Life Circle – It’s True – Oct 4 2014

Where? At one our church meetings in El Salvador last night in a house church located two-thirds of the way up an active volcanic mountain where 7,000-8,000 people live; it took a very rough ride in a 4-wheel drive vehicle to get there!  The last 50 meters we climbed up a steep and slippery stairway in the dark and, as we approached, great singing could be heard.  Hugs and hellos were abundant in the multi-tiered and uneven front yard of a simple house that served as our beautiful “sanctuary” for the service.  Blessings were all around…  The energetic and rewarding service was followed with a time of sharing food and fellowship.  You would never guess that nearly 100% of those in attendance were coffee plantation workers suffering from a failed crop brought on by a terrible disease that destroyed 80% of the plants.  (We need to ship some ABC food to assist in this time of suffering.)  

 

SO, WHAT’S TRUE?

God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good.  It has to be true because this is what the house church congregants repeated over and over again, in Spanish!

• There are many first-time teams on our 2015 work team schedule.  We are praising God for the opportunity to introduce them to Lifeline’s ministry!

• Praise God for doors that are opening to bringing teams to some fields where we have not hosted teams before.  Another team will be coming to El Salvador next year.

Haiti

• Work progresses on the Children’s Home: the plumbing is nearly finished on the dining hall and all of the wiring is complete on the dining hall.

• Kemson, who is on our Leadership Team in Haiti, is the proud father of a baby girl. Congratulations!
   

Honduras

• Craig Hussey, Director of Global Development for Gideons Canada, is in the photo (towards the left) with Bob DeVoe, Lifeline Founder (on right side), helping celebrate Julia’s 9th birthday at our Omoa Children’s Home.  Craig is traveling to see Lifeline’s work in Honduras and El Salvador while making plans for Bible distribution and work teams.  Was it a coincidence or God’s planning that his visit was during “Bible Day” celebrations in Honduras? He was able to witness our Ocotillo School’s special Bible Day Assembly.  God is good.

• It was a special blessing for Bob to be present for a house dedication near our Ocotillo Christian School.  Students there helped raise money to build the house for a needy school family, and also participated in it’s construction! Senator Tadeo Nodarse, also present for the dedication, provided a substantial portion of the funds.  Astrid Ramos, a local college volunteer-student-helper, was instrumental in getting Senator Nodarse involved, and her father supervised construction.  Darwyn, our Director of Schools in Honduras, continues to do a superb job!  

United States

• Food packing events are fun & exciting events that involve all ages!  Southland Christian Church (Lexington, KY) highlighted their recent event at the beginning of Jon’s sermon; check it out!  (Lifeline customizes packing events to meet your church/organization’s goals; contact Matt@Lifeline.org for details!)

• Three couples will be going through on-field training to serve as team coordinators – two in Haiti, one at Navajo Trails – in 2015.  Please pray for them as they learn how to lead teams on Lifeline’s fields.

• Plans are underway for the 2015 work team season and many dates on the work team schedule are filled.  Please pray for the team leaders as they prepare their team to serve on the mission field.

• Pray for someone to step up to provide for our vehicle needs at the Navajo ministry: A new (used) diesel school bus is desperately needed and will be used to transport students to and from Red Sands Christian School and work teams.  We also need $1200 to repair the current van. Contact JD@Lifeline.org.

• Pray for safe travels for the upcoming MEET trip and those who are coming for the Children’s Home dedication in Haiti.

• Much-needed ABC food needs shipped to El Salvador.  Can you help?  Contact Bob@Lifeline.org.

ICOM (International Conference on Missions) is just around the corner!  Each year, ICOM is hosted in different cities, and we’re excited to have it in Lifeline’s backyard in Columbus, Ohio on November 13-16, 2014.

 

When you come to ICOM, be sure to visit our interactive display in the exhibit hall, which will allow you to experience aspects of the life of our kids in Haiti, Honduras, El Salvador, and the Navajo Nation in Arizona.  An additional area is focused on Lifeline’s history and how you can partner with future work to change lives.  Plus, the students involved with the student conference will also participate in a food packing event coordinated by Lifeline. 

 

If you’ve never attended ICOM, then you don’t want to miss it!   You’ll find all the details at theicom.org/conference.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Contentment in something we must learn.  It isn’t a trait we’re born with.  But the question is how?  In 1 Timothy 6 we find a couple of very practical answers to that question:

 

A current perspective on eternity: “For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either” (v. 7).

 

A simple acceptance of essentials: “And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content” (v. 8).

 

Both attitudes work beautifully…

 

You see, society’s plan of attack is to create dissatisfaction, to convince us that we must be in a constant pursuit for something “out there” that is sure to bring us happiness.  When you reduce that lie to its lowest level, it is saying that contentment is impossible without striving for more.

 

God’s Word offers the exact opposite advice:  Contentment is possible when we stop striving for more.  Contentment never comes from externals.  Never!

 

As a Greek sage once put it: “To whom little is not enough, nothing is enough.”

 

excerpt from The Finishing Touch by Charles Swindoll

In honor of Paul & Emily Bell, given by Karen Terry and David & Marylee Pound