Heart Matters

An excerpt from...

Heart Matters

By Jennifer Bennett, Nigeria
January-March 2014

The heart matters. When Jesus performed many of His miracles, He touched the body and then the soul. My entire career as an intensive care nurse has been in dealing with the physical heart. More importantly, though, is the matter of touching the spiritual heart. Six years ago, my life and heart changed drastically. I had the opportunity to travel to Lagos, Nigeria, to West Africa Theological Seminary on a dental trip with my church. During a chapel service, I felt called to return for full-time ministry by returning to school to obtain a master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner.

World Gospel Mission is forming a new partnership with WATS and sending Dr. Shelley Chapman and me to minister at the school. WATS is in an ideal location to have a great impact on the entire continent of Africa, as Lagos is home to 21 million people. All seminary students participate in missions outreaches to surrounding communities and countries. The school motto is “To train men and women for holy living, for carrying the gospel to the unreached, and for catalyzing national spiritual awakening.”

An aspect of community development and partnership is through the WATS clinic. Located on the campus of WATS, the clinic has the capacity to serve approximately 200 people per month. The clinic currently has two units with six beds and a laboratory that handles about 50 cases per month. A local physician visits weekly for consultations. In addition, the clinic coordinates with visiting medical providers and teams for community outreach projects. As a full-time missionary, I will be working with the visiting doctor and the matron of the clinic to manage patients’ cases. Health education will be a focus by creating and organizing health-related seminars and workshops for WATS and the local community.

Mark 8:36 (NLT) reads, “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” The heart does matter. The students at WATS are posed for global impact. By working alongside, we can touch the body, but, more importantly, reach the soul. This is our call to action.

PRAY: Pray that God will use WATS to raise a generation of spiritual leaders for Africa.

MORE: Learn more about WGM’s partnership with WATS at www.wgm.org/wats.

Not Just a Coffee Table Prop

An excerpt from Not Just a Coffee Table Prop

How to make the most out of The Call
By Rachel Elwood, Support Staff
January-March 2013

If you’re like me, when a magazine comes to your home, you read through it quickly, looking for topics you’re interested in or writers you follow, and then you toss it on the coffee table.

But The Call isn’t just a magazine; it’s inspiration to be a more missions-active Christian. The Call can be a teaching tool. Here are a few suggestions for using it to introduce others to missions.

Social Networking: Did you read something that gave you new ideas on how to share Jesus with others? Post it in your Facebook status. The entire issue is online at www.wgm.org/call, so you can post a link to an entire article. Publicly sharing your passion for missions can have a significant impact on others.

Give It Away: After you’ve enjoyed reading The Call, why not pass it on? Give your copy to a friend or neighbor and help spread the message of the Great Commission. Need more copies? Contact us and we’ll send you additional copies at no cost to you.

Action Step Challenge: Get practical! Every article in every issue of The Call has an action step that relates to the story. That may be praying, giving a financial gift, studying a Bible passage, or doing a specific task, such as writing an encouraging note to someone who gets on your nerves. Get a group of friends together, such as your Sunday School class or Bible study group, and have each person select one action step to complete that week. The next time you meet, talk about your experiences. Prepare to be amazed at what one small group can do for the kingdom!

ACT: Can God use something as simple as a magazine to speak to someone’s heart? We sure think so! Renew your free subscription today or sign up a friend.

Make an Impact on Your Knees

An excerpt from Make an Impact on Your Knees

By Tracy Dubois, Support Staff
January-March 2013

Here is a list of prayer resources to help you pray for missions.

Daily Prayer. Lift up WGM missionaries, retirees, support staff members, and missionary/office kids each day. See who is on today’s prayer calendar at www.wgm.org/praycal. You can check back daily, print a copy each month, or print a copy of the entire year.

Weekly Prayer. Prayer Lifeline is a weekly e-mail sent straight to your inbox each Tuesday, highlighting current praises and requests from WGM missionaries and ministries around the world. View the Prayer Lifeline online and sign up for free at www.wgm.org/lifeline. You can also access a recording of Prayer Lifeline at 1.800.426.0846.

Monthly Prayer. The Best of the Story: Miraculous Answers to Prayer, written by WGM retiree Burnis Bushong, shares answers to prayer experienced by WGM missionaries, volunteers, staff members, board members, and national Christians. Subscribe for free at www.wgm.org/discovermissions to get an excerpt from the book delivered to your e-mail inbox each month.

