Minute for Mission, November 25, 2013

"That is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” —2 Corinthians 5:19-20
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Minute for Mission  Issue 16 November 25, 2013   Tales of the faithful Global mission workers Carl and Roxane Hill share encouraging stories as they finish another semester at Kulp Bible College Roxane and Carl Hill in Mubi, Nigeria. We are winding down our semester with only a few weeks to go. Besides classes, we have been going out almost every Sunday to preach and greet at local churches. Last week we were in Gima, Mubi, and there were reportedly 1,370 in attendance there. It was really one of our best Sundays. The message was strong and personal, and Joshua (our student translator) did his best job as well. We received compliments from a retired EYN (Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria) pastor and member of EYN’s board of trustees. Roxane is scheduled to preach the English service next week in Uba, EYN Kalamada, and Carl and Joshua will handle the message for the Hausa service. We are trying to be good ambassadors and always extend greetings from Church of the Brethren USA to every church we visit. We'd like to share a recent experience we had with a real-life 'Paul' here in Nigeria: Translator Joshua (left) and student Danjuma. Photo courtesy of Carl and Roxane Hill. One of our best students, a very mild-mannered and soft-spoken man named Danjuma, was in a police altercation last week. He was arrested and taken to the local jail overnight. Since he is such a good student, we decided to pay the fine to get him out. That evening Danjuma came to visit us and thanked us for paying his fine. He said it was the oddest thing — he was not causing any problems but the police began harassing him and would not stop until they had arrested him. He was calm through the whole thing and even had a vision of being in a cell. The exciting thing was that while there he had a chance to witness to another person sharing the cell. That person was a Muslim, and God really spoke to him through Danjuma. Danjuma was not upset over the humiliation of being jailed overnight and was in fact praising God for the opportunity to witness. He had been concerned about payment of the fine, so it was a real blessing for us to be able to help him out. Teaching music and learning community Brethren Volunteer Service and program volunteers Chris and Jenna Horgan recently entered their second year of service in El Salvador. Jenna shares her reflections. Chris and Jenna Horgan are serving at El Centro Arte para la Paz in Suchitoto, El Salvador Chris and I have lived in Suchitoto, El Salvador for a year, volunteering with El Centro Arte para la Paz (the Arts Center for Peace). People often talk about "reverse mission" — this idea that the ones going to volunteer are the ones who will truly be served. There is so much truth to that. I came to Suchitoto hoping to help people, and in the process I have been helped. I have experienced genuine love and gratitude from my students, co-workers, and new friends. They have been amazingly patient with my Spanish — I have hundreds of Spanish teachers! We have both had moments of frustration and strong emotion. Living in a small town where the average temperature is 92 degrees means that everything comes out. Sometimes we have felt stuck in a bubble, running into the same people over and over again. If we dislike someone? Tough, they still live here. And if we are tired and we just want to go home? Tough, we still have to say hello to everyone we meet along the way to our house. But isn’t that community? Through the good and the bad, you still say greet each other. You acknowledge one another. You look each other in the eye and say, "I see you." Our work has been varied. I have ended up teaching a bit of everything at the Center for Peace: yoga, English, poetry, and basic computer skills. I provide music education for kindergarteners through fourth graders both in our small town and in a rural community, and I direct the center's choir. Chris providing piano instruction. Photo courtesy of Jenna Horgan. It's an odd mix of jobs, but the thing that holds it all together is that I am leading programs to which the children and young adults would not otherwise have access. Music, poetry, yoga, computer skills — these are things that are not usually offered in schools or universities, especially not for free. In the midst of personal struggles with work and language and frustration with the broader problems of socioeconomic injustice and gang violence, I find myself walking down a cobblestone street in El Salvador and thinking, "there is no place I would rather be." Chris and I are not in El Salvador changing the world in the grand sense that many imagine when choosing to volunteer. We are living, learning, and serving alongside the people who have become our friends. We are grateful for your prayers, thoughts, and support as we continue to walk this journey and share God's love. Christmas card ministry This service opportunity to spread Christ's love and peace is a great holiday activity for individuals as well as Sunday School classes and other congregational groups. The Death Row Support Project invites you to send Christmas cards to inmates and bring a ray of hope and humanity to the darkness of death row. Contact drsp@brethren.org for a list of names and addresses. Brethren Volunteer Service invites you to share Christmas greetings and well wishes with volunteers whose commitment to service has placed them far away from loved ones in the holiday season. For a list of names and addresses, contact bvs@brethren.org. Prayer requests Pray for victims of natural disasters. Pray for comfort and healing for all those affected by Typhoon Haiyan and the recent tornadoes across the American Midwest. Praise God for a generous grant to the Haiti Medical Program, which will provide a vehicle and allow for more mobile clinics. Pray for a smooth process of purchase and registration for the vehicle so that it may soon ease the transportation of needed supplies and services. Pray for the 75 Nigerian Brethren families who lost their homes in recent violence. Give thanks for the Nigerian and American Brethren who have reached out to the victims. To remember these and other prayer concerns, please print and distribute the December 2013 missions prayer guide.
"Minute for Mission" is published by Global Mission and Service, Church of the Brethren, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120; 800-323-8039 ext. 362;www.brethren.org/partners © Church of the Brethren Church of the Brethren is a non-profit religious and educational organization recognized by the Federal and State governments. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. Share this message with a friend