Winter 2013 Report

Thank you for your continued interest in the work in Uruguay. God is answering your prayers:

 

We have received approval from our mission agency to plan on a June departure, though this permission depends on our receiving the entirety of EMU’s monthly support requirement. The Lord has provided excellent airfare out of Miami, and we now have tickets for our final move to Uruguay. We will leave the U.S.—the Lord willing—on June 11. Our current support level is just under 80%.

On November 19, 2012, approximately thirty-three pastors and missionaries met in the Parque Batlle neighborhood in Montevideo to hear and consider the work of the committee making plans for the new FEBU (College of Biblical Studies of Uruguay). There is considerable enthusiasm for this project, and plans continue for classes to begin in 2014. Much work remains to be done in the coming year.

 

 

During the past three months we visited churches in SC, NC, IL, and OH. We pray for fruit that only God can give from the preaching of His Word. These months also included a good deal of study—not only for JM but also for Elizabeth. Déborah is homeschooling her this year; and she is on schedule to finish first grade in time to begin second grade in March (in order to be in sync with the Uruguayan school year). Daniel James turned 2 in late October, and Elizabeth turned 7 the end of January. If anyone knows how to keep them from growing so fast, we would like to hear from you.

 

 

We thank the Lord that Sofía Belén was born safely to Matías and Kristine (and big brother David Misael) Espinel in Uruguay on December 12.

 

We would appreciate your prayers during these next several months:

• February 13: JM’s public ordination questioning
• February 24: Our commissioning service, along with friends Jon and Andrea Crocker, who hope to begin gospel work in Mexico City this year
• March through May: Safety in travel and God’s gracious work in churches we visit (U.S.)
• June 11: Travel from Miami to Montevideo, Uruguay

Thank you for the calculated ways you focus your energy and resources toward what God is doing in the earth: the making of disciples of Jesus Christ for His glory. The outcome is sure. Stay encouraged!

Thoughts for Those who Suffer (Reposted from www.jonatorres.com)

This life, with all its joys and blessings, is part of a long story that is—in a very real sense—a story of human pain and sorrow. We long for babies that never come. Children come but die in the womb before we get to meet them. Parents bury children they never planned to bury; and children bury parents with words left unsaid . . . and memories of words that should have never been said. We walk through the children’s cancer ward, where bright colors and happy toys fail to hide the stinging knowledge that here are little people who are very sick. Our hearts—and sometimes our voices—scream to the unanswering sky . . . “Why? Is this what it is to be human? Where is God in all of this?” And in our most honest moments, we admit that we’re tempted to question how there could even be a God who allows such suffering.

 

These questions are not new. And though we will never understand all of the answers in this life, God has told us a lot about why we suffer . . . and about how the long story will finally end.

 

The story, at least our part in it, began in a perfect garden. A garden without disappointment, or cancer, or pain. We were there, though we don’t quite understand it all, on that fateful day when our first parents disobeyed God. And even if we can’t agree that we were there, we have to agree with the Bible when it tells us that we—with everyone else—have sinned against a holy God: There is no one righteous, not even one. And so death passed to all men, because all sinned. And here is the root of all the suffering that we know so well—sin.

 

Our sin was not a design defect in God’s plan. But neither is God in any way responsible for sin. And because He is perfectly holy—that is, He is completely separate from sin—God must condemn sinners. For a righteous God to call an unrighteous sinner “righteous” would undo the fabric of the universe. And so the wrath of God is revealed against mankind’s unrighteousness; and we continue with our backs turned and our puny fists raised against our Creator, unwittingly awaiting eternal hell. And this, for many, is the end of the story.

 

But God the Father’s loving plan was that God the Son would become man—without ceasing to be God. He would live on earth as the only righteous person ever to walk the planet. This righteous one, Jesus Christ, would suffer on a wooden cross for unrighteous people. He would endure the full fury of the Father’s righteous wrath; and He would do so in order that all those who would come to Him—though they deserve to suffer for their own sins—would never have to.

 

God’s plan was to restore His creation to a perfect state; to rescue a people from themselves, from sin, and from the kingdom of darkness; and to make this people look like His Son, so that His Son would be preeminent.