Quarterly Prayer. The Call is designed to challenge you in your missions activity. You will be inspired to get involved through giving, praying, and serving. If you happen to be reading a friend’s copy right now, subscribe today or check out previous issues at www.wgm.org/callarchives.

From the four prayer resources mentioned in this article, choose the resource that best fits your practice and commit to making a prayer impact for missions.

Caring for The Least of These

An excerpt from Caring for The Least of These

By Robyn Moore, Kenya
January-March 2013

Being a part of the Africa Gospel Church Baby Center from its inception has been my delight. As partners, World Gospel Mission andAfrica Gospel Church Kenya knew the orphaned and abandoned in Kenya needed help and we asked the Lord, “Where do we start?” We were inspired to start a center that would be a place of rescue for abandoned infants and toddlers with the hope to then get them into forever Christian families. So we started with little more than a desire to help these precious little ones, following the Lord’s command to care for the orphans and abandoned little ones, the “least of these.”

How can you become a partner of AGC Baby Center?

Pray: Pray for the staff. Pray that the Lord will give them strength and wisdom as they care for the little ones. Pray for the babies. Many of the babies come to the center in desperate need. Too often their physical state is so fragile and their little bodies are in serious condition. Pray for the nurses on staff as they bring them back to a healthy life.

Go: The AGC Baby Center would love to have you visit. For those of you who love to hug and kiss babies, you will definitely have the opportunity! Check out www.wgm.org/teams.

Give: AGC Baby Center babies are like every other baby. They love milk. For the youngest babies, infant formula in cans has to be purchased. Because of the support of a local Kenyan company, the baby center is able to get the formula at the very reduced price of $5 per can. You can help put that satisfied smile on a baby’s face by helping purchase formula. Visitwww.wgm.org/formula.

The Least of These ministry is very close to my heart. Dr. Michael and Kay Johnson started this ministry to help street children, and now I am part of a team that is expanding this ministry into a wholistic healthcare and educational outreach. Our primary ministry is working with children’s homes, special needs schools, and abandoned baby centers in Nairobi, Kenya. God has brought together a vast and diverse team to help care for the “least of these”—orphaned and vulnerable children.

You can join the global Least of These support team by choosing one of the following options:

Pray: That the Least of These workers will stay healthy as they work in the unhealthy conditions in which these children live. Pray also that the children will see Christ in the workers with whom they interact and will come to know their Father in heaven.

Go: If you are interested in being a volunteer with Least of These, contact recruiting@wgm.org. Volunteers can bring peanut butter, toys, games, crayons, and a host of other goodies for these precious children.

Pass It On: If you know someone who may be interested in volunteering, please pass on this information or send them towww.wgm.org/leastofthese.

Inspirational Volunteers Needed

An excerpt from Inspirational Volunteers Needed

By Grace Yates, Volunteer
January-March 2013

Light University, the second-largest university in Burundi, opened in 2000. Over 3,000 students attend the evangelical university’s three campuses in the capital city of Bujumbura. The university is bilingual, with classes taught in both French and English. Light University offers degrees in theology, computer science, finance and accounting, marketing and management, law, communication and development, and audio visual communication.

Light University needs Christian professors or volunteers who can teach communications, computer science, law, and theology. It also needs a vice rector, who is the assistant to the dean. Professors would teach classes in their field, and the vice rector would assist the dean in managing the teaching schedule and contacting potential professors.

ACT: Learn more about the ministry positions available at Light University at www.wgm.org/go.

Paper Beads for Missions

An excerpt from Paper Beads for Missions

By Kayla Spencer, Volunteers In Action Participant
January-March 2013

I had the opportunity to visit Kenya as a Volunteers In Action participant in the summer of 2009. During my six weeks there, I worked with World Gospel Mission missionary Robyn Moore and the ministry the Least of These, as we cared for vulnerable children in Nairobi.

On one visit with Robyn to a children’s home, I met a tiny little boy named Samuel. He looked to be about 1 year old. As Robyn administered health checkups for the children, I had the opportunity to hold Samuel. He was wearing a thick sweater that covered his frail body. When I held him under his arms, I thought they might break off. He had looked decently healthy in appearance until that moment, but I realized then that this precious little boy was malnourished. That was my first experience with this kind of suffering.

As I held that precious child, God broke my heart. It was not one of those experiences like at a conference or camp where you have a “Jesus high” that lasts a couple weeks and then fades away. This is one of those experiences that completely changed my life.

