Prestoncrest Missions

When Trouble Comes!

“What’s next?” is the most asked question by people everywhere.

Economies, politics, future are the buzz words around the world. Human trafficking, terrorism, ethnic cleansing, wars, disease, natural disasters, and hopelessness cross economic, social, educational, and ethnic lines and everyone suffers.

When people struggle to survive and look for something to hang on to, receptivity to the Good News soars and opportunities to share the love of God are everywhere. People clamor for a chance to receive a copy of the Bible, to study God’s Word with Christians and to find answers and hope for their devastated lives.

Together we have responded to this call from Kosovo, Ethiopia, Croatia, Poland, Guyana, Romania, Laos, Albania, Georgia CIS, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Indonesia and thousands are now children of God and will one day meet you in heaven as a result of your caring and sharing when trouble came.

We are currently in Myanmar (Burma) where upheaval and hopelessness reign and where God has been at work for years, preparing the hearts of men and women to receive His love. A window of twenty eight days is all the time we have been given to study God’s word with the countless people here seeking hope. Recent political events have renewed the longing for hope that has been in their hearts for years. Some have studied the Bible via correspondence with you and when others came, they studied with some but the time was to short and they were left alone. Some of these same people have come to study with us this month and have made progress but again we are forced to leave just when they are wrestling with decisions to give their lives to God. Every day more come, University students, Gold merchants, Government employees, Lawyers and doctors inquiring if we can study with them and the line of those wanting to study gets longer.

Bill & Marie-Claire McDonough, from Yangoon, Myanmar

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your continued prayers. Being in the States with my daughter Diana and her lovely family in January did me a world of good. Imagine, three weeks of being pampered without any responsibilities. It was wonderful. Please allow me my one “Grandma” photo. Since getting home, I have a little more energy, “melt-downs” don’t come as often and my brain seems to be starting to work again, which is certainly a good thing. There is a lot going on here at the moment, but fortunately, I am just helping rather than being responsible for it.

ETM

I know Jim would be happy to know that this ETM Basic Course will be the largest group yet - with 14 participants ranging in age from 24 to 69 from the churches in Bremen, Chemnitz, and Munich in Germany, and Bern, Lucerne and Zurich in Switzerland. A very special thank you to those of you who have helped financially to make this possible. I’m in the process of ordering the books as well as printing the handouts and we will come together for the Intensive Week seminar March 31 - April 4 with missionary Larry Sullivan doing the teaching. Larry, his wife Pam, Stephan Kallus and I will share the mentoring duties during the nine weeks of project work. Please pray for us all in our preparations - especially for Larry.

Directly following the Intensive Week, we (the five of us now coordinating ETM) have invited all the past ETM-ers to join us for an ETM retreat weekend April 4-6 to share what has changed in our lives because of the ETM training and to plan together what future advanced courses would be most beneficial. Hopefully a good number will be able to be there. I’m looking forward to a great week/weekend - which even includes my birthday!

THE BREMEN CHURCH

As you can imagine, I am not the only one in the Bremen church dealing with new challenges and responsibilities. It has also been an insecure time for the men in leading the congregation. To make matters more difficult, one of our regular visitors seemed to see this insecurity as his opportunity to have center stage - debating, accusing, and stirring up discord and factions among the members. Unfortunately, no one felt “in charge” enough to set the necessary boundaries and despite a lot of intensive Bible study and the good seminar held in January, the discord — not just with him but also with each other — grew way out of proportion. Two weeks ago, however, the men of the congregation decided to meet to take stock, stepping back from the dividing issues until they found common ground that they all agreed on, thinking they would then study the other things together from the position of unity. I think they surprised themselves how quickly they found that common ground by using Bible words to state Biblical truths and that the “hot” issues had cooled down as they did so. Last Sunday in the worship, they shared the results of the meeting with the rest of us, and it was as if someone had blown away the tension. That is, only one person was still tense (the visitor) and his tension didn’t spread to anyone else. God is good! This unpleasant situation has truly been a growth opportunity.

