CFCI Fall Impact!

Go. Give. Change.

Open publication - Free publishing - More christ

From Pam Tullman, CFCI short-term missionary in Peru

Pam is in Peru serving for eight months. 

In Cañete this past Saturday, I was noticing how much the kids have grown in the past few months. I see them just about every week, but on Saturday I was amazed at how much they are growing.

The road to the area the kids live was basically a giant hole in the ground due to construction they are doing, which meant we could not get the chairs to where we meet with the kids since the moto taxis could not drive on this road. It is not ideal to sit on a dirt road with a group of kids, trying to do arts and crafts so LLilda and I put on our thinking caps. We decided we would take the kids to a small plaza close by and play games, sing songs, do a small lesson, and take lots of photos (most of the kids love having their pictures taken)…a change in scenery from time to time is always good. Lilda did an awesome job at coming up with games and creating a lesson on the spot, which actually turned into a little drama acted out by the kids!

As difficult as the kids can be at times, they do something to my heart. They bring me joy. I love just sitting back and watching them play. I love seeing them smile and laugh whole heartedly. I love the little things. Like when Patty wants to play the trust game with me over and over again (She closes her eyes and falls back until I catch her); or when Brittani wraps her arms around me and wont let go. Like when Pricilla is carrying her baby brother Fabian and comes up to me and tells Fabian, ¨Besito besito besito¨ and he gives me a little kiss on the cheek. I love when Juan Diego flashes his beautiful little smile even though it is full of mischief, etc. etc etc. This list could go on forever. These kids have really made an impact on me. So many times I go places with the intention to be a blessing to the people…but I feel like the opposite happens. I go places and I don’t know if they realize what a huge blessing they are to me.

Prison ministry has been going really well. Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to pray with a woman from Germany to accept Christ in her heart! I look forward to going to the prison each week and seeing the women. Last week Kim was unable to go, so I went by myself for the first time. It was a new experience for me, but I am thankful for the time I had to share with the women a little more about who I am and how I ended up in Peru. I felt like it was a special time to be able to be stretched by the Lord, step way out of my comfort, and grow trust between us.

The highlight of my visit to the prison last week was seeing one of the ladies laugh to the point of tears. She literally had to get up and walk away from the group she was laughing so hard! You may be thinking, what’s so special about someone laughing so hard? It was really special to see that, because she is not a lady who typically laughs. When you are in prison in a foreign country, to see a full heartfelt laughter is something really special, it doesn’t happen very often there. Her laughter became contagious and we were all laughing! It’s the little things that mean a lot.

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?  and how shall they preach, except they be sent? even as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!  Romans 10:14, 15 (ASV)

Then he told them, "As you go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to everyone.”  Mark 16:15 (ISV)

From every Tribe and Tongue and Nation

We recently received our first application from a man from the Ivory Coast, Africa (Côte d’Ivoire) who feels God is calling him and his family (wife and 2 children) to long-term missionary service somewhere in Latin America.  What an exciting time we live in for missions.  The Lord is raising up men and women from around the globe to go to foreign lands to minister to people that quite possibly they uniquely can reach.  May those He has called to stay and support those going remain faithful, not lose the vision nor fall short in fulfilling our part of global missions proclaiming the good news.

Stats from Ivory Coast

Area: 322,460 sq. km. (a little bigger than Montana)

Population: 20,617,068 (in 2009) (larger than New York State)

Main Language: French

Tribal languages spoken:  Baoulé, Dioula, Dan, Anyin and Cebaara Senufo.

Average rainfall in July: 24” (that’s 2 feet of rain in a month)

From Pam Tullman, CFCI short-term missionary to Peru 

(CFCI short-term missionaries are individuals who choose to serve at one of our city bases for a period of one month to one year. Interested? Contact Penny at penny@cfci.org.)

My 2 weeks in Tablada (Villa Maria) are finished, and my week in Iquitos is finished as well. I think I Could write a whole book on my experiences from the past 3 weeks but instead of writing a book, I will just highlight a few areas that stand out to me.

28 teen-age girls
I had the opportunity to share in a cell group of teen age girls. 28 girls came. I shared about fears and trusting God through all the ups and downs of life. In a group of 28, there were 74 fears that hold us back from trusting God. We had a time of prayer to give God these fears that weaken us. It was a great start to the week.

Manos (hands)
On Saturday I worked with about 40 kids, ages 9-12. I showed a short video, and shared on the topic of dreams, and trusting God with our lives. I did a symbolic activity with the kids. Jaime, a new friend from the church, made a big tree. I had each kid put their hand (with paint) on the tree like leaves as a way to give God their lives. They all made the decision to hand over their dreams and futures to the Lord, trusting that no matter what they go through in life, God’s plan is best. Sometimes life will be hard and we won’t understand why things are happening the way they are, but we have to truly know and believe with all of our heart that the Lord is in control, and is worthy to be trusted. It was beautiful to see 40 kids placing their lives and futures in God’s hands.

Open the eyes of my heart Lord
Each morning from 9:30-11:00 I taught an English class. I had about 7 consecutive students…I taught them the song open the eyes of my heart and they had the opportunity to sing it in front of the church. I felt like a proud mother! It was so awesome to see them practice, and work hard to learn. Some of the students had never used English before. Two of the students in the English class gave their lives to Christ that week.

