Operation Guyana

Operation Guyana is a medical mission effort to the people of Guyana.  Anyone in need is able to receive free medical and eye exams as well as treatment.  Over 226,000 people have come through Operation Guyana's clinics, and each person has had the opportunity to hear the message of Christ!  While doctors and nurses try to meet the physical needs of the people, Operation Guyana's ultimate goal is to introduce them to the "Great Physician."  With over 5,500 baptisms in the last 15 years, the church in Guyana is growing in number, faith, and maturity.  God continues to open doors here and has blessed this work. More workers are needed and anyone can help!

You can help Operation Guyana in several ways! 

• YOU CAN PRAY FOR OUR EFFORTS. When God's people pray, great things happen. Ask God to continue to use us, and to help us find a way to continue this work.
• YOU CAN HELP US IN A FINANCIAL WAY. Right now, we are in a financial crisis, but we feel that God is calling us to this work. And we need the help of God's people to do that.
• YOU CAN COME DOWN AND WORK WITH US. We need volunteers virtually every time a team comes. And we can use YOU. Come join us. You will be amazed at what God can do through your service.
• YOU CAN SEND SOMEONE DOWN. Each year there are hundreds of people who desire to come to help us in our efforts, but there are so many more that want to come. Help someone come be a part of this wonderful and fruitful work.

For more information visit our website:  www.guyana-missions.org/.

Westway Youth Mission

We're pleased to support Gentry & Elizabeth Morris in their efforts to serve the youth of the Westway Church of Christ and local community in Belfast, North Ireland.

The Morris' moved there in 2007 to work in this mission field for several two main reasons.  First, at very young ages, Belfast kids start drinking alcohol, become involved in drugs and crime, and get "too old for church".  And, secondly, the church there is an older one, and there was no one younger than the parents to work with young people. 

So, Gentry & Elizabeth wanted to dedicate their time to these young people.  They wanted to be the people these kids could look to for assurance and support.  They hoped to get them involved in church and learning and growing in Christ.  They wanted to show them how much God loves them and cares for them.

The Morris' will be helping to facilitate the following plans:  supplementing and assisting in teaching the Sunday school classes for youth; arranging youth weekends with other churches; hosting youth events in their home; assisting with an annual Holiday Bible School; assisting with Camp Shamrock; arranging home Bible studies with the youth and mentoring them; becoming involved in the local community; connecting the youth of the church with the older members in providing benevolence; and teaching singing classes for the youth with the aim of singing in hospitals and nursing homes.

You can learn more about this mission, and even contact Gentry & Elizabeth, at the following link:  www.westwayyouth.com.

Westway Youth Mission Update

The following report is from Gentry & Elizabeth Morris regarding the work in Belfast.

Hello all!

It's been a while since my last email and that is because things have been SO busy for the last few months. The summer is coming to a close here and things are starting to go back to normal. But this summer has been another amazing one!

We kind of wrapped up our normally scheduled youth activities at the end of June so that we could prepare for the Vacation Bible School (or Holiday Bible School as they are called over here) that was to begin in July. We spent one Saturday afternoon distributing flyers in the community to advertize the VBS. We had a few of the youth turn up and together they distributed about 1000 flyers to the homes in the community.

We had another great group over to run the VBS this year. Liz and I organized accommodation for them in the homes of members of the Westway congregation and were able to host one of the members in our home as well. Liz planned lunches for the whole week and with the help of a couple of the ladies in the church was able to provide meals for about 13 people for the full week. We were also the transportation for the full week and made sure that the workers were where they needed to be as well as showing them some of the sights in the area.

The VBS team did a great job and the VBS went down great with the kids from the community. Our numbers were down a little bit this year because several of the youth that had been coming for the last few years were too old to come this year. But, the upside to this was that we were able to get some of these older youth to come along and help out with crafts, skits, and song leading. They did an excellent job and it was great to see the older youth serving in this ministry. Sometimes it is hard to see the fruit of these outreaches. But since the VBS, there has been one family, whose daughters came to VBS, that have started attending worship services with us. This is very encouraging and proves just how God can work in peoples lives. So, an enourmous thanks to Dr. Gary Hall and all the workers that came over and helped out this year and made another amazing VBS!

Midway through the VBS week my sister Anna arrived. She was over to help out with Camp Shamrock which started immediately after the VBS. In fact, we dropped off the workers at the airport on Saturday morning and then headed down to camp for setup. We spent Saturday afternoon setting up tents, washing ground sheets, unloading supplies, and all of this was done in the rain.

Boys week of camp started on Monday and lasted for 10 days. We had another great year at camp and many of our older boys from Westway were tent leaders this year. Dan and Alex, the two young men who were baptized at camp last year, were Jr. Camp Directors and took the responsibility very seriously. They met with the other directors before camp started with ideas and suggestions for how to make camp more effective. I was in charge of the Bible classes at camp this year and developed a curriculum for the older and younger classes based on the theme "God's Olympics". The classes went well and were used for both boys and girls week. Liz and my sister, Anna, worked as cooks at boys camp and once again the food at camp made sleeping in a tent for 10 days seem much more appealing. At girls camp Liz and Anna were tent leaders, helped with classes, and Liz was in charge of crafts this year. Liz said that this was definitely her best year of girls camp yet. Both camps went well and were highlighted by the baptism of two more young souls!