After arriving home, God gave me an incredible idea as I looked down at the paper bead necklace I was wearing. It was a beautiful necklace with beads made of recycled magazine paper. I had purchased it from a street vendor in Kenya. I could use my money to buy paper bead necklaces that I could give as gifts for donations. I’ve now been selling necklaces for a few years. With each necklace, I ask for a $10 donation. The necklaces cost me $3, which leaves $7 per necklace to give to the ministry.

It has been incredible to see how God used my time in Kenya to have even greater impact on the ministry after I returned home. I love knowing that the money I am raising is helping such a good cause—helping little children like Samuel.

ACT: Partnering with a ministry is as easy as selling paper beads like Kayla has discovered. If God is calling you to raise funds for a missions need bigger than your “$100,” then The Great Co-Mission Catalog may be a good resource for you. Find your project at www.wgm.org/catalog.

Follow. Trust. Worship. Trust.

Follow. Trust. Worship. Love.

By Jazmin Frank, Team Participant
January-March 2013

They say every story has two sides. Usually that involves two different perspectives of the same experience from two different people. But have you ever realized that as we experience things individually, there are also two sides to the story—the physical side, which is what we actually experience; and the emotional/spiritual side, which is the internal experience?

I want to share my internal experiences (the spiritual side) of my missions trip to Papua New Guinea. This side of the story revolves around four words: follow, trust, worship, love.

Follow. Every day, we are taken out of our comfort zone in some way; we are changed by our experiences and the people we meet. It doesn’t matter if God calls us around the world or across the street. Following Him simply means laying down our lives for Him daily and trusting in His good and perfect plan.

Trust. Throughout my preparation for this missions trip and the trip itself, God kept asking me one question: “Will you trust Me?” Again and again, He would ask me if I would trust Him, and again and again, though my answer was a bit delayed at times, my answer was always, “Yes, I trust You. I commit to follow You wherever You lead, doing whatever You ask of me.”

Worship. The first Sunday we were in Hagen, I have to say I had never experienced a worship service as joyful as that one. I wished I understood Pidgin, the main language of PNG, so I could sing along!

Love. On the last night of VBS, I received so many hugs and handshakes, but what touched me the most was their tears. We had been with these people only a week. We had only sung songs, played a few games, done some crafts, and shared a few Bible stories, yet in that short time we had poured out love on them, and the people of Papua New Guinea had loved us in return.

This is the stuff that matters. The activities are fun, but sometimes the lessons are what stick with us the longest.

ACT: Saying yes to a two-week missions trip is just part of the experience. What God will teach through your experience may be the most important part. Join a team or create one of your own by sending an e-mail to Noritta Carter atteams@wgm.org.

Children to the Mission Field?

Children to the Mission Field?

By Pastor Ryan Bash, Team Participant
January-March 2013

Someone asked me a great question regarding the purpose of churches sending a team to the mission field. He inquired about the benefit to the missionaries and the benefit to the team itself. Given that our church was sending 15 workers (including six children!) to McAllen, Texas, to help with the ministries of Taylor Christian School, I counted it a wonderful opportunity to share my heart for missions. He, in turn, encouraged me to share this answer with others. So why do we go? And in particular, what is the value in sending children?

For the Missionaries…

Most career missionaries have made tremendous sacrifices to serve where God has called them. One of the greatest gifts short-term teams can offer these missionaries is the reminder that they are not alone. When we come and serve alongside them, we communicate that they are not forgotten, that their ministry matters, and that the church back home is ready to do whatever it takes to help them succeed in spreading the gospel. In short, our mindset must not be one of a gracious benefactor, but that of a humble learner. We need to be people who want to help in any way we can—both while onsite and once we get home.

For the Team…

The team gets to enjoy a week immersed in a different culture. The greatest benefit to the members of a short-term team is that they return as missions-minded people. Our Lord has called His followers to go into all parts of the world to make disciples and to be His witnesses. Going to the mission field, as opposed to simply sending money, serves to instill in us a passion for God’s children all over the world. Ideally, such an experience will lead us to give even more, be emboldened to share our faith at home, and grow more sensitive to God’s specific invitations to Christian service in our own lives.

For the Children…

When they are at a young and impressionable age, we are teaching them the value of Christian service. We are teaching them how to work and serve in difficult conditions. We are introducing them to the varied faces of world Christianity. We are inspiring a whole new generation to care about what God is doing in neighborhoods all over the world. Thus, when they are grown and making decisions about their own time and resources, we will have established a foundation for selflessness and missions-mindedness. We are benefiting not only them, but also the church.

