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Introducing and Reporting:
Roy & Melania Olsen
It’s my great privilege and delight to share with you an interview I did with Rev. Roy Olsen of Apa Vie Ministries in Pestere, Caras-Severin, Romania. I spent over half a month with Roy and his godly and sweet Romanian wife, Melania, last October. Apa Vie (“Living Water” in Romanian) and the work the Olsens are doing deserve to be better known. And this gives me a chance to report back to you who prayed and gave and made that ministry trip possible and so successful. Consider this an audio “thank you!”
Concise Overview of My Ministry Time in Romania:
- Led a day-long pastor’s conference at the Ape Vie retreat center in Pestere on the subject of mentoring.
- Taught on two successive Friday mornings at the Baptist Bible Institute in Timisoara.
- Preached and taught at churches in Maciova Colonie, Carasebes, Alba Iulia, Resita, and Bocso.
- Spent numerous hours with pastors in their homes and apartments, listening to their challenges, asking them questions, answering their questions, and growing rich in our fellowship together.
- Such was the blessing of God on the teaching, preaching, and personal interaction that [click to continue…]
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Guatemala,
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Roy Olsen
Pastor Edwin’s bookcase
It’s easiest to write when inspired—by the Holy Spirit, by an event, by illumination from the Scriptures, by something. And what moved me last month was a set of photos from Guatemala (you’ll see the slideshow when you click through to read the full article), especially a very ordinary photo of a simple bookcase.
Rewind to 2008: “They have no study materials.”
Back in 2008 (was it that long ago?), I was invited to be part of a team of teachers going to Guatemala to teach pastors. My topic was hermeneutics (translation: “reading, teaching, and preaching the Scriptures in context”), and I spent a lot of time before the Lord preparing. One day as I was sitting in my small, but book-lined, study, the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “They have no study materials.” I haven’t learned nearly enough over the years, but I have learned not to respond by asking the Omniscient One, “Are You sure?” And He was right, of course. At the two different seminar locations in Guatemala that March, I asked for a show of hands from the pastors and leaders. How many had a Bible commentary? Only a scattering of hands went up. How many concordances? Few hands. Bible dictionary? Fewer hands. I brought that report back to our small fellowship, where we prayed. One member, Al Strickland, couldn’t get it out of his mind. He shared his burden with some men on a church-building missions trip about six months later, and the thousands of dollars needed for the pastors’ study books were pledged before that team returned home. The books were Click here to read on and see the slideshow…
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ResourcingNow,
T. J. Henken
Guatemala or Bust!
Flag of Guatemala
There’s not much time to write this. In 29 hours, Al Strickland is going to be loading me and my suitcases into his SUV, so that I can get to Norfolk International Airport by 5 AM. About an hour after that, the sun will rise here on the East Coast, and by 7 AM my Delta flight should be “wheels up” and nosing toward Atlanta. Assuming that flight arrives on time, I’ll have just 75 minutes to catch the flight to Guatemala City, which leaves at 10:10 EDT.
Our prayer requests for trip, along with a bit of other info, is contained in this month’s newsletter. If you received a copy in your e-mail inbox, then great; you need not [click to continue…]
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Colossians 4,
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Guatemala Trip Log, Entry #1: 20 Days ‘Til Departure
Map of Guatemala
In the grandest sense, my upcoming Bible-teaching missions trip to Guatemala became “real” when the round-trip ticket was purchased a few weeks back. But today it became real in a more personal sense – at the end of a hypodermic needle!
“I’m allergic to hypodermic needles.” At least, that’s what I tell all medical personnel within proximity of any sharp, pointy, flesh-piercing objects, even if I’m not the patient being scrutinized and diagnosed. (No sense taking chances!) So little sympathy do these folks have that they either laugh or roll their eyes; but my condition never gets me any mercy. You would think in this age of [click to continue…]
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Jim Kerwin,
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April Newsletter: The Treasure in Guatemala
Guatemalan pastors Fermin and Lilian Chávez baptizing a special candidate
Our latest newsletter was sent out on Easter Eve. It’s all here–Jim’s upcoming missions trip to Guatemala, quadrupling podcasts, and “a face that’s made for radio.” If you didn’t receive a copy, but would like to read it without being on the newsletter mailing list, then follow the “Read the Newsletter” link. Read the Newsletter.
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Roy Olsen and Jim Kerwin with some students at the Baptist Bible Institute in Timisoara (Click on the image for a larger version of the photo.)