The high point of Boys Camp this year was the baptism of Rory Powers. Rory is 18 and lives in Portstewart. This is about an 1.5 hours from Belfast. He has been coming to camp for years and is friends with several of the boys in our youth group. Rory has grown up in a Quaker family and this year he told me that watching his friends Dan and Alex get baptized last year made him start thinking about it. He decided it was time to give his life to Jesus and made the decision to get baptized at camp this year on his birthday. We all celebrated his birth and re-birthday on the last night of camp!

At girls camp this year, Haley Carmont decided to obey the gospel. Haley is the daughter of Carol and Nigel Carmont and they are members of the Westway congregation. Haley has been a part of our youth group for three years now and we have watched her grow and mature over the years. She is 15 years old and we are all so proud of her commitment to Christ!

I say it all the time but we are truly grateful for your commitment to supporting the work of Christ here in Belfast and Northern Ireland. Seeds are being planted, fruit is growing, and souls are being saved. Things are getting a bit restless here at the minute and the political climate seems to be becoming more and more unstable. There have been quite a few bombings over the last few months including one last week that injured 3 children in Lurgan. There were riots in Belfast for several nights at the beginning of July...some just around the corner from the church building. Police have said that a large number of the rioters were children around the ages of 12-14. Please keep this country and its leaders in your prayers. Please pray for the youth of Northern Ireland that they will hear the truth of God's love and turn to Him. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Liz and I are starting to plan our annual trip home in November and would love to come and visit with you and share some stories and photos of the work that is being done here in Ireland. God Bless!

Grace and Peace,

Gentry Morris

Mount Dora Chrisitan Home and Bible School

FBCC supports the Mount Dora Chrisitan Home and Bible School. 

Their Mission

"I knew there was a future, I just didn't know how to get there," shares an alumni of Mount Dora Children's Home.  That is the mission of Mount Dora Children's Home...to help every child discover their future for life and eternity.  How? We provide a home of healing that is safe and nurturing; a loving environment of encouragement and support where every child and family can discover their value and develop their giftedness.  Believing that each child is a gift from God, we prepare children for life and eternity, inspire them to follow Jesus, to become life-long learners and to serve generously.  Imagine a world where children have an opportunity to succeed, a chance to realize their dreams and a hope for eternity.   Welcome to their world!!

 Services provided:

• PreK-12th grade Christian School
• Residential Care
• Adoptions
• Foster Care
• Counseling

Supporting Samantha Wiegmann with AIM

The Adventures in Missions program is a chance to make a difference in the world. As part of the Sunset International Bible Institute in Lubbock, TX, AIM is an apprentice missions program for college-age young people. The Adventures in Missions program is a focused effort by and for Christian young men and women to work together to strengthen the church and bring the lost to Christ.

AIM begins with the Bible, the one book that explains to us how to be different. We not only study God's word but we also learn how to teach its good news to others. In the end, AIM students are apprentice missionaries learning, growing and serving on mission fields around the world.

AIM is a minimum two year commitment to study and grow and then to go teach and serve. Those who have taken the challenge of being AIM students have seen God transform their lives for him. Often times AIM students return from the mission field with a renewed sense of purpose and understanding of how they fit within the story of God's salvation for humanity. Thus, an AIM experience can be "life changing."

AIM is divided into three levels of learning:

1. Bible Training

The first eight months of AIM are spent in Lubbock, Texas studying God's Word and training for the field experience. Various classes are taught by the Sunset International Bible Institute instructors and the AIM staff. The first priority in the AIM education is the enrichment of each student's personal walk with Christ. "Spiritual Growth and Nurturing" is an example of a class that focuses on this objective. Some classes, like "Life of Christ," "Romans" and "Christian Evidences," are aimed at increasing personal knowledge and appreciation for God's plan. Other courses, such as "Mission Evangelism," are designed specifically to help the students share what they have learned with others. There is also a group of classes especially designed to help an apprentice missionary to understand other cultures, beliefs and people. Throughout it all, you will be involved in personal mentoring relationships with others who have "AIMed" before you.

We know that making a difference in people's lives takes much more than just knowing a lot of facts. So we are involved in campus ministry, small group Bible studies, volunteer work within the community and much more. We believe that a mission field is not just determined by location, but by the needs of the lost. That is why we want to learn to serve right here in Lubbock.

More Details About The Bible Training Curriculum

2. Mission Training and Team Building

Another component of AIMer preparation that takes place in Lubbock is tha t of mission training. During this time, teams are developed, ministry is learned, and service is practiced as a way to help the AIM students to prepare for the mission field. Often times, the process of forming AIM teams can be a difficult one as AIM leadership seeks to understand exactly how teams fit and work best together. Still, once teams have been formed, the AIM students are given useful tools to assist them in maintaining healthy teams. Likewise, the AIM students undertake a series of team dynamics and discussions designed to help strengthen relationships between the team members. Developing strong relationships in Lubbock helps to create stronger relationships on the mission field. Strengthening such bonds only helps to improve the ministry of the AIMers as they leave Lubbock, Texas.

More Details About The Team Formation Process

3. Mission Field Experience

After eight months in Lubbock those students approved for the field spend a minimum of 14 months on a foreign or domestic mission field (and up to 22 months, depending on each student's choice). Students go in teams which are formed after about the fourth month of their time in Lubbock.

While on the field, they work with experienced missionaries of the Lord's church all over the world. These AIM coordinators have AIM students help them to serve the church and to reach the lost. While on the field we reach out to the lost, teach others about Jesus, teach children's classes, organize youth activities, serve the church and proclaim Jesus in our talk and in our walk.

UPDATE:  Samantha's now in Zambia, Africa, in the field.  You can keep up with Team Zambia on their blog by clicking on the following link:  http://aimzambia.blogspot.com/.