SIMNOW January 2012 Edition

Serving In Mission

www.sim.ca January 2012

Akash sits in a worship room in his provincial home chanting and praying. He is joined by two dozen others, all members of a folk sect of the mainstream religion. They seek a personal connection with God, whom they feel is far away and hidden from them.

They long for illumination and communion, yet their hearts aren’t aligned with a true knowledge of God. In this country, their experience is common.

For many people living here in one of the world’s most populous countries, religious observances are inseparable

from everyday life. Yet there’s little assurance of how most will spend the afterlife. “There’s a legend in this culture of a river of death,” says Don, who has served here for a decade. “We live on one side and eternity is on the other. And they’re searching for someone to carry them across to the other side after death. But they have no assurance of anyone ever carrying them over the river.” Thus life is spent looking for that prized ticket to carry them over the river of death.

Partnering with local believersWith a landscape defined by rivers

and waterways, the metaphor sticks. But despite a history of religious hostility towards those who believe in the Messiah, the hope-giving reality of Jesus is carrying local people (page 2)

Helping Asians find a

personal relationship

with God By John Stuart

(from page 1) far beyond an imagined river of death. With the aid of a trained and growing corps of indigenous outreach workers, the gospel is gaining a foothold and changing lives. Coached by expat workers, with oversight by local believers, indigenous workers represent a key force for evangelism in the country.

“As foreigners here, it's very hard to be frontline evangelists because of the language and cultural barriers,” Don says. “So we partner with local people, and one of our callings is to mentor these local pastors, disciple new believers and encourage group formation.”

In the last 10 years, the fruit has been largely in the villages where people are open to considering the claims of Christ. Though religious oppression and nepotism are pervasive, increasingly SIM workers are able to enter rural communities through a translated JESUS film. Teahouses and people’s homes are being transformed into places of dialogue and learning, where local outreach workers are encouraging a life of submission to Jesus – and helping people discover how they can

have confidence about where they will spend eternity.

God is blessing these efforts. While followers of Christ number less than one tenth of a percent countrywide, in the next five years these believers could reach one percent of the population in certain areas, representing a visible minority. This increase is largely due to the effectiveness of indigenous workers, a widely distributed local language Bible, improved dialect training resources and a greater effort by foreign workers to blend into the culture.

The communal identity of the people is a natural conductor for transmitting spiritual norms. Because of this, believers who have been accepted into community are a powerful cultural force.

Dealing with fear“They are looking for the ticket to

heaven. We are saying that if they have

accepted Jesus, their journey has only

just begun,” Don says.

Many may choose Christ, but in

reality it may be years before they fully

commit themselves. Through family

retreats with believers, however,

workers are seeing positive response

among new believers. Explaining that a

marriage is more than a contract and

something to be nurtured, families are

changing and marriages revitalized.

“The people really live in fear. They

live in bondage because their beliefs

are so works-based and their god is

capricious,” Don says. “They’re afraid

of God’s punishment. So the idea that

there’s a merciful God who has

provided a way of salvation – and

through this their fear of death is gone

– is revolutionary.”

The people of this crowded, maritime

country lack much in their spiritual and

physical lives. But their neighbours,

are able to bring them the Good News.

Hopefully Akash, and others like him,

will soon find the personal relationship

with God that they long for. n

2

“...we partner with local people, and one of our

callings is to mentor these local pastors, disciple new believers and encourage

group formation.”

“Why would you bother?” was the question that came to me from the expert when commenting on the construction of an environmentally friendly Student Centre in Santa Cruz. “Here, we produce our own energy, both oil and gas, which makes our energy cheap. Why would you want to go to all that effort and expense to build ecologically? It will never take off. Not here.” Actually, not a bad question, given the reality in Bolivia right now. Energy is cheap and it is subsidized. Renewable energies are expensive and building with the environment in mind is quite a challenge.

It was a good question – probably far more satisfying than my answer, especially because my reply was along the lines of “just because.”

To me, it was the principle of the thing. We were beginning the process of preparing to construct a new building for the El Alfarero – Student Centre project in Santa Cruz, and if ever we were going to do something right for the environment, now was that opportunity.

And so the dream began to grow. The dream of an environmentally friendly building, intelligently designed, making use of the natural resources of its surroundings (plentiful sun, wind and rain). The dream of a building being very low cost to maintain, once the construction process was finished … The dream of a building that would be an example to society of Christian care for the environment…

The dream of the first such building in an urban setting in Bolivia. The dream of a building combining elegance and practicality. The dream of a building that reflected God himself. That is quite a dream actually. If only I had thought of all that at the moment the question was asked. Perhaps that dream might have been a better answer than “just because.”

The exciting thing is that, from a hazy, philosophical, “just because” dream there is rising a concrete reality. The El Alfarero building is more than half-way finished. Construction began in October 2010, with completion expected within a year. It has been a walk of faith. We begin every month with insufficient funds, yet at the end of every month we are still building and paying bills. God, through his generous followers, has been faithful to us, and a beautiful, environmentally friendly building is the result – with its passive cooling systems, low consumption LED lighting, double-walls, reflective roof, rainwater capturing system and solar panels.

Why bother? Perhaps a better question is “why not bother?” Why not do the best we can with what we have been given? Why not take the time to think carefully first and plan well? Why not invest what it takes to make it work? After all, we will recoup the investment, given time. Why not be an example to society of Christian care for the environment, and be at the forefront, rather than bringing up the rear?

Why bother? Maybe the principle of the thing and the just because answer that seemed so inadequate in that moment wasn’t very far off the mark after all. We do bother, just because of the principle of the thing.

For more information, go to: www.alfarero.org n

3

SIM and the environment

Eco-friendly Christians?

By Graham Frith

(from page 1) far beyond an imagined river of death. With the aid of a trained and growing corps of indigenous outreach workers, the gospel is gaining a foothold and changing lives. Coached by expat workers, with oversight by local believers, indigenous workers represent a key force for evangelism in the country.

“As foreigners here, it's very hard to be frontline evangelists because of the language and cultural barriers,” Don says. “So we partner with local people, and one of our callings is to mentor these local pastors, disciple new believers and encourage group formation.”

In the last 10 years, the fruit has been largely in the villages where people are open to considering the claims of Christ. Though religious oppression and nepotism are pervasive, increasingly SIM workers are able to enter rural communities through a translated JESUS film. Teahouses and people’s homes are being transformed into places of dialogue and learning, where local outreach workers are encouraging a life of submission to Jesus – and helping people discover how they can

have confidence about where they will spend eternity.

God is blessing these efforts. While followers of Christ number less than one tenth of a percent countrywide, in the next five years these believers could reach one percent of the population in certain areas, representing a visible minority. This increase is largely due to the effectiveness of indigenous workers, a widely distributed local language Bible, improved dialect training resources and a greater effort by foreign workers to blend into the culture.

The communal identity of the people is a natural conductor for transmitting spiritual norms. Because of this, believers who have been accepted into community are a powerful cultural force.

Dealing with fear“They are looking for the ticket to

heaven. We are saying that if they have

accepted Jesus, their journey has only

just begun,” Don says.

Many may choose Christ, but in

reality it may be years before they fully

commit themselves. Through family

retreats with believers, however,

workers are seeing positive response

among new believers. Explaining that a

marriage is more than a contract and

something to be nurtured, families are

changing and marriages revitalized.

“The people really live in fear. They

live in bondage because their beliefs

are so works-based and their god is

capricious,” Don says. “They’re afraid

of God’s punishment. So the idea that

there’s a merciful God who has

provided a way of salvation – and

through this their fear of death is gone

– is revolutionary.”

The people of this crowded, maritime

country lack much in their spiritual and

physical lives. But their neighbours,

are able to bring them the Good News.

Hopefully Akash, and others like him,

will soon find the personal relationship

with God that they long for. n

2

“...we partner with local people, and one of our

callings is to mentor these local pastors, disciple new believers and encourage

group formation.”

“Why would you bother?” was the question that came to me from the expert when commenting on the construction of an environmentally friendly Student Centre in Santa Cruz. “Here, we produce our own energy, both oil and gas, which makes our energy cheap. Why would you want to go to all that effort and expense to build ecologically? It will never take off. Not here.” Actually, not a bad question, given the reality in Bolivia right now. Energy is cheap and it is subsidized. Renewable energies are expensive and building with the environment in mind is quite a challenge.

It was a good question – probably far more satisfying than my answer, especially because my reply was along the lines of “just because.”

To me, it was the principle of the thing. We were beginning the process of preparing to construct a new building for the El Alfarero – Student Centre project in Santa Cruz, and if ever we were going to do something right for the environment, now was that opportunity.

And so the dream began to grow. The dream of an environmentally friendly building, intelligently designed, making use of the natural resources of its surroundings (plentiful sun, wind and rain). The dream of a building being very low cost to maintain, once the construction process was finished … The dream of a building that would be an example to society of Christian care for the environment…

The dream of the first such building in an urban setting in Bolivia. The dream of a building combining elegance and practicality. The dream of a building that reflected God himself. That is quite a dream actually. If only I had thought of all that at the moment the question was asked. Perhaps that dream might have been a better answer than “just because.”

The exciting thing is that, from a hazy, philosophical, “just because” dream there is rising a concrete reality. The El Alfarero building is more than half-way finished. Construction began in October 2010, with completion expected within a year. It has been a walk of faith. We begin every month with insufficient funds, yet at the end of every month we are still building and paying bills. God, through his generous followers, has been faithful to us, and a beautiful, environmentally friendly building is the result – with its passive cooling systems, low consumption LED lighting, double-walls, reflective roof, rainwater capturing system and solar panels.

Why bother? Perhaps a better question is “why not bother?” Why not do the best we can with what we have been given? Why not take the time to think carefully first and plan well? Why not invest what it takes to make it work? After all, we will recoup the investment, given time. Why not be an example to society of Christian care for the environment, and be at the forefront, rather than bringing up the rear?