 

Jona’s story is a microcosm of what God is doing in the earth. He is revealing this good news about His Son to people like Jona, to people like you. When Jona believed Jesus, putting all his weight on Him; when he called on Him, relying completely and only on Jesus’ work of death and resurrection; when Jona came to God in this way, this righteous God could—and did—call Jona “righteous,” because Jesus had suffered God’s wrath in Jona’s place. God is graciously doing this for all those who believe the gospel. And He not only justifies them once for all— but He is also making them holy, conforming them into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

Jona’s suffering was not God’s failure to take care of one of His children. Jona’s suffering was God’s completing the work He had started in Him, a work that He will inevitably finish in every Christian. Through the fires of suffering, God made Jona look more and more like His Son. And God used Jona to continue that work in the life of every other child of God who knew Him. God has promised this—that everything that touches our lives will have that effect.

 

And for all who believe this gospel, the day will come when there will once again be no more disappointment, or cancer, or pain. Jesus will rule God’s kingdom in a way we have not yet seen. God’s children will enjoy and glorify God for eternity. We invite you to read the Bible, the story of His redemption of man. We urge you to believe His words, to call on Him to save you from your sin, confessing Jesus as Lord and as your only Savior!

"The Awakened Sinner"

Friend, 

Wake up from your wandering dream.

Turn from chasing morning mists.

Look inward, Look forward, Look upward.

Look at yourself.

Think about yourself: Who and what you are, Why you are here,

What and where you must soon be. . . .

You are a creature of God, formed and shaped by him,

Lodged in a body like a traveler in his tent;

Don’t you want to know God’s forgiveness, his ways, . . . him?

 

(Adapted from “The Awakened Sinner,” The Valley of Vision)

Request for Prayer: Kane Family

Friends, please pray for Brian Kane, EMU missionary to Cambodia. He is extremely ill and is currently being treated in Thailand. Updates are available on FB page:

http://www.facebook.com/UpdatesForBrianKane 

November 2012 Report

Forty Years. This past month Uruguay remembered the tragic 1972 plane crash high in the Andes Mountains. Sixteen of the original 45 passengers endured the death of their friends and spent 72 horrific days of solitude, hunger, avalanches, and almost unbearable cold. On October 13 most of the survivors met to commemorate the event. The providential preservation of these men hints at some purpose beyond mere man-centered inspiration: we would like to think that God will save some of these 16 Uruguayans.

 

Most of the world did not notice Don and Edith Garwood’s arrival in Uruguay that same year; nor did many note the launch of a new church in Kaysville, UT. But 40 years later there is ongoing gospel ministry in both of these places. And in Greenville, SC, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of our home church, Mount Calvary Baptist. Only after Christ’s return will we fully realize the significance of such seemingly unnoticed events.

 

Update. Thank you for your prayers as we travel. God has graciously kept us safe and given us many hours of productive and confirmatory fellowship with other believers. We continue to be encouraged toward a final departure in early March. Please pray that the Lord will make this possible if it is indeed what He desires. We know that His timing takes into account all the details—many of which we are unable to see or predict.

 

Pray for our nation!

In October we re-visited churches in SC and GA, and took part in conferences in PA and the Washington, D.C. area. JM used airline miles to fly to UT, where he participated in Kaysville Bible Church’s 40th anniversary celebration, taught a Sunday school class in Liberty, and met with friends in the Salt Lake Valley.

 

 

Requests for Prayer. On November 19 a meeting will be held with Uruguayan pastors and missionaries interested in the developing Bible college, now identified as Facultad de Estudios Bíblicos del Uruguay (College of Biblical Studies of Uruguay). The planning committee will present information and invite input. A great deal of work has been done. Please continue to pray for efficiency, discernment, and unity.

 

Our co-workers Matías and Kristine Espinel’s second child is due to be born in December in Uruguay.

 

Early in March classes will begin at the F.V. Dabold Bible Institute in Montevideo, Uruguay. Though this is still months away, please pray as JM and Matías prepare material.

 

We do not take your prayers for granted! We are in constant need of them. Please let us know how we might pray for you. Without God’s grace we cannot for one day—let alone 40 years—be faithful in our service to Christ.

October 2012 Report

Thank you for your part in what God is doing in Uruguay and around the world. We were encouraged this past month by a conference near Chicago, where we heard reports of specific ways in which He is working. Jesus Christ is keeping His promise to build His church in Cambodia and Spain, in the mountains of Algeria, in the river valleys of northern Brazil, and in the suburbs of Chicago. None of us is sufficient for these things, and we acknowledge our need for much prayer and our desire for God to be glorified through His Son.

