If You Have a Family Camp

An excerpt from...

If You Have a Family Camp

You Can Organize a Fantastic Missionary Day!
By Rachel Elwood, Support Staff
April-June 2013

David Grissom had a problem. He had been attending his beloved Camp Sychar, a family camp located in Mount Vernon, Ohio, since he was 10 years old. After David had gone on his first missions trip to Haiti in 2003, God gave him a passion for missions. But as he looked at the Missionary Day events at Camp Sychar, it was obvious that something was missing.

“It was a total snoozer,” David said, who self-admittedly calls things out for what they truly are. He knew that God had given him an interest in missions and he wanted to transfer that love to others. Overall, Camp Sychar was amazing—filled with godly evangelists, Spirit-filled worship, and great fellowship. But that Missionary Day needed a serious upgrade.

David was invited to join the Camp Sychar board and served as secretary of missions. David realized that the key to getting people excited about missions was through relationships—actually having time to meet and interact with missionaries in a low-key environment.

So he took over the cafeteria, the one building in the camp with air conditioning (this is Ohio in August, after all) and had missionaries set up their display tables, bring along some fun foods from their areas of service, and have an open house. People came for the Nutella fry bread and a respite from the heat and stayed for the conversations with real people doing real missionary service.

Earlier in the day, the teens—over 100 of them—went into the nearby town and handed out fliers advertising a Missions Festival for later that afternoon. After the open house ended, the action moved outside to the dunk tank, games, throw-a-pie-in-someone’s-face, food vendors, handicrafts, and much more. All proceeds, of course, went to missions. The crowning glory of last year’s Missions Festival was when one man who had come after being invited by the teens was so affected by the love he experienced at Camp Sychar that he gave his life to Jesus Christ that day. 

With over 1,000 attendees, Camp Sychar celebrated its 142nd anniversary last year. Over 60 missionaries and ministries are supported by the camp, including many from WGM.

Are you a part of a family camp like Camp Sychar? Is your Missionary Day a “snoozer”? Think about ways you can make this day impactful for all generations. Check out www.campsychar.org to see how one camp makes Missionary Day something special.

Not part of a family camp but have other missions events that you are a part of, such as at church, school, etc.? The Camp Sychar missions day model can be duplicated various places. Take the lead for your event and keep missions day from being a “snoozer.”

Prayer Calendar: June 23 - 30, 2013

The Call's prayer calendar reminder for this week is...

PRAISE God for the incredible impact of Camp Sychar and other family camps, and pray for continued renewal.

Is your Missionary Day a “snoozer”? Think about ways you can make this day impactful for all generations. Check out www.campsychar.org to see how one camp makes Missionary Day something special.

A Miraculous Donation

An excerpt from...

A Miraculous Donation

By Carolyn W. Wade, Kenya
April-June 2013

In 1996, Ken and I were raising support to arrive in Kenya for our first term with World Gospel Mission. We were making steady progress financially, but one day we received notification of a larger-than-ever monetary gift to our ministry.

This couple, new acquaintances of ours, called us one September day in 1996. They informed us that we would receive a check in the mail for a large amount of money. We were astounded! The man had been unexpectedly named in a relative’s will. The couple chose to bless us with this gift that moved us over the top financially. 

Not only did the amount convert into a few hundred dollars of support a month for that first term, but it also met our cash need and secured funds for a vehicle to use in Kenya. Never before and never since has this occurred in our days of ministry.

What a blessing that was to us and how encouraging it was to our families who were also new to a faith mission endeavor. We quickly learned that God would raise up funds from obedient people (not necessarily people we knew well).

Each time we come on homeland ministry assignment (HMA provides missionaries with opportunities to share their call to missions and to challenge believers to become actively involved in missions), this experience reminds us that God did it before and will do it again as we trust Him.

Missionaries (and anyone involved in Christian service), believe that God will raise up people to help you get to the field or keep you ministering to those you have been called to serve. And to all of The Call readers, your gift is never too small or too large. You will have immeasurable impact on sharing Christ around the world.

Many of you have been faithful in your giving throughout your lives. Consider leaving a legacy with your finances that will impact ministry far beyond your time here on earth. If you would like to discuss your estate planning options, contact Mark Moore at 765.661.2803. All discussions will be held at no charge and in complete confidence.

