FBC-Charleston Shares Highlights of Trip to Mexico

John Price of FBC-Charleston, Mississippi shares below how the Lord used an enthusiastic team of volunteers from his church.

"Our team of five volunteers traveled to Tula, Hidalgo (about an hour-and-a-half north of Mexico City) to work with IMB missionaries D & P W., and a Mexican church planter. We distributed 3096 copies of the Gospels of Matthew and John.

Some of their highlights of the trip:

• As a pastor, I was thrilled to see the people of our church support the volunteers with their prayers, money, and encouragement. Volunteer mission trips can mobilize the entire church in support of missions and not just the volunteers who make the trip.

• It is exciting to see volunteers from our church grow spiritually over the course of a week as they prepare for the trip.

• One of the highlights of this trip was a Backyard Bible Club we held at a public park on Tuesday evening. As we distributed gospels on Monday and Tuesday, we also distributed invitations to the Backyard Club, which we advertised as an English class with a Bible story. We had no idea what kind of turnout we would have. At the appointed time, almost nobody was there but the volunteers and Mexican Baptists, but soon children and their parents began arriving and God enabled us to share the gospel with children and their parents. The church planter we were working with was thrilled to be able to reach his community in this way.

• Every time I go on a mission trip, I make new friends. What a joy it is to get to know believers like Pastor G. We don't look alike. We come from different cultures. We don't speak the same language, but we share a common faith in Christ and that makes all the difference."

Come to the MAC region and see how the Lord will use your talents as you volunteer your time for His glory. Contact us at the address listed above and we will be thrilled to connect you with our field personnel for a journey of a lifetime!

“JESUS LOVES ME” is a universal truth!

"Volunteering with Operation GO gives me more blessings than any other service I do throughout the year," writes Karen Gudde, a Spanish teacher who went on her second Operation GO trip to Mexico. Several other members from Jefferson Street Baptist Church, Eureka, Kansas, joined Karen on this 2008 journey with God. These faithful workers for the kingdom are already planning a third trip next June.

"One volunteer was 85 years old and another was 75 years old! No one is too old for this "job." They passed out gospels with the best of them," exclaims Karen.

Are you flexible when plans have to change at the last minute? This can often be the case with volunteer teams. Fortunately, the volunteers from J.S.B.C. had a great attitude and did not allow schedule changes to deter their focus or vision to share Christ's love.

David W., and his family, IMB missionaries working in Mexico City, hosted the volunteers and helped work out new plans when the old ones fell through. They knew that the team had former relations with Ramiro Martinez, a local pastor of a Baptist church, and that it would be a blessing for the church members and the team to rekindle their friendship. The missionaries organized new plans with the church and the team surged ahead without delay.

Pastor Ramiro agreed to be the director of Vacation Bible School and he even wore a hula skirt to go along with the Hawaiian theme. Karen shares, "Pastor Ramiro has a dynamic personality and is a real people person. It seems people of all ages warm up to him right away."

When the children sang Jesus Loves Me, even the mothers who stayed for Bible school joined in. "It was absolutely precious to see this as none of these children were "churched" and the mothers also did not attend church," said Karen.

Many Mexican families attended worship services while the team was in town. Pointing to the volunteers, they exclaimed, "I came to church because YOU invited me." Pastor Ramiro Martinez wrote Karen and the team (after they left Mexico) to let them know that some of the mothers and kids are still attending his church. Praise Jesus!

Praying, sharing your faith and planting seeds can result in long-lasting experiences for God's workers and the people they reach. People reaching out to people through the Holy Spirit…can anything be more gratifying?

Do you have a passion to share Christ with others? Contact us at the addresses listed to the left under "Other Volunteer Opportunities" and we will connect you with IMB missionaries who are praying for volunteers to come and assist with their ministries. Will you come to the MAC region and make a difference in the lives of others through the power of God?

A pharmacist seeks the face of Jesus after receiving the Gospel of John!

International Mission Board Operation GO missionary, Jim R., needed to find a pharmacy to purchase medicine for a volunteer who had an aching neck. Locating a pharmacy nearby, Jim went in to make the purchase. When the druggist saw Jim, he immediately opened his copy of the Gospel of John, which he had received the previous day at his house, and began to ask questions.

