Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary (BMTS), our mission partner, is the largest United Methodist seminary in Europe, and serves students from eight countries who study in three languages: Estonian, Russian and English. Their newsletter is titled Prayerchain, it begins with a message from Külli Tõniste, Rector. Here’s an excerpt:
Focus
Dear friends,
The new academic year at Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary has started with hard work. This devotional, that our faculty Hindrek Taavet Taimla shared during a prayer time, captures our feelings and helps to focus on what is most important.
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” -John 4:23,24
As we come to face some very technical and heavily academic (and administrative) work, we should not see it apart from a life of worship. We don´t divide our theological studies or research as secular and our church life as spiritual. At the Seminary, we learn how to love God with our whole mind. There also does not have to be a divide between the heart and the mind. In fact, the BMTS motto in Latin is Mente et Corde (‘with mind and heart’). Therefore, let us make our work desk an altar and every paper – be it as void of life as the accreditation report that our staff has to prepare the for ministry of education – let us make it an act of worship, because just as at the altar, God is seeking to meet us there!
Mission Smiles partners with local churches and ministries to provide dental clinics in various neighborhoods throughout Tampa Bay, bringing the hands of Jesus to those in need.
They provided this report of their visit on Oct. 3, 2021:
Mission Smiles served 17 guests and performed 30 extractions. The dollar value of dental services and volunteer hours provided to the community was $14,675. See the full report.
Shining the Light Ministries, our mission partner in Nicaragua, provides agriculture training and support to low income families in the area around Leon. Their focus is in three areas: Gardens, Poultry and Sewing.
Here is an excerpt from their latest newsletter:
PASTOR GREG’S REFLECTIONS
Greg Lentz, our associate director, shares more reflections of his recent trip in Nicaragua:
As I look back on my most recent trip to Nicaragua, I find that the Lord provided many opportunities to engage with the pastors and people of the communities.
This was my third trip – and with each adventure I find that God has given me a greater love and desire to serve with the wonderful staff of Shining the Light Ministries. I still feel very new to the ministry and every time I travel to León, I learn more about our God and the people that He has called us to serve.
Hyde Park’s mission partners, Dave and Julie Eberhard serve as missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Read an excerpt from their latest newsletter:
Yea! Brazil!!!
Although Dave has been doing his teaching of missionaries and training of community leaders online for the past year and a half, in the last days of August he was finally able to make his first international trip since COVID started. This trip had several purposes. Dave was able to:
1) Teach the Sociolinguistics class at the CLM school in Brasilia, Brazil. This is a year long training institute for Brazilian missionaries that Dave has taught at before, so it was good to be back and see old friends and be of help in preparing young Brazilian Bible translators for the BT needs around the world. There were 13 students – with one being a Surui indigenous student and another a Balanta speaker from Guinea Bissau. Several of them at the end of the course told Dave they want to specialize in sociolinguistics in the future, so he took that as a positive sign that the course made an impact. Another encouragement was that this is the first time that the majority of the students are looking at doing some sort of language related work outside of Brazil – a very positive sign since Africa, Asia, and the Pacific is where most of the translation work is.
Hillsborough House of Hope, founded by Hyde Park member Margaret Palmer, helps formerly incarcerated women become the women God intended them to be.
In the September issue of the newsletter:
*October 2, 2021, Grand Opening of Walker’s Landing, Come check it out! The house will be open for tours 1 p.m.-3 p.m., serving fresh hors d’oeuvres.
*Abundant thanks to donors
*Donation and volunteer needs
*House updates and new residents
*Upcoming events
Read the Hillsborough House of Hope newsletter here.
Abe Brown Ministries’, one of Hyde Park’s mission partners, works to break cycles of incarceration by helping renew the minds of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated citizens, motivating them to change their behaviors and achieve purposeful lives as a compassionate demonstration of the Love of Jesus Christ.
Phillip’s Success Story
Growing up, Phillip had a difficult childhood in which he experienced physical abuse at home and constant bullying at school. That caused him to become resentful, angry, and cynical towards the people around him. As he entered his teenage years, Phillip involved himself in criminal activity by selling drugs, and committing robberies. At age 18, Phillip decided to take a chance and enlist in the Navy. However, due to repeated misconduct, he was given an other than honorable discharge. To Phillip, this discharge confirmed that he was unable to function as a responsible member of society. Shortly after his discharge from the Navy, Phillip committed the crime that would require him to spend his next 32 years in prison.
Shining the Light Ministries, our mission partner in Nicaragua, provides agriculture training and support to low income families in the area around Leon. Their focus is in three areas: Gardens, Poultry and Sewing.
Here is an excerpt from their latest newsletter:
EMPOWERMENT SATISFIES HUNGER
Greg Lentz, our associate director, recently spent two weeks in Nicaragua, working side by side with our staff, local pastors, and the communities where we minister. Below are some of his reflections from a day in the field.
Today I had the privilege of accompanying Pastor Alejandra Mendez as he evangelized in the Chacrasecas Community. In the community there are 42 houses with 3-4 families living in some of the homes. We spent time with church members that had not been attending or had been unable to attend worship services due to physical health.
Church membership at Asamulea de Dios (Assemblies of God), the church that Pastor Alejandra leads, began with about 17 Adults and 18Children. They have now increased to 48 Adults and 22 children. Pasto Alejandra has been having worship service 4 days a week.
Love INC, our mission partner, exists only to serve its member churches. Mobilizing churches, their members and resources produces volunteers that are Love INC trained to provide a variety of direct services to guests entrusted to our ministry.
Shining the Light Ministries, our mission partner in Nicaragua, provides agriculture training and support to low income families in the area around Leon. Their focus is in three areas: Gardens, Poultry and Sewing.
Here is an excerpt from their latest newsletter:
As we all know, this is a very hard time for everyone around the world. Even though the news around us is not the best, we know who we are because we trust in God. He is our help, our supporter, and our healer.
The world is facing a very difficult time physically, politically, mentally, spiritually, and economically because of the pandemic. We have noticed Covid infections increasing in different cities around the country, especially in the city of León. But by the grace of God, we have still been able to serve many communities, churches, and families with the different projects through Shining The Light Ministries and Asociación Brillando La Luz De Cristo En Nicaragua.
