The Challenge of Change

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Billie Sue Dunn, Missionary, American Indian Field
October-December 2015

Let me make it clear from the beginning: I do not like change. However, flexibility is very important in a missionary’s life.

Change in ministry can be a challenge. God gives the courage to face each change and the assurance that He is with us. In Jeremiah 29:11, God tells us, “I know the plans I have for you.”

When God called me to be a missionary teacher, I believed that I would go to the mission field and teach first-grade missionary kids until I retired. Little did I know that God had a better plan. That plan included teaching MKs in a one-room school, teaching kindergarten in the morning and high school classes in the afternoon, becoming a school principal, and, now, serving as the field treasurer on the American Indian Field.

Not only did I have to be flexible with my assignments, but also with my field of service. Moving from Bolivia, South America, to Phoenix, Arizona, was a big change. Moving from a humid, tropical climate to a hot, dry climate was interesting to say the least. Did God change His mind with His plans for my life? No, I don’t think so. Instead, He used each task as a step to help me become a willing, obedient servant. The challenge of change was all part of His plan. I wish I could say that there was no reluctance on my part in each change. Still, with prayer and His Word as my guide, I have faced each challenge with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Has changing from being a teacher to a treasurer been a trial? I have felt that way at times. After training to be an educator and not an accountant, I have seen God as the Master Teacher. Depending on Him shows me that He is in control all the time. God does not waste what we learn. Many of the leadership skills that I gained as a teacher and principal also apply to the office of treasurer.

Change has challenges, but we serve a God who gives us the grace to handle them. There is no greater joy than being in the center of His will.

GO: Is God calling you to serve outside your comfort zone? The American Indian Field has several short-term opportunities. It doesn’t matter if you are a teacher, a bookkeeper, or something else. God can use you to impact His kingdom. Join a team at www.wgm.org/teams.

A Guitar, the Bible, and Jesus

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Steve and Debbie Cartwright, Missionaries, American Indian Field
October-December 2015

Mark* didn’t really stand out as someone likely to make something of himself. He was one of over 250 people who took the Victory Guitar Outreach class in a series of eight-week courses over a couple years at Thwajik Kee—The Healing House, which is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center on the Gila River Indian Community south of Phoenix, Arizona. Probably more than 90 percent of those people returned to rehab at least once, many over and over again. Their futures didn’t often look very hopeful. The “plan” was to teach guitar (and Bible) to the residents and give them a skill they could draw on in times of trouble and temptation, as well as to give them hope of a better future through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

One thing that was not part of the plan was getting people to attend our church. The rehab center was in a different district of the reservation than Siloam Church. Also, the people in the rehab center came from many different tribal backgrounds from all over the country, not just the Gila River Indian Community.

But Mark found our church anyway because of the connection. He was looking for a place he could play his guitar. Steve didn’t even remember him, but Mark remembered Steve. He was no longer a rehab patient—he was a rehab worker, now helping other addicts to overcome their addictions. He began to attend church faithfully, playing with our “guitar choir” and often singing special songs and giving testimonies of how God was helping him.

When the opportunity came for Steve to teach a new Victory Guitar Outreach class in Sacaton, on the other side of the reservation, Mark asked if he could help. This was such a blessing! Teaching guitar to a large group of people without assistance is always a challenge, and Mark was excellent help. The biggest blessing was when Steve encouraged Mark to do more than just help with the guitar part—that he could teach one of the Bible lessons, too. Although a little nervous, Mark did a great job and has realized that he would be able to teach the entire eight-week course on his own if he ever had the opportunity.

As far as this life touched by God—our “plan” was okay, but God’s reality was much better!

*Name has been changed.

GIVE: Do you want to be a part of Victory Guitar Outreach? A gift of $25 will provide all the printed materials for one student and $175 will provide both a guitar and materials for one student. Send gifts with #21723 written in the memo line to: World Gospel Mission, P.O. Box 948, Marion, IN 46952.

PRAY: Please pray for students to take what they have learned through Victory Guitar Outreach and practice to get better. Pray also that they will use their new found music skills as a ministry.

