You can't tell it by looking at us, but pictured above are men and women who have chosen to be wood carriers. It's quite obvious that there is no wood to be seen in this photo, but the truth remains that we carried the wood to Cuba.
In reflecting back on 2018 and looking forward to 2019, we've been reminded of a saying from Dwight Ferguson, Men For Missions Founder: "See where the Holy Spirit is building fires and carry wood." Dwight would encourage laymen to find a fire that God had started and continue to carry wood to that fire.
As we work with thriving ministries in Latin America, we have the opportunities to carry the wood to support the fire that God started in countries like Colombia and Cuba. Great things are happening around the world and we are so thankful to have a small part in them.
Thank you for your prayers as we served alongside New Pines Church in Cuba. New Pines is a fire that God started over 90 years ago and God opened the doors for us to carry some wood to them. There was much rejoicing when our team of 10 each received religious visas the night before our departure. We'd welcome any opportunity to share with you about our time in Cuba. Unfortunately, this is not the platform in which to do that.
As we look to 2019 and the Men For Missions G5-30 goal*, we pray that God will open our eyes to the fires that He has started and open the doors for us to be wood carriers.
It's been said, "Someone, somewhere is depending on you to do what God has called you to do." We are that "someone". We are so dependent on you, your prayers and your giving. THANK YOU for your faithful and generous support to us and the ministries that God continues to prepare for us.
May 2019 be a year that you draw closer to God than ever before and share the abundant love that He so graciously pours out on you.
Blessings to you, Doug & Cindy
*For more about G5-30, read below
Thank you for praying for our Men For Missions Global cabinet meetings. It was during this time that God laid on our hearts a goal which far surpassed our vision. One of the men described it as a scary, God-sized goal which would require total dependence on God. With a smaller goal, we might all depend on our own abilities to achieve the goal. This goal is so big that only God will be able to achieve it.
It's called G5-30 and stands for raising up 30 Men for Mission leaders, Globally in 5 years. From our perspective, this goal is very "scary" when we realize that it took about 2 years to raise 2 leaders in 2 countries in Latin America.
Pictured above is Jonathan Tobón representing Men For Missions Colombia for the first time on the Global cabinet and sharing the expansion into Venezuela through Satura.
Men for Missions Global needs your prayers as this begins to unfold.
Men for Missions USA will hold their regional meetings January 15 & 16. The MFM Regional Directors are located in Oregon, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Florida, & South Carolina.
We've accepted an invitation to speak at the Peoria Christian Elementary School during their Life Change week. We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we share each day from January 22 - 25. We plan to share the Gospel on January 25 and ask that you pray specifically for God to touch hearts.
As we remember 2018, our hearts are so grateful for the people that God graced our paths with this year... precious family, dear friends, church members, ministry partners and so many others. Some have relocated to their heavenly home, and some remain in Ecuador, Colombia, Cuba & Mexico.
Thank you for touching our lives so deeply and loving on us this year.
1. Praising the Lord for all that He has done in our lives in 2018. His love, grace and mercy are much more than we deserve.
2. Pray for G5-30 and the expansion of Men for Missions into 30 countries in 5 years.
3. Pray for New Pines Church in Cuba and for those that will be on the next team - May or June 2019.
4. Pray for two evangelism teams to Colombia in February. We will be leading one to Medellín and the other will be simultaneously in Bogotá.
5. Pray as we prepare and share with the Peoria Christian School.
6. Pray for our MFM Regional meetings - January 15 & 16 in South Carolina.
Vision: Our goal is the Lordship of Jesus Christ in each person's life, at home and around the world.
Mission: Men for Missions challenges men to Do, Go and Give in total obedience to Jesus Christ.
Click above to read how God is using the gifts, talents and resources of every day, ordinary men and women to be a part of His work around the world.
"Together We Celebrate Your Love" was the theme for the first annual Satura Colombia celebration.
It was such an honor and privilege to attend the Satura National Convention in Sincelejo, Colombia to celebrate all that God is doing in Colombia through the ministries of One Mission Society.
Juan Guillermo Cardona, Director of Satura Colombia, was rejoicing as 320+ participants and ministry partners from around the world kicked off the celebration with a service on Friday night to praise and worship our Lord, Jesus Christ. Saturday was a day of workshops. On behalf of Men for Missions, we provided 3 workshops that included the history of MFM and challenging laymen to Do, Go, and Give in total obedience to Jesus Christ. Saturday night's service provided a special time of testimony and many shared how the various ministries of Satura Colombia have impacted their lives. Sunday concluded with another special service and sharing of the Lord's Supper.
Men for Missions is so thankful for the opportunities that we have had to serve alongside Satura since 2012 with short-term evangelism teams. Since 2012, Men For Missions has sent 30 evangelism teams with 240 short-term team members resulting in over 12,163 decisions for Jesus Christ, and this was just one small piece of the many things to celebrate.
During the celebration service, participants of the conference were given an opportunity to ask questions related to the content of Saturday's workshops. One question was, "How do we get Men For Missions in Colombia?"
The truth is that Men for Missions in happening throughout the country as hundreds of our Colombian lay brothers and sisters are being trained to prayer walk, evangelize, disciple, and plant churches as well as teaching others to do the same. Their passion for the lost and their zeal to DO, GO and GIVE whatever God asks is the conduit for the next world missionary movement. They are not waiting for the next MFM team to arrive from the USA or Canada. They are preparing their own teams to cross streets and borders. Many groups have formed that are now out emulating the evangelism model that they discovered after having an MFM evangelism team at their church. These groups are out evangelizing door-to-door and also training other churches in other communities how to do the same.
Psalm 21:8 says, "You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.".
Thank you so much for your prayers, love and support to us and the expansion of MFM throughout Latin America.
Blessings, Doug & Cindy
Please pray for Doug as he visits the Mexico field on October 21 - 24 to explore opportunities and determine the needs for future MFM short-term mission teams.
November 7 - 10, we will be attending the MFM Global Cabinet meetings in Orlando, Florida. Please pray as the MFM leaders from around the world come together to thank God and seek His direction for the future. We're excited to welcome Jonathan Tobón to the USA as we share the report on Colombia.
We are returning to Cuba on November 13 - 20 with our first MFM evangelism team. The 10 member team represents 4 states and 2 countries.
• PLEASE PRAY for every aspect of this team.
• Pray that we will obtain our religious visas.
• Pray for Allen as he prepares all the logistics.
• Pray for hearts to be softened and open to receiving Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
What a wonderful opportunity we had to host one of our Colombian brothers that has served for 2 years as a translator for our Medellín evangelism teams. David Zuluaga spent a week with us learning all about the Midwest culture. He experienced many aspects of Fall and the need to watch the weather forecast. He also spent a day touring One Mission Society and discovered that the missionaries that started his church in Colombia were from OMS. He will return to Colombia with a new perspective of how to better serve team members crossing their borders for the first time.
1. Praising the Lord for a wonderful mission conference at Fame Evangelical church last month.
2. Continue to pray as we seek to expand MFM throughout Latin America.
3. Praising the Lord for evangelism team #30 from Ohio that returns home on Saturday after sharing the Gospel with more than 574 in Monteria, Colombia.
4. MFM Global Cabinet meetings
Vision: Our goal is the Lordship of Jesus Christ in each person's life, at home and around the world.
Mission: Men for Missions challenges men to Do, Go and Give in total obedience to Jesus Christ.
Click above to read how God is using the gifts, talents and resources of every day, ordinary men and women to be a part of His work around the world.