ACT: Want to help your church become more missions-minded? Take charge and invite others to take a short-term trip in the coming year. Explore the places you can go atwww.wgm.org/teams.

Seeds of Blessings

Estate Planning: Seeds of Blessings

By Melanie Miller, Honduras

January-March 2013

She raised her six young children alone, by no fault of her own. Her husband of 20 years had died from medical malpractice. Her shoulders were weighted with the insecurity of the unknown. But with humble, tenacious faith, she looked for, fiercely claimed, and stood on the promises of God’s care for the widowed and orphaned. Her faith was honored by a God who never fails. This woman is my grandmother, Lovina Miller.

The little girl was eight years old, and the day began as any other day...only to culminate with the first of many seizures in the years to come. Options for treatment were few. Lacking financial resources, the family could only place the young child in God’s care despite her continued seizures. “God gave me my daughter, and I have given her back to Him. He is the one who must provide,” said her mother, at peace but broken over the pain and suffering of her youngest child. This child is Heydi Selena Maldonado Estrada, a member of Shalom Church and a friend of our family.

A life of faith lived in the Midwest produced seeds of blessing. Upon Lovina’s death, she designated part of her estate to mission work. God took those seeds of blessing and blew them all the way to Choluteca, Honduras, where Mark and I plant, water, and pray they blossom into blessing.

Through the gift of Grandma’s faithful living, Heydi was offered the opportunity to seek specialized care in the capital city of Tegucigalpa. Upon her first visit, her medication was changed and she has been seizure free. The true test lies in the upcoming months. Will you pray with us for a miracle for Heydi?

What challenges me is the impact of Grandma’s life that continues on, long after her death. Imagine touching others far beyond your own ways, means, and even duration of life. Are you living in a way that provokes God’s blessing?

GIVE: Create your own seeds of blessings by creating an estate plan. For assistance, contact Mark Moore, WGM attorney, at 765.661.2803. All discussions will be held at no charge and in complete confidence.

God's Economy

By Paul Shingledecker, Haiti, with Rachel Cox, Team Participant
January-March 2013

“Why spend $20,000 to send a work team to Haiti to build a house? The same house could be built using local labor for half that, and it would provide jobs for the Haitians as well.”

BUT

Rachel Cox would disagree. She helped build a house in Haiti with Adopt a Home, and what she discovered is worth far more than $20,000.

“I must share with you what the short-term missions trip has done in my professional life. I have been a pharmacist for 24 years. In June, I was privileged to see the poorest of the poor in Haiti. My heart was crushed - I saw my world with fresh eyes. My time in Haiti opened my eyes to the needs of the people in my world.”

In God’s economy, a work team makes dollars and sense. Work teams are still needed to build homes in Haiti! Sign up today by contacting Noritta Carter at 765.671.7204 or teams@wgm.org.

The Spiritual Equivalent to Blue-Chip Stock

The Spiritual Equivalent to Blue-Chip Stock

By Jason Beavers, Team Participant
January-March 2013

In the business world, an investor desires to feel confident that he is choosing a winning corporation with which to entrust his partnership. He will ask if he can trust this company’s managers. Do they run their corporation efficiently and credibly? Perhaps most importantly, will this investment yield a profitable return? These questions are relevant to the spiritual world as well. Christians who invest their prayers, time, and money in Christian missions want to feel confident that they will receive affirmative answers to these same questions as they relate to the propagation of the gospel. From my personal experience in Papua New Guinea, Christian Union Bible College is the spiritual equivalent to blue-chip stock.

The potential for continued success is unbounded. PNG nationals are hungry for the gospel, and the Lord is supplying their needs through the college. CUBC is one of the most effective ways to produce a Spirit-led, self-sustaining church in PNG. Local Christian leaders leave this three-year program equipped to minister in their neighborhoods and villages. They are multiplying the numbers counted among the saints every year. This effective ministry, combined with the Papua New Guineans’ thirst for the gospel, makes the field a potential for tremendous continued success.

Spiritually speaking, the yield on return is high in PNG. CUBC needs additional funds. The Lord will provide; He always does. Is God calling you to invest in or partner with Christian Union Bible College in PNG? Please prayerfully consider how best you can be involved:

Pray: Pray that Jesus will be lifted up and glorified in all of the ongoing training at the Bible college. Pray that God will enable the missionaries to explain the teachings of the Bible in a way that is relevant to the culture.
Go: Has God called you to serve Papua New Guineans with your church or a work team, or as a volunteer, using the talents He has given you to teach the Bible?Give: Christian Union Bible College needs your help! Will you help send a pastor to Bible college? A financial investment of $900 can send someone to the college for one year. Any gift will assist in transforming a congregation with a pastor who has been trained in the knowledge of the Bible and of God.
Pass It On: After hearing about this powerful ministry and their need for partners, can you think of someone you know who would like to learn about Christian Union Bible College in PNG? Pass on this article so others can learn how God might use them to minister to a lost world.

