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As Christians, spiritual transformation is our goal. In fact, changing the world, one person at a time is our goal. It is what Jesus commanded us to do in His final words to the Apostles before ascending back to Heaven. Here at Mission UpReach our team is focused on our own spiritual transformation as well as the transformation of others. We work in three distinct areas to accomplish this. One area is in training men and women, who are already Christians, in programs where they learn more about the Bible and its application to our lives. A second area is in evangelizing those who have not yet made Jesus Lord of their life and a third area of work that focuses on transformation is in our DESEO program where we focus on helping to transform the lives of public school children (975 per week receive classes from our DESEO team). This month we share with you the good news of a project that is focused on training local leaders in the skills that they will need to help members in their local congregations experience a very real spiritual transformation through the power of the Word living in them and changing their very way of thinking. Please keep us in your prayers. Dios bendiga, Phil and Donna Waldron Mission UpReach www.missionupreach.com |
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Evangelistic Campaign Results in 9 New Christians and 5 Restorations
Once again our Church Planting team has led a very successful evangelistic campaign in an outlying community. This particular campaign was held in Crucitas where we have been nurturing a new church plant for the last couple of years.
All of the workers in this campaign, except for our MUR staff, were from the local church. This made it a campaign that they conducted and that we assisted.
This collaboration with the local church is part of our methodology in helping to equip and train local church leaders to not only conduct regular worship services but to also reach out to the surrounding area making disciples of all of those who will respond to the Gospel.
Several of the conversions were women who are married to men in the congregation. It is a wonderful thing when marriages and families, like this one shown here, are united in the Lord.
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Annual Baxter Seminar
Every year the Baxter Institute in Tegucigalpa, which is 7 hours away from Santa Rosa de Copán where we are located, hosts a Biblical seminar. Last year as well as this year we have hand selected a group of our Boot Camp participants and rewarded them with an all expenses paid trip to this three day spiritual feast.
In addition to being challenged with some good Biblical teaching these men are able to get to know 100's of other brothers and sisters in Christ from around the country and even from other countries as well.
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Spiritual Disciplines Project Aimed at Transformational Church Growth
A very real concern of almost all churches of Christ in Latin America is that year after year hundreds and hundreds of people become Christians, pronouncing the name of Jesus as Lord and putting Him on in Baptism, yet the attendance in congregations remains relatively the same. Upon observing this fact in many, many congregations one has to begin to wrestle with the question of how that can be true? How can dozens of people be converted in a particular congregation in one year and then year over year the attendance level remain the same?
One possible answer among many is that we often focus on teaching people on how to become a Christian and spend very little time on teaching them how to live the victorious and abundant life that Jesus offers to all that make Him Lord. This month our MUR church planting team held a seminar with a select group of men to begin to address how we can not only bring people into the Kingdom but also how to help them learn to walk the walk of a disciple of Jesus.
 Each of these participants, over the three days of the seminar, was given a manual on the subject of "your life in Christ". In addition, the men agreed to participate in a project where each month they will submit reports on statistics in their particular local congregations.
These reports will include some basic statistics such as: how many are in attendance on Sunday, how many are baptized believers and how many are non-baptized participants, etc. In addition to these statistics though they will be collecting statistics on daily Bible readers, how many people are personally spending time in prayer, how many people are involved in service to others during the week, how many people are involved in evangelizing during the week, etc.
We believe that if we can help the leadership in a local congregation focus on some practical applications that strengthen their practice of certain disciplines they will grow both numerically and spiritually.
In November we plan to have these same men stand up in a regional retreat of church leaders and share their experiences with the project. Our hope is that their results will inspire other congregations to participate in the program as well.
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A Note from Donna
Our family just spent a few wonderful days focused around the wedding of our son, Harrison to Hayley Smith, now Waldron. The wedding was beautiful and inspiring for us as parents. On the heels of my father's passing, it was a bright and fun occasion that gave us reason to rejoice and have hope.
Now our summer brigade season has begun. We will host 10 different groups between June 7th and August 2nd. These short term missionaries will conduct VBS-like programs in our public schools, construct church buildings, realize basketball camps, treat thousands with medical care and eye glasses, and do a little painting.
The work leading up to this season is heavy, but it is always a highlight for us because everything these short term missionaries do enhances our overall goal of planting a church in each village in this generation. While much of what is done aids the poor, we know and believe that what the poor (and the rich) need is a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Since this is our mission, those who are attracted to our work are passionate believers in the hope of the Cross. No language barrier exists when our actions are motivated by God's love and a desire to share hope to those who are lost. Please pray for the success and safety of this season!
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Arrival of AIMers from Sunset Biblical Institute
This month we received eight young men and women who are a part of the Sunset Biblical Institute's AIM Program. These young people, after graduating from high school, have committed 2+ years to a training program that includes time spent in Biblical classes in Lubbock, TX and then 16 to 24 months on the field working in a mission team. These young people come from various states from around the US with a common spirit of learning how to fulfill the Great Commission of going into all the world and preaching the Gospel.
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Would you consider becoming a regular donor to Mission UpReach? Or, would you be willing to give a one time donation? We appreciate you stepping out in faith with us and watching what God does with your investment!
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Consider giving today and share in what God is doing to transform lives in western Honduras! You can donate online by clicking the button below or mail your donation to Mission UpReach, 196 Alps Road, Suite 2-395, Athens, GA 30606.
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