Community/World » Missionaries

Craig and Mary-Anne continue to face danger as

lwalker — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:56:31 +0000

Craig and Mary-Anne continue to face danger as they endeavor to spread the Good News to those who are lost and hurting. They had been praying and hoped that the shooting was over, but as they were preparing to receive Brother Michael tomorrow and introduce him to their ministries, a firefight erupted on the road they use yesterday. There was another shoot out today on the road much closer to their home and those areas they had believed to be largely safe. They are asking for your urgent prayers. Shooting and ambushes are becoming more prevalent and closer to their home. If they are going to make a difference for Jesus they need prayers at this difficult hour. Please pray for their effectiveness and safety. Ask everyone you know to pray about this, only God knows what will happen. As we pray, ask that our Lord ”Spread His protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You. For surely, O Lord, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield.” (Psalm 5)

Love in Jesus,

Craig, Mary-Anne, Patrick and Cili

servants

Dave and Mia have been in their present country for about 3 months and it has been a struggle

lwalker — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:17:36 +0000

Here is an update and a prayer request from Dave and Mia. Please take this to heart and lift up this young couple and all those involved in their ministry teams. They have come to our heavenly Father and asked that He be their “safe leader” as is set forth in Psalm 31. This Psalm also describes God as a “Rock of Refuge”, and a “Strong Fortress” (verse 2). May they fully know that this is true and even now may “His face shine on them” and may He show them His “unfailing love” (verse 16). Dave and Mia have been back in their present country for about 3 months and it has been quite a struggle. Spiritually, emotionally, and organizationally. Team dynamics are very vulnerable and team leadership is up in the air. Dave and Mia are fasting this week to get guidance from God to see if this is the place He wants them right now. They feel really vulnerable with no leader to protect them, but still trust and know that God is their safe leader as it says in Ps 31. They remain so grateful to God that they had such a refreshing during the last two years in America and now after their first day of fasting they believe they need this time to gain the trust of others. The spiritual, emotional, physical and organizational dynamics of the country are far harder than what they had grown used to and, thus, their request for prayer support. So let us join them in asking God to really speak to all of their team at this time.

Community World Reception Sunday 2/21

cwadmin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:04:07 +0000

THIS SUNDAY right after each Calvary Community Church service there will be a Community World Reception where you can connect with the Haiti Response Team members AND Leaders of the Mission Trips, Community Outreach, Child Sponsorship and Missionaries. This is a great way to meet the Leaders connected with a lot of different Calvary Community World ministries

Meet Calvary Missionaries this Sunday 2/21

cwadmin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:55:38 +0000

Calvary missionaries. Meet and encourage our missionaries to the Middle East, Skip and Bonnie Krupa who are going to be at the mission counter after the services. They are here until Feb 25th. If you want them to come to your small group, contact dotys@calvarycc.org. or 818-575-2271

On Sunday, February 14, Jim Overton drove eight hours from Chisinau

lwalker — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:02:04 +0000

On Sunday, February 14, Jim Overton drove eight hours from Chisinau to Kiev Ukraine. For the next 5 days, he and three other co-workers will be teaching an intensive seminar on missions. May they “proclaim the Gospel boldly, being wise in the way they act toward outsiders and making the most of every opportunity” (Col.4:4).

Please remember these prayer requests, as well, for him, his family and their ministry:

· Teachers’ effectiveness

· Students’ receptivity

· That the material will be taken and used in other parts of Ukraine and Russia

· Stamina and wisdom to care for the kids while Jim’s away.

Please pray for Salim as he travels to the United States as the Director of Musalaha

lwalker — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:44:58 +0000

This is a ministry of Reconciliation and works with Israelis and Palestinians, helping them to engage one another, develop personal relationships with each other and, thus reduce prejudice and ultimately conflict and violence. With the help of the Lord they are seeking to change hearts. There can be a lot of discouragement as this is a long and difficult process. So, as you pray for them, thank Him that “He has given them a heart to know Him, that He is the Lord” (Jeremiah 24: 7) and may that heart be given by the Living Lord to all those who will hear Salim and the others speak. Thank you and God Bless you… In Him, Lisa

Prayer Requests:

Please pray for Salim as he travels to the United States and to Canada, speaking at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University and in Canada at Prairie Bible Institute. He will also share with a number of churches in North Carolina and at Duke University. He will be traveling, February 13-22, and with such severe weather there is a threat that many airports may be closed. With his schedule so tightly organized, delays would be very problematic. Also pray that God will speak through him into the hearts of the people that attend.