Have a financial gift God has asked you to share? Giving to the WGM missionary staff is a short click away. Visit www.wgm.org/donateonline to share your financial blessings and ensure your gift will change the world for Christ.

A Visit for Silas

An excerpt from...

A Visit for Silas
Using a long weekend to share God’s loveBy Linda Spriegel, Kenya
April-June 2013

“Mom, this weekend when I come home, I would like us to get Silas from the Africa Gospel Church Baby Center and bring him to see his mom.” My daughter Julia was calling from boarding school, planning for the long mid-term weekend coming up. With all three of our teenagers at Rift Valley Academy, my husband, John, and I look forward to these precious times when they visit and the anticipated family games, hikes, talks, and relaxing. But add a 21-month-old to the mix? And there were several hurdles to jump to get the needed permissions and make the arrangements. Yet we knew this was not the first or last time we as a family would be stretched by Julia’s compassionate heart, so we agreed to pray with her and began working on the details.

We had met Jennifer and her son Silas 10 months earlier when Jennifer brought him to Tenwek Hospital. Silas, at 11 months, was a classic picture of malnutrition. At this hospital visit, Jennifer told Dr. Chuck Bemm that she needed to give up her baby and that someone else needed to take care of him or he would die. Knowing Julia’s love for children and her hours of experience volunteering at the nursery, the Bemms asked her to care for Silas while they handled the necessary paperwork. Then Julia and our other daughter, Rebecca, escorted him the three hours to the Baby Center and handed him over to the staff’s loving care.

In the months that followed, Julia visited Silas a couple times, and we were able to show his pictures to his mom, who expressed a desire to see him. When Julia heard that Jennifer was in her last stages of HIV, she wanted to give Jennifer a tangible evidence of God’s care by bringing healthy Silas to see her.

It was a beautiful morning when we drove to Jennifer’s village with Silas to reunite him with his family. His mother and his four siblings who were there were overjoyed to see chubby Silas. As Jennifer shared her gratefulness, she referred to the story of Moses, identifying with his mother who had given up her son and one day he had been mightily used by God. She has the same vision for Silas. When her other children asked if they would get to see Silas again, she said, “He is in God’s hands. We don’t know if he will help our family or someone else’s, but he will be used by God in his future.”

Silas is back at the Baby Center, waiting to be adopted. Sadly, Jennifer passed away in December 2012. Even though she was very sick before she died, her favorite thing to talk about was Jesus, and she knew He had good plans for all her children.

You can offer continued care to Silas and other little ones at the AGC Baby Center through the Great Co-Mission Catalog. By recruiting your friends and family to personally connect with this need, you have the opportunity to change these little lives forever. Learn more about the AGC Baby Center project needs at www.wgm.org/catalog.

Where Do Your Interests Lie?

An excerpt from...

Where Do Your Interests Lie?

By Debbie McKelvey, Texas-Mexico Border Ministries
April-June 2013

God loves to use the things we’re excited about to build His kingdom.

What captures your attention? Do you enjoy playing soccer or football? Maybe God would like to use your love for sports to donate sports equipment to Taylor Community Center so missionaries like Gerson Tejeda, Tim Benner, and Jorge Vaca can use them to reach kids and adults.

Click Give to donate sports equipment through the Sports for the Savior—Mexico Great Co-Mission Catalog

project.

Do you like to do crafts? Taylor Community Center and Taylor Christian School would love donated craft items. Better yet, McAllen, Texas, has a Michaels arts and crafts store. Gift certificates to Michaels would greatly help Betsy Tejeda, Christina McBride, Kim Benner, and me in doing Bible clubs, ladies teas, etc., at the center.

Many of you are concerned about education. Missionary Marsha Hartley would love to see more funds donated to our student sponsorship program at Taylor Christian School. The director of Taylor Christian School would like to receive funds to help pay our hard-working teachers. As far as education goes, I must warn you that if you even begin to discuss Campbell’s soup labels or Box Tops for Education with Bill and Betsy Tarr, you may not get them to stop talking! 

