NTP MTW Report, February, 2009

MTW MISSIONARIES
FROM NORTH TEXAS PRESBYTERY

February, 2009 Report

Rick & Pam Box #010519 Bogotá, Colombia

Christ Presbyterian, Flower Mound

Rick is working with the Colombian leaders in churches and church plants in four major cities of Colombia. He and his wife, Pam, are working with the growing reformed Presbyterian Church in Colombia, South America. While the primary task is church-based training of Presbyterian pastors and elders (through church planting), ministry opportunities extend far beyond to other evangelical churches and leaders who are hungry for the Word of God.
rbox@mtwsa.org pamelajbox@yahoo.com

Andrew & Rebecca Bronson #010731 Thailand
Park Cities, Dallas

They are in their first year of seminary work at Covenant in St Louis. Andrew is working part-time for MTW while in school, continuing to support the work of MTW Thailand from the States assisting in fund-raising and administration.
bronsons@mtwthailand.org www.mtwthailand.org

Ruth Dinkins #011718 Brazil

Christ Presbyterian, Tulsa

“Our new school year begins March 2nd. I will have 4 classes with the 1st year, 2 with the 2nd year and will be adding an elective English class for those interested in translation, and 1-2 flute classes. We have a saying in Brazil, "He who has one eye is a king in the land of the blind". I do play the flute and the Bible Institute has 3 flutes and there are some students interested in learning. So... here I go... to pass on what I know.”

dinkinsmr@hotmail.com

Peter Dishman #011731 RUF-UNAM, Mexico City MTW/RUM

Town North, Richardson

“We have just completed the first week of classes at the UNAM, and our large group and small groups will begin next week! Pray for the group to grow in strength and numbers this semester, for a location for the ministry to call home, and for university students in our ministry to grow in love for Christ and his church. Pray for intern Jared Weatherholtz as he completes his internship this semester, prepares to get married shortly thereafter, and looks longer term to returning to Mexico.”

pwdishman@gmail.com http://www.rufmexico.org/ (English) http://www.curunam.org/ (Spanish)

Caleb & Aimee Dunn #011783 Mexico Church Planter Training

Park Cities, Dallas

In Monterrey where he grew up, Caleb continues ministering as the Director of the Theological Institute of Ministry in partnership with RTS Charlotte. The institute currently supports church planters and lay leaders with a B.A. in Theology, and also offers continuing education for presbyteries. He also continues to work toward his D.Min in Pastoral Counseling at WTS Philadelphia.

caleb@mtwmex.net aimee@mtwmex.net

Ben Graber #012803 East Germany

Fort Worth PCA

Following a well-earned vacation to European capitols, Ben is back on the field, resuming his duties supporting the church planting team in place in Berlin. The monetary exchange rate has become a problem to his support budget. He needs prayer for peace of mind in financial matters.

Ben.graber@gmail.com http://bengraber.blogspot.com

Scott & Mary Ann Nelson #015418 SIL Support MTW/Wycliffe
Trinity Presbyterian, Plano

Based in North Carolina serving translation teams around the world, Scott provides computer support for Bible translators working in Africa, Europe, South America and parts of Asia. He maintains the servers and services to provide email, language/scripture text version control, remote collaboration and other tools used by translators and support staff. Mary Ann serves as a counselor for missionaries and their families with the stresses and issues they face.

Scott_nelson@sil.org

Josh & Amy Oettle #015711 UNAM, Mexico City
Park Cities, Dallas

Final entry for Josh and Amy. Their 18 month UNAM tour completed, they are at home in Austin, finding new jobs and resuming their lives. VAYA CON DIOS!

Josh.oettle@gmail.com http://joshandamyoettle.wordpress.com

Howard and Deidre Shelden #016816 Wycliffe/Dallas

New Covenant Presbyterian, Dallas

Deidre directs personnel administrators in the Dallas office of Wycliffe USA, helping with the difficult decisions needed to care for and deploy Wycliffe missionaries. Howard writes promotional and publicity materials about Wycliffe missionaries' achievements and milestones to enhance credibility in academic circles and in foreign government relations.

