Panama City

Pastor Saul & Vielka were excited to show me the piles of rice & beans stacked up in the church office.  One of the benefits of Saul's having worked for the government (before getting fired for helping the churches) is that the same government has decided to use his church to distribute food to the needy.  His church is now a conduit to over 3000 families in need of food.  He's using the churches in the area to help with the distribution which is strengthening his relationship with other churches through out Panama City.  Pastor Saul and Vielka were a bit overwhelmed, but grateful to see the Lord using them in such an amazing way.  

I attended their weekly meeting on Tuesday and taught  from the Dispensations class material.  There are three churches represented in the class, and everyone was enjoying the material and are excited about learning.

David, Panama

Irene, Marta and I made the 8 hour trip from Panama City to David in 3 days.  Praise God, Irene's family has a house in a town called Pece about half way to David, we stayed there a couple of nights.  The purpose of the trip was to stop and talk to pastors along the way and present the Christian Training Center (CTC) curriculum to find interest in starting Training Centers.  The 4 Square Evangelical Church showed the most interest.  Apparently the denomination does not have training for their pastors.  We stayed an extra day in Pece, and spoke at their regional pastor's meeting.  They will present the CTC curriculum to the country of Panama directors and see where it goes from there.  

When we arrived in David, we met with two different pastors that are anxiously awaiting the CTC curriculum to start training their leadership and youth.  Pastor Raul Valdez has two churches with 15 leaders total that are interested in the CTC program.  Pastor William Olivares has two services on Sunday mornings full of youth.  I thought we had attended the youth service, he said no, both services are full of young people that are asking for him to train them up and send them out.  He’s very interested in using the CTC program as a seminary on Saturdays.  Both pastors are willing to work together and make the 1st week of CTC happen.  We set up the dates for the General Discipleship class to be the first week of November.  Rev C will be in China and Vietnam that week, so I'm looking for experienced leadership to help me teach that week.  

Please keep these new CTC’s in prayer.  We need funds and faithful people to participate.  The pastors in David also need prayer as they are going to provide the building, lunches for the week, housing for missionaries, leadership for their CTC's and students.    Thank you!

Managua, Nicaragua

Evangelio Completo

We started the class “Christ in the Gospels” at the monthly pastor’s meeting for Evangelio Completo.  It's one of my favorite classes to teach.  There are at least 50 people attending, we had a fun day of learning.    

Saturday a group of CTC students took the Old Testament Survey test.  They were excited as they all passed.  And I worked with another set of students just finishing up General Discipleship I.  We did a review on a few topics they were needing help with.  The students and teachers are dedicated to attend the classes, and enjoying the material.  

I also approached Jorge Ibarra, the president of Evangelio Completo and Alfredo Martinez the director of the CTC, about going on a short term trip to Panama the first week of November to help start the CTC's in David.  They were both interested, but a little taken aback when I told them they would have to raise their own funds for the trip.  I asked them to pray about it.  I love to see people get out of their comfort zone and go on missions trips!  Please pray as they decide to make the commitment to help me teach in Panama in November.  

Cathedral Cristiana

Cathedral Crisitana is in the Old Testament Survey class.  I spent an evening with them, discussing the covenant between Abraham and God.  Again, I was impressed with the faithfulness the students and their interest in the CTC material.  

Prayer

The CTCs are making a difference.  I struggle with discouragement, I feel like I’m spinning my wheels. These trips can be so hard physically, I wonder if it’s worth it.  When I returned home from this trip, I was hit with so many intense issues, I was stunned.  It took me weeks to straighten out bills that were paid but the companies claimed they weren’t, health issues with the pets, and the real whopper was the New Mexico Taxation department stating that I should be paying sales tax on my missions income, they want thousands of dollars. I’m still working on proving my income is out of state donations, and my ministry is oversees.  I only put this in this newsletter, to ask that you please, continue to pray for me.  

The work that’s being done with training pastors, apparently, brings extreme spiritual warfare. Praise God!  I MUST be making a difference!

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Thank you for your prayers.

Panama & Nicaragua