Jim shares, "I noticed that he had answered most of the questions in all five lessons. We used the references and found the answers. One question in lesson five was "What does Jesus ask of you?" We found the answer to be "Follow Me." He asked what that means and we talked about it. Then he said, "I guess that means 'Obey Him." Then he turned to the page with the "sinner's prayer" and showed me that he had already filled in the information and signed it indicating that he had accepted Jesus as his Savior. I found the pastor and sent him back to talk with the druggist. The pastor spent about 15 minutes with him and then told me that the druggist said he would come to church Sunday, even though he lives in Puruarán, 45 minutes from Tacámbaro."

Volunteers working with Mexican Baptists and Operation GO are changing the face of lostness. Their faithful planting and discipling for the Lord is reaching the Mexican people who desperately need prayer and salvation.

What does Jesus ask of YOU? Is God challenging you to follow Him into the harvest fields of Middle America and the Caribbean to share the Good News with those who have never heard?

God's IMB missionaries cannot do it alone. They need your help. How will you respond to His call?

We thank the Lord for the Mexican Baptists from the Primera Iglesia Bautista (First Baptist Church) Bethania, Tacambaro, Michoacán, who joined volunteers from Southside Baptist Church and Center Ridge Baptist Church, Yazoo City, Mississippi, to saturate four neighboring towns of Tacambaro with the Gospel of John. One of the nationals they visited was the pharmacist who is now their brother in Christ. We are grateful to these faithful followers who put God first and said, "Yes," when he called.

The team delivered 2,265 Operation GO packets and the project resulted in 156 requested Bible studies. The pastor hopes to plant churches in at least three of these towns.

Christ has a plan for the Mexican people and you can be part of this work. Come and share God's plan of salvation as you engage with missionaries, Mexican Baptists and other volunteers. Your impact will make an eternal difference!

We invite you to contact us at the addresses listed above to the left side under "For Other Volunteer Opportunities". It will change your life forever!

Pray that the peoples of Middle America and the Caribbean will be hungry for spiritual answers and the gospel.

Laborers plant long-lasting seeds

Jack and Sheri T., missionaries with the International Mission Board, followed up on a past mission project by Midway Baptist Church in Wichita, Kansas. Midway sent a team of volunteers to work with Operation GO Mexico a few years ago to distribute the gospel door-to-door in an area of Matamoros, Tamaulipas. Have the seeds that OP GO and the team planted taken root? Read on to see the fruits of their efforts:

• Over 901 visits made to national homes since the project took place
  
• 4 Bible studies with approximately 18 attend
  
• 50 baptisms held
  
• 1 church to be admitted into the convention – 120 adults regularly attend
  
• 142 new believers
  
• 3 additional churches are in formation
  
• 1 new church plant
  
• countless people have been discipled to be church leaders
  
• 4 deacons ordained
  
• 1 discipled to be a missionary at a new church
  
• FBC of Brownsville and I.B. Casa Blanca are now the Strategy Churches for Northern Tamaulipas

Jack and Sheri heard a sweet story during their investigation. A woman came to a Mexican Baptist pastor and asked for forgiveness. She apologized for not seeking assistance before she started a house church that now has 15 attending. When asked what material she was using to disciple the people, she commented, "The same material you used to disciple us." Our missionaries praise God for this rapid church reproduction!

Praise Jesus for the way He uses short and long-term volunteers to help spread His kingdom in the Middle America and Caribbean Region.

We appreciate our volunteers beyond measure!

• Thank you for coming to our region to give of your time and to share your faith to those who have never heard about the true gift of salvation through Christ Jesus.
  
• Thank you for your faithful prayers.
  
• Thank you for supporting our missionaries through the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Do you have a passion for Christ and want to share it with others? For volunteer opportunities, use the contact information to the left of the column under "For Other Volunteer Opportunities."

Mexican Baptists and volunteers working together to sow seeds

"I went there with no expectations, but I was very surprised with how gracious the people were - and we were complete strangers," said team member Earl Parris from First Baptist Church in Lexington, Mo.

