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We in Verbo Ministries represent a family of churches that believes
in worldwide evangelism, the spiritual and functional unity of the
Body of Christ, and the personal holiness of its members. We have
established churches in 13 nations and are dedicated to preaching
the Gospel and training men and women in Christian discipleship. We
take to heart the statement in the Epistle of James 2:17, "Faith
that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!"
For this reason we have established schools, health clinics, and food
distribution, vocational training, and other programs for the poor.
We undertake emergency relief work whenever possible. We welcome partnerships
with churches that want to promote the Kingdom of God in all its aspects.
Tax deductible receipts are issued for all contributions.
Please send all contributions to Verbo, P.O. Box 190,
Kenner, LA 70063-0190
For more information, call or write:
Verbo Ministries
P.O. Box 190,
Kenner, LA 70063-0190
Tel. (504)
443-6610
Fax (504) 466-0144
E-mail: missions@verbo.org
Click here to see our previous newsletter
Editor's note: Guatemalan minister
Carlos Flores is a former airplane pilot who worked throughout Central
America and the U.S. Northwest.. He met his El Salvadoran wife, Vilena,
while crop dusting in that nation. After becoming believers 17 years
ago, the Flores received a divine call to dedicate their lives to
Christian service.
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Food Outlet and Bakery Provide Jobs
Two bakeries and
a commodities store on the outskirts of the capital city of Managua
are the newest programs in Verbo Nicaragua's commitment to develop
significant community action projects.
 BAKED
GOODS-Verbo sponsors new bakeries in the Nueva Vida refugee project
and the Casa Bernabé orphanage that provide services, employment,
and job training.
Verbo is a prime
mover in the effort to provide basic spiritual and material services
to thousands in Nueva Vida, a government-sponsored housing area for
Hurricane Mitch victims. After starting with a safe water source and
a community center, the development team constructed sports fields
that are used on an everyday basis, particularly by the under funded
local schools. Other outreaches include an auto repair shop and day
care services.
The team also started a church that
provides a spiritual structure for a growing group of Christians who
are learning to break the bonds of poverty by applying the principles
of the Kingdom of God to their lives.
Mission director Bob Trolese says the
bakery and store provide both jobs and needed services in the community.
A second bakery at the Casa Bernabé
orphanage in the town of Vera Cruz provides baked goods mainly for
the facility children and staff as it gives teenagers the opportunity
to learn a trade.
Food Mart Makes Shopping
Easy
The store at the community center is
still quite small, but is already making an impact simply because
it provides inexpensive food close at hand. By repackaging bulk foods
such as beans, rice, salt, sugar, as well stocking those items which
are most commonly needed in the kitchen like vegetables, margarine
and dried milk, the store is able to match or better prices of markets
that are either a long walk or a bus ride away.
The bakery is on the same premises so
bread, rolls, and other baked goods are always available fresh.
WEIGHTY-Verbo's
foodmart in Nueva Vida, Nicaragua, provides needed community services
plus job opportunities.
Bob reports that both the store and
the bakery, like the auto shop and some other small businesses that
are starting to operate, are designed to be self-financing sources
of jobs
The concept of providing convenient
and cheap services and job training are part of a three-pronged integrated
development plan, according to Bob. .
When coupled with the spiritual emphasis
of Christian living at the community center church, he hopes it will
be an antidote to the poverty and increasing drug use, thievery, and
joblessness that plagues Nueva Vida.
The first prong is the fact that the
community has the chance to see successful and attainable business
models in a context that shows that such enterprises are possible
even in poor areas. Neighborhood members can also get help if they
want to start their own enterprises.
Second, the Verbo center provides wholesome
sports and recreation opportunities from basketball to soccer. This
gives children and unemployed young adults a wholesome outlet for
their energies, especially through the organized baseball and soccer
leagues.
Third, the businesses generate jobs,
and hopefully enough extra to finance other needed businesses or cooperatives.
Please pray that these projects achieve
their goals. And please give generously!
Costa Rica Church Grows Strong
SERVANT HEARTS-The first Costa
Rica Verbo church is
set to serve God.
by
Carlos Flores
After serving for several
years in Verbo churches in Guatemala, my wife and I felt called in
mid-1997 to the missions field in Costa Rica. On an exploratory trip
in August of that year we found fertile ground for a church plant.
During our second visit several
months later we met with a Guatemalan family studying at a local university.
We organized them and some other families we had met into a small
home Bible study group, and promised to be back as soon as possible.
In October, 1998, my wife,
daughter, and I moved to Heredia, a suburb of the capital city of
San Jose. At almost the same time a family that had been part of Verbo
in both New Orleans, LA, and in El Salvador moved to Costa Rica because
of a job change. With their help we began two home groups. Inside
of a month we found a meeting place, and with 18 people we began Sunday
morning services.
Two months later, now with
50 believers, we had to move to a new and larger location, where we
remained until the beginning of 2002. Then, for strategic reasons
we moved to our present building in the town of Moravia, a bedroom
community for the capital city.
Servant
Attitude Helps Costa Rica Church Grow
Though the church grew rapidly
at first, we've also suffered many ups and downs: Difficult access
to our first office and meeting hall limited growth. We needed to
adapt to the Costa Rican culture, which is very different from the
rest of Central America because of its higher standard of living,
European orientation, and almost universal literacy.
Finally, our emphasis on
discipleship and the participatory priesthood of believers were completely
foreign concepts to a nation steeped in either Catholicism or traditional
Protestantism. People found it very difficult to accept that all believers-not
just the pastor-were responsible take care of the spiritual needs
of the church.
In the last two years, however,
the Lord has brought us new members interested in imitating the servant
nature of their Redeemer. They have helped us to start four home groups,
marriage seminars, two women's groups and other services.
Our latest project is a second
church plant in a town called El Coyol, about 20 miles from San Jose,
where some residents asked us to give them spiritual support. Please
pray with us that God gives us a great harvest.
You Have a Part to Play!
From Canada to Argentina Verbo is providing
more services to more people more effectively than ever before. Your
prayers and contributions are a mainstay in making this possible. Our
missionaries depend on your faithful support to maintain vital outreaches
in key areas from starting new churches to ministering to women in the
harsh conditions of Latin American prisons. Please continue to make
Jesus relevant to the thousands who are daily touched by these ministers
and ministries.
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