Provide student sponsorships to Taylor Christian School through the It’s Either the School of Hard Knocks or…—Mexico Great Co-Mission Catalog project.

Do you like to eat? Of course you do! I have a wonderful supporter who sends me fast-food gift certificates to hand out for ministry. The point is, ask God to show you how He can use your interests to reach people for Jesus on the Texas-Mexico border or another mission field where He would like you to make a difference. 

Maybe He wants you to regularly support one of the above-mentioned missionaries or one of our missionaries who lives in Mexico, or to send them goodies they can use. Above all, please pray about whether God would have you personally use your interests by visiting a field.

To support any of the missionaries serving on the Texas-Mexico border, visit the field pages at www.wgm.org/mexico and click on the Connect and partner with those who serve link.

If God would have you visit a field, learn more at www.wgm.org/go.

Prayer Calendar: June 9-15, 2013

The Call's prayer calendar offers this mission's prayer point for this week:

PRAY that Taylor Christian School and Taylor Community Center in McAllen, Texas, will bring hope to their surrounding community.

"God loves to use the things we’re excited about to build His kingdom. When He called Peter and Andrew (Matthew 4:18-19), Jesus didn’t say, “Come, follow me, and I will make you teachers.” He said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” He knew this terminology would capture Peter’s and Andrew’s attention because fishing is what they did for a living." ~Debbie McKelvey, from Where Do Your Interests Lie?

If You Have a Semester

An excerpt from...

If You Have a Semester

By Gabe Bain, Volunteer
April-June 2013

If you are like most Christian college students, you are looking for ways to use your talents to bring glory to God and further His kingdom. 

As a writer, I often found it difficult to discover opportunities to serve God with my writing. As a student journalist, telling the truth can be a great way to use my God-given talents, but sometimes I felt like I wanted something more.

Last April, I learned about an opportunity to become an intern and write for World Gospel Mission. I did not know much about WGM or the internships they provided. I just knew writing, school credit, and missions all sounded great to me. I was able to meet certain graduation requirements, and more importantly, glorify God by telling the story of missionaries around the world.

I sent in my application and left the rest in God’s hands. I was called for an interview and was accepted. The warm environment created by the staff made the three-month experience very enjoyable.

WGM provides many internship opportunities, ranging from writing and graphic design to photography and marketing. You can gain real-world work experience as you serve God with your talents. You will also be blessed by the staff that works here. They demonstrate what a walk with God should look like.

If you have a semester, don’t drag your feet on a great experience and opportunity that could shape your passions and sharpen your talents. A semester of serving and loving with your gifts is waiting for you.

If you have a semester, apply for a WGM internship at www.wgm.org/
internships.

Prayer Calendar: June 2-8, 2013

The Call's prayer calendar offers this missions prayer point for this week:

PRAY that God will raise up college students to serve on the mission field.

"If you have a semester, don’t drag your feet on a great experience and opportunity that could shape your passions and sharpen your talents. A semester of serving and loving with your gifts is waiting for you."  

~Gabe Bains, former writing intern

Use What You Don't Have

An excerpt from...

Use What You Don't Have

By Michael Johnson, Special Assignment
April-June 2013

“And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.” (Exodus 4:2 KJV)

Moses felt as if he didn’t have much. God told him to use even something that might seem worthless. I hear God saying the same and to use what we do not have.

Using our home church as our base, we sent out a survey to churches and the community asking them what were the most pressing problems they faced. When the surveys were returned, we realized we did not even ask the right questions. People wrote in their own responses. The principal one was “We need mentoring for our young men and women.” With nothing in our hands to do this, we turned to those who had the calling. God used them to shape our cause.

We participated in two large forums on pro-life among African American Christian leaders. Our focus has been more in tune with promoting families; not just on the woman and her child, but on the circumstances that led to her impregnation, including how to involve the father of the child.

We have worked on promoting counseling and a gun buy-back program as well as rehabilitation and reuniting Returning Citizens (a.k.a. those released from jails), and are moving toward establishing a healthcare center for those who “fall between the cracks” in the medical system.

We started out with nothing, but it becomes clearer day by day that God is moving in our lives to make a difference, especially in areas that we know nothing about.

