Stories from The Alliance World

Dental Chair Evangelism
[Mon, 9 Jun 2008 09:43:58 -0600]
"When I was growing up, my mother had multiple boyfriends," said Patricia,* who lives in Paraguay where Alliance missionaries Bob and Brenda Boston serve. "A constant stream of men stayed in our house." The only child of a single parent, Patricia became pregnant by her first boyfriend. "Our families forced us to marry, but we were never happy together," she said.  
 
Even before their marriage, Patricia's husband was unfaithful to her. "The pain of [his infidelity] led me to seek comfort in the arms of another man." The affair tormented Patricia. "Eventually, I confessed to one of my dental patients. Over the years this patient counseled me, and one day he accepted Christ as his Savior. He told me the story of salvation, and it made a big impact on me. He said that Jesus could help me give up my lover and change my life." At the same time, Patricia learned that her aunt was holding Bible studies in her home.  
 
As Patricia's children entered their teens, she became concerned about their behavior. Her son started drinking, and she worried about the influence his friends were having on him. She also feared that her children would find out about her affair. She realized she needed Jesus. "I accepted Christ as my Savior in my dentist's office with my patient sitting in the dental chair. I knew it was an important decision for me." 
 
Soon afterward, Patricia began attending Bible studies with Bob and Brenda Boston in her aunt's home. Eventually, Patricia participated in a discipleship class with them and was baptized. Her daughter accepted the Lord a year later, followed by her son. "I could see Christ begin the transform my family," said Patricia. 
 
"In spite of the miracles that God in my life, I could not find the power to give up my lover. I prayed and fasted, I pleaded with God, but I could not stop sinning," she said. Finally, Bob Boston agreed to lead Patricia in deliverance-style counseling. For nearly two months, he and another pastor met with Patricia twice a week to pray and talk with her until she was able to give up her sin. "This is one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life," Patricia said. "I cannot explain what a stronghold Satan had in my life." 
 
Since then, Patricia has seen God's faithfulness in many areas. Her children serve the Lord, and her mother also received Jesus. Although her husband has not yet come to Christ, "I can see him softening daily," said Patricia. "I believe that he, too, will one day accept Jesus as his personal Savior."  
 
*name changed to protect identity 

Strong in the Lord
[Fri, 30 May 2008 08:57:02 -0600]
In Alliance churches around the world, many new believers were baptized on Easter Sunday. One of them is Tomiko, who started coming to Yachiyo Church in Japan two years ago seeking to learn about God. Because she is in her 90s, she had struggled to climb the steps of the church, which is on the third floor of an office building.  
 
In answer to prayer, God has strengthened her physical body. During her baptism, "she pledged her love for Jesus before the congregation, promising to obey and worship the one, true God," said Alliance missionaries Harry and Jane Landaw.  

