Dear friends:
Psalm 62:11-12 assures: ‘One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving.” Windle paraphrase: Our God loves His children passionately, and He is in control! An assurance to which we cling because there is so often reason to feel helpless and out of control. BCM leadership in Asia facing death threats and spiraling persecution. Donation shortfalls at home and abroad. The juggling of crises inveterate to any global mission upon whose ministry leaders the sun literally never sets. Desperate needs for which we have neither funds nor personnel to meet.
Our peace lies in keeping in mind that God loves our
missionaries and ministry teams around the world far more than
we do, and that their well-being and future lie in the palm of
His loving and strong hand. Please uphold the following
prayer requests in coming weeks.
1. Wisdom for Marty and other board and mission leadership in making decisions for the vision and future of BCM.
2. A clear presentation of BCM’s historic vision for the 4-14 Window, the 2.2 billion children worldwide that fall into the age bracket when more than 80% of Christians make their commitment to follow Christ. The 1.2 million children BCM currently ministers to worldwide in Bible clubs, release time, camps, orphanages and other ministries is barely .05% of that number. We must work together as ministry organizations and the Body of Christ to meet this need.
3. The building up of a renewed financial and donor base for BCM ministry around the world.
4.
Committed and equipped candidates to meet
vital personnel needs both at the IMC (International Ministry
Center) and across our 50 fields of ministry.
An answer to prayer, Jeanette’s trip to Expolit 2007 last week was a great experience. The days were packed with Tyndale and the Escuela de Escritores (School of Writers) speaking events, book signing (Zona de Despeje), radio, news print and one TV interview (Family Christian Network if you get the Spanish programming). But despite some lingering throat problems, God gave both words and voice-PTL. A special blessing was the presentation of the seven titles of the ALEC (Association of Latin American Christian Writers, which also holds the School of Writers) short-novel program. A number of the authors representing several different Latin American countries were able to be at Expolit. This is more indigenous Hispanic Christian fiction than has been produced in the last 30 years. Even more exciting is that Grupo Nelson (Christian publisher Thomas Nelson’s, Inc. Spanish branch) is picking up three of the titles for mass market production. Having read these authors’ work from their first drafts, I (Jeanette) am especially blessed to participate in these ‘first fruits’ of this mentoring and training ministry.
Another PTL, we were privileged to travel to Chicago this weekend to watch Steve graduate from navy boot camp (see photos on email and website). Please continue to pray for his future and direction. He was scheduled for sub school, but because of his collapsed lung episode in the Costa Rican mountains at age 15 (for those of you praying back then!), the Navy has decided they can’t risk the deep-water pressure; now he and they have to choose Plan B.
Now travel plans loom big
again in our schedule. Jeanette leaves to Wheaton University
June 5-10 to teach the fiction track at the annual Write to
Publish conference. June
12th, Marty, Jeanette and Ellie fly for Europe for
three weeks with BCM ministries in 5 different countries: Spain,
France, Italy, Netherlands and Germany.
We arrive back July 2nd;
then Marty travels July 5-28 for a ministry trip through some of
our Asia fields: India, Nepal, Myanmar, Philippines, and
Indonesia. An additional prayer request is ministry funds
for this particular trip. With fifty BCM fields, a
priority within this first ministry year has been to visit as
many as possible. Some of these fields, especially in Asia,
haven’t had a visit from the BCM home office in many years, and
it is urgent that Marty meet personally with field leadership
and ministry teams. He will also be speaking and teaching in any
number of national churches and conferences. But with all the
trips of this past year, the BCM travel budget is currently
depleted. If you would be interested in participating
in this Asia trip, you can send a ministry gift to BCM,
specifically designated: Martin Windle Asia 2007 Ministry Trip.
And if you’d like to
travel along with us, travel schedule, photos, and updates will
be posted regularily to our website:
www.windlemission.org.
If you are not yet receiving our email ministry updates, please
do drop us an email, and we’ll add you to our data base.
Yes, our God, Creator of
the universe and our heavenly Father, is both loving and strong,
and therein lies our hope. Thank you for your share in our
lives, both as a family and as part of our ministry team with
BCM International.
In the service of the King
of Kings,
Rev. Martin and Jeanette
Windle
BCM International
309 Colonial Drive/PO Box
249
Akron, PA 17501-0249
