Frontline Missions October Newsletter

SSIONS

Heart of Alan page 2

• Guyana pages 3 & 4

• Brazil pages 5 & 6

• Honduras

TO THE FRONTLINE

pages 7 & 8

• New staff member page 9

August

"Watergitters" page 1 0

• Cover photo: Pastor Marco of Roraima, Brazil.

Taken by Heidi Winter.

MESEF training MESEF training MESEF training

TBA

Alan and

TBA

Heidi

GUYANA - January: Alan Dogwood Church, Alan, Harry July: Dogwood Church, Harry July: Stjames Episcopal, Harry December

March:

church planting, training Lethum leadership planning clinics, children's home clinics, VBS

HONDURAS

Redeemer Lutheran, Alan Landmark ChrisLian School, Alan, Heidi, Harry July: Beulah Baptis~ Alan July: Sweetwater BaptisL,Alan

January: April:

clinics, construction clinics, evangelism, digging wells TBA TBA

staff

Christy Solly. staff writer Kate Sawtelle, staff writer Autumil Faulkner; editor Page 1

MESEF training

ECUADOR

•

Publication

BRAZIL March: Dogwood Church, Alan, Harry April: TBA May: TBA June: TBA July: Manno Church, Alan, Heidi

For detailed information

about this schedule, please visrt: www.fmusaorg.

FROM THE HEART OF ALAN line's efforts in Guyana, Brazil,

Genesis n 12, God gives

I

Abram a mandate.

"Go

and Honduras.

Our ultimate

goal is to empower men and

from your country," He

says, "and from your kindred and

women in those countries

your father's house to the land

come leaders in their own com-

that I will show you."

munities as Frontline works in

God isn't giving Abram a direct command,

to be-

the background.

however-instead,

Jose Pierra da Silva, a native

He makes a promise. 00 this, He

American

says, and you will be blessed, and

raima, Brazil, is an example of

all the peoples of the world will

this kind of leader.

be blessed through you.

provides Jose with support and

In 1995, this same promise of God's eternal faithfulness

in his forties from RoFrontline

training while he preaches the

led me

Word of God to hundreds.

Just

this year, he

and my wife

Inv I

our comfort-

,HI It

II or

able life, our

I 1 hll tell,h

(Ht

dependable

thu..,!' \'vhu

brllll)

t'l

Ill'tt

{"I

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teen churches

Isaiah 52:7

gLOns.

line over the years, thousands

to this kind of work, Front-

low the vision

line routinely Missions.

Since that day, the Lord has used Frontline American

to mobilize the

church in reaching the

unreacl,ed. In the following pages, you will be able to read about Front-

these church groups,

and through the efforts of Front-

home, to folFrontline

Through

in rural reIn addition

h'\\<'.

our church

of founding

Georgia, where they operate Frontline Missions out of a home office.

founded thir-

Heidi to leave

income, and

Alan and Heidi live in Fairburn,

have been shown the boundless love of Christ. Heidi and I, and everyone on the Frontline

team, feel incredi-

sends small teams of church

bly blessed to be a part of such

members to offer evangelistic

good work.

medical clinics and other services.

Our hope is that, as you read,

Such trips pave the way for Front-

you will be encouraged

line to build relationships

that your own prayers and gifts

these communities

within

and earn the

trust of the people living there.

to know

are a blessing to multitudes

of

people.

Harry Calsbeek, pictured with his wife Diane, has been a senior staff member at Frontline Missions since 2004. Harry is also a member of the group Watergitters, which is featured on page 10.

Page 2

GUYANA

Save--R-KidsChildren's Home: One Life at a Tilne Bv Christy Solly In 1995, in the infancy of Front-

only ones who dedicate time and

line Missions, Alan and Heidi led a

energy to the children's

medical missions team to Guyana.