CAMPAIGN

For the first time in several years, Lord willing, we are looking forward to having a group of Harding University students visit us for five weeks to offer Europeans the opportunity to practice their English by reading and discussing Bible texts with them. I say Europeans because the people we have met through these campaigns in past years were not just Germans, but also Russian, Turkish, French, Brazilian, Chinese, Polish and several other nationalities as well. MARK ABERCROMBIE will be coordinating this effort, though several of us will be assisting. Please pray that it is a good experience for all and that the students will be able to introduce us to a number of people open to spiritual things.

LIBRARY

ALICIA continues to work diligently to put more order in the chaos of Jim’s library, and has recruited a growing number of helpers. There is still a long row to hoe, but progress is evident and books continue to be checked out and used by the helpers. I, too, keep discovering more and more “treasures” that I had no idea were here, but probably the greatest blessing in it for me is having Alicia here with me so much. She has become “family” and is a great comfort.

MY NEIGHBOR

Saturday afternoon the women of the Bremen church are having a Women’s Coffee with a guest speaker. When I dropped by to invite my neighbor HEATHER (She is Irish.) to come, she had a stack of old Christian Woman Magazines on the table (probably from me from years ago) and said she had started doing the Bible lessons in them. She wanted to know if I would be willing to study the Bible with her! Now we have been friends for about 25 years and trust me, I’ve tried many times to get her interested in spiritual things. I can’t help wondering if this has something to do with Jim’s death. In any case, I praise the Lord and ask your prayers.

PEPPERDINE

Much to my surprise, I have been invited to the PEPPERDINE LECTURES the end of April to report in a class on the challenges of 35 years of mission work. I graduated from Pepperdine and it was the Pepperdine Year-in-Europe program in Heidelberg that first brought me to Germany, so I am very thankful for this incentive to go back for a visit. Hopefully I will get to see some of you there. You will certainly be a part of what I have to say, because the progress of the work in Bremen has been directly proportional to your prayers for it and us. Thank you for your love and faithfulness! Gott mit euch!

Your fellow servant,
Elsa Springer

Heiderich News Brief - February, 2008

Family Institute of Latin America Website

jgheiderich@gmail.com

Can you help us?

On the other end of the line was Hebert Palomino, responsible for Baptist missionary care in all of South America. He was calling from Chile where he was attending his brother’s funeral and would leave the next day for the US. He shared with me the need for immediate help with one of their missionary families in Brazil. Two assailants had held a family of four hostage in their own home, at gunpoint. For three hours they were bound, threatened, and pistol-whipped as the gunmen tried in vain to get them to tell where all their money was hidden (they had none!). The son had several wounds on his head and the father had suffered a concussion. Dr. Palomina asked if we could help this family deal with this traumatic event.

We were referred to him by friends of ours, Mark and Caron Johnson, regional supervisors for Baptist missionaries in southern Brazil. The family was flown to Curitiba where we spent two intense days with them and the Johnsons administering Critical Incident Debriefing. We had used this type of counseling before with mission teams and had learned how to do it from the staff of Resources for Living, headquarted in Austin, Texas.

We recently received reports from the family that they are recovering well, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

“Can you help us?” Three weeks later it was the Johnsons who called, asking for assistance. Their daughter had been sequestered, along with a friend, by two armed bandits while on vacation. The captors drove their car, with the two teenage girls in the back seat, outside of the city and dropped them off on an abandoned road, physically unharmed. After walking for about 45 minutes the girls happened upon a house and after some time convinced the owners that they needed help.

Once again we gathered at the Johnson’s home where Gail counseled with the daughter while Jerry met with the parents and brother. Ministering to those who minister is a vital aspect of the Lord’s work in Latin America. We are passing on what so many have done for us in nearly 30 years of mission work. We include a letter of gratitude from the Johnsons to all of those who are our partners. Not just financial partners, but those who have trained, supervised and mentored us, with a special nod to so many at Abilene Christian University and Continent of Great Cities.