There are so many more stories, so many ways God worked, and so many ways I was stretched beyond my own ability. I felt like the Lord used me in many different ways. I overcame some fears I had. And overall, I was blessed beyond words by the Lord and my new friends in Tablada.

On to Iquitos…

I was so awesome to visit the place that had made such an impact on my heart in the past. I arrived in Iquitos and got to spend time with my dear friend Sandi, and was able to spend her birthday with her and some old friends!

The purpose of my trip to Iquitos was to serve in a week of evangelism with a team from Texas. The team was awesome! Each day we split into groups and worked with different churches. The mornings were usually spent evangelizing out in the communities and inviting the people to the programs/services. Most afternoons were spent doing children’s programs, and the evening in a church service. By the end of 1 week, there were about 740 souls won for Christ! God worked powerfully this week!

Nelly.
Nelly is 23 years old. She is thin as a rail. About one year ago she had some sort of fungus in her throat which made her very ill. She lays in a hammock in a little hut, with constant smoke from the fire in the kitchen filling the home, extreme heat, in much discomfort and can barely eat. She cannot speak, and continually groans and whimpers in pain. Her family can not afford to provide her with the healthcare she needs. I met Nelly while visiting a home. We began to talk to the family about Jesus, and the mom asked if we could pray for her daughter. I have never seen anyone as thin as Nelly. Myself and 2 other people from the team prayed for Nelly. I sat by her side and held her hand, encouraging her to stay strong and to trust God in this difficult time. Upon leaving her house, it took everything in me to fight back the tears. Her and her family is suffering incredibly, and cannot afford to take care of her. Imagine what that feels like for her mother, to watch her daughter suffer and not be able to do anything about it. I think of Jesus on the cross. Imagine what it felt like for God to watch Jesus be crucified on the cross; the pain in watching someone so dear suffer. There are so many times in life that I feel so powerless, so helpless. My heart breaks, and there is very little I can do. I don’t understand this aspect of life… but I trust God and know that sometimes we can’t understand his ways at the moment, but he is faithful and can be trusted. Nelly is on my heart. Please join me in praying for her and her family.

The past 3 weeks have deeply impacted my heart. The Lord continues to blow my mind! There are no limits we can put on God.

Pray for the 740 souls won for Christ. Pray that they would plug into a church and that their faith would grow. That each person would have a personal encounter with God and take their decision serious; that they would grow and learn as they walk on this new path. 

A Spirit of Generosity

If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.  Rather, be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs.  Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: "The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near," so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing.  He may them appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.  Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.  There will always be poor people in the land.  Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. 

- Deut. 15:7-11 

Living in consumerism America, it can be so easy to get caught up in the things of this world.  Everyday, we are attacked with messages from the media that encourage us to spend more and focus more on ourselves.  We feed our addictions, holding on to what's "rightfully ours" with a clenched fist.  All the while, we seem to forget that what's "rightfully ours," is not even ours to begin with.  "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it" (1 Tim. 6:7).  Jesus Christ is the Father of all good things.  It is Jesus that gives us any good that we experience on this earth.  And it is Jesus that chooses to bless us, under a certain stipulation: we are to be a generous people.

An article recently came through my inbox titled "Generosity is the New Evangelism."  Written by Chris Willard and Jim Sheppard, the article talks about creating a culture of giving in your church.  I believe that what they said transcends the church.  Here's a snippet:

The truth is that God doesn't need our money, but He knows that our orientation toward money reflects our obedience to the Lordship of Christ and how well we grasp that he is the source of all we have.  As followers of Christ, our goal in life is not gaining power, possession, or prestige for ourselves.  We exist, along with the entire body of Christ, to fulfill the Great Commission until Christ's return.  Generosity offers one of the most powerful ways for us to leverage the blessings of God for the advancement of the Kingdom.  Best of all, when the church acts with generosity to serve others, it is a clear picture of Christ, who generously gave his life and all He had on the cross that we might find life forever. 

I would encourage you to read the rest of the article, which can be found here.  If the book this article is based from interests you, head over here.  Fall is the perfect season to start planning ahead for next year's mission trip.  If it's been awhile since your group has participated with Christ For the City, let me remind you of some of our offerings.

Urban Plunge: Urban Plunge trips happen year-round in Omaha and Lincoln, NE, Sioux Falls, SD, Des Moines, IA, Kansas City, MO, and Dallas, TX.  We offer customized trips from one-day to week long.  While Urban Plunge is for youth and adults of all ages, it is a great introduction to missions for the younger generation.  We still have openings for this fall and winter, so contact julie@cfci.org for more information.

Mission Teams:  CFCI offers 7-10 day mission trips that are perfect for your church or group.  We'd love to have you serve in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia,  or Peru.  What grabs your attention?  Contact shawn@cfci.org to get details.

Short-term Missionary:  Perhaps, you are an individual with a call to serve.  We can meet your needs, too!  Go to Argentina, Bolivia, Columbia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Mali, Spain, or the U.S.  We coordinate trips for one-month to a year.  To discuss your options for ministering, contact dick@cfci.org.

Be blessed,

Julie