On the March Entebbe,Uganda flight to London UK, Doug was stuck seated in the very back of the airplane, between an interesting couple. He said they looked like they were in the diplomatic corps. Seated to Doug's left, the Diplomat, wearing a nice looking suit, never spoke once during the flight. He spent the entire 8 hours in a nearly comatose state (with an alcohol fog surrounding him.) Doug was grateful that the diplomat did NOT lean on him, an unfortunate occurrence that is sometimes all too real! To Doug's right, the diplomat's wife settled into her seat and also didn't speak. Near the end of the journey, a meal was served and Doug tucked into his food. After nearly 8 hours of complete silence, no greetings, no introductions, nothing ... a hand reached over onto Doug's tray and he heard the wife say, "You won't need that," as she took Doug's cream and sugar off his food tray! Doug said he thought she'd taken his candy bar, so he kind of grabbed it back, but then returned them when he saw she'd missed the candy bar! A sense of humor is sometimes very helpful during these trips... hope Doug doesn't have to exercise his too often this trip! Hope you are as amused as we were with his little story (and hope you're moved to pray for the 5 different flight legs he's facing - see prayer items below).
Doug's on his way to Isiro DR Congo. He left July 15 for the next month-long translation consulting trip with the Logo team. Goals of trip: to complete translation checking of the Logo II Peter and II Corinthians and to encourage the Logo team.
Praise and Prayer Items:
• Doug's father returned home after elective surgery and continues to recover well. Doug was grateful for the week with his parents, helping them and spending time with them before the trip. And we were able to participate in the Wright family reunion as well. Thank you for your prayers.
• Please pray that Doug's flights and layovers over the next 5 days will be uneventful and as restful as possible. This was "High" season for travel and flights were very difficult to come by, thus some layovers are longer than desired:
• Thursday 15 July: Wilmington NC – New York; New York - Montreal; 7:45pm-8:35am Friday, Montreal - Brussels
Friday 16 July: Brussels – Entebbe 10:40am-7:35pm
Friday-Monday, 16-19 July: Entebbe UTB Guesthouse (recover from jet lag, prep for work, buying medicines)
Monday-Tuesday, 19-20 July: Entebbe–Bunia DR Congo; overnight Bunia USB Guesthouse
Tuesday 20 July: fly Bunia – Isiro, DR Congo
20 July-13 Aug: Isiro SIL Guesthouse: reunite with Logo team of Aguma, Adara and Madrakele; begin translation checking of II Peter and then II Corinthians.
• Please pray for protection over Doug's baggage, including the box of 6 computers he's bringing for Shalom University in Bunia DRC. Please pray that they are not stolen out of the luggage on any of the flights, please pray for ease for Doug through the various immigration check points/countries, and for favor for the Shalom University people who will be clearing the computers through the DR Congo Customs office in Bunia.
• Please pray for safety and protection on the health of the Logo translators and families, for Doug (who was very ill after the last trip) and for Beth (protection from infection leading to Addison's crisis).
These checking sessions are often times of spiritual growth, through enormous challenges and tests. It's a huge encouragement to us to know we're covered by your prayers! Thanks for praying.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Update from Elliott Tepper - July 2010
Greetings in Jesus’ name. We would like to thank you all again for your many prayers and very generous support. Our short time in America to attend to Mary’s medical needs and for rest is coming to an end. We plan on flying back to Spain on July 14th.
During our stay in America we have been overwhelmed by the kindness, attention, and personal touch of family and friends in Wilmington. We have been spoiled by Mrs. Prevatt, Mary’s 95 year old mother, who has cared for us in her home. The Myrtle Grove folk regular brought us prepared meals in abundance, so much so, that we almost had to invoke Exodus 36:6 and Moses’ command to the Israelites to restrain their generosity.
