May 28, 2012 | Vol. 16 No. 20

"So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer." —Ezra 8:23

Africa

TOGO

Annette Williams

• Twenty nursing students have completed their first year of training at the hospital.
• Annette travelled to Lomé to meet with Cindy McFarland and a consulting work inspector to plan for the training of future employees for the Hospital of Hope in Mango.
• Most of the current class of nurses will be headed to Mango after graduation. This year selected young people will be starting on-the-job training in lab, surgery and other departments. Please pray for wisdom on managing the legal and cultural questions. Some of these trainees may not be believers, so pray for their salvation.
• This past Sunday, the Tsiko church baptized 12 people who were ready to give public testimony to their new life in Christ.

Asia and the Pacific

PHILIPPINES

Jim and Allene Latzko

• Jim and Allene Latzko's friend and co-worker Ed Rayos was chosen as the president of the Philippine Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (PABWE). Ed will use his skills in leading and caring for missionaries in many countries in Asia. Pray for Ed to adjust to his new responsibilities and for God to use him to add more missionaries and open new fields. 
• Robert and Kim Clark are in the process of transferring to the Philippines to serve in theological education and mentoring national church leaders.

Central America and the Caribbean

MEXICO

Kurt and Bethany Gomez

• Kurt and Bethany Gomez are at 60 percent of the support they need to return to Mexico in January. Pray that they will be able to schedule several more church meetings to present their ministry.  
• Please pray specifically for one young man who Kurt has befriended. He is a Guatemalan immigrant and very open to friendship and talking about God and faith.

Europe

GERMANY

Calvin and Birte Veith

• Calvin and Birte Veith will be working with a church in Schönau following their furlough ministry. The borough of Schönau, which has a high percentage of socially underprivileged and foreigners, is known as one of the less desirable areas in the city of Mannheim. Many people in this area come from broken families or suffer from the effects of psychological difficulties, unemployment and disabilities.  When such people come to the church, their need for love and fellowship sometimes outweighs their spiritual hunger.
• The pastor of the "Mother Church" that has been helping this new plant has invited the Veiths to help in this ministry.  

HUNGARY

Steve and Cheryl Winget

• Steve and Cheryl Winget have had 20 years of ministry with ABWE. They are grateful for the Lord’s help as they presented training sessions during the past few months in Budapest, Athens and Belgrade. 
• Cheryl’s sister, Sue, is facing serious complications following cancer surgery.
• Pray for continued progress on Cheryl’s dissertation work.
• The Christian school she serves is in need of someone who may be interested in a short-term (6 months-two years) assignment. 
• A key believer in eastern Turkey is asking urgent prayer. A small Kurdish house church group gathers in his village home. However, the families of these believers have learned about this and have threatened them not to meet again. Yonja and his family are the only strong believers in the region and feel like they are all alone in their work for the Lord. They need prayer concerning this and the believers that are under pressure from their families and community need prayer. Pray that his crop will not be destroyed by the flooding that resulted from a broken water line.

IRELAND

Dean and Julia Langley

• Dean and Julia Langley will lead The Hatchery this summer while their Irish partners are on sabbatical.
• Please pray for Stephanie Kozik as she leaves for home assignment in June, and Tim and Kathy Laughlin as they return to Ireland in August. Pray also for those coming to and considering serving in Ireland.
• Please pray for Rick and Jen Peace and family as they are in the midst of several family transitions (college decisions, health of parents ...). Please pray for Jamestown Road Baptist Church where Sue Rowland serves. The pastor and his wife will travel to Canada for three months of home assignment beginning in August.

UKRAINE

Miriam Wheeler

• Dr. Miriam Wheeler is offering help to Alyona and Nadya who began teaching a new 10-week Bible study for post-abortion women, "Forgiven and Set Free." Please pray for God to give wisdom to the leaders and for Him to open the hearts of the four ladies who will be participating in this Bible study.
• Continue to pray for the village clinic ministry, that patients will come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
• Pray for Holly and Miriam as they navigate the red tape of the Odessa immigration office to apply for their one-year residency permits. Their 45-day visas expired May 13.

South America

BRAZIL

Robert and Karen Hamilton

• Bob and Karen Hamilton’s daughter, Anna, will be traveling with a summer mission team from the U.S. to work with them in July. Pray for decisions about her college education this fall. 
• Their son, Samuel, will be marrying Beatriz, a Brazilian girl who is from Santo Antonio do Iça, in June 2013.  

Dick and Joyce Matthews

• Heights Baptist Church held evangelistic meetings last month. There were no decisions, but the believers have been encouraged to witness and a course is being taught to the members. They are looking to the Lord for friends and family to receive Him as Savior.  

Steve and Mendi Everett

• Steve and Mendi Everett’s church baptized four believers in April. They also hosted a prayer breakfast for 13 area pastors at the retreat center so they could see the progress that has been made in getting it ready for them to use.
• Steve and Mendi have taken on a 10-week puppet ministry for children’s church on Sunday evenings.  

CHILE

Pedro and Stephanie Garcia

• Pedro and Stephanie Garcia were able to participate in a team meeting with their three missionary colleague families in Iquique via Skype. The ministry continues to move forward and the church continues to grow. 
• Ingrid Maria attended their youth group briefly at her mother's urging and was befriended by several teen MKs, but has indicated complete rejection of the gospel. She even goes so far as to state her religious views on Facebook as "Satanism." There appear to be dark influences on her life at this time and she has stated repeatedly her desire for death.

PARAGUAY

Paul and Marla Fields

• Paul had the opportunity to preach at the 30th anniversary of the Maranatha Baptist Church of Palma Loma last Sunday, where they began their ministry in the early 80's. 
• The first ladies' meeting of the year was a success.
• Pray for the salvation of 10 adolescent boys in the Friday soccer outreach. 

Other

HOME OFFICE

Gil Thomas

• Gil had a productive time of training on four islands in the Philippines involving hundreds of pastors and teachers. Gil will be offering Good Soil and Adventures in the Story of Hope training for children’s workers in Harrisburg May 30 and June 1.

John and Hortense Bullock

• John and Hortense Bullock  returned to their home in Utah last week. The Arabic translation of “What does the Holy Bible teach about God’s plan for man?” has been completed and will soon be available through DVD and the internet.    

Marilyn Scraver

• Marilyn Scraver had a positive visit to Togo and was able to teach some art classes in the schools there.
• Pastor Alaza is serving two churches and one of them is in need of repair due to storm damage. Pastor Alaza’s wife is in need of surgery, but they only have half of the money needed and they have to pre-pay for the procedure.  

Feel Free to Forward to a Friend

Association of Baptists for World Evangelism 

PO Box 8585 Harrisburg, PA 17105 

(717) 774-7000

www.abwe.org | info@abwe.org