Michael and Michiel Campbell

While there, a registered nurse named

with their five children at Save-R-

Pat jackson fell in love with the nu-

Kids and have become parents to

merous orphans the team ministered

the thirty orphans The Campbells,

roo That's how the dream for Save-RKids Children's

maintaining

Home was born.

home. live

under their roof. in addition

to

the home and its prop-

erty, work hard to make sure each

Eight years later, that dream became a reality when the government

child has an official birth certificate,

of Guyana gave sixteen acres of

medical records, and an education. The future of Save-R-Kids is

fenced land to Frontline in exchange

bright. There are plans for a second

for a promise to improve the land and operate a safe home for orphans.

trlt'l

Believing whole-heartedly

1.

in james

1:27, Alan personally guaranteed that

If"

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,

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Frontline, with God's help, could do

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home is going

transition to life on their own. This heartfelt,

Today, five years since its founding, the children's

for a "halfway house," where the children, upon reaching adultl100d, can

James

the work that needed to be done. continues

another fam-

ilyand more children, and also hopes

I

f I

house to accommodate

to passionately fight for

innovative

sion for God's children

pas-

has made

strong. With help from husband

the welfare of the orphans of

Save-R-Kids an effective and power-

Gilbert, Pat jackson works tirelessly

Guyana.

ful ministry, and Frontline

to raise funds for the facility, and

But Pat and Gilbert are not the

If you are interested in more information

re-

garding the children/s home or how you can support a child each month, please contact:

Pat Jackson 770.969.0127 Donna Shuford 770.251.5309 [email protected]

Page 3

hopes

for many more years of the same.

GUYANA

Pastor of Mahaiea By C:hri<;ty Solly

A man walked down the street and came upon a Christian, Hindu,

a

and a Muslim standing

to-

gether. The man was greeted by each of them as "pastor." Sounds like the beginning joke, doesn't

of a

it? Would you be sur-

prised to know that such a man truly exists? Such is the life of Fizul Hack, widely known the "Pastor of Mahaica." Fizul, a third-generation

Muslim

from Guyana, made a name for

Fizul Hack, the "PastaI' af Mahaica," gave up a promising career in baxing ta minister ta the pea pIe af Guyana. In particular, Fizul has a heart far thase af Muslim and Hindu faith.

himself as the Welter Weight Champion of the Caribbean He had ambitions,

in boxing.

service to the Lord and has earned

and all the po-

the respect of all who know him.

tential, to become the Welter

Mahaica, all who encounter

Weight Champion

they Christian,

But something

of the World.

happened

in the

In

him, be

Fizul met Jesus.

In Guyana, it is common a Thanksgiving

he

leadership.

He has made personal

sacrifices in order to continue

the

years ago. to host

Service when some-

thing great happens,

and discipled under his

work God put in his heart so many

Muslim, or Hindu,

greet him warmly as "Pastor."

1960s that changed his life foreverWhen he became a Christian,

groomed

whether the

Frontline partnership

is proud to work in with Fizul and help him

expand the work he is doing in

put down his boxing gloves, stopped

birth of a baby or the healing of a

fighting against men, and started

sickness. On these occasions, the

fighting for their souls.

Guyanese take time to stop and give

planting churches and raising up

sion was not a popular one. As the

thanks by hosting a meal and a serv-

leaders to carry the name of Jesus to

one and only Christian

ice in honor of the event.

underserved

His deciin his Mus-

Guyana. Pastor Fizul wishes to continue

In many

parts of Guyana.

But,

lim family, he faced rejection and

cases, the services over which Pastor

more than anything, he has a heart

persecution.

Fizul presides are attended

to reach out to those caught in the

But, always the fighter,

FiZld stood strong and marched ahead down the narrow way set before him by the Lord. Nearly fifty years later, Fizul

many non-Christians

by as

teachings of Islam and introduce

as believers.

