It’s been a couple of months of silence. But it has been due to the silence of business, struggles and experiencing God’s true presence in the midst of all this. In the moments of greatest needs in our lives is when we feel that we are drowning and we need more our Lord. Yet, in this sometimes overwhelming silence, He our good Lord, is in gentle work in our hearts and we must trust Him, His goodness and all His character revealed attributes. We walk by faith and not by sight.

Ahead of me there are many challenges. Please partner with me as you pray for this upcoming season and the responsibilities along with it:

1. Titus Project June 2012: I have the responsibility of leader the next training program that will start on  June 4. The training time is three weeks of intensive training on The heart of a Bible Teacher, How to Prepare and Present a Lecture, The importance of Application, Preaching, Inductive Method, Learning Styles, Reaching Oral Communicators, Bible Overview and other topics related to Bible teaching in missions. After the training time is finished, the participants will leave with a team leader on outreach through Taiwan to equip churches, leaders, small groups and believers who don’t have access to sound Bible teaching. This is exciting but we need God’s strength, wisdom, guidance and the work of the Holy Spirit to transform people’s lives along the way, using us, holders of this treasure in jars of clay.
2. Personal: I am currently in a time of seeking God in my personal life and seeking His will and direction for the present and the future. I need your prayer and encouragement during this time. A small note on facebook, email, twitter, this blog, whassap (yes! missionaries have access to whassap when we have free wi fi)! Any word of encouragement will be greatly and gratefully received.
3. Titus Mongolia 2012: I will be pioneering with a team in Mongolia, Titus Project in Mongolia. This are exciting times considering that this nation was just reached with the gospel and had their first believers only 20 years ago! If you want to partner with me in prayer or financially, please contact me. I need to get my plane ticket soon but God was faithful in our first missionary journey there last January and I believe this next time will be even greater!
4. Returning home for furlough: I am planning and hoping to return to Dominican Republic for a couple of months around late october through late december this year. Please pray for God’s provision, health to be strong and healthy to do all the work in between this season and the next one.
5. Anything the Lord brings to your heart: There are some obvious prayer requests that God might be placing in your heart. Please take one minute and pray for those. He is a faithful father and he hears our prayers. We serve an AWESOME GOD!

Esta semana estuve ensenando el libro de Josúe. El reto de “esfuérzate y se valiente” para un líder que ha perdido a un amigo, padre, y mentor como Moisés lo fue para El no eran solo palabras de animo pero eran palabras retadoras.


La Biblia nos insta a “Hermanos míos, no os hagáis maestros muchos de vosotros , sabiendo que recibiremos un juicio más severo.” (LBLA). No creo que Pablo este tratando de asustar a la gente de obedecer el llamado de Dios en sus vidas si han sido llamados al ministerio de la enseñanza. El reto es a la coherencia. Seremos juzgados en lo que ensenamos.


Ayer tuve la oportunidad de poner esto en practica. Aun cuando mi corazón y mis emociones, aun mi cuerpo no tenían la fuerza para hacerlo. Luego de dos días de enseñanza del libro de Josúe, a un grupo de estudiantes en una escuela de Biblia en Erdenet, norte de Mongolia. En el segundo break de clases, casi iniciando la tercera y ultima hora, estaba lista para entregar la aplicación final del libro: familia,liderazgo y fidelidad y entrega completa a Dios no son fáciles y requieren esfuerzo y valentía. Dos minutos antes de iniciar la clase recibí la noticia de que mi querido abuelo falleció.


Mi corazón estaba roto. Sentí que se me fueron las fuerzas, el aliento y por unos segundos no podía pensar. Los estudiantes estaban listos para continuar la lectura. Pero como somos un cuerpo y una familia entendí que era importante que me esforzara y fuera valiente. Así que le informe a mi traductora y líder de la escuela que por favor oraran por mi. Necesitaba que mis hermanos, mas que estudiantes en ese momento, mí familia en una tierra lejana como Mongolia, necesitaba que oraran por mí.


