Ashes to Beauty

It is not uncommon for missionaries to be quite familiar with saying hello and goodbye.  The Lord brings people in and out of our lives frequently and I am afraid transition never gets easier!

We said goodbye to the Spradleys this past week and our team is mourning right now.  Jesse and Liz brought an unparalleled vibrance and love for Christ and others to La Ceiba.  They served our team and Hondurans well.  Isaiah 61 comes to mind as they made beauty from ashes and turned mourning into joy.  They worked hard at making the Lord's ministries here thrive and operate with excellence. They helped our team heal and move forward through many hardships and surprises.  We had a fun going away party and they will be greatly missed (pray for our boys who are missing their buddy, Hudson). 

   

We also said hello to Raul and Alma Villanueva at the beginning of this month as our team helped them move from Siguatepeque to La Ceiba.  Our team has morphed over the past year or so to include 4 Honduran families.  This week, we held our biannual planning meeting where we revisit our mission, vision, goals, and objetives and set new goals and objectives.  It was a sweet time to be able to see how the Lord has answered very specific prayers and needs for our team.  It was also our first big meeting where we operated primarily in Spanish as nearly half of our team are native speakers.  This too was a beauty from ashes reminder for me as we see the Lord turn messes into great ministries by the hands and hard work of Hondurans investing in Hondurans. The Lord is uprooting the plants He did not plant and planting oaks of righteousness so that HE is the one receiving the glory!           

to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. -Isaiah 61:3

But Jesus replied, "Every plant that My Heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots. -Matthew 15:13

February Newsletter

February 2017 Next Steps Thank you for praying about our role on this mission team. Since the departure of Pastor Vicente, I (Adam) have been offered a teaching role in the La Ceiba Bible Institute, started by our team. After much discussion with Michelle, wise counsel from elders of different churches, and of course prayer, we have decided to pursue the opportunity. Why is this work important? Churches are plentiful in La Ceiba but most pastors have little or no formal training or education. Providing a solid biblical education equips existing and up-and-coming church leaders to do their best and properly handle the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15). Why me? I often ask this question myself. Ha! I believe that God has called me to it, not because of my abilities but simply because I am willing and His glory will shine all the brighter through this broken vessel. I'm not seminary trained and I've never taught. On the other hand, I've been in La Ceiba for 3 and a half years now, allowing me to build lots of relationship, and learn the language, which has opened lots of doors in the church community. The missing pieces will come over time. I'll begin taking seminary classes on-line to increase my knowledge and I'll develop my teaching skills through personal study and on-the-job experience. Another advantage is that our core classes in the seminary are from Third Millennium Ministries, which means the content and much of the structure are already in place. I won't be responsible for developing curriculum but can give my attention to guiding students and application. And thankfully, I am not alone. I'm only one part of a team. My teammate Seth is a very bright and talented teacher. Raul Villanueva is an experienced pastor/teacher who brings an indigenous understanding of the culture. How does this change my everyday work? Over the past 2+ years, I have spent a good portion of my time coaching and working alongside national pastors. So the role is very similar. Teaching will certainly be a new aspect, but applying the information to church leaders' lives and ministries will be familiar territory. Moving forward, my job will consist of: taking seminary classes myself to be better equipped for teaching preparing and teaching classes in the bible institute mentoring students outside of the classroom coordinating short-term teams that work alongside of us Does this mean I'm not church-planting any more? Our team's church-planting has always been through equipping and supporting national pastors. Our efforts to establish Bible believing, multiplying churches has always been by a less direct method than planting and pastoring churches ourselves. Leadership development is just as crucial and probably a more sustainable approach. The vision is still to equip Honduran church leaders to better lead their congregations and start new ones. While my role as a teacher will be important, I don't view it as an end in itself. Working with Bible students will be a pastoral opportunity, taking place outside of the classroom, too. Inviting students into our home and laboring side by side in ministry will provide opportunities to help apply classroom knowledge to personal lives and personal callings. It will also be a two way street. Living, working and worshiping in another culture continuously reveals how much a product I am of my culture. Although in a teaching role, I will also be a student, with more to learn from my Honduran brothers and sisters than I have to offer them. PDE Anniversary Five years ago, our teammate, Shannon started a home for teenage mothers. We had the privilege of celebrating the anniversary with them.  Girls shared theirs stories of coming to faith in Jesus while living in the home. 3rd Annual Central American Pastors Conference Dr. Richard Ramsey speaking before pastors from 5 Central American countries The Gate is Gone Construction has resumed at the bible institute/medical clinic/dorm facility.  And the ugly aluminum gate has finally been removed!