Why bother? Maybe the principle of the thing and the just because answer that seemed so inadequate in that moment wasn’t very far off the mark after all. We do bother, just because of the principle of the thing.

For more information, go to: www.alfarero.org n

3

SIM and the environment

Eco-friendly Christians?

By Graham Frith

Semilla de Mostaza just completed its second Vacation Bible School (VBS). Last year the church focussed on VBS as an outreach to the neighbouring communities. Planning for about 90 children, we were very surprised to see more than 200 attending each day.

Several neighbourhood children who had been invited attended, and many others came who were relatives or friends of those already involved in Sunday school. For more than half of these children, it was the first time to hear about the Good News of Jesus Christ and his free gift of salvation. The week was spent “fishing through the Bible” and discovering what it means to be “fishers of men.”

With this in mind, we planned bigger this year! Realizing that VBS was a huge outreach to the community, the church came together to provide all that was needed for a fun and successful week. More than 40 adults and teens prepared Bible lessons, helped with crafts, performed skits, and befriended and loved the children that came. We went on “A Grand Adventure,” learning about Jesus’ gift of salvation and how he cures our greatest problem, sin. Many of the neighbourhood children from last year returned and invited friends.

Since the church instituted VBS annually, the number of children attending Sunday school has increased. I have been training and equipping Sunday school teachers at Semilla, and I was especially excited to see them putting into practice some of the ideas we focussed on, such as having age appropriate activities and reinforcing biblical themes throughout the entire lesson.

To conclude our week of VBS, the children and their parents were invited to a carnival. Face painting, games, food, skits about our lessons from the week and a short evangelistic message from Pastor Leo gave us the opportunity to engage the children’s parents. Samaritan’s Purse shoe boxes* were presented to the children who’d attended VBS all week. One father, eyes wide in amazement, said, “Wow! I’ve never seen anything like this. You really care about the kids!”

Pray that the seeds planted in these children’s hearts during the VBS week would grow and bear fruit, and that they would share with others what they learned. Pray that the Ecuadorian churches would see that children are a vital part of the life of the Church and, in fact, the future of the Church. n

You really

care about kids!

”

”

4

ByPaula Fleshman SIM Champion

for Children’s Ministries

More than 200 children attend

Vacation Bible School in Ecuador

5

missionaries, some are finding much more than mere wages.

Since 2008 the hope of the SIM Chinese Ministry Centre (SCMC) has been to reach migrant Chinese in Africa. One church was planted in 2008 in Lagos, Nigeria, the first Chinese church in the country. A second fellowship was added in 2009 in Lusaka, Zambia. Today, 40 people hold a lively worship service there each week, with prayer groups and a devoted corps of lay leaders. While the landscape outside the church is singularly African, the worship inside couldn’t be more Chinese. Currently there is a great need for a Chinese-speaking pastor.

It’s not easy to reach the Chinese Diaspora, which is estimated at 40 million worldwide. “Usually Chinese people are very relational, so you need to meet them personally, talk to them and assure them about the truth of Christ,” says Stanley Ling, SIM East Asia Director. “The church members

themselves are very mobile, so you have to make the most of your time when the people are there and train them and try to disciple them.”

In Johannesburg, home to some 300,000 Chinese people, three new fellowships now meet where there was no church a year ago. With the help of Malaysian Chinese SIM missionaries, Braystone Methodist Church was born and two Bible studies were started.

With so many Chinese in Johannesburg, the goal is to mobilize more Chinese pastors to plant churches there. Some Chinese believers also want to serve as lay leaders in these churches, but theological education is often lacking.

Recently the SCMC rolled out a new intensive training program for lay leaders in Johannesburg. Chinese pastors are flown in for short-term training once per quarter. They hope to build a strong lay ministry base for more grounded spiritual transformation among Chinese Christians.

Though many Chinese in Africa are considering Christ, tangible care and concern make the biggest impact. Hospitality speaks powerfully to a culture that values acts of service.

So recently, when the Chinese couple couldn’t afford the pregnancy surgery, SIM missionaries arranged for them to see a physician at a government hospital. The woman was able to have the necessary surgery free of charge. It was a powerful witness to this couple. They are now attending an SIM fellowship, learning about the gospel from people filled with generosity through God’s love. n

A migrant Chinese couple sat in a doctor’s office in South Africa, trying to take in what had just been explained to them. They lacked the money to pay for a vital procedure the woman needed, and they were concerned about her complicated pregnancy.

Five thousand US dollars was the cost for the procedure: an immense sum for a family newly arrived in Johannesburg from China, trying to eke out a living. They simply didn’t have it.

The story is one among thousands, as the Chinese population in Africa has mushroomed in recent years. They come for one purpose: to make a better life. They work in business, mines, timber, restaurants and in the various African projects of the People’s Republic. But with the help of SIM

More than wagesSharing Christ with migrant Chineseby John Stuart

Semilla de Mostaza just completed its second Vacation Bible School (VBS). Last year the church focussed on VBS as an outreach to the neighbouring communities. Planning for about 90 children, we were very surprised to see more than 200 attending each day.

Several neighbourhood children who had been invited attended, and many others came who were relatives or friends of those already involved in Sunday school. For more than half of these children, it was the first time to hear about the Good News of Jesus Christ and his free gift of salvation. The week was spent “fishing through the Bible” and discovering what it means to be “fishers of men.”

With this in mind, we planned bigger this year! Realizing that VBS was a huge outreach to the community, the church came together to provide all that was needed for a fun and successful week. More than 40 adults and teens prepared Bible lessons, helped with crafts, performed skits, and befriended and loved the children that came. We went on “A Grand Adventure,” learning about Jesus’ gift of salvation and how he cures our greatest problem, sin. Many of the neighbourhood children from last year returned and invited friends.

Since the church instituted VBS annually, the number of children attending Sunday school has increased. I have been training and equipping Sunday school teachers at Semilla, and I was especially excited to see them putting into practice some of the ideas we focussed on, such as having age appropriate activities and reinforcing biblical themes throughout the entire lesson.

To conclude our week of VBS, the children and their parents were invited to a carnival. Face painting, games, food, skits about our lessons from the week and a short evangelistic message from Pastor Leo gave us the opportunity to engage the children’s parents. Samaritan’s Purse shoe boxes* were presented to the children who’d attended VBS all week. One father, eyes wide in amazement, said, “Wow! I’ve never seen anything like this. You really care about the kids!”

Pray that the seeds planted in these children’s hearts during the VBS week would grow and bear fruit, and that they would share with others what they learned. Pray that the Ecuadorian churches would see that children are a vital part of the life of the Church and, in fact, the future of the Church. n

You really

care about kids!

”

”

4

ByPaula Fleshman SIM Champion

for Children’s Ministries

More than 200 children attend

Vacation Bible School in Ecuador

5

missionaries, some are finding much more than mere wages.

Since 2008 the hope of the SIM Chinese Ministry Centre (SCMC) has been to reach migrant Chinese in Africa. One church was planted in 2008 in Lagos, Nigeria, the first Chinese church in the country. A second fellowship was added in 2009 in Lusaka, Zambia. Today, 40 people hold a lively worship service there each week, with prayer groups and a devoted corps of lay leaders. While the landscape outside the church is singularly African, the worship inside couldn’t be more Chinese. Currently there is a great need for a Chinese-speaking pastor.

It’s not easy to reach the Chinese Diaspora, which is estimated at 40 million worldwide. “Usually Chinese people are very relational, so you need to meet them personally, talk to them and assure them about the truth of Christ,” says Stanley Ling, SIM East Asia Director. “The church members

themselves are very mobile, so you have to make the most of your time when the people are there and train them and try to disciple them.”

In Johannesburg, home to some 300,000 Chinese people, three new fellowships now meet where there was no church a year ago. With the help of Malaysian Chinese SIM missionaries, Braystone Methodist Church was born and two Bible studies were started.

With so many Chinese in Johannesburg, the goal is to mobilize more Chinese pastors to plant churches there. Some Chinese believers also want to serve as lay leaders in these churches, but theological education is often lacking.

Recently the SCMC rolled out a new intensive training program for lay leaders in Johannesburg. Chinese pastors are flown in for short-term training once per quarter. They hope to build a strong lay ministry base for more grounded spiritual transformation among Chinese Christians.

Though many Chinese in Africa are considering Christ, tangible care and concern make the biggest impact. Hospitality speaks powerfully to a culture that values acts of service.

So recently, when the Chinese couple couldn’t afford the pregnancy surgery, SIM missionaries arranged for them to see a physician at a government hospital. The woman was able to have the necessary surgery free of charge. It was a powerful witness to this couple. They are now attending an SIM fellowship, learning about the gospel from people filled with generosity through God’s love. n

A migrant Chinese couple sat in a doctor’s office in South Africa, trying to take in what had just been explained to them. They lacked the money to pay for a vital procedure the woman needed, and they were concerned about her complicated pregnancy.

Five thousand US dollars was the cost for the procedure: an immense sum for a family newly arrived in Johannesburg from China, trying to eke out a living. They simply didn’t have it.

The story is one among thousands, as the Chinese population in Africa has mushroomed in recent years. They come for one purpose: to make a better life. They work in business, mines, timber, restaurants and in the various African projects of the People’s Republic. But with the help of SIM

More than wagesSharing Christ with migrant Chineseby John Stuart

How was it that we came to disciple a Taiwanese student from an American university in Paraguay, the heart of South America? For the past three years, my wife, Amy, and I have offered a summer internship for college students interested in medical missions.

TIME (Training In Medical Evangelism) has turned out to be one of the most rewarding aspects of our medical and church-planting ministry. We’re amazed each year at how God brings us just the right students – it has yet to happen the same way twice. This year we invited five young women from three different schools to participate in this cultural immersion and discipleship experience. Four were interested in nursing. But Jenny was leaning towards

following her father into medicine, not entirely convinced that was God’s plan

for her. She’s now in her third year of college, studying materials science engineering. When Jenny arrived in Paraguay, we spent a few days orienting her to the language, history and culture of this unique country. Then she came to Colonia San Francisco and moved in with her host family, the baker at the end of our street. She shared a room with her teenage host sister, and ate three meals a day with her adopted Paraguayan family. Immersed in a milieu of Spanish, Guarani, strange sights, tastes and smells, she flourished.