Have RV, Will Serve

An excerpt from...

Have RV, Will Serve: SOWERS for the Kingdom

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The key to partners in ministry
By Sandy Anderson, Missionary, American Indian Field with Rachel Elwood, Support Staff
April-June 2015

It’s 8:00 a.m. on a crisp December morning on the Southwest Indian Ministries Center campus in Peoria, Arizona, and Jerry and Tina shut the door to their RV and head to their worksite. Today, they’re tackling a new coat of paint on one of the buildings, and later, they’ll help prep a space for an open house for the local community.

Jerry and Tina are SOWERS—Servants On Wheels Ever Ready to Serve. These men and women are retired or semi-retired and travel around North America in RVs, helping Christian ministries, churches, schools, and camps with various work projects. Jerry is the current president of SOWERS. In the 11 years they have served with the organization, they have worked on approximately 50 projects.

“It blesses our hearts to hear how much money is saved by ministries when volunteers are able to care for much of the repairs and maintenance,” Tina said. “Knowing we’re making a difference makes it all worthwhile.”

SOWERS do a variety of things depending on their skills and the needs of each project. They help with painting, office work, sewing, teaching, tutoring, cooking, and lots and lots of maintenance, repair, and construction projects.

Most projects are a three-week assignment, and SOWERS have set work hours when they volunteer. In return, they are given free RV hook-ups for four weeks, with the last week to allow volunteers to sightsee or to rest and relax. Volunteers choose how many projects per year they do.

SOWERS have been volunteering at SIMC for many years and have greatly helped maintain the campus. We couldn’t reach out to Native Americans as effectively if we didn’t have these wonderful volunteers to help us out.

According to the team who stayed during December 2014, it’s so much better than sitting at home in retirement! One lady shared, “Don’t be afraid to try! Just go ahead and do it. You are able to travel and help out. There is a great need for more people to get involved and many ministries that need the help!”

MORE: Do you like traveling around in your RV? Want to do some good while you’re seeing the country? Go to www.sowerministry.org for more information about how you can join the SOWERS team.

An excerpt from...

Discipling Native American Youth to Be the LITE

By Jon and Lindsay Birkey, Missionaries, American Indian Field
October-December 2014

Over the past year, we have heard a number of Native American pastors say they believe that “the last great spiritual awakening in North America will come from within the Native American communities.” We believe that in order to have this spiritual awakening, there must be leaders within the Native American church who will step up and be the light on the hill—a beacon of hope for their Native brothers and sisters. The struggle Native American churches have throughout the reservations is that there are too few leaders. Some Native pastors split their time on Sundays between two or three churches because there simply aren’t enough Native leaders. What can be done? We must raise up a generation of young Native leaders who will become the future of the church within Native American communities.

At Southwest Indian Ministries Center, we are working on a program to further develop the leadership skills we see in our Native American campers. The LITE (Leaders in Training Experience) program is designed for junior and senior high youth who come to our camps to learn more about becoming leaders within their families, churches, schools, and communities.

In January and May, we provide weekend workshops for LITE campers to come to SIMC and learn more about leadership. Each weekend, we teach leadership skills that are found in the Bible. As our LITE campers learn more about how to be godly leaders, we want them to have opportunities to practice being godly leaders.

This is where the discipling comes in. This is why we invite them to come back to our elementary weekend and summer camps as leaders and helpers. We give each LITE camper different roles of leadership and responsibilities. As our LITE campers gain experience and confidence in their leadership roles here at SIMC, we encourage them to find ways to practice their leadership skills in their home churches. We recognize the importance of working together with local churches to plug in our campers so they will continue to be discipled in faith and grow in leadership.

As our camp continues to grow in numbers and in maturity, we hope our LITE program will continue to develop Native American leaders who will be leaders at our camps and in their communities well after they graduate from our camp ministry program. We hope one day they will take over our roles at SIMC.

PRAY: Partner with Jon and Lindsay Birkey in prayer for the LITE campers. Pray that the LITE campers will grow to be the Native leaders that bring forth the next great spiritual awakening in North America.