No hay palabras para describir como todos oraron conmigo, por mi, por mi familia. Lloraron conmigo. Unos minutos luego de iniciar la clase aun estaban llorando algunos de ellos. Hombres y mujeres que han sido altamente probados en su fe, aun con pruebas mayores a la mia, lloraron conmigo.


 Al continuar la clase, en ese momento mas que nunca, necesitaba de la gracia abundante de nuestro Dios. Y abundante es como la recibi. El me dio las fuerzas para terminar una hora completa de clases. Y todos fuimos retados, animados. Poruqe al iniciar la semana y sin saber lo que nos esperaba como parte de la introduccion a mi clase, les habia ensenado fotos de mi familia, de mis mejores amigos y obviamente de los dos tesoros de “guelito” y “guelita” que Dios ma habia regalado. Asi que al concluir la semana, ellos no eran extranos , ni yo tampoco. Somos hermanos.


Esa misma noche mi jornada misionera me llevaba en un trayecto de 12 horas en tren. Entre terminar las finanzas, dar las instrucciones a mi equipo misionero del cual soy responsable, atender una de los miembros del aqui que estaba enferma, y llamar a mi familia, estaba emocionalmente exhausta.


Pero mas hermanos siguieron abrazandome, y los mensajes por facebook comenzaron a llegar. A las 7:20 pm tomamos el tren rumbo a Ulaanbatar desde Erdenet. Y durante la noche mia pude llorar. Pude llorar y orar por mi familia mientras enterraban a mi abuelo. Y mi corazon lloraba mientras cantaba:
“Mas alla del sol
Mas alla del sol
Yo tengo un hogar, hogar bello hogar,
Mas alla del sol”






Cuando pensamos que el estar lejos ante la perdida, es uno de los costos de obedecer a Dios en el servicio de las misiones fronterizas, es en parte cierto. Pero no inadvertido. Nuestro Senor nos advirtio que cada uno deberia llevar su cruz. Que no todos tendrian tiempo de decir a Dios como excusa para no obedecer.


El nos ha mostrado un camino aun mas excelente.


Solo en Dios esta nuestra esperanza. Porque sabemos que algun dia nos reuniremos en el cielo con mi abuelo y todos los fieles redimidos que nos han precedido.


Mi oracion es que todos los demas, aquellos de ustedes que amablemente leen estas lineas, tal vez aun no tienen una relacion personal con el Salvador, Jesucristo. Si no te has arrepentido de tus pecados y reconocido que Cristo es el unico camino, la unica verdad, y la unica vida. Si estas en esta posicion, te pido que reconsideres, ora a Dios, arrepientete de tus pecados y entonces…entonces podremos celebrar tener la misma esperanza, la misma familia y la seguridad de una celebracion en el cielo…con mi abuelo y yo. Estas invitado.


Con carino desde Mongolia,


Nine

Para mi equipo de trabajo este representa el final de la semana 3 de ministerio en Mongolia , pero para es mi semana 1. Y asi contaremos.

La semana pasada termine mi historia antes de mi viaje en tren. Es importante entender que el tren de 12 horas que tome, implico dormir en un cuarto de aproximadamente 2 mts x 2 mts, con 4 “camas” o literas y compartiendo en la litera inferior con la misionera que me acompanaba en este “interesante” trayecto y dos desconocidos: una senora de aproximadamente 70 anios y un senor tal vez rondando los 40 que ocupaba toda la anchura y longitud de su camarote y un poco mas.
Todos nos preparamos para dormir y alrededor de las 3 AM senti la necesidad de ir al bano. Al regresar a la habitacion y tratar de treparme al camarote superior senti un brazo fuerte que me “asistio” de un tiron a subir a mi cama, desde el otro lado.

Trate de darle las gracias al individuo y volver a dormir. Sin embargo, a partir de ahi senti una presencia misteriosa. Al tornarme al otro lado pude ver como mi companero de viaje extendia su brazo para alcanzarme como si tratara de abrazar a un peluche (yo), a traves de espacio abierto que nos separaba entre las dos literas. Obviamente entre intercediendo y como buena dominicana defensiva nada mas pensaba “hay si me topa te corto la mano! hum!”.

