This is indeed a special newsletter issue. One that we be-lieve has the message of what Maranatha Medical Ministries is all about. Although there are only a couple of articles featured in this issue, may God’s love, mercy and compas-sion for others ring out on every page. Know within your own heart, that God wants to use you to be His helping hands in bringing relief and comfort to someone in need.

“In every city, every town, every village, through which He passed, He laid His hands upon the afflicted ones and healed them. Wherever there were hearts ready to receive His message, He comforted them with the assurance of their heavenly Father’s love. All day He ministered to those who came to Him;”

Do you feel that your usefulness for Christ is limited, due to your lack of education or skills? Look at our young Missionary Trainees; Just a few months ago, they were, what some would call, “ignorant mountain kids”. Now, today, after learning in the school of Christ, they are able to go out and minister to the rich as well as to the poor.

Remember dear friends;

“In choosing men and women for His service, God does not ask whether they possess worldly wealth, learning, or eloquence. He asks, “Do they walk in such humility that I can teach them My way? Can I put My words into their lips? Will they represent Me? M.H. p. 37

Outreach In Armenia

by Joe

The time at Redemption Radio was indeed a time of learning, but it was also a time of testing. Was all that had been learned at the mountain Outpost superficial; or had they established a solid foundation?

One very special, and interesting outreach, was to a small village on the eastern coast of Honduras, called Armenia. The people there are called Guadefunans; A mixture of West Indian and Spanish. As the story goes: The British abandoned these people on Roatan Island back in 1796. Since then, the Guadefunan’s have migrated to different parts of Honduras, setting up little villages along it’s coastlines. Armenia was only a few miles away from the Jimenez’s home, so we decided to spend an afternoon there.

I have to admit, it was truly a blessing watching our Trainees in action. They independently greeted the peo-ple with genuine love and kindness. They inquired about their illnesses and personal concerns; And before each treatment, they prayed with the person they were treating.

While there are many memorable moments of this outreach, there is one particular incident that stood out from all the rest. Rogers, one of our M.T.’s, is always so eager to volunteer when there is a need; And today, during outreach, was no different. There were blood pressures being given, and consultations being done, but I still needed someone for massage; So, I asked for volunteers; And, of course, Rogers readily volun-teered his services. Then Rogers realized that I needed him to massage an elderly woman’s knees. I told him, “Just remember what you’ve been taught, and you’ll do just fine.”

Nervously, Rogers began the massage. I stayed with him simply for moral support. Missionary Volunteers need to know that there are times when it becomes necessary for you to conduct certain procedures on the opposite sex; But, while doing any type of treatment on anyone, especially one of opposite gender, you must talk of Jesus Christ and His desire to heal. You must also keep a prayerful spirit. You must not think, “Oh no!!! This is a woman!!! You must say, “This is a precious soul, in need of healing from the Master.” Rogers maintained his composure and conducted the massage like a pro. The woman said that her arthritic knees had never felt so good.

In fact, the massage helped her so much that she went home and told all of her girl-friends about this young man who made her knees feel like new.

When we returned to Armenia the follow-ing day, Rogers had no idea what was in store for him. As we got out of the truck, we saw a group of women hobbling towards us, pointing at Rogers. “There he is,” one of them said. I couldn’t help but laugh inside. These ladies were back to all get that special massage from Rogers. This time, I did have a few of the other volunteers assist, and at least keep Rogers company. He did a great

job.

“Workers - gospel medical missionaries - are needed now. You cannot afford to spend years in preparation. Soon doors now open to the truth will be forever closed. Carry the message now. Do not wait, allowing the enemy to take possession of the fields now open before you.

Let little companies go forth to do the work to which Christ appointed His disciples.” 9T, p. 172

“The Great Physician, the originator of medical mis-sionary work, will bless every one who will go forward humbly and trustfully, seeking to impart the truth for this time.” ibid, May 5, 1904

“Let them labor as evangelists, scattering our pub-lications, and talking of the truth to those they meet. Let them pray for the sick, ministering to their necessities, not with drugs, but with nature’s remedies, and teaching them how to regain health and avoid disease.” 9T, p. 172

“Medical missionary work is the pioneer work of the gospel, the door through which the truth for this time is to find entrance to many homes. God’s people are to be genuine medical missionaries, for they are to learn to minister to the needs of both body and soul.” R&H, Dec. 17, 1914

Carry God's Word to Every Man's Door

by Elsa

“A revival in Bible study is needed throughout the world. Attention is to be called, not to the assertion of men, but to the word of God.”

Dear friends, as we see the shortness of time, we are constantly praying and asking God to show us how to redeem the time and further His work in this world. Here in these mountains, where He has placed us….I know people sometime wonder what Elsa and Joe are going to do next:)….we just want to accomplish all that we can for the Master, that many souls may be in the kingdom.

A few months ago, a consecrated young man from Nicaragua approached us about working with M.M.M..We asked him to come for a visit, so we could get to know him better. We prayed and saw in him humility, and a thorough knowledge of the scriptures, a good combination for a Bible worker. So for the past couple of months Douglas Bravo, 21 yrs. old, has been carrying God’s Word to everyman’s door here in La Zona and surrounding villages. You see, Douglas is very unassuming in his appearance, so it is very easy for people to let him into their homes, but when Douglas opens up that Bible, it is the plain Word of God that he gives, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, he is able to answer thoroughly whatever question or doubt that is pre-sented to him.

“The Bible is brought into families, and it’s sacred truths come home to the conscience. Men are entreated to read, examine, and judge for themselves…God will not permit this precious work for Him to go unrewarded. He will crown with success every humble effort made in His name.” Gospel Workers. P. 192

Douglas is currently conducting 20, that’s right….Twenty, different Bible studies. By God’s grace he has been able to enter the homes of those that had been hard to reach because of their prejudice and personal religious beliefs.

Please keep Douglas in your prayers. He is also a very good example for our Missionary Trainees. He spends half the day in the garden and the afternoon and evenings in Outreach Evangelism. We don’t want to leave any stone unturned; we want to give every person, as many as we can possibly reach, to have the opportunity to hear for themselves what is truth.

“Unto the poor the gospel is to be preached. Never does the gospel put on an aspect of greater loveliness than when it is brought to the most needy and destitute regions….Truth from the Word of God enters the hovel of the peasant and lights up the rude cottages of the poor, both black and white. Rays from the Sun of Righteous-ness bring gladness to the sick and suffering. Angels of God are there, and the simple faith shown makes the crust of bread and the cup of water as a banquet of luxury. Those who have been loathed and abandoned are raised through faith and pardon to the dignity of sons and daughters of God.” W.M. p. 169

A Merry Heart Doeth Good

by Joe

Before beginning our outreach in Jutiapa, the director of Radio Redemption, brother Jimenez, told us about two young women living in a nearby village who needed medical help, and asked if I would take time to visit them while in the area.

My first Sabbath in Jutiapa was very pleasant. Our mission team split up into groups and attended two small mission churches which Bro. Jimenez established and pastors. To my surprise, Rene spoke for the 11 O’clock service. The more I witness the ministry of our young Missionary Trainees, the more I understand why God impressed us to establish the Maranatha Missionary Training Center.

After church service, our little group went to visit the first of the two women who were ill. As we walked up the long and muddy trail, it kind of reminded me of our work in La Zona. When we reached our destination, Bro. Jimenez introduced me to Yessenia, a beautiful, healthy looking 24 year old woman. From what I was told, Yessenia was on her way to go swimming, when some boys started chasing her. While running across a bridge, she lost her footing, and fell onto rocks, into the riverbed below. Doctors told her she had fractured her spine, and would remain paralyzed from the waist down. This was obviously devastating news for her. Al-though she and her family were poor, living in a small adobe mud shack, she still had only begun to live her life. Yessenia lived at home, in poverty, with her mother and three siblings. Unfortunately, her mother consid-ered her, and her condition, a burden, and expressed these feelings through her words and actions, leaving Yessenia very depressed and alone. As I examined her, I noticed that she had feeling and nerve response in her legs and feet. I am not a doctor, but I believe when there is feeling and nerve action, there is hope of re-covery, though one may be temporarily paralyzed. I told Yessenia that through treatment and gentle physical therapy, she had a good chance of full recovery. When I told her this, I remember she looked at her mother, who only had a smirk of unbelief on her face. Nevertheless, I encouraged Yessenia to be hopeful and prayer-ful. We had prayer with Yessenia and left the home. I felt so sorry for her, that she did not have anyone in the home to pray with her, encourage her and give her hope of recovery.

Returning to our Outpost in La Zona, I felt impressed to continue to help Yessenia in some way, so I re-turned to Jutiapa two weeks later and visited Yessenia again. I could hardly believe what I saw. Yessenia had lost nearly 50% of her body weight, and she looked to be semi-comatose. I was informed that she hadn’t eaten anything since we left her two weeks before. She needed nourishment, and quickly. I attempted to start an IV on her, but all of her veins had collapsed. Before leaving, I held Yessenia’s hand, and told her that God loves her with an everlasting and unconditional love; And He wants to heal her completely. I instructed the mother on how to hydrate and nourish her daughter. I prayed that God would show me some way how I could help this woman, because I knew that, given the proper, consistent treatments, she would recover. Returning to Radio Redemption, I told Bro. Jimenez that if Yessenia did not receive nourishment, she would not survive much longer. Yessenia died about 10 hours later. What a needless, senseless death. I believe Yessenia sensed that she was a burden on her family; She felt unloved and alone; She felt that she had been cheated out of liv-ing a normal healthy life; So she gave up hope, and she gave up living. I can only pray that her soul was right with God. I do thank Him for giving me the opportunity to share His love and compassion for Yessenia. May God save her.

Thank God, He does not leave us in sorrow. While the story of Yessenia is sorrowful and tragic, I am so happy to tell you about the second young woman I met. Her name is Ligia Yanet (Lee-hee-ah). She too is 24 years old, and lives only a stones throw from where Yessenia lived. About two years ago, Ligia was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which is a disease that literally destroys the nervous system, leaving the person in a withered, semi-paralytic condition. Although Ligia has good feeling throughout her body, she has no mus-cle control, and is unable to move. Before meeting Ligia, I was expecting to see another severely depressed young woman who felt unloved and cheated out of a normal life. Boy, was I wrong!!!

I was greeted by one on the most beautiful smiles I’d ever seen on a patient. I reached out to shake her hand, not realizing that she couldn’t move from the neck down; Instead of a hand shake, her smile only grew bigger. Lying on a seemingly uncomfortable lounge chair, Ligia mouthed a few whispering words. Now I don’t understand Spanish very well, let alone inaudible Spanish; So, Ligia’s mother had to interpret her whispers, and then another person had to trans-late the mother’s Spanish. It’s times like these that I wish I had focused more diligently on learning Span-ish. Nevertheless, we managed to communicate. I’m a firm believer that it’s not always what is said that’s important. More is said through acts of love and kindness, than words could ever speak.

My first visit with Ligia was rather short; My visit to her was simply to encourage her in the Lord. I never expected or intended to treat her as a patient. She lives six hours away from our Outpost in the moun-tains, and it would be nearly impossible for me to treat her…..so I thought. We had prayer with Ligia and the family, and wished her well. It was then that Ligia looked at me with the strangest look. Then I heard (felt) God speaking to me, saying, “Why don’t YOU help her?” I remembered a statement from Testimonies, Vol. 2, p. 29 - “Do not wait to be told your duty. Open your eyes and see who are around you; make your-selves acquainted with the helpless, afflicted, and needy. Hide not yourselves from them and seek not to shut out their needs.” Was I unknowingly making excuses why not to get involved in Ligia’s care? God forbid!!

Returning to the Outpost, I made a diligent effort to learn as much as I could about Guillain-Barre Syn-drome; And I contacted numerous people asking for their expertise and assistance.

Two weeks later, I returned to Ligia’s home, and began by getting her something comfortable to lay on. Next, we bought her a radio, so she could lis-ten to Christian broadcasting; And what better ra-dio station to listen to than Radio Redemption?

Now, it was time for me to examine Ligia, and begin treatments.

I was told that Ligia had a few “sores” on her body, but I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. Ligia had a total of nine decubitus ulcers, from the heels of her feet, to her shoulders. The most serious were, of course, on her buttocks. I have been in the medical field for more than 35 years, and I believe that the majority of all decu-bitus ulcers are caused by neglect. In hospitals and nursing homes, it is uncalled for; but in private settings you cannot expect nonmedical personnel to know or understand how to prevent or treat decubitus ulcers. Usually, family members are too overwhelmed by the illness affecting their loved one. Ligia had been lying on her back for nearly two years, and the evidence was written all over her body. Lack of movement, lack of circulation to immovable parts of the body, lack of exercise and proper nutrition, all played a part in the de-terioration of her body. It was time for a healing….So, let the healing begin!

Ligia lives with, and is cared for, by her mother, who also cares for seven small children belonging to rela-tives who could not care for the children themselves. The house they live in is provided, rent free, by a Christian brother from the nearby Islands. This fam-ily lives in such poverty, that some days they must go without eating, and proper nutrition is so important for Ligia’s healing progress.

Ligia cannot control bodily functions, and needs to wear (should wear) adult pampers, but they cannot afford them. Her mother attends to her all day, be-cause Ligia needs to be suctioned about every thirty minutes to keep fluid from building up in her lungs.

Not a day goes by that I do not think about and pray for Ligia. I now kick myself when I get upset that things aren’t working out just right in my life. Who am I to get upset,...about anything? God has blessed me with life and health and strength; And a wonder-ful, supportive, Christian wife. Above all, He has blessed me, and through His mercy, allowed me to take part in the greatest work ever given to man; That of demonstrating His love and compassion to others.

One might think that I have done a lot to help Ligia, but I can honestly say that she has done much more for me. Caring for her has been one of the richest blessing I’ve experienced. To see a young person, in such ter-rible condition, is heartbreaking; Yet, Ligia is so joyful and happy and thankful. Never have I seen her un-happy or depressed. Ligia’s condition is far worse than that of Yessenia’s; But there is one thing that will make the difference in the outcome; Ligia’s attitude. God’s word tells us that a merry heart doeth good like a medicine. This being true, Ligia has an abundance of the healing medicine. I strongly believe that God will heal Ligia, and restore her to health and strength…..this is my prayer…..Let it also be your prayer.

I realize that Ligia’s treatments and recovery will take time, but we are committed to caring for her until she recovers.

M.M.M. & MTI are providing for all of Ligia’s needs…..Food, personal items, medical supplies & treatments.

If you feel so impressed to help with Ligia’s care, please contact us.

A very special thanks to brother Jimenez, who assists with Ligia’s care. We also want to thank Dr. Kerry Neall, David Arbour, John Keim, and so many others who have given of their time and means to help with Ligia’s treatments and needs.

From Ligia: “Please thank everyone who is praying for me, and wanting to help me. Thank you so much.”

Health Nugget

Friends, many years ago, I began telling people about the harmful, even deadly effects of immunizations and vaccines. I thought God’s people would be receptive and happy to receive such information; But I was wrong. My words were met with unbelief and doubt, choosing to believe the worlds medical specialists than God’s word. Sensing that Christians weren’t interested in hearing this harsh truth, I kept quiet. But I must once again, strongly tell you that the medical association is determined to “control” your health and health care. Already, they are making it mandatory for all to receive vaccinations and immunizations. And the time is soon coming, that if you refuse to receive mandatory immunizations, you will be quarantined or impris-oned. Government always test your response to such drastic measures first; And they’ve begun this phase of “control” using the H1N1 virus immunization.

Researching information about Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) opened my eyes even more, and confirmed what I felt and knew from the very beginning. GBS is generally caused by receiving immunizations or vacci-nations. Just recently, I received an e-mail from someone who had GBS, and who told me they contracted GBS after receiving immunizations. GBS is only one of many diseases caused by immunizations.

So dear friends, I encourage you to study God’s word. Place your trust in Him and Him alone. Man, (the world), does not care one thing about you or your health, unless there is a benefit in it for them. Do not fear the threats of the government, or of what they will do to you if you do not consent to their demands. Our body’s belong to God, and if we believe in Him, and are faithful to His instructions, He will keep His prom-ises and will keep us in perfect health. Do not allow yourselves to be as sheep, led to the slaughter. God de-sires that we have life, and have it more abundantly. Trust in the Lord is our only safety.

Ministry Matters

• If you would like for us to visit your church this summer, please notify us before May 2010.
• M.M.M. is collecting any and all small item medical supplies, such as, exam gloves, gauze, band-aids, antibiotic creams, etc..
• We are planning on going to Haiti to assist in the disaster relief efforts there. If you wish to assist in any way, please contact us. Whatever assistance you give will be gratefully accepted and appreciated. Pray that God will direct us to those with the greatest needs.

Prayer Corner

Ligia Yanet - Healing and restoration; Physically and spiritually.

John Smith & family - Consolation in the loss of their daughter.

Mildred Thomas - Health and strength.

Radio Redemption—May God supply all of their needs.

Missionary Training Center - Provide property and funds needed.

Hope Scruggs - Outreach ministry in Belize.

Survivor victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Your prayers are needed.

Dear M.M.M. Family, over the years we have enjoyed the privilege of sharing with you through our newsletters the wonderful and blessed work God is doing in the foreign mission field. You have been faithful in supporting our ministries, and have enabled us to continue as co-laborers with Christ in the salvation of souls. By God’s grace, we shall continue to labor in His vineyard. We love you, and thank you for your faithfulness.

Serious times are just ahead, for all of us. God’s people need to, as never before, prepare for these troublous times. World governments do not recognize or acknowledge God as mans only salvation, but they realize the world cannot survive or exist in its present condition; Therefore, they are devising plans to “restructure” earth’s population. Meaning, they must eliminate at least two billion people within the next few years,…..legally, of course. This will be accomplished through the food industries, medical and pharmaceutical industries, and “Homeland Security Mandates”. I believe that God will not allow this to happen. Instead, His (God’s) judgments will be poured out throughout the earth, and only those who are His faithful children, in word, deed, and character, will survive. “As religious aggression subverts the liberties of our nation, those who would stand for freedom of conscience will be placed in unfavorable positions. For their own sake they should, while they have opportunity, become intelligent in regard to disease, its causes, prevention, and cure. And those who do this will find a field of labor anywhere. There will be suffering ones, plenty of them, who will need help, not only among those of our own faith, but largely among those who know not the truth.” Medical Missionary, Nov. / Dec. 1892

I Want To Work For The Lord

by Joe

“In choosing men and women for His service, God does not ask whether they possess worldly wealth, learning, or eloquence. He asks, 'Do they walk in such humility that I can teach them My way? Can I put My words into their lips? Will they represent Me?'" M.H. p.37

You’ve heard us use this quotation many times before; And you will most likely hear it many more times, because it expresses in plain English God’s qualifications for Christian service.

Just a few short weeks ago, (mid-September), Elsa and I were conducting church presentations in Virginia, when we saw a dear friend who has followed the work of Maranatha Medical Ministries from its very beginning. Her name is Mildred Thomas; We call her “Sister Mildred.” She was so excited to hear the testimonies and see the slide presentation of the great work God is doing here in the mountains of Honduras. After a few moments of greetings and re-acquaintance, Sis. Mildred quietly looked at Elsa and said, “I wish I could go with you to Honduras. I may be old, and I don’t speak Spanish; But, I want to work for the Lord.” Elsa and I looked at each other, and knew that this was no ordinary request. There were no “alternate” motives for her wanting to go into the mission field. She truly wants to do God’s will and His work. We first reminded Sis. Mildred of the primitive conditions of Honduras; Living conditions, though pleasant at the Outpost, will be much different in this “third-world-country.”

We then told Sis. Mildred that, if God is leading her to join us in the mission field, she is welcome to come with us. I can’t adequately describe the smile on her face. Then, as if she couldn't believe her own ears, she asked, “you’re not just pulling my leg are you?” Elsa replied, “No Sister Mildred. If God is directing you to be with us in Honduras, then He has a work for you to do there, and you are welcome to join us.”

Sister Mildred didn’t waste any time preparing for her trip. She immediately began giving away her furniture and packing up her clothes. She had never flown before, so this was extra exciting for her. I often think of so many others who feel that God is calling them into the foreign mission field, but they make the fatal mistake of doubting whether God will keep His word and provide, protect and care for them. “Fatal”, meaning all precious opportunities and blessings that God wants to bestow upon us are vanished, once we begin to doubt Him. How wonderful it is to see someone who hears God’s voice directing them, and without hesitation or doubt, chooses to follow Him. Sister Mildred is 81 years young, and has chosen to give all of her remaining years and energies in service to God. I have always told people that there is no such thing as “retirement” from God’s work. Every new day is filled with new opportunities, given to us by God, to be coworkers with Him in the saving of souls; What a tremendous privilege God has bestowed upon all of His children, to work hand in hand with Him.

Sr. Mildred is now at our Outpost and is loving every minute being in the foreign mission field. Throughout the day, she busies herself quietly doing whatever she finds needing to be done. She is living proof that you’re never too young, and you’re never too old to obey God’s voice and heed His call. May the Lord bless her decision to trust and obey His calling.

By God’s Grace, We Will - Part ll

by Teresa

It has been a few months since sending you my first testimony of how God led us to establish the Maranatha Missionary Training Center. I will now continue sharing with you how God directed in this project. Through much prayer and fasting, God had shown me that this project was in accordance with His will; That through the establishment of this Training Center, many souls would learn of His truth. Now, there was one major obstacle remaining. In order to work with M.M.M. in establishing the Missionary Training School, I would have to leave home and live at the Maranatha Outpost.

I knew that my family needed me to help out at the radio station because the work load is very heavy, especially for my sister Elsy. My family had plans for the station, and were waiting for me to return so they could begin their projects. How could I resign my work at the radio station, where I had been working since I was a child? How could I abandon my family in this time of need? I knew that only God could work things out and give a happy ending. I knew the Lord was calling me out to something different, but I didn’t want my family to feel resentment for my decision.

I didn’t want to act like an independent girl, and just leave without my parent’s blessing. I shared with them what I felt the Lord was impressing us, (the Willis’s and myself), to do. Finally one evening, while I was talking to my dad, I believe the Holy Spirit impressed his heart with the conviction that this call is from the Lord. He told me if the Lord was indeed calling me, and it would result in separation from family, then so be it. We must obey and follow where God leads. He told me that sometimes separation is necessary for the Lord’s work to move forward. I believe this was the Lord opening the door for me to be able to answer His call, and I couldn’t refuse.

The following morning, during family worship, my dad shared with my mother and sister the call God made to Abraham; How he had to leave his family and go to the land He would show him. Dad also shared how, in order for the gospel message to spread, the Lord allowed persecution to come to Jerusalem so the disciples could be scattered, and preach the message in other cities. He also shared how the Lord was calling me now to go and work in another field, and how we needed to obey the Lord’s call. I am now working full-time at the Maranatha Medical Ministry Outpost. God has answered my prayers, and He is continuing to work with power in the organization of our Missionary Training Center. Please pray, not only for me, but for all of our dedicated volunteers; That God will use us to train and educate workers for Him.