Do you have a skill that God can use? Michael and Kay Johnson need coworkers willing to counsel families, mentor children in juvenile detention, provide healthcare for our proposed clinic, and the list of needs goes on and on. Join this team by contacting Jared Gleason at recruiting@wgm.org.

Prayer Calendar: May 26 - June 1

The Call's prayer calendar offers this mission's prayer point for this week:

PRAY for Michael and Kay Johnson as they build up families and those who "fall between the cracks" in Philadelphia.

“And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.” (Exodus 4:2 KJV)

"Moses felt as if he didn’t have much. God told him to use even something that might seem worthless. I hear God saying the same and to use what we do not have." ~Michael Johnson, from Use What You Don't Have

The World Was His Parish

An excerpt from...

The World Was His Parish

In Memory of Denis Applebee
April-June 2013

The Call staff would like to honor the memory of Dr. Denis Applebee, a great man of God who was a significant part of the magazine for over 25 years through his columns “The World Is My Parish” and “A Window on the World.”

On September 16, 2012, World Gospel Mission lost a great warrior for the Great Commission when Dr. Denis Applebee passed away at the age of 84 at his home in Ivybridge, England.

After his conversion to Christ, Denis had two life goals: to serve Christ and to be like Christ in life. Without question, we can affirm that his life goals were achieved. Denis was a beloved speaker across the United States and around the world, and those who heard him preach—whether young or old—were blessed by the gifts God had bestowed on him.

He loved the writings of fellow Englishman John Wesley. Wesley often told listeners, “The world is my parish.” Wesley’s quote synchronized so well with the role God asked Denis to play that it seemed only natural for his first column in The Call (formerly Call to Prayer) to be titled, “The World Is My Parish.” In his first of many articles for Call to Prayer, Denis referred to Wesley’s statement, “To put myself alongside such a fellow countryman may seem a bold claim as well, but I dare to do so as I answer God’s call to minister to the missionary family of World Gospel Mission.”

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV). Denis truly fixed his eyes on the eternal as he served to build up the church in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and around the world. For us at The Call, we remember a godly man who wrote from his heart out of an intense desire for all people to know the one true Savior.

Pick up Dr. Applebee’s pen and continue writing so that others will know the one true Savior. Write your story of what God has done in your life. (It doesn’t have to be long.) Once written, ask God who you need to share your story with. Set up a time to meet with that person and share your testimony.

Prayer Calendar: May 19-25, 2013

The Call's prayer calendar offers this mission's prayer point for this week:

PRAISE God for the legacy of His saints, like Denis Applebee, in leading others to Him.

On September 16, 2012, World Gospel Mission lost a great warrior for the Great Commission when Dr. Denis Applebee passed away at the age of 84 at his home in Ivybridge, England. ~From The World was His Parish

Prayer Partners

An excerpt from...

Prayer Partners

A ministry with two sides
By Marsha Hartley, Texas-Mexico Border Ministries and Mary Jo Simpson, WGM Partner
April-June 2013

From Marsha:

I cannot overemphasize how prayer has impacted me and my ministry.

One of my ministry partners who has been traveling with me the longest on my missions adventure is Mary Jo Simpson. While I am on homeland ministry assignment this year, I have been meeting with Mary Jo for prayer as often as our schedules allow. I always come away from her home feeling inspired and empowered to travel and share at my next HMA meetings. She is 90 years young, but through her dedicated praying for missionaries, she “travels” all around the world. She still prays for a Japanese lady, now back in Japan, whom I taught in the third grade in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. I know that I could not have followed the Lord on this missions journey of more than 26 years without Mary Jo and other faithful prayer partners “traveling” with me through prayer.

From Mary Jo:
How awesome to see how God answers when we ask Him to open doors for our prayer partners. While we ask, His answer is already on the way. He cares, He protects, and He calms. Usually before Marsha tells me how He answered, I already know. Truly He is an awesome God. I remember when she was first called to be a missionary. She’d never been farther from home than Morehead, Kentucky. Then He called, and she went to Kentucky Mountain Bible College. We prayed for her. Suddenly she stepped out even farther. Kentucky Mountain Holiness Association wanted her, but You, dear Lord, wanted her to go even farther. He sent her to World Gospel Mission, and then to Bolivia. I still pray for some of her students she had in Bolivia. I wrote to one from the time she was 9 years old, a scared little Japanese girl. I’ve continued writing to her ever since, and I’m still praying for her.

