North Burma Christian Mission

The Missions Committee supported North Burma Christian Mission, an evangelistic and church-planting organization based in Thailand, with a one-time gift at the end of 2010.


(Click on image to read newsletter at full size).

Greetings from Kenya

Pastor Francis Ngugi of Nairobi, Kenya, sends our church his greetings and reports on his ministry:

Precious greetings in Jesus Name!
I and family we are doing fine and are steadfastly doing the work of the Lord here in Kenya.

My kids are back home for December Holiday to resume in January this year.

I am preaching my heart out spreading the Gopspel of Jesus Christ. Right now am expounding the "Sermon On The Mount" in Mathew 5-7.
The Sunday of 28th Nov. I preached on: BLESSED PERSECUTIONS, from Mt.5:10-12. They are called blessed persecutions because men's curses and revilings results from Christ's blessings to the victimized:Jesus taught that those who exhibit gogly lifestyle silently rebukes and reproves the ungodliness of men thus provoking their resentement: The resentment can be expressed in revilings or verbal abuse, defaming and slandering, all aimed at injuring, wounding and paining the godly: such responses is a strong prove of human depravity: It's amazing that men's curses and Christ's blessings should meet in the life of the same person: Persecutions with blessings should be "for Righteousness' sake" and can take the form of annoying, taunting, oppressing and tormenting: This means that one is opposed because of his right living: But there is a CAUTION: A believer should see to it that he is buffeted for right doing and not on account of his own misconduct or foolish
behavior:The words "for righteousness' sake" caution us to see to it that we are opposed and hated solely because we are Christ's followers and practice the truth we profess, but not on account of our own injudicious behavior.

On the sunday of 3rd Dec. I preached on THE ACCEPTABLE STANDARD OF A GOSPEL MINISTER, from Mt.5:13-16. My aim was to sensitize the church on apostasy and how they should discern the right fold to feed on spiritually: Just like a patient mind's the competence of his physical doctor, so should saints mind the expertise of their soul's physicians: Gospel minister's carry the Word which acts like the salt of the earth: It is a thorougher presentation of the Word that gives taste to the souls and lives of men: the figure of salt for the Word is relevant because salt's scientific properties, when applied to raw flesh, has similar results to the Word properly preached to human flesh: Rubbed to injured raw flesh on a human body, salt brings effects of irritation, biting, stinging, corroding, cutting, piercing and so on: Salt also makes our meat tasty and do preserve it from rotting by acting as antiseptic in the sphere of decay: This applied to effects of the Word preached to the souls means this; As salt arrests natural corruptions, so the Word preached militates against human moral corruptions: But if salt be mixed with dust and rubbish, it looses it pungency (sharp taste) and efficacy, same effects with the Word if preached minled with levity, exciting anecdotes, frivolity and cunningness that nullifies its power: Gospel ministers should PREACH SALT AND NOT SUGAR, but then have fortitude to braze the responses of the hearers: this is so because it is contrary to nature for those whose consciences are pricked to be pleased with those who wound them: Preaching it as it is will usher one into trouble like John the Baptist whom Herod jailed for condemning his act of taking the wrong woman: Ministers have to exercise Faithfulness and diligence to preach the real thing even if it may be untasteful like salt: Pulpit has its own dangers if one become menpleaser, yields to the demand for smooth speaking, and
substituting convictiong messages for tickling stories pleasant to the ears of the audience, and being full with trivialities and novelties: Jesus said that if the salt looses its taste tis is good for nothing but to be thrown away to be trampled under feet: Ministers with wrong tendencies makes the salt useless as it looses its taste and acrimony: Such ministers become unprofitable and valuelessto God and man: The consequences it to loose their influence and just like their tasteless salt Word) is good for nothing and get thrown out to be trampled underfoot by me, so do these ministers become irrelevant. Have you ever thought that the Bible has not shown case of those prophets of Old Testamnet and ministers of New Testament who apostatized ever becoming restored? Lets think about it seriously and takr care of ourselves.

I have emailed you family pictures and some for me doing ministry inside the church, and hope you will enjoy seeing them.

I sincerely thank you for your prayers, support, love and encouragement as I preach the Gospel of Christ here in Kenya.
You are treasured beyond words by my family.
With much love I remain.

Your's in the Lord's service,
Pastor Francis Ngugi
Nairobi/Kenya

La Esperanza II (Honduras)

Pastor Josh Wyatt of Charles River Church (formerly of Heritage Bible Chapel) sends the following message and photos from a church building project in Honduras:

I'm sending this message out to any of you who have been involved with the ministry to El Salvador/Honduras and people on the HBC missions committee. Alex Lara (Elder at La Esperanza Church in El Sal) just sent me these pictures of La Esperanza II in Hacienda Grande Honduras.

On our second trip down to Honduras, Pastor Antonio and his wife Letty pulled me aside with a hand-written letter requesting funding to help them build a facility for their growing church plant in Honduras. Many of you remember this day as the day we walked to the river for their first Baptism (21 people if my memory serves me well) and a day many tears of joy were cried. I brought this letter back to the elders at Heritage. In the end HBC gave $10,000 which secured the $4k piece of land for this church building and the extra $6k covered a huge piece of the construction. You will also notice in these pictures that men from the church are doing the work. Many of them lost their jobs as a result of turning from Roman Catholicism to faith in Christ alone. They are able to provide for their families because of the work they get in the construction of this building. Be encouraged by these pictures, be reminded to pray, and please share these with Heritage... it is important for HBC to see their support in action.

