July 2000 News Archive

July 11, 2000

Port of Grace UB has New Building. Neil and Liz Cudney, co-pastors of Port of Grace UB in Port Colborne, Ontario, report: "Praise the Lord! After five years, Port of Grace Community Church has its own home. The new building has three floors. We are presently meeting on the top floor until the main floor is painted and cleaned and some construction work is done. We need to build a stage area and a nursery, and run wire for the sound board. We are considering running closed-circuit TV into the nursery.

"We are planning a Grand Opening in early September, with perhaps the dedication service at the Fall conference. We have much to celebrate. Our praise team is developing into a top-notch, tight-knit group.

"We had sixty in attendance, but the most exciting part was many of these were first-timers! We took seven people into membership, and are well on our way to becoming an organized church. We only need to receive six more members to meet the UB requirements."

"We have bought a house in Port Colborne. God provided a Holy Ghost deal, as one of our parishioners puts it. We got the house for significantly less than the original asking price. Now we have to decide what happens to our Welland house. We presently have it for sale, but perhaps will have to rent it out again. We have no worries. God has brought us this far, He has a plan! We move again August 18. That will be the fourth move in four months (three for house, one for church). Hopefully that will be it for awhile."

To read more about this church, read the feature article which appeared in the May-June Connect newsletter.

Prayer Needed for Two Ontario Pastors. Brian Magnus, president of the UB Church in Canada, sent the following information.

"Rev. Nick Swirski is one of our ordained U.B. pastors. He is a prison chaplain here in Ontario. Nick is travelling overnight this Sunday night [July 9] to New York City (Staten Island) for treatments on a life-threatening brain tumor. He and his wife Marlene (and their young son and daughter) will settle into their hotel room on Monday. On Tuesday he will be fitted for the headgear that will allow the doctors to daily bombard the tumor (an "acoustic neuroma") with radiation. Those treatments will begin Wednesday and last for two weeks. It also still appears that Nick has no insurance coverage for this particular procedure, which costs $30,000 US ($45,000 Canadian). There have been numerous fundraising events, however, and Nick and Marlene are thankful to the Lord for the donations of their many friends, co-workers, and acquaintances.

"Rev. Jim Asher is another of our ordained pastors and a member of the Canadian Conference. Jim is a military chaplain for the U.S. Navy at Camp LeJeune. Jim is currently ministering as Chaplain on the ship USS Oak Hill in Kosovo. The drought and heatwave in southeast Europe, specifically Kosovo, has killed and hospitalized hundreds. Pray for Jim's wife Yvonne and his family, who will be separated until sometime in August when Jim returns from his six-month tour of duty."

Death in Honduras. Roger Reeck, a partial support UB missionary serving with Wycliffe in La Ceiba, Honduras, is working on translating the Bible into the Garifuna language. He sent this sad note about one of his Garifuna coworkers. "My best friend in Honduras and my dear co-worker, Elias, has gone to be with the lord. Please pray for Teresa, his wife, and for all of us as we try to comfort one another.

"Elias went into the hospital on the July 9 for dehydration, and he quickly recuperated. He was ready to go home the next morning, but God decided to take him all the way home. At 1:00 p.m., Elias suffered a massive heart attack in the hospital and nothing could be done to revive him. His wife was in the Mosquitia at the time, and after several attempts it was possible to communicate through radio to notify her. She will fly to La Ceiba as soon as possible.

"I was travelling through Belize on the way to Guatemala and had decided to take a boat ride to Livingston, but due to bad weather, my wife Marilyn advised against it. Instead, we traveled to Guatemala City, where I was told of Elias' death. I was able to take the first flight possible, and am now here with Elias' family and friends to mourn his loss and to celebrate his homegoing. Marilyn and Elisa (my youngest daughter) remain in Guatemala City and will drive back as soon as they can. Chrysti, my oldest daughter, is here with me, and daughters Teresa and Amanda are in Pensacola, Florida. Please pray for strength for all of us in the loss of a great friend."