Inside and outside the clinicJenny paired up with two other students to shadow me in the New Life Mobile Clinic several mornings each week. She strained to understand just a few words of the “Bible storying,” preaching and prayer I do every day with the waiting patients. She took blood pressures, drew blood and performed urinalysis on many patients, eagerly watching as I examined and treated them. She would dutifully write down interesting details as I translated their histories. Often I would ask her

Ministry inside and out

all in God’s TIME

by Jeff McKissick

6

Medical missions

mentoring in Paraguay

on the spur of the moment to pray over a patient in English before they left the clinic. When she wasn’t spending her mornings in the clinic with me, she would go with Amy, a nurse, to visit Paraguayans in their homes. Jenny would sip yerba mate (tea) and listen in as Amy translated what the women were saying. She brought along candy and balloons and played with the children. Each afternoon, we gathered for class time or devotions and prayer. Jenny was given a lot of reading material about missions, medical missions, language, culture and Paraguayan religious beliefs to process each day. She would come with new words she had heard and for which she needed an English translation, or a phrase in English that she really needed to know how to say in Guarani. One of the most important things she wanted to communicate was her personal testimony – very hard to do in a new language. So, the five girls decided to host a special event at our house: testimony night. They invited their host sisters and their friends one evening and in the crammed privacy of our small living room, each told stories of God’s faithfulness. Jenny shared and I translated into Guarani. Her host sister and the other guests listened carefully. It was a wonderful event, and it was the students’ idea from start to finish. The girls were pleased that finally they could share the gospel with their precious Paraguayan families. At some point during the month, each TIME student spends a night with our family. By doing this, we got to know Jenny even more intimately and she got to see our family life and hear our stories. She cooked us a wonderful Chinese dish, and enjoyed a hot shower and her very own room for a night.

The essence of discipleshipAmy and I love these TIME trips and the young peoples’ lives we get the privilege of pouring into. The program is very well structured, but that isn’t its greatest strength. It really comes down to the students spending a lot of time with us, coming alongside us as we do what we normally do. We’re just being ourselves and being intentional about bringing spiritual things into everyday conversations. I think that is the essence of discipleship. On just such a trip, 16 years ago, a medical missionary invested his time in hosting a group of college students in Central America. God used that experience to call me to a career in medical missions. It was life-changing; I’ll never forget what God showed me during those weeks in the Guatemalan

highlands. It also happens to be the trip on which I met Amy. A family of eight with six years on the mission field, were living testimonies to the importance of

personal discipleship. Our prayers are with Jenny and the other young women as they return to college. We pray that they listen to His voice as He directs their future steps. Jenny wrote the following words in her goodbye note to our family: “You have truly inspired me as a missionary doctor. Seeing how you serve God has given me the reason to want to go towards medical school. I don’t know what God has for me in the future, but this is what I know as of now: to combine teaching, preaching and healing together.” Meanwhile, we’re going to keep on sowing and watering spiritual seeds in the lives of young people, trusting our very capable Father to help them grow.

Visit timeparaguay.blogspot.com to learn more about the TIME program. n

“You have truly inspired me as a missionary doctor.

Seeing how you serve God has given me the reason

to want to go towards medical school. ”

Scott GarvieDonor Relations

7

Help send more people into God’s harvest field!

I am excited about what God is doing around the world. We have over 150 Canadian missionaries ministering to people both physically and spiritually all over the world. Our vision is to see that number doubled by 2015 so there can be an even greater impact on the harvest field.

I am looking for people who will come along side us and become faithful, committed monthly supporters so that we can strengthen, encourage and enable global ministry to move forward. Your gift will go to help train, teach and orient prospective missionaries and be an on-going support to each one of them. This gift will also help us to recruit, equip and mobilize more people into the harvest field. You will be part of this incredible ‘enabling’ team, made even stronger as each of you come along side us. This fund was established to help get more people to where God is calling them to ministry.

Let’s fulfill Jesus’ call in Matthew 9:38 (NASB), “Therefore beseech the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” As you continue to pray to the Lord of the Harvest for more workers, I look forward to you participating in their preparation by giving monthly to the Mobilization Fund.

Will you join us? Give online to the Mobilization Fund – CA 67047 at www.sim.ca/givenow or fill out the enclosed envelope. n

How was it that we came to disciple a Taiwanese student from an American university in Paraguay, the heart of South America? For the past three years, my wife, Amy, and I have offered a summer internship for college students interested in medical missions.

TIME (Training In Medical Evangelism) has turned out to be one of the most rewarding aspects of our medical and church-planting ministry. We’re amazed each year at how God brings us just the right students – it has yet to happen the same way twice. This year we invited five young women from three different schools to participate in this cultural immersion and discipleship experience. Four were interested in nursing. But Jenny was leaning towards

following her father into medicine, not entirely convinced that was God’s plan

for her. She’s now in her third year of college, studying materials science engineering. When Jenny arrived in Paraguay, we spent a few days orienting her to the language, history and culture of this unique country. Then she came to Colonia San Francisco and moved in with her host family, the baker at the end of our street. She shared a room with her teenage host sister, and ate three meals a day with her adopted Paraguayan family. Immersed in a milieu of Spanish, Guarani, strange sights, tastes and smells, she flourished.

Inside and outside the clinicJenny paired up with two other students to shadow me in the New Life Mobile Clinic several mornings each week. She strained to understand just a few words of the “Bible storying,” preaching and prayer I do every day with the waiting patients. She took blood pressures, drew blood and performed urinalysis on many patients, eagerly watching as I examined and treated them. She would dutifully write down interesting details as I translated their histories. Often I would ask her

Ministry inside and out

all in God’s TIME

by Jeff McKissick

6

Medical missions

mentoring in Paraguay

on the spur of the moment to pray over a patient in English before they left the clinic. When she wasn’t spending her mornings in the clinic with me, she would go with Amy, a nurse, to visit Paraguayans in their homes. Jenny would sip yerba mate (tea) and listen in as Amy translated what the women were saying. She brought along candy and balloons and played with the children. Each afternoon, we gathered for class time or devotions and prayer. Jenny was given a lot of reading material about missions, medical missions, language, culture and Paraguayan religious beliefs to process each day. She would come with new words she had heard and for which she needed an English translation, or a phrase in English that she really needed to know how to say in Guarani. One of the most important things she wanted to communicate was her personal testimony – very hard to do in a new language. So, the five girls decided to host a special event at our house: testimony night. They invited their host sisters and their friends one evening and in the crammed privacy of our small living room, each told stories of God’s faithfulness. Jenny shared and I translated into Guarani. Her host sister and the other guests listened carefully. It was a wonderful event, and it was the students’ idea from start to finish. The girls were pleased that finally they could share the gospel with their precious Paraguayan families. At some point during the month, each TIME student spends a night with our family. By doing this, we got to know Jenny even more intimately and she got to see our family life and hear our stories. She cooked us a wonderful Chinese dish, and enjoyed a hot shower and her very own room for a night.

The essence of discipleshipAmy and I love these TIME trips and the young peoples’ lives we get the privilege of pouring into. The program is very well structured, but that isn’t its greatest strength. It really comes down to the students spending a lot of time with us, coming alongside us as we do what we normally do. We’re just being ourselves and being intentional about bringing spiritual things into everyday conversations. I think that is the essence of discipleship. On just such a trip, 16 years ago, a medical missionary invested his time in hosting a group of college students in Central America. God used that experience to call me to a career in medical missions. It was life-changing; I’ll never forget what God showed me during those weeks in the Guatemalan

highlands. It also happens to be the trip on which I met Amy. A family of eight with six years on the mission field, were living testimonies to the importance of

personal discipleship. Our prayers are with Jenny and the other young women as they return to college. We pray that they listen to His voice as He directs their future steps. Jenny wrote the following words in her goodbye note to our family: “You have truly inspired me as a missionary doctor. Seeing how you serve God has given me the reason to want to go towards medical school. I don’t know what God has for me in the future, but this is what I know as of now: to combine teaching, preaching and healing together.” Meanwhile, we’re going to keep on sowing and watering spiritual seeds in the lives of young people, trusting our very capable Father to help them grow.

Visit timeparaguay.blogspot.com to learn more about the TIME program. n

“You have truly inspired me as a missionary doctor.

Seeing how you serve God has given me the reason

to want to go towards medical school. ”

Scott GarvieDonor Relations

7

Help send more people into God’s harvest field!

I am excited about what God is doing around the world. We have over 150 Canadian missionaries ministering to people both physically and spiritually all over the world. Our vision is to see that number doubled by 2015 so there can be an even greater impact on the harvest field.

I am looking for people who will come along side us and become faithful, committed monthly supporters so that we can strengthen, encourage and enable global ministry to move forward. Your gift will go to help train, teach and orient prospective missionaries and be an on-going support to each one of them. This gift will also help us to recruit, equip and mobilize more people into the harvest field. You will be part of this incredible ‘enabling’ team, made even stronger as each of you come along side us. This fund was established to help get more people to where God is calling them to ministry.

Let’s fulfill Jesus’ call in Matthew 9:38 (NASB), “Therefore beseech the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” As you continue to pray to the Lord of the Harvest for more workers, I look forward to you participating in their preparation by giving monthly to the Mobilization Fund.

Will you join us? Give online to the Mobilization Fund – CA 67047 at www.sim.ca/givenow or fill out the enclosed envelope. n

Education about HIV/AIDSis an important pursuit. Through the Medan ACTS project with the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church (EKHC), SIM Canada and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Ethiopian community is learning about HIV/AIDS.

Education about transmission and prevention is vital for stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS. The question becomes, however, when does education stop and behaviour change begin?