David, Naomi, and Gabriel left Betel of America for ten days to be with us in Wilmington. After some initial confusion Gabriel finally was able to articulate the difference between Mum, Grandmother, and Great Grandmother. Gabriel and I befriended all the birds, cats, and squirrels in Great Grandmother’s yard. Following the ministry of St. Patrick to the snakes of Ireland, Gab, the fear less ‘Hunter of Spiders’, drove out all 8 legged pests and restored a spiderless ‘paradise’ to Great Grandmother’s environs. Pray for David and Naomi. They will be expecting another boy in August.
Over the last three months Mary has been thoroughly examined by doctors and taken many exams and tests in Wilmington and also at the Duke University Neurological Center in Raleigh. We are where we started, but have confirmed that Mary has had a very successful surgery in Spain. She is healing well and has retained all her intellect, faculties, bodily functions and remains bi-lingual. She is in the high ninetieth percentile of people who have had similar surgeries. However, she still struggles with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, trembling and weakness—very common post surgical symptoms for surgeries on the left side of the brain. Please pray. Mary still does not feel well. We are believing for a full recovery over time.
Mary and I have been almost ‘inseparable’ since her surgery in April 2009 as I have not felt the liberty to travel. However, at the end of April 2010 I was able to leave her for the first time with her family in Wilmington to spend two days at the Faith Training Center’s Missionaries and Ministers Convention in Walhalla, South Carolina. After the convention Barry Silverback of Australia, Kel Steiner of YWAM, and I were asked to meet with the FTC Trustees. I made the sacrifice to be with the brethren because I felt it was an important time for Faith Training Center and the legacy of A.S. Worley, the founder of FTC and a great missionary Statesman and Apostle to the nations. It appears that God is presenting a ‘Kairos’ moment to Faith Training Center. Kel Steiner, the Deputy Asian director of YWAM, has offered to assume the responsibility for the 50 acre campus and buildings and to start a YWAM School of Discipleship and a branch of the University of the Nations in Walhalla. It will not be easy for the few faithful brethren still at FTC to put their dreams on the altar and let God resurrect Brother Worley’s vision for the nations through YWAM on a far larger scale. My life was changed at FTC. I personally believe that this is the right thing to do. Please believe with us that all parties will hear God’s voice loud and clear.
In May I was scheduled to fly to Thailand to be part of WEC’s two week long INTERCON CONFERENCE where all the leaders of WEC’s sending bases, fields, and worldwide ministries gathered to seek God and plan our future advance. Unfortunately, as the departure date approached it became apparent that Mary’s condition was too delicate for me to leave her with her family. I cancelled and stayed in Wilmington. Lindsay, Myk, Kent, Keith, and Lolita represented Betel. It was a time for WEC to affirm its identity and heritage in God and to look to and prepare for the future. We, on the WEC-Betel Transnational Field, have declared, in faith, that Betel will enter 18 new nations in the next decade—principally in Asia. Betel is presently in 21 nations. Please believe with us for all the human, economic, and spiritual resources necessary for that great advance.
At the end of June Mary was healthy enough for me to fly to Canada to be the speaker for the WEC Canadian Field Conference. Jonathan took time from his very busy schedule to fly into Wilmington from London to be with his mother during my absence. I flew into Toronto to the Canadian headquarters in Hamilton. The next day I appeared on Christian TV on ‘100 Huntly Street’. In the afternoon we went out to see the 43 acre ‘Land of Goshen’ farm that has been donated to WEC Canada by a Canadian Korean couple for a Betel community. Paula and Daniel (WEC Korea) who have served in Betel of India are now living on the property. Canada is one of our 18 declared new fields for the coming decade. Please pray that we will know when God wants us to actually start Betel of Canada.
We are very short of English speaking Betel workers. We have just sent 6 new Betel missionaries (one Spanish couple and 4 British men) to renew the Betel of Australia team which has not really recovered its ‘breath’ since the tragic wildfire that destroyed our Marysville center and took the life of our dear Bian. Also, Betel of America is still struggling with a reduced team of mature workers and new US visa restrictions on religious workers which inhibits sending reinforcements. The US government is now treating ‘Christian’ religious visas with the same jaundiced eye that they use to approve Muslim religious visas—all in the name of ‘fairness’ and ‘political correctness’. Please pray for David and Naomi. They are under much spiritual, administrative and economic pressure because of the lack of good workers in Betel of America.