The Indispensible Word
[Thu, 29 May 2008 09:36:34 -0600]
“Their honesty, vulnerability, and fear of God is so refreshing,” says Barb Sorensen (Alliance missionary to Republic of the Congo) about the students in her Bible class. “They are teaching me to be careful to be real and not religious; to talk about a relationship. They don’t know about religion, but they do know about Jesus.” 
Sorensen’s classes consist mostly of released prison inmates, all of whom completed the Emmaus Bible Correspondence Course while in prison and desired to further their Christian training. “Currently in the Brazzaville prison, 20 percent of the 300 inmates are going through the Emmaus course,” she says. “It is quite a task for our two Bible bookstore men to keep up with all the correcting and keeping lists of all the grades and courses completed.” 
Initially, Sorensen began visiting the prison in early 2004 to share Scripture and pray with the women who speak French. A gifted pastor’s wife, Yoyo, joined Sorensen in the ministry, translating into Lingala. After awhile, male inmates asked why they were not taught God’s Word. “I heard about Emmaus just when the men asked for more training in [the Bible],” Sorensen says. “Today, we have 71 people studying the course.” 
Although she doesn’t ask why her students were imprisoned, Sorensen usually finds out when they confess their stories to her. “Aimé (ee-MAY) was a false prophet before he was in prison,” she says. “His thunderous voice and soothing singing drew many, and he used prayer as a way to make money.” 
But things went bad for Aimé when someone overhead his conversation with two of his followers who had sought his counsel about an investment. The mens’ home was vandalized and their money taken. Because they believed Aimé to be the only person who knew about their financial interests, the men reported the theft to the police, accusing Aimé. 
“While he was in prison doing the Emmaus Bible Correspondence Course, the Lord showed Aimé the error in his life,” says Sorensen. Aimé trusted in Jesus and then became the worship leader in the church group that met each week. When he was released from prison, he pursued additional Christian training through Theological Education by Extension (TEE) with Sorensen. “Presently, Aimé is part of the leadership team of a prayer group that is beginning in the neighborhood where he lives,” Sorensen says. “His singing is now dedicated to lift up the Lord Jesus.” 
Recently, Sorensen received a letter from prison officials thanking her for the Emmaus course and its impact on the lives of the inmates. Two national pastors and another missionary now share the preaching privileges to nearly 100 prisoners each Friday. “Regularly, 15 or more respond to the call for salvation,” she says. “Recently, one of the students was baptized, the first baptism in the prison.” 
Currently, Sorensen facilitates four TEE classes, impressed with the power of God’s Word in her student’s lives. “It thrills my heart because I know His Word will accomplish what He has sovereignly ordained,” she says. “There is this sense, too, that we are so dispensable; only His Word is indispensable. He uses whoever is available, but He does the work. I am privileged to be a dispensable part of His plan at this moment in these inmates’ lives.”  
.  

MK Leads Buddhist to Christ
[Thu, 29 May 2008 09:33:27 -0600]
 
By Abby Wolters, MK in Burkina Faso, West Africa 
“Abby, I have a question for you,” said my new friend, Khan*. “I want to write a song about heaven, but I need you to figure out the piano part. I already know the melody; I just don’t know how to play it.” Amazed, I asked, “Why do you want to write a song about heaven?” I was curious because Khan was a Buddhist. He was new to our [international] school and had heard his friends talking about youth group, so he started coming every Thursday night. 
Khan first encountered God on a middle-school overnight trip, where a student told a story about a half-animal spirit woman. The entire class was spooked, and the chaperones and teachers had to calm everyone down.  
My 13-year-old brother, Micah, was rooming with Khan. When my mother, a chaperone, came in to check on them, Khan was so frightened that he pleaded with my mother to stay in their room overnight. Micah reached into his bag, pulled out his Bible, and explained that when he was afraid, he would hold his Bible, his “sword.” Khan clutched the Bible tightly to his chest and said that he felt safe when he held it. 
When Khan asked me to help him write his song about heaven, I was overjoyed to see that the seeds that had been planted had finally started to sprout. Khan told me that he wanted to write about heaven because Jesus was there to wrap His arms around him and love him. I agreed to work with Khan on his song. 
When Khan began attending the EDGE, an English-speaking worship service, Khan’s father came one night and asked what his son was learning. Khan’s parents did not want their son to hear teachings about the Bible. “Khan is Buddhist and will remain Buddhist until he is old enough to change his religion,” they said, forbidding Khan to attend the services. They did allow Khan to attend youth group as long as he was not forced to convert. 
A few weeks later, a member of the group gave Khan a Bible. Furious, Khan’s parents disposed of it and paid a visit to the school office. Because Alliance missionary Leanna Giesege is the youth leader as well as a teacher at the school, Khan’s parents believed she was using her position to pressure Khan into attending youth group. They forbade him from going but eventually allowed him to return on one condition—Khan must remain Buddhist until he was old enough to choose for himself. 
One day after school, Khan asked Kari Nehlsen, a girl in our youth group (and Alliance MK), if they could talk, and she agreed to meet with him during youth group. That night, he shared his feelings of loneliness and pain, which opened up an opportunity for Kari to share about Christ. She explained that Jesus was a friend we could always count on who never leaves us. In the midst of Khan’s tears, Kari asked if he wanted to invite Jesus to come into his heart. Khan agreed. 
I jumped for joy when I heard the wonderful news! God had answered our prayers. We also knew that we could not give Khan a Bible yet because his parents would not allow him to read it.  
Our leadership team joined Leanna and Kari in prayer for discernment in finding a balance between honoring Khan’s parents and helping him to grow in the Lord. In a way, our youth group has become Khan’s Bible, sharing what we have learned to encourage him. Khan’s faith is still young, and he is in a vulnerable position. But I take comfort in knowing that one day, I will see Khan walk through the gates of heaven into the open arms of Jesus and sing forever in His presence.  
 
