missionaries need prayers

ASA (missions) NEWSLETTER

© 2007 Jo DiStefano Kapus February 23, 2007

SUNDAY'S GUEST Alan Bender, 60, will be the guest this Sunday, February 25, at 2 p.m., on station WIBG, 1020AM radio dial. A former electrician, Alan, who hails from Philadelphia, dedicated his life to the Lord shortly after the loss of six beloved members of his family. For the past four years, he has committed his life to evangelize overseas. He first appeared on America's Silent Ambassadors on October 2, 2005, when he spoke about his trips to various countries in South America, etc.

Under the umbrella of Champions for Life, Alan has also continued his prison ministry overseas. (Over the years, he has ministered in 160 prisons, bringing the Word of God to hundreds of prisoners, calling it his "motorcycle ministry" here in the States.)

This Sunday, Alan will speak about his trip last month to Ecuador, in northwestern South America. Alan gives a vivid account of this trip, particularly in the dense rain forest area where Steve Saint's father, Nate Saint ("End of the Spear") was one of the five missionaries martyred on January 8, 1956.

Three days after recording this latest broadcast, Alan left for Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic to continue his work in evangelism.

YOUR PRAYERS ARE REQUESTED Please continue to pray for the 17-member Tower of Hope mission team in Uganda as they continue to evangelize and conduct free clinic/pharmacy visits to local churches and schools there. They are also helping to build a facility for hundreds of homeless children.

Also, please continue to pray for Les and Yvonne Parr. This is their first year as full-time missionaries in Rwanda, a country devastated by war, genocide, poverty, AIDS and broken lives. They recently wrote: "God keeps confirming to us we are to continue to love the people of Rwanda and to desire to live a simple life with them, keeping our eyes and ears open for what God would have us do in these lives." I was touched by the account they gave when they recently took out bubbles at recreation time for very young children. The Parrs thought there would be a riot! Children who never saw a bubble before screamed wildly as they tried chasing them. The game had to be stopped so the kids wouldn't trample each other.

Last, but not least, please pray for Mike and Dottie Clark as they travel through southern states, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, etc., visiting groups and churches for partners in their ministry. They are the founders (in 1989) and directors of Casa Para Niños Aleluya, a home for hundreds of homeless, abused and neglected children in Guatemala. It has to be difficult for the Clarks, who are now in their 60s, to visit older family members only once every two years here in the States. Please pray for safe journey mercies for them and that the Lord will bless their efforts to continue their work.

"Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." -- Matt. 19:14

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ASA (missions) NEWSLETTER

© 2007 Jo DiStefano Kapus February 16, 2007

SUNDAY'S GUEST Trish Cohen, of Guatemalan Mission Outreach (GMO), in Panimaquin, Guatemala, will be the guest this Sunday, February 18, at 2 p.m., on station WIBG, 1020AM radio dial. A retired registered nurse, Trish and her husband, Bernard, a building contractor, were widowed (both hail from Pennsylvania) when they married in later life, moved to Florida where they served in home ministry, and ended up in the tiny mountaintop village of Panimaquin where they served as missionaries from 1996. With Sarah, now age 4, a Mayan Indian girl they adopted as a brand new infant, they "retired" to Florida at the end of last year.

Actually, the Cohens are far from retired. Trish gives a vivid account of their work in the village -- how they grew from a one-room church to a compound with a fellowship hall, kitchen, school, factory, soccer field, etc., and a well that provides water for the entire village! She and Bernard plan to follow up on the work they began, with Bernard leading short-term mission teams there several times a year. A retired pastor friend, who has been leading mission teams there, will continue to do so, also. Trish is excited that in addition they have planned for a retired Guatemalan doctor to conduct a clinic in the village each month. The Cohens have also begun on plans for a ministry in Florida. Praise!

