Onward January 2021

ONWARD Mission Society of the Moravian Church Newsletter

Volume XLI—Issue 1

January 2021

Greetings from the Mission Society We begin 2021, after finishing a year that is surely one of the most difficult in recent memory, with a report on the Mission Society of the Southern Province. The members of the Mission Society Board have all become Zoom experts, for we have dealt with many changes without meeting face to face.

The COVID-19 pandemic directly affected many Mission Society activities. We were unable to hold our two annual events, the June Mission Awareness Dinner and the November Mission Lovefeast. Short-term mission teams were forced to abandon their plans because travel was unsafe. Laurel Ridge mission camps were canceled. We hope to resume these important activities in 2021.

Other events also made 2020 challenging. The Interprovincial Board of World Mission and the Mission Society have shared an office and Sheila Beaman’s dedicated assistance for many years. After 31 years of faithful service, Sheila retired this fall. Bishop Sam Gray accepted the call to become senior pastor of New Philadelphia Moravian Church and also left the Board of World Mission. The Mission Board and Mission Society decided to close its joint office in the Christian Education Building. The Interprovincial Board of World Mission will continue to be headquartered in the Northern Province.

The Mission Society will no longer have a physical office, but we are pleased to share that we have hired an administrative assistant to succeed Sheila. Jennifer Boles, a member of the Friedberg Moravian congregation, is working from her home. Jennifer was a Sunnyside Ministry scholar, intern, and administrative assistant until 2008 when she became the Director of Youth Ministry at Friedberg. She served as the Youth Director for almost ten years before stepping down to help her husband, Joe, with their paving business and stay at home with their three children, Emma, Sammy, and Benjamin. She looks forward to serving the Mission Society and can be reached at jboles@mcsp.org. Mission Society mail can be sent to 2178 Friedberg Church Road, Winston Salem, NC 27127.

Of course, without our signature events, giving to the Mission Society has declined dramatically during 2020. Because we did not fund planned mission team activities and mission camps, this year we have been able to meet fully our financial commitments to the missionaries we support. However, we are now facing a possible budget shortfall in 2021.

In This Issue 

P. 2 Missionary Update

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P. 3 Honduras/ Nicaragua

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P. 4 BWM

In Christ,

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P. 5 Missionary Prayer Requests

Bob

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P. 6 Pray Every Day

We pray that all those interested in being members of the Mission Society will join or renew with an annual membership fee of $25.00 or become a life member for $200.00.

We also hope that you would consider a second mile contribution so that we can continue to support our missionaries, short-term mission trips, and Laurel Ridge mission camps this year.

Robert Peterson

President

MISSIONARY UPDATE The Mission Society of the Moravian Church currently supports 11 missionaries and their families around the world. Here is an update of the missionaries since we were not able to publish our booklet of missionaries at our annual lovefeast in 2020.

Charlie and Vicki Brent serve through Bridges International at Texas A&M. They help international students and faculty find community and experience life in Texas. They have six children and when visiting Winston Salem can often be found at Friedland Moravian.

Michael and Brenda Brent serve in Central and Eastern Europe through Campus Crusade for Christ, Int. Michael’s top responsibility is to provide biblical and theological development for CRU staff and volunteers. Michael and Brenda have three daughters.

Dusty and Christin Harrison serve at Clemson University through Greek Intervarsity. Dusty coaches and encourages staff to reach Greek students and looks for opportunities at new campuses to reach students across North Carolina and South Carolina. Dusty and Christin have three children.

Kevin and Charity serve in the Middle East through Campus Crusade for Christ, International. Kevin disciples young people in their faith, leads a home church, and leads a local ministry focused on evangelism.

They have three children.

Steve and Ann Marx serve with Mission Aviation Fellowship in Idaho and Steve continues to serve in the aircraft parts purchasing arena for MAF’s fleet of 56 aircraft overseas.

Phil and Eunice Raiford serve in Oaxaca, Mexico. Eunice is a doctor and runs a medical clinic in the village treating all types of illnesses. Phil works through discipleship and evangelism to bring others in the village to a relationship with Jesus. They have two children.

Phil and Ashley Sineath serve through Campus Outreach in Alabama. They develop leaders who serve on campuses worldwide to disciple students and engage them with the Gospel. They have two children.

Louis and Susan Sutton serve as international directors for Worldwide Evangelization for Christ and live in Singapore where WEC’s international headquarters is located. They also speak and teach at conferences and retreats about missions and mentor young adults in Singapore.

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SUPPORT MORAVIANS IN NICARAGUA AND HONDURAS The La Mosquitia region in Nicaragua and Honduras experienced many trials in 2020 beginning with the worldwide pandemic that has affected all of us, Covid-19 and ending with two category 4 hurricanes that made landfall in November.

