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It's a Lot of Work!
It's called "the work of the ministry" for a reason. This phrase, often overlooked by Bible students, is a key component to understanding ministry and an emphasis of the Apostle Paul and the Holy Spirit to describe the nature of establishing and sustaining a local church ministry.
The very words of the Holy Spirit as He commissioned Barnabas and Saul (Paul) were, "While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them'" (Acts 13:2, emphasis added). Likewise, Paul describes this ministry as work (Acts 15:38; Ephesians 4:12, 2 Timothy 4:5).
The primary work was that of proclaiming the Word of God, the Gospel message of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. This work of proclamation also required a lot of laborious work of sweat and tears. It also required generations of workers. A reading of just the first missionary journey, as described in Acts 13-15, makes this abundantly clear.
As one reads the account of Scripture from the Book of Acts through the Epistles to local churches and leaders of local churches, the work is passed on from one generation to another.
This has been true in UIM International. From 1956 to today, it has required a lot of hard work and multiple generations of faithful workers. It takes more than a five-to ten-year plan---it's a generational commitment.
Read with interest one such example illustrated by the local church ministry of Mariano Lake, New Mexico. This ministry has been a consistent work of missionary and Native leadership working side by side and hand in hand. It has not always been smooth and easy, but that's to be expected. Just like the Holy Spirit and the Apostle Paul declared . . . it is "the work" of the ministry.
I praise the Lord for the decade's ministry of Leon and Sandra Friend, as well as that presently of Mark and Gina Morris. I praise the Lord for the faithfulness of Native leadership, such as Delroy Yazzie--all workers together for the cause of Jesus Christ and His Gospel.
In this addition of the UIM Connection! take advantage of this opportunity to connect with this work of the Lord among the Navajos of New Mexico. Connect with the Friends. Connect with the Morrises. Connect with Delroy Yazzie and the ministry of Mariano Lake Bible Church. It's much like your own local church. It's a lot of work! Yours for the work of the ministry,
Daniel P. Fredericks
UIM Executive Director
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A Time of Celebration - 50 Years
Mariano Lake Bible Church
by Leon Friend
 | | Leon and Sandra Friend |
For years I have been captivated with our Lord Jesus' declaration to His disciples in Matthew 16 just after asking His disciples whom they thought He was. His reply to Peter's incisive answer: ". . . I will build My church . . . ." That is what Jesus is doing among North America's Native tribes.
Sandra and I praise God for our Lord's calling us and using us in laying the groundwork and the initial stages of Jesus' building a church body among the Navajo at a place called Mariano Lake in New Mexico. Actually, my initial ministry there began in 1958 when I finally arrived on the field--a widower with two children after having lost my wife and five-year-old son a year earlier in a tragic collision which we could not escape.
I began laying the groundwork for a church plant immediately upon arrival on the field, and the Lord brought my dear wife, Sandra, into our lives a year later. Together we continued the ground work, and in 1962 the Lord Jesus opened the door for us to obtain a mobile home for our first living quarters at Mariano Lake!
The Lord blessed the various church-planting ministries, though the response was slow! Then God led a dear couple, Harold and Dorothy Cook, to join us in the ministry there. We were merely instruments in the Lord's hands; He was doing the building of His church according to His declaration!
Our son, Mark, who was born during our ministry years there, accompanied us, for which we were very glad! UIM's missionary family, the Morrises, who live about 18 miles from Mariano Lake, provided lodging for us. Mark and I went out to Mariano Lake from there on September 8 to visit Delroy Yazzie, who is training to pastor the little group. Also, we visited another couple who live nearby and who have not been very cordial to the church people. This was purposeful in hopes of soothing some of Peter and Annie's ill feelings toward the church and the Lord, for Sandra and I had always had a very warm and cordial relationship with them while living there.
Sunday morning, September 9, dawned bright, clear, and calm. We arrived at the church about 9:30 a. m. to greet Delroy and have prayer with him for the day's activities. The church building was neat, clean, and Delroy was excited. By starting time at 10:00 a. m. only a half dozen folks had arrived. Delroy started on time. As the hymn singing proceeded, others kept arriving--on "Indian time," of course. How good to hear the Navajo folks heartily singing hymns in their mother tongue!
 As requested, Mark gave a challenging message regarding the believer's responsibility explicitly to live obediently to our Lord rather than selfishly living to please self. Then followed the scrumptious dinner--Navajo tacos and dessert--a nice period of fellowship, and the showing of about 165 slides of "the beginnings" of what is now called Mariano Lake Bible Church. It would have been interesting to have recorded the many and varied responses of all there! At one point a picture appeared on the screen of a certain person; she exclaimed quite loudly, "Oh! That's me and I was sure slim then!" There were laughs and comments during the showing time, indicating an enthusiasm of all in attendance.
 A good time of interaction, recalling and discussing memories that came to mind during the showing of the slides, followed. The daughter of the man who owned the land from whom we purchased the church site eagerly visited with us, as she remembered being with us for that event. She recalled her father's having said, "Yes, I am pleased to sell you any of the land you want, because I think my grandchildren will need to hear what you have to tell and teach from Holy Bible. And some day I might build a home close by too."
Her father passed away a few years after we started the church, so he didn't get to follow through on his word. However, that very daughter and husband did, but they did not come to the Lord; the husband passed away a year ago. Now some of the grandchildren live there. One granddaughter was in attendance for the service that day and showed sincere interest in learning the background of the church's being there!
Our goal of fulfilling the people's request to see the slides was that God would use it to further the development of that little church body! Prayer is needed that some wrongs done to the church body be made right, that male leadership be developed, that people of the area experience the working of God regarding their need of the Lord and of the Church. May the Holy Spirit produce the fruit desired in the Father's mind! One thing I know: God has put in my heart a love for the people of the area, which motivates me to keep on praying and doing whatever possible to see Jesus continuing to build His church at Mariano Lake.
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The Gospel Meets the
Needs of all Ages
. .UIM missionaries Mark and Gina Morris have continued to help with the ministry at Marino Lake that was started years ago. They have concentrated on helping the present church people grow in their knowledge of the whole Bible and especially on helping the Native men to be strong leaders in the church. Mark is presently partnering with Navajo Native Delroy Yazzie at the church, training him in the pastorate. He has also been teaching a Sunday school class on doctrine for the last year and a half. It is UIM's desire, as it is Mark's, for the church to become independent with a Native pastor leading. Within the last five years, there has been a growth spurt among the youth. Mark and Gina originally started just "hanging out" with the youth and now get a text practically every day from several youth asking if they can have a ride to church the following Sunday. Mark takes his car into church early so he can be there in time to teach Sunday school. Gina takes the 15-passenger van and picks up kids as she drives in. If they had another 15-passenger van, they would fill it up also. From no youth when they first came to the area to 15 to 16 youth attending each Sunday, not including their own four children or children of the church family, is encouraging. Not all of the adults have appreciated the influx of youth. Mark reminded them that they are their future and gave a name of a student to each adult so the adult could pray. It's astounding what that has done for relationships between the adults and the students. Today's ministry in Mariano Lake has bit different look than it did 50 years ago, and that is okay. The Lord continues to be faithful to build His church, wherever it may be, the way He desires.  | | Morris family |
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