Introducing...our new donation page on www.cfci.org! You'll love it! We added the new page this week. It's completely in sync with our website so it's much easier for you (and us!) to use. Go to the website, click on the donate tab, then follow the directions. Simple, simple, simple! You'll scroll down to find the category you're looking for, then scroll through a list in the category to find the missionary or project you're looking for.

Since we're on the subject of donations...please take some time during this holiday season to browse through our website. See the ministries we have going in 16 countries. Learn more about our missionaries. Check out the short-term and long-term mission opportunities. Then, please share some of your blessings with the people we serve around the world. Each year, we touch over 100,000 people with the love and message of Jesus Christ...giving hope to so many people who don't have any. Partner with us in this GREAT COMMISSION!

--Marcia Galloway and Ellen Peterson, CFCI Finance Department

Skunk in a Bottle

By Mirna Sotomayor

Not too long ago, arriving at Camp Kikomar (Caribbean coast of Mexico), we saw quite a commotion.  A little skunk had his head stuck in a glass jar.  It was unclear how long the poor animal had been stuck there, but what was clear is that he was Exhausted.  Terrified by all the people around and the dogs trying to kill him, it was a miracle he could still breathe.

"We need to break the bottle with stones", someone said, fortunately there were no stones available.  “Someone could pull on the bottle while another grabs the skunk.” supposed another.  But the threat of nearly inch-long claws and the sprinkling of the famous urine were very persuasive factors for not trying.  Suffice it to say that all these "helpful suggestions" were being offered at a safe distance.  No one wanted to run the risk of being too involved.

It occurred to me what we needed was to throw a heavy rag or plastic over the animal to protect us from his "scented" defenses and the claws.  With a long pole maybe we could get him out from under the leaves where he was and perhaps twist the bottle off.  The stick did not work, because in our eagerness to help and his fear of being attacked, it was clear this would end up breaking his neck.

So I tried to throw a shower curtain over him where he was, but it was useless, the animal escaped putting his rear guard in attack position.  Suddenly one of those present said, “What if I hit the bottle with the back of the machete?”  It was a risk, but it was better than to let him die with his head in the bottle. Waiting for the right moment I gave the order.  “Hit it now!”  A thud broke the bottle cleanly and the little skunk fell like a dead animal on its right side.  It took about 10 seconds before he started moving, obviously dazed but relieved. We gave him space to move, dizzy, he was stumbling, falling, rising, and staggering as he walked back down the path into the jungle.  

Everyone thanked God and was glad that the skunk had not suffocated, and we hadn't seriously hurt the animal nor did we have to end his life.  

How many times, I thought, are we like that skunk; we get ourselves into situations that “suffocate” us.  We get so "bottled up" that we almost kill ourselves.  Even though God wants to help and sends us people, suggestions, ideas, but instead of cooperating with Him and with those that love us, we get defensive and do not see the danger until God himself intervenes and gives us an accurate blow to free us from our prison.  It may not be a gentle blow, but one that is precise, accurate, experienced and safe.  Of course it will hurt, and sometimes we will think that we will almost "die".  We will walk around half dizzy and without a very clear direction for a while, but in the end, with God's help and care, will find the way home.  Yes, the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword and God, in His infinite love and mercy, always comes to rescue us even though we continually get "bottled up" like little skunks.

From our fabulous missionaries, Mickey & Marielos McKinney, in Costa Rica. Their ministry areas in CR include nursing homes, home Bible studies, and prisons. They have a weekly Bible study in the prison. Here's a great account of a recent visit there.

When I had finished the lesson and as I was walking toward Marielos (who was counseling a guy who renewed his relationship with Jesus that day), I saw a young man who looked as if he should belong in juvenile jail.  His name is Marco, and he was just standing there staring down at his Bible where he had a picture of two small baby girls.

I asked him about them, and he explained that the girls were his children.  So I asked how old he and the children were (thinking that he was barely 18), and it turns out that Marco is 24 and the girls are 3 and 1.  Marco said that he had prayed to receive Jesus before being arrested and that he was in church and because of his young marriage and two small girls, he had turned to God for direction and received forgiveness, peace, and salvation. 

He was indeed following God, yet his past had caught up with him.  Marco said, "I really deserve to be here for all the things I'd done before I met my wife and started a family.  I just didn't think God would allow this to happen to me since everything was going so well for me out there ever since I gave my life to Jesus.  However, I do deserve this and for five years I'll serve my time, I just don't want my children to be disappointed in me while I miss out on so much of their lives." 

What could I tell Marco?  I just simply told him to keep Jesus first in his life and maintain a good attitude, trust in Jesus and continue to stay in contact with his family as much as possible.  Maybe the courts will have mercy on him and reduce his sentence time. 

Most of the guys we see in the Bible study group arrive to jail blaming God for their capture, then we have to counsel them until they realize that their own actions got them thrown into prison.  However, Marco already knew that his past actions is what got him in prison.  He was just a bit discouraged that God would allow his past to catch up to him.

Please pray for him that this discouragement in him will not grow, rather that he would be a living example for the other men of God's grace and transforming power.

As For You...

When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace, the LORD appeared to him at night and said:

"I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.

"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.  I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever.  My eyes and my heart will always be there. 

"As for you, if you walk before me as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to rule over Israel.'

"But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name.  I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples.  And though this temple is now so imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and say, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple.'  People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them--that is why he brought all this disaster on them.'" 

- 2 Chronicles 7: 11-22 

What a week! CFCI held it's semi-annual International Board of Commissioners meeting in Omaha on Monday and Tuesday - Oct. 29-30. Board members started arrive over the previous weekend so we had lots of airport runs and fun entertaining to start off the week.

We were expecting three of our base directors to join us in Omaha for the meeting. Unfortunately, two of them had problems getting VISAs, so were not able to participate. We did, however, welcome the Arruda family and their missionary friend, Brad Miller, to our time together. The Arrudas (Paulo, his wife Eloina, and their son, Paulo) are our base directors in Manaus, Brazil. It was great to have them with us for five days! They made special presentation about their specific Manaus ministries (which are completely awesome) to the Board. They shared with us that they are making plans to build a second ministry building in another area of Manaus. Praise God!

We also welcomed two new Board members - Tudor Williams and John Wilton. While the Board of Commissioners had much business to conduct, we also managed to have some fun and show off Omaha. The group spent one afternoon with Brenda Banks at her ministry called the Cross Training Center. The CTC's goal is to provide life skills, vocational training and job experience for disadvantaged and undereducated men and women. Thank you, Brenda!

Also joining us for the meetings were our Midwest base directors: Jay Dahlhauser and Renato Jiminez from Storm Lake, Iowa; Steve Clinkscales from Des Moines, Iowa; Mark and Karen Pomeroy and Melanie Dehning from Lincoln, Nebraska; and Sheryl Gehrls from Omaha. The U.S. base directors made presentations to the Board about their base activities and goals.

Yes, we are all a little tired now...but we're also re-energized for what God has in store for us in the next six months!