Howard_Shelden@WBT.org Dee_Shelden@WBT.org http://www.wycliffe.org

Doug & Masha Shepherd #016819 Ukraine

Christ Presbyterian, Tulsa

Doug and Masha are continuing to make contacts in L’viv in the hopes of planting a church in this influential western Ukrainian city. The Shepherds are active ministering to university students, working with families, orphans, teammates and interns. “We are now in the States (Tulsa) and will return to Ukraine on March 2nd. We are traveling to different churches from coast to coast every weekend. The kids are enjoying their time with grandparents while we all get our medical checkups etc.”
Free2travel98@yahoo.com

NEW! Luke Smith # 17118 Cambodia
New St. Peter’s, Dallas

Just beginning support raising, Luke has been called to work in rural Cambodia training pastors. The majority of the country's population of 13 million lives in villages spread throughout rural areas. It is a country struggling to recover from years of famine and civil war. Currently, less than 1 percent of the people are considered Christian.
LBSmith62@hotmail.com

Dawn Brady Sparks #010572 Ukraine

Fifth Street Presbyterian, Tyler

Dawn and her husband, Steve, are living in Austin. Dawn is continuing her financial and administrative duties from the U.S. supporting the Ukraine team from here, freeing the resident team members for other duties. Steve is beginning Seminary classes as they continue to pray for guidance for future ministry. You can keep up with them on their ministry blog.
dawn@sparkstracks.com. www.sparksministry.org.

Chris & Julie Koiner #14017 Monterrey, Mexico
Heritage, Oklahoma City

Chris and Julie have just begun the support-raising phase of the MTW process. This family, God willing, will join the church planting team in Monterrey and assist in the areas of finance/administration, evangelism and mercy ministries, short-term team support, training church leaders on financial stewardship, and women’s ministry. They will also, through God’s grace, join the other families on the team in being a light in the darkness and an example of a Christ-centered covenant family. Children are: Jacob (9/19/97), Jaden (6/2/99), Jewel (12/30/00), Jennah (1/17/04), and Jillian (11/23/05).

New Missionaries from NTP: The Koiners

By Chris Koiner

We are all familiar with the account in the Gospels where Jesus feeds the 5,000, but I would like to focus on the insignificance of the two fish and five loaves Jesus used in order to describe our call to the mission field. Many of you are aware that Julie and I were officially approved in September as missionaries with Mission to the World (MTW) and are just beginning the fund raising process in order to join the church-planting team in Monterrey, Mexico. It is our prayer that God would use our story to encourage others to get involved in missions and, maybe for some of you, to answer God’s call to the mission field.

Our journey began about three years ago when God sparked a small flame in me after hearing a missionary give their story during the Sunday school hour at Heritage Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City. Julie and I discussed the possibility of missions and agreed to contact MTW. Providentially, God brought several MTW missionary families that Heritage supports through town over the next few years. We had a wonderful opportunity to share a meal and discuss their experiences on the field and how they discerned their call to missions.

We decided to start the MTW “process” by completing the application paperwork and going through a phone interview. I refer to the steps required for an MTW missionary to get on to the field as a process, because it is designed to help you discern and confirm your call over a period of several years. One can move through this process as quickly as two and a half years, but for our family, it could take as long as five years from the time we completed our initial applications in 2006. Julie and I, and our immediate families, have come to appreciate the time and care MTW commits to their missionaries, from the application and selection process, to the readiness evaluation and pre-field training. MTW thinks and plans long-term so their missionaries have the best chance of success once they are on the field.

We have just begun the support-raising phase of the MTW process, which usually takes about a year and a half, but, in our situation, could take longer than two years. MTW requires their missionaries, by design, to raise their own support through partnering with churches and individuals. The amount we are required to raise in monthly and one-time support is daunting, but we know that God will use this process to build our faith and confirm our call to Monterrey.

Our family, God willing, will join the church planting team in Monterrey and assist in the areas of finance/administration, evangelism and mercy ministries, short-term team support, training church leaders on financial stewardship, and women’s ministry. We will also, through God’s grace, join the other families on the team in being a light in the darkness and an example of a Christ-centered covenant family.

What can an accountant, homemaker, and five children do to help build God’s kingdom in northern Mexico? How can two fish and five loaves feed well over 5,000 hungry people? Inadequate, hopeless, impossible, yes, all the words I would use to describe the two fish and five loaves in man’s hands, but in our Savior’s hands they become satisfying, an over abundance, and a testimony to His lordship over all things. Our family is nothing special, we have the same struggle with sin and doubt that all of you have, which is why His name will be all the more praised by using us to build His kingdom.

So, we are asking you to partner with us prayerfully and financially, but we also encourage you to consider getting directly involved with missions work, whether through a week long trip, a short-term commitment, or as a career missionary. If God can use us, then He, certainly, can use anybody!