Discipleship

An excerpt from...

Discipleship

Impacting Native American Communities

By Sandy Anderson, Missionary, American Indian Field
October-December 2014

A partnership on the American Indian Field with Disciple Nations Alliance is an example of discipleship that is now impacting Native American communities in Arizona. Through it, we as missionaries are learning and passing along the things that God is teaching us as we continue our journeys with Him.

DNA emphasizes following Christ’s example of ministry to the whole person, not separating the “spiritual” and “secular” parts of our lives. Another emphasis of DNA is to compare the biblical worldview with the prevailing worldview of our own cultures and the cultures around us. Native American communities (like many communities) usually have several churches that have been there for years, and yet, the family and community structures continue to be marked significantly by brokenness.

In October and November of last year, Scott Allen and Dwight Vogt of DNA helped present training sessions in Sells, Arizona, where missionaries and Tohono O’odham believers were encouraged and challenged by the teachings regarding the tendency so prevalent in our societies today to separate our lives into the “spiritual” and the “secular.” Two ladies in particular were encouraged and further challenged that what they do daily as they love and care for their grandchildren and other children and youth in their community mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally is a vital part of their ministry and most definitely does not take place only on Sundays or only within the four walls of their church.

Last fall, Dwight also joined my husband, LeRoy, and me on a trip to Kirtland, New Mexico, and met with missionaries and Native American believers from that community. Out of that time of learning and fellowship, Chris and Randy Amberman and a couple of the community pastors have started meeting together for prayer and fellowship and to plan ways the body of Christ can reach out to their community. One of the results was that several of the churches in the community worked together to organize the first-ever community Easter sunrise service in Kirtland. At that service, a couple of people began their journey as believers in Christ. These churches continue to look for ways to serve their community together.

Last spring, the staff at Southwest Indian Ministries Center spent several chapels on some of the DNA lessons, learning and being challenged to minister in wholistic ways and to look for the underlying worldview principles from which behaviors, problems, and issues in families and communities stem. This training is helping us focus on looking for the roots of beliefs and values that cause the visible fruits of behaviors and problems. Then, together with Native American brothers and sisters in Christ, we are searching for and finding the biblical answers to those issues.

ACT: As we on the American Indian Field learn and grow, I encourage you to join us on this journey that is impacting our ministries. Disciple Nations Alliance has recently launched an online opportunity to join with others around the globe through Coram Deo: A School for Discipling Nations.

God Opens Doors: The Story of Living Word Academy

An excerpt from...

God Opens Doors: The Story of Living Word Academy

By Billie Sue Dunn, American Indian Field
July-September 2014


What happens when you are pastoring a small Kentucky church in the 1970s and God calls you into missions? Leland and Carol Conway found themselves in this very place. This is the story of how God was faithful to show them the plan He had for their family.

After Leland and Carol Conway applied to two different missions organizations and were turned down, they were a bit confused as to how God would use them. It wasn’t long until a different door of service opened for the Conway family. They began serving on World Gospel Mission work teams to Southwest Indian School in Peoria, Arizona, for two-week time periods. Leland left the pastorate in Kentucky and was asked to supervise building projects at SIS.

After completion of the building, they returned to Kentucky, still seeking God’s will and way for service to Him. An unexpected door opened. Leland received a phone call from a pastor on the Tohono O’odham reservation to come and build a church building for them. Leland was eager to help and headed to the reservation. Meanwhile, Carol remained in Kentucky while their youngest daughter finished her last year of high school. When Leland arrived on the reservation, neither the funds for the building nor the pastor was there. He was asked to replace the pastor for a while and to be the administrator of the Christian private school the church had established. The school used the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum. Leland was soon off to Lewisville, Texas, the headquarters for ACE, for training. He returned to the reservation to accept this new challenge. Was this the open door for which they had been praying?

In the late summer, Leland returned to Kentucky. He had decided that the opportunity he had been offered with the church and the school was not God’s will for them, but he was offered a job working for a small Native American–owned construction company. He rented a small mobile home for his family to live in. After giving away most of their personal belongings, they stuffed what was left in Leland’s work van, and headed west.