*Name has been changed 

Groundbreaking Coffeehouse Ministry
[Thu, 29 May 2008 09:30:35 -0600]
“Mariana, a believer from our group, met Katya on a trolleybus,” says Carolina Kochsiek, Alliance missionary in Russia. “Because she spoke some English, Mariana invited her to the Café.” Kochsiek and her husband, Jason, assist their C&MA colleagues with an English Café, a coffeehouse ministry that promotes English conversation. As relationships are formed those who attend the English Café are invited to attend volleyball nights and women’s craft events. Currently, 15 women attend Kochsiek’s Women’s Craft and Book Club. “Most of the topics of discussion are spiritual, but the women continue to come,” she says. 
 
Katya was eager to attend the English Cafe, where she heard about the craft club and began attending that as well. While working on the Christmas craft, Katya heard the story of Jesus coming to earth as a babe and began asking questions. “She began to read the Bible with Mariana,” says Kochsiek. “What she found in the Word answered her questions, and she decided to receive Christ as her Savior.”  
 
Alliance workers are using groundbreaking ways to reach Russians where they are by meeting their felt needs. “The C&MA team in Ekaterinburg dreams of one day opening a community center where the English Café, English classes, scrapbooking, ladies teas, and other events could be held,” Kochsiek says. Innovative Alliance outreaches such as Kochsiek’s women’s club are making inroads into the hearts and lives of Russians as Alliance workers are building relationships with people who can look into their lives and see Jesus. “Katya already is sharing her story with friends,” says Kochsiek. “Pray that we will have more ‘divine encounters’ like Katya and Mariana had on the trolleybus.”  
 
 

The Weaker Vessel
[Thu, 6 Mar 2008 08:30:51 -0700]
 
By Stephen Boda, pastor of Bridge of Hope (Alliance) Church in St. Louis, Missouri 
 
Scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 12 that the body of Christ is made up of many parts. One part can't say to another, “I don't need you.” Last Sunday was just another such reminder to me of how important each person is in our fellowship. Four of our Urban Ministry Institute (our leadership training program) students led the service, teaching us what they have been learning from their classes: the Old Testament witness of Christ, Theology of the Church, Justice and Mercy, and God, the Holy Spirit.  
 
As I listened, I was amazed at how far our little congregation has come in its knowledge of the Bible. In a community where women typically dominate the visible church, there is at least a ten to one male-dominated attendance in our classes. God is raising up men to be leaders among us.  
 
I was driving home, feeling proud of these young men, when I received a call from Gil, a church member who had given Aretha a ride home. Aretha is a 10-year-old trapped in a 30-year-old body. Her faith is simple, but contagious. Gil and Aretha had stopped at a local ministry thrift store to find some much-needed clothing for Aretha and her daughters. As they looked around, Gil noticed that Aretha had found a book and was reading it aloud. When he looked closer, he realized that it was a beginner's Bible for children. Aretha looked up at Gil and said, “This is a great book!” She went home with it. Aretha's hunger for the Word is no different than the young men that had just spoken at church.  
 
My heart was filled with so much joy; I could hardly contain myself. God had just reminded me again of how the weaker vessels are to be treated with greater honor. Each one demonstrated the power of God working in their lives, and I, the pastor, was the student. They done schooled me good. Each part is important for the Body to survive. Thank you for your great love, Lord, and for giving us all we need to live in life and godliness. 