In perhaps a greater testament

to

them to the true Messiah, the one

the respect he has earned for his

who can set them free and give

work in Guyana, much of the

them life abundant.

again has made a name for himself.

money given to his ministry is from

Only now, the name he proclaims

Muslims and Hindus to whom he

towards that goal and run towards

isn't his own, but the name of his

has ministered

the prize of the high calling given to

Savior.

of the pastors in the area have been

He has lived a faithful life of

over the years. Many

So he continues

each day to work

him as the Pastor of Mahaica. Page 4

BRAZIL

New training center cotnpleted for MESEF f:1y Harry C-lisbeek

In response to the ur-

Currently, the Indigenous Training

gent need to

Center is nearing completion. The

reach the many

site contains an office building,

remote villages of

church building, educational build-

Northern

ing, dormitory building, kitchen fa-

Brazil

cility, and a pastor's home.

in the State of Roraima, evangelist

The center will be fully opera-

Awan Chatarpal

tional when the kitchen and the

has been driven to

women's dorm are completed,

develop M ESEF

pending further donations

(Evangelical Missions

additional

from

faithful contributors.

Classes will begin February 1,

Without Borders), Frontline's sister or-

2009, attended by over 100

ganization in Brazil.

eager students.

Many of you are al-

The final phase of construction

ready familiar with

will be

M ESEF' s growtlL

a technical training

over the past few

center for woodworking and mechanics.

years.

After these facilities are

One of

fin ished, the training

MESEF's most

center will be complete.

vital functions will

MESEF's goal is to

be the recruitment and training of indigenous church leaders. These men and women will travel in the restricted lands of Brazil's native peoples in order to plant churches and spread tlLeGospel. After the state authorities' recent mandate that MESEF is henceforth responsible for the spiritual lives of all indigenous peoples of Roramia, those involved with MESEF were suddenly struck by the enormity of their task! Page 5

train people as

To equip

rapidly as possi-

groups effi-

ble and get

ciently,

them out in the

Awan envi-

field. Involving

sioned a cen-

indiginous

ter where

leaders in

leaders could

evangelism in

attend inten-

this area is

sive threemonth training sessions.

crucial, and the new training center makes this possible.

BRAZIL

Children's Outreach Center gives hope [)y

Kate ~h1\vtelle

In September, I had the opportunity

to visit

Brazil and see the work Frontline is doing there. One of the projects in which Frontline is investing is the Children's Outreach Center. This facility

1('

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is a place where underprivileged kids are able to es-

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belong"

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to kl'l,c,

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Isaiah 52:7

cape the harsh reality of their lives and receive love and kindness from complete strangers. I met some of the sweetest children there, and it

and receive a meal (which they ate eagerly and gra-

broke my heart to see the hand life had dealt them.

ciously). It amazes me how so little can mean so

But there is hope! God is coming through for them

much to them.

in big ways through Pastor Moises and his team.

It only takes $30 a month (about $1 each day) to

These dedicated servants take time from their own

provide one meal per day for one of these children.

families and money out of their own pockets to

For some of them, it may be the only meal they get.

help these children in need.

I am honored to have been able to meet and spend

I was impressed by the way the people in this group, who have so little themselves, gave so much to children they don't even know. It was exciting to watch the kids laugh and sing

time with the kids, Pastor Moises and his team. The people of Children's Outreach Center are truly doing God's work by providing these kids with fun, food, and the knowledge of God Himself. Page 6

HONDURAS

Ministering to Believers: Landmark Christiall School Bv, Christy, Soil", Proverbs 16:9 tells us, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps," and so it was for the Landmark Christian School Mission Team to Honduras

in April.

Stepping off the plane in San Pedro Sula, the team of 51 students, teachers, parents, and alumni had visions of revival and numerous versions.

con-

Many of the members had

been to Honduras

before and had

seen such events. But the Lord, it seemed, had different work in store. Nter two grueling days of travel (an international

flight, a bus trip, and fi-

nallya long trek up a mountain), the team arrived in the remote village of Agua Sarca. There they held medical

Members of the Landmark team and Watergitters (featured on page 70) hauled a 250-lb. water filter up a mountainside and over a river to provide the village of Agua Sarca with clean water.

of the Lord's love or presence. But in

and dental clinics, performed presen-

His unending

tations of the gospel in the afternoon,

sent a team from a little school in

and completed a much-needed project

Fairburn, Georgia, to demonstrate

to bring clean water to the village.