A few months ago, Earl and his wife, Janice, traveled to Leon, Guanajuato, with two other members of their church, to sow the seeds of Jesus. They went to work with International Mission Board church planters, Mike and Jennifer B., and Operation GO missionary, Jim R., to assist a newly forming Mexican Baptist church get off the ground.

Twenty-two members of the parent church, "Iglesias Bautista Estrella de Belen" worked hand-in-hand with the missionaries and volunteers to distribute around 5,000 Gospels of John to the residents of three neighborhoods in the city. This opportunity to work so closely with the Mexican Baptists was a blessing for the team.

Ken Jobe of FBC Lexington, who has been on six mission trips, described the role of the volunteers as "prayers and encouragers." Because of the language barrier, this goal could have been difficult, but three of the missionary couple's children served as translators for the group as they went door-to door sharing the love of Christ. Everyone was eager to hear the Good News and warmly welcomed the prayerwalkers into their homes.

Three unreached Mexican people came to the first Bible study. One of the attendees was a person who was not home when the group was in their neighborhood, so they left the gospel material near the door. Praise Jesus for this person who read the material and came on their own to hear Christ's message of love and salvation. Janice commented, "This was a sowing mission and the missionaries and people of that church will be the ones planting, reaping and harvesting." With God's guidance, that is exactly what the workers in Leon plan to do.

Pray for the newly formed Mexican Baptist church.

Please see the contact information to the left under "Volunteer Opportunities" to learn more about becoming a volunteer with the International Mission Board. Thank you for your consideration.

God’s light now shines where darkness prevailed!

A team of volunteers recently joined three International Mission Board missionaries and 44 Mexican Baptists to take the “light of Jesus” to many Mexican families by distributing 3,650 Gospels according to Matthew (or) John to their homes.



How did this team from Enterprise Baptist Church in Littleton, N.C., arrive at the decision to choose Guadalajara? First, they began with prayer. Second, a missionary and member of their church alerted the team to the fact that Mexico has only 3% evangelicals. This persuaded the members to explore into options to serve in Mexico.

As the team leader and missionary from their church began to search into mission opportunities, the name Jerri Younkman kept surfacing. Jerri is a missionary with the International Mission Board and lives in Guadalajara. She is the Operation GO Mexico Coordinator. Because of the Lord’s clear directions, the team knew He was leading them to Mexico to serve Him.



Carla Little, the team leader, writes:

“The awesome experience here was that the nationals from the church that sponsored us were with us every step of the way. When the two days were over, they wanted to know where they could buy more gospels so they could continue on their own what the team members had started. Not only did the adults go out and knock on doors, but also so did the children. The children would excitedly go to the door, tell the people where their church was, and tell them about Jesus and the gospel. They were an inspiration to all of us. Acts 1:8 was so exemplified here because the nationals were in their Jerusalem and we had gone to the ends of the earth.”



The volunteers plan to return next summer to work in the Santa Cruz de Las Flores area.

“I was never afraid, for the Lord was with me…it was an awesome experience,” replied one team member.

Jerri Younkman shares,

“One street, “Reál Oriente,” seemed to have an unusual amount of ripe fruit, and this was attributed to answers to prayer from the U.S. prayer warriors supporting the team. Prayer before and during the trip, are all contributing factors for the success of this team. God’s light now shines in many areas where darkness prevailed because five members of Enterprise Baptist Church said “Yes, God, send me!”



Come and be part of God’s work in our region. It will change your life forever!



If you have questions, or need further information, please contact us at the addresses listed at the top of the page under “Volunteer Opportunities.”

May God bless you abundantly for your caring spirits and willingness to serve Him. Thank you!

Mission Trip Begins with Prayer!

A small group of volunteers from Terrace Heights Baptist Church, Yakima, Washington went to Tijuana Mexico to work with Tommy and Beth Larner, missionaries with the International Mission Board, and with a local pastor. Understanding the importance of prayer, the group prayerwalked the area where they planned to hold block parties. The Lord blessed their efforts with over 40 attending their first event! Pastor Gabriel was thrilled with the team's efforts because the block parties were areas where he wanted to start cell groups and to build a church.