Thank You:

Dear Jerry & Gail,

Words cannot express how thankful we are for your recent support, encouragement, and assistance in dealing with the two traumatic events within the lives of our missionary colleagues and in our life personally.

The immediate counsel that you two provided within hours of these two different events involving armed robbery, battery and assault, and kidnapping were vital in the healing process for all parties involved. There are very few people such as you who are both professionally qualified and God called and empowered to minister in this way.

We thank God for you and the friendship you have extended to us over the years. And we also wish to thank your support network for recognizing this unique gifting you have and providing you with the resources you need to accomplish this important task. May God continue to richly bless you as you minister here in Brazil.

Mark & Caron Johnson
Southern Baptist Missionaries in Curitiba, Brazil

Other News:

In January we were contracted by Continent of Great Cities to counsel at the annual Missionary Conference held in Canela, Rio Grande do Sul. Dr. John Willis was our speaker and Jerry led two devotionals each day. Angela and Joel have bought a house in Garland (suburb of Dallas) and Gail will be traveling to the US March 4-18 to help with the move. Kris is enjoying his time in Europe and we are all jealous! He has been to Scotland and this weekend will be exploring Spain.

39 Wishart Drive
Broomridge, Stirling FK7 7TR
Scotland, U.K.
Tel: 011-44-1786-816259
Email: mitchvick@btinternet.com

News From Scotland

We here in Stirling are off to a good start in 2008, and the past weeks have been very full as our work for the year gets underway. As we do so, we are very mindful of how important you are to us and to the work here. Thank you for your interest, prayers, and encouragement.

Congregation News

During January the main emphasis of our work has been on promoting the congregation’s development and unity as we have prepared for several events: the beginning of a new session of FriendSpeak, the restarting of our youth outreach, and our advanced Bible study seminar in March. The church enjoyed a fellowship meal in early January which was an opportunity to present some plans and take views from the church. Attendance in worship has been excellent over the past weeks, and we continue to enjoy good support in both Sunday morning and mid-week Bible classes. Tristan Block continues to do a great job with our regular Searchers’ class, and we have had at least one or two contacts from FriendSpeak present each week. John Renwick has now completed 29 chemotherapy treatments and is waiting for the results from MRI and CT scans to see where his treatment goes from here.

FriendSpeak Resumes

Our regular Sunday afternoon FriendSpeak sessions resumed last Sunday (Feb. 10th) with four readers. Jie, from China, has continued to work with Tristan and Leslie throughout the school recess, but now her husband Danny has also started to read with us (he is also attending church service and Searchers class). In addition, we have Cristina, a Marketing student from Mexico, and Ann, a finance student from northeast China. Our second week was even better, with another returnee (Carrie, from Taiwan) and three new readers from Japan, Ryohta, Yuri, and Yuni. We continue to hope for enrollments from others, including the local Polish community. Tristan and Leslie also continue to work with Jie during the week.

Youth Outreach

Plans for the resumption of Youth Club are almost complete, and if all goes well we plan to resume our regular Tuesday night outreach to local young people on Tuesday, February 19th (tomorrow night). We have had to renew our Police checks and go through other legal formalities, and some equipment will also need to be renewed, but we know interest is high among the local kids, and we look forward to restarting this valuable outreach.

Bible Study Seminar

The week of March 10th-13th will be the time of our annual Bible Study seminar, which is aimed at preachers and other interested brethren throughout central Scotland. This year’s subject is the Book of Hebrews, taught by Dr. James Thompson from the USA. We look forward to the rich time of Bible study and fellowship.

Family News

We are doing well personally. Both Isobel and I have survived the worst of the winter, though we have both fought off various colds and winter-related illnesses. Our kids are all well. Robin and Chrissy continue to make excellent grades at Sunset and are on a study week break as I write. Laura has started a job with Dallas Public Libraries, in addition to her job as a legal assistant, so she is staying very busy these days. Hannah is doing well in Searcy, also staying very busy, as usual, with her studies. My mother has had her ups and downs over the past weeks, and continues to battle persistent infections which seem reluctant to respond to antibiotic. Please keep her in your prayers.