Prisoners Set Free
[Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:29:13 -0700]
By TEAM Isaan, an Alliance church-planting team in Thailand 
     We have seen God do some amazing things in the lives of the Isaan people in northeast Thailand. We pray that this would be a taste of great things to come.  
     Prayers were answered with the work that God has done among the women in the Sawang Daen Din (SDD) prison. During a recent meeting, nine of the inmates prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Pray for them as they are discipled and formed into a church. 
     TEAM Isaan also started its first meeting in the Nong Khai women’s prison with more than 20 women attending and many more listening in from outside the classroom. This is the fourth group that is currently meeting. The women were excited to be there and eager to learn more about God. We will be meeting with them on alternate Fridays. Please keep praying for this group.  
     The men at SDD have started their second group. Those who are part of the new church there invited 12 friends to hear the gospel stories. Pray for us as we figure out all the logistics of these meetings. Also, pray for those who received Christ as they help to teach and witness to those in the new group. We are looking forward to the day when the message will reach outside the prison walls and we would see villages impacted by the love of Jesus. 

Leaving the Past Behind
[Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:24:13 -0700]
By J Spurling, missionary to Paraguay 
     When Cristian received Jesus in the Asunción Alliance church in Paraguay, he was struggling with alcoholism yet serious about his relationship with the Lord. I encouraged the 19-year-old to depend upon God for strength in overcoming that stronghold. I also shared with him that it is essential to make a break from his old life, which consists mainly of friends who like to drink. When I first took this seriously in my own life, I couldn’t go near the places I used to go before, where everyone knew my name.  
     One Sunday, Cristian came to church completely inebriated. I found him out front, dozing against the wall with one eye open and one closed. He was waiting to talk to the muchachas (young ladies). I told him he had to leave because this behavior was not one of respect to the Lord. 
 
“Pastor, I just want to sleep a while right here,” said Cristian. I told him he couldn’t stay. “If I have to carry you to the corner and leave you there, I will do it. But you will leave here right now.”  
     We walked to the corner, and Cristian said that maybe it would be best for everyone if he left the church. I told him, “Maybe so, but you need to make decisions like that when you can think correctly.”  
     The next day was difficult for me as I thought about Cristian. What if he decides to leave the church? What if I was too harsh on him? What if I did something in this culture that I should not have done? “Father,” I prayed, “help me . . . help Cristian.”  
     Cristian called me the night of our Christmas program. He wanted to talk, but not at the church. We agreed to meet on a street corner near the church. I felt a little nervous waiting there. What if he shot me? I began sizing up the light pole, trying to determine which side would offer the most protection from an oncoming drive-by. 
     “Pastor, I need to ask your forgiveness,” Cristian said before he even reached me. “I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you last night. This morning as I was praying to God, He told me that He would not listen to me until I asked forgiveness of Pastor J.” I told him that he can always find love, grace, and mercy here when he seeks it.  
     Please continue to pray for Cristian and others like him. Specifically pray that Cristian can draw closer to the folks within our church and that he will have the strength to leave his old life behind. 
 