M.M.T.C: True Education In Action

by Joe & Elsa

As we are about to reach the end of our first year with the Maranatha Missionary Training Center we can only give thanks and praise to God for what He is doing. What a privilege to actually see what the servant of God saw when she said that in these last days our youth would be trained, not by literary institutions but by the unction of the Holy Spirit. In Counsels on Education P. 24 it says, “When I was shown by the angel of God that an institution should be established for the education of our youth, I saw that it would be one of the greatest means ordained of God for the salvation of souls.” This is our goal; this is our prayer for our trainees. These young men have dedicated their lives for the service of God, and by God’s grace we will continue to move forward in doing our part to fulfill God’s desire; “with such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained,
might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world! How soon might the end come—the end of suffering, and sorrow, and sin.”

The education our M.T.’s (Missionary Trainees), receive is well-rounded. Their day begins with worship, then off to the gardens, where they learn how to nourish and cultivate the soil. Our goal is to soon harvest 80% of all we consume here at the Outpost. We’re told that, “Study in agricultural lines should be the A,B,C’s of the education given in our schools .” 6T, p 179 No, it isn't an easy life for our Trainees; They are all young men in their early teens. They live at the Outpost, away from their family members. They experience the peer pressure from the youth they use to associate with; But, thank God, these young men have dedicated their lives to Him completely, and their minds are focused on one thing; Obedience, faithfulness and honor to God. Everyday is filled with new opportunities to surrender self to Christ.

“The Lord calls upon our young people to enter our schools and quickly fit themselves for service. In various places outside the cities, schools are to be established where our youth can receive an education that will prepare them to go forth to do evangelical work and medical missionary work.” (9T p. 170). “The students are in our schools for a special training, to become acquainted with all lines of work, that, should they go out as missionaries, they could be self-reliant and able, through their educated ability, to furnish themselves with necessary conveniences and facilities.” (6T p. 208)

During the week, when not giving Bible Studies, our M.T.’s go out into the nearby towns, selling whole-wheat breads and sharing the Word of God with all they meet. They now have more than a dozen active Bible Studies. When you look at our Missionary Trainees, you know that you are looking at Christian young men. There is a pleasantly distinctive difference in them from other young men; And they’re all too eager to tell you what that difference is.

One day two of our M.T.’s went high into the mountains to give Bible Studies; Now those of us who give Studies know just how exciting things can get, and how time flies when the Holy Spirit is moving; Well, towards the late afternoon, our M.T.’s realized they hadn’t bought sufficient water, and didn’t have any food to eat. They had a decision to make; Either skip the Bible Study and return to the Outpost where there’s plenty of food & water, or continue on and ask God for the strength to make it through the mountains for the last remaining Bible Study. No food,...No water,...yet these two young men decided together to trust God for their strength, and they continued climbing the mountain to their last Bible Study. Nothing short of a love for God and a love for souls could bring one to decide to do without food & water in order to continue doing missionary work. God honors those who honor Him. After praying for God’s blessing upon them, they started out up the mountain, and what do you suppose they found not far from where they had prayed? You guessed right!!! They not only found a beautiful fresh-water stream, but also a tree loaded with delicious Oranges. Jorge and Roger ate and drank their fill, and continued on to give their Bible Study. Our young men are learning the wonderful lessons of how God will and does take care of His disciples of today, the same as He did two-thousand years ago; All we need to do is trust Him, and make His work our first priority.

Probably the most gratifying part of training these young men, is seeing and knowing that their actions are not a result of something they learned in a classroom; rather it is the transformation of Christ’s character in them. True love and compassion cannot be taught or learned; It is something which comes only from ones connection with the Author of true love, Jesus Christ. Our M.T.’s go out regularly to hand out food items to the poor.

“The youth should be encouraged to attend our training schools for Christian workers, which should become more and more like the schools of the prophets. These institutions have been established by the Lord, and if they are conducted in harmony with His purpose, the youth sent to them, will quickly be prepared to engage in various lines of missionary work.” 8T, p. 229; They should receive a training that will fit them to take hold of any line of work in the fields to which they shall be called . FE , p. 512

“Students can do much to make the school a success by working with their teachers to help other students.” “One earnest, conscientious, faithful young man (or woman) is an inestimable treasure. Angels of heaven look lovingly upon him, and in the ledger of heaven is recorded every work of righteousness, every temptation resisted, every evil overcome. He is laying up a good foundation against the time to come, that he may lay hold on eternal life.” CT, p.98-99

Our Missionary Trainees are now instructing our M.I.C.E. (younger students), who will themselves one day become Missionary Trainees. All of our students, young and older, know that by attending our Christian school, they are acknowledging their separation from the world and all it has to offer them. They are dedicating their lives to the service of God; To be used by Him, wherever He leads them, and whatever He calls them to do.

Recently, we took the entire school on outreach far up in the mountains. Our M.I.C.E. had never gone on Outreach with our older trainees before, so this was a new adventure for them. They would see first hand how our M.T.’s meet people and share with them God’s word. At first, we didn’t know how our MICE would respond to the new activities associated with outreach, but to our surprise, they loved every minute of it. They are still quite young, so they’re not yet learned enough to give Bible Studies to adults, but they jump at the opportunity to share Bible stories with the children in the mountain villages. These once very shy, timid, soft-spoken MICE, are now boldly sharing God’s word with others. Our two older MICE, Angelica and Dinora, have just recently decided to give their lives to God fully, and are preparing for baptism.

“He who accepts God as his sovereign must take the oath of allegiance to Him. He must put on the Christian uniform and bear aloft the banner that shows whose army he belongs. He must make an open avowal of his allegiance to Christ. Concealment is impossible. Christ’s impress must appear in the life in sanctified works.” It’s been nearly eight months since Maranatha Missionary Training Center officially began. Without a doubt, it has been by God’s grace, and His grace alone that we’ve managed such a huge undertaking; yet He has promised us saying, “And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known…”. Yes, every step we’ve made has been taken with much prayer.

When Maranatha Missionary Training Center began there were many, many obstacles; Some as great as mountains; but it gave us more determination to enter into earnest prayer with the Master. We knew that we could not let go of God’s hand even for a moment. We had to trust in Him completely. We had to keep our eyes fixed on Him, and on the goal He had set before us. It was our plan to establish the Training Center in a different, more secluded location; But it was not in God’s plan that we do so just yet; And so, we spent this past year training right here at the Maranatha Outpost; and what a blessing it has been. Had we not obeyed God’s voice, and gone ahead and moved to a different location, there would not have been more than a dozen Bible Studies going on in the mountain villages; There would have been no literature outreach associated with the restaurant ministry; and there would have been so many people who would not have received the loving medical care that our M.T.’s provide to people every day. Our ways, are not God’s ways; and just when we may think we have done all that we can do here in this area, God shows us that He still has souls waiting to hear about His love, and His desire and power to save. How wonderful it is to see the growth and transformation of these young men; Their understanding of the great truths of salvation and a new life in Christ; a life dedicated and consecrated to His service.

In these last days, the Lord will use young men and women to accomplish His work. He will use children and youth who are fully consecrated to Him, and it is our prayer that He who so mercifully started this good work, will also complete it. It is our prayer, and we also ask that you pray with us, that God will continue to lead us according to His wisdom. We thank you, our missionary family, for all that you have done to support our work here in the mission field.

Ministry Matters

A very special Thank You to: Johnny Carmouche - Hartland Publications Dir.; Ron Goss - Project Restore; Jim Ballard - Literature Evangelist; and Vance Farrell of Harvest-Time Books, for their contribution of hundreds of pieces of literature. Every customer who enters the restaurant; every person we meet on Outreach, receives a piece of literature. God has promised that His word will not return unto Him void. We pray that there will be many souls won to the Kingdom as a result of this literature.

Another very special Thank You to Pete Raimondo and Kathy Haller, who for three years voluntarily handled all of our ministry business affairs. This past year was specially challenging for them, due to Pete’s failing eyesight. We are continually praying for Pete’s health challenges.

Another reminder to please delete our old e-mail address, (maraministries {at} yahoo {dot} com), from your address book. Our new ministry e-mail address will be sent out in our next Newsletter. Please use the new e-mail address for all ministry communications.

Chris and Robin Brostovski will now be handling our ministry accounting. We apologize for any delay in getting receipts back to you, but soon, all will be operating smoothly again. Thank you for your patience.

Please make note of our new mailing address located on the back of this newsletter. You may use this address for contributions and correspondence.

The political situation here in Honduras has slowed down our traveling to continue looking for an appropriate piece of land for the Maranatha Missionary Training Center, but we are still moving forward in that direction. We want to thank those that made donations toward the purchase of the property. We have reached a quarter of our goal and are trusting that God will direct us to just the right place, and will provide us with the remaining funds needed.

Prayer Corner

Joan Neall & Family - Health & healing; Trust in God.
Wiesner Family & Relatives - Health & healing.
Jack Ingalls - Health & healing.
Sr. Mildred Thomas - May God bless her mentally, physically & spiritually.
Maranatha Missionary Training Center—Financial support needed.
Shelton Baldwin & family - Strength, comfort, and trust in the Lord.

God loves you with an everlasting and unconditional love.
He will never leave you, or forsake you.
Draw nigh to Him, and He will draw nigh to you.

Our new ministry e-mail address is coming soon

Blessed are the little children…….

“Whole armies of children may come under Christ’s banner as missionaries, even in their childhood years. Never repulse the desire of children to do something for Jesus. Never quench their ardor for working in some way for the Master. Children rightly educated will learn to love Jesus and to grieve if they think they have grieved the Saviour by any sin committed by them. Keep their hearts tender and sensitive by your own words and example. MS, 55, 1895

The Angels of God are ever near your little ones…. Let love and tenderness, patience and self-control, be at all times the law of your speech. Winning love is to be like deep waters, ever flowing forth in the management of your children. All through His life, Christ performed acts of love and tenderness for the children. R&H, May 17, 1898

May God give us the mind and the strength to train our children to be like Him. We are responsible for our children.

Dear M.M.M. Friends & Family,

It is always our privilege to share with you our blessings and experiences here in the mission field. God has been so very good to us over the years. This is a very special edition newsletter, dedicated primarily to the work our student missionary trainees are doing. We know that you will be blessed reading the stories and testimonies from our friends, students and volunteers. Before you begin, let us share with you this message from our Lord, who tells us; “God does not design that His Human channels shall be uncouth. It is not His will that man shall belittle or degrade the heavenly current that flows through him to the world. They will be educated in patience, kindness, affability, and helpfulness. He (God) has given us a great work to do. Let us do it with accuracy and determination. Let us show in our lives what the truth has done for us. Everyone who accepts Christ as his personal Saviour will long for the privilege of serving God. Contemplating what heaven has done for him, his heart is moved with boundless love and adoring gratitude. He is eager to signalize his gratitude by devoting his abilities to God’s service. He longs to show his love for Christ and for His purchased possession. He covets toil, hardship, sacrifice.” COL, 336; GW, 97; 6T, 418.; MH, 502.

Sharing His Love

by Miriam Flores

It was only a short time since arriving to that town….small, hot, and without friends. But God always knows how to guide us to just the right people. A new found friend, Nelson invited me to go to La Zona. “I’m going to take you to a place that I’m sure you will like” he said. And he was right; La Zona seemed to me like a paradise! It was cooler temperature, more isolated and nestled in the mountains of Santa Barbara. It was here that we met his friend Elsa who along with her husband Joe Willis, run a medical missionary outpost right there in that mountain village. They shared how in their dependence upon God, He had led them to this very spot.

So that very afternoon we went to their beautiful house of prayer for the afternoon program before heading back to Santa Barbara.

Two years later I got the news: “Dona Elsa is planning to open a vegetarian restaurant in Santa Barbara”. And sure enough a couple of months later we were sitting down with some of my co-workers enjoying the delicious vegetarian meals at "La Canasta de Vida"; while in Santa Barbara I would try to eat there every week. I was later moved to Tegucigalpa, but whenever work brings me back to Santa Barbara, guess where I eat my breakfast and Lunch? Yes, at “La Canasta de Vida!” The restaurant is peaceful, relaxing, and the food is healthy. Little by little I have personally witnessed how interested the people of this town have become in their health, and in receiving the advice that is shared with them, and they look forward to the times when they can chat with our very busy friend Dona Elsa.

The volunteers that work at the restaurant are always very pleasant and kind and ready to answer all the questions that we ask concerning health. A very beautiful couple by the name of Ariel and Johanna arrived in the later part of 2008 to work at the restaurant. And as usual it is impossible not to feel that all that work with the Willis’s in their ministry are “our friends”, and this couple was no exception. One day Ariel said “sister, when are you going to visit our church?” I quickly responded that I had already visited and now it was their turn to visit ours. That very next week he informed me that he had talked to Dona Elsa and his wife and they would love to go, but that they would want to be useful and share something about health with the people. I quickly contacted the lady in charge of health ministries who made arrangements for Ariel and Johanna to travel to Tegucigalpa for a weekend of sharing.

That Sabbath afternoon they shared some very important health and nutrition information, and early Sunday morning they did some practical hands-on training on how to give a massage. They were truly a blessing. They demonstrated such peace, and the desire to simply serve and reveal God to others. Ariel and Johanna stayed in the home of Aracely de Escoto she shares the following “This couple taught us very practical lessons on massage, nutrition and lifestyle changes. We were personally benefited by some organic gardening videos they left with us. They truly revealed the spirit of unselfish service. As a family we felt that we had gained two new friends. We still keep in touch through e-mail, and I pray that God will always bless their ministry. Rebecca another one of our church members says “what I liked about Johanna and Ariel is that they had such good knowledge of health and were so willing to share it with others. I was impressed with the wonderful benefits of natural remedies which we have right at our hands. I liked the class and I hope they can come back and share more with us.”

I always feel like God allowed me to go to Santa Barbara so I could learn more about Him. One of the most edifying lessons that I have learned is that we are in this world to serve, and to reveal the character of God through our lives; that God can give us peace in the midst of the frenzy of this world. When you have God in your life, there is no place for selfishness, but a desire to share what you know and have for the benefit of others. This is what I have learned from that small but great woman who is willing to do whatever God tells her… Dona Elsa Willis, along with that special couple Ariel and Johanna, and all the rest of the volunteers that work at the restaurant.

It never ceases to impresses me to see their willingness to serve and go wherever God sends them. So kind in their ways, their lives reveal with such certainty that we are in this world to serve and reveal God to others. I have seen how God has blessed the work of Maranatha Medical Ministries here in Santa Barbara; first with the clinic, then the church, then the M.I.C.E. (the school) and now the restaurant, which I have seen prospering little by little. I have learned that when we place ourselves in the hands of God, He can do great things. Dona Elsa and the missionaries here in Santa Barbara are a living and faithful example of what God can do. Not only have they made an impact in the lives of the people in this small town, but from that remote mountain village of La Zona, they have made an impact in the lives of people in the busy capital city of Tegucigalpa! They have chosen that better part, which will never be taken from them! May God bless this ministry and their workers wherever they go in obedience to God’s voice.

Our Student Missionary Trainees

Our young students of the Missionary Training Center have been learning how to effectively minister and witness in all areas. Recently, they all went through numerous medical classes. At first, we weren't sure whether they would be able to grasp all of the information given them. But they surprised us by eagerly engrossing themselves in everything taught. I think these photos speak for themselves:

Just listen to Rene’s testimony:

““My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.” Psalms 5:3

I would like to tell you about one of the greatest and most wonderful experiences the Lord has given me as I am being trained as His servant. This is the experience of communing with Jesus. I had never had such a close communion with the Lord until I truly understood what the Lord’s purpose for my life was.

“My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O LORD…” I had never understood the great value, the importance of spending time with God each morning until one day I experienced it, and that day was for me the most beautiful and perfect day I had ever had. I felt the presence of my God by my side, His strength to overcome evil and that fear to commit sin. Thanks to God, that was not the last time I felt that need to seek Jesus. Now, every morning the Lord hears my voice and is always there to instruct me by His word, to strengthen me so that I can be ready to overcome in the day that is ahead of me, and that is the reason why we all must have that communion with Christ. This place, this school, has been a great blessing to me. I feel my relationship with Jesus is deeper and that I am growing in His grace. I feel that friendly hand that gives me strength, love, and a desire to go forward. When you have a personal relationship with Christ, everything changes and your greater desire is to always do His will and allow Him to direct your life. As young people, we need to have this relationship with Christ because we face a real challenge to maintain our communion with God and gain “victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:57) The Christian young person must make use of all the means of grace God has made available for him to be victorious in the good fight of faith. Personal consecration, this is what God requires of each one of us. The Lord has really blest me so much since starting this new year at “Maranatha Missionary Training” Center. I would like to share one more experience. One of my duties is to teach Ruthie, she is in third grade. In geography class she was to learn about our country of Honduras, with all it´s demographics. And one morning as I prayed asking God for wisdom, he impressed me to teach her about Honduras by doing a comparison with that better country whose maker and builder is God.

We talked about the size of Honduras, it´s mountains and rivers, and It’s capital of Tegucigalpa, but at the same time I was sharing about the new world and it´s capital: the New Jerusalem, It’s size and foundation, the crystal river of life and the tree of life. I saw that Ruthie was very interested, and she remembered all the information. I knew that God was by my side teaching that class. These are just a few of the many experiences I’ve had with the Lord Jesus at this school that the Lord has established. This is where I want to be, it´s where I will learn to serve others, where I can be taught of God to become a man of courage, filled with His Spirit and always ready to say ¨Here am I send me¨. Words can’t express how happy and thankful I am for this opportunity …for this missionary training Center. My desire is to honor the Lord by giving Him my whole being and allowing Him to use me, remembering always that the success in the spiritual life depends on us maintaining that relationship with Jesus, and staying connected to Him. There are so many beautiful experiences that I have gained since beginning my training this year. God has done so much for me, and I want to share just one of his latest blessings.

My desire has always been to serve and be a help and a benefit to my community, to my country and in this world. And God has answered my prayers. He has allowed me the opportunity to come to this school…”the school of the prophets”; here by His grace, I am forming a character in the likeness of my Saviour Jesus, and being trained, so that by His help I can accomplish the work that He has given me to do. In the last few weeks “el doctor “ (Mr. Willis), has been teaching us how to take vital signs and specifically how to correctly and intelligently take blood pressures; and thanks to God, I learned so that I can share this knowledge with others. When we got ready to put our knowledge into practice, we went down into the village of La Zona, and I felt so happy as we went from home to home taking the people’s pulse and blood pressure, and sharing some advice with them. I also saw that this work opens the doors to present the word of God. Another week later we had the opportunity to go down to the restaurant and do the same thing. What a marvelous experience...to be of service in my community. God has a special purpose for every person in the world, but few realize this purpose. God wants to use especially the young people to shed His light in this world of darkness, and only as His light, His Glory is reflected in our lives, will we be able to lighten this world. I am very thankful and blessed to be here at MMTC.

Freely You Have Received, Freely Give

by Elsa

After returning from a short missionary trip to Belize, I was greeted with all the happenings during my five day absence. Teresita shared all the happenings with the students, and was very excited to share that just the day before my arrival a little girl from the mountain of ¨Piedra Hancha¨ had come down with a large cut on her leg which required stitches. Our young men from The Maranatha Missionary Training Center had just finished their first aid, injections and suturing training two weeks prior. So when Jorge saw the need, he quickly volunteered to do the job. It was their first suturing experience without Joe´s supervision. They prayed and nervously but confidently went to work. It required six stitches, and Jorge, Danelia and Ruby took their turns suturing. I know Joe would be proud of them. Jorge described how he injected the Lidocaine, because he had to make sure that he cleaned the wound well, and there was a piece of skin that had to be lifted up in order to get all the dirt out. They also remembered to keep all the knots to one side of the cut, and Jorge kindly share with the young girl some of the herb capsules that Joe had given him a few weeks prior when he had to have stitches himself, he has learned the principle of freely you have received, freely give. This is one of our emphasis at this missionary training center, that whatever they learn and receive, they must in turn share it with others.
The young girl came back a couple of days later and I got a chance to see their suturing job and I must say that they did a beautiful job, it was neat and clean and there was no sign of infection. But my greatest joy was to see the genuine care, interest and compassion with which Jorge treated the young girl. I could see the joy in Jorge´s face, because he had been able to help someone in need.

You can only imagine how proud we are of our young missionary trainees. They have grasped the knowledge given them and applied it in true service for God. They are now prepared to go out into the community and mountain villages using the “entering wedge” to reach the hearts of the people. Can you imagine what could,...and would happen if all of our youth were trained in service for God? “Above any other agency, service for Christ’s sake in the little things of everyday experience has power to mold the character and to direct the life into lines of unselfish ministry. The spirit of ministry is the spirit of heaven, and with every effort to develop and encourage it, angels will co-operate.” MH, 401

Medical Missionary Training

by Joe

It was an intense two days of training, but these students excelled above and beyond all expectations. While we may now only have a very few students in our classroom, I predict that God will impress others, young and older, to wake up to the seriousness of the times we are living in, and decide to devote all of their time, energies, and efforts to the finishing of His work.
“Upon us is laid a sacred charge. The commission has been given us: “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” If you are dedicated to the work of making known the gospel of salvation, heaven’s perfection will be your power.

Teresa Jimenez is one of our full time missionary volunteers. This is what she wrote: “Dear Brother Joe, Thank you so very much for the classes you gave to us. They were such a blessing, and we are happy and excited about the knowledge we were able to get, which will be used to serve others and our Lord. I took the stitches out of Jorge on Wednesday, and he is doing well, thanks to God. After we removed the stitches, we were able to better understand the previous theory classes. Thank You!! May our Saviour bless you much, much more. It has been such a blessing and we just want to keep on studying, learning and practicing. This note of thanks is not just from me. I believe all of the students are as thankful as I am.” It is always rewarding to hear words of thanks; To know that our efforts to train young people will take root, and they will be of great service to God and His work of teaching, healing, and saving those who are lost.

I have always told my students - “First you watch me,...then I watch you.” I can’t begin to tell you how thrilling and rewarding it is to see young people put to practice what they have just learned. They went through two days of long in-depth training in basic medical procedures and first aid, giving injections, suturing and more. With this information under their belts, they immediately wanted to use what had learned. It just so happened that Jorge had an area on his right shoulder that needed minor surgery. Each student had a particular job to do in the surgery. Two of them administered the anesthesia, and three did the suturing. They really did a fantastic job.

