you have. Also, cell phones have their place, but they are not adequate for anything beyond snapshots. Memories are captured with real lenses. Basically, you get what you pay for, and technology has provided options at just about any price.

Q. Why are good photos important as you share about a missions trip?

A. A picture is worth a thousand words. When a photo is taken, it captures that exact moment in time, whether good or bad. It is a way to convey that moment that is not always possible with words.

Q. What are two of your favorite field photos and why?

A. We went to a special children’s program in Paraguay and to Buvuma Island in Uganda. In both places, the people were not worried about me. They were being themselves, and I was able to capture that.

Q. What are three takeaways people should glean from this article?

A.

• Ask for permission before taking any photo.
• Take as many photos as possible. In today’s age of digital photography and memory being so inexpensive, there’s no reason not to. You never know if a 60th of a second will turn into a fantastic photo.
• Plan ahead and know how to use your camera. Don’t let your camera be an afterthought.

GO: Has Adam inspired you to go to the mission field and capture your own special moments? Visit www.wgm.org/teams or contact teams@wgm.org to schedule a missions trip today.

Prayer Calendar: January 31 - February 6, 2016

Support staff Adam Lorenz uses his education and gifts to go out into the mission field and take amazing photos that impact the kingdom in a positive way. What gifts or abilities can you use for God's mission?

Ask God to help you use the tools He has given you to share the message of his love.