Ribka, a staff member at the Addis Ababa Medan ACTS project says that behaviour is very difficult to change. People become educated about the transmission of HIV/AIDS but without changing their behaviours and habits, HIV/AIDS will continue to spread. In Sheshamene and Addis Ababa, they set up mobile VCT (Voluntary Counselling and Testing) clinics.

In November I had the opportunity to visit Ethiopia to learn more about SIM Canada’s work with HIV/AIDS. While in Addis Ababa they set up two tents in a park near a busy street. They used a loud speaker system to alert people that they were testing for HIV. In the counselling sessions, people are given advice and direction for what they need to do if they are found HIV positive. If they are found HIV negative, then they are counselled how to to prevent passing on this virus.

Counselling gives people education about the virus but it goes one step further to help them see behaviours that they need to change or maintain. Behaviour change needs to happen not only with preventing the virus but also how people living with the virus are treated. Stigma in Ethiopia is not as prominent today but yet it still exists.

There are many volunteers at both project locations and many of them are people living with HIV/AIDS. They have felt the benefits of this project and in turn want to help others. It was an incredible experience to witness these volunteers living with the virus, showing others that life can continue to be lived even with HIV/AIDS.

I met with one woman in her home in Sheshamene. She told me that she was infected by her husband. Her husband knew that he had HIV/AIDS but did not tell her. One day, she decided to get tested and found out that she was HIV positive. She told her husband and because she found out her status, he left her. He took all of their belongings and left her and their two sons with nothing.

8

By ET Mair

Changed lives...INSIDE

and OUT

She has since received medication and started an

Income Generating Activity (IGA) through Medan. This

small business allows her family to make an income and

support themselves. She is very grateful for this

opportunity to get back to full health and make life better

for her sons.

The Medan ACTS project has reached many individuals

through VCT testing, IGA programs and being a support in

the community. They want to educate, change behaviours

and help families affected by HIV/AIDS. You can learn

more about these projects by visiting

www.voiceforaids.ca.

You can support the HIV/AIDS program in Niger and

these two projects in Ethiopia. They are funded in part by

the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

For every $1 you give, the Government of Canada will

provide an additional $3. SIM Canada needs to raise

more than $500,000 by mid 2013 to meet its

commitment to the CIDA partnership. To discuss the

program in more detail and see how your contribution

will really make a difference, email [email protected]

or call 416-497-2424 (Ext 155). n

Sheila OmomPublic Engagement,Educator, Canada

voice

VOICE for AIDS is

ready to come to you

WHO WE ARE

WHAT WE DO

OUR OVERSEAS HIV PROJECTS

Voice for AIDS is an initiative of SIM Canada dedicated to responding to the needs of people living and affected by HIV/AIDS. We also engage and provide opportunities for Canadians to get involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

…here at homeSpeaking tours – in schools, churches and community events to raise awareness on the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

We provide resource materials and campaign kits for use to inspire and engage others on global HIV/AIDS.

VOICE for AIDS is partnered with three HIV/AIDS projects overseas in Niger and Ethiopia.Through the HIV/AIDS projects we provide:§HIV Testing and Counselling§Home Based Care§Awareness Raising§Income Generation§Clinical Care

TAKE ACTION§Invite us to speak at your school, church, or

event on the global impact of HIV/AIDS§Create a campaign or plan an event to raise

awareness on the global HIV/AIDS pandemic §Join our ‘Going Viral for AIDS’ campaign§Volunteer with Voice for AIDS§Join our Facebook group, leave a comment

and keep up-to-date on activities and events§Donate to our HIV/AIDS projects

9

EMAIL: [email protected] TEL: 416-497-2424 (Ext156) WEB: www.voiceforaids.ca

Education about HIV/AIDSis an important pursuit. Through the Medan ACTS project with the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church (EKHC), SIM Canada and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Ethiopian community is learning about HIV/AIDS.

Education about transmission and prevention is vital for stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS. The question becomes, however, when does education stop and behaviour change begin?

Ribka, a staff member at the Addis Ababa Medan ACTS project says that behaviour is very difficult to change. People become educated about the transmission of HIV/AIDS but without changing their behaviours and habits, HIV/AIDS will continue to spread. In Sheshamene and Addis Ababa, they set up mobile VCT (Voluntary Counselling and Testing) clinics.

In November I had the opportunity to visit Ethiopia to learn more about SIM Canada’s work with HIV/AIDS. While in Addis Ababa they set up two tents in a park near a busy street. They used a loud speaker system to alert people that they were testing for HIV. In the counselling sessions, people are given advice and direction for what they need to do if they are found HIV positive. If they are found HIV negative, then they are counselled how to to prevent passing on this virus.

Counselling gives people education about the virus but it goes one step further to help them see behaviours that they need to change or maintain. Behaviour change needs to happen not only with preventing the virus but also how people living with the virus are treated. Stigma in Ethiopia is not as prominent today but yet it still exists.

There are many volunteers at both project locations and many of them are people living with HIV/AIDS. They have felt the benefits of this project and in turn want to help others. It was an incredible experience to witness these volunteers living with the virus, showing others that life can continue to be lived even with HIV/AIDS.

I met with one woman in her home in Sheshamene. She told me that she was infected by her husband. Her husband knew that he had HIV/AIDS but did not tell her. One day, she decided to get tested and found out that she was HIV positive. She told her husband and because she found out her status, he left her. He took all of their belongings and left her and their two sons with nothing.

8

By ET Mair

Changed lives...INSIDE

and OUT

She has since received medication and started an

Income Generating Activity (IGA) through Medan. This

small business allows her family to make an income and

support themselves. She is very grateful for this

opportunity to get back to full health and make life better

for her sons.

The Medan ACTS project has reached many individuals

through VCT testing, IGA programs and being a support in

the community. They want to educate, change behaviours

and help families affected by HIV/AIDS. You can learn

more about these projects by visiting

www.voiceforaids.ca.

You can support the HIV/AIDS program in Niger and

these two projects in Ethiopia. They are funded in part by

the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

For every $1 you give, the Government of Canada will

provide an additional $3. SIM Canada needs to raise

more than $500,000 by mid 2013 to meet its

commitment to the CIDA partnership. To discuss the

program in more detail and see how your contribution

will really make a difference, email [email protected]

or call 416-497-2424 (Ext 155). n

Sheila OmomPublic Engagement,Educator, Canada

voice

VOICE for AIDS is

ready to come to you

WHO WE ARE

WHAT WE DO

OUR OVERSEAS HIV PROJECTS

Voice for AIDS is an initiative of SIM Canada dedicated to responding to the needs of people living and affected by HIV/AIDS. We also engage and provide opportunities for Canadians to get involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

…here at homeSpeaking tours – in schools, churches and community events to raise awareness on the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

We provide resource materials and campaign kits for use to inspire and engage others on global HIV/AIDS.

VOICE for AIDS is partnered with three HIV/AIDS projects overseas in Niger and Ethiopia.Through the HIV/AIDS projects we provide:§HIV Testing and Counselling§Home Based Care§Awareness Raising§Income Generation§Clinical Care

TAKE ACTION§Invite us to speak at your school, church, or

event on the global impact of HIV/AIDS§Create a campaign or plan an event to raise

awareness on the global HIV/AIDS pandemic §Join our ‘Going Viral for AIDS’ campaign§Volunteer with Voice for AIDS§Join our Facebook group, leave a comment

and keep up-to-date on activities and events§Donate to our HIV/AIDS projects

9

EMAIL: [email protected] TEL: 416-497-2424 (Ext156) WEB: www.voiceforaids.ca

10

BENIN - Sola New Testament

n

The dedication ceremony for the newly translated Sola New Testament was recently held in Anandana, northwest Benin. SIM’s Ulrike Heyder from Germany has spent the past 19 years learning Sola and translating the New Testament. Now she will work in literacy, teaching Sola people to read and write, and use the New Testament. Work on this project started after a Dompago evangelist, Pastor Madougou, asked SIM to send a translator to the Sola. He had translated the Dompago Bible, and was involved in outreach to the Sola. Many Sola people who attended the dedication thanked him and Ulrike for giving them the Word of God in their own language and also for making their language known to the world.

ETHIOPIA - Campus ministries begin

n

Ethiopia Bible study program will extend to university campusesFellowship Bible Studies coordinators from 56 districts in Ethiopia gathered in mid 2011 to discuss establishing campus ministries at new universities.

The Kale Heywet Church (EKHC) wants to help their youth, who may not be sufficiently prepared to deal with the ideas and lifestyles they will encounter at university, and extending the Fellowship Bible Study program to campuses is a strategic opportunity. About 20 percent of university students are from evangelical churches, leaving 80 percent as a potential mission field. Coordinators discussed the challenge of training sufficient student Bible study leaders. They also considered subsidizing the Bible study books, since most students do not have much spending money. In 13 years, the Fellowship Bible Study program, has grown to an estimated 80,000 members in study groups, and study books have been written for most books of the Bible. Study materials are translated into four of the principle languages used by the Ethiopian Church. Although the 7,000 plus Kale Heywet churches (EKHC) continue to be a special focus, Mekihima materials are now being used by Prison Fellowship, Hope for All and most evangelical denominations.

by Angela Brandle, SIM Quebec Director

MONGOLIA - Celebrating recovery

n

Alcoholism is a major social issue in Mongolia. The President identified it as a national concern. Celebrate Recovery (CR) is a church-based recovery program that aims to help set men and women free from addictions. Currently it is impacting 13 provinces in Mongolia, involving 42 churches - many people have been transformed. Some of the addicts have become leaders of church and society, in addition to having their family life restored. In the past five years the project has focused on developing a network to provide training, encouragement and fellowship among the local churches. Today this network continues to reach out to addicts. Gifts marked for project #98291 will help develop this important ministry.

SENEGAL - Help with English and life’s big questions

n

What might be some of the hopes and doubts of the 80,000 university students in Dakar? Will I pass my exams? Will I get a job? How does God help me? Do I have to take my religion seriously?

