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News from Missionaries Pat and Melenda Edmiston

Hyde Park’s mission partners, Pat and Melenda Edmiston are missionaries with Wycliffe – Partners in Bible Translation, a nondenominational mission organization dedicated to translating the Scriptures and teaching people to read and write in their own language.

An excerpt from the Edmiston’s latest newsletter:

I (Pat) ask prayer for my final 5 week checking session with the New Ireland Translation Institute project in PNG. We will be finishing up the last check for two of the language groups working on their NT. That will leave only one more out of the original 11. PTL. Pray for health, especially protection from malaria and Covid. Pray for travel. I have to overnight 4 times before I finally arrive! The leg from LAX to PNG is 33 hours with a 15 hour transit in Brisbane. I am opting for a hotel rather than the airport. Pray that I can work out getting a valid Covid test for my return to the US, if it is still required by then.

Read the newsletter.

News from Shining The Light Ministries

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:

THE LONG AWAITED VISIT

In the past 2 years our staff has experienced much of the same trials and sorrows from COVID as we have had here in the States. From the loss of our spiritual Leader in 2020 to almost losing Pastor Angel and most of the staff having COVID. I am very impressed by the perseverance and dedication from all at Asociación Brillando La LuzDe Cristo En Nicaragua. Everywhere I went where there were groups of people and almost everyone was wearing masks. We have been able to keep a supply of masks and sanitizer in the office.

Read the complete newsletter.

News from Missionaries Pat and Melenda Edmiston

Hyde Park’s mission partners, Pat and Melenda Edmiston are missionaries with Wycliffe – Partners in Bible Translation, a nondenominational mission organization dedicated to translating the Scriptures and teaching people to read and write in their own language.

An excerpt from the Edmiston’s latest newsletter: After many years of hard work and faithful dedication, the Fanamaket New Testament was dedicated and distributed to the people. I (Pat) began working with the Fanamaket translators in August of 2012. Since then they have faithfully worked to complete their New Testament. For the past couple of years, translator Lori was able to attend Bible college in Australia and receive his degree. He now plans to use the Fanamaket scriptures in ministry to his own people. Melenda and I want to thank you for enabling us to have a vital part in bringing about the culmination of this spiritual milestone. We know that it will bear fruit for eternity.

Click here to read the newsletter.

News from Hillsborough House of Hope

Hillsborough House of Hope, founded by Hyde Park member Margaret Palmer, helps formerly incarcerated women become the women God intended them to be.

Here is an excerpt from their latest newsletter:

We are entering the new year in hope! And as followers and family in Christ our hope is alive in Him. God kept HHH growing strong last year through His grace and through you, our supporters, staff and board members. We are so excited for his plans for us this year. Our hope is to continue expanding His kingdom and helping women in our community rebuild their lives so that they may live as the people He intended them to be. Keep us in your hearts, hopes and prayers this year. with love in Christ,

Read the Hillsborough House of Hope newsletter here.

 

News from Shining The Light Ministries

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:

2021 4TH QUARTER REPORT

We want to thank God for allowing us to finish strong in 2021. We are grateful that He continues to give us the opportunity to serve our people through Shining the Light Ministries and Asociación Brillando La luz de Cristo en Nicaragua. Over the last 3 months we have been able to see God’s fingerprint on all the projects that have been going on here. Even though our country is still facing a very difficult time with Covid-19 and the election results, we continue to be able to work together alongside local churches, partner ministries, and our communities in and around León.

Read the complete newsletter.

Praise for Abe Brown Ministries

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.

Larry’s Success Story

At the age of eight, Larry moved with his family from Rochester, New York to Apopka, Florida. It was there in Apopka that his troubles started. He and his six siblings were raised by their single mother, and he found himself spending a lot of time with older guys in his neighborhood. Initially, he hung out with them to play pool, but it later progressed to selling marijuana with them. By 7th grade, he started skipping school so that he could sell drugs on the corner to make quick money. Larry then dropped out of school and found himself involved with a crew of guys who would burglarize homes and steal cars. After 9th grade, he returned to high school so that he could play basketball and run track. Even then, he continued burglarizing homes and was arrested twice, but let go with no consequences. By the age of 18, his actions finally caught up with him when he was arrested after his fingerprints were connected to two burglaries. Larry was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years, and was released on March 9, 2021 after serving 38 years in prison.

