Global Outreach Events in April 2006

March 30 - April 9 - Global Adventure Trip to Thailand

On March 30 a Global Adventure team led by David and Janet Barr will be travelling to Thailand to visit Word of Grace missionaries Sonny and Millicent Thweatt. While in Thailand they will be speaking in churches, working with children, spending time prayer walking, working in villages and refugee camps, and assisting a ministry that helps Thai girls avoid a life of prostitution by providing housing, food, education and job training. Pray for the team as they travel and ministery in Thailand.

April 4-6 - Karl Mueller will be in Atlanta participating in the board meetings of Churches Together, a network of North American churches working on HIV/AIDS related issues in Africa.

April 5 -- East Valley Missions Consortium
7:00 - 8:30 am
Word of Grace -- Room 401

Harry and Patty Larson are the guest speakers. The Larsons worked in CAM in Guatemala among the Mam Indians, were missions pastors at Emmanuel Faith Community Church in Escondido, California, and worked with university professors in Kazakhstan. Now they are working with IDEAS.

Harry will be sharing some of his insights on how incarnational ministry looks on the field -- and how churches can train people for such ministry.

April 12 -- Global Outreach Prayer Meeting
7:00 - 8:30 pm
Cry Room in the Word of Grace Worship Center
Join us as we pray for Word of Grace missionaries and projects around the world.

April 23 -- Grace Turkey Network
4:00 - 6:00 pm
Word of Grace -- Room 401
Join us for a time of food, fellowship and prayer focused on the nation of Turkey.

April 28 - May 8 -- Global Adventure to Malawi
On April 28 a Global Adventure team led by Ruth Mitchell will be traveling to Lilongwe, Malawi in support of the ministry of Hands@Work. The team will be involved in feeding programs for orphans and widows, home-based care for HIV/AIDS patients, leadership training in local churches, and a number of other projects. Pray for safety in travel, health and effectiveness in ministry.

April 29 - May 10 -- Global Adventure to Kenya and Malawi
On April 29 a Global Adventure team led by Karl Mueller of Word of Grace and Debi Clifton of Grace Community Church will be visiting pastors and Christian leaders in Nairobi, Kenya and Lilongwe, Malawi in order to build relationships that will lead to ministry partnerships surrounding HIV/AIDS and community transformation ministries. While in Nariobi, the team will meet with leaders of ICAN (InterChurch AIDS Network) Slum Outreach Ministries, and Medical Ambassadors International. In Malawi the team will meet with Dr. Perry Jansen of Partners in Malawi, Steve Bowler of VisionLedd, Theresa Malila of Hands@Work, and a number of pastors and leaders. Pray for wisdom, direction, safety in travel and good health.

Lightning Trips to Agua Prieta in March 2006

In March Word of Grace sent two Lightning Trips to Agua Prieta, Mexico to work at the Brazos De Amor Ranch. The ranch is provides loving care for 50 homeless children. The children are provided with housing, food, clothes, an education and a spiritual direction.

March 10-12 a team of 8 people led by John Rohde spent the weekend at Brazos De Amor. Their task was simple -- relieve the staff and have a great time with the children. As the pictures below indicate, their task was accomplished.

The children making crafts.

John and Lori preparing dough for lunch.

From March 24-26 a construction team led by Charlie Paine spent a productive weekend at the ranch. Their job was to install sinks in one of the washrooms as well as pour a cement sidewalk around one of the houses. Once again our team did a great job and had a wonderful time with the children.

The finished sidewalk in front of one of the houses.


The team installed sinks in one of the bathrooms.

Charlie and the children (why it is all worthwhile).

Additional Lightning Trips to Brazos De Amor Ranch are being planned throughout 2006. Contact the Outreach Department (dawnf@wordofgrace.org) if you are interested in applying for a team.

Word of Grace and Scriptures in Use -- A Partnership Transforming Our World

Word of Grace and Scriptures in Use (SIU) has had a long partnership. Not only have we supported Jim and Carla Bowman (SIU Founders) for many years, we have also funded numerous strategic projects in Africa, India, Nepal and other regions of the world.

SIU's primary purpose is to train native missionaries to communicate Christ to the 70% of the world's population that lives in traditional oral cultures. In oral cultures the primary means of communication is drama, music and storytelling. SIU trains native workers to share the Gospel through memorized Bible stories and dialog, music and drama.

Over the years, the work of SIU has resulted in thousands of church planters being trained, and thousands of churches being planted among non-literate peoples in 52 nations of the world. Church planting movements are beginning in many oral cultures.