FUTURE EVENTS
We will hold our WEC-Betel TRANSNATIONAL FIELD CONFERENCE the third week of August and our ANNUAL CAMP MEETING the last week of August, both at our Betania Conference Center. We anticipate having most of our Betel WECCERS with us and 1,500 Betel folks from our Churches and communities around the world. Normally, we invite an outside speaker, but this year I will speak at half the main sessions for the Camp Meetings and Mario (Betel of Finland) and Dimitrij (Betel of Russia) will take the rest of the main sessions. Pray for Dimitrij. Since Putin’s government has ejected Mario, our Betel missionary, from Russia by denying Mario and his family visas, the weight of leadership of Betel of Russia has fallen to Dimitrij and other young Russians. Please pray that their hearts remain bound to our hearts and Russia stays an integral part of the Betel fold. This is one of our motives for honoring Russia and asking Dimitrij to address the whole Betel family at Camp Meeting.
At the end of September we will celebrate our ANNUAL PROPHETIC CONFERENCE in Madrid. We have invited Johnny Enslow of Atlanta to be the principle speaker.
In November we will celebrate BETEL’S 25th ANNIVERSARY in Madrid. We anticipate representatives from the major denominations of Spain, governmental and political leaders, and many of our special friends and supporters from around the world to be with us. We have invited Paul Johansson and Paul Anderson to help us mark this milestone in God.
Thank you again for your prayers and support. Please pray especially for Mary. She is understandably anxious about our return to Spain July 14th. She does find some comfort knowing that we will stop in New York for two days in New York with Betel of America and David and Naomi and Gabriel. When we arrive in Madrid we will find Peter, Michelle, and Sophia in our home. They have accompanied two teams of 40 Oxford young people from St. Aldates for a short-term missionary experience in Betel this summer. We close with this thought, knowing this year more than ever:
‘That if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens’. I Corinthians 5:1
Our love in Christ,
Elliott and Mary
PS We have a file with the text of a small booklet we have written called: ‘The Ten Distinctives of Betel’. It will be published soon, but if you might prefer a ‘peek’ before the published version full of Betel photos is available, contact Myrgle Grove office for a copy.
C/Antonia Rodriguez Sacristan 8
Madrid 28044
Spain
c/o WEC International
PO Box 1707
Ft. Washington, PA 19034
USA
During our stay in America we have been overwhelmed by the kindness, attention, and personal touch of family and friends in Wilmington. We have been spoiled by Mrs. Prevatt, Mary’s 95 year old mother, who has cared for us in her home. The Myrtle Grove folk regular brought us prepared meals in abundance, so much so, that we almost had to invoke Exodus 36:6 and Moses’ command to the Israelites to restrain their generosity.
David, Naomi, and Gabriel left Betel of America for ten days to be with us in Wilmington. After some initial confusion Gabriel finally was able to articulate the difference between Mum, Grandmother, and Great Grandmother. Gabriel and I befriended all the birds, cats, and squirrels in Great Grandmother’s yard. Following the ministry of St. Patrick to the snakes of Ireland, Gab, the fear less ‘Hunter of Spiders’, drove out all 8 legged pests and restored a spiderless ‘paradise’ to Great Grandmother’s environs. Pray for David and Naomi. They will be expecting another boy in August.
Over the last three months Mary has been thoroughly examined by doctors and taken many exams and tests in Wilmington and also at the Duke University Neurological Center in Raleigh. We are where we started, but have confirmed that Mary has had a very successful surgery in Spain. She is healing well and has retained all her intellect, faculties, bodily functions and remains bi-lingual. She is in the high ninetieth percentile of people who have had similar surgeries. However, she still struggles with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, trembling and weakness—very common post surgical symptoms for surgeries on the left side of the brain. Please pray. Mary still does not feel well. We are believing for a full recovery over time.