There is Power in Prayer

“Christ gave no stinted service. He did not measure His work by hours. His time, His heart, His soul and strength, were given to labor for the benefit of humanity. Through weary days He toiled, and through long nights He bent in prayer for the grace and endurance that He might do a larger work. With strong crying and tears He sent His petitions to heaven, that His human nature might be strengthened, and that He might be braced to meet the wily foe in all his deceptive workings, and fortified to fulfill His mission of uplifting humanity. To His workers He says, "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done." MH, 499-500

Prayer Corner

Please remember these dear souls in your prayers -
Ryan Sanchez—Health & Healing
Maranatha Missionary Training Center—God’s continued direction
Standish Family - Strength to see beyond all obstacles.
Patricia Smith—Health & Healing
The Willis Family - Health, Healing, and full surrender to God.
God’s faithful workers around the world.

Dear M.M.M. Friends & Family,

You are always in our thoughts and prayers; And though we are busier than ever here in the mission field, we cherish the opportunity to share with you what wonderful and exciting things God is doing; through us, and for us. In this issue, you will read about an unusual missionary volunteer family. If future newsletters, you will also notice a new segment, showing you what life is like for some of our crisis children.

As always, we cannot send out a newsletter without giving you a spiritual, present truth thought. So, dear friends, as you read through this issue, we ask that you prayerfully think of the work that God is doing, not only here in Honduras, but around the world, and then say ―Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?

Joe & Elsa

A Family Of Missionaries

by Joe

Through the years, we have had dozens of volunteers serving at our Outpost, and we are ever thankful to God for sending us just the right people at just the right time. From time-to-time, we’ve had sisters, brothers, mother & son, Father & son volunteer with us, but recently, we had quite an unusual, yet pleasant surprise.

Elsa and I received an e-mail from a Pastor Kevin Powell, from Virginia, asking if he and a few members of his family could come and work with us for a couple of weeks. As always, we never give an immediate answer. We must first pray and seek God’s guidance, direction and will for us in all matters. Finally, we did agree that it would be of benefit to have a few volunteers come and help out with church meetings and health seminars at the restaurant. Wait a minute,…..did I say, "a few volunteers"? After communicating further with the Pastor, we learned that there would actually be sixteen family members coming; This includes mother’s, father’s, aunt’s, uncle’s, son’s, daughter’s, even a granddad. Elsa and I knew this would be somewhat of a challenge, because we were short staffed and very busy. We would not be able to devote much personal time to this group; So, they would have to be very self-motivated. The plan was now in motion for the group to come, and the closer their arrival date,...the more nervous I became. I did not want them to have an unpleasant experience.

A few days before their arrival, I received an e-mail which included their work / project schedule. I had never seen such an organized, detailed outline for such a large group. I was relieved to see their schedule, but now I was more nervous than ever. You see, we have learned that it’s almost impossible to keep a solid schedule at our ministry here in the mountains; Undoubtedly, something will always come up unexpectedly to change things. We prayed, "Lord, please let this be a positive experience for these families coming. Let them see and know that the work being done here, though not always scheduled and organized, is your work." The day finally arrived, and we met them all at the airport; Sixteen people, thirty-two large pieces of luggage, and lots of happy smiling faces. Well, it didn’t take long for me to realize that my nervous fears were unnecessary. Usually, volunteers need a couple of days to get accustomed and adjusted to being in a third world Country. These missionary families hit the Country running.

They wasted no time going out into the mountain villages sharing their many talents with everyone they met. It was so wonderful to see young and old excited about ministering to others. This wonderful group didn’t come here empty handed either. They brought with them lots of medical supplies, clothes for our village children, and a few Laptop computers for our students of the Missionary Training Center. I wish I could tell you all of the special things that took place during their visit, but I’ll only be able to share with you a little of what took place. One very special event was when we all went up to a nearby mountain village to visit one of our regular outreach families.

The young people had brought with them musical bells, and they played several songs for the family. What a wonderful time we had. I thought I could even hear angels accompanying these youth as they played. I honestly believe that heaven draws near when people, young people especially, open their hearts and give of their time and talents to help others. All of these young people displayed such selfless, beautiful characters. We’re told in the book Steps To Christ (pg. 79) that, "The spirit of unselfish labor for others gives depth, stability,
and Christlike loveliness to the character, and brings peace and happiness to its possessor. The aspirations are elevated…..Those who thus exercise the Christian graces will have clear spiritual perceptions, a steady, growing faith, and an increased power in prayer….Those who thus devote themselves to unselfish effort for the good of others are most surely working out their own salvation." Dear youth, do you feel that you are too young, or too untalented to share God’s love and compassion with others? Never feel this way!! God has given you all special gifts and talents to be used in His service. Though this family of missionaries was only with us for a short time, their Christian influence was felt, and will be missed, throughout La Zona, and our mountain villages.

Now, we want you to hear a couple of testimonies from the youth themselves.

Abigail and Bethany became fast friends

My name is Bethany Powell. I am eight years old, and I live in Virginia, where my dad is a pastor. Ever since I can remember I have wanted to be a missionary. I was so excited when Jesus opened the door for our family to go and help at M.M.M. in Honduras for two weeks. We brought with us a lot of gifts for the children, (food, literature to give out, and a few stuffed animals too). As we flew into San Pedro Sula, I saw many banana plantations, rivers and mountains. It was very pretty. And it was fun to go on the airplane for my first time. It’s very pretty at the Maranatha Outpost. We had a great time going to a cave and a waterfall. It was also fun doing our laundry by hand in the ―'Pila'

I want to share a few experiences I had there that were especially meaningful to me. We held VBS (Vacation Bible School) in Cera del Torro, a mountain village just up from the Outpost, and the children were cheerful and happy, even though they were poor and needy. I enjoyed helping with the songs, Bible stories, crafts and games. Another time, we went to a very poor area near Santa Barbara and gave the children balloons, bubbles, tooth brushes, balls and hair thingies. Again we went into the mountains to visit with a poor family, Their house had cracks in the walls. We brought them all stuffed animals. One girl was so delighted when she saw a pink flamingo. I’m glad we brought the flamingo! I made a friend in Honduras! Her name is Abigail. Even though she didn’t know me, she walked right up and hugged me the first night of prayer meeting. It made me feel good. She sat by me almost all the rest of the meetings. It reminded me of Jesus and how He continually befriends us. We are so blessed to have nice houses and lots of good
food to eat. I’m so glad we got to go to Honduras. I look forward to going back someday. I want to be a missionary at home, in Honduras or wherever Jesus calls me to be.

By Kirsten Dysinger--

Kirsten with her new-found friend, Celia

My family and I had come to Honduras on a mission trip - along with two other families, (almost all relatives, which was nice). I had wanted to go on a mission trip for years, and was excited that my dream was finally becoming a reality. As we flew into San Pedro Sula, and then headed up into the mountains, my excitement mounted. The two hour bus drive went by so fast, and I drank in the sights and sounds. I could see the poverty and the filth all around, but instead of repulsing me, it gave me a longing for these dear
people; These people who were stuck in the rut of living the way they’d always lived; afraid of change; afraid of the unknown.

We reached our mission outpost after dark, and I anxiously looked forward to seeing around the place in the morning. But as morning dawned, I was not prepared for the beauty that lay around us. Our first week, we conducted VBS in the mountains, and what a joy to work with the children, and to see their smiles. It actually took a couple of days for them to warm-up, but soon we were all having a wonderful time together. I was given many unique opportunities that I would not have been able to receive here in the States. One of them was going to the Labor & Delivery ward in the hospital in Santa Barbara. There, I was able to watch a cesarean section, which I thoroughly enjoyed! I also learned how to suture,...another highlight. Through these opportunities (and many more), I was able to really experience true missions, and what comes with it. It was an amazing experience!

Young and old gather to receive needed supplies

Medical outreach with Dr. Kerry Neall

Every Child of God should ask the question, "Lord, what can I do to help feed, clothe, and educate someone today?" Not one day should go by that we think and do only for ourselves. We need to ever remember that, ―The Lord provides for the widow and the fatherless, not by a miracle in sending manna from heaven, not by sending ravens to bring them food; but by a miracle upon human hearts, expelling selfishness, and unsealing the fountains of Christlike love. ..In homes supplied with life’s comforts, in bins and granaries filled with the yield of abundant harvests, in warehouses stocked with the products of the loom, and vaults stored with gold and silver, God has supplied means for the sustenance of these needy ones. He calls upon us to be channels of His bounty." M.H. p. 202

For My Thoughts Are Not Your Thoughts

by Elsa

Higher then the highest human thought is God’s ideal for His children. Our God never ceases to amaze me, and His Words are fulfilled every day here in the mission field. If there is one thing I have learned is FAITH… relying totally on God.

I am so excited to share that we have started Maranatha Missionary Training Center. We were not able to get the original piece of property, but we are moving forward with confidence that the Lord has just the right place and that we will have the funds necessary to purchase as He  continues to lead. Once again we want to thank those that have sent funds for the school property and its needs.

Dear friends let me tell you the wonderful way in which God has led us.

Isaiah 55:8, 9. Says "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith The Lord, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." How true this scripture has become in the process of starting this Missionary Training Center. My thoughts were that Brother Hernando (the teacher that we had last year) was to be the one leading out; That we would start on a new piece of property with construction, etc.., but as the time drew near for classes to begin, doors seemed to be closing. God showed us that the property we had in mind for purchase, was not the property He wanted for His training center; We also learned that brother Hernando could not come back from Colombia; What would Teresita and I do? I certainly was crying out to God, as I often do…Joe says I certainly keep God busy. Teresita and I spent long hours in prayer, and then the Lord impressed us with a thought. Since the main purpose of education is service, and one of our goals is to be able to teach these young men how to share and give of themselves for the benefit of others… They would be the teachers! They would assist us in teaching the younger ones, the M.I.C.E; Not a bad idea, but would it really work? As you may know, Teresita and I are not trained teachers; our dependence in this project is totally on the Lord. So we proceeded with the planning of schedules and classes, still wondering if this idea would work. How would the young men take the challenge?

M.M.T.C. students teaching M.I.C.E. students...WOW!!!

Roger takes pride in teaching his students.

Renee patiently teaches young MICE

By teaching others, their own skills and talents are developed

How would the younger M.I.C.E. accept their new teachers? With much prayer we presented the challenge to the young men. They were a bit surprised and apprehensive, but they accepted, remembering "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me." Getting the classes scheduled out just right was a bit of a challenge, but I have learned from experience that when you are trying to do something that God wants, the enemy sends all kinds of obstacles, but if you remain steadfast and pray, the victory is always ours through our Lord Jesus Christ. The first day of school went beautifully, and the blessings extended into the rest of the week. God was working miracles! We saw a difference in our young men; they are becoming men of God. This challenge has caused them to mature, to be responsible, to learn patience, to learn to pray and think and to serve the younger ones. No, it wasn’t easy for them; But they saw the need, the opportunity, and they accepted the challenge. These young men know that they must now work doubly hard; Studying for their own classes, and preparing class materials for their students. Their sincerity and dedication is something to be admired. When we pass by and see them teaching the young MICE, we are thrilled!!! Truly God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, neither His ways our ways; who would have thought that this is what was needed this year? That God wanted to do something special with these young people.

The Christian characters and refinement are seen by all in our community. What could possibly have caused this drastic change? None but the love of God could have accomplished this miracle of transformation. By His grace and power, we will continue to educate these young people in service for God. An army of youth, rightly trained!!

Never Compromise; And Never Give Up!!

by Joe

Not very long ago, there were moments when we had doubts about the outcome of MICE, let alone the establishing of M.M.T.C. (Maranatha Missionary Training Center). A couple of our MICE had chosen not to return and continue their education with us. And, the three young men we had selected for the Missionary Training Center were each having personal or family issues, which, if not corrected, would disqualify them for this special training. Renee’s father, whom he loves deeply, had left home, leaving him devastated. Rogers was receiving pressure from home about attending public night school and working to help provide for the family. Jorge was experiencing the usual ―growing pains‖, and was inclined to be swayed by his non-Christian associates. When faced with such dilemmas, prayer is the only answer; And that’s exactly what we did. Slowly, but surely, we could see a change taking place in the lives of our young men.

Jorge, second from left

We especially noticed a marked change in Jorge. He’s a good kid, but easily influenced by others, and he was dealing with a number of hereditary factors. God has shown us over the years, that we cannot compromise with wrong habits, but at the same time, we should not easily give up on His children. It was in the midst of praying for a change in Jorge, that our missionary family’s arrived. This was the turning point in Jorge’s life. He immediately made new friends,...Christian friends. He saw that it is fun, enjoyable, and yes, honorable to be a Christian. Jorge is a new and different person, thanks to the power of prayer, and the associations of Christian friends. God never gives up on us. We may have serious
defects of character, but under it all He sees a character made of the finest gold. Only He can wash away our undesirable defects. But we must be willing to be made willing by Him; Allowing Him to mold and shape us into His perfect likeness. "Ever remember that Jesus is your helper. No-one understands as well as He your peculiarities of character. He is watching over you, and if you are willing to be guided by Him, He will throw around you influences for good that will enable you to accomplish all His will for you." M.Y.P. - p.17. Our Missionary Training students are very special young men. Please keep them in your prayers.

HEALTH NUGGET:

CILANTRO

by Joe

In my opinion, Cilantro is one of the most unpleasant, pungent herbs on the face of the earth, thanks to some of my dear friends in the Dominican Republic, who mixed it by the spoonfuls in every dish they lovingly prepared. So, after my experience in that Country, I have, since then, had a serious dislike for the stuff. Now I honestly believe that God has me here in Honduras, not only to help others, but He also wants to iron out my sharp, rough edges.; But does that mean I have to like Cilantro too? I have a funny feeling God is trying to tell me something,...hummm. Not long after purchasing our Outpost property here in La Zona, I learned that this property has the largest growth of Cilantro in the entire area. People come from all over to pick this,…"herb", for their personal use or to sell in town. When they ask me for permission to pick the Cilantro, I tell them to please, pick all they want….and then some!! Little do they know that I’d probably pay them to pick it, just to get it off of the property. Well,….as if we didn’t have enough growing already; I just learned that, while I was away in Mexico, Elsa and our MICE were busy planting a Cilantro garden. Can you believe it? Of all things!!!

Cultivating and harvesting cilantro

The Cilantro herb actually does have its benefits. It is a medicinal herb which can be used to detoxify many organs of the body system. The seeds are used as a tea to purify and remove toxins from the blood. Eating the leaves helps to draw out harsh metals from the body. So, medicinally, Cilantro is an excellent herb. After learning more about the benefits of Cilantro, I have a new found respect for this green leafy
plant. I have even conditioned myself to accept it in some of my foods; In very small amounts, of course. I really don’t think I will ever grow to love this pungent herb, but I know that God has placed it here for a reason. In every area of the world there are plants, herbs, fruits, etc. that are specifically used for certain illnesses and diseases which are prevalent in those areas. Living in a remote third-world area, we need to accept and take advantage of what God has given us. So, hats off to the Cilantro herb!!!

MINISTRY MATTERS

**Dear Ministry Family, we have been privately searching to find someone qualified to take over our ministry accounting affairs. Due to health issues, the person we have doing our business can no longer continue the work. We desperately need someone to help us. If you know of an honest, consecrated person who is willing to donate a few hours a month to do our accounting, please contact us immediately at - jcwflm1@yahoo.com. Thank you dear friends.

**Many of you have sacrificially contributed to our newly established Missionary Training Center. Though we have already begun the training of our students, we are still in the process of looking for just the right property for the Center. At present, training is being done at our Outpost in La Zona. We do need your continued prayers and support for this project. We will most certainly keep you informed of our progress throughout every stage.

**A very special thank you to all who have faithfully given of their means to help support this ministry. Many of you have written notes of love and support, and we thank you for them also. Please know that, although we are unable to reply to everyone, we do love you and appreciate your words of encouragement. It is difficult for us to communicate with you personally from Honduras, but you are all in our prayers. Your prayers, letters of encouragement, love and support are dearly appreciated.

**Elsa and I are hoping to come into the U.S. this year; And if we do, we would love to come to your church to share with you the wonderful work God is doing here in the mission field. Before we can commit to coming to the U.S., we must first have volunteers to assist in our school and restaurant; So please pray that God will send us the volunteers needed. We do miss you, and hope to see you soon.

Prayer Corner

"There is necessity for diligence in prayer: let nothing hinder you. Make every effort to keep
open the communion between Jesus and your own soul. Seek every opportunity to go where
prayer is wont to be made….We should pray in the family circle, and above all we must not
neglect secret prayer, for this is the life of the soul." STC—p.97

Dr. Colin Standish - Health & healing after heart surgery.
Charles and Judy Wilson - God’s riches blessings, as they minister for Him.
Patricia Miller - Health & healing after surgery.
Mark Kent - God’s blessings in his recording of the testimonies project.
M.M.M. - We need full-time volunteers for school & restaurant.
Maranatha Missionary Training Center - Continued guidance and support in obtaining property.
M.M.M. Family - God’s blessings upon all who have faithfully supported us over the years.
Above all, may God keep us faithful to Him and to His work until the soon return of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Dear friends,

Thank you for your patience in awaiting our newsletters, how we wish we could write more of-ten. But as you know the mission field is a busy place. We also realize that time is short and by God’s grace we want to accomplish as much as we can for the Master while there is time.
We truly thank God for each one of you and for all the support and encouragement that you give us.

I know some of you wonder how we could possibly come up with another project, when we have so much on our plate already, but we want to let you know that when God shows us a need, we move forward in faith. He then gives us the vision, He gives us the strength, He gives us the energy, and we place all of our reliance on Him.

We wish we could write every detail of our days, but we hope that what we share will bring joy to your hearts, that it will inspire you to step out in faith, to realize that with God all things are possible, that there is a world in need and that we are His witnesses.

So sit back, pour yourself a tall glass of water, bring the family around and enjoy what God has done.

A Cut Above the Rest

by Joe

We serve such a loving and merciful God; A God who desires to bless us with only the best of things life has to offer. Looking back, we can see how God’s hands were instrumental in leading, guiding and directing all that this ministry does; And, we have learned that it is in our most difficult circumstances that, if we are faithful, trusting, and obedient to His lead-ing, that He will pour out His richest blessings upon us. The only condition God places upon us to receive His blessings, is that we surrender our lives fully and completely to Him. It is then that He can shape us, and mold us, and fashion us into the likeness of His dear Son, Jesus Christ of Calvary. You may think that God cannot use you; You may feel that you “Need” to manage your own pathway in life; You may have hereditary flaws, that you feel disqualify you for service to God. Well, dear friends,… God seems to love using human beings with character defects and flaws.

We have had many qualified volunteers come and minister with us; And while all have been a great blessing to us, and to the people in our mountains, there are just some volunteers who go above and beyond what is expected of them. They put all of their energies into God’s service, and they give selflessly of themselves to others. I know that God con-siders them His precious jewels. He has said, “All who would be sons and daughters of God must prove themselves co-workers with God and Christ and the heavenly angels. This is the test of every soul. Of those who faithfully serve Him the Lord says, “They shall be Mine,….In that day when I make up My jewels.” Matt. 3:17

Let me show and tell you about a few of these volunteers:

Here is Wilson; Our Chef at the restaurant. I have always enjoyed working in the kitchen., fixing tasty treats; but I have never looked at food the way Wilson does,..literally. One day, I came by the restaurant hoping to buy a couple of “Arrepas”. It’s hard to describe what they are, but I can assure you that they are delicious. As I walked into the kitchen, I saw Wilson standing over the stove with this intense look of love an d joy. I walked over closer to see what in the world he was doing, and to my amazement, he was holding an “Arrepa” in his hand, stuffing it with veggie gluten. Now, there’s nothing strange about turning a “tortilla pocket” into an arreppa;...No, that was fine (and so delicious too); The strange thing was the way Wilson was looking at the “Arrepa”. The only way I can describe it is to compare his look to a mother who just gave birth, and is looking at her baby for the first time, with pride and joy. I have never seen anyone take such care and genuine love in the preparation of food. Wilson does not show this love and care only to his Arrepas; He gives great care in all the foods he prepares. God knew just the right person to send to us. Wilson has patiently taken the time to teach oth-ers his culinary skills. We would love to have Wilson with us permanently; But we know that one day, God will choose to use him elsewhere. But, until then, we, at La Conasta de Vida, will continue to serve the best food in all of Honduras. Thank God for dedicated volunteers like Wilson.

Here we have Ariel and Johanna. Elsa and I have adopted them both as our missionary son and daughter. Ariel has been with us twice before, but this was Johanna’s first for-eign mission experience. To see the two working together was such a joy. I honestly believe that it is God’s will and desire that both husband and wife are to work together (not separate) doing God’s work.

Ariel is a master at agriculture. I think he could turn Death Valley into productive farm land,..he’s just that knowledge-able. He’s a quiet fellow, who simply enjoys getting his hands dirty,...for the Lord.

As for Johanna; She spends most of her time searching out the poorest of the poor, and gives them whatever help they need. She has the patience to teach and play with little children all day long. Johanna has that special smile that lets whoever is looking know, that Jesus loves them.

Recently, Ariel and Johanna returned to their home in Colombia, S.A., where they will continue their missionary work. It is their desire to establish a Sanitarium in one of the nearby villages. If it is God’s will, M.M.M. will take part in this venture. Ariel and Johanna are true missionaries. Their only desire is to work for God,...helping and blessing others.

“In choosing men and women for His service, God does not ask whether they possess worldly wealth, learning or elo-quence, He asks, “Do they walk in such humility that I can teach them My way? Can I put My words into their lips? Will they represent Me?” M.H. pg. 37

Many think that before stepping out in faith to work for the Lord, they must first obtain a higher degree of education. Some, try to outline their service for God themselves; Picking and choosing what they will do, and where they will go. Some, want to wait until just the right time, when they’re financially secure, to do God’s work. But friends, we can never be of use to God, if we do not allow Him to take full control of our lives,….our plans. He will give us just the right amount of education we need for the work He has outlined for us; He will choose just the perfect work for us to do,...no-matter how unpleasant it may appear; He knows our every need, and will provide for us, above and beyond all that we could ever provide for ourselves.

Elisha Brown, is one of our very special missionary daughters. She has come to volunteer with us many times over the years. This recent tour was extra special for her. She was allowed special entrance into the hospital to assist in the labor & delivery room. This is right up her alley. She loves midwifery, and jumps at every opportunity to take part in it. It isn’t easy getting into the hospital in Santa Barbara; but the staff loved her Christ-like, attentive behavior so much, that they looked forward to having her assist them whenever she could. Elisha never passed up an opportunity to reach out to those in need. Her special friend, Ruby, who usually works in the restaurant, also accompanied her, and helped in many deliveries at the hospital. Working for God is not only an adventure,...it’s a privilege.

