Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Pastor Joseph Franklin of Haiti sends his deepest thanks to all who are praying for Haiti in the wake of Hurricane Tomas. He reported that our members were not hurt and remain safe, but much damage was done and cholera has become epidemic in some areas.
Please continue to remember in prayer the people of Haiti, who still suffer from the devastation of the earthquake while also having to cope with the annual destruction and misery of hurricane season.
Africa
African Missions Director Kalengule Kaoma reported four baptisms last month in Kolwezi.
Colombia
From Larry Hinkle:
This year’s annual Colombian Leadership Conference was a great success with more than 100 in attendance. The conference was held over a three-day weekend in a tranquil resort area outside of Bogota, Colombia. The theme was “An Experience with God.” Sub-themes presented by pastors Hector and Paulina Barrero, David Mosquera, Sonia Orozco and Larry Hinkle included dealing with suffering, being transformed by God’s unconditional love, and experiencing the blessings of the grace of God. Each day’s sub-theme was also presented in special sessions for children and for teens.
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A highlight of the conference was a worshipful footwashing service in which the teens and children also participated. A meditative communion service was presented each day, and everyone delighted in witnessing the baptisms of Claudia and Miguel Vega and Andrés Castaño.
Praise and worship music was provided in part by teens from Barranquilla, Colombia. Activities included swimming, soccer, hiking, horseback riding and table games.
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Israel Tour
From Shirley Henderson
Seventy excited people enjoyed the trip of a lifetime touring the country of Israel October 6-18. Members from Canada and the USA joined the main group from the UK at Heathrow Airport and everyone traveled together to Tel Aviv via El Al Airlines. The jumbo jet was a microcosm of the variety of people that we were to encounter in Israel and was a good introduction for what was to come. The Seven Arches Hotel, where we spent the first four nights, sits atop the Mount of Olives with the most spectacular views of the city of Jerusalem.
It was amazing to wake up each day and think, “I am on the Mount of Olives!” Our days were packed with visits to as many of the historical sites as we could possibly manage, including the Garden of Gethsemane, Hezekiah’s tunnel, the Qumran site, the Garden Tomb, the Western (wailing) Wall, the City of David, the Temple Mount, Bethlehem, Masada, the Dead Sea, the Holocaust Museum, to name but a few.
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Standing on top of the famed last stand of Jewish resistance to the Romans on top of Masada and floating totally unaided in the Dead Sea were surreal experiences, but to be standing where Jesus stood and walked, and the places where he was most likely interrogated, crucified and buried was a deeply moving and powerfully emotional experience.
A beautiful communion service was held at the Garden Tomb just before dusk. From our base in Jerusalem we moved on to the greener climes in the city of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee. We stopped off at Jericho and Bet She’an. Our time in Tiberias included a trip on a replica boat of the kind used at the time of Jesus. A lively worship service was held on the boat and I’m sure we all, as we listened, were envisioning Jesus walking on the water or preaching to crowds from the boat. It was such a still, beautiful, sunny day that it was hard to imagine the storm that Jesus calmed.
A service was also held at the Mount of Beatitudes. Imagining the experiences and miracles of Jesus at places like Capernaum, Cana, and the Jordan River were just some of the special moments we shared. The Golan Heights ensured an amazing view of the surrounding countries and the road to Damascus, and brought greater awareness of the very vulnerable and fragile peace that exists in that part of the world. Further outings took us to Nazareth and Megiddo (the ruins of 25 layers of different civilizations over thousands of years) and a spectacular view of the valley of Jezreel, the site of Armageddon. The Bible came alive as scriptural names and reference points were everywhere and had many of us scurrying back to our Bibles to remind ourselves of the details.
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Trying to sum up the highlights of this journey in a few words is impossible because we went to so many places and saw and experienced things from the past and the present that do and will impact the future.
Photo captions: 1 – view from Seven Arches Hotel, 2 – going through Hezekiah’s tunnel, 3 – view from Masada of Dead Sea, 4 – The River Jordan, 5 – Service held on the replica boat on Sea of Galilee, 6 – Some of the tour group at the River Jordan
CAD
Dr. Dan Rogers has recorded a study of the first 15 chapters of the book of Acts. It is presented in 32 short videos that are now posted on our “It Looks Like This” website at http://gci-usa.blogspot.com/p/church-multiplication-study-in-book-of.html. These video studies make helpful “discussion starters” for small groups, discipleship classes and Bible studies. They are also useful for personal study.
Note: Videos posted on “It Looks Like This” may be downloaded by double clicking on the “YouTube” icon on the video. This will take you to the page on YouTube where that video is imbedded. Copy the webpage address (URL) for this YouTube page, and insert that in the YouTube Downloader, a free program available at http://youtubedownload.altervista.org/. Follow the YouTubeDownloader instructions and the video will be downloaded to your computer. From there (if you have the right software) you can burn the downloaded video to a CD or DVD, or show it directly from your computer using a projector or by viewing it on your computer screen.
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage pastor Don Marson reported that after the website training by Robert Meade and Pam Morgan at the Orlando conference, and with some additional help from Bret Miller, Grace and Truth Community Church launched its new website (http://gtccanchorage.gcichurches.org) on September 13. By the end of October they had received more than 900 hits.
Prayer Request
Remember that prayer is the battleground where we fight the good fight of faith. Let’s encourage everyone to join together in prayer, for we belong to Christ, and by the Spirit it is in Christ that we pray. Prayer and other spiritual activities help keep our hearts in tune with God and remind us of who we are in Christ. He is our all in all, and in him we are eternally beloved of the Father and blessed to share his good news with others.
Love from my family to yours,
Joseph Tkach