Mary and I have been almost ‘inseparable’ since her surgery in April 2009 as I have not felt the liberty to travel. However, at the end of April 2010 I was able to leave her for the first time with her family in Wilmington to spend two days at the Faith Training Center’s Missionaries and Ministers Convention in Walhalla, South Carolina. After the convention Barry Silverback of Australia, Kel Steiner of YWAM, and I were asked to meet with the FTC Trustees. I made the sacrifice to be with the brethren because I felt it was an important time for Faith Training Center and the legacy of A.S. Worley, the founder of FTC and a great missionary Statesman and Apostle to the nations. It appears that God is presenting a ‘Kairos’ moment to Faith Training Center. Kel Steiner, the Deputy Asian director of YWAM, has offered to assume the responsibility for the 50 acre campus and buildings and to start a YWAM School of Discipleship and a branch of the University of the Nations in Walhalla. It will not be easy for the few faithful brethren still at FTC to put their dreams on the altar and let God resurrect Brother Worley’s vision for the nations through YWAM on a far larger scale. My life was changed at FTC. I personally believe that this is the right thing to do. Please believe with us that all parties will hear God’s voice loud and clear.
In May I was scheduled to fly to Thailand to be part of WEC’s two week long INTERCON CONFERENCE where all the leaders of WEC’s sending bases, fields, and worldwide ministries gathered to seek God and plan our future advance. Unfortunately, as the departure date approached it became apparent that Mary’s condition was too delicate for me to leave her with her family. I cancelled and stayed in Wilmington. Lindsay, Myk, Kent, Keith, and Lolita represented Betel. It was a time for WEC to affirm its identity and heritage in God and to look to and prepare for the future. We, on the WEC-Betel Transnational Field, have declared, in faith, that Betel will enter 18 new nations in the next decade—principally in Asia. Betel is presently in 21 nations. Please believe with us for all the human, economic, and spiritual resources necessary for that great advance.
At the end of June Mary was healthy enough for me to fly to Canada to be the speaker for the WEC Canadian Field Conference. Jonathan took time from his very busy schedule to fly into Wilmington from London to be with his mother during my absence. I flew into Toronto to the Canadian headquarters in Hamilton. The next day I appeared on Christian TV on ‘100 Huntly Street’. In the afternoon we went out to see the 43 acre ‘Land of Goshen’ farm that has been donated to WEC Canada by a Canadian Korean couple for a Betel community. Paula and Daniel (WEC Korea) who have served in Betel of India are now living on the property. Canada is one of our 18 declared new fields for the coming decade. Please pray that we will know when God wants us to actually start Betel of Canada.
We are very short of English speaking Betel workers. We have just sent 6 new Betel missionaries (one Spanish couple and 4 British men) to renew the Betel of Australia team which has not really recovered its ‘breath’ since the tragic wildfire that destroyed our Marysville center and took the life of our dear Bian. Also, Betel of America is still struggling with a reduced team of mature workers and new US visa restrictions on religious workers which inhibits sending reinforcements. The US government is now treating ‘Christian’ religious visas with the same jaundiced eye that they use to approve Muslim religious visas—all in the name of ‘fairness’ and ‘political correctness’. Please pray for David and Naomi. They are under much spiritual, administrative and economic pressure because of the lack of good workers in Betel of America.
FUTURE EVENTS
We will hold our WEC-Betel TRANSNATIONAL FIELD CONFERENCE the third week of August and our ANNUAL CAMP MEETING the last week of August, both at our Betania Conference Center. We anticipate having most of our Betel WECCERS with us and 1,500 Betel folks from our Churches and communities around the world. Normally, we invite an outside speaker, but this year I will speak at half the main sessions for the Camp Meetings and Mario (Betel of Finland) and Dimitrij (Betel of Russia) will take the rest of the main sessions. Pray for Dimitrij. Since Putin’s government has ejected Mario, our Betel missionary, from Russia by denying Mario and his family visas, the weight of leadership of Betel of Russia has fallen to Dimitrij and other young Russians. Please pray that their hearts remain bound to our hearts and Russia stays an integral part of the Betel fold. This is one of our motives for honoring Russia and asking Dimitrij to address the whole Betel family at Camp Meeting.