Healing the Brokenhearted

by Elsa

As we work in the mission field, there are people we minister to that leave deep impressions upon our minds and hearts. The Chavez’s are one such family. I often share the story of how they used to walk six miles in the dark and in the rain to come and hear God’s word, and even though they have six other children, the one that was always with them was their oldest, Melvin. You see, Melvin is a bit slow and socially challenged, so his dear mom, Evelina, always kept him closed by. I recall the time when Melvin came to one of the meetings by himself because it had been raining and the roads were so muddy. His mom was not feeling well. By the time the meeting ended the rain came pouring again, so I suggested to Melvin that he come with us and spend the night at the outpost; he looked at me a bit bewildered and just shook his head to say no. I kept insisting, but he stayed firm shaking his head no! So I asked him why not, was he afraid that they would be worried about him? He once again shook his head no, and slowly, in his child-like manner said, “ I must go home and share with my parents the message that I heard tonight, they need to hear it”. I was left speechless, what could I say? Melvin had only completed the first grade, but reads very well, and has a good memory. His mom told me that he learned to read from the Bible. So he was the one that read to them the Bible, because they had not learned to read themselves.

This precious family was baptized six years ago. They have remained faithful; Even when Evelina became ill, Melvin would stay home near mom, while brother Chavez would walk those six miles to come to church, and he would always arrive on time for Sabbath school, cheerful, always praising God.

Often we would go up to their village of Los Cerritos, to do a little service in their home. This would always cheer Evelina, and even though she did not feel well, she was always happy to have us there. She wanted all her children and family all around to hear God’s word. This past year her health deterio-rated rapidly. We shared all that we could of the natural remedies, and wanted her to come to the outpost, but she insisted on staying home near her children. In her last days, she drew closer and closer to the Lord, and when we came to visit, she would smile and say that God was helping her and keeping her,...whatever His will was, she was ready. Her only concern was her children; those that had not yet given their lives to Christ, and of course Melvin. She would look at me and say, please pray for him, he’s just like a little child. Whenever we went to visit her, Melvin was right by her bed side. I too worried about Melvin, because I knew he depended on his mothers’ care.

Before leaving to go to the States for a couple of weeks, we went with Joe and Elisha to say good bye, because in her condition, I didn’t know whether we would see her when we got back. She asked me how long I’d be gone, and when I told her two weeks, she looked at me and said, I’ll be waiting for you. So as soon as I got back I went up to see her. Brother Chavez said “I’m so glad you are back; I know God kept her while you were gone.”

Three days later I received a call at 5a.m. in the morning letting me know that she had died. We wanted to do the best for the family, and Joe and I prayed, asking God for wisdom as to what to do and what to say. The Lord impressed Joe to blow up a beautiful picture we had of her at their baptism, and I knew that she would want me to speak to her chil-dren about their need of Jesus. So later on that afternoon, we headed to their house up at Los Cerritos and found the house full of family members and friends.

We presented the framed picture to Brother Chavez, who shed tears of delight at seeing the joy she reflected in her face as she was being baptized. We placed the picture right by the casket, not realizing how loudly it spoke to each per-son as they walked in to offer their condolences to the family… that was the perfect testimony. I really didn’t have to say much about her, for that picture and her life told it all. I simply shared the blessed hope of those who die in Christ, and spoke to her children what I know she would have wanted them to hear. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, be-cause he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach de-liverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” Luke 4:18. Early the next morning, we helped to drive family and friends to the cemetery for a closing service. There were tears all around and hearts that sorrowed. I kept myself strong in order to be a strength to them, that was, until I glanced at Melvin’s face. He stood there like a lost little boy, not knowing what to do, for it had finally hit him that his loving mother was gone. I could no longer keep my tears back as I went over to comfort him. I reminded him that if he re-mained faithful, he would soon see his mother again at the second coming of Christ. The Lord has called us to heal the broken hearted, and to comfort those that grieve.

“There are cases where God works decidedly by His divine power in the restoration of health. But not all sick are healed. Many are laid away to sleep in Jesus. “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.” (Rev. 14:13). From this we see that if persons are not raised to health, they should not on this account be judged as wanting in faith.” M.H. p.151

“When we have prayed for the recovery of the sick, whatever the outcome of the case, (even death), let us not lose faith in God. If we are called upon to meet bereavement, let us accept the bitter cup, remembering that a Father’s hand (our heavenly Father) holds it to our lips. M.H. p. 153

Service for Life

by Elsa

Dear MMM family, first of all we want to thank God for each one of you who responded to the call for means to purchase land for the future Missionary Training Center. It warmed and encouraged our hearts to get the notes of encouragement. Projects like these are always a step of faith, and we are moving forward in faith! We are happy to let you know that we have to date, received 1/4 of the total amount needed for the purchase of property,...but we know that God will continue to provide the funds necessary for this project. We were not able to purchase the original land that we saw, but we still have confidence that God has just the right place for us.

We are so excited because our first students are bearing the fruits of the understanding of the call that God is making to them. In one of our last conversations with Roger, our hearts were made glad as he shared that he believed this was a personal call from God to him, and that he understood that answering this call meant forsaking many things…all things for God, and that this was a call of service for life. He said that his relatives told him that if he did not continue his studies he would repent later, but he said, “I know I won’t.” As we mentioned in our introduction letter about the project, we also believe that this Missionary Training Center is not just another school, but a call that God is making to young people in these last days. Not to give partial service, but a full life of service to the Master; to become His disciples. Please, keep us in your prayers as we move forward in faith with this project to prepare God’s last-days messengers.

Never Forgotten

by Joe

The blessings received from reaching out to the poor, is one that can hardly be described; But often times, we minister without follow-up. This can render little long-term results. It is so very important to keep contact with those whom God has allowed you to witness to, and share His love with. Ministry without follow-up, is not true ministry; In fact, in most cases, it can do more harm than good. At our Outpost in the mountains, we are forever doing outreach to the poor, and we often re-visit those whose hearts have been touched by our heavenly Father’s love. Just see what God can do, when people know that you really care about them; and that you haven’t forgotten them.

Several years ago, we visited a family living in a broken down mud shack. The mother was outside slapping mud and small rock into the holes of her shack. We stopped and gave she and her children food, clothes, and school supplies. Since then, we have visited them often. Last year her husband was riding his bicycle, and was hit by a truck, and killed. We had made it a point to care for them; But at one point they moved to a different location, and we lost contact with them. We have often thought of and prayed for little Lourdes, one of the young daughters. On one of our recent outreach sessions, we visited a very poor community, providing health consultations, clothes, and treats for the children. To our surprise, we saw that Lourdes and her family lived in this little vil-lage. What a joyful reunion this was. When I first laid eyes on Lourdes, I didn’t recognize her. I still pictured her as the little girl, smiling and holding the new dress we had given her. When they saw us, they hurriedly came to us, giving us lots of “we’ve missed you” hugs. In speaking with them, we learned that the mother had lost her job several months prior, and was living from day to day on scraps and hand-outs from friends. My heart goes out to this mother (whom I will call Maria), because she does not ask or beg for any-thing. She trusts in God to help and provide for she and her three children. When I went into their little shack, I noticed that there was no food. All of the clothes they had were shabby and worn out. A nearby Adventist school had just given the two younger daughters a pair of shoes to wear to class.

I have once again, made it a point to keep in touch with this family, and help provide them with all of the basic things needed to simply survive. Are you wishing that you could help? Dear friends, you are helping. All of your prayers, and support, no matter what the amount, is going to help families like this. Lourdes (top right) is now 14 years old. She wants to help her mother and two siblings, but her education and skills are limited. That is why God has sent us here into the mission field; To help those who cannot help themselves.

A smile, a hug, a few words of en-couragement, and of course, the assur-ance of God’s love for them, makes a world of difference in the lives of those who need to know that someone really does care for them.

Prayer Corner
“If we live according to His (God’s) word, every precious promise He has given
will be fulfilled to us. We are undeserving of His mercy, but as we give ourselves
to him, He receives us. He will work for and through those who follow
Him.” M.H. p. 148
Patricia Smith—Recovering from illness
Pete Raimondo - Healing of eye problems
Steve Willis - Health & healing
Sis. Vincent - Health & healing
Standish Family - Help recovering from brush fires in Australia
MMM - God’s continued direction to find property
God’s children everywhere - Faithfulness to Him in the hard times ahead

Our dearly beloved M.M.M. family,

With all of the work our heavenly Father has given us to do, we look forward to these times when we can share with you the blessings of this blessed work. We have come to the end of yet another year; and though many events point to the soon coming of our Lord and Saviour, we also see that there are still so many precious souls in need of hearing of a God who loves them, and desires more than anything to save them.

This is a special newsletter issue. One that should give hope and encouragement to all who desire to actively take part in ministry, and work selflessly for Gods cause. Our prayer is that all who profess the name of Christ, do all within their power to minister to this dying world. We put forth enormous effort working for things that will soon perish.

Oh what wondrous blessings are in store for you as you read through this newsletter. We felt it to be so special, that we decided to make it a color issue. Do share it with your friends and loved ones.

A Beacon of Light

(Testimonies)

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow. No other words can express how we feel. Ten years ago, we entered the mission field, not knowing what to expect. In this short period of time, God has allowed us to establish a medical missionary Outpost, a Christian school for our church children, and a beautiful House of Prayer in our mountain village. Just when I thought we had enough responsibility on our plate, God inspired Elsa to establish a totally vegetarian restaurant right in the center of the town of Santa Barbara. At first, I wasn’t very impressed with this idea, because it would be very time consuming for her; After all, she had church activities and the school to attend to, not to mention the duties at the Outpost. Nevertheless, we moved forward; And there is now a beautiful vegetarian restaurant, La Canasta de Vida, in Santa Barbara.

I’m not one to doubt or think negatively, but I admit, starting out, I wondered how in the world could this restaurant be a success in a town of people who survive mainly on "frito pollo," (fried chicken)? At best, it would only be effective in ministering. But, as God has told us from the very beginning; If we lift Him up, make Him first and foremost in all that we do, He will draw all men unto Him, and make you and all that you do successful. La Canasta de Vida has been open for only one year, and it far exceeds anything we could have imagined.

My name is Nancy, I’m an orthodontist in town. I come to La Canasta de Vida everyday! I always bring someone with me, because the food is so delicious and most importantly, it is healthy. I have a very fast metabolism, and was hungry all the time...eating all the time. I knew that was not good for my system. But since coming to this restaurant, my metabolism has balanced out. I think it is because I’m eating whole grains and lots of vegetables and other wholesome foods, and my body feels satisfied. I’m so glad they are here.

Rodolfo, comes regularly to the restaurant to pick up carry out lunch for the people he works for. I have seen Rodolfo over the years in the streets of Santa Barbara. I know he has a drinking problem. So I was happy to be able to see him every day to try to encourage him and show him God’s love. I know he feels ashamed, but we always make him feel welcomed. He enjoys the delicious soups we make, and I have given him the book Steps to Christ., and have also helped him with some herbs for his liver. Do keep him in your prayers.

I’m director of nursing a the hospital here in Santa Barbara. I consider myself a healthy person. I’ve tried to live right and eat right all my life. I heard about this restaurant through a co-worker of mine, who told me about this elegant vegetarian restaurant in town. Well, I just had to come and see for myself. The people here really care about their customers, and the atmosphere just can’t be beat. With my hectic schedule, I need a place to escape and unwind, and this is the place.

Ola, I’m Fanny, an elementary school teacher, who needs lots of energy. I started coming to La Canasta de Vida because I saw my friend Carlos loose weight and looking younger, so I thought I’d give this vegetarian food a try... and now I’m hooked. These people make some delicious dishes and they are so friendly and loving. Now I feel great and have lots of energy, and the problem I had with sinus infections has gone away. I told Dona Elsa, that she could never close this restaurant, it is a blessing to so many people. I tell my friends that I actually look forward to waking up so I can come and eat at La Canasta de Vida.

Have you ever received a free health consultation at a restaurant after enjoying a healthy meal? ….Only at ―La Canasta de Vida. That’s right folk, Elsa cant’s turn away anyone whose in need of help; even if it means giving health tips and consultations at the restaurant. I couldn’t believe it either, so I just had to take pictures of this rare event. God’s people must always be minute men; ready for whatever He sends our way.

Seeking Those Who Are In Need

by Elsa

The Lord has told us that the poor will always be with us, and He expects us His children to open up our hearts and reach out to them. In our years of experience here in the mission field, we have learned that the truly poor are not those that stand out begging., in fact the truly poor are ashamed to let their condition be known. So it is as we seek them and visit that we find these precious ones.

The church members and volunteers have been busy visiting through out the village, and on one of those visits, Johanna discovered the living condition of one of those poor families. She came back to the outpost concerned that the little babies didn’t have warm clothes to wear and one of the older girls has a habit of eating dirt, obviously she has some kind of deficiency. We immediately got some clothes together and a bag of food for them. The next visit she took clothes for the children, and has been counseling the mother. The older girls have felt loved and little by little have come out of their shell, smiling and showing up for Sabbath school every week. After church we take the opportunity of bringing them up to the outpost so they too can enjoy a nice nourishing Sabbath meal.

Joanna is ever faithful in her outreach to the poor, she often brings a few little ones home for a healthy meal.

End of the Year Blessings

by Elsa

The M.I.C.E (Maranatha Institute of Christian Education) finished their school year hands-on with practical training. The Lord is so good to us; He always hears and answers our prayers. As you read in our last newsletter the Lord has shown us the fruit of true education, a transformation of character in the students. And He even answered my prayer that the students would have a take home project, something that they had made with their hands.

For the last two weeks of school, the Lord sent us Brother Jerry from Arkansas. He shared with the students some graphic designing skills, and then went to work with them, making small tables and book stands. He also taught the younger students weaving.

Our end of the year program was very touching. Teachers, students and parents testified and gave thanks to God for the education they are receiving. The students sang hymns they had learned in English class, and shared the skills they had learned on the guitar. We praise God for having blessed another school year.

God is Leading His People

by Joe

For more than a decade Maranatha Medical Ministries has encouraged our brothers and sisters everywhere to work for God. This is our objective whenever we visit the United States. We have not tried to do this through word only, but by example. We also have reminded Christians that the time for doing what God has counseled us to do is drawing to a close. It isn’t easy telling people to simplify their lives, get out of debt, move to a remote country setting, and direct all of their time and energies to doing the Lords work. While everyone we’ve met and spoken with agree with the counsel God has given, few are willing to step out on faith, with God by their side. Of course, most of the people we address are Seventh-Day Adventist. Why? Because we have been given the Present Truth Message for this time; A message which is to be given by us to all the world. But how can we give a message to the world if we do not believe it ourselves? The simple fact is, we do not trust God to keep His promises. Let me share with you something that is taking place right now, even as I write this article.

A few months ago, when Elsa and I were in the States, we were asked to stop by a Christian home in Tennessee to give a missionary presentation to several families. After the presentation, we got to speak with each family personally, and what we discovered was tremendously encouraging, sobering, and, in a good way, somewhat shocking. Each of these families stated that they had been impressed by God to sell all that they have, move out of the country, and focus solely on working for Him. Elsa and I were dumbfounded. These are not Seventh-Day Adventist. These people do not know the Present Truth message for our time. They are ordinary Christian folk; well, not so ordinary,…..you see, these families have heard Gods voice speaking to them, and they have vowed to do whatever God tells them to do.

Troy Schaffer with his family

Campsite for three families, plus a few volunteers

Elsa and I realized then and there, that we were witnessing prophecy being fulfilled. It kind of reminded me of ―Gods chosen people‖ of old, who had been given the light and truth for their time; But they rejected that truth, and in doing so, rejected the giver of that truth, Jesus Christ. As a result, the truth was given to ordinary people who would accept Him, and all of His teachings. These ordinary people would become His chosen people, because they were not only hearers, but doers of the Word. We should not think for a moment that because we (Seventh-Day Adventist) have been given the Present Truth message for this time, that we are exclusively privileged, and that God does not have other sheep in His fold. Christ tells us in John 10:16 & 27 ―And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. (verse 27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.‖

Over the past few months I have been in communication with these families, one in particular. They told Elsa and I that we were inspirational in helping them make their decision to move forward. We told them of our desire to go to Mexico in search of a second missionary outpost location. It just so happened, God had also impressed them to find a settlement in Mexico and begin work for Him there. After leaving them in Tennessee, we went on to Jalcomulco, Mexico to help a young man who is establishing a modest sanitarium there,...single-handedly.

Jalcomulco is a beautiful, old fashioned, typical Mexican village; A perfect place to establish an Outpost for the Lord. We told our friends in Tennessee about this little village, and they knew it was God directing them to this area. So, what did these families do? Did they come together and just talk and dream about how wonderful it would be if they could start a work in Mexico? No dear friends; They immediately began fasting and praying. And what’s equally important, they began planning and moving forward. They began stepping out on faith.

Troy Shaffer, his wife and three children, are the one family I’ve been in communication with. He informed me last month that he and two other families have decided to move to Mexico; To come to Jalcomulco and help with the building of the sanitarium. We were so happy to hear the good news, but we also knew what was in store for them. It hasn’t been easy for them, but these families have sold all that they have, and are, even now, in route to Mexico. They spent their last few days saying their goodbyes to friends and family, knowing that there’s a great possibility they will never see them again (on this earth). Troy told me that the hardest thing for his wife Christy to give up was her washing machine. We encouraged them, letting them know they would enjoy building a Pila (a concrete outdoor wash tub), and washing clothes by hand, like we do at our Outpost.

Can you imagine, dear friends? Three families, (sixteen men, women, and children), selling all that they have, and traveling together to a foreign country to do missionary work. Why would they do such a thing? Because God said Go!!!

Some of you may be feeling deep within your hearts, "I sure wish I could do something to help them." Well friends,...there is. You can daily keep them in your prayers. These faithful ones are not discouraged; They are not sad, worried, or doubtful. These folk are as happy as can be, because they know they have heard the voice of God speaking to each of them, and they have all obeyed His voice. I can only hope and pray that you and I will do the same when God speaks to our hearts.

Having lunch under the Mango trees

What a beautiful outdoor toilet

Sabbath afternoon worship services are so special

Everyone participates, including the children

The Entering Wedge

by Elsa

The end of October marked our one year anniversary since the opening of ―La Canasta de Vida restaurant‖. From the very beginning our motive for this endeavor was to reach the hearts of the people and prepare them to receive the everlasting gospel. The Lord has blest our efforts and the restaurant has become very popular and quite busy. But our motive remains the same. I want to thank God for knowing our hearts and listening to our cries...because I sure did cry out to Him. Many a times as I drove through the congested city traffic of San Pedro Sula, picking up supplies for the restaurant. I would say "Lord, you know I would only go through this for you!…so that souls can be reached for your kingdom…so please bless the efforts, and if in a year I don’t see fruit in souls coming to you, then there is no purpose in all this effort; I did not want to run a business, but a means of reaching souls for you!!" This would often be my conversation as I would shift gears, through the crowded streets of the market.

Well, dear friends, God heard those cries, and those prayers. We are sharing the testimonies of some of our regular customers. These are people that now consider us their friends, we have won their confidence, they are open to listen to our advice, they know we care about them because we serve a God that wants to give them life and life more abundant.

The last weekend in October we had a blessed surprise, when one of our regular customers, Dr. Guillermo Sabillon and his wife and little girl, showed up at church for Sabbath service. Afterwards We invited them for lunch at the outpost along with the poor children of the village. They were very impressed and asked many questions about the Sabbath and the health message. Before leaving his wife told me that, when the Doctor got up that morning , he said "let’s go spend the day with the Adventist in La Zona, this is the day they go to church." Well, they were delighted to be at the outpost, and we had the opportunity of giving them the ―Ministry of Healing‖ book along with the Ten Commandment poster.

Another wonderful testimony we want to share is that of Pastor Elwin Castillo, an evangelical pastor who has been eating lunch at the restaurant for the past month. When he came his health was in poor condition. He needed to lose weight, his cholesterol levels were totally out of balance, triglycerides were high, etc… After a month he told us that he felt great, that the restaurant was a great blessing to him. He had lost eight pounds, cholesterol levels were improving, and he felt great! Even his wife was thankful, because he no longer kept the neighborhood awake with his snoring. He said that he wanted his congregation to learn the health message, and would we be willing to come, that he would give us the whole Sunday to share; and of course we were delighted.

The first Sunday we went, we were so inspired by the reception and enthusiasm of the people, everyone had pencil and paper writing every bit of information that I and brother Hernando gave on health reform, and a healthy diet.

In the afternoon, we taught them how to make soy milk, tofu cheese, mayonnaise and other products from the soy bean. They were so excited, that they wanted us to come back the next Sunday, and the pastor was so excited that he asked, if we would make lunch for them, so that his congregation could taste some of the delicious food that he ate at the restaurant.

So as you see friends, I had to say ― Okay Lord we will keep the restaurant going…your grace is sufficient for me, for when I am weak, you are strong‖ God is faithful, He blesses our efforts, He sees the sacrifice and He hears the prayers.

By God’s grace the customers of La Canasta de Vida, will be prepared for His kingdom as a result of the restaurant ministry.

"God has given us talents to use for Him. To one He gives five talents, to another two, and to another one. Let not him who has but one talent think to hide it from God…..Through the right use of one talent one hundred souls may receive the truth. It is not to those who have the greatest number of talents to whom the ―Well done‖ is spoken, but to those who in sincerity and faithfulness have used their gifts for the Master….There is a great work to be done in our world, and we are accountable for every ray of light that shines upon our pathway. Impart that light, and you will receive more light to impart. Great blessing will come to those who use their talents aright." MLT 113

Please continue to keep all of our volunteers and our outreach ministry in your prayers. Thank you so very much for your prayers and support. Over the years, you have enabled us to reach hundreds,...yes thousands with God’s present truth message.

Spiritual Tips for the New Year

Dear M.M.M. Family, though we love sharing with you of the wonderful things God is doing in the foreign mission field, we feel it our obligation to also inspire and encourage you in personal soul preparation for the soon return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We pray that these spiritual tips will help you in that preparation.

I recently read, in one of our no longer published denominational books, that "true conversions are very rare and many Seventh-Day Adventists are not truly converted, and will be lost." What a sobering thought! The fact is, many of us are genuinely good hearted folk, but deep within the recesses of the soul, there is one spot of selfishness, one small trace of sin. We must realize friends, that one small sin in the life makes us completely sinful. Little defects of character separate us from Christ.

• Apart from Christ, there is absolutely no power to resist or to overcome Satan. OHC 76; 5T 294; 8T 292.
• Apart from Christ, there is absolutely no virtue. 4BC—1141.
• Apart from Christ, there is no repentance or forgiveness. 6BC 1056.
• Apart from Christ, every effort to overcome sin will fail. SC 69.
• Apart from Christ, no man can overcome one sin or resist one temptation. DA 676.

What is perfection of character? It is the complete, final, unbroken victory over sin, here and now in this life.