The volunteers read stories, taught crafts, played games and presented the Gospel by using a wordless book that one of the volunteers made from foam. God moved five boys and one woman to make a profession of faith. These pictures give you a visual glimpse into the excitement of the children and adults as they learned about Jesus and engaged in activities with the volunteers. The volunteers formed relationships for life with this community and gave encouragement to the national pastor.

Because the volunteers came home and reported to their church that this mission trip was an "awesome adventure," Terrace Heights Baptist Church is catching the vision of the importance of being on mission with God. They have several members already interested and ready to answer "yes" to God's call to serve Him internationally.

MAC region has a multitude of opportunities for service.

For volunteer opportunities contact
The MAC Region at
954-340-1193
http://www.macregion.org/
http://going.imb.org

Or
Mike and Sue Monroe
954-675-7198 (Cell - FL)
Volunteer Mobilization Coordinators
Middle America and Caribbean Region
International Mission Board, SBC
volunteers@macregion.org

Costa Rica Blog Site

Be sure and check out the blog site of Mike and Kathy Kemper from Costa Rica Operation GO. They have some GREAT stories and photos to share of how God is working in Costa Rica! Go to: Other blogs of interest, and click on their link.

Little Flock Church Answers God’s Call

Missionaries Jack and Sheri Thomas of "Operation GO" recently wrote about a recent "GO" trip to Sección Primera de Santa Fe. They shared:

"A dynamic team of six from Little Flock SBC, Sheperdsvilled, K.Y., distributed scores of Gospel of John packets, showed the children's version of the Jesus Film to about 130, and were encouragers to the Jesucristo Vive Mexican Baptist Church, and its new cell groups that meet in neighborhood homes."

By God's grace, these cell groups will grow into a local church!

The team's efforts resulted in NEW BELIEVERS AND BIBLE STUDIES REQUESTED!

The Holy Spirit is working through our missionaries and faithful volunteers!

BILLIONS OF PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HEARD THE NAME OF JESUS!

Won't you come and be part of the harvest and help shine the light of God's love where darkness and spiritual barriers prevail?

For other volunteer opportunities contact
The MAC Region
954-340-1193
http://www.macregion.org/
http://going.imb.org

Or
Mike and Sue Monroe
Volunteer Mobilization Coordinators
Middle America and Caribbean Region
International Mission Board, SBC
mike.monroe@macregion.com
volunteers@macregion.org

Working Together for God’s Glory!

The Communidad Cristiana Church in Santa Fe is growing because of a recent project by Operation GO Outreach team members, volunteers from Ozark Baptist Church, Houston, Missouri, and Mexican Baptists.

This project was not typical for "Operation Gospel Outreach" – a ministry of the IMB – that mobilizes volunteers and short-term missionaries to distribute Christ's message door to door in Middle America and the Caribbean.

But…when the pastor and his wife asked for assistance from the GO team to pour 400 square feet of concrete adjacent to the existing church, and to help saturate a close-by housing development with the Gospel, Operation GO did not refuse.

The volunteers completed the cement addition in three mornings. Saturation of the gospel took place on three afternoons and one morning, and the team even found time to paint and work in extra prayerwalking!

Communidad Cristiana Church is growing because of these efforts and God's grace!

When the team visited the housing development near the church, one family was not only receptive, but voiced their willingness to hold a Bible study! This house may be the location God has chosen for the new house church in Villas de la Hacienda!

Is God calling YOU?

Contact
The MAC Region
954-340-1193
http://www.macregion.org/
http://going.imb.org/

Or
Mike and Sue Monroe
Volunteer Mobilization Coordinators
Middle America and Caribbean Region
International Mission Board, SBC
mike.monroe@macregion.com
volunteers@macregion.org

WorldView: What obedience looks like

"Volunteers from First Baptist Church of Gray Gables in Callahan, Fla., know how good it is to take the Gospel into the streets of a city of 28 million people where fewer than 2 percent know Christ as Savior. Thirteen of them went to Mexico City to help Southern Baptist missionaries and pastor Arturo, a Mexican Baptist house church leader, evangelize part of the sprawling metropolis. This trip was only the second international one for the 400-member church, but pastor Mark Tuso has high hopes for the future. That's the spirit missionaries David and Pam Wong are looking for as they recruit churches to participate in "Operation Gospel Outreach" – "Operation GO" for short. It's designed to mobilize volunteers and short-term missionaries to distribute Christ's message door to door in Middle America and the Caribbean."