SIM and partner organizations have been working with students through the English Resource Center (ERC), offering English classes, discussion groups and social activities such as film nights and watching football.

Evangelicals number less than 0.01 percent of Senegal’s 12 million people. So ERC teachers sensitively integrate some biblical truths in the curriculum.

regional UPDATES

OntarioOntario

11

- Charity Dowdell Here are some excerpts from Charity’s blog about her experiences with her friend Amy, as they serve at Bembereke Hospital.

“What was really impressed on my heart throughout the [Spiritual Life] conference was the incredible blessing it is to be a part of the family of God. To see the missionaries and their families who each have made great sacrifices of comfort and safety in order that they might bring the gospel to people who have never heard or understood the message of Jesus- how incredible to share in their lives! To be challenged and strengthened by them, and also to pray for them and encourage them. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ. The earnestness and the beauty of believers holding fast to Christ in the midst of suffering profoundly touched my heart. What a blessing, praise be to God.”

Read more at: charityinbenin.blogspot.com

- Ginny EbyGinny chronicles her experiences as

she settles into life in Thailand. Ginny has some amazing pictures to

BENIN

THAILAND

go with each blog post. As part of experiencing and learning the Thai culture, Ginny had the opportunity to take in some of the festivities, including a parade, associated with the festival of lights, Loi Krathong. Here are some excerpts of her experiences while there.

“The parade itself was quite an event. Men and women dressed in traditional Thai costumes accompanied many of the brightly lit floats. Having never attended a parade in Thailand before, I was not prepared for the chaos that often ensued when it came to taking photos. Photographers, both tourist and Thai alike, were willing to step into the middle of the parade to get the perfect shot. I quickly learned that standing on the sidelines was not going to get me too many great shots, so like many others I found myself sneaking through breaks in the crowd to sidle up to the parade moving by. One ‘interesting’ experience occurred when I had slipped through the crowd to try to catch a shot of a dragon going by. Little did I know, there was a fire breather walking beside the dragon. Just as I set up the shot, a flash of light and heat went off right beside me. I not only felt the heat of the fire, I inhaled and tasted the fumes of the gas! Other tourists standing beside me were shocked and surprised just like me.”

Read more at : ginnysthailandadventure.blogspot.com

Brittany serves at the Radio Mosoj Chaski project in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Brittany shares from her heart as she writes about her experiences.

“I live in the north of the city, which tends to be the wealthier side, so I am not in constant contact with the incredible poverty here. However, even here you see the stark contrast. Right beside our 4-storey house is a small multi-family dwelling. It has a tin roof level to the walls, so it’s hard to see what it actually looks like. One day, however, I saw inside. Under the tin roof were rooms all round the perimeter and about 10 people inside. There were cooking utensils and buckets sitting under the hole of the tin roof (cut to let in sun like a courtyard). It certainly posed a striking contrast to the homes of the middle class. … Anyway, today just got me thinking about the dichotomy of life here. In [Cochabamba], you have some

BOLIVIA - Brittany Anello

of the wealthiest people in Bolivia, and some of the very poorest. Certainly puts many things (like a decent coffee) into perspective.”

Read more at: sauntersandstillframes.blogspot.com

Brittany loves to take photos and has some great pictures on her blog. The picture here is of one of Brittany’s friends in Cochabamba.

- Kathleen HeidebrechtKathleen has just completed her

nursing internship in Zambia. She has had a great time learning, not just about nursing, but also about the people of Zambia. The simple joy of interacting with co-workers in the hospital and the privilege to serve those who step into the hospital each day. Here is an excerpt from one of her blog posts.

“Today in Peds 1 we had an escape artist. She was about 2 and a half feet tall and had a mega-watt smile. At first she was a little shy and gave me a very timid handshake… but soon she got used to me and was running up to me, babbling in Kaonde. Such a cutie. But she also got a little more rambunctious and tried running away to the Maternity ward, so I had to run after her about 3 times, scoop her up, and bring her back to Peds. She also decided at this point that she didn’t want her nappie on, and so pulled it off while I tried to convince her not to (This is much harder to do when you don’t speak the same language!) garnering the laughter of some of the Moms on the other side of Peds watching. Little munchkin!”

Read more at: reddirtjournalzambia.blogspot.com

ZAMBIA

n

blog bites

10

BENIN - Sola New Testament

n

The dedication ceremony for the newly translated Sola New Testament was recently held in Anandana, northwest Benin. SIM’s Ulrike Heyder from Germany has spent the past 19 years learning Sola and translating the New Testament. Now she will work in literacy, teaching Sola people to read and write, and use the New Testament. Work on this project started after a Dompago evangelist, Pastor Madougou, asked SIM to send a translator to the Sola. He had translated the Dompago Bible, and was involved in outreach to the Sola. Many Sola people who attended the dedication thanked him and Ulrike for giving them the Word of God in their own language and also for making their language known to the world.

ETHIOPIA - Campus ministries begin

n

Ethiopia Bible study program will extend to university campusesFellowship Bible Studies coordinators from 56 districts in Ethiopia gathered in mid 2011 to discuss establishing campus ministries at new universities.

The Kale Heywet Church (EKHC) wants to help their youth, who may not be sufficiently prepared to deal with the ideas and lifestyles they will encounter at university, and extending the Fellowship Bible Study program to campuses is a strategic opportunity. About 20 percent of university students are from evangelical churches, leaving 80 percent as a potential mission field. Coordinators discussed the challenge of training sufficient student Bible study leaders. They also considered subsidizing the Bible study books, since most students do not have much spending money. In 13 years, the Fellowship Bible Study program, has grown to an estimated 80,000 members in study groups, and study books have been written for most books of the Bible. Study materials are translated into four of the principle languages used by the Ethiopian Church. Although the 7,000 plus Kale Heywet churches (EKHC) continue to be a special focus, Mekihima materials are now being used by Prison Fellowship, Hope for All and most evangelical denominations.

by Angela Brandle, SIM Quebec Director

MONGOLIA - Celebrating recovery

n

Alcoholism is a major social issue in Mongolia. The President identified it as a national concern. Celebrate Recovery (CR) is a church-based recovery program that aims to help set men and women free from addictions. Currently it is impacting 13 provinces in Mongolia, involving 42 churches - many people have been transformed. Some of the addicts have become leaders of church and society, in addition to having their family life restored. In the past five years the project has focused on developing a network to provide training, encouragement and fellowship among the local churches. Today this network continues to reach out to addicts. Gifts marked for project #98291 will help develop this important ministry.

SENEGAL - Help with English and life’s big questions

n

What might be some of the hopes and doubts of the 80,000 university students in Dakar? Will I pass my exams? Will I get a job? How does God help me? Do I have to take my religion seriously?

SIM and partner organizations have been working with students through the English Resource Center (ERC), offering English classes, discussion groups and social activities such as film nights and watching football.

Evangelicals number less than 0.01 percent of Senegal’s 12 million people. So ERC teachers sensitively integrate some biblical truths in the curriculum.

regional UPDATES

OntarioOntario

11

- Charity Dowdell Here are some excerpts from Charity’s blog about her experiences with her friend Amy, as they serve at Bembereke Hospital.

“What was really impressed on my heart throughout the [Spiritual Life] conference was the incredible blessing it is to be a part of the family of God. To see the missionaries and their families who each have made great sacrifices of comfort and safety in order that they might bring the gospel to people who have never heard or understood the message of Jesus- how incredible to share in their lives! To be challenged and strengthened by them, and also to pray for them and encourage them. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ. The earnestness and the beauty of believers holding fast to Christ in the midst of suffering profoundly touched my heart. What a blessing, praise be to God.”

Read more at: charityinbenin.blogspot.com

- Ginny EbyGinny chronicles her experiences as

she settles into life in Thailand. Ginny has some amazing pictures to

BENIN

THAILAND

go with each blog post. As part of experiencing and learning the Thai culture, Ginny had the opportunity to take in some of the festivities, including a parade, associated with the festival of lights, Loi Krathong. Here are some excerpts of her experiences while there.

“The parade itself was quite an event. Men and women dressed in traditional Thai costumes accompanied many of the brightly lit floats. Having never attended a parade in Thailand before, I was not prepared for the chaos that often ensued when it came to taking photos. Photographers, both tourist and Thai alike, were willing to step into the middle of the parade to get the perfect shot. I quickly learned that standing on the sidelines was not going to get me too many great shots, so like many others I found myself sneaking through breaks in the crowd to sidle up to the parade moving by. One ‘interesting’ experience occurred when I had slipped through the crowd to try to catch a shot of a dragon going by. Little did I know, there was a fire breather walking beside the dragon. Just as I set up the shot, a flash of light and heat went off right beside me. I not only felt the heat of the fire, I inhaled and tasted the fumes of the gas! Other tourists standing beside me were shocked and surprised just like me.”

Read more at : ginnysthailandadventure.blogspot.com

Brittany serves at the Radio Mosoj Chaski project in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Brittany shares from her heart as she writes about her experiences.

“I live in the north of the city, which tends to be the wealthier side, so I am not in constant contact with the incredible poverty here. However, even here you see the stark contrast. Right beside our 4-storey house is a small multi-family dwelling. It has a tin roof level to the walls, so it’s hard to see what it actually looks like. One day, however, I saw inside. Under the tin roof were rooms all round the perimeter and about 10 people inside. There were cooking utensils and buckets sitting under the hole of the tin roof (cut to let in sun like a courtyard). It certainly posed a striking contrast to the homes of the middle class. … Anyway, today just got me thinking about the dichotomy of life here. In [Cochabamba], you have some

BOLIVIA - Brittany Anello

of the wealthiest people in Bolivia, and some of the very poorest. Certainly puts many things (like a decent coffee) into perspective.”

Read more at: sauntersandstillframes.blogspot.com

Brittany loves to take photos and has some great pictures on her blog. The picture here is of one of Brittany’s friends in Cochabamba.