Despues de dos o tres horas de vigilia, alrededor de las 6 AM pude conciliar el sueno y confiar que Dios me protegeria (y al individuo) hasta llegar a Erdenet a las 8:00 AM.

Finalmente me reuni con mi equipo y tengo en mi coleccion de anecdotas una interesante anecdota mas.

I finally made it to Mongolia. Your prayers have been answered and God’s purpose is being fulfilled. You can check previous posts from before.

So I will describe a little bit of my travelling to get here. As most of you might know my missions base is in Taipei, Taiwan. I live in Danshui and my journey started Tuesday morning after monday afternoon finally getting my renewed ARC (Alien Resident Certificate) that will allow me to keep serving in Taiwan for at least another year.

So monday morning my ministry leader picked me up at 5:00 AM. Our ride to the airport is usually 40-4 min. However the road was very misty and foggy and one could barely see ahead. So, I had a feeling that if that did not clear off by 8:00 AM the time when my flight was suppose to depart, I was going to lose my connecting flight in Korea to Ulaanbaatar, capital city of Mongolia. And so happened.

I got to Incheon Airport, run through check points and the had to change me to another flight because I lost my connection. So 4 hours later I was in UB (Ulaanbaatar) but no luggage.

But I was rejoicing. My contact and close beautiful Mongolian friends Bogi, came to pick me up at the Airport.

So Bogi and I did catch up while we sat in UB traffic for almost two hours before getting to Papa Cafe, where her friend who was going to take me to a their friends house where would be staying there by myself for the night. Avery cozy couch and quiet apartment was waiting for me.

At 6:00 AM I woke up to a kitchen window view with a frozen fresh snowed UB.After thanking God for that day and for finally getting me safely here I started praying and getting ready for a very hectic day ahead of us, before catching a 12 hour overnight train to my ministry destination at Erdenet city, the second most important city in Mongolia.

And the story continues but you will have to read more tomorrow with some pictures because is 10:47 pm and my housemates need to go to bed. And so do I after travelling almost 24 hours!

This week I wrote of my rebellious episode due my “delay” in my long time planned outreach in Mongolia. For more details you can check previous posts.

And as the Lord is unchanging, faithful, merciful and abounding in steadfast love, one  purpose in His overall plan started to unfold.

This weekend my beloved local church International Baptist Church (La IBI) in Dominican Republic and a group of sister churches are hosting the event Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss as main speaker. And it is streamed live online, so I get to participate.

I remember when a small group of us were planning to go to the first conference back in 2008. Shortly before the event I had to cancel my assistance but a group of more than 100 women ended up going that first year. Little imagined or knew my beloved accountability, counselor, adoptive mom (she is too young!) and friend Laura imagined that God was just starting something that three and a little more years later would be happening in my beloved Dominican Republic.

This weekend more than 3,000 women are meeting, praying , worshiping and seeking God to revive their hearts. And here is where the connection starts: Our hearts.

I needed this time more than ever. Many people think of us missionaries as super-extraterrestrial christians. But we grow weary. We lose focus. We sin. We are human. Crossing geographical barriers doesn’t change the sinful nature, the heart or flesh, however you want to call it. Only Jesus redeems us. Only through the process of sanctification, daily closeness to the Father makes us closer to that. To his image but very far of being perfect and irreproachable. Only when we find ourselves glorified, face to face to Him, in awe, we will be the finished product.

In the meanwhile this “deviation” in my planned schedule has given me the opportunity to be connected with the beloved sisters in the DR. Through phone calls. Through prayer and intersession. Even small long  distance service opportunities. But most important, God has brought me to a place of stillness, not anymore in the kitchen but at His feet.

Although I am still serving here in Taiwan and hopefully next week I will finally get to Mongolia, right now I am ready for Him and together and connected to my sisters, I want , desire for Him to also Revive my Heart! Our hearts! And He will!