The new Woman’s Group has a follow up meeting this weekend, where they will discuss the topic of identity. Please pray for Louise, the head of the Women’s Department, as she is preparing for it, and that the women will continue to grow closer to God and closer to each other, and come to see each other as sisters in the Messiah.

Shadia, the Galilee Youth Co-coordinator, is busy preparing for the first Youth Leadership Training in the Galilee which will take place at the end of February. Please keep her in your prayers as she handles the whole project, from recruiting and planning to the logistics.

The Publications Department has also been busy working on a number of writing projects. They are making real progress with the second edition of The Bible and the Land, and are also nearly finished with a book of different narratives about past Musalaha participants by Jonathan McRay. This is a very exciting project that they hope to publish soon. Please pray for both of these projects, that they will have the strength to finish them and that they will be able to find a publisher for both of them.

Meet Skip and Bonnie Krupa missionaries to the Middle East

cwadmin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:55:08 +0000

Calvary missionaries. Meet and encourage our missionaries to the Middle East, Skip and Bonnie Krupa who are going to be in the mission counter next Sunday 2/21/10. They are here Feb.17-25th . If you want them to come to your small group, contact dotys@calvarycc.org. or 818-575-2271

Major Shootout while Craig McCord was preaching – Please Pray!

lwalker — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:44:17 +0000

Major Shootout while Craig McCord was preaching – Please Pray!

Prayer is needed. Even as this request was sent Helicopters were flying over!

The McCord Family made their journey into the interior of the Phillipines and arrived on Friday evening. On Saturday Jan.30, 2010 they were horrified to see soldiers, dropped from helicopters near their location. In addition to the other soldiers there were 28 heavily armed Filipino Army soldiers walking literally, right through their front yard (Brother Tolino’s house). There were young soldiers with M-16 A2’s, CAR-15’s, and M-14’s as well as grenade launchers, etc. Craig was very nervous because he had heard that there had been two big gunfights recently. Although the NPA is the theoretical enemy, stories were circulating of soldiers randomly taking hikers into custody on exactly the roads where they share the Gospel.

Sunday Jan. 31^st 2010- Craig met with the elders before their church service, when a very large volume of shooting began., which was very close, less than a mile away and it continued for 40 minutes. Few people arrived at the service because of the very loud report of the weapons. Craig was prepared to preach on a particular topic but changed it to discuss “Prayer, the God of Peace and the Peace of God,” as revealed in Phil.4:4-10. The elders urged him to leave, but he went on with the service preaching on God’s peace, even as the rattle of gunfire and explosions continued. By the end of the service they could see soldiers carrying another soldier either dead or wounded across from the church.

Please pray for them in their new church and the people who live there who cannot simply leave the area when the shooting starts. Pray for the light of Jesus to pierce the darkness here and that His peace will reign there. There are so many barriers resulting from the demonic past. The land, and rice fields, the children the houses, have all been dedicated to demons in the past. All the rituals and sacrifices so faithfully observed for centuries has placed a satanic lock on this area and it will require significant prayer to break these strongholds. With bullets flying all over the trails they hike to minister to the villages, they have another very serious consideration to pray about. They are praying that God will give them a spirit of boldness (not recklessness) to preach the Gospel and encourage the churches. Please pray with the McCords and share this. They have NOT changed any of our plans to go to the remote places at this time. Ask that they “wait in hope upon the Lord; that He be their help and shield; that their hearts rejoice in Him, for they trust in His holy name. (Psalm 33: 20 & 21)!

Updates from the mission field in Austria from the Carters.

lwalker — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:45:47 +0000

The Carters in Austria send us greetings, in the name of our Lord & Savior! They are heading to Mittersill & then Zell am for 9 days.

Warren shares that the 1^st semester of the NT Survey course was wrapped up with the final projects due by the end of February. The students were very attentive, and it is hoped that the material will bless them in the years ahead

Leanne’s European leadership team meeting for Hope for Wounded took her to Salzburg for 2 days and was very productive. They even heard 2 great testimonies in church – 1 woman was completely freed up to witness for the Lord in her work place!!!

There was a discipleship group in Bratislava last week.