We love you and ask you to keep us in your prayers, particularly as we begin these new phases of our FriendSpeak and Youth Club outreach. The weeks ahead will be quite full. We appreciate your interest, help and encouragement so very much and want you to know that you remain in our prayers.

Yours in the Lord’s service,
Mitch and Isobel Vick

Italian Report - February, 2008

An Encouraging Word

When I was a small boy, each Sunday morning one of the elders would hug me and ask me, “Are you a Democrat?” I always replied, “Yes” for I loved Pete and knew he loved me. He was teasing my grandpa, who was a “died in the wool” Republican. They would shake hands and then wipe their hands off on their pants leg to get rid of the taint of Republican or Democrat. It is amazing how much a little attention, a big hug and a simple question can influence a young boy.

Another good question is, “Are you going to become a preacher when you grow up?” My mother never asked me that question, but she prayed from the day I was born that I would become a preacher. In my 55 years of ministry I have hugged many little boys and asked them that question. Many took it to heart. I think of several who are preaching full time right now. God be praised. An encouraging word can change lives.

Our Health

Things are looking up. Carolyn is getting around well and my infection seems to be clearing up. We are working every day. I write and Carolyn types. We keep the phone calls flying to Italy. You will be happy to know that three precious souls were baptized in Italy this past month.

Until next month - God Bless,

Charles & Carolyn Moore

DINO & DEBBIE ROUSSOS
P.O. Box 70127 Glyfada, Greece 16610
Tel : 011 (30) 6944 344167
Fax : 011 (30) 210 8974405
E-mail : DinoRoussos@gmail.com

January 2008

Dear Brethren in Christ our Lord,

As we start the New Year 2008, we are thankful to God for the HEALTH we enjoy and for the Ministry of preaching the gospel He has called us to perform.

The New Year has opened new doors of opportunity to strengthen the Churches of Christ in Greece and Eastern Europe, to encourage the gospel preachers and to train new national Christians to carry on the Lord’s work.

More Precious Souls Were Baptized in Athens

Valentina is an elderly Russian woman who has been attending the Russian worship service sporadically for several months. She is very disadvantaged and not really able to take proper care of herself. She appears to have physical health problems. Our dear sister Irini realized Valentina’s dismal situation and God put it into her to intervene. Irini has been a member of the Russian Congregation for a couple of years and is truly on fire for the Lord. She is a good servant of God and began tending for Valentina’s physical and spiritual needs. At one point she felt it was necessary to take her into her own home for a while until her health improved. During that time she studied the Word of God with her and Valentina believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and wanted to be baptized.

Debbie and I went together to Irini’s house one evening and found Valentina in a very poor state but she was baptized that night in the bathtub of Irini’s apartment. She was immediately filled with joy. We saw to it that Valentina received proper
medical attention. After a short time she was doing much better. When we went to visit her on New Year’s Day, she was full of energy and thankfulness. She called Irini her “angel’ sent from God.

Two Sundays ago we rejoiced in the baptism of Fotini (Stetlana). She is new to Greece having only been here a couple of months. She was introduced to the Russian congregation by another Russian sister; Natalia, who has helped us a lot in starting the new Russian Church in Athens and translated the first few months.

Jesus deeply touched the heart of this young woman. Only God knows where she has been but she was obviously grateful for the salvation. She has a husband and two children still living in Russia. With tears in her eye’s she confessed the name of Jesus and was immersed for the forgiveness of her sins.

After her baptism every member of the congregation gave a few words of encouragement for her new faith in Christ.

It was a very touching moment and we are glad to see our members working for the Kingdom of God bringing new souls to the saving knowledge of the Truth.