In 2005, Scriptures in Use reports the following:

• 1,252 new churches planted with a total number of 39,854 believers
  
• 1,736 new native Church Planters trained
• 12,419 people were baptized
  

God is good! We are so grateful for the partnership we can enjoy with Scriptures in Use, and we are looking forward to what God is going to do in the years to come through our working together.

Evangelical Theological Seminary in Croatia Needs Your Help

The Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek, Croatia is perhaps the most influential training center for Christian leaders in what used to be Eastern Europe. Their founder and president, Dr. Peter Kuzmic has spoken at Word of Grace, and as a church we have helped to provide funding for the completion of their new library building.

The new library is now complete and help is needed in "moving in". If you would like to volunteer to help moving, contact the Outreach Office at dawnf@wordofgrace.org.

You can learn more about the Evangelical Theological Seminary by visiting their website at:

Evangelical Theological Seminary

Word of Grace in Malawi

Word of Grace is working in Malawi in partnership with Grace Community Church in Tempe.

2006 Global Adventures

• April 30-May 9 -- Vision trip for pastors and businessmen to Nairobi, Kenya and Lilongwe, Malawi
• April 28-May 8 -- A team working with Ministry of Hope (AIDS Crises Nursery) and Hands@Work (children's/widows feeding programs and in pastoral care for Home-Based-Care workers) in the Lilongwe area.
• May 25-June 5 -- A team working with teens and youth in churches, schools and community-based organizations in the Lilongwe area.
• September 2-17 -- Men's team working alongside a network of churches in the Lilongwe area. Construction work as well as leadership training for men, fathers and youth.

History and Country Facts

Malawi was a British colony from 1891-1964. After three decades of one-party rule the country help multiparty elections in 1994. Since then it has been a multi-party democracy. In recent years increasing corruption, population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, and HIV/AIDS pose major problems for the country.

• 12.5 million people.
• 47% of the population is under 15 years of age.
• Infant Mortality rate is 10%.
• Average Life Expectancy is 37.
• 1 Million people are HIV positive (14.5% of those between 15-49).
• 520,000 children are AIDS orphans.
• Literary Rate is 62%.
• 75% Christian, 20% Muslim, 3% Animistic
• Per Capita Income is $180 a year.

Our Partners in Malawi (check their websites under the partners section of the sidebar in this blog).

• VisionLedd
• Hands@Work
• Somebody Cares
• Ministry of Hope
• Biwi/Mchesi Network of Churches
• Partners in Malawi
  

Global Outreach Events in March 2006

March 3-9 -- Ruth Mitchell, a member of our Africa Leadership Team is traveling to South Africa to join the annual meeting of Hands@Work. Word of Grace, along with churches in Australia, United States, Canada and the United Kingodom, are working on HIV/AIDS related ministries throughout southern Africa. The annual meeting enables the African leaders of Hands@Work update partner churches outside of Africa on ministries, determine best practices, plan for the next year and build relationships that can foster further ministry. Pray for safe travel for Ruth, and wisdom as she participates in these meetings. She will also be meeting with Theresa Malila of Malawi to continue planning for a Global Adventure scheduled for early May, and discuss additional plans for ministry together.

March 8 -- East Valley Missions Consortium
7:00 - 8:30 am
Word of Grace -- Room 401
Carol Davis will be the guest speaker.

March 8 -- Global Outreach Prayer Meeting
7:00 - 8:00 pm
Cry Room in the Word of Grace Worship Center
Join us as we pray for Word of Grace missionaries and projects around the world.

March 10-12 - Lightning Trip to Agua Prieta, Mexico
A team will be working with children and helping around the orphanage. There is still room for one or two people to join the team. If you are interested, contact the Outreach office at dawnf@wordofgrace.org

March 19 -- Assist for Africa Celebrity Basketball Game
3:00 pm
Wells Fargo Arena

Join Charles Barkley and Amare Stoudamire and a host of other celebrities for a fun afternoon of basketball that is raising funds for the Partners in Malawi AIDS Clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi. Tickets can be purchased at Word of Grace (registration counter on the weekends or the Outreach office) and at the Wells Fargo Ticket Office. For more information go to:

Assist4Africa

See you there!

March 19 -- Grace Turkey Network Meeting
4:00 - 6:00 pm
Word of Grace -- Room 401
Join us for a time of food, fellowship and prayer focused on the nation of Turkey.

March 24-26 -- Lightning Trip to Agua Prieta, Mexico
A construction team will be working on a variety of projects at the orphanage. There is still room for one or two people to join the team. If you are interested, contact the Outreach office at dawnf@wordofgrace.org