Contact Operation GO at
http://www.macregion.org/
Call MAC Region at
954-340-1193

or

Mike and Sue Monroe
Volunteer Mobilization Coordinators
Middle America and Caribbean Region
mike.monroe@macregion.org
volunteers@macregion.org

Written by: Erich Bridges, International Mission Board

SEEDS PLANTED IN VILLAGE OF JEREZ

Rain, spiritual warfare, exhaustion, and lengthy travel to a remote location did not dampen the spirits of the volunteers from Elmore Baptist Association in Alabama. This energetic team arrived with spiritual gifts and positive attitudes to help missionaries and national pastors sow seeds in the village of Jerez.

Before they visited the homes to share the gospel, they first prayerwalked the area. God blessed their efforts with many decisions made to receive Christ! By the end of the project, over 15 homes requested Bible studies and several hundred books of Luke were distributed. Praise the Lord!

Operation GO missionaries invite YOU to join them as they partner with God to saturate our region with the gospel.

Bring your sweet spirit, willingness to work hard, loving heart, flexibility and a sincere desire to share the Word…and you will experience Christ's power and spiritual fulfillment like never before.

For more information about volunteering in the Middle America and the Caribbean region contact us at one of the following:

The MAC Region at
954-340-1193
http://www.macregion.org/
http://going.imb.org/

Or
Mike and Sue Monroe
Volunteer Mobilization Coordinators
Middle America and Caribbean Region
International Mission Board, SBC
mike.monroe@macregion.com
volunteers@macregion.org

Facing the Giants

When a team of five volunteers from Porter Memorial Church, Lexington, Ky., came to work with Jack and Sheri Thomas, IMB missionaries for Middle America and Caribbean AC region, they had no idea what God had in store for them. One night they showed the film, Facing the Giants. At the end of the movie, over ten came forward to accept Christ!

The Porter volunteers came to work with Jack and Sheri in Tijuana, Baja California. From Saturday – Friday, the team distributed several thousand-gospel packets. In addition to the new believers from the film presentation, Facing the Giants, God used the team to reach another 15 lost souls!

When Sheri and one of the volunteers visited a modest home in Tijuana, they were in for a delightful surprise!

"Having recently relocated to Tijuana with her Mexican husband from the United States, she is facing cultural differences each day. She lives in a tiny non-air-conditioned house and has no friends or family near buy. The community is poor and there are language barriers. How amazing that at this time of crisis and change in her life, God sent two English speakers to her door to share the gospel with her. Later that day we were able to take her an English Bible and she expressed openness to the gospel and to studying the Bible. It was exciting to see her arrive on a COLD night to view Facing the Giants with us and to watch her as she interacted with the national believers. God truly is always on time," says Sheri.

Another woman was receptive when pastor Gabriel and missionary Tommy visited her home to share the promise of salvation through Jesus Christ. She expressed interest in studying the Bible and invited the men to return that evening. When they did, they were delighted to find she had invited neighbors and relatives to her home to study the Bible.

"What a blessing to see the seed that had only been planted that morning take root and already multiplying as the group scheduled their next Bible study," reported the missionaries.

Chuck Johnson, regional volunteer strategist for MAC, says,

"Basically our goal is to put the New Testament of the Gospel of John into every home (in the Middle America and Caribbean region) by 2010."

Jerri Younkman, coordinator for Operation GO in Mexico, prays volunteers will continue to pour into Mexico's heart of darkness. Jerri emphasizes that all levels of experience are welcome.

YOU are wanted and needed! Come and work with our IMB missionaries and help face the giants that cause barriers to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Middle America and Caribbean region.

For other volunteer opportunities contact
The MAC Region at
954-340-1193
http://www.macregion.org/
http://going.imb.org

Or
Mike and Sue Monroe
Volunteer Mobilization Coordinators
Middle America and Caribbean Region
International Mission Board, SBC
mike.monroe@macregion.com
volunteers@macregion.org