Titania 2007 – Evangelistic Meeting in Athens, Greece

Every Christmas time, we always have a special program and banquet at the Church building. This year we decided to plan something extra special to which we could invite many people and make it also an evangelistic opportunity. We booked
a banquet room at a Hotel near the Church building and sent out invitations to many in the community. There was an excellent response and people came to fellowship and remember the birth of Jesus. The program consisted of a group of Romanian singers, children singing carols, a husband and wife duet, short spiritual message from Alex Melittytos and Dino Roussos and a wonderful buffet dinner. The Lord really blessed the day.

160 members of the Omonia Church of Christ, friends, relatives and leaders of various organizations came to be with us. Now we have made new contacts, we believe that the New Year 2008, will give us the opportunity to introduce them to our Saviour; Jesus Christ and invite them to come and worship with us.

I was personally involved with the organization of this GREAT event and I praise the Lord for the effectiveness of this meeting. We had participation from all the members of our Church. Greeks, Bulgarians, Russian, Americans, Philippines, Ghanaian, Iranians, Egyptians, Ukrainian, Romanian, etc.

New Year Celebrations

The Russian congregation organized a fantastic Russian meal to celebrate the New Year. They prepared all their favorite Russian specialities and invited the members of the English congregation to join them.

They prepared the food and paid with their own money to feed everyone invited.

The Russian children sang beautiful songs and they all participated in the program. There is a WONDERFUL excitement in the Omonia church, where we have been serving the Master. We are glad to see the new Christians maturing and been willing to participate in the ministry. In our sermons we emphasize the importance of working for Jesus and to utilize our talents effectively for His glory.

Dino Preaching To The Bulgarians

In December, while our Bulgarian minister brother Christos Arnautor was in Sofia, I preached for the Bulgarian Assembly in Athens, in conjunction with preaching for the Greek, Russian and English services.

Although many of the Bulgarians had gone to Bulgaria for the Christmas holidays, our auditorium was full of precious souls.

Pepperdine University in Athens

From March 10 to April 10, 2008, Pepperdine University will bring 40 students in Athens, Greece to study. I was asked by the administration to teach a short seminar for a few days on “Religion and Culture.”

This is a great opportunity for the young students to learn about the importance of Christianity in their lives, future families and their communities.

Omonia Church Trip to Israel

For a long time now, members of our congregation were asking me to take them to the Holy Land in Israel to visit the places where our Lord Jesus Christ lived, taught His GREAT teaching, died and was raised from the dead.

From the Omonia Church of Christ in Athens, thirty members and friends have already confirmed that they will come to join us on our six day trip.

It will be a time of spiritual fellowship, strengthening our faith in Christianity and see first hand, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, the River Jordan, Cana, Nazareth, Tiberias, Capernaum etc.

I believe that when Christians travel together they create new friendships and learn to love and appreciate each other even more. This is a ministry for the members of our congregation and new contacts that we will make during the trip.

Church Retreat in June 2008

From June 25-28 we are planning our annual retreat for the Omonia Church in Athens. This will be our fourth year and they have proved to be very successful. This year we plan to invite the leaders from Churches of Christ in Greece’s neighboring countries to come and join us. After the retreat, we will plan a Leadership Training program for these National Church Leaders.

Family News

During the month of December, God blessed us by bringing many people into our home. We had about eight gatherings of Church members, neighbors, friends and Debbie’s English Bible study group. We’re thankful to be able to share our home in order to bring people closer together and encourage fellowship.

We were happy to have Stephen with us for the holidays. He had a good semester at ACU and he was excited about seeing his old friends in Greece and enjoying some rest and recreation. He and his buddies spent four days in the mountains snowboarding. This should be his last semester at ACU. He will take some courses at the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies in Michigan in the summer, which, will enable him to graduate in August. He is now preparing to apply to graduate school.

Our second daughter Nikki who lives in Atlanta, Georgia, will give birth to a girl due February, 20th. Debbie is planning to fly to Atlanta in order to assist Nikki for the first few weeks after the birth.

We love you and may the Lord bless you.

In Him,

Dino and Debbie Roussos