Partnering with missionaries in prayer is vital to their ministries. Even if you don’t have a relationship with a missionary as close as Mary Jo and Marsha do, a good way to enhance your prayer ministry is through the WGM prayer calendar. You can either visit www.wgm.org/praycal each day or click the printer-friendly link to print a copy of the calendar to put on your refrigerator or in your Bible. You can also request a printed copy at globallink@wgm.org.

What do you have? We have little girls.

An excerpt from...

What Do You Have? We Have Little Girls.

By Billy Coppedge, Uganda/South Sudan
April-June 2013

We have little girls. Our family, whether officially or not, is involved in loving little children, both ours and those around them.

Joanna’s mother sent a children’s magazine for our two oldest girls, Elsie Jayne (4) and Lucy Mae (3). It had a picture of a children’s Bible club. The girls immediately wanted to do a Bible club with their friends. Joanna decided they could plan something for the next school holiday. The girls told me all about it, but I was actually quite insincere in my enthusiasm and expectations.

My conviction came when they assembled the invitation list. They wanted to invite two Hindu boys, Kitron and Hersh. Now, Kitron had been previously very mean to Elsie Jayne. I felt uncomfortable with him being at our house. But Lucy Mae said Jesus had put Kitron on her heart, so Kitron was invited.

The week for the Bible club came and anywhere from 40 to 60 kids came daily, including Kitron. Organized chaos would probably best describe our “program,” but at the end of the week, 19 kids prayed to make the decision to follow Jesus!

What do we have to offer Jesus? We have little girls.

Those little girls are being used by Jesus, not only to stretch their father’s faith, but also to share Jesus with other children. Did I mention Kitron was one of those 19? Hallelujah! Praise God forever! The kingdom is a little more crowded because of two little girls’ desire for a Bible club.

ACT: Does this story inspire you to get your little ones involved in missions? WGM can help with ideas at www.wgm.org/kidsworldgo.

Prayer Calendar: May 12-18, 2013

The Call's prayer calendar offers this mission's prayer point for this week:

Has God placed something unexpected in your life? PRAY about using the unexpected in ministry.

"We have three children (girls). Now there is no arguing. Our family, whether officially or not, is involved in loving little children, both ours and those around them." ~Billy Coppedge, What Do You Have? We Have Little Girls.

Hazel's Quilts

An excerpt from...

Hazel's Quilts

The Fabric of God’s Blessing
By Rachel Elwood, Support Staff
April-June 2013

“My ability to sew is God’s gift to me, and what I do with it is my gift back to Him.”

Hazel Dowden was blessed with an aptitude for sewing and has been active in using her talents ever since she was 12 years old. The mother of two and grandmother of five began making quilts when her grandchildren were born. As the children grew up, she began looking for other people to make quilts for, including shut-ins from church, people in nursing homes, newborns in hospitals, foster care children, and the police department where she lives in Plainfield, Indiana.

“Whoever God would put on my heart, I would make them a quilt,” Hazel said.

A few years ago, God began leading Hazel to explore giving her quilts to missions. She contacted Deb Cunningham, a staff member at WGM, to see if any WGM field could use the quilts. Deb’s response? “Oh yeah! We can use those!”

Today, Hazel’s quilts can be found all over the world: Kenya, Honduras, Indonesia, Haiti, and, of course, the USA. Right now, she’s working on a large number of quilts to take to the Africa Gospel Church Baby Center in Kenya. The Baby Center is a home for orphaned and abandoned babies, including those who are HIV positive. Hazel and her husband of 44 years, Ted, are looking forward to their first missions trip there this summer.

Hazel treasures the hours of labor, spending a lot of the time talking to God. “That’s when He gives me people to make quilts for,” she said. “I pray over the quilts as I make them. For example, when I give a quilt to a newlywed couple, I tell them, ‘When you have problems, and you will, realize that when you cover up with this quilt, prayer will cover you with His grace.’”

“I get a blessing when I make the quilts,” she said. “It’s all God’s time and it’s all His work.”