Four Churches Cooperating in Honduras Trip. A cooperative mission tour is being sponsored by the Alvordton, Central, Kunkle, and Lakeview congregations of Michindoh Conference. Dennis Rowe, pastor of Central UB in Montpelier, Ohio, writes, "This tour will begin on July 14, and conclude on July 29. The destination is Hicaque, Honduras. The team will fly into San Pedro Sula and travel by vehicle to the construction destination. The team will total 27 members, broken into three groups. Ten will go down the first week, and another nine people will go down the second week. Eight people will stay the entire two weeks. Seven of the people going are teenagers.

Troy Hendricks will be Team Director, Devon Strine and Bill Sharp will be Ministry Team leaders, Hillis Boothman will be Work Director, and Camella Smith will be nurse. The goal is to construct a 28-by-40 foot Church.

The four churches have come together for a number of fundraisers, including an auction, chili supper, and Valentine Banquet. The team has had numerous training events where they have sought to become familiar with Honduran social customs as well as learn some elementary Spanish. This tour is a part of an ongoing cooperation of these churches , which sent a missions team to Jamaica two years ago. They anticipate continuing this ministry on an every-other-year basis.

Update on Alan DeCristoforo. Marlene DeCristoforo sent this note on June 30: "Alan is back in the hospital just to receive blood. He is doing really good, and really trying hard to get out. He did move his leg a lot more today and realized it was him doing it and not muscle spasms; he got really excited. And for us it was a step closer to home." Alan, pastor of Highland Heights UB in New Castle, Pa., has been battling leukemia and paralysis since the beginning of the year.

And then she sent this update on July 8. Alan returned to Hill View Manor on Wednesday after being in the hospital for a week here in town. He needed to receive six units of blood and some platelets to help boost him again; his blood counts fell after getting chemo just about two weeks ago, which is normal. He is not happy with a few of the people working with him, and it makes him nervous and upset when they are working and have to enter his room. He is picking up his spirits just a little, but then they come in and discourage him and it takes time to build him back up again. He is also reading a book with Rev. Dave Bell, and they are going to take time to discuss the book, which I hope will help. He wants to start reading again, and this is a good thing."

VBS in Stockport, Ohio. Nestled deep in the Ohio foolhills of the Appalachian mountains, on the far eastern edge of Central Conference, is Liberty Church of the United Brethren in Christ. Lay member Mike Turner writes, "Vacation Bible School is a special time here. With our small group of believers augmented with other local Christians, we planned for VBS 2000. During the week we averaged 41 in attendance, received $262.09 in the offering for missions, and collected 133 items for our Mexican Project BOLSA. We praise God for Pastor Charlie Simmons, for VBS Director Clarice Boggs, and for a great group of teachers and helpers."

Pastoral Changes

• Billy Simbo resigned as pastor of Bethel African American Church in Somerset, New Jersey. Anthony Blair resigned as pastor of Strinestown UB in Strinestown, Pa. These two men will partner with a third minister, a non-UB minister, to start a new church in the Harrisburg, Pa., area. All three men will serve bivocationally.
• Rev. Chris Mullett has been appointed senior pastor of a church planting team for Clarksburg, WV. The new church will be called Living Water. Chris's team includes three other ministers, none of whom are UB. This is being funded in part by the sale of the old Clarksburg church.

Notes from Jana Hoobler in Macau

• On Saturday, July 1, at a Christian carnival, one of our tutoring students from Living Word Church, Gaan Cheok Sing, accepted Christ. Pray for Connie Sung, pastor of Living Word, as she looks for an opportunity to talk with him to be sure he understood what he was doing.
• On Sunday night, July 2, at an evangelistic conference, Ga Bou, a middle school student who attends Living Word Church, went forward to accept Christ as her Savior. Praise the Lord! Although she had come for five years or so, she had never taken this step. Pray that she will be sincere in establishing her relationship with Christ.
• On Monday, July 3, I visited a college friend and her husband in China. They are adopting a baby from China and were at a hotel near Macau to process the paperwork. It was a special treat to have some time with them!
• Four students came to the English Bible Study that Jen Blandin and I started at Living Word Church last week. The students were very willing to discuss the meaning of the story. Pray that they will continue to come and bring others to learn more about the Bible, and that the evangelistic studies will challenge them to think clearly about their need for God.
• All of our summer classes seem to be off to a good start. Paul Coy has two classes of high school students meeting at Living Water Church, and Jen Blandin, Milan Maybee, and I will have several classes for primary students throughout the month at Living Word Church. Praise the Lord for these additional contacts.
• I'm dealing with some difficult financial issues as chairman of the Macau United Brethren Association. Please pray for wisdom and God's clear leading on how to deal with them. Macau is in the middle of an economic slump, which is affecting the churches as well.
• Please continue to pray for Karis Vong, pastor of Living Water Church, as she deals with a variety of difficult situations in the church. Pray that she will be strengthened and encouraged as she serves each day.
• Please pray for Milan and Margaret Maybee during their last few weeks of serving with us as volunteers. Pray especially for the students with whom they've shared their faith, that they will respond to the Christian testimony they've been shown.