How to Cure Summer Boredom

How to Cure Summer Boredom

By Billie Sue Dunn, American Indian Field
January-March 2013

Once school starts, children begin to count the days until summer. When I taught school, I would hear the students say after the first day, “Only 179 days to go.” But then when summer would arrive, parents would hear, “I’m bored! When does school start?” Students need activities to keep the summer boredom away.

Summer camps at Southwest Indian Ministries Center on the American Indian Field provide opportunities for children to have a Bible-based camping experience. Four different levels of Bible camp are offered, which includes teen camps and elementary camps.

Most importantly, campers have the opportunity to learn what Jesus has done for them. One camper wrote, “As the days went by, I learned more and more on why Jesus died for me, for my sins, for everything.”

You can be a part of enriching the lives of Native American children. A minimal registration fee of $50 is requested, but that covers only one-third of the $150 cost for each camper. No camper is turned away if he or she is not able to pay the $50. You can become a part of the camp scholarship program, which helps camps be affordable for all Native American children.

ACT: Become part of the American Indian Field camp scholarship program. Although camp costs $150, any size offering will help send a kid to camp. Send your check to World Gospel Mission and write account #23749-CALL on the memo line. 

World Gospel Mission
P.O. Box 948
Marion, IN 46952-0948

Discover Your Cause

President's Perspective

By Hubert Harriman, President
January-March 2013


Steve and Alene Burgert, missionaries to Kenya recently spoke at WGM's chapel for support staff. As they began to share, we immediately sensed the energy of a God-given cause. Alene’s training and experience in prison chaplaincy ministry in the United States had “unknowingly” prepared her to play a vital role in the new prison chaplaincy training program envisioned by the Africa Gospel Church. She exuded passion and compassion as she told the story of Peter, who was converted while serving a life sentence. He was miraculously released and is now studying at Kaboson Pastors Training College, preparing to go back into the prison as a chaplain. Alene had not only discovered a God-given cause; she was intent on duplicating that cause in the lives of other people, in order to touch needy communities with the life-transforming message of the gospel. There is no greater cause!


This is why WGM has captured this as its central ministry focus. We state simply, strongly, and succinctly that our central focus is“Whole person transformation into the heart and soul of all communities.” We truly believe God can do this, and it is the reason Jesus came among us. This is happening over and over again across our fields of ministry. We have some incredible God-given causes that bring healing and help into individual lives and into the heart and soul of communities.

By the help of God, WGM is intent on helping believers discover missions—to discover their God-given cause. Without this, we die. With this, we live!

So, what is your cause?

ACT: Discovering your cause may seem a daunting task, but WGM is here to help. A resource to get you started on this journey is the World GO! Manual. Download the first chapter and get started on your path to discovery at www.wgm.org/worldgo.

Sponsorships for More Homecomings

Sponsorships for More Homecomings

By Christián Meléndez
January-March 2013

The primary vision of Escuela El Sembrador (The School of the Sower) has always been to sow the seeds of Jesus through the teaching of God’s Word with love and a genuine concern for the students. Students at El Sembrador receive an education and the vocational training they need to break the cycle of poverty for them and their families.

August 18, 2012, marked the 58th homecoming celebration for Escuela El Sembrador. Over 150 alumni were present, with men and women who were students 50, 30, and 10 years ago joining recent graduates.

At the closing of this celebration, the alumni and students were challenged to support other Hondurans in need and were encouraged to become sponsors for future generations. Sponsoring future generations is something you can take part in, too.

With the dropout rate growing in Honduras, many children are not receiving a proper education. Only 50 percent of Hondurans finish the fifth grade, and less than 6 percent will reach seventh grade. With many school-aged children being forced by economic hardships to stay home and provide for their families, those blessed with an education are vital to the future of Honduras.

Become a significant part in the future of these children through the El Sembrador Sponsorship Program. A gift of $125 a month for 12 months will provide a child with the education they need for one year. Donations can be made to account #23493-CALL and sent to:

El Sembrador Sponsorship Program
World Gospel Mission
P.O. Box 948
Marion, IN 46952-0948