The clinic in Ahaus did not see its first Covid patient until July although the area did begin to experience outbreaks of the virus weeks before. The affect of the virus has been overwhelming all over the world but was especially devastating in Ahaus and the surrounding areas. Many of the employees of the clinic tested positive which halted surgeries and slowed the work of the clinic for a short time. The remoteness of the area, the travel restrictions imposed by the government, and the limited ability to treat cases made Covid-19 especially deadly to those in La Mosquitia. Thanks to generous donations, PPE supplies and funds to help with travel of patients needing additional medical care were given in August to help support the clinic.

Hurricane Eta hit the Nicaraguan and Honduran east coasts beginning November 3 with high winds and heavy rainfall. There was incredible damage to the area of La Mosquitia with many families seeking shelter in schools and churches and totally losing their homes. Hurricane Eta moved slowly over the area and dumped rainfall that ruined crops and family agricultural plots that will cause food instability for months to come. Unfortunately, just days following Hurricane Eta, another Hurricane, Iota, followed a very similar path causing more destruction in Honduras and Nicaragua. A village near Ahaus, Waxma, that many Moravian mission teams have visited during their time there was flooded beyond recognition.

It wasn’t until December when rivers receded that residents could go back to their homes to evaluate the damage and begin the process of rebuilding. The greatest needs are food for immediate use to give to those who are still homeless from the storm. Families need seeds for crops lost in the storm and building materials to begin to rebuild their homes. They also need access to clean water and medicines to combat water-borne diseases as many wells were filled with sewage from the flooding.

Please continue to pray for our Moravian brothers and sisters in Honduras and Nicaragua and consider supporting them financially through the Board of World Mission Moravian Disaster Response.

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BOARD OF WOLD MISSION GREETINGS Having just “completed” the year 2020, the BWM is still reflecting on our 2020 Watchword verse which was John 16:24 – “Ask and you shall receive, so your joy may be complete.”

It may seem misaligned or even inappropriate to focus on “Joy” in a year filled with disappointment and grief by so many. However, the Joy we remember and seek is the outpouring of belief in what God is about to do. As an Easter people, we should always be faithful to the promise of what lies ahead, the possibilities of Christ-centered endeavors.

Early in the year, it was a blessing for BWM staff to be a part of a team assisting in the leadership of the first-ever National Conference in the Mission Area of Sierra Leone. It was mission in the purest sense to sit amongst faithful and talented individuals from this forming church and to join in conversations about formalizing leadership and ministries in a way that honors local culture and tradition while also aligning with the worldwide global Unity.

When the COVID-19 virus began its march around the globe, many plans were changed. Yet, relationships have been strengthened through the increased and conSierra Leone Congregation tinual communication between the BWM and our global partners. Regular check-ins allowed for the rapid response of Moravian Disaster (MDR) funding when needed most. Funding sent to areas such as Peru and Cuba aided local leadership to purchase food and other supplies and distribute it as there was need in local congregations.

MDR also saw its largest single project expenditure since the Hurricane Katrina response, when both Honduras and Nicaragua needed and received support, first for medical equipment and PPE to respond to the Coronavirus, and then for relief efforts following the devastation of Hurricanes Eta and Iota. The two hurricanes struck the Atlantic coast of these countries, just days apart. The BWM is thankful to the many mission minded individuals who have been so generous in their donations to these efforts. Two rounds of support have been sent to Honduras and Nicaragua already, and we anticipate further support, as the food crisis is sure to last through the planting and harvesting of new bean and rice crops still a few months away. Please continue to offer prayers of support and comfort for our partners impacted by these storms.

The Ahuas Clinic is a good place to transition from looking back to looking forward. As we give thanks for its presence and ministry during an unexpectedly difficult year, we are filled with Joy Honduras church members receive PPE and as we look ahead to 2021, which will be the 75 anniversary of the clinic's formation! This milestone year will be a chance to highlight this ministry's impact and invite all to consider ways they may help the Ahuas Clinic grow and realize its immense potential, serving a region much in need of medical care. th

Doctors at the Ahaus Clinic

We will continue our supervision of the Moravian Mission Areas in Sierra Leone and Peru, we will continue our accompaniment of the Mission Provinces in Labrador and Cuba, and we will continue support of projects and mission efforts in full Unity Province partners in Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, Eastern West Indies… and more! New possibilities for expanding ministry efforts include partnerships or support in places like the Czech Republic, Jamaica, Nepal, Kenya, and the Rukwa Province in Tanzania. In addition to these areas where Moravians already are, the BWM is working with the Unity to discern the possibility of supervising and starting some new Mission Areas where there is interest in areas like Brazil, South Korea, the CAR, and Bangladesh.

Thank you for your support of mission as the BWM, in partnership alongside the Southern Province Mission Society, as we look to be faithful to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission… work we carry out with complete joy!

Blessings,

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Justin Rabbach Executive Director Board of World Mission

MISSIONARY UPDATE Michael and Ceci Tesh serve at Ray of Hope Orphanage in Kenya. The orphanage includes an academy with grades 1 and 2 and a medical clinic. Michael and Ceci have two children.

Robert and Anne Thiessen serve the indigenous people of southern Mexico through the Mennonite Brethren Mission. They are involved in helping a network of Mexican missionaries and provide discipleship for local pastors.