At the end of September we will celebrate our ANNUAL PROPHETIC CONFERENCE in Madrid. We have invited Johnny Enslow of Atlanta to be the principle speaker.
In November we will celebrate BETEL’S 25th ANNIVERSARY in Madrid. We anticipate representatives from the major denominations of Spain, governmental and political leaders, and many of our special friends and supporters from around the world to be with us. We have invited Paul Johansson and Paul Anderson to help us mark this milestone in God.
Thank you again for your prayers and support. Please pray especially for Mary. She is understandably anxious about our return to Spain July 14th. She does find some comfort knowing that we will stop in New York for two days in New York with Betel of America and David and Naomi and Gabriel. When we arrive in Madrid we will find Peter, Michelle, and Sophia in our home. They have accompanied two teams of 40 Oxford young people from St. Aldates for a short-term missionary experience in Betel this summer. We close with this thought, knowing this year more than ever:
‘That if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens’. I Corinthians 5:1
Our love in Christ,
Elliott and Mary
PS We have a file with the text of a small booklet we have written called: ‘The Ten Distinctives of Betel’. It will be published soon, but if you might prefer a ‘peek’ before the published version full of Betel photos is available, contact Myrgle Grove office for a copy.
C/Antonia Rodriguez Sacristan 8
Madrid 28044
Spain
c/o WEC International
PO Box 1707
Ft. Washington, PA 19034
USA
Update from Steve Kohl - July 2010
This is a current update of Belize Dental outreach. It includes tropical storm Alex landing there. Daniel Wiens is the construction manager on site. I am currently equiping the clinic with necessary equipment in order to host dentists and dental hygiensts when they come. When all equipment is gathered and shipped, Annette and I will go to Belize.
She and I often are weak and feel inadequate to do this ministry in a foreign country. Annette and I are convinced that as we trust Him who saves us that His power is made perfect in our own weakness. It is our complete weakness and His strength that brings Him the most Glory.
You have been a great blessing to us in every way. We thank you and will keep you updated.
steve and annette kohl
Paste this in your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajoKnH7qp1c
She and I often are weak and feel inadequate to do this ministry in a foreign country. Annette and I are convinced that as we trust Him who saves us that His power is made perfect in our own weakness. It is our complete weakness and His strength that brings Him the most Glory.
You have been a great blessing to us in every way. We thank you and will keep you updated.
steve and annette kohl
Paste this in your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajoKnH7qp1c
Update from Douglas and Jennings Boone - July 2010
Change is in the air! And soon, we will be, too! July 24, we will fly from Nairobi, Kenya to Bunia, D.R. Congo to begin a new phase of our life and work. Last night our church home-group sent us off with prayers and a lovely card. In the next two weeks, we’ll be saying good-bye to friends and colleagues, as well as packing up our belongings to send by road in a container. It will be a big transition for us. We are confident that it is the right move to make and the right time to do it. We are excited about being closer to Congolese friends and colleagues. But there is still a grief process involved in moving from a place that has been home for 6 years for Jennings, and for 13 years for Douglas. Our work involves a lot of moves and transitions, but they do not necessarily get easier.
Developments for the Tembo team: Last month, Jennings made a trip to Goma, D.R. Congo to work with the Tembo translation team. They finished checking the book of Matthew! The translators and the Tembo community were all excited and encouraged by this progress. They, too, are facing a time of transition as their head translator, Masumbuko Shabani, leaves for a 2-year study program in Bunia. Please pray for strength and courage for the two remaining translators, Ndeshi and Mwanjale, that they may continue to work well. In addition to losing an experienced colleague, they are also facing rising prices in the city of Goma. School fees recently doubled, and the translators are not always able to pay them. Then their children are sent home, which is discouraging to them. Please pray for God’s provision and peace for these translators.