On a scorching hot day in September 1984, Leland and Carol arrived in Sells, Arizona. They began to attend the Sells Nazarene Church, making friends and establishing relationships with some very special children in the neighborhood. Forming relationships while living among the people was important to pointing the people to Christ. However, God was about to open a very special door to lead others to Jesus.

They began homeschooling their third-grade son using the ACE curriculum. Using the teaching aids sent with the curriculum, Carol began tutoring other children in the community who needed extra help with their schooling. Some of the families expressed an interest in homeschooling. Permission was granted to operate a Christian private school out of the Conway’s home, and Living Word Academy was officially established in 1985. The Conways now had the opportunity to meet the need of the community and use that means to present the gospel on a daily basis.

For the first nine years, school was held in the three-bedroom mobile home that doubled as the Conway’s residence. The gospel message was proclaimed to the students and their families.
God opened many doors in those next several years. He brought volunteer help through parents, WGM missionaries, and family members. More space was also provided at each stage of growth. In the early 1990s, the school moved into the Sells Nazarene Church and classes were conducted there for two years. Then God orchestrated another move. A mobile unit was purchased, a piece of land was leased, and classes began in a regular classroom. Even though the classroom was rather crude, the ministry continued with the Lord’s help.

It became evident to Leland and Carol that the time had come to relinquish the school into the hands of people who could give more direction and establish a more efficient and permanent work. The Conways contacted WGM because of its reputation of good work in education with the Native people and its strong biblical standard and holiness doctrine. Once again God opened the door. In the spring of 1999, staff from Southwest Indian Ministries Center met with Leland and Carol, and the transition was made that put Living Word Academy under the supervision of WGM. The school became Southwest Indian School/Living Word Academy. Carol continued to be involved in the school as a teacher.

Living Word Academy continues to present the gospel and trusts the Lord to change lives today.

Could you ever imagine that the Conway’s journey from their small Kentucky church would bring them to opening a school that would inspire policemen, teachers, and community leaders? That could only be God’s doing.

GO: God is still opening doors. Is He opening a new door for you? Be part of teaching Native American children about Jesus in an educational setting. Living Word Academy has short-term and career opportunities available. Visit www.wgm.org/aif to learn more.

The Neighborhood House

An excerpt from...

The Neighborhood House

By Chris Amberman, American Indian Field
July-September 2014

It’s just a tidy little stucco house settled in a generally rough-and-tumble-looking neighborhood. It’s not fancy inside or out. Many people drive by it every day, never knowing it has any significance. Nobody even lives in this house! Yet God has been using it for the last 10 years to teach kids about His kingdom.

This little house, known as The Neighborhood House, is home to the Neighborhood Club, a Christian after-school program in Kirtland, New Mexico. Every week, kids from kindergarten through high school meet there to eat, play, and learn about Jesus.

The Neighborhood Club was birthed from the fear of a missionary mom for her children who had been moved to a new place and a new culture, and also the heartbreak of seeing so many children wandering about with nothing to do and no one seeming to care. The neighborhood children were invited to come to this house to enjoy games, snacks, and stories one day a week for an entire summer. When school started again, the kids begged to keep coming, and so it has continued to this day. Those original kids are now in their 20s and the club has continued, adding other age groups to include siblings and others who wanted to come. Right now about 30 children are involved with the Neighborhood Club each week, coming from every school in Kirtland.

Recently The Neighborhood House has also begun to be used as the home of a ladies group called WHO, Women Helping Others. WHO was formed to give women a positive place to meet new friends, learn new skills, and help their community through projects and acts of service.

Also, a group of local pastors are meeting in The Neighborhood House once a month to fellowship and pray and seek ways to serve their community. They planned and organized the first-ever Kirtland Community Sunrise Service held on Easter morning at the local high school football field.

Soon a sign will be erected outside The Neighborhood House announcing its presence and stating its purpose to serve the people of Kirtland. Please pray that the people of this community will welcome and embrace The Neighborhood House, but even more importantly, the Master of the House, King Jesus.