Remember: You can listen to the program simultaneously online at www.wibg.com

VISITING MISSIONARIES John and Sharon Harvey, of ASELSI Missions in Guatemala, Mexico and Ecuador, will be in the area next month. Friends of Gospel Outbound and ASELSI are invited to attend a reception for them on Friday, March 9, at 7 p.m. at the home of Bob and Roni Breunig, 20 Tyler Road, Greenfield, NJ. Please RSVP before March 5 to Lilo Hawn at 609/926-4538 to let her know how many will be attending. If no answer, kindly leave a message.

YOUR PRAYERS ARE REQUESTED A Tower of Hope Team of 17 members, including three nurses, left this week for Uganda, Africa, to evangelize and conduct free clinic/pharmacy visits to local churches and schools and to help build a clinic facility for 800 homeless children.

Greentree's Linda Swartz, R.N., has asked for prayer that the clinics go smoothly --"we'll be living out of boxes of medicine". This is the first time Linda will be conducting a clinic in Uganda, and will be depending heavily on what she learned from Sharon Harvey while in Guatemala. Hey, she had a good teacher!

Added Linda, "Please pray that we have enough needed medication and that we are able to attend to all the people who come to us. We will be going to different villages and homeless areas."

APPLAUSE! to Gospel Outbound for its generous support for the above effort!

From "Over the Next Hill & Still Rolling": Grandchildren don't make a man feel old; it's the knowledge that he's married to a grandmother.

ASA (missions) NEWSLETTER

© 2007 Jo DiStefano Kapus February 16, 2007

SUNDAY'S GUEST Trish Cohen, of Guatemalan Mission Outreach (GMO), in Panimaquin, Guatemala, will be the guest this Sunday, February 18, at 2 p.m., on station WIBG, 1020AM radio dial. A retired registered nurse, Trish and her husband, Bernard, a building contractor, were widowed (both hail from Pennsylvania) when they married in later life, moved to Florida where they served in home ministry, and ended up in the tiny mountaintop village of Panimaquin where they served as missionaries from 1996. With Sarah, now age 4, a Mayan Indian girl they adopted as a brand new infant, they "retired" to Florida at the end of last year.

Actually, the Cohens are far from retired. Trish gives a vivid account of their work in the village -- how they grew from a one-room church to a compound with a fellowship hall, kitchen, school, factory, soccer field, etc., and a well that provides water for the entire village! She and Bernard plan to follow up on the work they began, with Bernard leading short-term mission teams there several times a year. A retired pastor friend, who has been leading mission teams there, will continue to do so, also. Trish is excited that in addition they have planned for a retired Guatemalan doctor to conduct a clinic in the village each month. The Cohens have also begun on plans for a ministry in Florida. Praise!

Remember: You can listen to the program simultaneously online at www.wibg.com

VISITING MISSIONARIES John and Sharon Harvey, of ASELSI Missions in Guatemala, Mexico and Ecuador, will be in the area next month. Friends of Gospel Outbound and ASELSI are invited to attend a reception for them on Friday, March 9, at 7 p.m. at the home of Bob and Roni Breunig, 20 Tyler Road, Greenfield, NJ. Please RSVP before March 5 to Lilo Hawn at 609/926-4538 to let her know how many will be attending. If no answer, kindly leave a message.

YOUR PRAYERS ARE REQUESTED A Tower of Hope Team of 17 members, including three nurses, left this week for Uganda, Africa, to evangelize and conduct free clinic/pharmacy visits to local churches and schools and to help build a clinic facility for 800 homeless children.

Greentree's Linda Swartz, R.N., has asked for prayer that the clinics go smoothly --"we'll be living out of boxes of medicine". This is the first time Linda will be conducting a clinic in Uganda, and will be depending heavily on what she learned from Sharon Harvey while in Guatemala. Hey, she had a good teacher!

Added Linda, "Please pray that we have enough needed medication and that we are able to attend to all the people who come to us. We will be going to different villages and homeless areas."

APPLAUSE! to Gospel Outbound for its generous support for the above effort!