The following weekend we were given the privilege of participating in a retreat with a Sunday school class from one of our SC supporting churches. We wish we could have this kind of informal time to get to know all of our churches better. JM preached twice, and Elizabeth sang with her grandparents.

The Lord has provided most of our needed clothing for our first term (the next four years), mainly through sales of inexpensive consigned items. This has occupied much of Déborah’s time during the past month. Though we can buy anything we need in Uruguay, second-hand clothing sales (as we know them in the U.S.) do not exist.

 

Requests for prayer for October:

 

Pray for efficiency and wisdom for the committee that continues to meet in preparation for a higher-level Bible-college program. This group of eight pastors and missionaries will meet again later this week to continue considering a variety of issues. In November they plan a larger meeting that will be open to interested pastors.

 

We would appreciate prayer for safety in travel to VA, PA, OH, and SC in October. Pray for Spirit-filled, mutually encouraging meetings. We also plan to resume paperwork for Uruguayan residency—not an extremely difficult process but one that will take time and effort, some of which should be done before leaving.

 

Please pray especially for wisdom in planning for the upcoming five months and beyond. In March 2013 EMU’s Bible institute will begin the next academic year. If we are in Uruguay by that time, JM expects to teach Galatians/Ephesians and possibly the Pastoral Epistles. If we are still in the U.S., we will continue to visit churches. If you are interested in receiving an update in person about the work in Uruguay, or if you would otherwise like more information, please let us know.

 

We are grateful for the privilege of representing you in Uruguay. Thank you for your part in sending us!

Summer 2012 Report

We do appreciate the many ways in which you continue to show your kindness to us. Thank you! Until now we have been sending reports quarterly; beginning this month we will be sending them more frequently.

 

Summer travel. On the last day of May we left Greenville for a six-week trip to Idaho and Utah, a drive that also took us to churches in Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, and eastern Oregon. In most of these places we were privileged to see small gospel works whose pastors and people are trying by God’s grace to faithfully and clearly communicate the truth of the Scriptures. We commend these believers and are thankful to have a small part in what God is doing in these out-of-the-way places. One highlight of the trip was being able to see some of JM’s family at a reunion in Colorado. We’re thankful for these days, as it may have been our last time with some of the family for several years. One Colorado church has recently partnered with us, bringing our support level to 68%.

 

"Uruguayan Sun" in Ogden Valley, UT

 

After our return JM took a two-week course on philosophy and practice of missions in the BJU Seminary DMin program. We then rode with Esteban, Esther, and Marcos Torres to visit Deborah’s and Esther’s uncle and his family in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. This trip included opportunity to preach, contribute musically in the morning worship, and share a bit more about the work in Uruguay in a church in which we had earlier presented our anticipated ministry. We were also able to visit friends in Detroit and meet with a very qualified young man who is interested in the possibility of teaching in the Bible-college program in Uruguay (more below).

 

On Sunday, August 19, Iglesia Bautista Calvario (Calvary Baptist Church) of Greer, SC, celebrated their tenth anniversary. Years ago we were privileged to observe and to help in the early stages of the work; and we are thankful for Pastor Torres’ giving us the opportunity to again preach and sing in this anniversary service.

 

Developments in Uruguay. Meanwhile a committee representing several mission organizations has continued to meet monthly to discuss plans for a Bible-college program. Several factors make it seem that the situation is right for such a program: the degree of maturity of many of the churches in Uruguay, the generally high level of education in the country, and the desire of people there for more opportunity. The committee has agreed upon a preliminary doctrinal statement and has drawn up a course schedule for the first full year. Regular classes are projected to begin in 2014, with the possibility of some block courses to be offered as early as 2013.

 

At this point the developing Bible college is projected to go beyond, but not replace, EMU’s Bible institute. Our desire is to be in Uruguay in time to teach in the Bible institute during the next academic year, which will begin in March of 2013. Much work and preparation remains between now and then, including (among other things) meetings in churches, paperwork of various kinds, and organization of belongings. Please continue to pray that the Lord will open doors in every way so that we will be ready to go by the end of this year.