GO: To learn more about the outreach ministries of the American Indian Field, visit www.wgm.org/aif.

God has Blessed Us

An excerpt from...

God has Blessed Us

By Debbie McKelvey, Texas/Mexico Border Ministries
October-December 2013

During one of my training meetings at World Gospel Mission, the group was asked to think of a champion who took real ownership in our ministry. My head began to spin because so many people have played an important role in what I did on the Tohono O’odham Reservation on the American Indian Field and in what I am currently doing on the Texas/Mexico border.

(The) one I thought of was Mary Jane Richards. At the time of the meeting, Mary Jane (she’s on my left in the picture) had not only been a prayer and financial supporter but also one who had scheduled three church services and one AWANA group and tried to get me into a high school social studies class. She also provided a place for me to stay with Ruth (the lady to my right).

Thank you to WGM’s many champions who have done so much, from mailing used clothes to visiting our mission fields. When you get to heaven, you’re going to be so surprised at how God has used you to bring others to heaven with you!

Debbie McKelvey mentions several practical missions-active ideas that her ministry partners have done to encourage her in ministry. Learning by their example, here is a monthly checklist that you and your family can do this year to be more intentional about your missions activities.

January: Spend this month praying for your missionary partner.

February: Encourage a missionary partner by sending a handwritten note to them, letting them know you have been thinking of them.

March: Planning an upcoming family vacation? Think about using this time to serve on the mission field together. Contact Noritta Carter at wgmteams@wgm.org or 765.671.7204 to find out what teams would be available for you to join.

April: In the article “The Path Is Waiting,” you are challenged to consider completing the World GO! Manual Bible study. Ask someone to do the study with you and complete chapter one on prayer this month.

May: A new Kids’ World article is released bimonthly, offering ways you can help kids get involved in missions. As you begin to plan your summer activities, visit the Kids’ World page to print out a few of the fun activities your family can do together for missions at www.wgm.org/kidsworld.

June: It’s Vacation Bible School time for many churches. How does your church plan to use the offering they receive from these boys and girls? Perhaps your church could donate a percentage of that offering to help children in need around the world. Find projects for kids at www.wgm.org/kidscatalog.

July: Take this month to put your “Yard Sale for Missions” checklist to good work and clean out some items you have in storage.

August: Consider sending a little piece of home to a missionary serving overseas. Many simple everyday items are not available in all areas of the world. Write to your missionary partner this month asking them for a wish list of items. Then go shopping! Mail this to your missionary family as a special care package.

September: This time of year often brings drought and famine to our brothers and sisters in Africa. WGM assists with caring for the physical and spiritual needs of others in crisis through the President’s Crisis Relief fund. Join this team by giving a financial gift at www.wgm.org/crisisrelief.

October: The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Pray over the list of ministry opportunities WGM has globally (www.wgm.org/go) and ask God to call more workers to the mission field.

November: This month reminds us of God’s richest blessings on our lives. Have you been blessed by The Call magazine? You can share this resource with others. Sign them up for a free subscription at www.wgm.org/callsubscribe.

December: It’s the season of giving! Consider a special gift to WGM as a year-end gift. You can donate online at www.wgm.org/donate.

Massage Therapy: helpful, healthy, heavenly service

An excerpt from...

Massage Therapy

By Tracy Dubois, Support Staff
July-September 2013

Stress. Trouble sleeping. Back pain. Depression. Headaches.

If you have any of these symptoms, read on to learn how massage therapy could be just what the doctor, and God, ordered.

Cheryl Nesselroade, daughter of World Gospel Mission retirees Dick and Barbara Barker (Japan) and ministry partner ofLaura Lea Sims (American Indian Field), is a massage therapist at Massage on Main in Wilmore, Kentucky. 

“Massage allows me to share Christ’s love in such a tangible way—through touch,” Cheryl began. “Public speaking is not my strong suit, so this profession is perfect for me. There are many people who are suffering and living through tremendous pain, and by showing concern and letting God work through me to bring someone relief, I believe that is sharing God’s love.”