We must realize that in order for us to be saved, we must be more, so much more, than ―good folk. We must be perfect in Christ. Some say that it is impossible for the Christian to live a perfect life. That we will only ―receive perfection when Christ returns and changes us into His likeness. Dear friends, do not believe such teachings. "...those who say that it is not possible to live a perfect life, throw upon God the imputation of injustice and untruth." RH Feb. 7, 1957. But how can we obtain perfection? Well friends, "while we cannot claim perfection of the flesh, we may have Christian perfection of the soul. When we surrender ourselves wholly to God, and fully believe, the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin. The conscience can be freed from condemnation. Through faith in His blood, all may be made perfect in Christ Jesus.: 2SM 32 "Perfection of character is attainable by everyone who strives for it." 1SM 212.

Christ is very soon to throw the censer down, and declare, "It is finished." The time for character perfection will be finished. Now is the time dear friends; Now is the time to make your calling and election sure. Do not wait to the end of the year to examine yourself. We need earnest, prayerful, daily self-examination. Only then can Christ reveal to us our defects of character, that we may surrender them over to Him while He still ministers in our behalf in the Most Holy Place of the Sanctuary.

Thank God we are not dealing with impossibilities. We may claim sanctification/perfection. By the power of the Holy Spirit the moral image of God is to be perfected in the character. "We are to be wholly transformed into the likeness of Christ." TM 506. May we enter this new year with determined effort to strive for perfection of Christ’s character.

Prayer Corner:
Pete Raimondo - Continued prayer for healing of eyesight.
Willis Families - Health, healing, perfection in Christ Jesus.
Troy Schaffer & Friends - Continued faith and trust in God’s guidance.
Maranatha Institute of Christian Education -Teachers and students.
Cortney Smith - Healing during and after surgery.
M.M.M.—Wisdom and guidance in search of a second M.M.M. Outpost.
―After we have offered our petitions, we are to answer them ourselves as far as
possible, and not wait for God to do for us what we can do for ourselves. The
help of God is held in reserve for all who demand it. Divine help is to be combined
with human effort, aspiration, and energy. But we cannot reach the battlements
of heaven without climbing for ourselves. We cannot be borne up by
the prayers of others when we ourselves neglect to pray.‖ MLT 19

Dear Maranatha Family,

As we enter this new year, I pray that it bring to each of us a closer connection with God and a deeper desire and determination to do His will. I believe that in this year of 2009, very serious events will take place that will try all of God's people. Now is the time dear friends, to give God our all and all. We cannot go about our daily routines as we have in the past. We must awaken to the serious events which are soon,....very soon, to take place. We must now, give God all of our time, all of our energies,...all of our means.
We at Maranatha Medical Ministries have prayed much about starting a new phase of the ministry. There is so much God has already given us to do; But when God says "MOVE", we must, without hesitation or delay, move forward with prayer and determination to do His will.
God has instructed us to establish a "Missionary Training Center" here in Honduras. It will be primarily for consecrated and dedicated young people whose only desire is to be of service to God and the finishing of His work.
Many of you have been with us from the very beginning of our ministry, and we are so very thankful for your faithfulness and support of this ministry. Now, as never before, we need your prayers; And yes,...we need your support. As you will read in the attachment, we plan to build very modest classrooms, dormitories, and buildings for student industry. This promises to be a great venture for M. M. M.. We are determined to follow God's outline for educating missionaries for service.
We are aggressively moving forward with this project, and we thank you in advance for your prayers and support.
Please feel free to contact us with any words of advice or encouragement.

Sincerely,

Joe & Elsa Willis

Dear friends and family,

We want you to know that you are ever in our thoughts and in our prayers. In the midst of our busy work and duties we try to keep up with the current events and realize that our God is trying to get our attention so we can make preparation for His soon return. A crisis is coming and we want all of you to be ready. You have been part of this ministry more than ten years, and we appreciate all of your support and encouragement. We look forward to that day when we can gather together at the throne of God and rejoice for such great a salvation and for allowing us to have a small part in reaching others.

We are so thankful to be able to write this newsletter and share with you God’s blessings. God has been so good and kind to us here in the mission field. He has allowed trials to come in order to purify our characters and show us our great need of Him. But in-spite of our failures, mistakes and character defects, He has always blest our efforts. He knows our heart’s desire is to please Him and reach others for Him.

Now is the time to grab that glass of water; get comfortable and open your hearts to receive a blessing from the Lord. We want to give you glimpses of the rich harvest God is preparing here in the mountains of Honduras.

-Joe

Our Mice Give Testimony

As I look back over the many years spent in ministry here in Honduras, I see myself as somewhat of a "Pineapple Man." I’ve often wondered, of all the wonderful places God could have sent me, He chose to send me to a place where willful ignorance and dishonesty are a part of every-day life. Many times I’ve felt like shaking the dust off of my shoes, and head-ing on to an easier mission field; But God said, ―Not yet. I’m not through perfecting you. So, I have tried to learn to be patient, understanding, and compassionate. And, after what seems like forever, God, in His great love to give us the desires of our hearts, has opened the doors for this ministry to expand to other parts of the world; But not before showing us the precious fruits of our labor. I would love to tell you the story, but wouldn’t you much rather hear these miracles from the MICE themselves? Once again, God has shown me that, though our hard work and tireless efforts may appear to be in vain, He is preparing vessels more precious than the gold of Ophir.

(Dinora)

Many of you already know Dinora. When she first came to MICE, she was very shy and withdrawn. She would hardly ever smile and you couldn’t get more than two words out of her. To-day, Dinora is a different person. She’s very personable now, and appears to be happier. She volunteered to write this brief testimony, which is something she would never have done. God is truly working in these young lives. Here is her testimony:

M.I.C.E. has been a blessing to me. I am very thankful to the Lord for being one of the students at Maranatha Institute. It has helped me very much because I have learned a lot, and our teachers treat us with love and patience. The most important thing, is that I have learned much about our Lord Jesus. My desire is to continue learning, that I too may one day work for the Lord.

(Angelica)

Hello my name is Angelica, and I study at M.I.C.E. (Maranatha Institute of Christian Education). I want to tell you that I have learned so many things that are important to us youth. One of my favorite classes this year was mathematics, because I really was able to understand numbers this time. The purpose for studying at this school is for us to become followers of Jehovah, learning many practical things, and especially truths from the word of God. We are young and we have many years ahead of us, but really we don’t have much time to waste, because our Creator is coming soon. My Purpose is to become a missionary for God, but I know that I still need more training, I need to know more of God’s word, and this should be the purpose of our lives, and the Bible is the best book to make all our goals come true. We need to be like Jesus. He was faithful and obedient to everything the Father told Him to do, and we should follow His example. I’m thankful for a Christian education, and because even though we are sinners, God loves each of us, so I encourage you not to give up, let us not submit ourselves to anything in this world….not it’s riches, not it’s fame, not anything.

“Adios, DIOS nos ama a cada uno” — “God is Love.” ―

Hi. My name is Roger. Although this is my first year at Maranatha Institute, I already know this is exactly where God wants me to be. Before coming here my life was meaningless, and I had nothing to look forward to, except hard work and poverty. Now I have a bright future ahead of me, if I continue with this education God has blessed me with. I love hard work, but I want to use all of my energies for the cause of the Lord. I am so very thankful and fortunate to be here at this school. So many of my friends in the village may make fun of us here, but they too know that this is a special school; one that will prepare us for the Lord’s soon return. Please pray for me, and for all of my fellow students here at M.I.C.E..

―Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

(Javier Enamorado)

(Javier appreciates Hernando’s patience)

God’s Redemptive Grace

By Hernando Cuesta

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, Which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15)

God’s inspired Word, the Holy Scriptures, is the fountain of wisdom, and the foundation of every true education. For almost a year and a half, the Lord has given me the opportunity to collaborate with the educational work at Maranatha Institute of Christian Education in La Zona, Santa Barbara. What is this educational work all about? Why is it important? What is its objective? The Lord’s servant expresses it this way:

In the highest sense the work of education and the work of redemption are one… (Ed 30.2)

To restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the per-fection in which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might be realized—this was to be the work of redemption. This is the object of education… (Ed 15.2)

I feel privileged to be able to cooperate with the Lord in this sacred work. I want to share with you some of what the Lord has done; how He has led us and also how I have seen His hand working this transforming of character, this development of the mental and spiritual faculties in the lives of my students, particularly, in the life of Javier. When I first came here, the middle of last year, I found a group of undisciplined youth; youth with bad disposition and difficult behavior. Most of them needed much help, especially concerning the development of a Christian character.

In Javier’s case, helping him was not an easy task. When I invited him to come in for morning worship, he would simply answer: "I’m not coming in"; and I knew there was no case in discussing with him. With a furrow on his forehead, he would stay outside and only come in when he wanted or when the director told him to do so. When I invited him to have a conversation with me, he would simply say: "What are we going to talk about? We have nothing to talk about."

That hurt.

The most difficult days were the first days of the week, especially in the first hours. On Monday, when he came to school, he brought with him a bitter temper, a bad attitude to the teacher, and he showed indifference to every work in class. As the hours went by and we continued with the school program: the Spanish classes in which we studied The Great Controversy, the prayers that were made in class, etc., a change started to be seen in him; and when at noon we finished with the study of the Bible and more prayer, I could see an even bigger change in his personality, so that in the afternoon hours his disposition was lots different from that he manifested when we started classes. This would happen day after day, although each day it was a little bit easier, and when the last day of classes came, the change was even more evident. But although at the end of the week of classes he left refreshed by the grace of God, full of joy and with a different attitude, when the next week came, and I received him in class, it was like starting from zero again.

This would happen day after day and week after week; and although the things accomplished during the week seemed lost at the start of the new week, and again I received that cold treatment, so indifferent and lacking Christian courtesy, I didn’t give up doing the work to which God called me when He brought me from my country.

As we started school this year, new subjects were introduced to give more emphasis to true education. One of them was the "Christian Education" class, in which the students came to understand that when God’s people through the ages has had God’s word as the foundation of its education, it has triumphed in the battle against evil and has had success in the fulfillment of the work of carrying the knowledge of God and His truth to the world. Upon finishing the first semester, this year, the students had come to an awakening. They were gaining understanding of the plan God has for His people today, and the personal call to do His work in such a time as this. We finished the first semester with a camp meeting which emphasis was True Education and the Sanctuary in the experience of God’s people, especially in these last days. The Spirit of God brought conviction of this truth to the hearts of those participating in these meetings, not being left without blessing the students of this institute, among them, Javier.

Step by step also, the Lord had been leading us to a better understanding of His educational blueprint, and as His will and His methods became clear and evident to us, we strived to follow in all things possible, the way He was showing us. In the second semester, the youth must be taken to a deeper experience in the work of God relating to true education. The knowledge they had obtained regarding these must be put into practice. Now the youth must join us in mission work more frequently, and take active participation so that they could experience for themselves the joy of serving in the ministry.

Currently, the young man, Javier, gets up early in the morning to pray and study God’s word. This communion with the Lord has worked big changes in his heart, so that he has become a testimony for his family. His parents are happy to see the change that has been worked in him, and now his parents have opened their hearts to the Lord and are receiving Bible studies. As classes start every week, Javier comes with a smile on his face, a hand shake for his teachers and good manners for everyone. In class, he cooperates with his classmates, helping them when some of the tasks are difficult for them. In the agriculture class he is always ready to volunteer for any task that needs to be done and to promptly obey the orders of his teachers. He enjoys his time in the institute, humbly and joyfully receiving everything the Lord offers him. I greatly rejoice in the Lord, praising His mercy, kindness and patience toward every human being in giving us His redemptive grace. The change we have seen in my student, Javier, is the same work He wants to do in each one of us; and as we deal with one another we must work as the Lord does with us: with patience, kindness and mercy to the ungrateful and indifferent to the Heavenly calling; and making use of perseverance so that we can obtain in the hearts results unto everlasting life.

This work is not ours; neither can it be accomplished with human wisdom and methods. God is the fountain of wisdom, the Giver of true education, and success in education depends on fidelity in carrying out the Creator’s plan. (Ed 50.4)

A Special Week of Prayer

By Elsa

I truly believe that the prophecies of God’s word are being fulfilled, and that the end is very near. God desires to pre-pare a people and pour out His Holy Spirit upon them that they may proclaim this last message of mercy with power. I’m always amazed at the love and favor that God shows us here in this small mountain village of La Zona. Many of you, who have visited us and attended our church services, have always commented on the fact that the people here receive such straight messages of truth, messages that are rarely heard in the churches in the States.

Well, God recently gave us a call through the prophet Joel 1: 14, 15. God brought these messages to us, not through a "powerful evangelist or pastor", but through a humble servant whom He impressed with the need of calling a solemn assembly, gathering God’s people, calling for a fast that we might cry out to God and seek the true repentance that we need in order to be able to stand during the time of trouble that is coming upon the earth. Those of us who were here wished that everyone could have heard these messages, and my thoughts and prayers went out to you, our M.M.M. family in the States; I wished that you all could have been here. I will try to summarize the messages and give you the text, that you may study for yourself, because I belief that if we obey and follow God’s counsel, He will fulfill His covenant with us.

This was truly a special week of prayer. I saw the Holy Spirit move upon hearts that had been hardened. I’m seeing true revival and reformation in the lives of church members, and I see God bringing new people to hear these solemn messages. One of those is a neighbor by the name of Jorge, he owns a small welding shop here in the village. He has always been kind and friendly to us and the volunteers that come to visit. He has always tried to attended our meetings when invited, but has stood kind of "afar off". But God touched his heart during this week of prayer and he requested bible studies with brother Hernando. They have spent hours studying; he brings his notebook and writes down every Bible text , asks questions, and, as we say, he is eating it up. The Holy Spirit is giving him discernment, he is now keeping the Sabbath and attending every church service. I know his witness will be very meaningful in the village, because he is well known and respected, and people know that if he follows something, it is because it is truth.

(Jorge in the yellow shirt)

(Jorge and others at services)

Here are the texts used during the week of prayer. May God have a rich harvest as a result of the efforts made in this village.

Bible Study

Joel 2: 15-18, 28-32
The only way we can receive God´s promised blessing.

2 Corinthians 6:1-2
It was through confession and forgiveness of sin, fervent prayer and the consecration of themselves to God, that the first disciples prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The same work, only in greater power, should be accomplished now.

Mathew 25: 5-10
I saw that many had neglected the necessary preparation, waiting for the time of refreshing and the latter rain to prepare them to stand in the day of The Lord and abide in His presence.  Oh! and how many I saw in the day of trouble without a refuge! They had neglected the necessary preparation to stand in the presence of a Holy God. ... I saw that none could participate in the refreshing unless they overcame every temptation, and overcame pride, selfishness, love of the world. ... We must draw nearer and nearer to God and jealously seek the preparation necessary that will enable us to stand firm in the battle, in the day of The Lord. Remember that God is Holy and only holy beings will be able to stand in His presence.

Haggai 1: 4-5, Haggai 1: 7-9
The work for this time is to preach the gospel.

Haggai 1:13
The lord promises to be with us.

Mathew 28:18-20
...Dear brothers and sisters, may the law of God and the testimony of Jesus be ever present in our thoughts, that it will chase away worldly cares. Let them be our meditation when we lay down and when we wake up. Let us live and act having vividly in mind, the coming of the son of man. The time of sealing is very short and will soon end. Now, while the four angels are holding the four winds of strife, is the time to make our calling and election sure.

Luke 21: 25-36
This is the time to prepare! The time is almost finished. Do you reflect as you should the lovely image of Jesus? ... I saw that it was necessary to realize a preparation among those that had embraced the three angel´s messages. Said the angel: Get ready, get ready, get ready! You need to die to the world much more then you have done until now. I saw that there was a work to be done and very little time to do it in.

(All quotations are from Spirit of Prophecy)

An Experience of God’s Love

By Elsa

There is something special that God does in our hearts when He gives us the privilege of ministering for others, especially when they are sick and in need… He places His love in our hearts! We’ve had this experience often here in the mission field., and this has been the experience in the case Ruberman.

(At the beginning, brother Ruberman had a very large cancerous growth on his chest and side)

(It appeared that he was recovering well after surgery; but doctors used chemotherapy, and the cancer returned with a vengeance)

When we left for our summer of sharing in the States, we left with Ruberman on our minds. We had planned to purchase some needed herbs and supplements in order to continue to battle the cancer. We gave our volunteers instruction to make sure that he always had the fresh fruits and vegetables he needed for his juices, etc.. And because he lived right down the road from the outpost, they could always check on him. Mid-summer they called with the news that one of the family members had taken him to Tegucigalpa (the capital) for a check-up, and the doctors had recommended chemo-therapy; Ruberman did not want to take it, he said he wanted to continue with the natural treatments and wait until we returned. But unfortunately, the doctors intimidated him, and the pressure from the family members coerced him into taking the chemo treatments. The next report we received, was that he kept asking for us in the hospital and he kept saying "Please get this needle out of me, I want to go back to La Zona. I want to be treated by Dona Elsa and the Doctor (Joe)." After several treatments, and the results, (losing his hair, vomiting, weakness, loss of weight, etc.), he refused to take anymore chemotherapy, and insisted on being brought back home. While at the hospital they had given him meat to eat and other things that he knew were not good for him.

When our volunteers saw him, they were shocked at how bad and how weak he looked. They visited him daily and often times in emergencies would spend all night with him. They too experienced the love of God in their hearts for Ruberman and his family. Unfortunately they saw the cancer once again taking over his body.

When I returned from the states, the volunteers warned me to prepare myself, because it was not the same Ruberman I had left. The tumor had once again come back and he was weak, and in pain. I waited and prayed before going to see him. When I walked in, I saw the mother, his young wife and little girl, with joy and expectation, at my return. The mother whispered, "He has been waiting for you, he always mentions you." I braced myself and went in to see him. He had tears in his eyes and said, "I should have never gone to Tegu." I hugged him and told him we are going to move forward and do all we can, trusting in the Lord. He related his experience in that city, and he said that he knew it was the worst thing he could have done. He also related the love and tender care that had been shown him by the volunteers. He and his family were very thankful for them, and he always cherished their presence.

From that day on, we spent hours at Ruberman’s house, helping and encouraging the poor mother and young wife, who had to tend to him day and night. He was in pain and uncomfortable, and had become so weak that he had to be assisted in and out of bed. Sometimes you just wished that you could take his place; he was so young, to have to die.

The weekend of September 21st arrived, and it looked like all his brothers and sisters had come to see him. His older sister asked for Joe to administer an I.V., because he was not drinking fluids, and he was very restless and in a lot of pain; So it was also necessary for Joe administered something for the pain also.

That next morning on her way to church, the Lord impressed Teresa, one of our volunteers, to stop at his house and read scripture to him and pray with him... the Lord knew that’s what he needed before he allowed him to sleep. When we came down to check on the I.V. we were met with crying and sorrow, Joe went in to check vital signs and help prepare him. His young wife was torn, she had given all her energies to taking care of him. She wanted to take one last picture with him.

We then drove his brother and sister into town to help them with the purchase of the casket, and I was asked if I could conduct a little service for him, even though the family are evangelicals, the sister said, I know Ruber would want an Adventist service, and would want you to speak.

That evening his house was packed with family and friends. Our M.I.C.E (Maranatha Institute of Christian Education students) along with volunteers sang hymns of hope and God’s love; then I shared of our experience with Ruberman, and the faith and trust he had in God; how he had accepted Bible truth and how we needed to prepare our lives, either for death or for Jesus' return: two events that we cannot avoid. Even the evangelical pastors were responded with hearty Amen’s at the Bible truths they heard.

Afterwards, the family could not thank us enough for all the love and help that we gave; and those thanks go to all of you, our M.M.M. family; We know that you too experience God’s love in your hearts. When we asked for help with his operation, you kindly responded, and you continued to show your concern for him with your prayers. We also want to thank you for being part of this ministry; For crying when we cry, for rejoicing when we rejoice, and for ministering when we minister. My prayer is that in that great day we will all hear the words from the lips of our Saviour, "well done thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord." Our confidence lies in knowing that Ruberman accepted God’s truth, and he looked forward to the time when he could go out and share with others the Saviour’s saving grace.

Christ became one with humanity that humanity might become one in spirit and life with Him. He says to the penitent, "I am the resurrection, and the life." Death is looked upon by Christ as sleep—silence, darkness, sleep. He speaks of it as if it were of little moment. "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me," He says, "shall never die... He shall never see death." And to the believing one, death is but a small matter. With him to die is but to sleep. "Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." 1 SM, 301-303

Signs of the Times

By Joe

As I left the United States recently, returning to Honduras, all I could say in my mind throughout the entire trip was "Father, please help your people." There was such a deep feeling of urgency; an urgency that God’s people should have given heed to long ago. Now, crisis are occurring one after the other in rapid succession, and God’s people should be on the forefront, encouraging the faint-hearted, caring for the poor and needy, preparing others for the even more critical times just ahead of us. Instead of us being a strength, comfort and support to others, we have been found sleeping, and are now in need of help ourselves. What can we do, now that the early crisis is upon us? Will God allow us to redeem the time? Dear friends, in all honesty, I do believe that God will allow us to redeem some of the time lost in indolence and selfishness, but His mercy will not always strive with us. Soon and very soon, these few doors of opportunity will be closed forever. Friends may not be informed enough to counsel you; Most ministers of the gospel won’t even tell you clearly what God has instructed His people to do at this time, because in doing so, it would con-demn the ministers and the lifestyle of ease and comfort they have chosen. Well dear friends, we at M.M.M. love you enough to tell you the truth, even if it is unpleasant.

For decades, God has been warning His children of the crisis that are taking place in our world today. Year after year these warnings grow in intensity, and now, as we near the year 2009, you would think things could not get any worse; But friends, you could say that this global economic crisis is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Soon,...very soon, we are going to experience times such as never were. Have you simplified your lifestyle? Do you have a place to live outside of the cities? Have you learned to grow your own foods, make your own clothes, do without electricity and modern conveniences? If we don’t learn now, it will soon be too late. Soon,...very soon, you will not be able to leave the cities at will. Soon, it will be too late to try and purchase land in the country and plant your own gardens and fruit trees. There are precious souls in the cities, and God wants us to reach them with His truth; But we are not to live in the cities (or suburbs). We are to do as Enoch did, and enter the cities for the soul purpose of winning souls, then retreat back to your country outpost with those souls willing to learn of God’s love. Many think they have acquired the American Dream; They have a $300,000. beautiful home, IRA’s, some money in the bank, 2—3 cars in the driveway; And they’re making faithful monthly payments on all of these things. Friends, if you’re in debt , you’re in trouble. Though things may appear to be settling, and the economy may appear to be recovering, it is headed for the biggest fall ever. And I believe the next fall, will be the last fall. Whatever debts you have, pay them off. If you’re unable to pay your house off,...downsize, and buy, with no mortgage, a smaller house that you can afford; One that you would not hesitate leaving if the Lord suddenly told you to ―flee to the hills and mountains‖. I know that what I am saying isn’t pleasing to hear; And there will be many who simply will not give up their lifestyle for anyone,...including God. But there are also those who know what is about to take place in this world, and they sincerely want to be on God’s side and do what He has warned and counseled us to do before it’s too late.