Tradition!
[Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:21:31 -0700]
     The children ring the doorbell with gusto and wait expectantly to receive treats in reward for singing a song,” says an Alliance worker in one Balkan country. “Sounds like Halloween, doesn’t it? Well, it’s actually Christmas Eve, January 6, and another Kolede tradition.” 
     Christmas here is celebrated according to the Julian calendar on January 7. Preparations for Christmas in Macedonia start on January 5 as people gather around the Kolede bonfires, drink warm rakija, or whiskey, and sing songs. A coin is kneaded into Bannock bread, which is baked, torn into pieces, and distributed among the festive participants. The person whose bread contains the coin is named best man of Kolede Eve. The ritual is blessed by the Orthodox priest, and the pyre is lit. In the early morning hours of the next day, children go from door to door singing Kolede carols, heralding the birth of Jesus, and receiving fruits, nuts, and candy from the people. “Some of the village children head out as early as 2 or 3 a.m.,” says our worker.  
     The Kolede tradition has its roots in old Slavic folk religion, which taught that the spirits of those who had died would awaken and roam the earth, going from house to house looking for food. However, today’s version of the bonfire and children going door-to-door to sing and receive treats is more for the fun of tradition with no religious connotation beyond the fact that it is Christmas time. 
     Alliance workers, along with the Evangelical Church of Macedonia (ECM), have begun a new tradition they hope will capture the hearts of the people who don’t know that the curse of death and all its superstitions was rendered fruitless because of Jesus. “For the expatriate community that celebrates Christmas on December 25,” says the worker, “there really has been nothing available for them in the past. December 25 is just another work day.”  
     This year the international church, which was planted a year ago by Alliance workers in partnership with ECM, had a special Christmas Eve service with 140 people in attendance. Also, a Christmas Day concert, hosted by ECM, was open to the public. Flyers had been posted throughout the town, and the concert hall was packed with 750 people, many of whom were nonbelievers.  
     “A young girl who gave her testimony told the crowd that if they felt alone or tossed away, they have a true and real friend in Jesus Christ, who cares for them,” the worker relates. After the concert, people lingered, enjoying the refreshments and fellowship. “Good seeds were planted and watered,” says the worker. “We look forward to the day when there will be a great harvest.”  
 

The Greatest Place on Earth
[Wed, 19 Dec 2007 07:59:33 -0700]
By Esther Schaeffer, Missionary to Burkina Faso,  
December 3, 2007  
 
The United Nation’s latest country index rates Burkina Faso as the next-to-last country you’d want to live in. But we are certainly happy to live here. Let me share  
a few reasons why we rate Burkina Faso as the best place in the world to live. 
 
We work with a wonderful National Church. This afternoon, our 17 local churches gathered at a large outdoor theatre to celebrate what God has done for us over the last year. We don’t take for granted the godly church president that we have the privilege of working with and the many church leaders with a heart for the lost. Our National Church graciously allows us to minister freely and includes us in many different ways. 
 
There is openness to the Gospel. I remember visiting one of our church families awhile back. They set up a television in the street and 100 people gathered around to watch the Jesus film. We hold backyard Bible clubs and 400 children show up. The opportunities at the Christian radio station are endless. Both Christian and non-Christian alike tune in faithfully to our broadcasts.  
 
We have a record number of students at our Bible school and our new students are entering school with a higher level of education. We have been able to make significant improvements to the campus and it has been exciting to see the dream of a new library become a reality. I have endless teaching possibilities. Our women are so hungry to know what the Bible says. I teach for an hour-and-a-half and think, “Surely they have had enough.” Then the women fill up another hour with questions. 
 
We have such a wonderful missionary family. We complement each other, help each other and encourage each other. Our times of prayer and fellowship help fill the void that we sometimes feel being so far away from family and friends. 
When my sister sent me the UN’s index she added, “Just in case you needed proof that you are in a country that needs you.” Isn’t it that sense of purpose that makes life meaningful for the Christian, no matter where we live?  
I doubt planet earth would have rated very high on heaven’s index of great places to live. Yet our Lord Jesus willingly chose to move here, in spite of the conditions, so that needy people might know Him, the true Light, and experience life in all its fullness. 
 
Thank you for helping to make it possible for us to live in the greatest place on earth. Merry Christmas!  