Michael and Naomi Woo serve as candidate directors with OMF international in Colorado. They hire and train missionaries to serve in East Asia. Michael and Naomi have five children and are expecting their sixth this year.

MISSIONARY PRAYER REQUESTS    

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Please pray for Michael Brent as he develops individual ethics courses for CRU staff and volunteers.

Please pray for Kevin in the Middle East as he helps restructure the Life Agape ministry and for Charity as she and the children begin co-op and homeschool again in the new year.

Please pray for Ashely and Phil Sineath who serve with Campus Outreach. They have a goal of employing 40 new missionaries in ministry around the world in 2021.

Please pray for Louis and Susan Sutton. Please pray with us for a continual and close walk with Christ. We desire to walk closely so that we honor him in the way we lead WEC. We have two more years in this triennium as WEC’s International Directors. We desire to finish well and to enable WEC to be in a good position to serve well for the future.

Please pray for Michael and Ceci Tesh’s mentorship program in Turkan County. Pray for the safety, education, and empowerment of girls in this community.

Pray for the Thiessens as they travel back to Mexico this month and seek direction in their ministry.

Pray for the OMF workers who are trying to return to their mission country amidst Covid restrictions.

Please also pray for Baby Woo.

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.” Jeremiah 29:12

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PRAY EVERY DAY—JANUARY 1. All of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart and a humble mind.

Pray that God in His mercy will remove the Covid-19 virus and its effects from this world.

2. They read from the book of the law, making it clear, so all could understand it. Pray for medical personnel serving in the war against Covid-19.

3. Sunday-Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Pray for the leaders of our churches and our country. Remember those who are missing your fellowship.

4. It is well for the heart to be strengthened by grace. Pray for pastors and leaders working to keep congregations in communication and presenting God’s word in new ways.

5. Jesus came that we might have life and have it abundantly. Pray for police and firefighters everywhere.

6. Epiphany-Arise, shine, for your light has come. Pray that we would all be receptive to the leading of the Holy Spirit as we learn to worship and serve in new and different ways.

7. I am Yours; save me. Pray for the food programs taking care of those needing good nutrition.

8. God alone is my rock and my salvation. Pray for Adopt A Village in Tanzania.

9. When the first came, they thought they would receive more, but each received the daily wage. Pray that our country will turn back to God. 10. Sunday-Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name. Pray for generous hearts to donate funds to help those suffering from disasters such as hurricanes and floods, etc.

11. God our Savior desires everyone to be saved. Pray for Moravian volunteers serving in disaster relief.

12. I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands. Pray for Kevin and Charity in the Middle East.

13. If I am the Father, where is the honor due me? Pray for Brian and Heather Marx (MAF).

14. Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving. Pray for Unity Women’s Desk.

15. Can a blind person guide a blind person? Pray for the Harrisons with Greek Intervarsity.

16. The Lord is your keeper, the shade at your right hand. Pray for Star Mountain Rehabilitation Center.

17. Sunday-The joy of the Lord is your strength. Pray for Steve and Ann Marx (MAF).

18. From Him and through Him and to Him are all things. Pray for the Hoffmans in HIV/AIDS Ministry.

19. Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Pray for Jenna and Andrew Craver in Alaska.

20. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Pray for Alan and DeeDee Iobst in France.

21. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you will be in good health. Pray for the Sineaths in Campus Outreach.

22. It is God who is at work in you, enabling you to will and to work for His good pleasure. Pray for Justin Rabbach (Board of World Mission).

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23. The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Pray for Armando Rusindo Foundation and Cuba.

24. Sunday-Trust in Him at all times, pour out your heart before Him. Pray for Alas de Socorro in Honduras.

25. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, that He might exalt you. Pray for the Tesh’s in Kenya.

26. I came to bring fire to the earth. Pray for the Theissens in Mexico.

27. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God. Pray for Moravians in Peru.

28. Today, salvation has come to this house. Pray for Safiatu Braima in Sierra Leone.

29. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is Salvation, through Jesus.

30. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord. Pray for Charlie and Vickie Brent in Texas.

31. Sunday-God loves a cheerful giver. Pray for Michael and Brenda Brent in Croatia.

helengulledge1090@gmail.com

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MISSION SOCIETY BUDGET UPDATE Mission trips that were approved for 2020 that were not able to go have been pre-approved for 2021.

Although mission camps were not held at Laurel Ridge in 2020, eight individuals made international mission trips during the year, for a total of $2,400 out of $15,000 budgeted.

MISSION SOCIETY: DID YOU KNOW? Did you know...that the Mission Society was organized on April 19, 1923. In the charter it was stated that the signers “are desirous of forming a Society for the human and charitable purpose of the general diffusion of Christianity and aiding and furthering the mission work of the Moravian Church, or Unitas Fratrum.�Membership fees were set for $1.00 for regular members and $100.00 for life members.

(From A Seventy-five Year History of the Mission Society of the Moravian Church South by Christian D. Weber)

ONWARD 2178 Friedberg Church Road Winston-Salem, NC 27127 336-773-1732

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

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