Are you fearful of the reports of a global economic crisis? Have you become benumbed by all of the disasters taking place around the world? Oh dear friends, can’t we see that the Holy Spirit is being withdrawn from this earth, and the four winds are being released? What God has instructed His people to do,...Now is the time to do it.

"It means much to us whether we are in pursuit of the heavenly things or the earthly. The earthly will soon pass away. In these days there is great destruction of earthly treasures. There are earthquakes in divers places, and trouble and difficulties are seen on every hand. But it is our privilege to be preparing to become members of the heavenly family, children of the heavenly King."

I know that these are not easy words to hear; But how can we say that we love you, and God, if we do not remind you of the things which are about to take place, and what needs to be done in preparation for that time?

"We are living in the closing scenes of this earth’s history…..we have no time—not a moment—to lose. Let us not be found sleeping on guard….Let us persuade men and women everywhere to repent and flee from the wrath to come. Let us arouse them to immediate preparation, for we little know what is before us."

"In the great closing work we shall meet with perplexities that we know not how to deal with; but let us not forget that the great powers of heaven are working, that a divine hand is on the wheel, and that God will bring His promises to pass. He will gather from the world a people who will serve Him in righteousness." M.L.T. p. 342-343

Let us daily pray for one another. Pray, for wisdom to discern God’s voice, and that we will be willing to do whatever it is He instructs us to do. Pray, that while we give the warning message to others, we ourselves will not be castaways. Pray dear friends, without ceasing.

Health Corner

By Joe

Do you have arthritis? Do you know someone who does? There are several types of arthritis, but perhaps the most common, and most problematic is Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). More than 3 million people in the U.S. alone are afflicted with it, 2/3rds being women, and 70,000 of these are under the age of 18. Those most commonly susceptible to this disease can begin noticing symptoms between the ages of 25 and 50. The various types of arthritis affect the synovial (or movable) joints. These would be the fingers, toes, wrist, elbows, hips and knees. Each joint has cartilage covering the end of the bone, and is continually bathed in synovial fluid within a capsule. In rheumatoid arthritis, the cartilage at the end of the bones is destroyed; and it is replaced with scar tissue. Then swelling occurs; and the joints may eventually fuse together, making them immovable. While osteoarthritis only affects individual joints, rheumatoid arthritis ultimately affects all synovial joints in a persons body.

The main causes of rheumatoid arthritis is poor nutrition, bacterial infection, and/or physical stress, … that’s right,...stress. Stress seems to be the active agent which initially brings it on. Keep in mind that 10% of those with rheumatoid arthritis become disfigured in one way or another; so it would be good to take the time and effort to reduce or even eliminate it. The likelihood of remission is greater early in the course of the disease. Each attack seems to be worse than those preceding it.

Natural Remedies: People with RA (rheumatoid arthritis) were found to have lower blood levels of folic acid, protein, and zinc than other people. So, it would do well to take calcium, magnesium, selenium, copper, vitamin B6, histidine, and bromelain. Do not take iron supplements (such as ferrous sulfate, which is commonly given for anemia). These will intensify RA and arthritis. Avoid soy products, milk, eggs, coffee, and sugars. Meat has been found to be a major cause of RA. Studies show that people who used large quantities of wheat, rye, and oats had higher rates of RA. Keep extremities warm, especially at night. Deep breathing exercises, done outdoors, helps. Alternating hot and cold baths help -**Give 6 minutes for the hot, and 4 minutes for the cold. This will help to increase blood flow to the affected areas. The healing is in the blood which is brought to the area, and then recharged as more blood arrives. Aloe Vera gel, placed on the affected areas helps also. Remember God’s laws of health, and you will receive positive results. God’s promises are sure.

References found in the book Natural Remedies Encyclopedia.

God loves you with an everlasting and unconditional love. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.

Maranatha

"Every act of love, every word of kindness, every prayer in behalf of the suffering and oppressed, is reported before the eternal throne and placed on heaven’s imperishable record." 5T, 133

Friends, not a day goes by that we do not see distinct signs of God’s wrath upon a sin-filled world; but He tells His children, you and I, "Let not your heart be troubled." We must keep in mind that we are but pilgrims, passing through, in route to our heavenly home. God has promised to keep us in perfect peace, if our minds are stayed upon Him.

"The hearts of those who reveal the attributes of Christ glow with divine love. They are imbued with the spirit of grati-tude….Lift up Jesus. Lift Him up, the man of Calvary, with the voice of song and prayer. Seek earnestly to spread the gospel. Tell the precious story of God’s love for man. In this work you will find a satisfaction that will last through eternal ages." MLT, 170

"Every duty performed, every sacrifice made in the name of Jesus, brings an exceeding great reward. In the very act of duty, God speaks and gives His blessing."

PRAYER CORNER
―Christ, our example, turned to His Father in (these) hours of distress. He came to earth that He might provide a way
whereby we could find grace and strength to help in every time of need by following His example in frequent, earnest
prayer.‖ RH, May 19, 1885
Pete Raimondo—Continued healing of eyesight.
Sr. Vincent—Grant clearness of mind for Jesus.
Steve Willis—Complete surrender to Christ.
Abel A.—God will supply all needs.
Troy S, and family —The Father’s blessings and guidance.
Tavo I, and family—The Father’s blessings and guidance.
M.M.M. (Honduras) - May the Lord send us consecrated, full-time staff.
Faithful missionaries around the world—May God supply all of your
needs.

Dear friends and M.M.M. family,

We bring you greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. You are ever in our thoughts and prayers, especially as we see the changes taking place in this country and the world, which we know are just the beginning of sorrows.

But dear ones we want you to remember that in the midst of the troubles and uncertainty of this world, there is ONE  who has it all under control and has His eyes over His faithful children  who are trying to do His will.  We must remember that this world is not our home, we are just passing through. So let us seek God with all our hearts and re-consecrate all that we are and all that we have to His service.

We pray that this newsletter will encourage you to press forward. This work is a work of faith and we are so thankful for the privilege to be co laborers with God in reaching others for the kingdom.

We  were  blest this summer to see  how God takes care of His work. While we were here in the States ministering the Lord was blessing our volunteers in Honduras as they did their best to keep the work going.  So get your tall glass of water and sit back and learn what God has done. Remember it’s not what you can do but what God can do with you and through you!

Advancing the Work

By Elsa

We love to come to the States and share personally with our M.M.M. family all the blessings that we experience in the mission field and inspire others to step out in faith to do the work before it is too late. But leaving the outpost with it’s varied duties is not easy. We know from past experience that the enemy tries to take advantage of our absence.

I knew that with the restaurant running, it would not be an easy task for our young volunteers to  manage all areas of the ministry. But after much prayer, we organized who would manage the restaurant, the clinic, the school and of course keep the church moving forward. We sat all the volunteers together, acknowledging that we were leaving them with a great responsibility but encouraged them that we had the confidence that God would help them. We gave them some council  as to what to expect and how to handle situations when they arrived.  From our experience in the past, we warned them that the most important area was their personal connection with God, and then not to allow any differences to come among themselves and to remember that they are representing The Saviour and all His principles at all times and in all places.

They were a bit reluctant, but were willing. I want to say that I felt confident because this is one of the best group of volunteers we’ve ever had; they are young, but fully consecrated and have a true spirit of service.
By the way, five of them are from my birth country of Colombia.

Joe and I felt, that if they could just be there to take care of the outpost and try to keep things going; that in itself would be a great blessing. But as the summer moved on, we kept receiving reports of how busy the restaurant was; for one week, there were 30 visitors from the States that were eating at the restaurant daily and they had to set up tables on the second floor in order to try to ac-commodate our regular patrons, and many times people had to be turned away for lack of room... imagine that! There were also reports of cooking classes being held, and outreach activities with our sister church in town…...They had groups of people coming from the big city of San Pedro Sula, which is two hours away, to eat and receive vegetarian cooking classes at the “Canasta de Vida Restaurant”….God’s restaurant! Remember friends, Our Father’s promises are true. Isaiah60:3 says “And the gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising”  God will bring people to you when you allow His light to shine through you.  These volun-teers weren’t just keeping things going…..they were advancing  the work!!!

(Photos: Joanna and Wilson go out into the community to give health presentations; Teaching them how to make such items as    soy milk, tofu, gluten, and many types of healthy dishes. Our volunteers do not sit by idle; they work!!!)

At the outpost, brother Hernando, Teresa, and Ruby, were faithfully teaching our M.I.C.E. and manning the clinic, while also organizing church activities. They wanted to inspire the members to reach out to their own people, to realize that God has called them to be missionaries too. Brother Hernando organized the church members to conduct health outreach in different villages on Sabbath afternoons.  So with blood pressure cuffs, scales, health charts , their guitars and Bibles, they headed out, asking God to use them. Hernando assigned some of our M.I.C.E. students to lead out in sharing the health information they have learned in class.

Everywhere they went they were met with open doors. The people were very thankful that there was someone inter-ested in visiting them and taking the time to teach them how to better take care of their health. There is much need for this kind of work everywhere.  May our volunteers inspire you to go out and do for the Master!

“Come Over And Help Us”

Teresa Jimenez

“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” (Acts 16:9)

I believe all of us have received countless blessings and experiences. I also believe that when God grants us such won-derful blessings, we should share them with others, that they too may be encouraged and blessed.

One Sabbath afternoon, we all decided to visit a Brother Carlos, who lives in the community of Los Cerritos, and whose wife has been ill. This mountain village is quite a distance away, and there were many things to take along, so we de-cided to make up two teams: One would take the food to Brother Carlos and his family, and the other team we call our (“music team”) would take the bread and try to find other houses nearby to do outreach witnessing. Arriving at Brother Carlos’s house, we greeted him and his family, and began by singing some songs with them.

We left one of our M.I.C.E in charge of the health talk, while we left to find other people to witness to. We started up-hill and saw a small tattered house on top of a little hill… it caught our attention; it looked like a nice place to go. A young man was standing by the road, near the gate to the house. Brother Hernando greeted him and asked who lived in the house on top; the man said they were relatives of his. We told him we wanted to visit there because we had some-thing to share with them, and we invited him to join us. When we arrived at the house, we saw about three other houses nearby, and an open front yard, perfect for outdoor witnessing. It really looked like a nice place to have a meeting. We greeted the people in the nearby houses and invited them to come outside. Salvador, the young man we met by the road, brought out two chairs for the guitar players, and we started to sing. Little by little, people started coming out of their houses and coming to join us in the yard. They would sit in the grass and listen to the songs. After singing, Brother Hernando brought out a health banner and began his health talk. People continued to come. I saw them coming up the road, from other nearby houses, dressed nicely, as if coming to an important meeting. Towards the end of the talk, an-other man came. When we told them good-bye and that we would be back in two weeks, this man said: “We didn’t know you were coming, or more people would have come. We should make this a place for meetings, for we are needy, and want to hear what you have to say and what you have to teach us.”

We were full of joy and felt so blest after leaving that place; but other thoughts also troubled my heart:

(Photos: M.M.M. volunteers conduct health outreach in the nearby mountain villages.)

“How many people are there who have not heard God’s message for this time?” “What can we do to reach more of these needy people?” My Brothers and Sisters, all members of God’s family who have been entrusted the precious treasure of truth, what are we doing to share it with the world in need? Do we realize the enormity of the task before us? Do we realize how short the time is for us to finish this work? Do we realize that this responsibility belongs to each of us, personally? Are we consecrating ourselves to this work as we must? Are we sincerely asking the Lord in this time of      great solemnity, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” From all parts of the world the cry comes again and again, “Come over and help us”.

Special Training

By Elsa

This summer some of our students from Maranatha Institute of Christian Education, along with other young people from Honduras and Nicaragua, were blessed to receive some special training. A graduating class from Wildwood Insti-tute chose Honduras to come to for three weeks and share what they had learned during their six month training.

Of course we wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. So three of our M.I.C.E. along with one of our church members and volunteers took the six hour bus ride to the town south of Tegucigalpa. This was truly a once in a life time opportunity for our young people. They were a bit nervous, because they had never been way from home or the village of La Zona on their own before. But they were soooo glad they went. They came back inspired and ready to   put into practice what they had learned. The boys called me while in the States to ask if they could offer to do mas-sages at the restaurant on their days off from school. And Celia ,one of our girls said, “This was the best thing that could have happened to me, I plan to continue studying about health, so I can teach my family”.  I am so thankful that we can give them these opportunities.  Our goal and prayer for these young people is that they will be that “Army of youth rightly trained”, ready to give the last message of love to a dying world. Please pray with us to that end.

(Photos: Several of our students attended the Youth Bible Camp.    //     Jorge and camp volunteer conduct health screenings)

Training Pays Off

Joe

I can’t begin to tell you how gratefully rewarding it is to see the fruits of our labors. Being in the foreign mission field, especially in a third world country, missionaries often feel unappreciated; that the work they’re doing may be for naught. But God is faithful. And He is loving enough to show us that our efforts are not in vain.

Over the years, we’ve had dozens of volunteers come to our Outpost to learn “Raw” medical missionary work. True, many will return to their countries and homes, never again to put to practice the things learned here in the mission field,….or so we sometimes think. But we must remember that we are simply missionaries sowing seeds for the Master.

A few years ago, a young man by the name of Levi, came to volunteer with us. His parents had hopes that he would develop an interest in medical work, but I think deep down in Levi’s heart, he had a love for automotive mechanics. God needs mechanics too! While there, Levi helped tremendously by fixing the front end of our truck. Without his mechanical knowledge, we would have had to pay a lot of money to have the work done by someone else. Levi was interested in medical work too, and he took every opportunity to help and take part in all medical procedures and treatments. When I think of Levi, I see a well rounded young man who wants to learn and experience as much as he can that will help him in his career decisions.  Most volunteers are initially anxious to learn the “blood & guts” of medical missionary work, but after getting their hands bloody, they realize that this phase of the work may not be the thing for them, so they turn their attentions to the school, the church, or the Restaurant. Levi, however, has a gift for doing medical work. He has a steady hand, and a caring spirit. Of course, Levi learned how to suture wounds, but I didn’t think it would ever be of benefit to him once he returned to the states.

A few months ago, Levi’s dad was out cutting wood with a buzz saw, when suddenly the saw bucked back and hit him,  causing a deep gash in his thigh. The gash in his thigh was deep and certainly needed suturing, but Levi’s dad insisted that he didn’t want to go to a hos-pital. Levi immediately put his medical missionary training into practice. He reminded his dad that he had learned su-turing while in Honduras, and that he could sew him up. Dad had no problem with that; After-all, who better to suture you up than your own son? Levi had the suture material, but he didn’t have the tools. This is where common sense comes in; Levi simply grabbed a pair of needle-nose pliers, and, after cleaning the wound, he began suturing. I have to admit, he did a fantastic job. We’re proud of you Levi; I’m sure dad is too.

Joanna and Ariel are also volunteering with us now at the Outpost. We’ve known them for many years, and they are true medical missionaries. Joanna has always wanted to learn suturing, but never had the opportunity. She knew that this would be something that would benefit their ministry in the future. Little did she know that the future was coming sooner than she thought. Fortunately, shortly after they arrived at our Outpost from Columbia, S.A., we had several incidents of machete cuts, which allowed Joanna and Ariel to watch me as I sutured. I tell all volunteers, “first, you watch me do it,...then, the next time, you do it.” Ariel is the best, when it comes to agriculture, but I don’t think medical is his forte. Joanna, on the other hand, is a natural.  While Elsa and I were here in the U.S. this summer, she sutured many villagers who had been injured. Ariel and Joanna hope to one day establish their own medical ministry clinic.

(Photos: Joanna and her husband, in their emergency first  aid training class.     //     Joanna sutures independently. She and Ariel managed the Outpost for us this summer. )

Health Corner

Joe

Last year, we did a two part segment on cancer entitled “Cancer Answers”. The interest and feedback we received from those segments was tremendous. Cancer  in the U.S.A. is on the rise, due mainly to the typical unhealthy American diet. When we, as Christians, talk to people about cancer and how it can be prevented simply by eating healthy foods, and how it can be treated successfully using natural remedies, we are generally looked upon with some skepticism. You see, most people still trust the medical professionals and their words as being the ultimate authority when it comes to your health. When will we understand that health professionals do not have your interest at heart? Sure, they are knowledgeable, and they have high levels of education to “prove” they know what they’re talking about. When will we understand that God does not “practice” medicine, and that His natural remedies are cures, not cover-up treatments that ultimately destroy the body systems. Well, for those who believe Man, and find it rather difficult to believe God and His word, this article is especially for you.

We have all heard of John Hopkins University and John Hopkins Medical Center. J.H.M.C. is one of the best, if not the best, medical center in the United States. Listen to what they have to say regarding their latest findings on the cause and treatment of cancer. Their recent article reads as follows:

“After years of telling people chemotherapy is the only way to “try” and eliminate cancer, John Hopkins has determined that there is an alternative way.

• When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

• To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

• Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, Kidney, heart, lungs etc.

• Radiation, while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

• When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compro-mised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

• Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

• An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

• Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar, it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses, but only in very small amounts. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus.

• Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. (God says it’s best not to eat any flesh food at all. A MMM statement )

• A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including bean. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. Eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day.

• Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water (purified or filtered. Tap water has toxins and heavy metals. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

• Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body’s killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

• Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level.

• Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit.  (End of report).

John Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletter. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well.  May this information be accepted and helpful you all who read it.  Maranatha.

Ministry Matters

Redemption Radio - (Redencion Radio)

The Spanish Herald in Honduras started over twelve years ago, as a radio ministry. In amazing and miraculous ways, the Lord brought everyone together and directed us in the purchase of a 500 watt AM radio station. On June 17, 1996, Redemption Radio (Radio Redención) started uninterrupted programming for the first time, carrying over the airwaves the everlasting gospel. Through trials and blessings, difficulties and victories, the Lord has been leading us all these years. We had just began our transmissions when we started receiving calls for help from many rural communities. They asked us to send people to teach them more of the things they had heard through the radio station. The Holy Spirit impressed us to establish an evangelistic program through Bible workers, who would go from house to house, sharing God’s message, encouraging the people to listen to our programming, and at the same time, conduct public evangelistic series. This program has been such a blessing to God’s work in this area. These faithful workers have worked mainly in rural and mountain communities, sometimes under difficult conditions. They have had to walk long distances, endure the hot sun or pouring rain, and some times sleep in uncomfortable and even unsanitary conditions, but the joy of being in the Lord’s service and of having His blessed presence with them through it all, is greater than any of these difficulties. Presently, we have three Bible workers. Two of them work in the Jutiapa area, and one in the Puerto Cortés area. It is our dream to see more young people trained to do this kind of work, combined with medical missionary work. Our goal is to have at least one worker in each department of the country.

With our 1,000 watt transmitter, we are presently covering part of the Atlántida, Colón, Yoro and the Bay Islands de-partments. We estimate we have about 3,000 regular listeners. With the new transmitter, broadcasting with 2,500 or 3,000 watts, we expect to cover completely these four departments, plus the department of Olancho, which is the big-gest department of Honduras. Our dream is to also be able to reach the island of Cuba during the night hours.

Since the radio station has been in operation, about 14 church groups have been established by the combined efforts of the radio station and the Bible workers. We ask your prayers as we strive, by God’s grace, to use every mean possi-ble in the work of enlightening this world with the glory of the everlasting gospel.

(Photos: Br. Jimenez , at the controls, transmitting the truth of God’s word to thousands.            The Jimenez family; A powerful witness in the    country of Honduras.)

While traveling through the Eastern and Southern United States this summer, we were richly blessed with the fellow-ship from all the churches we visited. Being able to share God’s blessings with others is so rewarding. Our prayer is that we may be a blessing to everyone we meet, but it turns out that we too are the recipients of God’s great blessings. In our travels, we see so many sincere Christians who are seeking and desiring to do God’s will; Christians willing to forsake everything for the cause of God.

One thing in particular that we’ve noticed, is that God has a number of small ministries being formed around the world. Ministries that are basically unrecognized by mainstream church members; Ministries whose workers, though few, are quietly doing the Lords work, the way He has directed it should be done,...and without com-promise.

It is our desire at M.M.M. to soon establish an in-ternational network of present truth ministries, whereby each can uplift, support, encourage and work together in lines of Gospel Medical Mission-ary Evangelism. This is the work God has commis-sioned all of His people to do. God has many small, independent, self-supporting ministries throughout the world that are doing a good and effective work; But joined together (as a network of ministries) we could accomplish a greater work for the Lord. So, we will periodically be sharing with you the wonderful work being done by these little giant ministries.

*****************************************

How wonderful it was to be able to visit with a few of these ministries, and to see the self-sacrificing spirit of the workers and volunteers.

Have you heard of Wellness Secrets? If not, you’re missing out on one of God’s special ministries, and the many services they offer. Wellness Secrets has four fulltime dedicated Staff. From left to right, there is 1st. Wes Stabel (standing with wife), Wes is business manager; Tina Rodriguez-Restaurant Manager/Lecturer; Sheri Trueblood-Lecturer and Hostess for live-in programs; and Kae Borrero - R.N. & Director of Wellness Secrets.

Wellness Secrets is God’s shinning light in the town of Decatur, Arkansas. With services ranging from health consultations, therapy treatments, 10 day lifestyle programs, community cooking classes, and it even offers  healthy noonday meals right in their very own Wellness Center Restaurant.  Most 10 day lifestyle sessions cost thousands of dollars; but Wellness Secrets offers the same professional services for only a few hundred. That’s a fraction of the price you’d expect to pay at other wellness centers. Looking to get back on track? Check out Wellness Secrets.

Wellness Secrets Lifestyle Center was established in 2004 and is located in beautiful NW Arkansas. They focus on natural ways of treating a variety of health problems including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis pain, weight management, and stress. Classes can be given in their lecture room or at your location. What more could you ask for? I have personally tasted the delicious meals served at their restaurant; Elsa and I spent two weeks there getting some much needed rest and relaxation, before continuing with our summer ministry here in the U.S.. The time spent there enabled us to focus, and draw closer to God and to one another. Wellness Secrets is one of God’s ministries. Do keep them in your prayers. You can check out their website at -  www.anewstartnow.com.

Another ministry we visited is “Adalante Health Ministries of Jalcomulco”, located in the township of Vera Cruz, Mexico.

(Photos: Abel stands at the Sanitarium construction site.      Abel & Joe look over construction blueprints.)

A young Christian brother by the name of Abel, who grew up in this area, had a vision to one day help his people to know God’s truth as it is written in His word, and to teach them the importance of living healthy lives. So, he came to the United States and attended several lifestyle training sessions. After returning to his village in Mexico, he decided to build a modest Sanitarium, which will offer similar services as does Wellness Secrets. Abel bakes bread twice a week in order to support himself, and pay for the one, that’s right …. ONE, worker he has doing the construction on the Sani-tarium. Brother Abel is patient and persevering; and he knows that God will not only provide him with the funds needed to complete the health center, but will also provide him with the staff needed to operate the facility once it opens its doors for ministry.