Alliance Churches Impact U.S. Communities
[Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:25:19 -0700]
     Christian and Missionary Alliance congregations around the United States are taking new approaches to ministry, moving beyond just talking about Christ’s love to actually showing it. Medford Neighborhood Church in Medford, Oregon; Crossroads Church in Perry, Iowa; New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Maywood, Illinois; and Acts 29 Fellowship in Hamtramck, Michigan, are causing their communities to take notice. 
     Medford Neighborhood Church hosted a “Meet and Greet Your Public Servants” night, featuring a free barbeque dinner. Pastor Lee Gregory described the event as a way of saying thank you to those who provide public services to the community. The mayor, city manager, sheriffs’ deputies, and city council members attended, along with police, search and rescue personnel, and firefighters. Police Chief Randy Schoen told one local TV news reporter, “This type of event builds community. It makes [our city] a better, safer, and more fun place to live, so I encourage [these kinds of gatherings].” 
     Crossroads Church Pastor Rick Gates shampooed carpets at a local school. Other church members cleaned windshields at a grocery store and distributed complimentary water bottles at community functions. Since these outreaches began, many civic groups and individuals have solicited the church’s help. 
     At New Beginnings, Pastor David Torres met with the mayor of Maywood and several other public officials from nearby Chicago suburbs to discuss how the church can best serve the community. Of the 80 churches in the city, the mayor told Torres that none has ever offered its services. “He was excited about working with our church and agreed to shut down the church’s street for a day to hold a back-to-school festival,” says Torres. 
Acts 29’s outreach to Hamtramck, a suburb of Detroit, involves numerous programs. From hosting summer camps for inner-city kids, restoring dilapidated houses, teaching English to Middle Eastern immigrants, and offering after-school homework classes, the church has earned the respect of residents and community leaders alike. 
 

Russian Church Plant Takes Root
[Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:06:59 -0700]
     Talking to strangers is not a common practice in Russia. People keep to themselves, especially in public places. That’s why Alliance missionary Trish Eggleton was a bit apprehensive of an older woman who was hanging around the park where Trish was with her children. “She asked me if I worked there,” said Trish, who told her no and moved her girls to a different area of the park.  
     “I noticed the lady walk by a few times,” Trish said. “Then she approached me and burst into tears.” The lonely woman, Tamara, bore her soul to Trish, confiding in her that she was on a pension that barely provided enough to pay for food and utilities. “I hugged her and told her she was not alone; God loves her and would care for her.”  
     Trish went to a nearby store and bought bread, cheese, and ham for the woman. “Tamara is a sweet lady who has seen lots of history in her life,” she said. “It has been wonderful to see our kids minister to her just by giving her their attention. Pray that the Lord will show open her heart to His eternal love.” 
     Trish and her husband, Alan, church planters in St. Petersburg, have been hosting small groups in their home to study the Bible. Attendance has increased, outgrowing the Eggletons’ apartment. “We had 37 people recently,” Alan said. 
     One first-time guest said that she felt like she’d entered another world. The visitor, Yulia, related that her usual observation of people is swearing, arguing, and general misery. But among the believers, she enjoyed the music, worship, and fellowship.  
     The Eggletons also hosted the church’s first summer camp with 24 young people in attendance. “People got to know each other,” said Alan. “The kind of knowing that comes from being in close contact for five days. Great friendships were built, and three people made decisions to follow Christ.”  
     With the growth of this church plant, the Eggletons are seeking the Lord’s guidance for a place of worship. “Pray that God will provide a strategic location,” Alan requested. “And pray that we will find innovative ways to minister to the young and the old whom He has entrusted to us.”  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sali's Story
[Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:00:38 -0700]
     Spiritual forces in dark places wreak havoc among the animistic, superstitious Africans in Burkina Faso. Alliance missionaries confront the emissaries of Satan all too often. Alliance missionary Rollo Royle had a run-in with these demons through a an unknowing little girl.  
     Sali has faced many challenges as a child. Perhaps too many. Recently, the eight-year-old girl, who lives in the village of Kogwé in Burkina Faso, West Africa, suffered from a serious bout of malaria. “She was comatose when she was brought into the dispensary,” says Alliance missionary Rollo Royle, who has led a concerted prayer effort on Sali’s behalf. “It broke our hearts.” After prayer and medical treatment, the child became well.  
     Prior to malaria, Sali experienced violent seizures and other manifestations of demonic influences. “Every time we were ready to pray for Sali, the attacks would start,” says Royle. “The spirits knew we were coming.” Royle and his wife, Joan, along with church members in the village, persisted in their intercession and confrontation of evil until, finally, Sali was set free. 
     “She is now healthy and has not had any more seizures,” Royle says. Sali’s vision is poor, and surgery may be necessary. Meanwhile, she sits beside her mother in church, clapping with delight—and seizure free.  
 