What gift has God given you that you can use to return the blessing? Take some time to consider how God can use your practical abilities for His glory.

Prayer Calendar: May 5-11, 2013

The Call's prayer calendar offers this mission's prayer point for this week:


PRAISE God for the many blessings He has given you.

What gift has God given you that you can use to return the blessing? Take some time to consider how God can use your practical abilities for His glory.

"Imitate Me..."

An excerpt from...

"Imitate Me..."

By Kristy Weinert, Argentina
April-June 2013

There are as many definitions of discipleship as there are discipleship materials. Paul understood this when he invited the Corinthians to imitate him. In 1 Corinthians 4:15-16, he said there was an abundance of “instructors” but few “fathers” who are willing to take on spiritual children and demonstrate Christian living through their own lives. This kind of discipling requires a personal investment.

We are involved in a ministry that requires a 24/7 investment. Brad and I accepted the challenge to open a residence for Christian university students. Every year, over 100,000 students fill the university campuses of Córdoba, Argentina. Many come from around the country and have no family or contact in the city with whom to live while attending the university. We provide Christian students with low-cost living quarters, a weekly Bible study, Christian principles for living together, and the encouragement to stand for Jesus in a very non-Christian campus.

But it’s more than the daily involvement or Bible study; we’re being watched! We received comments such as “I didn’t know what a Christian marriage looks like,” or “I know you have devotions each day because I’ve seen you.” Even now as we live next door on the same property, they’re watching us daily to see how we deal with discouragement, financial needs, crises that arise, or spiritual needs around us. They need to see practical Christianity lived out in everyday life. What a responsibility to keep our own hearts in fresh contact and renewal with the Lord. It’s not about how flawless we are (we’re not!), but about how evident He can be in us if we walk as closely to Him as humanly possible.

What an awesome thing to say with Paul to a young Christian, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Do you dare to invite someone to come alongside you and walk with Jesus?

Discipling someone will teach you how to help another mature in faith. If God is calling you to invest in a young Christian, read the Plant chapter of the World Go! Manual to help get you started. Download the chapter for free atwww.wgm.org/worldgo.

Prayer Calendar: April 28 - May 4, 2013

The Call's prayer calendar offers this mission's prayer point for this week:

PRAY for Brad and Kristy Weinert as they disciple university students in Cordoba, Argentina.

Discipling someone will teach you how to help another mature in faith. Is God calling you to invest in a young Christian?

If You Have a Desire to Give or Go...

An excerpt from...

If You Have a Desire to Give or Go...

Join Paraguay’s Mobile Evangelism Team

By Tracy Dubois, Support Staff

April-June 2013 

Statistics are thrown around in every avenue of life. Depending on the avenue, the same percentage can have very different meanings. A 3 to 4 percent body mass index is amazing, but when you hear that only 3 to 4 percent of Paraguayans consider themselves evangelical Christians, your heart may skip a beat.

With that number, Paraguay has one of the smallest percentages of evangelical Christians in South America, and many Paraguayans are reluctant to even enter an evangelical church. However, WGM Paraguay has the perfect answer to this dilemma—the Mobile Evangelism Team.

Using a flatbed truck as a mobile stage, the team travels to outlying areas to visit retirement homes, hold evangelistic campaigns, and share during Vacation Bible School programs and other outreach events.

“The Mobile Evangelism Team is needed as an evangelistic tool so that many will clearly hear of God’s love for them and His desire to transform their lives,” emphasized Paraguay Field Director Larry Carr. According to Larry, the two basic needs that have to be met to take advantage of this unique ministry are funding and personnel. Money is needed to get the truck and sound equipment in working condition, and a missionary is needed to organize the ministry with national churches.

“Without the funds and personnel, the truck will be used in a very limited way and will spend most of the time parked in a garage,” Larry shared. “There is so much potential for this ministry, and it’s sad to see a valuable tool for evangelism in such poor condition.”

Contact recruiting@wgm.org to see how you can minister with Paraguay’s Mobile Evangelism Team.

Partner with the Mobile Evangelism Team at www.wgm.org/givetomobile. To donate via check, make it payable to World Gospel Mission and write account #21665-CALL on the memo line. 

Send check donations to:

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