From "Over the Next Hill & Still Rolling": Grandchildren don't make a man feel old; it's the knowledge that he's married to a grandmother.

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ASA (missions) NEWSLETTER

© 2007 Jo DiStefano Kapus February 9, 2007

PRAISE THE LORD! As a result of WIBG's new programming expansion, America's Silent Ambassadors is touching new listeners' hearts and renewing their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This from Rick Brancadora, WIBG's General Manager, in an inspiring e-mail last Monday. Rick has often heard me say that were it not for him and the opportunity he has given us, the "man in the street" would never hear first-hand what ordinary people do in obedience to God's Word to spread the Gospel. Praise!

SUNDAY'S GUEST Pastor Andrew P. Surace, founder and senior pastor of Covenant Life Christian Fellowship in Seaville, NJ, will be the guest on America's Silent Ambassadors this Sunday, February 11, at 2 p.m., on station WIBG, 1020AM radio dial. Pastor Andy is a graduate of Valley Forge Christian College and is ordained with MorningStar Ministries.

This will be another program focused on home missions outreach, and Pastor Andy has been very busy! Hear about his passion for church planting, and how those who attend Covenant Life are a family, rather than a congregation. Interesting, too, is his explanation of the difference between a spirit-filled church and a charismatic one. He is the author of two weekly devotionals, "Power Points from the Word" and "Stepping Stones Along the Path of Life," published in 2004 and 2005, respectively, by MorningStar Publications. A third publication is currently in the works.

Remember, you can listen online at: www.wibg.com

VISITING MISSIONARIES John and Sharon Harvey, Directors of ASELSI (Asociacion "Equipando a los Santos" Internacional) or [Equipping the Saints International] Ministries in El Quiché, Guatemala, plan to visit New Jersey in March. John heads the educational branches of ASELSI, and Sharon, an RN, runs the clinic/pharmacy at ASELSI. To date, they have sent more than 480 students, who have graduated from their course, to be pastors/leaders in their own village churches and communities. Sharon's clinic, through her milk program, has saved hundreds of babies whose lives were at risk from malnutrition. They are praying for new partners to help them with the growth and vision they have to disciple the nations. Visit them at their website: ASELSI.org

If you would like to have the Harveys visit your church, ask your pastors about it. If they wish, they can contact them directly by e-mail at jharvey@itelgua.com

PLEASE PRAY for safe journey mercies for Pastor Kyle Huber and Jeff Galupo, of Greentree Church, who are scheduled to come home today. In his final e-mail from Belarus, Pastor Kyle wrote, "...This has definitely been my best trip." Praise!

Also, please pray for Lisa Whitaker, YWAM missionary, whose mother, Doris, went back to the hospital while Lisa was still on furlough. Doris was to be transferred to Absecon Manor for rehab. Lisa wrote that she would try to get to Sarajevo to tend to some details and hopes to return home to be with Mom before her next trip to the mission field in May. Pray for wisdom and strength as Lisa makes decisions in light of her Mom's health.

P.S. With her heart dedicated to serving our Lord, our own Jill Mascena, RN, is doing health screenings at a Hispanic church in Vineland. Please pray for the Lord's leading.

THE LORD CONTINUALLY BLESS YOU

Dear brothers and sisters,

I just had to share this good news from the owner of the WIBG radio station with you, with my deepest gratitude for your faithful support and encouragement. What a blessing you have been! All In His Love and for His Glory -- Jo

----- Original Message -----

From: Rick Brancadora

To: supak@worldnet.att.net

Sent: Monday, February 05, 2007 9:59 PM

Subject: THE LORD CONTINUALLY BLESS YOU

Dearest Jo:

Greetings to you in the name and for the sake of our Wonderful Lord Jesus Christ! Just a note to let you know what a blessing your program continues to be. Your program last week was especially meaningful with tremendous strength in the Word. And I absolutely loved the message and testimony from Rebecca Glancey. What glory.. Glory to God! Thanks for partnering with us. Your program is such an uplift. I have had scores of people, INCLUDING SEVERAL HIGH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS tell me that while they were drawn to WIBG1020 because of Harry Hurley, they stay throughout the day, and several have indicated their renewed faith as a result of our programs, including yours!!!!! Now that is putting legs on the Gospel! The Lord is using this ministry, Harry as the hook, but ever so many folks coming to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ because of America's Silent Ambassadors.