I <sup class="xref" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(A)”>waited patiently for the LORD; 
   he inclined to me and <sup class="xref" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(B)”>heard my cry. 
He drew me up from <sup class="xref" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(C)”>the pit of destruction, 
   out of <sup class="xref" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(D)”>the miry bog, 
and <sup class="xref" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(E)”>set my feet upon a rock, 
   <sup class="xref" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(F)”>making my steps secure. 
He put <sup class="xref" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(G)”>a new song in my mouth, 
   a song of praise to our God. 
Many will <sup class="xref" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top;" value="(H)”>see and fear, 
   and put their trust in the LORD
Psalm 40:1-3 (ESV)

I don’t even know ho to start. This is my confession. I agree with the Bible: I have an ugly heart. This is my most recent discovery.

As foolish as it may sound, such a “discovery” it isn’t only we are face to face to our giants and as I like to call it “little monsters” when our nature is revealed.

View of Ulaanbatar Airport on January 28th, 2012. By Mila Guio

As I wrote in my last post, I am in a waiting process. But not a normal waiting. Like the types of waiting that are: “oh, wait 5 minutes” not like : “Oh, Ms. Martinez, you have to wait till next week”. No. Is the type of waiting that sounds “You have to wait, you can not go anywhere and I can not tell you until when I will have an answer. By the way you are also stuck here. Cannot move or go anywhere.”

I have a big problem (bigger than I though) with Mrs. UNCERTAINTY. Is ugly. I don’t like it.

My waiting process involves my visa to keep my volunteer/missionary work in Taiwan. Involves not being able to join my Titus Project team waiting for me in Mongolia. Involves loneliness. Involves quietness. Involves reflection.

At this point I don’t know who has notices the progression. From the ugliest description pf uncertainty I could give, it’s becoming something that should be even desirable.

From left to right: Mila (Brazil), Jeanine (Dom. Rep.), Jonas (Norway), Chrissy (USA), Jessica (USA), Garret (USA), Stella (Denmark), Sarah (South Korea)

 And after a couple of days of praying, and worship and pouring my heart and complaints before the Lord I am on the path of surrender. Because surrender is not a point that we reach on the road but is one of the layers in our constant walk with Christ. And as always I trust that whether or not I receive my visa, whether I go to join my team in Mongolia this weekend , next week or even if I don’t get there, I know that there is no way that my ways are better, more straight, more loving, more righteouss, more glorious, more holy than the path that the Almighty has decreed. So I choose to walk that way. One step at a time. One day at a time. Maybe tomorrow I will struggle again. That will be another choice. In the meanwhile:

Brothers and sisters in Mongolia worshiping the Lord. January 30th, 2012. By Mila Guio.

This week has been an interesting week. Last friday I received the news that my ARC (Alien Resident Certificate) in other words my resident visa in Taiwan is a little delayed. My organization applied around three months ago but there has been some “problems” in the renewal process.

For those who are not familiar, we are in the middle of chinese new year celebrations. That means that no government offices will open since last friday until next week monday, so that means my departure to Mongolia is delayed and we do not know for how long.

So prayers are urgently required. I’ve been preparing for three months to teach the book of Genesis in the Bible School that we will be teaching in the city of Edernet in Mongolia. Due to this impass, I had to swap teaching with a teammate and he will be teaching Genesis and I will have to teach Joshua. Obviously this was in God’s providential and Sovereign master planning. However the process of struggling with all this last minutes “uncertainties” along the sinergy of a bunch of other complications make this days stressing. At the same time, God’s glory make this things “grow dim”.

As I watch a you tube video, of one of my favorite children hymns by a children group, my faith in encouraged. Every single, trial, difficulty and everything else, just grow dim. As I count my blessings, the surpass the sadness. As I contemplate the face of Jesus, His glory, His goodness, everything is worth it!

So as I also deal, with personal sickness, family challenges, my grandfather who I love dearly and is one of my most faithful supporters in prayers and finances, as my mom struggles with dealing with the emotional burden and possibility of losing her dear father, with two of her children in other countries, still, Jesus is worth it. Everything worth it.

so please keep praying for me, my mom, my family, my team. And may God’s name alone be glorified as we bring His word, His revelation of his works, character and nature to the nations, in times and places and weather’s that no one wants to go, we need His grace becuase He is worthy to be praised.