July 6, 2000

Chambersburg, Pa. St. James UB held a yard and bake sale on May 6, raising $400 to help send kids to summer camps at Rhodes Grove. The Worship Commission has held several social events this year. There was a Sweetheart Banquet in February. In March, it was their "Windy Picnic"-- kites, model rockets, bubbles, and balloons. A June banquet honored parents.

Hillsdale, Mich. Leola Hammond, treasurer of Hillsdale UB, has a hospitality ministry. After someone has attended three times, she makes a bakery delivery. Pastor Lester Smith says, "I hear a lot of positive feedback about it, and she receives thank you cards on a regular basis for her legendary apple pies, etc. Leola averages one delivery a week. We tracked the last 50 households who have visited our church three times, covering a span of about one year. Of that number, 96% still attend the church at least occasionally!"

Spencerville, Ohio. Monticello UB accepted seven youth members on Palm Sunday. These young people entered a 13-week membership class, during which one of them received Christ. During the special service, each teen received a personalized Bible. A dinner was held for them after the service.

Among Pastors

• Ted Doolittle has resigned as pastor of First UB of Findlay, Ohio.
• Steve Malson stepped down as pastor of the Fowlerville, Mich., church, and will take an extended leave of absense. Tim Flickinger is serving as interim pastor.
• Christy Miller joined the staff of Emmanuel Community UB (Fort Wayne, Ind.) on June 12 as Director of Children’s Ministries. She takes the place of Cheryl Lamport, whose family moved to Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Sam and Sara Ward also joined the Emmanuel staff--Sam as Minister of Worship Ministries, and Sara to work with drama ministries.

Safford, Ariz. Open Bible Fellowship has a thrilling outreach into Mexico. Read about it on a separate page.

Picnic with a Twist. Three years ago Roseville UB near Kitchener, Ontario, decided to turn the annual Sunday School Picnic into something more--an outreach to the community. Pastor Randy Magnus explains, "We decided to bring in outside Christian entertainers, offer a free hot dog lunch (church people brought salads, chips, etc.), and have games and activities for all ages after lunch, with prizes and treats for everyone. We mail out flyers and put it on the church sign board, and we have had visitors from the community each year."

This year, they brought in the group AIM (Art in Motion). They performed songs with puppets, used illusions and ventriloquism, told Bible stories, and more. After lunch they did face painting and balloon modeling while children waited for their turn at games.

Magnus says, "Three unchurched families and parts of three others joined us, plus three or four families from other churches who say our picnics are better than their church’s picnic!" Altogether, 95 people attended.

Entertainers during the two previous years were Bob Cates, a comic juggler; and Soar Like Eagles Ministries, a puppet/drama team.

Haiti's Radio 4VEH Celebrates 50 Years. Aldean and Ellen Saufley are partial-support missionaries serving with OMS International in Haiti. They work with Radio 4VEH which, on June 2, celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Saufleys have ministered there for nearly 43 of those years. Many former missionaries returned to Haiti for the celebration, which lasted June 1-4. The mission started in 1945, and the radio station started in 1950.

In August 1999, construction began on a new studio and office complex for Radio 4VEH. One of the work teams involved came from Aldean’s home church, Salem UB of Chambersburg, Pa. On May 31, a container bearing roofing materials arrived, and men worked furiously to erect the roof in time for the June 3 dedication service--and succeeded. Construction on the building has halted for the rest of the summer, but will resume in August; more work teams will be needed to complete the project. Then the installation of the new studio equipment can begin. It is hoped that the new facility will be operational by the beginning of 2001.

