We received news this morning that last night, fire swept through the sanctuary and other parts of the building at the New Baptist Temple in Brooklyn.  We do not have anymore details at this point – as we receive news, we will try to update you via this blog, but if you have access to Facebook, go to this site recently set up for all the prayer supporters of these dynamic ministries.  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124998194210576

We want to pray specifically for Pastors Raymond Ramos, Edwin Colon and Gus Rodriguez and their families and the combined congregations of the many Recovery Houses of Worship in the metropolitan area.  When it is time to rally the troops into action, we will let you know!!

Praise be to God!

Rick Myers – rick@beyondpartnership.org

Good Morning Friends,

Greetings from the Houston Airport on my way to Nicaragua to host a group from San Jose, California.

Several years ago the Guatemalan church leaders came to me with a huge concern.  Many of the pastors (most) were not able to send their kids to school after elementary school.  The equivalent to public middle school and high school in Guatemala cost money.  Most of the pastors simply do not have the funds to send their kids.   Even in elementary school, the kids were not getting an education in the very poor schools.  An average class for the poor is between 40-60 kids with one teacher and no teacher’s aides.

The Guatemalan church leaders ask if there was some way that we could help the pastors with the education of their children.  We started a program to help.  Twice a year (the beginning of each semester) each pastor received $125 to pay for the registration, fees, and school supplies (the schools provide no supplies) for each of their children.  It has been an incredible help and motivation for the pastors as they see others concerned and caring for them.

Families from here partner with the kids in Guatemala and their families. The Guatemala association sends us updates and we send them to the partners.  It is like child sponsorship but different.  The money does not go to run a program that the kids are part of.  The money goes through the church leaders and then to directly to the families.  The church leaders make sure the money is spent on education as they oversee the pastors.

I asked Victoria to write about one of the families to give you an idea of the needs.

The pastors of Misíon a las Americas–Guatemala work in the ministry by faith. What does living by faith mean? It means they don’t have a stable income—they depend on a special offering the people give each month for the pastor’s salary. The churches are poor and the members can’t give regularly for many reasons.

Hermano Elvis is one of the pastors. He has three beautiful children: Elvis Jr, he plays the drums at church and now is learning to play keyboard; Ricardito is going to start learning to play the drums; and, Jenifer, she loves to sing. Pastor Elvis and his wife, Hermana Sandra, are so devoted to the church in San Luis Buena Vista 2. These servants of God are always giving back. I have had the privilege to work with teams at their church and Hermana Sandra gives of all she has to make us feel comfortable.

One of the ways Beyond Partnership helps pastors in Guatemala is through a special fund to provide the cost of education for pastor’s kids in the association. I am so happy that Pastor Elvis is able to send his kids to school through our Pastor’s Kids Fund. This fund takes away some of their worry by providing an education for their children. One of the ways you can help these pastors to survive is by providing financially for their children’s education through the Pastor’s Kids Fund. Please consider this opportunity to bless a pastor’s family by providing for the education of their children.  Victoria de La Cruz

The cost is $250 a year. If you are interested, please let me know and we will get you more information.  If God leads you to help, we will send you a picture of the child and a little about them.  We will send updates and you will have the opportunity to communicate with them.

Beyond Partnership is committed to working through churches and this is great way to do that.

Thank you for your prayers and concerns.

In His Love,

Steve

It is an exciting time in life and ministry of Beyond Partnership. Thank you for your past financial support—and more importantly—your prayer support. As you may know, we are transitioning from our former umbrella organization, Missions Door, to become our own independent mission. This transition will officially be complete on June 1 of this year. Please do not send any future donations to Missions Door, whether by check, credit card or by automatic Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Missions Door will no longer be receiving donations for us after the separation. You may have already received a letter from Missions Door about this. If you are making electronic transfers (EFT) through Missions Door, you will need to contact Missions Door at 303.308.1818 or Finance@MissionsDoor.org to discontinue your electronic transfers.

As you continue to support us financially, you may do so by either one of two methods. The first is to send a check as you may have already been doing, just making the check out to Beyond Partnership, and sending it to Beyond Partnership, PO Box 5180, Sacramento, CA 95817-0180.

Or if you want to make an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or use your credit card, go to our website, www.beyondpartnership.org and make your donations through our secure online service. On the home page, just go to Online Giving in the upper right-hand corner, and then follow the easy directions. You may choose to make a special, one-time donation or a recurring one as well, such as once a month, quarter or year. Whichever method you choose, you will promptly receive a receipt from Beyond Partnership for your tax deductible donation which you should keep in your records.

If you haven’t been a donor up to this point, please prayerfully consider supporting one of our missionaries, ministries or projects. It’s easy to start your giving online.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and financial support. We pray for you often, and ask that the Lord will continue to bless you and fill you. Your love for us is very encouraging, and allows us to go on loving others and tell them how good our God is.

A group of 20 medical personnel and volunteers just returned from a great experience of helping people in need in three communities near Somotillo, one of the poorest areas in Nicaragua.  People came from up to 5 ½ hours away walking to be able to see a doctor.  They went away not only with the appropriate medicine, but also having received the dignity of being heard and loved by someone who cared.  Many received counseling and prayer to address personal and spiritual needs as well.  They also had the opportunity to hear the Gospel in love.  In total, about 1,700 people were attended in a span of 5 days of clinics. 

The most exciting part, however, is the fact that we were there working as servants through the Nicaraguan Conservative Baptist Church Association, which had already been meeting with people in these areas, planting spiritual seeds.  Now, they have many more contacts and invitations to houses in these three villages as well as many of the surrounding villages where there are no churches.  The ministry was used as a catalyst to exponentially expand the ministry in this remote part of the country, and the harvest is ready.  There are several trained leaders in the ministry ready to go to reap the harvest.  Please pray that God will provide the resources to send them and provide what is necessary for the ministry.  Pray for the community leaders of San Ramon, who God has already used to impact the community for good, so that they can know the full joy of knowing Christ. 

One of the communities we worked in was called Bonete, where the Nicaraguan ministry already has plans to invest in economic development projects to provide a church, clean water and sanitation to start, and also agricultural training and housing in the future.

If you would like to help support the Nicaraguan ministry to send ministers to this area or with the economic development projects, please go to the online giving tab on the home page, and follow the directions, choosing to give to Nicaraguan ministry option.  Please let me know if you would like further info on the trip, the Nicaraguan ministry, or if you would be interested in a future medical mission.

Mike Najjar

mike@beyondpartnership.org