- Kathleen HeidebrechtKathleen has just completed her

nursing internship in Zambia. She has had a great time learning, not just about nursing, but also about the people of Zambia. The simple joy of interacting with co-workers in the hospital and the privilege to serve those who step into the hospital each day. Here is an excerpt from one of her blog posts.

“Today in Peds 1 we had an escape artist. She was about 2 and a half feet tall and had a mega-watt smile. At first she was a little shy and gave me a very timid handshake… but soon she got used to me and was running up to me, babbling in Kaonde. Such a cutie. But she also got a little more rambunctious and tried running away to the Maternity ward, so I had to run after her about 3 times, scoop her up, and bring her back to Peds. She also decided at this point that she didn’t want her nappie on, and so pulled it off while I tried to convince her not to (This is much harder to do when you don’t speak the same language!) garnering the laughter of some of the Moms on the other side of Peds watching. Little munchkin!”

Read more at: reddirtjournalzambia.blogspot.com

ZAMBIA

n

blog bites

Taking on AfricaOur family is planning to go to Africa

this coming March for 12 months. God has laid out this path before us and we are excited for the adventure. We have gone on short mission trips before, and while we were reminiscing last year about it, we felt that our calling for missions wasn’t quite over.

We decided to go long-term overseas but then we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Although this was a huge curve ball concerning our plans, we made the decision that we still had to go. Even with a baby in our lives, the time is now, as we need to be the hands and feet of Jesus in all corners of the earth!

We hope to serve in three separate locations in the South of Africa. The first stop is Aurora Primary school in

Nathan & Renee WiebeThe Wiebe family are going to

Niger. Nathan will be teaching at

Sahel Academy. They have 3 children and are from Saskatoon. They are going as members for 18 months and then will decide whether they want to return. Their possible date of departure is summer 2012.

Michelle is going to Danja Hospital in Niger, to work as a physiotherapist for 3 years. She returned last year from 3 months in Zambia and feels called to a longer term with SIM. She is planning to leave summer of 2012.

Laura is going to East Asia for 5 months. She will be working at a local hospital as a Dietician.

Michelle Pieke

Laura White

Tiffany Pequin

Hannah Caouette

Tiffany is going to Ghana for 6 months from Ambrose University. She will be involved in children’s ministry. This placement will be part of her internship program.

Hannah left in Sept 2011 for a 4 month assignment in East Asia. She is doing a placement that will give her an overview of the ministries happening in East Asia. She did a 2 month language study and is now in the midst of traveling and experiencing the various needs in the SIM world. n

Bapsfontein near Johannesburg, South Africa, where we will be until June. Here the children receive a Christian education by boarding at the school during the week, and returning home on weekends. After Aurora we travel east to Lily of the Valley Orphanage, until November. All the children here have been orphaned as a direct result of AIDS. At both locations we will help with the children. As well, Courtney will help with health care needs and I will help with building maintenance. Hopefully our final location will be Mozambique. We would like to be involved in a local church ministry, as well as set up a Christian radio network.

As we move to support those in distant places, we also need support of our own. Specifically we will need assistance spiritually, as well as emotionally. We are hoping for the prayers and support of our family, friends, and church now, in our final preparations, and later, for the 12 months overseas.

The journey we are embarking on is not only full of excitement and adventure, but also comes with risks,

and danger. South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Safety is a luxury. We need God’s protection for all three of us in everyday life, travel, and in so many other ways. We need courage and faith to perform our duties each and every day.

We are thrilled God has opened up these doors for us, and pray that he gives us the strength to do all that is required of us. As we conquer each challenge thrown our way on this new path we become a little closer to our goal to help and support those in the South of Africa.

Gregg, Courtney and Rylee Douma, are from Vernon BC.

n

He (Jesus) told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Luke 10:2

12

Faithful followers... ...people in process

13

The Lord has provided full support for and baby Lucie in just six months! An opportunity to address church congregations revealed that God has given to Charles the gift of preaching! Charles wants to use this gift, enhanced by the Bible training he has received in Quebec, to build God’s church in Burkina Faso. Having appreciated their year of Bible training so much, Charles and Sarah have been encouraging their friends to do the same – whether or not they plan to go into full-time ministry. The Millettes left Quebec on January 8th, well prepared by God for their first term of service among half the population of Burkina Faso: the country’s youth!

Étincelle d’espérance (Glimmer of Hope) is the title of the newsletter by

, and anyone who has met her will agree that this is exactly what this lovely Christian medical student brings to her patients. Rachel, who first heard about the possibility of doing her medical elective

Charles and Sarah Millette

Rachel Deschamps

with SIM at Montreal MissionFest last year, left Quebec in December to serve in a Christian hospital in Asia. She is one of four international missionaries going out from the Evangelical Baptist Church in Rosemont, Montreal, two of them with SIM! If you understand French, check out her blog on the francophone SIM Canada web pages.

, leaders in the Association of Christian farmers in Quebec, are spending three weeks at the SIM Handicap Centre in Mahadaga, a remote village in the eastern part of Burkina Faso. This ministry gives handicapped individuals an opportunity to reach their potential by providing physical rehabilitation, education, social integration and Christian discipleship. The Clarks assist with work/construction/ gardening projects as well as children’s Bible classes. On a previous trip, the Clarks saw a great need for Christian literature, Bibles, and Sunday school materials in French, so they took many of these supplies with them. Their purpose is not just to help for a few weeks, but to see how they can best support ministry in Burkina from their home in Quebec. SIM is looking for more people like the Clarks!

, having

completed a total of two years of

Wayne and Edith Clark

Pierre Côté

friendship evangelism at the evangelical student center in Niamey, could now be considered a long-termer! When the SIM Quebec Director visited the center last year, students talked to her warmly about their friend Pierre. Three young men that Pierre befriended are searching for the true God, one by reading the Bible that Pierre provided for him. Pray that God will find them.

returned to Benin in January for her sixth term of service. She is also from the Baptist Church of Rosemont where she had met a young Togolese who told her about friends and family in a refugee camp in Benin. Nicole was longing to go and visit the camp when she learned that one of the Beninese pastors responsible for supervising her ministry had moved to the very town where the camp is located! Nicole’s trips are always full of divine intervention and protection, so we look forward to hearing more stories when this indefatigable retiree returns.

Nicole Bernier

n

Miriam Stirling

from Nova Scotia

is one of the

many language

students that SIM

Quebec

welcomes each

year from such places as the

U.S.A, Korea, Columbia (South

America). Late last year she

worked at the SIM Quebec office

to continue practicing French with

SIM staff and friends, then flew

out to Benin with Nicole in

January. n

Taking on AfricaOur family is planning to go to Africa

this coming March for 12 months. God has laid out this path before us and we are excited for the adventure. We have gone on short mission trips before, and while we were reminiscing last year about it, we felt that our calling for missions wasn’t quite over.

We decided to go long-term overseas but then we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Although this was a huge curve ball concerning our plans, we made the decision that we still had to go. Even with a baby in our lives, the time is now, as we need to be the hands and feet of Jesus in all corners of the earth!

We hope to serve in three separate locations in the South of Africa. The first stop is Aurora Primary school in

Nathan & Renee WiebeThe Wiebe family are going to

Niger. Nathan will be teaching at

Sahel Academy. They have 3 children and are from Saskatoon. They are going as members for 18 months and then will decide whether they want to return. Their possible date of departure is summer 2012.

Michelle is going to Danja Hospital in Niger, to work as a physiotherapist for 3 years. She returned last year from 3 months in Zambia and feels called to a longer term with SIM. She is planning to leave summer of 2012.

Laura is going to East Asia for 5 months. She will be working at a local hospital as a Dietician.

Michelle Pieke

Laura White

Tiffany Pequin

Hannah Caouette

Tiffany is going to Ghana for 6 months from Ambrose University. She will be involved in children’s ministry. This placement will be part of her internship program.

Hannah left in Sept 2011 for a 4 month assignment in East Asia. She is doing a placement that will give her an overview of the ministries happening in East Asia. She did a 2 month language study and is now in the midst of traveling and experiencing the various needs in the SIM world. n

Bapsfontein near Johannesburg, South Africa, where we will be until June. Here the children receive a Christian education by boarding at the school during the week, and returning home on weekends. After Aurora we travel east to Lily of the Valley Orphanage, until November. All the children here have been orphaned as a direct result of AIDS. At both locations we will help with the children. As well, Courtney will help with health care needs and I will help with building maintenance. Hopefully our final location will be Mozambique. We would like to be involved in a local church ministry, as well as set up a Christian radio network.

As we move to support those in distant places, we also need support of our own. Specifically we will need assistance spiritually, as well as emotionally. We are hoping for the prayers and support of our family, friends, and church now, in our final preparations, and later, for the 12 months overseas.

The journey we are embarking on is not only full of excitement and adventure, but also comes with risks,

and danger. South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Safety is a luxury. We need God’s protection for all three of us in everyday life, travel, and in so many other ways. We need courage and faith to perform our duties each and every day.

We are thrilled God has opened up these doors for us, and pray that he gives us the strength to do all that is required of us. As we conquer each challenge thrown our way on this new path we become a little closer to our goal to help and support those in the South of Africa.

Gregg, Courtney and Rylee Douma, are from Vernon BC.

n

He (Jesus) told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Luke 10:2

12

Faithful followers... ...people in process

13

The Lord has provided full support for and baby Lucie in just six months! An opportunity to address church congregations revealed that God has given to Charles the gift of preaching! Charles wants to use this gift, enhanced by the Bible training he has received in Quebec, to build God’s church in Burkina Faso. Having appreciated their year of Bible training so much, Charles and Sarah have been encouraging their friends to do the same – whether or not they plan to go into full-time ministry. The Millettes left Quebec on January 8th, well prepared by God for their first term of service among half the population of Burkina Faso: the country’s youth!