Cheryl sometimes prays silently over her clients, asking God to bless and keep them in whatever circumstances they are going through. 

“Massage therapy has the unique ability to positively impact not only the physical, but the emotional and mental,” one of Cheryl’s regular clients explained. “As the body is worked, pain is relieved and tension is calmed. The negative emotions associated with the pain are replaced with positive ones. The therapist acts as a facilitator to focus awareness on the issues which are being addressed.”

Cheryl added: “Our bodies are agents and ambassadors for God. He commands us to ‘love one another as we love ourselves.’ We must take care of our body and soul in order to be fully available to care for others.”

While massage has many physical benefits—increased work productivity, fewer trips to the doctor, decreased pain, delayed surgeries, and general increased wellbeing—Cheryl believes these effects are spiritual as well. “I love to offer a service that is helpful, healthy, and heavenly.”

Does someone you know need a healing touch? Send them a gift certificate for a massage along with an encouraging note from you.

Compassion from Dark Places

An excerpt from...

Compassion from Dark Places

By Debbie Cartwright, American Indian Field
July-September 2013

Daniel* wiped away a tear. “I know we can’t really afford to keep feeding them, but how can I watch the kids look for food in the garbage because they’re so hungry and not do something about it?”

Christi nodded. “We just feel like we show Jesus’ love to them when we feed them.”

“You guys have anything you want to add to a food box?” Matthew asked us. “I know I just took one to Mary, but the kids are hungry again and there’s nothing for them.”

Julie added, “It isn’t the kids’ fault their parents are addicts. They shouldn’t have to suffer.”

It’s a constant burden that our Native friends bear. Their compassion is deep because so many have been in those same dark places. Daniel and Christi have seen the destruction of addictions in their own family and among the people of the little church they pastor. Matthew and Julie—recovered meth addicts themselves, delivered by the grace of Jesus—vividly remember seeing the hurt of neglect in the eyes of their own children. They cannot undo the damage of their past, but they try to help now by ministering in a tangible way to the children of addicted parents.

Every week we see Native people being Jesus to children who need more than just a Bible story. Their compassion inspires us to be more like Jesus.

*The names in this story have been changed.

Hungry kids live in many neighborhoods in America. This week, ask Jesus to open your eyes to the hungry kids in your community. Then get your grocery bag ready, because it is time to pay them a visit with the gifts of Jesus’ love and food.

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

Regional Update from the USA and West Indies

An excerpt from Regional Update: USA and West Indies
By Tim Rickel, Vice President of International Ministries
January–March 2012

In August, our missionaries on the American Indian Field were excited to start construction on a multipurpose building on the Peoria, Arizona, campus of Southwest Indian Ministries Center. This will allow them to expand their Bible camp ministry to Native American children and their outreach to the whole community. Missionaries are also living on the Tohono O’odham reservation in Sells, Arizona, and near the Navajo Reservation in Farmington, New Mexico. Working as bivocational missionaries, a number of AIF missionaries are impacting Native American families in the reservation communities where they live. These are exciting days for the American Indian Field.

Stockton, California, has seen an upswing in gang-related violence, with 39 dead and over 150 wounded in what is being called a gang war. Bob Margaron is involved with community leaders, speaking in “town hall” meetings about community-wide intervention. One shooting in which an innocent bystander was killed happened just half a block from The Center, WGM’s community center in Stockton. Bob is working directly with the intended victim’s family to provide safety and resources.

To read more about what is happening in this WGM region read the complete article at www.wgm.org/call.

New Beginnings

An excerpt from Do You Believe…In New Beginnings?
By Laura Lea Sims, American Indian Field
October–December 2011

About eight years ago, I started attending All Tribes Church on the Gila River Indian Community outside Phoenix, Arizona. The pastor was an older Pima gentleman who led the church with the help of his wife. We worked together over the next three years. Most of our efforts were focused on one large family and some of their cousins and friends. God made me a part of this body. When I returned to the church after homeland ministry assignment in 2008, I didn’t know what to expect when I was informed that the pastor’s son, Tim, was now leading the church.