God loves you with an everlasting and unconditional love. Draw nigh to Him, and He will draw nigh to you.  Maranatha

Steps to Christ  pg. 79 - “God might have committed the message of the gospel, and all the work of loving ministry, to the heavenly an-gels. He might have employed other means for accomplishing His purpose. But in His infinite love He chose to make us co-workers with Himself, with Christ and the angels, that we might share the blessing, the joy, the spiri-tual uplifting, which results from this unselfish ministry.”  STC—79

Prayer Requests:
Our M.M.M. volunteers as they keep the work going
Ruberman and his family
Wellness Secrets—God’s rich blessings upon His work.
Pete Raimondo—Continued health & Healing
Jackie Baldwin—Restored health and healing
The Willis family— Consolation in the loss of our dear Sally.
M.M.M.—faithfulness in doing God’s work
Sr. Vincent—Health & healing. Stay close to Jesus.
Numerous unspoken requests that God’s will be done in their lives.
T. Schaffer & family—

Dear M.M.M. family,

How we’ve missed writing to you and sharing the blessings of God here in the mission field. Although we’ve been out of touch for awhile, we have not forgotten you. By the time you receive this issue, we will be in the U.S. visiting different churches and encouraging God’s people in mission work.

We wish we could visit with all of our Maranatha family, but just in case we don’t see you this summer, we hope our newsletter ministry will be an equal blessing for you. It’s time now for you to take a spiritual break; So find a comfortable, quiet place and allow God to bless and encourage you. Don’t forget your water .

Joe & Elsa

M.I.C.E. In Ministry

(Maranatha Institute of Christian Education)

We are trying to do all we can to offer these young people every opportunity to develop all of their faculties for the glory of God and for His service. We thank God for consecrated young people like Teresa Jimenez.; were it not for God sending us the right missionary volunteers, their selfless dedication and determination to train our M.I.C.E. in service for Christ, they most certainly would not have been able to tackle such a project.  Some of you may have read the booklet, or listened to the audio cassette, entitled "NOW". It’s an allegory of last day events, and how God’s people might respond to what is soon to take place in this world. We thought in the time we are living in, that this would be a meaningful an important project  for our M.I.C.E.

In our previous newsletter, we told you about our students taking on the huge task of translating a Christian booklet from English into Spanish. This is no easy job for children who, just a few short years ago, barely knew how to read or write; But God had plans for these children.

Well dear friends, our M.I.C.E. have completed their translation of this book, and it is now in publication. What a tremendous accomplishment for these young students. They have done what few students, even here in the United States, have done. Oh how I wish each one of you could write them to express your pleasure in hearing about their spiritual and educational growth. You see, they need all the encouragement they can get. Unfortunately, they receive little encouragement or pats on the back from friends or family; Many of whom can’t fully appreciate the significance of the Christian education they’re getting. Together, we can fill that void and let them know that they’ve done (and are continuing to do) a fantastic job. God is using these children to minister and reach many, many other young people with Christian literature.

(Photo: Javier, Angelica and Roger hold up copies of the translated booklet "NOW",  "AHORA" which will be used as their missionary outreach ministry to other young people.)

Youth Bible Camp - Honduras

(Photos: Our young people sharing  devotional thoughts. / And of course, break time is always refreshing.)

For the second year, our youth from La Zona have attended the Youth Bible Camp in the town of Pinalejo. At first, our M.I.C.E. were a little shy and hesitant about participating in the camp activities; But not this year. Our young peo-ple are front and center of all the camp projects.

There were nearly 100 young people from several different countries in Central America.  To most , this was a very new and unique experience. There were many activities for the kids, such as wilderness survival, cooking classes, youth evangelism, nature walks. The classes included, Last Day Prophecies, True Education, The Sanctuary Message, Medi-cal Missionary Work. Of course, the food was great!!!  It was prepared by our very own Chef from La Canasta de Vida Restaurant. Although all of our youth had a great time at camp, the one who enjoyed and benefited the most, was Roger. He never dreamed of even leaving La Zona; Let alone attending a Youth Bible Camp in a far away town. But his grandfather gave him permission to leave home and attend camp. What a blessing this has been for all of our MICE. They want to thank each and every one of for your sponsorship help, enabling them to take part in a project that prepares young people in  service for God.  Thank You M.M.M. Family!

I Never Dreamed

By Elsa

Carlos Castellano  is the owner of, what use to be, the most popular  restaurant in Santa Barbara. I admit, compared to the other eateries in the town, his place is rather nice. But that was before The Lord’s restaurant, La Canasta de Vida, came on the scene. From day one, Carlos has been a faithful customer. You see, Carlos was quite obese, and one of his sisters had recently died of cancer. His plan was to simply come to our restaurant once in awhile, and eat a healthy meal. He figured that  should help keep his blood pressure down and lower his chances of getting cancer.

Well, just one bite of our delicious food and Carlos was hooked. He said, "I never dreamed healthy food could taste so-o-o-o good, I really did not think that I would like vegetarian food, but I love everything I’ve tasted here." Since that very first day, Carlos has been a regular customer of La Canasta de Vida Restaurant. He comes in for breakfast and lunch every day. And while he’s waiting for his meal, he calls up his friends on the phone, and tells them they need to come to the restaurant and eat with him.

You would think that the owner of a restaurant, only two blocks away from us, would do everything he could to keep his customers from going to another place to eat; But Carlos has admitted that he knows the food he serves in his restaurant isn’t the best food to eat. And he’s recommending to all his friends and family to come and eat at our restaurant. Since coming to La Canasta de Vida, Carlos has lost 50 lbs. he looks years younger, has more energy… he is our model:)

(Photos: 50 lbs. lighter; A slimmer Carlos stands with mom. / Ruby gives .Dona Maria. a leg treatment.)

I have also been able to share a lot of spiritual information with Carlos and his family, and I know that the Lord is working in his life.  He truly appreciates us being here. He says . I would never want La Canasta de Vida to close down because of lack of business...what would we do, this is such a blessing for us..
Recently Carlos came asking for help for his mother who was suffering from a bad case of .Erysipelas., a condition that affects those who suffer from poor circulation and accumulation of toxins in their system. I only had a few days left be-fore coming to the States, but I told him to go ahead and bring her up to the outpost, and we would start her on a cleanse. Dona Maria came and stayed in the room with Ruby, who would be the one in charge of carrying on with the treatment program. We explained everything to her and she was willing to cooperate.  Well, dear friends, God is so good and faithful... HE IS THE GREAT PHYSICIAN!  After three days, I left her with Ruby, and when I called last week, Ruby was full of excitement as she related how the Lord had blest the treatments and Dona Maria’s leg had cleared up, she felt so much better and determined to continue with a proper diet.  Carlos and the rest of the family came to pick her up and were amazed at how good she looked in such a short time, they were all very thankful.  We claim God’s promise that medical missionary work is the entering wedge for the gospel.  Our prayer is that people like Carlos, his mother and family will one day soon take their stand on the Lord’s side, as a result of the work being done by the Restaurant and Maranatha Outpost.

Redemptions Lesson

by Elsa

I recently had a special experience and object lesson that I’d like to share with you, our M.M.M. family.  The La Zona village got hit with an epidemic of "Dengue fever"… something similar  to Malaria. Several of our M.I.C.E. (Maranatha Institute of Christian Education), students got sick as well as some of our church members, and village people. We  untiringly did hot foot baths and steam baths, lots of water, Echinacea, Golden Seal, garlic and vitamin C.

I had been very busy to say the least,  and only had a couple of weeks to get everything  organized before leaving for the States…..and you’ve guessed it, I wore myself out  and got the Dengue fever.  Well, that put a stop to all my run-ning around. I had a fever of 102 F. day and night for five days.  I tried everything, and with mid-day weather tempera-tures of almost 100* there was no relief or comfort….it was truly a miserable experience;  I could not sleep, could not concentrate to read, could not accomplish anything, and there was so-o-o-o much needing to be done.  By the 5th day, I was becoming weak and weary, and beginning to feel a bit discouraged.

At midday I received a phone call from Yessenia, one of our workers at the restaurant., she sounded worried as she said that she had some .bad news. for me.  Well, that was the last thing I needed to hear; she informed me that the water in the bathroom sink had been left on all night and had once again run into the garage that was being rented by the owner of a hardware store not far from the restaurant., all his things had gotten wet and were ruined; This being the third time this has happened, he’d had enough, and was now planning to move out.

I felt horrible, I felt ashamed, I felt like we were being a bad witness there in town. I didn’t know what I was going to say to Dr. Carlos, the owner of the house we are renting and using as the restaurant; what could I say,…. I had no ex-cuse. We had been negligent in checking all the  shut off valves, before leaving the restaurant . You see often times the water in town goes off in the middle of the day and comes back on at night after everyone has gone home. A customer may leave the valve opened and the water runs continuously all night into the building next door..

After hanging up the phone from speaking with Yessenia, I said .Lord please forgive me and help me.. I figured I’d better call Dr. Carlos before he called me.  When I called, I proceeded to tell him, that I had no words to say, nor ex-cuses about the water.  He was busy with a patient, so he said he’d call me right back.  I felt so bad, I did not know what he might say, and my only recourse was to tell him that if he lost his tenant , that I would be willing to rent that garage, until he found someone else. I felt responsible and did not want him to loose any money on our account.  He called back and I apologized to him and told him just that.  Then all of a sudden, in the kindest , most loving manner he said  . No! Dona Elsa, I would not think of you doing  anything like that,...I know you, the  kind of person you are, you are very conscientious, you are taking such good  care of my house,  you are such a blessing in this community, your restaurant has been God sent. I know the kind of work you are doing.  Don’t you worry about this problem, I’m going to fix it, so you don’t have to worry about it anymore;  It is all on me, so don’t you worry about anything..  I knew it wasn’t Dr. Carlos speaking, it was the Lord., my loving Saviour.   I could hardly hold my tears back as I thanked  him and as soon as I hung up, I fell on my knees weeping, overwhelmed with the love and mercy of God., for His tender mercy and love to me.

I had been reading the chapter in Great Controversy entitled, .Facing Life’s Record., Speaking of those that come up in the resurrection of life it says: . Jesus will appear as their advocate, to plead in their behalf before God…..A book of remembrance is written before God, in which are recorded the good deeds of them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon  His name.. Malachi 3:16  Their words of faith, their acts of love, are registered in heaven….And every act of  sacrifice , every suffering and sorrow endured for Christ’s sake  is recorded.  Says the psalmist: .Thou tellest my wonderings: put thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book? Psalms 56:8

All I could do was to thank God for the beautiful Redemption lesson He gave me that day.  I was weary from five days of fever, felt discouraged and guilty about the water incident at the restaurant. Felt like we were misrepresenting God, we were guilty and we needed to pay.  That is exactly how it is with our lives. We are sinful, guilty and deserve to pay the penalty of death.  But like Dr. Carlos,  Jesus steps in and says, I know you, I know your works, I know the sacri-fices you make for me., I know that you are repentant, so I will forgive you and cover you with my righteousness, I will pay the price I will take care of the problem.  Praise God for such a Saviour.  May we learn to trust Him and ever be thankful for such a redemption.

A LIGHT IN THE COMMUNITY

by Elsa

Some may say, "If the Lord is coming soon, what need is there to establish schools, sanitariums, and food factories? What need is there for young people to learn trades?"  It is the Lord’s design that we shall constantly improve the talents He has given us. We cannot do this unless we use them. The prospect of Christ’s soon coming should not lead us too idleness. Instead, it should lead us to do all we possibly can to bless and benefit humanity..  MM 268

Thanks to God, La Canasta de Vida  Restaurant is being a light and a blessing to all in the community.  The police department are now regular customers,, they all feel the difference and see the results of a healthy vegetarian diet.  Every day that I walk into the restaurant  I see a miracle….full tables with smiling faces of satisfied customers.  Who would have ever thought it.  It has not been easy, and it is certainly a lot of work.  Sometimes when I have to drive in the hot sun and spend all day going through the markets to get supplies for the restaurant, I say . Lord, I would never do this except for you...that souls may be in your kingdom as a result of it.

La Canasta de Vida restaurant was established not as a business but as an outreach ministry. We wanted the people in the town to know that we care about their health. We wanted to  have a place where people can be educated.  Since our opening we’ve had several seminars on nutrition. Each of our tables has a health nugget that people can read while wait-ing for their food, and free literature that the people can take home with them.

Our faithful volunteers conducted a cooking school the week I left to come to the States.  The ladies that attended were thrilled to learn how to make their own soy milk, tofu, scrambled tofu and other protein dishes.  We’ve already had a request for a group of ten for another cooking school.  So once a month we will conduct a week of cooking classes for the community. So please continue to pray for the restaurant.

Health Corner

by Joe

As the scenes of earths history draw to a close, we find that even our natural sources of food are depleted in nutrients. God gave His people the perfect plan many years ago, but still we continue to procrastinate and make excuses. Had we  all listened to God’s counsel, and purchased a small piece of land far out in the country, we could have planted our fruit orchards and established profitable vegetable gardens. But now, many are dependant upon super markets for food; Food that is called .Hybrid. food, with little or no nutritional value whatsoever. A body cannot defend or heal itself when fed a diet of nutrient-low foods.
It’s not too late to redeem the time and find a place in the country; But what we failed to do in time of ease, we must do now, when times are hard. In the meantime, we must depend upon the nations farmers markets to supply our foods. This being the case, we will need to learn how to take supplements.  I am not a promoter of supplements; However,  for those of us who are dependant on foods from the grocery store, you will undoubtedly need to take some form of supplement; At least until you are 75% self-sufficient in growing your own fruits, grains and veggies.

Meanwhile, here are a few important tips on how you can nourish the immune system.

In order to keep our immune system operating properly, we need to keep the body fed with certain vitamins and min-erals. When the body becomes infected, we use up essential nutrients like vitamins A, C, and E. We also use up min-erals like Zinc, Potassium, Chromium, Iron and copper. Unless we replace these vitamins and minerals, the stage is set for us to develop serious health problems. As you already know, cancer is on the rise. Primarily due to the fact that our foods are so nutrient depleted. Cancer prevention requires a diet of foods containing Vitamins A (Beta– Carotene), Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Selenium.  Here are just a few foods that are high in these Vitamins and minerals: Almonds, Apricots, Barley, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Carrots, Collards, Kale, Red Peppers, Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Turnip Greens, Watercress, Wheat Germ, Onions & Garlic.

Now, here are a few foods that are high in Zinc:  Brewer’s Yeast, Legumes, Lima Beans, Mushrooms, Pecans, All Seeds, Soy Lecithin, Soybeans, Whole Grains.

"Many have expected that God would keep them from sickness merely because they have asked Him to do so. But God did not regard their prayers, because their faith was not made perfect by works. God will not work a miracle to keep those from sickness who have no care for themselves, but are continually violating the laws of health, and make no efforts to prevent disease. When we do all we can do on our part to have health, then may we expect that the blessed results will follow, and we can ask God in faith to bless our efforts for the preservation of health." CDF—26

Update On Ruberman

We continued ministering to Ruberman until a week before leaving for the States. In his last appointment with his Doctor who operated on him, he was referred to the hospital in the city of Tegucigalpa. There the doctors recommended that he receive chemotherapy treatments, because the tumor had begun to grow again. He of course did not want to have the treatments, but pres-sure from family members and doctors forced him to begin treatments.  We have been in touch with him by phone, and I also sent him some supplements and organic barley green that I had ordered for him. His desire is to return home and do things naturally. His mother says that he cries and always mentions our names, saying that he wants to be back in La Zona under our care.  We want to thank those of you that helped with the cost of his operation. Please continue to pray for him, we want to do all we can for Ruberman.

MINISTRY MATTERS

Prayer Requests:
Our M.M.M. volunteers as they keep the work going
Ruberman and his family
Wellness Secrets—God’s rich blessings upon His work.
Pete Raimondo—Continued health & Healing
Jackie Baldwin—Restored health and healing
The Willis family— Consolation in the loss of our dear Sally.
M.M.M.—faithfulness in doing God’s work
Sr. Vincent—Health & healing. Stay close to Jesus.
Numerous unspoken requests that God’s will be done in their lives.

** A very special Thank You to all who have responded to the invitation to write to Roger, and others of our M.I.C.E.. And also to you who have helped financially to sponsor our crisis children.

** Maranatha Medical Ministries is accepting applications from all married couples who may consider Honduras as their mission field of labor. We are looking for one or two couples to come and help us manage our ministry Outpost here in Honduras. If you are led by God in this direction, please contact Joe & Elsa Willis by mail or email (you can find our contact information at the top-right of this website).

** M.M.M., as do so many other ministries, is feeling the effects of high costs and poor economy. Due to the increase in mailing costs, M.M.M. will now be sending out our newsletters every two months. We hope you will continue to support us, especially with your prayers.

** Friends, no-matter which organization you support, please remember that support of God’s ministry is necessary. If we have to cut back on certain things, let’s cut back on the extra foods and snacks; let’s cut back on driving unnecessarily; Let’s begin going to bed early, and turning the lights out by 8pm. Use flashlights if you must. Every time you go shopping, ask yourself, "Do I really,… REALLY, need to buy this item?" If you can do without it, …Do without it!!

All of the money you save can go into the Lord’s work, and God can and will richly bless you.  Dear friends, we are fast moving into serious times. We all must learn to simplify our lives, and loosen ourselves from earthly things.  May our treasures be laid up in heaven.

“BLESSED IS HE THAT CONSIDERETH THE POOR"

God loves you with an everlasting and unconditional love.
Draw nigh to Him, and He will draw nigh to you.

Maranatha

"When the gates of that beautiful city on high are swung back on their glittering hinges, and the nations that have kept the truth shall enter in, crowns of glory will be placed on their heads, and they will ascribe honor and glory and majesty to God. And at that time some will come to you, and will say, .If it had not been for the words you spoke to me in kindness, if it had not been for your tears and supplications and earnest efforts, I should never have seen the King in His beauty.. What a reward is this!  How insignificant is the praise of human beings in this earthly, transient life, in comparison with the infinite rewards that await the faithful in the future, immortal life!"  WESW—16

"Each morning consecrate yourselves and your children to God for that day. Make no calculation for months or years; these are not yours. One brief day is given you. As if it were your last on earth, work during its hours for the Master. Lay all your plans before God, to be carried out or given up, as His providence shall indicate." 7T—44

Dear M.M.M. family and friends.

You are ever in our thoughts and prayers, and we know that you also remember us in your prayers. Over the past few months, we’ve had quite a number of volunteers come to assist us here in the mountains, and what a joy it has been to have each one experience ― front line missionary work. We know you all would like to visit our Outpost and share in the rich blessings one only receives by giving of him or herself in service to others; But, since most of you cannot visit us, we’d love to share with you some of the experiences our volunteers have had. May these stories inspire and encourage you to continue working for the Lord in His vineyard.

Joe & Elsa Willis

Missionary Volunteers

by Joe

Just a few weeks ago, we were blessed by a visit from our friends Manfred and Sheri Bauer. Some of you may know them. They both play the guitar, and when they first arrived we asked if they’d be willing to play a couple of musical selections at the church. Well, we didn’t have to ask twice; after all, this is their ministry. Hearing them play was like listening to music from heaven; it was simply beautiful. Not only did they minister in church, but in the mountains and in the hospital.

One would think that you need to be of youthful years to be of service in the foreign mission field. Well friends, the Covington’s are an example to us all, that you’re never too young, or too old, to work for the Lord. This dear couple has moved here to Honduras, learning the language as they go, and are active medical missionaries for Christ. Praise God for people like the Covington’s, who sacrifice all for the service of God.

"In choosing men and women for His service, God does not ask whether they possess worldly wealth, learning, or eloquence, (or how old you are). He asks, .Do they walk in such humility that I can teach them My way? Can I put My words into their lips? Will they represent Me?"  Ministry Of Healing, p. 37

(Photo: Joanna, Ariel’s wife, is a multi-talented person. She makes sure all of us here at the Outpost, the staff and the M.I.C.E., are well fed. After the breakfast meal, Joanna moves into her teaching role. She instructs three tiny MICE  in math, reading, and, of course, the fun of arts & crafts. Ariel and Joanna also come to us from Colombia, S.A.. They will be with us for one year. We would love to have them stay with us indefinitely, but it is their desire to one day establish a sanitarium in their home country. What a blessing to have the two of them with us.)

By God’s Grace!

by Elsa

My Dear M.M.M. family, I could not let another newsletter be sent out without my sharing with you about God’s faithfulness to His promises. These past few months have been so busy and full of challenges for me. I recently read some-thing that encouraged me greatly, and I would like to share it with you: .The worker in a foreign field must carry in his heart the peace and love of heaven: Amid perplexities and trials, discouragement and suffering, with the devotion of a martyr and the courage of a hero, he is to hold fast to the hand that never lets go saying, I will not fail nor be discouraged....Let him be cheered by the words of the Saviour, .Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world..

Planning for the beginning of a new school year is always challenging. Who are going to be the teachers? It is always a time for prayer and agonizing, but God is so faithful to hear the cries of His children. Once again, even if it was at the last moment, God moved and provided, what I consider, the best teachers to teach true education; Ones that have the same mind and burden to prepare young people and children to stand for God in these last days. So, by God’s grace, Maranatha Institute of Christian Education is in full swing in its third year.

(Photos: Teresa instructs her students on a surprise project. / Ariel (left) instructs the M.I.C.E. in agriculture.)

As you can imagine, the restaurant is a full time job; the purchasing, accounting, and all other business that running a restaurant entails, is sometimes overwhelming, but thanks be to God, souls are being reached. We now have regular customers that have noticed a difference in their health, and to them, the restaurant is like a haven. Yet, by God’s grace, we’re moving forward. The Lord just sent us a young man from Colombia, whom I consider a true vegetarian chef,...isn’t God good!!! He always sends us the best.

(Photos: Wilson is, in every sense of the word, a professional Vegan Chef. The dishes he puts together are simply delicious. Every day our customers look forward to a surprise new dish they’ve never tried before.)

The house of prayer here in La Zona is also moving forward. They are truly blest by all the volunteers that come to share their knowledge and the light that God has given. Sometimes I worry that they have received so much light, that they might take it for granted. Pastor Domingo Nunez recently came for a revival meetings at the church. We were blessed by his messages, for we knew they came from God.

As you can see in this issue, we have lots of activities going on, in the midst of everything else. And as one of the volun-teers said, .the half has never been told, I don’t know how you all keep up with everything..  But my answer is always the same, .it is by God’s grace and His alone..

And I would like for you, our M.M.M. family, to join me in this prayer. When I’m tired, and there is always another  chore to do, I look up to God and say, .Lord, this is all for You, that You may have souls prepared for your kingdom  that Jesus may rejoice because souls from Honduras may be saved as a result of this work..

