THE MISSION PRAYER CALL
International Ministries, American Baptist Churches
Week of June 13, 2010
Ruth Mooney, Costa Rica
Ruth's ministry is Christian education. She lives in Costa Rica, where she serves on the faculty of the Latin American Biblical University, a seminary that prepares pastors and leaders for churches throughout Latin America. Ruth also ministers in other parts of Latin America.
She writes: When the class began to sing praises to God in Quechua, I knew this would be an unforgettable experience. I looked into the faces of this group that I would be teaching all week, many of whom had traveled 6-8 hours from remote jungle towns to attend this Christian Education class, and prayed that God would use me to provide them with needed skills and understanding for their churches. I was in Huancayo, Perú, a 7 hour bus ride from Lima, straight up the Andes Mountains, at the San Pablo Seminary, affiliated with the Universidad Bíblica Latinamericana.
The seminary is under the leadership of a committed and visionary couple, César and Karina, Methodist pastors who studied at the UBL in San José. They have created a beacon of light for the entire region, serving churches in distant jungle villages, offering theological studies for both women and men in a culture that marginalizes women, and creatively interacting with indigenous culture to “incarnate” Christian faith.
My students, as in Guatemala, were diverse: Methodists, Pentecostals, one Baptist, one Catholic, and many from the national Peruvian Evangelical Church, some just beginning their ministry and others near retirement, some from the city and others from small towns. They were reserved at first, but gradually opened up and shared their stories.
Andrés, who felt God’s calling to form an evangelistic musical group with his family, confessed that he had not understood the readings, had not done the required preliminary work, and was not planning to come to the class. But his wife attended my workshop the Saturday before and was impressed enough that she convinced her husband to try at least the first day. He was hooked, and learned twice as much as his colleagues because he had to repeat everything he’d learned to his wife each night.
Peruvian Christians have a number of special challenges, as they seek to “incarnate” the message of God’s redeeming love into ancient Incan culture, blended with modern capitalistic values, in the context of a struggle to meet basic needs and form a more just and equal society. I was humbled by the vision and commitment of the seminary and my students.
· Pray for Ruth as she helps train and develop Christian leaders in Latin America.
· Pray for the students studying for ministry at the seminary and for César and Karina as they give leadership and touch the lives of many Christian workers in Peru.
Ketley and Vital Pierre, Nicaragua
Ketley and Vital work on the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua to strengthen local churches and encourage existing churches to plant new ones. One way they do this is by leading and coordinating seminars and workshops. Through these sessions, pastors and leaders of local congregations learn how to strengthen the ministries of their churches. Their ministry is a holistic, "hands on" endeavor in which they walk and work alongside local people, building relationships. They also work with people in local churches to educate against drug abuse and drug trafficking.
They also serve as a link with American Baptist churches in the U.S. for volunteer groups. The groups are matched with local ministries according to where they would be the most effective. The Pierres invite leaders and short-term missionaries, pastors, businessmen, teachers, and professors to present seminars and workshops.
Ketley and Vital have been on U.S./Puerto Rico Assignment and will soon be returning to Nicaragua. They have been to Haiti this past year to assist in relief efforts with American Baptist missionary Kristy Engel who serves in the Dominican Republic.
· Pray for Ketley and Vital as they return to Nicaragua and continue their vital ministry of pastoring a dynamic congregation, ministering to their community and training Christian leaders.
Pray for International Ministries Volunteers
· Nancy & Jerry Sprock from Kansas, serving in Mexico June 15 – August 2.
· Megan Smith from West Virginia, serving in Dominican Republic June 10 – July 28.
· Shane Harden, leading a team of 5 from Ohio, serving in Nicaragua, June 10 – 23.
· Steve Rhodes, leading a team of 6 from Ohio, serving in Belize, June 12 – 19.
· JD Reed & Adam Myers, leading a team of 19 from West Virginia, serving in Bolivia, June 17 – 26.
· Wendy Haviland, leading a team of 14 from Kansas, serving in Mexico, June 19 – 26.
· Glenda De Leon, leading a team of 14 from Puerto Rico, serving in Dominican Republic, June 19 – 29.
*For info on prayer ministry - Contact Rev. Bob Santilli at 610-768-2187 or
*Prayer Requests for missionaries and others who serve is now available on the Web at www.internationalministries.org/. Click on PRAY at the top.