Our hope and prayer is that the seeds He is allowing us to plant will indeed take root in the lives of the children and the parents who are attending. The name of the church has been changed to New Beginnings because that is exactly what the Lord has given us.

ACT: Is God calling you to a new beginning? Be a part in breathing new life into the global church. Learn more at www.wgm.org/church.

The Gift of Salvation

An excerpt from The Gift of Salvation
A Short-term Trip Offering More Than Missions Experience
By Brandi Tevebaugh, Volunteer, with Allen Atkinson, WGM Partner
November/December 2010

Two years after returning from the short-term missions trip to Arizona, Allen Atkinson gave his life to Christ. Although he has not returned to the mission field since, he hopes to in the future.

“I would love to go back to the American Indian Field and see the changes that have been made and to experience missions as a Christian,” Atkinson said. “It helped me understand how missionaries work on the field and how much they trust in God. I truly believe a short-term missions trip is a life-changing experience.”

Short-term missions allow people of all experience levels and at all places in their faith journey, even people who have yet to begin their walk with Christ, to experience the mission field and the love of Christ for His world.

ACT: Does a person in your life need the same sort of life-changing experience Allen had on his missions trip? Could you take him or her on a short-term trip and trust the rest to God? To find available trips, visit www.wgm.org/teams.

Called to Serve

An excerpt from Called to Serve
The Gift of Serving as a Family
By Joey Nunez, Volunteers In Action Participant, with Steve, Lori, and Caylah Baldwin, American Indian Field
November/December 2010

Lori stated the following as final encouragement for you and me.

“I think that every person is a missionary in his or her own way, whether it’s walking across your yard, working in your community, or going across the country or across the sea. But remember, God didn’t have a Plan B after Christ died on the cross. We were His Plan A. We were it.

“It’s our job to carry out His plan and spread His Word throughout the world for all mankind. We serve because we are called. God asks each of us to help evangelize the world. The job belongs to every Christian. We all have been called to serve.”

ACT: What is God calling you to do? Maybe it’s going on a short-term missions trip, ministering to children in your church, or serving alongside the Baldwins in Arizona. Several existing ministry opportunities need willing people to become partners. Contact Troy Simpson at 765.671.7226 or recruiting@wgm.org for more info on ways you can serve.

To learn more about the Baldwins ministry click: www.wgm.org/baldwin

AIF: Youth Suicide

Suicide has become an acceptable response to a desperate life for Native American teens. However, WGM missionaries are actively sharing the hope that can be found in Jesus Christ.

The teen suicide rate on Indian reservations has become an epidemic. Across the nation, Native American teens living on reservations commit suicide at a rate of at least twice the national average. Risk factors include substance abuse, depression, lack of social support, and racial discrimination.

ACT: World Gospel Mission has centralized its American Indian Field (AIF) ministries in Arizona and New Mexico. Consider serving on a short-term missions trip to the American Indian Field. Plan your trip with Noritta Carter at workteams@wgm.org.

Each day, on the WGM website will highlight a specific compassionate ministry. Come back often to learn more and to share your prayer for the field below.

9/28 - AIF

Check One, Two

Okay, so things don't always go as planned. No matter how prepared one may be there are sometimes glitches in the system and we did have a glitch today for the Concert of Prayer. Sorry there was a little confusion when you could hear other callers, but God knows our heart and our prayers.

Sandy Anderson did a great job in leading us through praying for the World Gospel Mission ministries on the American Indian Field in Arizona. Because this ministry is located in Arizona there are unique opportunities for missionaries to serve through bi-vocational service. That means you can be employed on the reservations by tribal authority yet be involved in ministry. Current ministry needs include: medical personnel, teachers, firefighters, police, and social workers. Could God be calling you to the American Indian Field in Arizona? Where is your mission field?

Did you miss the concert? You can listen to the call or any other the other live calls on our website. Just click here.

See you at the Concert!

Kristi Crisp
Call to Prayer Editor
World Gospel Mission
www.wgmcalltoprayer.org