A Chef with a Mission
[Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:25:21 -0700]
     When a group of Christian businessmen began meeting in an Italian restaurant in Säo Paulo, Brazil, Chef Miriam Dias was listening. She approached the group, which was led by Alliance missionary Len Warden, and asked what they were doing. Warden explained that they were discussing biblical principles of integrity in the workplace. Dias was intrigued. “The idea of being honest in this business [is radical],” she said. As a successful restaurateur, Dias has appeared on national television and has hosted wealthy celebrities in her restaurant. Yet she felt an emptiness that no amount of achievement could fill. “I knew there had to be more,” she said.  
     Although she had accepted the Lord at the age of fourteen, “it did not signify much to me,” said Dias. “I thought [being a Christian] was all about rules.” When her marriage fell apart after twenty-two years, she found herself destitute. She sought help from local churches, but they couldn’t fill the void in her life. “I would go to church, listen to the message, and come home feeling empty. I would cry and cry and cry. I thought that was how it was supposed to be.”  
     Dias found her niche in the restaurant business. As a manager/chef, she hosted community groups for breakfast meetings. Warden’s wife, Diane, saw an ad for the gatherings, and the Zona Norte (Alliance) church-plant arranged to hold integrity meetings for business professionals there.  
     “The first time they were quiet in their little corner as I served them breakfast,” said Dias of the participants. “The second time I wondered, ‘What are they doing here?’” When she learned it was a meeting of evangelical business professionals, she asked to participate, and Diane offered to mentor Dias in a discipleship class. As a result, “I started to be transformed,” said Dias. “I realized what was missing from my life—the love of Jesus.”  
     Dias is now a baptized member of the Zona Norte church-plant and is sharing her faith with those she encounters in the upper reaches of Brazilian society. Because of her expertise as a chef, Dias was a representative at the World Cup in Italy. “God sent me there so I could tell people [about] my Jesus,” she said. 
     When customers at her restaurant ask the reason for the joy and peace she radiates, Dias points them to Christ. “I believe God has given me these opportunities so I can tell people about the light of Jesus in my heart.” she said.  

Dental Team Visits Burkina Faso
[Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:00:45 -0700]
     About 144 people received treatment from a short-term team that ministered through a portable dental office in Sector 30, a needy area of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. While an Alliance pastor evangelized, the team members drilled and pulled teeth, putting in 14-hour days. “Some patients, desperate to be seen, stayed at the clinic overnight, sleeping on the ground or porch,” said C&MA missionary Pete Brokopp. “One man peddled 45 miles by bicycle to get there.” The village chief, the government delegate for the area, and the head of the medical center visited the clinic as well. 
     Even when the drill broke, the team remained committed to serving the impoverished people who poured into the clinic. The engineers on the team constructed a makeshift drill using an air compressor that Brokopp rented from a tire shop. “The hardest thing of all was turning away those who had waited so long, including one woman who kept refusing to leave when the clinic had closed,” he said. “But the dentist’s arms were so tired that he could barely hold onto the instruments.” Many teeth were broken below the gum line, making them difficult to extract. “One person took four hours to have his tooth removed and kept receiving Novocain between other patients,” said Brokopp. “What a celebration when the last piece of his tooth came out!"  
     Each day began with prayer. Maman Paré, the best-known evangelist in the area, preached to the line of people waiting to be seen. “Some heard quite a few messages!” said Brokopp. Paré prayed individually with each person, and then the team prayed with the patients.  
     Weeks after the short-termers left, people in the community were still talking about the team’s visit. “When they praise the work the team did, the pastor just tells them to thank the Lord who sent the dentist,” said Brokopp. “Imagine all those people finally living without pain! The love the team showed them is indeed an opening to the gospel. Pray for changed lives as a result of this testimony.” 

HOME