Read More about Larry’s story

 

Celebration Impact – 2021 Annual Report

Celebration Impact – 2021 Annual Report

 

There has been a definite, discernible spirit of joy at the church since the beginning of September. More of our on-campus, in person ministries have resumed, including age-level discipleship ministries and the debut of our new worship schedule and contemporary worship space. Engagement in our online service continues to be strong, and we continue to make a difference through local and global missions.

We are getting back together, and moving forward together. And it is a joyful thing.
We have also discovered what it means to go “All In” in loving God and others with everything we’ve got. Our daily

activity cards and emails have showed us how to grow deeper in love and wider in service to God. Now, we get to take the next step in our journey, and go “All In Together.”

That’s the theme of this year’s Generosity Campaign, and it couldn’t come at a better time. I’ll say it plainly and directly: this may be the most important generosity campaign in recent memory. With so much positive momentum around us, the success of this campaign could determine just how much we will flourish next year as a church, or how hard it will be to make decisions about our ministries and programs.

More than ever, your participation can make a huge difference. So here are three ways that we each can go All in Together:

1. Pray. Our campaign this year features a 28-Day prayer journey, in which you can subscribe to receive daily emails that will feature a focused way to pray for various ministries and programs of the church. Go to hydeparkumc.org/dailyemails to subscribe.

2. Celebrate. We will be sharing many brief but powerful stories of lives that have been impacted by God through this church and your generosity. Experience the impact of their stories in the daily emails and other communications, and give thanks to God!

3. Give. Be sure to fill out and turn in your Estimate of Giving Card, either in person or online at hydeparkumc.org/eog by Commitment Sunday, November 14. We invite you to take a step of faith and give at the level that God is calling you to give. Both God and the work of this church will be honored by your gift!

Also, take a look at the enclosure titled Celebration of Impact. Because of your generosity, we can celebrate the many ways we have Made God’s Love Real together this past year!

Let’s seize the moment, one filled with joy and expectation, and claim the bright future God has for us. Let’s go All In … Together!

Grace and Peace,

The Rev. Magrey deVega

Senior Pastor

News from Shining The Light Ministries

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:

2021 3RD QUARTER REPORT, ROGER GONZALES FUENTES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

At this time, we want to thank God for the opportunity that He has given us to serve and help our people in Nicaragua. During the past 3months we have been able to see God’s work through everything.

Right now the world is still facing a very difficult time, especially here in Nicaragua because of Covid-19. In León we have hit the highest number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, hospitals are full, and pharmacies are running out of medicine. Since my last report, we have faced some challenges with COVID in our communities and in our personal lives. Pastor Angel and Gerald had COVID back in September. Praise God that they have made a full recovery, but we have also lost some loved ones due to COVID. Even though this is a hard time, we are still believing and trusting in the Lord.

Read the complete newsletter.

News from Missionaries Pat and Melenda Edmiston

Hyde Park’s mission partners, Pat and Melenda Edmiston are missionaries with Wycliffe – Partners in Bible Translation, a nondenominational mission organization dedicated to translating the Scriptures and teaching people to read and write in their own language.

Dear Hyde Park Family,

God’s Word is powerful and it changes lives dramatically. We read Earl’s testimony in our devotional this week.

Earl had so much money that he never needed to work and yet he was empty. He took all kinds of drugs, even hard core heroin and ended up in the hospital. Someone thought to give him a New Testament while visiting him there.

He was thrilled because the thin paper was perfect for rolling marijuana joints. Earl rolled his way through Matthew, Mark and Luke, but when he came to the Gospel of John, he began to read. The Holy Spirit opened his mind and heart and he encountered Jesus. His emptiness gave way to Joy.

The young  psychologist in charge of his case, was very beautiful and had been a model. One day she said to Earl, ‘Look, I have it all – success, beauty and endless qualifications – yet I am not fulfilled. Your life is a mess, yet you seem to have something – a peace and a joy. What is it?’ With his new found faith he took her to the Savior. Later they were married.

Earl and his wife are believers today; their lives, radically changed by the Word of God in the book of John.

A few days ago, Pat finished translation-checking the Gospel of John with a language team in a very dangerous area of Southeast AsiaI Every night they go to bed knowing that their home might be stormed and they could be dragged away.

They finished John 16:33 where Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  At that point, they shared that in spite of the insecurity that they are facing, it has not robbed them of the peace that they have in knowing Jesus.

How precious is that?!  We are thankful to be in Bible translation ministry.

Thank you for continuing to partner with us financially and through your prayers. Together we are making an impact.

In His Love,

Pat & Mel

Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary News

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!

Read their newsletter