Thursday, February 27, 2014

Guatemala Revisted! (Taken with permission from Dennis's Facebook page.)


Note From John R:  We at the Foreign Mission are very excited, thankful and happy that Dennis has found a Godly wife, Marilyn, who fits in so well and who plans to often accompany him as he travels with us (FM) around the world!  God has surely blessed!    

Now from Dennis:

One of my very favorite ways to serve in Guatemala is to visit homes to encourage people in their daily walk of life and encourage them with personal prayer. Time was spent in Zacapa and Juan Ponce with Pastor Giovanni Sinay Leiva on this mission.

So happy and thankful that we had come all the way up to their home they prepared a 'fiesta' for us - one boy scaled a tree in the yard and cut down coconuts for us to drink out of - and to eat fresh like Salomon Archila is doing here. Salomon was our driver for the day. A wonderfully faithful brother!!

 Another home visit in Juan Ponce was at the home of little blind Jonathan, who I met on my very first prayer walk with Pastor Giovanni Sinay Leiva the first time I came to Guatemala two years ago



Marilyn joined in on Women's Day in Piedras Azules Together with Giovanni's wife Magaly helping to teach the village women important skills with which they can help to support their families. Songs and time for worship and fellowship also a part of it in the church.

 

Pastor Giovanni often teaches Christianity in schools such as this!  What a blessing to be able to reach the children in such settings.



Ryan Ruotsala (who is a full time missionary in Guatemala with the Foreign Mission) is a man of virtually unlimited energy, gifts and vision. As one of the initiators and driving forces behind the Little Lambs Orphanage Center project in the grandeur of the Jalapa (pron. "Halapa") hills, he readily shares his vision, as he did with us today. One task, which appeared daunting at first, was to convince these mountain people of the legitimacy of this project as their neighbor. He has since won their hearts!  (Note: Little Lambs is not part of the Foreign Mission, but is a wonderful project and the Foreign Mission preachers and missionaries usually go there as well)
 

For much more about this trip by Dennis Hilman and his new bride Marilyn, please see Dennis’s Facebook Page.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

India trip recap!

The trip to India that was just completed was most blessed!   Below are a few pictures and captions!  Please note that by following the Foreign Mission on Facebook you can get up to date information on trips!

Again this year, our team (pictured here) was so humbled by the fact the God allowed for us to be a small part of the work the He is doing in India.  We can only just pray that what we did was,  and will be continue to blessed by our Lord.  We know there is nothing we did of ourselves that will amount to anything good.  We also know, that the Lord can even work through us by His Holy Spirit, should that be His desire and will. 

 
 
 
The Word of God

As always, the most important part of all of our trips are the preaching of the Word. God allowed us to share His Word with untold thousands people including Hindus that heard the Word via loudspeakers in their homes.  



This is the Sunday service in Pastor K's home church.  We served communion here and also at another church on this Sunday.


The location of this outdoor service was lovely.  There was a Hindu Temple, a Muslim Mosque, and one of our churches all within just a few feet of the intersection where our stage was.  Two street were full of people as far as the eye could see. The services lasted until midnight with everyone wanting to be laid hands upon the second night.  These are surely humbling services.
Of course we ministered in many small congregations as well.  Size does not matter, the presence of God through His Spirit is what counts.
 
Pastors Seminars
 

We then had 2 days of pastors Seminars with 130 Pastors, and 3 days with 70 pastors in the above two locations.  Topics covered were as follows.  1) The Church 2) The Holy Spirit 3) Perseverance 4) Baptism 5) Holy Communion        It was a blessing to us all!

We know that we cannot be in all the countries we work in around the world all the time, so we trust that God would through His Holy Spirit allow the local pastors to continue in HIS work all throughout the year!
 
                                                                   Medical Clinics

Another thing that we have done in India almost every year for the past five years is medical clinics.  The purpose is to show the Love of Christ to the locals no matter what their religion currently is.  This also serves to give our churches in India humanitarian work that they can report to the government on their yearly reports. This is important, but I cannot explain that here.....

This year we had two wonderful registered nurses as part of our team.  We did 6 medical clinics, serving over 1000 Indians, with a large part of those Hindus.  3 of these clinics were held outside on the village streets, and one was actually in a Hindu Temple. 

This man along with a couple hundred others came for the clinic in the Hindu Temple.  Jesus died for him and all people,  so we pray that people everywhere would not reject God's love and grace.
 
There are so many highlights in all of the places that we go to in India  Among there were spending a very short time with the Lepers.  Many came to our services, and we had a private meeting with them.    
 
As always spending time with the children is such a blessing!  


 

 At the ALC Home, there are 45 children.  Many of you support a child here financially and through prayer.  They are very well taken care of by Pastor K and Ruth and the staff at the home.   Please be aware, that not all of the children are true orphans.  Each child has a different story, from being a full orphan, to having one parent, to have severe financial hardships at home and so forth.    The major things this home provides are 1) Christian teachings   2) help with education   3) Food and clothing.  4) Love and caring.

I encourage the Pastor each year to focus on taking in true orphans, or children from Hindu families.  With these two categories God can use the Home to go a long way toward making for a better life both here and in eternity for the children.
Children greeting us as they come home from the public school that they attend in the village.
 
 
Pray concerns


                                                 One of the pastors suffers from elephantitis.

This women is suffering from Aids.  She lay quietly and sadly in her bed, but after paying attention to her and praying for her, she smiled so nicely!  Her husband already died of Aids, and she has two children.  Pray that she come to fully know Jesus as her Savior.  

This lady strives to be a Christian but here strict Hindu husband will not let her worship the Lord in any way, or even read the Bible.  After praying for her, the pastor told me that she will get beaten for allowing Christians to pray for her.  She said it is worth the beating to be prayed for in Jesus name.
 
Baptisms
 
Every year we baptize new believers.  This year we baptized five adults.  Time did not allow for us to baptize as many this year, but the pastors we work with in India regularly baptize the new believers.  Praise God that people are hearing God's call and are being given the Grace from God to repent and believe the Gospel. 
 
 

Hands laid upon the people before while receiving the Lord's blessings before the baptisms.

 One of the new children of God being Baptized.   Pray that they would now grow in Grace and in the knowledge of the truth.  We all need this so badly!
 
 
The purpose of this blog is to give all Glory to God.   Also, perhaps you will feel called by God to join on a trip to India or another country in the future as you read this.   If you want to come, begin by emailing  foreignmission@comcast.net       You are welcome!