August 29, 2008
Teenagers from inner-city Detroit made their mark at a recent Bible Quizzing tournament. The team, led by Alliance missionary candidate Liza Gmetro who serves at Acts 29 Fellowship in Hamtramck, Michigan, traveled to Ohio, where they faced their competition. “Emotions ranged from excitement to apprehension,” said Gmetro. After some practical spiritual lessons about perseverance in light of apparent failure, the team took first place in its division. “It wasn’t about winning,” said Gmetro, “but about character.”
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August 28, 2008
It was tournament day—the culmination of an entire year’s work pressed into one eight-hour day for Liza Gmetro and her Bible Quiz teams from Acts 29 Fellowship in Hamtramck, Michigan. The teenaged participants’ emotions ranged from excitement to apprehension as they faced their competition from quiz to quiz. After the second quiz, Shantanique,* who had recently accepted Christ, hit her limit. She had had two not-so-bad performances, but to her, she had failed miserably and was ready to give up.
“I quit!” Shantanique told one of her coaches after the second quiz. “This is stupid anyway. All you guys care about is winning.”
“It’s not just about winning,” said Shantanique’s coach. “Didn’t you make a commitment to Jesus?”
“Yeah,” the quizzer muttered.
“Then you can’t give up on your commitment to honor Him in everything you do,” said the coach. “Quizzing isn’t all about winning. It’s about commitment to character. It’s about your attitude.”
The teen left the room and ran into another coach, with whom she had a similar conversation. That coach challenged her to make her own choice; it was up to Shantanique what kind of character she wanted to portray.
When the third quiz was ready to begin, Shantanique walked in. “I’m going to quiz,” she told her coach. Shantanique had her most successful quiz of the day. Her choice to have a new attitude helped her win that game for her team and enabled her to continue quizzing in the subsequent competitions.
“Shantanique’s team took first place in its division,” said Gmetro. “And God taught her a valuable lesson—winning isn’t everything. It’s how you play the game that counts.”
*Names changed
Pastor Ly Oudone, the France Alliance national church’s first missionary to French Guyana, was killed in a work accident in Guyana last week. He and his wife, Marie, had served the Hmong Alliance churches in Guyana since 2003. Memorial services will be held in the Oudone’s home church in Alencon, France, on August 31. Marie and their five children will be moving back to France to live near their extended family
August 22, 2008
Three people who died Wednesday in Madrid when a Spanair commercial airline crashed had personal connections with members of an Alliance church plant, including the pilot of the plane. An Alliance worker’s neighbor and friend, who also is a Spanair pilot, told the worker he often takes the Madrid-Canary Island flight, but not Wednesday. His colleague who lost his life leaves behind a wife and two young daughters.
The Alliance worker accompanied a church member whose uncle died in the crash to the makeshift gathering center and morgue. “The Spanish prime minister and vice prime minister were consoling the families,” said our worker. “ A young woman who had helped with our English Camp and is a family friend of the bereaved gave the president a worn copy of the New Testament as a testimony of what brings this particular family hope and encouragement at such a time—the answer not just for one but for the whole nation and world.
“Pray that through this event, with its sadness, anger, and finger pointing, the Lord will heal this nation, console these families, and use us in this important ministry of compassion.”
August 21, 2008
Alliance military chaplains and their families met for fellowship, training, and spiritual blessing in Colorado Springs on August 7–10. Some of the high points were:
- Training on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is an issue many returning soldiers are facing.
- Testimonials of God’s power in their lives. Chaplain (CPT) Aaron White, U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, told of God’s grace and provision during his 15 months in Afghanistan. LT Don Twist, CHC, U.S. Navy, shared his own struggles with PTSD and how God has been so faithful to both him and his family.
- Dr. Daniel Shayesteh spoke on Christianity and Islam.
- Chaplain (1LT) Rob Olson became our newest Alliance Army Chaplain when the Oath of Office was given and he was pinned (crosses were placed on his uniform by fellow chaplains). Chaplain Rob and his wife, Katie, will begin their new ministry at Ft. Stewart, Georgia.
- Major General Bob Dees, U.S. Army (Retired) spoke at the Chaplain Banquet on Saturday evening, and Rev. David Goodin was the guest pastor for the Sunday morning worship time.