Through Project Saturation, thousands of pre-tuned radios produced by Galcom International in Canada will be distributed throughout Haiti. There are plans for a satellite network to feed other stations who want to carry Radio 4VEH programs, including an outreach into South Florida where so many Haitians have located.

TransWorld Radio. Joe and Edna Miller are partial-support missionaries serving with TransWorld Radio in Swaziland. Edna is originally from Colwood UB in Caro, Mich. They sent the following interesting tidbits about their organization.

The number of Russian radio stations carrying TransWorld Radio broadcasts nearly quadrupled on June 1. Since 1995, TWR had been broadcasting over more than 200 FM and AM stations on Radio-1, Russia’s largest privately-owned network. But financial problems forced Radio-1 to shut down on May 9.

However, TWR signed an agreement with state channels Mayak and Yunost. Mayak is the nation’s second-largest national network, with 477 FM and 88 AM transmitters. Yunost, a channel for Russian youth, boasts 130 FM and 25 AM stations. So now, TWR broadcasts on 720 Russian transmitters, compared to just 200 on Radio-1.

Also, TWR has begun a weekly 30-minute broadcast in Songhai, a language spoken by three million people in Africa (Niger, Mali, and Benin). Less than one percent of the Songhai people may have heard the Gospel, and there are no known Songhai churches.

Prabhakars Back in the States. Richard and Miriam Prabhakar arrived in the States on May 12, settling into the mission house in Huntington, where they have spent their previous furloughs. On May 25, Richard had a checkup with a cardiologist, who started him on a medication which had been suggested in India. Unfortunately, it made Richard’s condition worse. On June 14, he was rushed to the emergency room in Huntington. He was treated for fluid which had accumulated in his lungs, and released on June 16.

Back in India…As the result of a newspaper advertisement, about 400 people inquired about the Bible Correspondence courses offered in India. Another 300 people made inquiries at a convention.

Miriam reports, "The church planting work is encouraging, but we really need prayer for the pastors as they labor at the front lines. Our churches are in a tribal area, and with the Hindu government presence, they need to be always on guard. Despite the obstacles, we have encouraging reports of growth in the churches. The pastors are busy with outreach into other villages. The people are hungry to hear and learn more about Jesus and the forgiveness of their sins."

Video About Sierra Leone Available. Recently, World Relief (the relief arm of the National Association of Evangelicals) produced a tremendous video called "Sierra Leone: Hope for the Hopeless." It graphically illustrates the devastation and trauma which the country and people have experienced during the past nine years of rebel warfare, including the amputations inflicted by rebels. It includes scenes of how aid is being given, and what will be done in the future when the fighting ends.

The video is just eight minutes long, making it suitable for showing during a morning worship service. The Missions department has 15 copies available to loan to churches. If you are interested in using the video, call toll-free: 1-888-622-3019. Or email Mabel Mundy, executive secretary in the Missions department.

Tidbits from Macau

• The Macau missionaries--Jana Hoobler, Paul Coy, Jennifer Blandin, Linda Burns, and Milan and Margaret Maybee--took a three-day retreat June 4-6 at a retreat center for missionaries on an island near Hong Kong named Cheung Chau. Paul Coy wrote, "We’re usually all busy and headed a lot of different directions each day, so it was nice just to have time to enjoy being together."
• On June 17, Milan and Margaret Maybee held a special evangelistic service at Living Word Church’s Children’s Fellowship. They used music, gospel magic, stories, and ventriloquism to share the gospel. Seven children accepted Christ that day and are being discipled by Connie Sung, pastor of Living Word. (That's Milan on the right, with Chester, his dummy. Down below you'll find Milan and Paul Coy singing a song.)
• For several years, members of the ELP staff have crossed into China each week to teach English to students there. Because of the shortage of staff members, that work was discontinued on June 13.
• Additional missionaries are needed in Macau right now. Specifically, the Missions Commission is looking for a couple and two singles.