0 Theological Training Sitting down to lunch with our local Honduran pastor and his wife this fall, we were excited to get to know them better and learn how we could be more involved in the church. I finally asked the question expecting a response like, "join a small group" or "volunteer with the youth." I wasn't prepared for Pastor Allan's response.  "You could help train our adult leaders." Just weeks before at our team's planning meeting we had revised our mission statement to read, "partnering with local churches to train and educate the next generation of leaders" but I hadn't expected it to take shape so quickly. Allan knew that our missionary team had started a bible institute and I had spoken once during a missions conference at his church but other than that, he barely knew us. What an opportunity, surely orchestrated by the Lord. On Saturday we began our first course, Kingdom, Covenants and Canon of the Old Testament. My teammate, Seth is the primary instructor as I am getting my feet wet as a teacher. We Failed Thanks to all of you who sent Christmas cards. We loved receiving them. And now we get to see your faces on a daily basis, share stories with our boys about you and pray for you. We promised you a Christmas card too. It didn't happen. Keep your fingers crossed for an Easter card? Michelle traveled to Brussels, Belgium to visit her sister and brother-in-law and help out with their new baby. Our mission agency was hosting their cross-cultural training in Brussels at the same time so Michelle had a chance to visit friends of ours preparing to serve in medical missions in Peru. Jacob's baseball team traveled to San Pedro Sula to play in the national championships. They lost by one run in the semi-finals to the team that would ultimately win it all. The boys and their families had a great time. Prayer Requests Please pray for our involvement at CCI (Centro Cristiano Internacional), our local church. We have gotten to know the pastor well. Others are realizing that we're not going away. Pray that we would take the initiative to dig deeper into relationships. Praise God for the open door to start classes at CCI. Please pray for the hearts and minds of the 25 students who are registered for the class. Pray that Seth and I would lead in wisdom, humility and service. Pray for mutually edifying relationships beyond the classroom. As a family we have been blessed with a time of good all around health (physical, spiritual and emotional) and are currently maintaining a good balance between work and family. Please pray that this continues with these new responsibilities in the bible institute and coordinating short-term teams. Schedule Feb 3-4  The Villanueva family moved cross-country to La Ceiba Feb 4  Led first theological class at our local church Feb 20-22  Annual Team Planning Meeting Feb 25-Mar 4  Medical Team from PA Adam Michelle Blog Email

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day…That Wasn’t

It should have been a terrible day. My teammates blew a tire on the highway in pouring rain. I had to work (on a Saturday). Michelle and Jacob are out of town. But it wasn’t a terrible day. It was a marvelous day! Because none of those unfortunate events even put a damper on what they each represent.

The blown tire was on a trailer containing the belongings of the Villanueva family. Raul Villanueva is coming to work in our Bible Institute. His wife, Alma is coming to direct the home for teenage mothers. Another teammate drove out to help bring them the rest of the way. Today is the day the Villanuevas moved across the country and joined our team!

Working on Saturday entailed helping my teammate, Seth lead a theological education class at our local church. It was the very first class of the first course in a series of 15. It was a joy to see and feel the excitement of the students as we start this process that will take around three years. Today is the day 25 church leaders began formal theological education!

Travelling three hours on a bus for an overnight baseball tournament just days after returning from Belgium was not Michelle’s idea of a weekend. But spending an extended amount of time with the other parents, dealing with vulgar opposing coaches, and cheering on each other’s children proved to be a uniting experience. Likewise, the trip allowed Jacob to turn acquaintances into true friends. Today is the day that Michelle fell in love with this team of players, coaches and parents and the day that Jacob REALLY became part of the team!

What a privilege to serve alongside so many wonderful people, to see the Lord at work in our churches and ministries, and to live in community.

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24