What we’ll be doing in Bunia: For the first three months, we will be house-sitting, which will give us time to look for our own place. The housing market in Bunia is very tight—and expensive—due to the large number of United Nations and development agencies based there. Please pray for us as we look for good, affordable housing. Jennings will continue to work with the Tembo translation team as they move forward in the New Testament. Douglas will be doing strategic research, working closely with colleague Bagamba Araali. Here is how he describes how his past work relates to his upcoming role:
“In the 1990s, I worked with other surveyors to prepare the way for language projects in eastern Zaïre (now DRC). We investigated how well speakers of these languages knew other languages; we looked into dialectal variation; we assessed the readiness of the local community for language work. These same questions are relevant today, as we and the Congolese church plan new translation and literacy programs. I am looking forward to joining my colleague Bagamba in Bunia so that we can work together in identifying the crucial issues, formulating research questions to address them, and devising research instruments to answer the questions.
We are looking into how people in the DRC use the various languages they speak and hear in daily life. Written Scriptures in their ethnic language will probably be only a part of what is needed to assure spiritual growth and the advance of God's Kingdom in their communities. The rest of the package will include materials in trade languages such as Swahili, as well as recordings, radio broadcasts, and stories and songs passed along in oral form in their languages. Our research will help shape program plans concerning the languages and media to use to transmit Scripture.
In the fourteen years since I left Bunia, Bagamba and I have both learned a lot and interacted often with other language assessment specialists. The Congolese scene has changed as well in that time. We thank God for the opportunity to use our skills and knowledge to serve minority language communities so that they can use their languages in new ways and more fully take hold of God's Word in the midst of the challenges they face.”
We appreciate your prayers and support so much! We would love to hear what you’re up to and how we can be praying for you.
Douglas and Jennings
Developments for the Tembo team: Last month, Jennings made a trip to Goma, D.R. Congo to work with the Tembo translation team. They finished checking the book of Matthew! The translators and the Tembo community were all excited and encouraged by this progress. They, too, are facing a time of transition as their head translator, Masumbuko Shabani, leaves for a 2-year study program in Bunia. Please pray for strength and courage for the two remaining translators, Ndeshi and Mwanjale, that they may continue to work well. In addition to losing an experienced colleague, they are also facing rising prices in the city of Goma. School fees recently doubled, and the translators are not always able to pay them. Then their children are sent home, which is discouraging to them. Please pray for God’s provision and peace for these translators.
What we’ll be doing in Bunia: For the first three months, we will be house-sitting, which will give us time to look for our own place. The housing market in Bunia is very tight—and expensive—due to the large number of United Nations and development agencies based there. Please pray for us as we look for good, affordable housing. Jennings will continue to work with the Tembo translation team as they move forward in the New Testament. Douglas will be doing strategic research, working closely with colleague Bagamba Araali. Here is how he describes how his past work relates to his upcoming role:
“In the 1990s, I worked with other surveyors to prepare the way for language projects in eastern Zaïre (now DRC). We investigated how well speakers of these languages knew other languages; we looked into dialectal variation; we assessed the readiness of the local community for language work. These same questions are relevant today, as we and the Congolese church plan new translation and literacy programs. I am looking forward to joining my colleague Bagamba in Bunia so that we can work together in identifying the crucial issues, formulating research questions to address them, and devising research instruments to answer the questions.
We are looking into how people in the DRC use the various languages they speak and hear in daily life. Written Scriptures in their ethnic language will probably be only a part of what is needed to assure spiritual growth and the advance of God's Kingdom in their communities. The rest of the package will include materials in trade languages such as Swahili, as well as recordings, radio broadcasts, and stories and songs passed along in oral form in their languages. Our research will help shape program plans concerning the languages and media to use to transmit Scripture.
In the fourteen years since I left Bunia, Bagamba and I have both learned a lot and interacted often with other language assessment specialists. The Congolese scene has changed as well in that time. We thank God for the opportunity to use our skills and knowledge to serve minority language communities so that they can use their languages in new ways and more fully take hold of God's Word in the midst of the challenges they face.”
We appreciate your prayers and support so much! We would love to hear what you’re up to and how we can be praying for you.
Douglas and Jennings
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