His love and meet their needs.

However, in comparison with pre-

faithfulness,

the Lord

Dr. Long reaffirmed that love to

vious trips, the number of people who

each of his paitents as they sat in his

accepted the Lord was relatively small.

dental chair, telling them, "We have

Luke 15 tells us that there is

come because God loves you and He

much rejoicing in heaven when even

sent us to take away your pain. Even

one comes to the Lord, but there

if it were only you, we still would have

was a feeling among the team mem-

come." Can you imagine hearing such

bers that they hadn't done enough.

words? What love the Lord has for us!

It wasn't until the team shared ex-

The Lord had a lesson for the

Dr. James Long of Newnan,

periences at the end of the trip that

team as well. Not all mission trips

God's plan became clear. In conver-

end in ecstatic revival or tremen-

was the job of the Landmark

sations with the pastor of the village,

dous life change.

in Agua Sarca.

Pastor Oscar, Alan discovered that al-

Sometimes

it is given to us to be

Georgia.

who do hard work in the field. That Team

They may never know how many

though Agua Sarca was a Christian

the ones on the front lines doing

lives will be changed because they

village, the people of the village were

the work. But sometimes,

brought love and refreshment

struggling, discouraged,

line's job to take care of the others

Page 7

and unsure

it's Front-

God's people in Agua Sarca.

to

HONDURAS

Healing the Lame: Peachtree Christian Fellowship l-3yChrisry , , Solly, In July, Frontline had the opportunity to take a team from Peachtree Christian

stretch the faith of the team members. Several of the students were

The team was introduced

Edith, a young girl in the village of Pacaya. She had been

Fellowship

to Honduras.

to

paralyzed for eight

This

team experienced the

years, could not speak

power of God in dra-

and did not like to be

matic ways!

touched. Several members of the team

Hebrews 2:3-4 says, "this salvation,

circled around her

which was first an-

and laid hands on

nounced by the Lord,

her in prayer. Other

was confirmed to us

members of the team

by those who heard

walked around the

Him. God also testi-

house and prayed.

fied to it by signs,

Her heart was so

wonders and various

moved that she

miracles, and gifts of

wouldn't let go of the

the Holy Spirit dis-

team members as

tributed according to

they were leaving. As the students

His will." We experienced

This young girl, named

this testimony of

power

God first hand while

team members.

in Honduras.

Edith, experienced

the Lord's healing

after she was prayed for by Peachtree

Christian

completely healed Edith and she got up and ran to the next

Not

only did God choose to work mira-

challenged and strengthened

cles in the lives of the people of

saw the Lord work miracles-

Honduras,

through them!

but He also chose to

Fellowship

left her house, God

as they

hut! The story of Edith is only a taste of what God did in and through the Peachtree Christian Fellowship Team and Frontline. In nine days of ministry, the team saw over 100 people healed and at least 27 people accept Christ-praise God for His faithfulness! If you would like to see a more detailed list of all the miracles God performed during this trip, please visit the Frontline webpage (www.fmusa.org)

and read the blog. Page 8

Luis Chavarria joins Frontline hv Autuilln

1-,llIlkner

Soon after he married his wife

while Luis was working in these dis-

electrical engineer, and has already

Karen (pictured below), Luis

aster areas that he met Alan of

led eight Frontline

Chavarria

Frontline

term trips. He will join Frontline

began to feel jealous of

Missions. This encounter,

teams on short-

the "crazy" people she was always

and other meetings during subse-

full-time in January and continue

spending

quent Frontline

leading groups into Central and

time with. So one night,

he decided he was going to see what this church stuff was all about.

trips to Honduras,

sparked a three-year partnership.

South America.