May the songs of the nations, for His Glory, be heard!

With love,

Jeanine

For any person that has been in missions we know that all the logistics involved with a missions trip, despite the duration of travel. Visas, traveling, overlays, packing , weather changes, cultural changes, getting to process visas for a team of 8 people to be able to go to Mongolia. There are so many details to preview to prepare an outreach.

Yesterday I woke up at 6 am. Got ready, formal clothing, hair in a low bun and make up to be presentable as I was heading to a building where very well international firms and embassies, hold their offices. I head on the MRT (Taipei Metro System) to go to Taipei City Hall Station (about one hour ten minutes ride and station changes).

After getting there I took the bus 537. I got down at Taipei 101 station (the second tallest building in the world) and started walking. It was a mildly sunny day in Taipei and the temperature was about 15 Celsius degrees. Because it was about 10 minutes to 9 am. So I decided to call a taxi. And I got in. My taxi driver was a male taiwanese, maybe in his forties with very messy hair and very, very, very messy car. I showed him the written address and he nodded as he was pretty sure where he was going. I tried to double check in mandarin chinese that he got it. And he assented again.

Well…after 25 minutes looking for an address that I had the impression I should have been there in 5 minutes…I was starting to get nervous. He wanted to drop me off where it seemed to me very far from I should be. Then he changed his mind and said “oh now I know, is in the next block!”. Well, when he parked in from of a high school old building and he wanted to drop me off there I told him: ” This is section 2 not section 1. I am very far from my destiny!”. So he decided to drive me back to the area where I was supposed to be, we got there in 15 more minutes and finally I got to my destiny. I had to overpay anyways for the longest time!

I got to the building and the lady at the Mongolian consulate was very nice. Although she asked me many questions and almost asked us to get another document, additionally from Mongolia, in the end she agreed to process all our visas except one that did no have residence in Taiwan, so we will have to send to that person’s country of origin.

So after that, I walked to the MRT station where I got off first, and it just took a 15 minutes walk! Still had to stop for something quick to eat because I had forgotten breakfast and the had to run to come back on time for the teachers-in-training practice teachings of the Inductive Method Overview in Danshui.

Finally I got just on time for the fourth teacher in training finishing his practice presentation. I was so bumped!

After lunch we got to listen the last practice teaching. After that e verybody was much more relax and ready to go take a rest.

I had invited for dinner Karl and Ryan as that was the reward that I promised for the people that participated the most in my last monday class on the topic of the importance of Application in Bible teaching and how

This morning our speaker is Sandra Chang. Sandra is sharing a model lecture on how to teach the inductive study method. She is demonstrating this lecture as if her audience is a group of high schoolers and teenagers.

Please read “I don’t read my Bible enough, from author Ron Smith” How many believers haven’t read the whole Bible during their lives?  75%.

Why to read the Bible? What is the purpose? Beyond a mere religious practice because is on your check list or in your new year’s resolutions, there is a higher reason. God has a purpose for man. He revealed himself to the first man and woman created. He abode with them in the garden. He walked with them. Just to reveal himself. However sin, entered the world and that changed man but did not change God. So he gave his word, first in a verbal form and second in written form during more than 1500 years, and that is what we have today.

Illustration after illustration for the three steps of the IMO (Inductive Method Overview) model lecture: Observation, interpretation, application, Sandra has kept engaged all her hearers in a way that all the information has been received but much more awareness of the importance of studying God’s word and doing it well , this challenged has been received by many hearts.

Amy has continued the teaching in how to illustrate the IM:

“The best teacher is the best thief”-Sean Ellis. Don’t feel bad in using properly, but give credit to quotes, phrases and other references.

Although this is a model lecture, we have been graced with the way that Sandra has delivered it to us. I am challenged to teach like her. Wholeheartly. Caring her audience. And caring about God’s character and heart being know by His people. For His glory alone.