Étincelle d’espérance (Glimmer of Hope) is the title of the newsletter by

, and anyone who has met her will agree that this is exactly what this lovely Christian medical student brings to her patients. Rachel, who first heard about the possibility of doing her medical elective

Charles and Sarah Millette

Rachel Deschamps

with SIM at Montreal MissionFest last year, left Quebec in December to serve in a Christian hospital in Asia. She is one of four international missionaries going out from the Evangelical Baptist Church in Rosemont, Montreal, two of them with SIM! If you understand French, check out her blog on the francophone SIM Canada web pages.

, leaders in the Association of Christian farmers in Quebec, are spending three weeks at the SIM Handicap Centre in Mahadaga, a remote village in the eastern part of Burkina Faso. This ministry gives handicapped individuals an opportunity to reach their potential by providing physical rehabilitation, education, social integration and Christian discipleship. The Clarks assist with work/construction/ gardening projects as well as children’s Bible classes. On a previous trip, the Clarks saw a great need for Christian literature, Bibles, and Sunday school materials in French, so they took many of these supplies with them. Their purpose is not just to help for a few weeks, but to see how they can best support ministry in Burkina from their home in Quebec. SIM is looking for more people like the Clarks!

, having

completed a total of two years of

Wayne and Edith Clark

Pierre Côté

friendship evangelism at the evangelical student center in Niamey, could now be considered a long-termer! When the SIM Quebec Director visited the center last year, students talked to her warmly about their friend Pierre. Three young men that Pierre befriended are searching for the true God, one by reading the Bible that Pierre provided for him. Pray that God will find them.

returned to Benin in January for her sixth term of service. She is also from the Baptist Church of Rosemont where she had met a young Togolese who told her about friends and family in a refugee camp in Benin. Nicole was longing to go and visit the camp when she learned that one of the Beninese pastors responsible for supervising her ministry had moved to the very town where the camp is located! Nicole’s trips are always full of divine intervention and protection, so we look forward to hearing more stories when this indefatigable retiree returns.

Nicole Bernier

n

Miriam Stirling

from Nova Scotia

is one of the

many language

students that SIM

Quebec

welcomes each

year from such places as the

U.S.A, Korea, Columbia (South

America). Late last year she

worked at the SIM Quebec office

to continue practicing French with

SIM staff and friends, then flew

out to Benin with Nicole in

January. n

14

Brazil is a place where people are coming to the Lord, being discipled into churches that challenge and love their communities in rural areas and smaller cities.

From my hotel, I looked down on a church surrounded by a tall, gated, iron fence. My second day there, I knocked on the gate and there was no answer. I’d seen a pastor walk in a few minutes before. That night, as I ate at a restaurant across the street, I watched the congregation come (for the prayer meeting) one at a time. Just over a dozen entered with a key, ensuring that the gate was again locked. The lights were on. Muffled sounds of singing came from the building. Later they left in the same way.

A regular at the restaurant struck up a conversation with me and talked about that little, clean, white church building. His observations – clean; “they sweep the sidewalk beside the street before each meeting,” white; “they paint it every summer,” “I know it’s a church, but who knows what they do in there.” I queried, “What do you think a church ought to be doing?” He said, “I know Christians are supposed to love God, and I suppose that is what they are doing. But I thought there was something in there about neighbours, too.”“Who knows what they do in there?” – good question.

His observation bears some thought. What do we do “in there”? Is our discussion after prayer meeting, “who is on this year’s painting committee?” Did I come to love God, and sort out my neighbours’ apprehension about Him? I think my friend sitting in the restaurant, with his beer might be asking better questions than many of us.

Has the silence of the city deafened us to the isolation of our neighbours? Jesus called us to the Greatest Commandments; loving God and neighbours with a whole heart. Has the Church figured out how to be spiritual and effective in the city?

Culture ConneXions (CCX) is helping urban churches in 11 cities across Canada, care for, and love their neighbours. Here are a few stories…

Joey walked into First Baptist church some years ago and told the church

I stayed in a little hotel in Sao Paulo in the middle of apartment buildings.

In Vancouver,

Harry & Mars Enns

n

have returned to Manitoba to take on the Regional Director’s role for Manitoba and North West Ontario. They have struggled with finding suitable housing and have worked out of a one-room basement apartment for almost a year but they have now found the right accommodation and are all set to begin full time ministry.

If you live in the area and are interested in mission, make a point of contacting them. They will be glad to assist you in your journey. Contact Harry at [email protected] or call him at 204-663-9914.

15

secretary, “I must know about Jesus. Across the hall, CCX missionary, Barbara Forster was beginning another Bible Study for international students. The Secretary led him to it and he began to attend regularly.

The church knows Barbara’s gifts. Barbara is a warm, articulate evange-list. First Baptist is made up of a number of young urban professionals who are quite organized, but have never really participated in ministry. The church places them around Barbara, and as they figure out what the people in her Bible studies are interested in, they form fellowships, which give the participants multiple opportunities to think and hear about Christ. Barbara’s group learns to love God, the young professionals learn ministry from the inside out, and the non-Christian neighbours keep sending people around the corner to First Baptist, because they know people are taken care of there.

Joey accepted Christ and returned to Korea. Barbara attended his wedding. Today he has two young children, his M. Div. and pastors a church in Seoul.

CCX missionaries, Peter and Rhonda Koropatwa work with a team from a denomination to plant a church among Hindu, Sikh and Muslim.

Many in that South Asian neighbour-hood have realized a deeper attraction to Christ through various interactions with members of the team. They are discipled in small groups. These seekers come from various age groups and the youth especially face concerns as they question parents and commu-nity. Often, because of parental outrage, they are unable to join the groups and must be discipled one-on-one. This year, the Koropatwa’s asked five Christian high school students who have studied the Bible for two years, to take on leadership roles as co-facilitators alongside older youth leaders. One girl who reads the Bible on her own responded by saying, “This is an answer to prayer for me to be able to serve in this way.”

Is the Koropatwa’s greatest joy, a team of ministers with a growing understanding of how to reach diverse cities, or is it seeing the three dozen new disciples from many faiths, begin to understand Christianity?

In Toronto

n

Brigitte Marcellin (Quebec) spent four months travelling to Mongolia, China, Thailand and Nepal. Starting in Chiang Maï, Northern Thailand, she learned much from Thailand leader and veteran Canadian missionary Dr. Aletta Bell about SIM involvement in Asia. She shares highlights of her trip:

I met the leaders of the acclaimed SportsFriends Ministries in and the surrounding countries, led by Ninh, a respected youth worker. Sport has proved a great tool to reach young people and their communities. In this mainly Buddhist context, young Thai Christians who want to show God’s love to their neighbours have also touched the heart of the local authorities. Having seen the impact of SportsFriends on the lives and character of their youth, the villagers have decided to help this ministry in every way possible by giving them land and a building, installing electricity to light evening meetings, and a fence to protect the property.

In , South African missionary Dr Ansie always has a kind word of encouragement to share. After spending many years coping with very difficult conditions in a remote province, Dr Ansie is now fully involved at the Tansen Hospital, assisted by a competent and devoted Nepalese staff.

In remote Sainshand, in the western Gobi Desert in , 11 hours by train from the capital, it was a great joy not only to meet the SIM team but also zealous Christians - whole families with small children - who think nothing of travelling to spend three days in intensive Bible classes each semester during a four year programme; young people who meet daily (photo above) at 6:30 in the morning to start their day in the Word of God; and missionaries who are giving their lives to share the love of Christ with perseverance and enthusiasm.

Thailand

Nepal

Mongolia

n

TEAM Mission impactDorothy and her work with peer mentors in the APPLE project was a natural fit, and so a partnership with Tyndale and SIM Zambia was born.

This year, our fourth team, with 10 students will spend four weeks in May serving alongside Dorothy and Lucky, her husband, with the Scripture Union program in Mongu and Choma.

My wife Sandy, or myself, along with each of our kids, have joined one of the teams thus far. We were able to reconnect with our friends and co-workers in a place

that still holds a big part of our hearts. It is a privilege to continue to be part of His work of building His church in Zambia. To see the ongoing fruit of our labours, to walk with my students as their eyes are opened and lives are changed, and to encourage Dorothy, her

colleagues and peer mentors as they seek to impact the next generation for the cause of Christ. This is short-term missions come full circle.

The Zambia team is one of five heading out this year, the others going to Alaska, Ireland, Japan and Thailand, with 43 students participating. n

During our 12 years of service in Zambia we saw many short-term missionaries come and go. Most of them making wonderful contributions to the various ministries, and serving as an encouragement to our family and ongoing work. One such young lady was Dorothy who came for a year and then stayed another six months. She taught English as a second language to many of our church leaders, and with a local pastor, helped revive the Scripture Union work in the secondary schools of Western Province. She chose to use local transit, including walking the 5 km each way to her home church several times a week. She built strong relationships and entered fully into Zambian life. We watched her personally grow and also grow as a leader day after day. After a few years back in Canada, she served in her home church and other ministries, she returned to Zambia as a career missionary and pioneered the APPLE project (AIDS Prevention Plus Life Education), in partnership with Scripture Union and the Evangelical Church in Zambia.

In my role as Missions Mentor at Tyndale University College & Seminary, in Toronto,I designed the missions’ policy for our student teams - to work alongside ongoing ministries, be an encouragement to the ministries, and have the desire to mentor young men and women in their faith.

by Dave Roberts seconded from SIM Canada to Tyndale Associate Dean of Students – Intercultural Initiatives

14

Brazil is a place where people are coming to the Lord, being discipled into churches that challenge and love their communities in rural areas and smaller cities.

From my hotel, I looked down on a church surrounded by a tall, gated, iron fence. My second day there, I knocked on the gate and there was no answer. I’d seen a pastor walk in a few minutes before. That night, as I ate at a restaurant across the street, I watched the congregation come (for the prayer meeting) one at a time. Just over a dozen entered with a key, ensuring that the gate was again locked. The lights were on. Muffled sounds of singing came from the building. Later they left in the same way.