And Warren spoke and led prayer for a local church in Vienna that was in the midst of a 10-day prayer and fasting period for the ministry in the coming year. Here he asks us to continue to pray that they will follow the Lord’s leading in evangelism, street work with prostitutes, and overseas ministry to the needy.

In addition, at their monthly meeting for ChristNet, they decided to send $700 to an orphanage & girls school in Haiti that were all but destroyed

Their greetings are concluded with Psalm 143 8 & 10 – “Remind me each morning of your love, for I put my trust in You. My prayers go up to you; show me the way I should go. You are my God; teach me to do Your will. Be good to me and guide me on a safe path.”

Let us pray for this couple today as they serve our Lord in Austria and… take a moment to pray for all our missionaries, even as is set forth in Psalm 143. The reminder of God’s love; a trust in Him that is steadfast; and prayers for Him to truly reveal the way to go, to do His will, pour out His goodness and to guide upon a safe path.

Julie Edwards update from Nicaragua

Brian — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:48:46 +0000

Greetings and Blessings of God to you and all your families!

In the midst of all the sadness happening in Haiti, I humbly pray and reflect on His Love and Almighty Power to heal and restore the people of Haiti.

I am safe here in Nicaragua, and I thank God that I am able to have this opportunity to share with you a few good news and joyful developments in Nicaragua.

It is all well here in Nicaragua. I am still learning to trust God blindly and doing my best to learn the true meaning of ‘Patience’. Nothing in Nicaragua moves fast. Nevertheless, since my arriving in Managua early December the two major events surrounding El Transito, the fishing village, are worthy to share:

1) El Transito Youth Leadership Conference at the El Cristo Viene Church, on December 19, 2009:

We had five invited guest speakers (one Nicaraguan and four Americans, from various different walk of life and profession), and 94 youth (ages 13 – 29) came and were blessed by the event. We fed everyone a hearty lunch and snacks, and at the end of the full-day conference, we were able to hand out 48 new Bibles to the ones who volunteered to seek the Lord through His Scripture. It was an awesome day and everyone was blessed.

2) 2009 E.T. Arts & Craft Competition, sponsored by ETAC and NICA:

Last week, we gave out 6 prizes to the winners of the first arts & craft competition in three different categories (Nature-driven jewelry; knitting and crocheting; Jicaro sculpture). The purpose of the competition was not only to encourage the locals to find new means and ways to supplement income, but also for us, NICA (a local NGO) and ETAC (our ministry), to figure out where and who the local talents are and learn what they are already capable of producing. There is a renewed sense of purpose in their small group gatherings now whether it be a crocheting session or English Conversation class with me, and everyone is beginning to think about ‘creating’ something out of their ordinary environment. (Please see the bracelet made from the soda can caps by 12-year old Kairo Aguilar, who won the third prize in Nature-driven jewelry category and the three beanies made by the ladies in our first two crochet sessions at ETAC)

Finally, as of today, the leveling and compacting of the learning center property has been completed. yea!!! The work took a lot longer than anticipated, but the great news is that it created seven – eight jobs for 7-8 men of E.T. for the twelve days they worked on the project, manually filling the land and compacting the soil painstakingly by hand. Now it is ready for the next phase of actual building: the storage room and caretaker’s room. I am waiting to have a meeting with the local engineer named Darick Ramirez (a young, Christian activist from Managua) later today to discuss the plan and designs, and finalize the costs and list of the building materials. Still need to go and meet with the Mayor in Nagarote to get his approval for building, and he has already verbally approved the project.

I will definitely fill you in as more developments happen. As of now, I am supposed to return to the U.S. on January 28th, but I might choose to stay an extra couple of weeks to make sure that the construction is off to the right start before returning.

Meanwhile, my prayer requests are:

1) please pray that the title of the ETAC property is completed without a glitch in the very near future, like next three weeks (yes, it is still going through the governmental process);

2) that Denis Mendoza (the local construction crew manager) and Darick Ramirez (the Managuan engineer) are the two young men that God has chosen to partner with us to complete El Transito Arts Learning Center, and that God will plant a heart and passion in their hearts to help us see this project through.

3) that my health sustains me to get the work done before I return to U.S. to raise fund and get back here again.

I have to confess that I feel a little lonely at times, but I feel so blessed to be here in Nicaragua. I know that God has me here for a reason, and I am trusting Him blindly and obediently to see His purpose through.

Happy 2010 eveyone! It is going to be a great new year.