Luis again heard God's call to

Luis has been married to his wife

move, and this time he felt led to

Karen for 25 years, and has two chil-

Karen, Luis had a powerful en-

bring his family to Atlanta and

dren: Joshua, 23, and Andrea,

counter with the Lord.

begin planting

At the service he attended

Although

with

Luis finished his

course of study in engineering

and

company in his native Costa Rica, he could not shake the conviction that he was called to ministry. So he attended seminary, eventually left his job, and worked at his home church for some time before he planted another church on his own. This passion for evangelism eventually led to his decision to leave Costa Rica and move his family to Honduras in order to become a missionary. Two months after this move, Mitch devastated

of Honduras' Page 9

many

poorer regions. It was

Currently

Luis is working at First

Baptist Church

Frontline

is thrilled to have Luis

as a team member, and we are grate-

the metro area.

acquired a very good position with a

Hurricane

Hispanic churches in

21.

of Atlanta as an

ful to God for his passion and enthusiasm.

Clean water ministry saves lives

t1v Christv Soli" :

,

:

The following are some statistics that may astonish you: - "Over 1 billion people worldwide have no access to safe drinking water." -"Each year, an estimated 4 billion episodes of diarrhea result in an estimated 2 million deaths, mostly among children. Waterborne

bacterial infections may ac-

count for as many as half of these episodes and deaths." These figures (provided by www.ede.gov) are shocking in a day and country where we can access clean drinking water from a number of taps within our own homes. Every day, we bathe in, cook with, and drink water that has rarely, if ever, presented any real danger to our health. In a country like ours, it's hard to believe there

---~_-_-_-I_-.·~-

are people all around the globe who are dying because they lack what we take for granted-clean

drinking water. >\(I

In 2006, five men came together and decided to do

li!I,

something. Jay Knight, Neil Parker, AI Hogan, Rick

\\dllld\\lclt' I d ( ell' 'lki lb \\ ~llpr

JI, Pf'(ll)

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1

www.cdc.gov

Sewell, and Harry Calsbeek traveled to North Carolina to learn how to drill wells. Together, they formed an organization they called "Watergitters." These men clothe themselves in the four tenets of Service, Humility, Integrity and

bed of rock. Although

they only got ten feet into the

Urgency. They reach out in sacrificial service, realizing they

ground during two full days of drilling, they did not

are "better off" but not "better than" those they serve.

lose heart. During the time the drill was barely moving,

In 2007, Watergitters Frontline

traveled to Honduras

Missions and Landmark

had their first opportunity

Christian

they reached out to the people of the village and

with School and

showed them God's love in other ways. In that village, nine children accepted Christ as their Savior!

to "git" water. They went

And God did not leave them wanting. Even though the

first to the village of Maloa and were able to successfully complete a well in two days! Because of these men, a vil-

well could not be completed, they were able to install bio-

lage has access to clean water. The people of Maloa will

sand filters to provide clean water. But it was even better

see a decrease in sickness and absence from work and

that they planted seeds of hope in young hearts that there is

school because they no longer have to drink water con-

a God who loves them and sent these men to care for them.

taminated

by animals or people.

Working in partnership

Perhaps the most exciting thing about Watergitters

is

with Frontline

tergitters has had the opportunity

Missions, Wa-

to travel twice to Hon-

their passion to reach people for the Lord. They took to

duras, and more trips are being planned. These men

heart when the Lord said in Matthew 25:35,40:

travel to unreached

"I was thirsty and you gave me something

to drink ...

places in order to provide access to

physical water, but more importantly,

access to the Liv-

whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers

ing Water. We can't wait to see what God is going to do

of mine, you did for Me."

through this partnership

During their second attempt at digging a well in another Honduran

village, they ran into an impenetrable

for many years to come!

If you'd like to be part of what Watergitters

is doing,

please contact Jay Knight at 770.527.0323 Page 10

therefore , and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and 10, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28: /9-20

5600 Short Road, Fairburn, Georgia Contact:

770.774.0641

www.fmusa.org

• [email protected]