Please continue to pray for our chaplains and their families. Erik Gramling and Steve Moser are now deployed to the Middle East.
Please note that the above event was not funded by the Great Commission Fund. Funds given by these chaplains and others enable support for our military and other chaplaincy personnel.
August 20, 2008
A summer cowboy camp conducted by Alliance workers in Mongolia opened doors to a ministry of relationship building. Hosted by Jeremy and Renee Bergevin and his wife, Renee, the camp took place at a working ranch for a day and then moved to the Bergevins’ home. Although fewer children attended than anticipated due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, a number of youngsters from the neighborhood came. The outreach featured English classes, Bible studies, rodeo roping, and horseback riding.
“The surprising part about holding the camp at home was that the kids kept showing up the next week,” said Bergevin. “Our summer turned into a kind of revolving backyard camp for neighbor kids. Sometimes well after the sun stops shining, the sound of the bouncing basketball in our driveway doesn’t. We welcome your prayers for fruit from God’s Spirit to spill over the green rolling prairies here, starting with our neighbors and their children . . . all for Jesus.”
August 19, 2008
Media attention came to Nyack College when 19-year-old Chad Bullock, a Communications major, won the 2008 Do Something Award at the tenth annual Teen Choice Awards recently. An anti-smoking activist from Durham, North Carolina, who lost his grandfather to lung cancer, Bullock developed and implemented a plan to make Durham Bulls Athletic Park smoke-free. He plans to continue his anti-smoking campaign with his award money.
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August 15, 2008
During a city festival in Japan, Alliance missionary Dale Lemke and a small group of believers distributed 350 bottles of water to thirsty participants, along with invitations to visit a Web site where they could learn about the everlasting water that Jesus offers. “We also distributed 100 comic books featuring a gospel presentation to children,” said Lemke. In addition, the group provided information about a Christian crisis pregnancy center and adoption organization.
“At first, the Japanese believers were hesitant [to attend the celebration] because these festivals used to be strongly tied to traditional religion,” said Lemke. “Even today, these events have certain rituals in which we could not participate as followers of Christ.” By hosting a booth, Lemke and his colleagues were able to avoid this problem while gaining the opportunity to connect with city leaders and many other people in the community.
“Pray that the believers who participated will continue to grow in their boldness to go into the community to share the good news of Jesus Christ,” said Lemke. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil. We appreciate your prayers, which enable us to ’stand’ and continue to fearlessly proclaim the message of Jesus.”
Although complications from surgery have caused Marcel, a national pastor in Sirasso, Burkina Faso, some health problems, the curse that was cast on him by villagers proved ineffective in its mission to harm the dedicated minister. The malevolent appeal by locals, who believe Pastor Marcel and Christianity are a threat to their way of life, manifested as an infestation of poisonous snakes on the pastor’s property. “When the snakes brought no harm to the family and started to diminish, the villagers told Marcel they were surprised that he survived,” says Alliance missionary Bonnie Oberg. Kevin Oberg has worked alongside Pastor Marcel on numerous evangelistic outreaches.
A number of villagers are against Pastor Marcel’s ministry, and it is surmised that other curses may have been placed on him as well. “Even if this [current] illness is not directly caused by the curses and is simply a natural cause of living life in a fallen world,” says Oberg, “the enemy would like to use it for his benefit. Those who have placed the curses on him will see it as a victory. Please pray for healing for Pastor Marcel. Pray that God will be the One who receives the glory and that the spiritual darkness in this village would be broken.”
August 13, 2008
With a cease fire agreement in effect, fighting between Russia and neighboring Georgia has diminished, “but there are some reports of continued skirmishes,” says an Alliance worker. ”We do not see any need for concern [for C&MA people], who are in nearby Krasnodar.”
The Evangelical Christian Missionary Union (Alliance ministry partner) has a church in the area where fighting has transpired, about 500 kilometers from Krasnodar. “We are in a position to ask people to pray for peace and for the lives of people suffering and dying in this crisis,” says the worker.
“Currently, we do not think we have any reason for alarm regarding the safety of our staff,” the worker says. “Will you join us in praying for God’s work among people who need Him during this particular crisis?”
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