Blessing, Josh

Brazil - Dear Ministry Friend Passes Away

Heritage Bible Chapel received the following news today from our ministry partner, Pastor Geraldo Oliveira of Belo Horizonte, Brazil:

Good evinig dear friends,
I received a sad news today, sad because of the miss, but happy because he is with God. My dear friend Pastor Leonardo lmeznar, went at the Glory last night at a church in Pennsylvania on a mission event. He suffered a heart attack when he was preaching and went to be with the Lord in glory. Pastor Leonardo lmeznar was a great friend and collaborator for many years. He came on several occasions to Belo Horizonte, to visited Sr. Fernando Claussen who also was his great friend and brother. Together, we visited the synagogue, both the traditional as orthodoxy. He had a vision for missions and for more than four years helped my family financially, now nearly 90 years, and serving the Lord went to glory.

Pastor Geraldo (right) with Pastor Leonardo

At the evangelism on the street earlier this year, he was there with us, with his advanced age, but on the street sharing the gospel. He had a great love for the Jewish people. For many years kept a little farm in Rio de Janeiro where
he used to received the Jews in order to share about their Messiah. He was one of the translators of the Hebrew to Portuguese of the Trinitarian Bible. Actually he was a great friend.
Please pray for his family. The relatives know he is in glory, but feeling the longing ache, pray that God comforts your hearts. He went to glory last night in a church in a missionary event and exactly yesterday I shared about the heavens and the return of Jesus Christ. Sending some pictures of the last time Iwas with him this year and last year.

A bigger hug,

Pastor
Geraldo.

Straight Ahead Ministries - A Heartfelt Plea

From Dan Mesher, our local Straight Ahead missionary...please click on his letter to see at full-size. "Nate" desperately needs our prayers, and the light of the Gospel to pierce through his despair:

Gilbert Family Prayer Letter - Fall 2010

Many of Heritage Bible Chapel's congregation had the pleasure of meeting Pastor Luis Gilbert and his family when they visited us in the Spring of 2010 and performed an evangelistic drama during a Sunday worship service. We received the latest of his ministry updates and prayer requests this month:

Beloved Church:

May the Lord continue blessing you greatly in every area of your lives, in
your families, and may you have success in all that you set out to do in the
name of the Lord.

I give thanks to God that He allowed me to get to know you, and that today
you are part of the vital ministry that God has placed in my hands. My family,
without your help, would not be able to provide training for hundreds of
children's Bible teachers throughout all of Guatemala.

Thank you for your prayers. You are the gears that move the hand of God,
and in having your support, we know that God will bless you richly. Please don't
forget to write to us, as this encourages us to move forward in ministry and
also helps us to know how to pray for you all.

September 4th - We were invited to give theatre training
in the Theological Seminary of Central America. 60 students attended. My wife,
Dora, and our daughter, Abigail, accompanied me. This is the seminary
where completed my theological studies.

September 8th - We traveled to San Lucas Toliman in order
to provide trainings for (ELI) the School for Training Children's Leaders. Jaime
Lopez, the director of Sepal, accompanied me. 35 students attended. This took
place in the Bethel Central American Church.

September 17th, 18th, and 19th - We traveled to the city
of San Marcos where we began ELI, providing training for the Assembly of God
churches from ths region. 108 teachers from various denominations attended.
Katherine de Villalobos accompanied me. She is a missionary from Costa Rica.
Abigail, my daughter, also came along as we traveled 250 km. God has been
opening new doors for us.

In the city, my wife, Dora, and my children, Emmanuel and Joshua, attended
the first Internacional Conference for Clowns, where they taught and learned
various new techniques. God gave me the privilege to help set up this event.
Through this event, Emmanuel was invited to attend a Clown Conference in the
United Staes in February of 2011, Lord willing.

September 24th, 25th, and 26th - I traveled to Peten,
about 600 km. outside of Guatemala City. I went to impart theatre training,
making this the third "festival of talent" that has taken place in this area.
The storm Matthew affected us some, but thankfully having this venue has been a
huge blessing and tool in working with youth as 60 youth attended from various
churches. For this activity, I traveled alone.

During the month we have continued to work with some social help
ministries, collecting offerings and help for those who have been affected by
the rains. Please do not forget to pray for the following petitions:

1 - A Christian Education Conference that we will be providing in
Coatepeque, and that pastors will send their Christian educators.

2 - Please pray for the rain that has been affecting these events, making
it harder for children to attend their churches.

3- Pray for the students that are beginning university studies.

4- Pray for the children's education in those countries that have been
devastated by war and poverty.

Thank you again. May the Lord continue blessing your lives.

With much love in the Lord,

The Gilbert Family, Luis and Dora, and their children, Emmanuel, Abigail
and Joshua

Sword of the Spirit Christian Centre (Kenya)

This Fall, Heritage Bible Chapel has begun partnering in ministry with Sword of the Spirit Christian Centre in Limuru, Kenya. Senior Pastor Rev. Francis Ndunhu Ngugi sends regular, detailed updates about his church's ministry of preaching the Gospel and discipling new believers to the Committee via e-mail, and this month we received a gracious handwritten note of appreciation from him (see below).