Breaking through the glass ceiling, albeit sometimes in a religious garb, and being real with people, has far greater impact for the Kingdom, and you are living proof!.. Thanks for being with us. I realize now that the Lords timing was perfect. You indeed, are such a blessing to the more than 1 million listeners on air and on line, and the Sunday afternoon block numbers are very healthy as well. If you will, please provide for me a clean photo of yourself as we are preparing a series of external promotions, including TV spots and magazine ads.

The Lord continually bless you

Rick Brancadora

General Manager/Broadcast Licensee

WIBG1020 LifeRadio

latest missions ASA news

ASA (missions) NEWSLETTER

© Jo DiStefano Kapus February 2, 2007

VISITING MISSIONARIES The following missionary couples have planned to be in the States, beginning in February, visiting churches and groups in an effort to enlist the aid of more partners in ministry with them:

Bernard and Trish Cohen, of G.M.O., Guatemala, are recently "retired" in Florida, but still active in G.M.O. Bernard plans to lead several short-term mission teams to G.M.O. in Panimaquin each year. In addition, he and Trish are waiting on the Lord to lead them into a ministry in Florida. They will be in New Jersey Monday, February 5, while visiting eastern states.

Mike and Dottie Clark, of Casa Para Niños Aleluya in Guatemala, just arrived in Louisiana and will be visiting southern states. Mike reported that the past four months have been extremely stressful for them, outfitting hundreds of children for school, renovating dorms, replacing faulty equipment, etc.

T. M. and Rebecca Onkar, of Faith Calvary Ministry in Gujarat, India, plan to be in the States from February to May. They are expecting their third child in March. In India, they conduct a pastoral support program, supervise schools, churches, a Bible college and children's home.

Sunday's Guest Reverend Heather Stemberg, Pastor of Reformation Lutheran Church in Galloway Township, will be the guest missionary on America's Silent Ambassadors this Sunday, February 4, at 2 p.m., on station WIBG, 1020AM radio dial. This will be a repeat of Reverend Stemberg's November 5, 2006 ASA program, wherein she describes her experiences in Namibia, in southwestern Africa, where she taught English to high school boys and girls from 1998 to 2000. Well informed and articulate, she provides much encouragement to those looking forward to serving in Africa.

SHORT-TERM MISSIONARIES ABROAD

Pastor Kyle Huber and Jeff Galupo, of Greentree Church, are currently in Belarus where Pastor Kyle has been teaching at the Minsk Bible College and Jeff has been assisting him with Small Group Conferences. E-mails from Pastor Kyle have been filled with information of their crowded daily schedules.

Tower of Hope Team plans to leave this month for Uganda, Africa. More about this will appear in later newsletters.

PLEASE PRAY for Les and Yvonne Parr, who, for the past ten months have been serving in Rwanda, Africa, under the umbrella of Elim Fellowship International Ministries in Lima, New York. (They appeared on ASA on November 20, 2005.) In a recent e-mail, Yvonne wrote: ..."A man came to the house to tell us how God moved in his heart. He said he was ready to forgive the people who killed his two children during the genocide. He and his wife survived but his children did not. What made it more difficult is, his neighbor is the one who killed them and he sees his neighbor everyday. He sees the children of his neighbor living and growing and they were the same age as his children. He now has four more children, but it is still difficult because he knew his children were killed by this person. ...The man knelt for prayer for God to help him forgive. ...How do you pray a prayer like this?..." Les and Yvonne are being used mightily by the Lord. Please pray for them.