El Faro in Guatemala

At El Faro Camp in Punta de Palma, our main emphasis is on influencing national leaders through various "seed" projects. Some of those seed projects are:

*using Bible narratives for evangelism
*teaching disease prevention
*building kitchen gardens, solar ovens, simple water filters

This is how a typical home visit goes. (photos courtesy of Gavin, soccer coach extraordinaire - check out his blog at www.growingchampions.blogspot.com)

"Buenos Dias!", we shout... for some reason or another, we're always welcomed, and invited to come in and meet the people.



After a brief introduction and asking everyone's name - questions about the health of the family and community...

"How is the health of this community?" "Fine."
"Are there any sicknesses?" "Yes."
"What sicknesses?" "Lots of diarrhea and fever."
"How is your water supply here?" "It's good."
"How are sicknesses spread?" "Through the water."
"How is your water supply here?" "It's not good."

After we do a bit of teaching on how to purify water, we tell a Bible story and ask simple questions about it.

Community Healthcare Evangelism training in Nicaragua

In Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, we began training 15 national leaders in CHE. It will take some time before they are official "Trainers of Trainers" in Community Healthcare Evangelism.

Armed with a simple Health Prevention Manuals published by Medical Ambassadors International and the list of Chronological Bible stories they'd worked on in the past, we made several home visits.

They were excited! People LOVED inviting us into their homes and listened intently.

Some conclusions about Italy and Greece

John thanks the Lord for a very good trip to Italy and Greece with "D". He feels he has more clarity re future ministry and what it means and looks like.

D is an Apostle on the Refugee Highway with lighthouses (His word) all along the highway. Greece is a very unique opportunity for the Gospel to M___s from the 10/40 window. Perhaps one of the most wide open doors because entire families are there and receive little help or attention. They are a captive audience. Children cannot go to school.

Rent is cheap for places to do set up Christian schools, refugee centers, etc. We visited 3 Christian refugee centers in Athens. No refugee centers exist in Patras except one Greek church who provide one meal a month.

D wants us to teach storying to hundreds of Iranian and other youth in August. Some will even sneak here from Iran. He wants us to train some of his key leaders as well as his wife, daughter and others in Greece and unleash them to do the stories right there in Greece while we are there.

The final thoughts John received from Greece is it is a place where whole families are captive audiences for the Gospel. One of the centers run by Koreans wants to have a school for kids. They have a 3 story building but one full time staff. They pleading for help. They have funding from Korea but no workers. All that, and then there is Patras, where there is nothing!

Pray with us about going to Greece in March or April, 2012 then also to Italy in August, 2012.

Italy and Greece

D, an Iranian evangelist's van was stolen in July. However, the Lord has moved in the hearts of His people. On Sept 26, John will be delivering a generous offering to him in Italy and then will accompany the evangelist to Greece, the first stop on "the refugee highway".



Many middle eastern refugees are stuck in Greece, where they are badly abused. John will go to deliver the gospel to them as they wait for an opportunity to seek work in northern Europe.

Watch This! Afghan refugees trapped in Greece

We pray for safety and many opportunities to share the Good news about Jesus Christ!

Community Healthcare Evangelism

Tomorrow, Cheryl leaves for a week of training in CHE - Community Healthcare Evangelism. We were introduced to CHE in Papua New Guinea, where we saw community leaders rally around various projects and improve their communities.





We plan to present this holistic approach to empower our national partners in Guatemala in October and then, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

From the streets of Rome

Here is John's update on the van that was stolen last week from the Iranian evangelist, "D". The van was one of his only possessions. They had been using it for ministry and shelter while working on the streets of Rome. A few days ago. Someone posted a threat on the Iranian Christians in Italy web site: a message to D.

Mookh Gear Gojteh boodeye ke joloio mecrem. "To the brainwasher. we told you we would stop you."

Because of the van, we have been sleeping on the streets on cardboard. Hotel Cardboard is a great place to really connect with the young refugees from the middle east.

It continues to be too amazing for words. Most of these boys are from Afghanistan, but had been living in Iran. One young man is filled with grief and anger over what he experienced in the military in Afghanistan. His stories of inhumane treatment of people are beyond comprehension. D, is very wise in the way he speaks and treats these guys.

The men have been listening to LOTS of Bible stories - asking lots of questions, talking about different religions and talking about how they doubt God's existence. They cannot fathom how God could exist after seeing what they've seen. But the Lord gave me some words that really seemed to make sense to a young man named "M".

A few times M would say,

"Wow, we have to talk."

One of those times was when I said,

"The only way YOU are ever going to know if God exists as when he slaps you on the head like this (I playfully slapped him.), given all you've been through."

This young man is always smiling and friendly and he told me he just wants to see his dad again. I said something like,

"How is it that you are such a nice young man? Why haven't you killed me but instead you've treated me with such kindness and respect? Why do you smile all the time? Where does that come from given what has happened to you? Why do you love your mom and dad so much? Follow those feelings you have inside. That is love!!! Follow that love because that's the light that will lead you to Christ who said, 'I am the light of the world!' God HAS slapped you on the head and said, 'Here I am!' Jesus said, 'I am the way the truth and the light, nobody comes to the Father but by me.'"

At some point, while we were gathered in a circle sitting on rug, M gestured to me,

"Can we talk?"

I said,

"Of course, I'd love to talk with you."

We had a great time talking until he finally left around 2 am. He wants to talk more.

Another night, a group of kids surrounded me and began setting up a place we could sit and talk. One young man who had arrived in Rome from Afghanistan only 2 days before, began to talk to me.

I said,

"How are you? Are you OK? Did anybody hurt you? Welcome to Italy."

He said,

"Why are you here?"

I said,

"Because you boys don't have your parents so I come here to see how you are doing and talk with you."

He was genuinely grateful and we enjoyed our time of visiting each other.

...more from Rome

John writes:

Last night was amazing! A group of about 6 or 7 boys were waiting for me to tell stories when I arrived. First, I asked about their lives, though. One boy of 16 was put in prison in Greece. Another put in prison and they somehow hurt his leg really bad. They asked why I am sleeping out in the street with them.

I said, "When I go to different cities I like to stay in nice hotels. Rome has some really good hotels but this one is my favorite. That's why I'm here." I was expecting laughter. Instead they very sweetly and sincerely said, "Thank you". The whole night they sat and listened and asked sincere questions. I said I would tell 2 stories. First I told the Tower of Babel. We talked about it briefly. Then I told The Calling of Abraham in Gen. 12. At one point I said, "Jesus brings all the promises of Abraham to fulfillment by blessing all the nations with forgiveness of sins and making us members of God's family."

I told the story of when people told Jesus his family arrived to visit him. D spoke too. At the end a young man took D aside and said he wanted to give his life to Jesus. We took him to a bench and prayed with him and he prayed humbly. We praised the Lord afterward. He wants to be baptized. He has to be careful about others finding out he is hanging out with D and is a believer. He says he suddenly feels confused and disoriented.

Our good friend, J, who is always with us is a great servant. He calls our sleeping arrangements "Hotel Cartonia". (cardboard) Never thought I would, but, I sleep like a baby on the warm concrete with a cool breeze. It is right in the path leading to stairs down to the metro. So at about 6 am people start walking by us. Tomorrow the 3 of us will return to the camp. Tonight is an open air meeting. On Friday D wants me to go w him to another city to visit a believer.

We'll return to "Hotel Cartonia" next Wednesday.