This Week In Short Term:

Haiti:

We have a team of 6 in Port-au-Prince finishing a Homes For Haiti project until October 16.

We have a team of 6 going into Port-au-Prince October 15-23 to build a house with the Homes For Haiti project.

We have a team of 3 going to Mirabelais October 18-26 to work on a downlink site for Radio 4VEH.

We have a team of 11 from Columbus, IN going into Cap Haitian October 19-26 to do evangelism and radio distribution.

Weekly Update

This past week went by way too fast.  All week, my parents were in town, and we had a blast showing them around town, headquarters, and sharing baby time with them.  Ali is discovering how to laugh recently and she has been much more expressive.  It's been a hoot to see her interact with people.  Thank you for your prayers concerning my parents saftey and health.  Both of them got back home safely yesterday, and beside the incident I already mentioned in a previous post, both left perfectly healthy.

We had the chance this past Saturday to go to a open house where Brie is teaching.  It was hosted by the Student Nursing Association, and it was really neat to see all the professors and staff she interacts with. 

This past Sunday we went to Common Ground Church and they were talking about their strategy for staying effective in reaching the community of Indianapolis and being a biblical model of a church.  Rather than growing larger and become less intimate, we are going to grow smaller by spreading out and develop more churches, so we can be more intimate and effective sharing the love of Christ with those we live around in our community.  To many this doesn't make sense.  At first, it took me a little while to understand, but now I do and I can't wait to see the results.

This week, please pray that Brie and I would find time for each other, pray that we would find time to be in the Word, and that we would be delibrate in the conversations we have with our co-workers and sphere of influence.

God Bless!

Brent, Briyana, and Aliyana

TWIST

This Week In Short Term:

Haiti:

We have a work team of 6 in Cap Haitian, Haiti September 10 - October 5. This team is a family from Nebraska who is working at our medical clinic.  Please pray for their safe travel and transition back into U.S. culture.  Pray that in the coming weeks they will be able to digest what they saw God do overseas, and hear what the Lord wanted to teach them.

We have a team of 6 going to Port-au-Prince, Haiti October 3-10 to work on a Homes For Haiti project. 

2011 U.S. Ministry Team Summary

As of September 30, 2011 Men For Missions has helped lead 77 teams to 12 countries with 529 people participating.  Countries include Bulgaria, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Russia, Rwanda, Thailand, and Ukraine.

We estimate that we still have another 15 teams and nearly 100 more participants going out into the world before years end. 



Statistics don't mean a lot, but they sure help an individual see how God is working throughout the world.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!

Brent, Briyana, and Aliyana

Urgent Prayer Request from Haiti

Friends,
The note below is about the Haitian doctor who runs Bethesda Medical Clinic on the OMS missionary campus near Cap Haitian, Haiti.
Please pray for Dr. Rodney and his family during this time.

Dear Haiti friends,

Early last Friday morning Dr. Rodney Baptiste was taken to Milot Hospital with
severe abdominal pains. Sunday morning they performed surgery to remove his
appendix which had ruptured. He is in very serious condition.

Dr. Rodney is the administrator and primary doctor of the Bethesda Medical
Clinic at Vaudreuil.

Pray also for his wife, Vedane, his three small children and extended
family during this crisis.

Ecuador Medical Team Update

Here is a quick note I received about our team that just got back from a medical trip to Ecuador:

Greeting from Ecuador!

Thank you so much for the prayers these past two weeks and more.  The medical team in Susudel went very well, many were helped physically and spiritually.  We were a great team composed of four practitioners, Dr. Douce, Dr. Kime, Anaclare and Lila, both nurse practitioners.  The nurses from the Indiana Wesleyan bachelor program were a great encouragement to us all as they helped in so many ways.  The people we served work mostly in making bricks or in agriculture.  One way we could really help them was by cleaning out ears.  All ages were found to have ears packed with all kinds of "gunk".  The nurses carefully cleaned them and they were able to help so many hear better.  Nancy Kime fitted about 140 people with reading glasses.  Many couldn’t read but were so grateful for glasses to do daily tasks.   We treated a lot of elderly people who haven’t seen a doctor in years.  We saw pastor Nevio’s father who is 99 years old and in pretty good health!  The team brought more toothbrushes than we could even distribute which made me happy.  One man with terrible teeth said he never had his own toothbrush.  It was maybe a little too late for him but some of the younger people were very thankful.

People from the church were encouraged by the evangelism and outreach to unsaved neighbors and we need to pray that they will attend the church and receive Christ as Savior.  Pray for pastor Carlos and others at the church as they do follow up.

We traveled up to Quito to see the team off and also to attend the 34^th anniversary of the Ecuadorian Association of Churches celebrated in the central district which is Quito and surrounding cities and villages.  The church in Yachil was the host church this year.  They shared about the intense persecution against the gospel in the 80's and 90's.  Now the church is strong and growing.  The visiting churches presented songs, dances, and dramas.  Here are a few pictures. 

One special blessing and testimony was the participation of a family from Puyo who are indigenous Shuar people.  The husband was a witch doctor and drunk, but he came to know Jesus only about a month ago!  He and his family sang new songs they have learned about Jesus and testified about how He had transformed their lives.  PRAY THAT THEY WILL REMAIN STRONG AND GROWING IN FAITH.

Have a great week as you follow Him.

Brent, Briyana, and Aliyana

Weekly Update

Last week, I thought this week would never come.  It reminds me of the ol'saying, "A watched pot never boils."  Like watching a pot in the kitchen, I was counting down the days until my parents came to visit.  They will be in town all week, and it's been a lot of fun seeing them interact with their grandchild and showing them how OMS and MFM are able to be so successful in our ministries from headquarters.  Please keep my father in your prayers while he is here in Indiana.  This morning he fell in our house and has a large bump on his forehead where he hit the floor.  We are praying that this incident would be the only one he has while here and that he becomes more stable on his feet.

We wanted to thank each and everyone of you that has been praying for us to find a home church.  We visited Common Ground Church yesterday and were very impressed.  It felt right at home and we are eager to go back next week. 

To God Be The Glory!

Brent, Briyana, and Aliyana

TWIST

This Week In Short Term:

Haiti:

We have a work team of 6 going into Cap Haitian, Haiti September 10 - October 5.  This team is a family from Nebraska who is working at our medical clinic. 

We have a work team of 6 going into Cap Haitian, Haiti September 24 - October 1.

Shhhh, I'm hunting for churches

Our Family has been in the Greenwood, Indiana for a little over a month now.  So far we have visited a handful of churches, but we still haven't found our "home" church.  We never thought it would be this difficult.  Never fear, we are visiting another church this coming Sunday. 

We know how important finding a church is, and we hope to find one soon, but we also know that God is guiding our path and He will guide us to the correct church (hopefully sooner than later.)

Life here is beginning to settle down.  We are basically unpacked and we are beginning to form our routines.  Briyana started working her 12 hour shifts at the hospital today and "JuneBug" is enjoying Parent's Day Out more and more.  With Routine comes busyness and stresses.  Please pray that we would find a happy medium of busyness and relaxation.

Thank you for all your support and prayers!

Brent, Briyana, and Aliyana

TWIST

This Week In Short Term:
Haiti:

We have a work team of 6 going into Cap Haitian, Haiti September 10 - October 5.

We have a work team of 6 going into Cap Haitian, Haiti September 24 - October 1.

Ecuador:

We have a medical team of 16 in Susudel, Ecuador September 16-25.

Rwanda:We have a team of 3 going to Kigali, Rwanda September 9-29 to provide literacy training.