May the Lord keep us faithful as we near the end of this earths history; may we learn to live by faith and know by experience to say, .Not my will, but thine be done..

Called For Such  A Time As This

by Teresa Jimenez

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward." (Exodus 14:15)

I just want to say a word of praise to our Savior for His faithfulness. During the last months we have been planning the 2008 Youth Bible Camp: "Called For Such A Time As This." Upon starting the planning, we had almost no idea of how we could ever put it together… we had no speaker for this event, we had not teachers for the classes, we had no money, we had almost nothing! After speaking with Sister Willis we believed it was God’s will for us to move forward with this project.  As we stepped out in faith it was clear to see that God was opening doors for us. A group of young people from Pastor Kang’s ministry in Georgia contacted the Willis’s about volunteering their services in Honduras. And wouldn’t you know, Maranatha Medical Ministries directed them to the Youth Bible Camp 2008. Praise the Lord!!! we have our teachers; we could see the program taking shape: the schedule was almost ready, the classes had been organized and most everything was planned, except for one: we still didn’t have a speaker. One morning as we sat having breakfast We all touched on the subject of true education, (which just so happens to be one of the subjects that Brother Hernando, my fellow teacher at M.I.C.E. is teaching. ) Just then, we all looked at each other in silence. It was as if a light bulb came on in each of our heads at the same time. Sister Willis and I looked at each other and knew what the topic at the camp would be and that God had called brother Hernando Cuesta to be the speaker for such a time as this.

Truly, we can say with the prophet Samuel: .Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.. We rejoice as we see His hand working and guiding, and always reminding us that He is in control. Yes, there are still challenges before us, but we can trust in Him who has provided thus far, for the work is His.

As the Lord commanded the children of Israel to go forward, even though the sea was before them, He bids us today to go forward in His name. Let’s not look around, at the difficulties that surround us, let’s look at our Savior always, let’s trust constantly in the power of His might, and let’s go forward by His grace, to the fulfillment of the work He has called us to do.

Determined, For Christ

by Joe

While all of our M.I.C.E. are special in their own way, Roger is quite exceptional. For the past two years he has watched our students mature and grow mentally, physically, and spiritually. He has seen that true Christian education is indeed superior to any education the world can offer. This year, Roger enrolled, and was accepted, into Maranatha Institute of Christian Education. He is now one of our M.I.C.E.

Roger is quiet, energetic, and a bit shy; But  within him is a persevering spirit that all Christians would do well to have. You see, Roger is determined to receive, not only the best education possible, but  a Christian education. Through his entire life he has faced one crisis, one difficulty, after another. Not having parents to love and nurture him is hard enough; He was raised by his grandfather, who obviously taught him not to feel sorry for himself, but to make some-thing of himself. Roger knows how to persevere and overcome even the most difficult of situations. When Roger men-tioned to his grandfather of his desire to attend M.I.C.E., he told him he could,...if that was what he wanted to do; BUT,...that he would still have to attend public school in the nearby town of Santa Barbara.

You may think, .that’s not so bad.. But friends, this is no easy task for Roger. Every day, he has to get up early, before dawn, to milk the cows; then, he has to make it to M.I.C.E. by 7:30am. With our school letting out at 3pm, Roger has just enough time to make it home, get cleaned up, and head off to the public school, which starts their classes at 5pm. Roger doesn’t make it back home until 10pm. I wonder how many of us would have such drive and determination, just to receive a Christian education. Yes, Roger is a very special young man. He is also one of our crisis children; therefore M.M.M. will help him with all of his educational and health care needs. Maybe you would like to write to roger, and send him a few words of encouragement. I think he would like that very much. You can write to him at: Maranatha Medical Ministries—Apartado Postal #39—Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara—Honduras, C.A.

Medical Work Continues

L.Ruberman, the young man who had a large cancer growth on his upper chest/side, recently had the cancer removed and is at home recovering. While removing the cancer, doctors also felt it necessary to remove his left lung, which was 90% cancerous. The good news is, Ruberman is alive. Though the cancer is malignant, and doctors are encouraging him to undergo chemotherapy, Ruberman insist on natural remedies to destroy any remaining cancer cells in his body. This young man believes in God’s natural remedies. Please dear friends, let us pray that God bring complete healing to this young man, who trusts in God’s way of healing.

A couple of weeks ago a young boy from far up in the mountains, cut his left forefinger nearly completely off. On his way to the hospital, he decided to stop by our clinic to see if we could help him. I must admit, I was a bit hesitant about doing anything, but I knew that if this boy went to the hospital in Santa Barbara, they would certainly amputate the fin-ger instead of trying to save it. I have no training in vascular or neurosurgery, but God did bless me with a basic under-standing of the human anatomy, and of course, my army .use what you’ve got. training helped too. I figured that I couldn’t do any worse than the hospital in town, and I did know that this boy would get much better care at our Out-post clinic. Upon examination, I saw that the bone, muscle and much of the nerves were completely severed. This young fellow had a 50/50 chance of losing this finger anyway, but I had to give him a chance. My assistant was a volun-teer medical missionary, Pearl Mayer, who bravely held the finger in alignment as I sutured it back in place. We then splinted the finger in place to prevent movement. This happy young fellow came back yesterday for a follow-up visit, and his finger looks great. He has some movement and full feeling in the finger,...Praise God. We told him that to pay for the operation, he must promise to use his hands to work for the Lord and help others. Another happy customer .

MINISTRY MATTERS

M.M.M. Summer Itinerary: Every year we come into the U.S., visiting churches and sharing God’s bless-ings. Which part of the country we travel to is determined by the number of invitations we receive from a certain area. This year, we received most invitations from the East Coast. Although we will begin our presentations in Arkansas, most of our presentations will be on the East coast. We now have the entire month of August open on our calendar; so, if your church would like to have us come and share with you, (mission reports, slide presenta-tions, evening devotionals, or our exciting .Healing Edibles. presentation, do let us know as soon as possible, so we can schedule you. Hope to see you this summer. West coast M.M.M. family, God willing, and if the call de-mands, we will see you next year.

**A special thank you to Pastor Domingo Nunez—Who came and conducted a mini-crusade at our House of Prayer, and helped greatly with our outreach programs.

**Don’t forget,....Our M.M.M. web site will be up and running by the end of the summer. Be sure to write down our web address and visit us often. The web site address again is -  www.maranathamedical.org.

**To Our Youth:

"Let nothing mar your peace. Give your heart’s best and holiest affections to Him who gave His life that you might be among the redeemed family in the heavenly courts. Striving for the crown of life will not make you dis-satisfied or less useful. The Great Teacher desires to acknowledge you as His helping hand. He calls for your cooperation. Will you not consecrate your talents to His service?  This life is your sowing time. Will you not pledge yourself to God that your seed sowing shall be that which will produce, not tares, but a harvest of wheat? God will work with you; He will increase your usefulness. He has entrusted to you talents that in His strength you may use to produce a precious harvest." Letter 228, 1903

Young people, the enemy of all humanity is working desperately to direct, allure, entice you to give yourself, your  time, your energies, your service, to the world. Doing so, would be the same as giving allegiance to Satan,...the destroyer of souls. Don’t let it happen. Don’t give the enemy one opportunity to claim your soul. Let God direct your path. He will never leave you or forsake you; And He will never disappoint you. Work for the Master, and you will never regret it.

Prayer Corner

"All heaven is looking  upon the inhabitants of the earth. The angels and the God of heaven are looking upon those who claim to be Christians, and weighing their devotional exercises." May we be ever faithful in our daily devotions to God. As we pray, please remember to lift up the following before God.

Pete Raimondo—Healing and restoration of eyesight
Sis. M. Vincent—Continued faith and trust in Jesus
Ruth, Sally, and Steve Willis—Health, healing, and trust in God
Al Rouche—Health & healing
L. Ruberman—Continued health & healing
M.M.M. Volunteers—Blessing as they faithfully do Gods work
Joe & Elsa—As we prepare to minister in the U.S.
Robert Pannekoek & Family—Health & healing
S. Thomas– Proverbs 3:5&6

Pray Without Ceasing

“BLESSED IS HE THAT CONSIDERETH THE POOR”….

God loves you with an everlasting and unconditional love.
Draw nigh to Him, and He will draw nigh to you.  Maranatha

"All around us we see want and suffering. Families are in need of food; little ones are crying for bread. The houses of the poor lack proper furniture and bedding. Many live in mere hovels, which are almost destitute of conveniences. The cry of the poor reaches to heaven. God sees; God hears." 3T, vol. 6, p. 385

"Christ regards all acts of mercy, benevolence, and thoughtful consideration for the unfortunate, the blind, the lame, the sick, the widow, and the orphan as done to himself; and these works are preserved in the heavenly re-cords and will be rewarded. On the other hand, a record will be written in the book against those who manifest the indifference of the priest and the Levite to the unfortunate, and those who take any advantage of the misfor-tunes of others." Ibid., pp. 512, 513

"Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.... I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out." Job 29:12-16

Dear M.M.M. family,

With so much being done and so much more needing to be done, we were unable to send out our newsletter last month. Oh, how we miss not sharing with you all the wondrous blessings of God. Although things have been quite busy for us, we have the assurance that our MMM family are ever praying for us. This is a March / April issue, therefore we pray that the Lord will give you a double blessing. They say that one picture is worth a thousand words. If that be true, this issue will speak volumes, because we not only want to tell you of the work God is doing, we want you to see for yourself what keeps Maranatha Medical Ministries so busy. So call the family and friends together, and prayerfully begin your mission experience. Don’t forget your water .

Joe & Elsa Willis

THE RETURN OF THE M.I.C.E.

Joe

Our precious young M.I.C.E. have now entered into their third year of school here in the mountains. No, it hasn’t been easy for them, but they have all persevered. I wish you could have seen them on their first day of this school year; trudging up the muddy road, happy and excited to return to classes. Each one of these children live in poverty. Each one, prior to coming to Maranatha Institute of Christian Education, had no hopes of a better life. Like other children who live in poverty, the young boys would grow up to work in the fields growing coffee and corn; some may advance enough to pick up an unskilled trade. The girls would simply remain at home, thinking it is their lot in life to have children that they can’t afford to care for. At M.I.C.E. we offer them hope for a better future, and a chance to end their cycle of  ignorance and poverty.

Like all young people who are entering adulthood, many of our M.I.C.E. are experiencing “growing pains”. They are becoming conscious of their looks. A couple of our young men like the idea that they’re muscles are forming. Aside from the physical changes, I had also noticed that many had behavioral changes as well. They didn’t smile or give respectful greetings to adults when in their presence. This bothered me. I remember telling Elsa, “Some of our MICE seem to be turning into rats”.  Elsa simply said, “Be patient with them, honey. God is working with them.” One young man in particular really concerned me because he was acting almost mean. Once again, Elsa informed me, with words of wisdom that only she can do, that, “he is simply trying to look serious and tough,...like you.”  I thank the Lord for a wise and perceptive wife. After what seemed like months of “attitude”, this young man one day walked up behind me out in the field, and said, (in English) “Good morning. I’ve been working hard today. Tomorrow, I’ll be working even harder in school.” I about passed out in the grass. Was this Javier? The young man with attitude? From then on, his entire behavior has been kind and pleasant; and he’s smiling. I now know that we do need to be patient; Believing that our work,...God’s work will not go unrewarded. I also think that Javier has in some ways, taught me to be more consci-entious of my own behavior. I too need to smile more and be more personable. I thank the Lord for all of our M.I.C.E.. Here is a photo of the M.I.C.E. before starting 2008 classes. (One MICE (mouse) is missing from the photo). Javier, is third from the right,...and still smiling.

(From left to right, back row, is—Cesar, Jorge, Renee, Javier and Samuel.  Second row—Dinora, Angelica, Elsa, and Hector. Front row—Angel, Joshua, and Rolando. Missing, is Roger.)

Sometimes, I wonder what possessed Elsa to want to establish a school. But when I see the joy in her face, knowing that these children will one day make a difference, in their homes, their village, and their Country, it’s all worth it.

We have a full and exciting year ahead of us, so we need your ear-nest prayers. Below is an-other photo which includes our teachers.

“Many a lad of today, growing up as did Daniel in his Judean home, studying God’s word and His works, and learning the lessons of faithful service, will yet stand in legislative assemblies, in halls of justice, or in royal courts, as a witness for the King of Kings." Education, p. 262

Youth Bible Camp - Honduras

by Teresa Jimenez

(Photo: Elsa and Teresa enjoy a moment together before heading off to the classrooms.)

“My sister and I have, for a long time felt a burden for the young people. Being young ourselves, and called to be laborers in the Lord’s vineyard since we were teenagers, it is our desire to see many other young people engaged in this work and living the joy, satisfaction and blessing of a life fully dedicated to God’s service.

By God’s grace, as we worked at the radio station and visited the different churches started by the Bible workers of the ministry, the dream came to our hearts to start a youth ministry, with the purpose of encouraging the young people to use their time and talents in the work of helping others and serving the Lord. We soon started working on the production of a monthly youth magazine. For some time we had been reading the English magazine, “Young Disciple”, and we wished to share this precious spiritual material with our Hispanic youth. The Lord led us all the way, and for the following 26 months, we were able, by His grace, to print a monthly magazine with mostly translated material from the English “Young Disciple.” But while reading the English magazine, we had also read reports on the YD Youth Bible camps. We had not heard before this of a camp that young people at-tended with the purpose of growing in Jesus and improving their talents in order to use them in the service for our Lord. The Lord put in our hearts the desire of doing something like this, also. We told our parents, and the young people in the youth ministry, about this idea, and they all got excited. We would spend four days camping, and those days would be full of devotionals and various classes and activities to help us grow to become more useful in God’s work.

The first camp was held in January, 2006. The Lord blest so much and the youth went back to their churches with a desire to serve and carry on God’s work.

A year later, we had a second camp, and after seeing the Lord’s mighty blessings in these events, we are making plans for another camp to be held on June 11-15, 2008.

As we approach the final events of this world’s history, we see around us, even in our churches, a state of numbness to this solemn reality. More and more Christians get comfortable and make long-term plans in this world. Where are the fervent preachers of the second coming from past years? It seems like eternity is out of our plans, just when our heads should be lifted up for our redemption draws near! Where are the fervent young workers who are to finish the work of carrying the gospel to all the world? It is our purpose, through these Bible camps, to wake up our young people to the reality of the time we are living in, and to the solemnity and urgency of the work that lies before us; A work that has been entrusted to each one of us by the Captain of our salvation.

Our final goal is to inspire the hearts of the youth with the truth that there is no higher position, no higher calling, than that of being a servant of God, and thus cooperate with our Saviour in the work of preparing an army of youth that may carry the last message of warning to the world, so that He may come for His people.”

Teresa and all involved with the planning of the Youth bible Camp 2008, are doing all they possibly can do to organ-ize; But, providing food, electricity, training materials, and transportation, takes funding. That’s where MMM has vol-unteered to help, by letting our readers know of the work she and her dedicated staff are doing. If you would like to help sponsor the Youth Bible Camp 2008, please set aside a portion of your contributions for help with this project. You can memo your check and the amount you want to go towards the Y.B.C.

Helping Those In Need

by Joe

Going out to different villages, tending to the needs of the poor, is something we do routinely. Our latest visit was to the small mountain village of Moutnainita. Every Sabbath, we go there to conduct Bible studies and have story hour with the children. This time, we went to provide an additional help to them. The families there are much poorer than those in our village of La Zona, and they can barely provide food for their children. They live in wood and adobe shacks , which also doubles as shelter for their dogs, chickens, and other yard creatures. Can you imagine a family of ten living in a wooden shack? We can give thanks to God, every day of our lives, for blessing us with what little we think we have. Most of the kids are of school age, but can’t afford basic school supplies. So, we decided to help the children out with notebooks, pencils, erasers, toothpaste and brushes, and nice hair thingies for the girls. Did we put a smile of these kids faces? See for yourself what is it worth, to make a small child happy.

Our own children would probably think we’d gone off the deep end if we bought them anything less than a laptop or PC for their school work; Not these kids. This was like the birthday they’d always dreamed about, but never had. Some of them still found it hard to believe that we were giving them something. You see, no one simply gives away anything, without ex-pecting something in return. They’re not used to hugs, kisses, and hearing the word “love”. We always have lots of hugs for them, and we always tell them about Jesus, who loves them more than anyone could ever love them.

These two kids, Oswald (L) and Ruby (R), received an extra special gift for memorizing their weekly Bible memory verse. Planting seeds of God’s word into their minds is the greatest gift of all; One that will some day blossom into  characters fit for His kingdom.

After leaving this village, we headed off to the village of El Torro; Where we treated some of the kids there with the same type of school supplies. We never really know what true happiness is until we give of ourselves,...our time, our energies, our means, to help those less fortunate than ourselves.

God tell us that. “By all that has been given us advantage over another—be it education and refinement, nobility of character, Christian training, religious experience—we are in debt to those less favored; and, so far as lies in our power, we are to minister unto them.” The lost are all around us, perishing and sadly ne-glected. But they are of great value to God; They are the purchase of the blood of Christ.” We Thank The New Carlisle SDA Church for the contribution of school supplies which enabled us to help these children.

Medical Updates

In our last newsletter, I told you about my brother Steve, who had a setback in his health, and was in critical condition. I am please, and thankful to God, to announce that he is recovering nicely at a nursing home in Maryland. I recently had the privilege of being able to stay in the U.S. and help with his care. On one occasion, I took him on an outing away from the nursing home to visit with some friends from his old apartment complex. He never misses an opportu-nity to tell everyone he can, that Jesus loves them, with an everlasting and unconditional love. He has also begun to resume sending out his Daily Online Devotionals. While he is still undergoing therapy in the nursing home, we pray that he will soon be healthy and strong enough to transfer to an assisted living facility. Steve sincerely thanks all of you, our MMM family, for your fervent prayers for his recovery, and asks that you continue to remember him in prayer.

There is no doubt in my mind that God is hearing and answering our prayers.

You may also remember L. Ruberman. A young man from our Village, who has a large cancerous growth on his upper left torso.

We considered the possibility of doing natural treatments on him, but the stage of the cancer, and its progressive growth does not allow us to safely do this; Therefore, We have assisted the family is locating a surgeon who states he can perform surgery to remove the cancer, with little or no complications. This surgery needs to be done as soon as possible, while this window of opportunity is available. The surgery will cost between $3,000. & $4,000.. The family is reaching out to all of their family and friends to assist with this expense, however, what little they are able to raise will leave much of an unpaid balance. Maranatha Medical Ministries wants to help Mr. Ruberman get the treat-ment needed to save his life. We have decided to meet whatever unpaid balance there is in order to speed up the date for surgery. Unfortunately, in this country, expensive medical procedures must be paid in full, in advance. Quite hon-estly, the cost of this type of surgery is very inexpensive compared to what it might cost in the U.S.. We need your prayers, and, of course, your support as we move forward in assisting Ruberman with his medical treatments. He is aware that MMM is willing to help him, and he sends his sincere thanks to all of our MMM family.

MINISTRY MATTERS

PRAYER CORNER -  “Lord, take my heart; for I cannot give it. It is thy property. Keep it pure, for I cannot keep it for thee. Save me in spite of myself, my weak, unchristlike self. Mold me, fash-ion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul.” COL, 159.  May this be the prayer we pray every morning as we begin a new day.

Please remember these dear ones in your prayers -

Pete Raimondo—Healing after eye surgery
Sally W.—Health & healing
Steve W.—Health & healing
Pauline H.—God’s richest blessings upon her selfless ministry
The Butler & Humes Family—Strength & trust in God through all difficulties.
Our M.I.C.E.—God’s help in their studies
M.M.M. Staff & Volunteers—Continued consecration to God.

Remember, God loves you with an everlasting and unconditional love.
He will never leave you or forsake you.

Pray Without Ceasing

**Summer Scheduling  - Friends, time is rushing by, and soon we will be returning to the U.S.A. to conduct our sum-mer presentations. If you would like to have us come to your church or meeting place, and share with your group mis-sion reports, slide presentations, worship talks, and our exciting “Healing Edibles” spotlight, let us know before May 15th. We are presently booked through the middle of July, so our open dates are July 15th thru August 30th. You may contact us at our ministry e-mail address. We have some exciting things to share this summer, so we hope to hear from you soon.

** M.M.M. Website: - For years, Maranatha Medical Ministries has been wanting to set up its own website. We now have found the time, and the right person, to get our website up and running. A dear MMM family member, Emily Mazzone-Clementi, of Eurika, Ca., has volunteered to do our websites, (Maranatha Medical Ministries and Missionary Travelers Int’l). Emily is a professional web designer, and is as excited as we are about creating MMM’s website. We are assured that God is leading in this project, and we hope to have everything completed by mid-summer. For your information, here are the website addresses, (remember, the sites are still under construction, so it will not be open and available for a few more months). Maranatha Medical Ministries web address = www.maranathamedical.org. Missionary Travelers International web address = www.missionarytravelers.org.  We will keep you informed of its progress, and will let you know when the sites are completed.

** Special Thanks  - There are so many of you who deserve our heartfelt thanks, and, though we may not mention you personally, we are not unmindful of your support for M.M.M.. This month, we want to send a very special thanks to Marilyn Staudt and the members of the New Carlisle S.D.A. Church, for their continued support of the ministry. We also send a special thanks to Stephen and Inez Thomas, who opened up their home for me to stay while caring for my brother. And, a big thank you to our M.M.M. family, for your love, support, and prayers.

"BLESSED IS HE THAT CONSIDERETH THE POOR”….

God loves you with an everlasting and unconditional love.
Draw nigh to Him, and He will draw nigh to you.  Maranatha

You may request our newsletter delivered via email in color by sending an email. Please see the top-right of this page for more information about how to contact us.

“Today, as in the past, all heaven is watching to see the church develop in the true science of salvation. The lord Jesus is among men. His angels walk among us unrecognized and unacknowledged. We are saved from many snares and unseen dangers that through the machinations and hostility of our foe are placed in our path to destroy us. O that our eyes might be open to discern the watchful solicitude and tender care of the messengers of light! If those who politely acknowledge the favors which they receive from earthly friends would realize how much they owe to God, their hearts would respond in grateful thanks for precious favors that are now unnoticed.

We do not recount God’s mercies often enough....By our failure to express gratitude we are dishonoring our Maker. His angels, thousands upon thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand, are commissioned to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. They guard us against temporal evil and press back the powers of darkness, else we should be de-stroyed. Why do we not value God’s watchcare? If Satan had his way and carried out his designs, destruction would be seen on every hand. Why do we not remember that we are mercifully shielded from peril? Have we not reason to be thankful every moment, thankful even when there are apparent difficulties in our pathway? Cannot we trust our heavenly Father?” In Heavenly Places, pg.101

Dear Friends, let us learn to appreciate the love and mercies of our dear heavenly Father. Let us express to Him how much we appreciate all that He, and all the hosts of heaven, do for us continually. Let us constantly give thanks to God.