A regular at the restaurant struck up a conversation with me and talked about that little, clean, white church building. His observations – clean; “they sweep the sidewalk beside the street before each meeting,” white; “they paint it every summer,” “I know it’s a church, but who knows what they do in there.” I queried, “What do you think a church ought to be doing?” He said, “I know Christians are supposed to love God, and I suppose that is what they are doing. But I thought there was something in there about neighbours, too.”“Who knows what they do in there?” – good question.

His observation bears some thought. What do we do “in there”? Is our discussion after prayer meeting, “who is on this year’s painting committee?” Did I come to love God, and sort out my neighbours’ apprehension about Him? I think my friend sitting in the restaurant, with his beer might be asking better questions than many of us.

Has the silence of the city deafened us to the isolation of our neighbours? Jesus called us to the Greatest Commandments; loving God and neighbours with a whole heart. Has the Church figured out how to be spiritual and effective in the city?

Culture ConneXions (CCX) is helping urban churches in 11 cities across Canada, care for, and love their neighbours. Here are a few stories…

Joey walked into First Baptist church some years ago and told the church

I stayed in a little hotel in Sao Paulo in the middle of apartment buildings.

In Vancouver,

Harry & Mars Enns

n

have returned to Manitoba to take on the Regional Director’s role for Manitoba and North West Ontario. They have struggled with finding suitable housing and have worked out of a one-room basement apartment for almost a year but they have now found the right accommodation and are all set to begin full time ministry.

If you live in the area and are interested in mission, make a point of contacting them. They will be glad to assist you in your journey. Contact Harry at [email protected] or call him at 204-663-9914.

15

secretary, “I must know about Jesus. Across the hall, CCX missionary, Barbara Forster was beginning another Bible Study for international students. The Secretary led him to it and he began to attend regularly.

The church knows Barbara’s gifts. Barbara is a warm, articulate evange-list. First Baptist is made up of a number of young urban professionals who are quite organized, but have never really participated in ministry. The church places them around Barbara, and as they figure out what the people in her Bible studies are interested in, they form fellowships, which give the participants multiple opportunities to think and hear about Christ. Barbara’s group learns to love God, the young professionals learn ministry from the inside out, and the non-Christian neighbours keep sending people around the corner to First Baptist, because they know people are taken care of there.

Joey accepted Christ and returned to Korea. Barbara attended his wedding. Today he has two young children, his M. Div. and pastors a church in Seoul.

CCX missionaries, Peter and Rhonda Koropatwa work with a team from a denomination to plant a church among Hindu, Sikh and Muslim.

Many in that South Asian neighbour-hood have realized a deeper attraction to Christ through various interactions with members of the team. They are discipled in small groups. These seekers come from various age groups and the youth especially face concerns as they question parents and commu-nity. Often, because of parental outrage, they are unable to join the groups and must be discipled one-on-one. This year, the Koropatwa’s asked five Christian high school students who have studied the Bible for two years, to take on leadership roles as co-facilitators alongside older youth leaders. One girl who reads the Bible on her own responded by saying, “This is an answer to prayer for me to be able to serve in this way.”

Is the Koropatwa’s greatest joy, a team of ministers with a growing understanding of how to reach diverse cities, or is it seeing the three dozen new disciples from many faiths, begin to understand Christianity?

In Toronto

n

Brigitte Marcellin (Quebec) spent four months travelling to Mongolia, China, Thailand and Nepal. Starting in Chiang Maï, Northern Thailand, she learned much from Thailand leader and veteran Canadian missionary Dr. Aletta Bell about SIM involvement in Asia. She shares highlights of her trip:

I met the leaders of the acclaimed SportsFriends Ministries in and the surrounding countries, led by Ninh, a respected youth worker. Sport has proved a great tool to reach young people and their communities. In this mainly Buddhist context, young Thai Christians who want to show God’s love to their neighbours have also touched the heart of the local authorities. Having seen the impact of SportsFriends on the lives and character of their youth, the villagers have decided to help this ministry in every way possible by giving them land and a building, installing electricity to light evening meetings, and a fence to protect the property.

In , South African missionary Dr Ansie always has a kind word of encouragement to share. After spending many years coping with very difficult conditions in a remote province, Dr Ansie is now fully involved at the Tansen Hospital, assisted by a competent and devoted Nepalese staff.

In remote Sainshand, in the western Gobi Desert in , 11 hours by train from the capital, it was a great joy not only to meet the SIM team but also zealous Christians - whole families with small children - who think nothing of travelling to spend three days in intensive Bible classes each semester during a four year programme; young people who meet daily (photo above) at 6:30 in the morning to start their day in the Word of God; and missionaries who are giving their lives to share the love of Christ with perseverance and enthusiasm.

Thailand

Nepal

Mongolia

n

TEAM Mission impactDorothy and her work with peer mentors in the APPLE project was a natural fit, and so a partnership with Tyndale and SIM Zambia was born.

This year, our fourth team, with 10 students will spend four weeks in May serving alongside Dorothy and Lucky, her husband, with the Scripture Union program in Mongu and Choma.

My wife Sandy, or myself, along with each of our kids, have joined one of the teams thus far. We were able to reconnect with our friends and co-workers in a place

that still holds a big part of our hearts. It is a privilege to continue to be part of His work of building His church in Zambia. To see the ongoing fruit of our labours, to walk with my students as their eyes are opened and lives are changed, and to encourage Dorothy, her

colleagues and peer mentors as they seek to impact the next generation for the cause of Christ. This is short-term missions come full circle.

The Zambia team is one of five heading out this year, the others going to Alaska, Ireland, Japan and Thailand, with 43 students participating. n

During our 12 years of service in Zambia we saw many short-term missionaries come and go. Most of them making wonderful contributions to the various ministries, and serving as an encouragement to our family and ongoing work. One such young lady was Dorothy who came for a year and then stayed another six months. She taught English as a second language to many of our church leaders, and with a local pastor, helped revive the Scripture Union work in the secondary schools of Western Province. She chose to use local transit, including walking the 5 km each way to her home church several times a week. She built strong relationships and entered fully into Zambian life. We watched her personally grow and also grow as a leader day after day. After a few years back in Canada, she served in her home church and other ministries, she returned to Zambia as a career missionary and pioneered the APPLE project (AIDS Prevention Plus Life Education), in partnership with Scripture Union and the Evangelical Church in Zambia.

In my role as Missions Mentor at Tyndale University College & Seminary, in Toronto,I designed the missions’ policy for our student teams - to work alongside ongoing ministries, be an encouragement to the ministries, and have the desire to mentor young men and women in their faith.

by Dave Roberts seconded from SIM Canada to Tyndale Associate Dean of Students – Intercultural Initiatives

The combined “SIMnow #117”, “World Watch #57”, is an official publication of SIM Canada and is published 4 times per year. SIM (Serving In Mission), is an interdenominational evangelical Protestant mission founded in 1893. SIM includes Africa Evangelical Fellowship, Andes Evangelical Mission, International Christian Fellowship, and Sudan Interior Mission. Send address changes to: The Editor, 10 Huntingdale Blvd., Scarborough, ON, M1W 2S5, Canada. Printed in Canada. © 2012 by SIM. Additional copies are available. Permission to reprint any material must be obtained from the Editor. FAX: 416-497-2444. E-mail: [email protected]. Subscription is free (Donations appreciated). Subscribe on-line at www.sim.ca or email [email protected]. International Editor: Suzanne Green. Canadian Editor: John Rose. Designer: John Rose.

Serving In Mission

In Paraguay, a recording of

the entire Bible has recently been

completed and is being loaded onto small audio players.

The audio players are being developed specifically for this purpose. These durable devices can be worn around the neck or carried in a pocket. They can be used with earphones, but also have a powerful speaker so that a whole family or a Bible study group can listen together. They will contain the whole Bible recorded in Guarani, the heart language of rural Paraguayans.

More than 100,000 families live in the most rural parts of Paraguay, and the project

wants to place a Bible in each of the homes."Having worked in rural Paraguay for more

than 15 years, I have seen first-hand how much more effective the Word of God is when it is presented in audio form,” says Project Manager Tom Stout. “Why should we wait to bring a written Bible to the people of Paraguay, when the technology exists today to bring the Word of God to everyone who does not typically learn from reading? The fact is, we shouldn't.”

The team would appreciate prayer to find a more economical way to bring the audio players into Paraguay. Currently taxes and port fees amount to 34 percent of the purchase price. n

SIM Canada10 Huntingdale BlvdScarborough, ONM1W 2S5

TEL: 416-497-2424FAX: 416-497-2444FREE CALL: 1-800-294-6918E-MAIL: [email protected]: www.sim.ca

www.facebook.com/simcanada1www.twitter.com/simcanada1www.youtube.com/servinginmissionwww.issuu.com/simcanadawww.flickr.com/sim_canada

Who to callATLANTIC CANADA

QUEBEC

ONTARIO

MANITOBA (NW ONTARIO)

ALBERTA/SASKATCHEWAN

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Jim LongworthRegional DirectorE: [email protected]: 506-472-6855

Angela BrandleRegional DirectorE: [email protected]: 514-425-6611Willy BrandleQuebec Mission ConsultantE: [email protected] MarcellinRepresentative, Eastern TownshipsE: [email protected]: 819-566-8676

Rick BradfordRegional DirectorE: [email protected]: 416-497-2424 (ext.176) Doraine RossOntario Mission ConsultantE: [email protected]: 519-740-1422

Harry EnnsRegional Director (Manitoba)E: [email protected]: 204-663-9914

Dan & Wanda ScrepnekRegional DirectorE: [email protected]: [email protected]: 403-886-5961Cell: 403-352-2859

John PolkkiRegional DirectorE: [email protected]: 778-574-0500Cell: 604-448-2185

BC Region RepresentativesKeith & Cindy FrewCell (Keith): 604-217-2893Cell (Cindy): 604-217-2894Phil & Marcia LeskewichE: [email protected]: 604-744-8159

Audio Bibles now in Paraguay