Summer “Break” Mentorship Projects

Lyli and I will still be on the move during the two-month hiatus between class sessions. We have been assigned to work on a curriculum for the Bolivia Industrial School. Also, we were recruited to help two of our classmates, Keren Ketz and Josue Lima with their summer project, which is to organize and execute a two-week miniMOVE missionary training event in Bolivia. A number of young people there have expressed interest in studying at MOVE, but it is difficult for Bolivians to obtain Belizean visas, so we are taking MOVE to them. Classes will be held on the Bolivia Industrial School campus from June 25 through July 7. I will be co-teaching the evangelism class as well as trying to teach the mechanics elective and giving a week-long seminar on music in the evenings.

The Lord provided exactly what we needed for travel expenses at exactly the right time, and we leave for Bolivia on the 19^th from Mexico City. This weekend and next we are doing missions awareness meetings in Merida on the Yucatan peninsula and in Puebla. The latter has been planned since several weeks past, but the former was sprung on us this morning after we arrived here in Merida for other reasons.  I think it was in answer to my prayer that God would use us for something useful during our stay here. So tomorrow we have the afternoon program for a multiple-church laymen’s evangelism Sabbath.

The week before last I had the opportunity to work on a construction project with Jeff and my classmates from mechanics class and we all got some more practice cutting and welding steel to fabricate framing beams for a second-story house. We took the base plates to get punched at a Mennonite machine shop in Shipyard, while Jeff had some other pieces bent with another Mennonite and then we took everything to a third Mennonite who does sandblasting. I discovered that Shipyard is one of two very sizable Mennonite communities within an hour’s drive of MOVE. I hope to learn more about the Mennonites over the next few months and find some ways to connect.

Putting the pieces together. Our second-story construction project, Sarteneja

Uber, Leo and Josue. Uber points toward Chetumal across the bay

Leveling up the support beams

Generation 7-7-7

Original group of MOVE students during world missions festival

This seventh month of 2017 finds the seven students in MOVE’s 7^th missionary training program beginning their six months of service in the field as the final requisite of their training program. We should have added another month of service to round out the sevens.

This year’s theme at MOVE is “Without Retreat.” Ironically, only half of the original group has made it to this mile-marker. The faithful remnant however has made a pact to enter their mission assignment immediately, and most of them are already at their new post of duty. On May 21^st we gathered for the commission ceremony to dedicate the students to their next field of labors. Below is a list of the students and their field assignments.

Names and destinations of this session’s missionaries

Vianey Soto: Manos Ayudadores, a health clinic in Guatemala

Javier Bustamente: Bolivia Industrial School in Guayaramerin, Bolivia.

Linda Quimbayo: Bolivia Industrial School in Guayaramerin, Bolivia.

Viviana Bonilla: Reach Honduras, orphanage in Honduras, C.A.

Elionai Ortiz: Hospital, Togo, Africa

Abigial Moro: Sharon Family Project: school in Thailand.

Carl Acevedo: Elda Madaí, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

Gerzom, a missionary from Togo, gives the commission ceremony address.

The final faithful seven take their missionary pledge. No Retreats. 

Mechanic Evangelists?

  Our first three-month session came to a close with a flurry of activities including a week-long mission trip to the picturesque mountain village of San Jose in southern Belize. The MOVE students planned and led the trip as part of their final project. In San Jose most of the population speak Mayan and make their living growing organic cocoa. During the day we worked in groups according to our elective classes. Some groups taught health classes and did community service and visitation. Leo, Josue and I, the mechanics students, spent the week fixing old chain saws, lawn mowers, weed whackers and a menagerie of other items. 

While I appreciated the learning experience, I found myself wondering what kind of evangelistic impact we could possibly make by fixing old rusty junk. Otto Koning and the Pineapple stories came to mind, but Otto was at it for years before he began to see results. What could we do in one short week? Not much, but God certainly knows how to have a productive week! I mean, he made the world and everything in it in six days, not to mention the sun, moon and stars! So as I worked I prayed that God would use us somehow, although I must admit my faith was rather small. 

 I think it was our first day of work when we met Eventor. It turned out he is the local Baptist minister, and he had a weed-whacker, lawn mower, chain saw and four-wheeler that needed fixed. Jeff brought the machines to the Community Center where we had our “shop” set up, and then went and fixed the four-wheeler while we diagnosed and serviced the other equipment. Pastor Eventor was so pleased, he invited us all to do special music at his Wednesday night prayer meeting, and asked Jeff to speak. The church was full and the people were very appreciative. 

 Later I learned that Pastor Eventor was born with a stub foot, so the four- wheeler is a big deal for him to be able to get around on the hills of his cocoa farm. Jeff is also checking into getting a better prosthetic for him. At the end of the week we invited the community to a sacred concert on Friday night. I was surprised and pleased to see that most of the men who attended were the ones who had sat watching us fix their machines all week long. 

 As usual, probably the most fruitful area of labor was with the village children. They love to sing and listen to Bible stories. Lyli, Yaneth and Keila are already planning a future trip to do a vacation Bible school. 

 Oren and Ana, two of the mere handful of Adventists in San Jose, hardly left our sides during the entire week. They ate with us, had worship with us and joined in nearly every activity. Oren only left a couple of mornings to plant corn. We encouraged them to continue strong in the faith and active in gospel labor. 

Concert in the San Jose Community Center

Mechanics is a spectator sport in San Jose. No pressure. 

Leo welds  a broken skillet. 

Morning worship behind the community center in San Jose

Lyli and I on our way to invite people to the concert

Peaceful village

Afternoon visitation in San Jose