Monday, February 28, 2011

Mission Surge Update Feb 2011

Thank you so much for lifting our recent meeting concerning ongoing work in the Dominican Republic through Mission Surge. I want to give you the latest news.


First, in case you haven’t noticed Mission Surge has shifted its focus to the Dominican Republic. Of course we are still working in Southeast Asia, Kenya, and other areas as God opens doors but the focus of our finances and energy is in the DR. Here is why...

1. In the DR we have a number of church planters and pastors that are needy and un-trained who are already doing a good job planting churches all throughout the DR and into Haiti. These pastors could be more effective if they had proper training and adequate resources to minister with. The signs of a church planting movement can be seen in the DR and we cannot miss the opportunity to help ensure that the churches planted are biblical, healthy, and strong.

2. We also have a number of Dominican young men who feel called to foreign missions. These young men simply need training and support to go. They can go to virtually any unreached and unengaged people group in Latin America for a fraction of the cost of an American missionary. Furthermore they already know the language and often are familiar with the culture.

3. The Mission Surge board has decided that we should focus our efforts in one area until we get the work established and rolling. While our focus is shifting primarily to the Dominican, we are not excluding the other areas of the world.

God has opened a wide door in the DR. We are trying to take one step at a time as He leads. Our next step in the Dominican will take place May 6-8. Missionary Gene Pickern, myself, and two laymen will travel to the DR to train 30-40 indigenous pastors, church planters, and potential missionaries. We will teach them the biblical gospel, how that gospel must impacts their lives, their families, their churches, and their mission field. They will be given assignments to carry out to apply what they have learned and will be held accountable. Those that are faithful will be brought back for the second and third training sessions this year. The cost to carry out this training will be approximately $1500-$2000. We are praying that God would provide the needed funds to conduct this work effectively.

Update from Ramon Sosa February 24, 2011

Mission Surge will be in the Dominican Republic May 6-9 for the purpose of training Dominican church planters and potential missionaries. Ramon will be leading one of the Bible studies at this training. Ramon also reported that he has two members of the church who have the vision to start new works that he will be inviting to the May training.

Ramon and his church have begun preparing the way for a new Bible Study in Farolloness. Faralloness is a community between Los Frailes and Brisas del Este. It is a very poor neighborhood. Ramon’s church is also working in another area called Los Frailes 3.

Though Ramon is a faithful pastor, he is without a permanent job and his church cannot support him or his family financially. He is looking hard, but employment is very difficult to come by in the DR at this time. He is using his personal car as a taxi just to keep his rent paid and to put food on the table. He says he knows this will not provide for his family on a permanent basis and he is struggling financially. Please pray that God will provide a job for him, and in the mean time, pray that God will provide food for him, his wife, and his six year old twin daughters.

Mission Surge is praying about helping support Ramon financially so that he can focus his energy on the mission rather than surviving. We are praying for the monthly funds ($500 a month) to do this. Please pray with us about this need.

Update from Wilfrido Brunache

Another faithful pastor who is also struggling financially is Wilfrido. You have heard from him over the past few months through our updates, but the power has been down. We do know that he is struggling to put food on his table as well. Mission Surge is praying about helping support Wilfrido financially as well so that he can focus his energy on the mission rather than on simply surviving. He also will be key to our training in May. We are praying for the monthly funds ($300 a month) to do this. Please pray with us about this need.

Update from Miguel Martich February 24, 2011

This is the first report you have received from Miguel. Miguel is working with 5 new groups in San Cristobal. One meets on Sunday. Another meets on Thursdays. And he has 3 groups meeting on Saturday—one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one at night. He baptized two new believers last week, and will baptize Wilkin tomorrow morning (Fri. Feb. 25, 2011). Miguel is excited about Jesus and faithful in the work. One of these works (in Esmeralda) is already functioning as a church, and members of this work have been instrumental in starting the other four in the communities where they live or where they have friends or family. The four new groups are in various stages of development.

Miguel has committed to meet through skype with our Gene Pickern, our point man for the DR on Tuesday nights. These younger church planters are not concerned about buying land and building buildings. They are concerned with reaching the lost and it is the hope and prayer of Mission Surge that they will be the source of a future harvest in the DR, future churches in the DR, and possible Dominican missionaries to other countries.

Please Pray

Please pray for our training in May and that God will move His people to provide financially for this training. Please pray as well as the financial needs of Ramon and Wilfrido to be met by monthly supporters very soon. Also keep Dr. Paul Young in your prayers as he continues to prepare and plan for the pastor training in Kenya to take place in June. Pray that God will raise up support through Mission Surge so that we will be able to fully fund this event. Continue to pray for our non-profit status to be approved very soon. Thank you for your prayers.

Please forward this as you feel led and if you are not on our email list and you want to be, shoot me an email at kevin@missionsurge.com and I will add you!

In Christ,

Kevin

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