Disaster in West, Texas

“The Lord is close to those who are brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

We are deeply saddened by the tragedies in Boston and in West, TX this week. Here are three great ways to respond:
1.       Pray. Click here for our Prayer Guide in Response to Disasters.
2.       Give. Give funds to the Red Cross and the Texas Baptist Men, who are among the first to        respond to any disaster. Give blood at your nearest blood bank (click here for info on a drive today in Coppell).
3.       Serve. Effective relief comes from trained volunteers. Make plans now to attend the Texas Baptist Men’s Yellow Hat Trainings on April 26th in Rockwall or April 27th in McKinney. They will be sending trained volunteers over the next several weeks.

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Update from the Stickney Family

ACO Partners,

Yesterday was the culmination of so many of you who have been praying for PEACE and SAFETY in Kenya since the beginning of March. Around 1pm Nairobi time the 4th president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, was sworn in and now we can get on with life! We want to thank you for your diligent prayers during this time of uncertainty. The process, although scary and with some riots and incidents, was a successful passing of power. 

We now buckle up on campuses across the country as students are preparing for final exams. 

Our students on the coast at Pwani University have begun their final exams this week. The coast staff, Jonathan and Nic, decided to take this week to do a mission trip to an unreached people group south of Mombasa. The two will be distributing water filters in villages and using their training (Jonathan is a Donkey vet & Nic is an agricultural engineer) to gain entrance into the villages. You can be praying for them this week! It’s very exciting for us to see our staff taking the initiative to reach out into the community God has placed them in!

The ACO 5 (graduates who chose to spend this past year with us in training) at Egerton University are wrapping up their last two months of internship with us. They have led 53 new students to Christ this year on their campus and have 4 new Bible studies started. You can be praying for them as they decide what God has for their future after May. Some may stay on and join our full-time staff team and help us open new campus ministries around the country or into new East African countries. 

Our Nairobi staff team added two new schools this January and even with the Presidential Election mess, have managed to get two Bible studies meeting from their door-to-door encounters in dorms. 

We were so excited to finally have our first ACO staff baby arrive in December. Norbert and Dorcus, have an amazing little girl, that every staff person thinks is their own. Dorcus is excited to be back from maternity leave this month as ACO's Women's Director. In her first week back she was able to get ACO officially invited to a new campus in Nairobi!

The Eldoret team (or as we refer to it, The North Pole Team since its so far away), has a great group of 1st year students they have been working with on the 3 campuses in the area. After last years graduating class of key men and women, they knew the task would be finding some "young ones" to continue the legacy. Victor and Ann, ACO National Directors are working hard at continuing the ministry in their neck of the woods. Their teammate, Solomon, will join a team of US ladies and men who are on a 6 month adventure with the International Mission Board. He will be leading them into the Pokot area of Kenya, another region with several unreached tribes. Solomon has spent his last 3 summers working with local pastors in the region reaching into these villages and was approached by the IMB to help facilitate/lead this group. 

The Stickney's are keeping everlasting at it. Sydney and Reagan have almost forgotten what a pencil is used for after the election week, Easter, spring break and inauguration day school closings. They started back today and as they pulled out of the driveway Sydney informed me we have 44 days until we fly to McDonalds, I think she meant the US....one in the same in her mind. Kerry is fast approaching her yearbook deadline, so she has been putting long hours in at school. All of us are looking forward to our family and friend time in the US during June. We hope our travels allow us to cross paths with you! We are also very excited about our ACO SUMMER PROGRAM in July. Seven (7) US college students will be joining us here in Nairobi for a month of training and hands-on ministry. It will be a great way to start back to ministry after our fundraising/family time trip in June. 

We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you and how you partner with ACO. Like most small ministries our budget is lean and our bank account leaner, but we are always encouraged each month as we are reminded how faithful God is through his faithful people. Our Kenyan staff, the Stickneys and the ACO Board thank you for acting as the constant reminder that God continues to call and equip us here in East Africa. 

Blessings,

The ACO National Staff Team

ACO Board of Directors

&

The Stickneys

African Christian Outreach

stickneytk@mac.com

www.acokenya.org

aprayed4city

Whether you live in Dallas, one of the suburbs, or another area entirely, the prayer points inside this guide apply. If you want to see some of the statistics specific to the Dallas Metroplex that may help you to pray, serve and communicate the needs more effectively, please go to www.ap4c.org to see more details.
Here is "food for thought" when preparing to pray on April 7 and throughout the rest of this month:  1 in 6 people in our community don't have the ability to buy healthy, affordable food. Why is this happening?  There are "food deserts" where healthy, affordable food is not available to buy and the poverty rate in DFW is twice the national average!
Praise our GOD, all peoples, let the sound of HIS praise be heard; HE has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.  For YOU, GOD, tested us; YOU refined us like silver.  YOU brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.  YOU let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but YOU brought us to a place of abundance.  Psalm 66: 8-12
This guide is intended to unite us in praying for our city.  Use it as a catalyst for your on-going prayer this month. 
SALVATION:  EPHESIANS 2:4-7  TITUS 2:11
* Reflect on the Easter message and thank God for His plan of salvation offered to all and for the many  millions of people He has saved throughout the generations.
*Pray for God to soften the hardened hearts of non-believers, that they might respond to His gift of salvation and join His family
*Pray that unbelievers in our communities who are suffering emotional and physical duress, will find a place of comfort and mercy within the Church and be drawn to the saving grace of Christ.
COMMUNITY: JAMES 1:17  MATTHEW 5:14
*Pray for believers to walk in righteousness in our neighborhoods, so the light of Jesus may increase and shine into the darkened hearts of people across our city
*Pray for believers to have divine appointments with non-believers at community events, and to take ad advantage of these opportunities to share Christ's love and the Gospel
*Pray that believers will intentionally develop relationships with non-believers that will reveal God's character and love drawing them to desire to know God and to desire to receive His mercy and grace
*Pray that God would open our eyes to the needs around us and that He would use us --we are His hands and feet--to reveal Him to the community
DISCIPLESHIP  ROMANS 15:13  MATTHEW 6:33
*Pray that Christ's church will be diligent in prayer, evangelism and service.
*Pray that His church will be diligent in making disciples as Jesus commanded, so that more of His disciples will be found in every neighborhood and community throughout the Metroplex.
*Ask the Lord to reconcile fractured congregations and divided denominations through the love and forgiveness that begins in Jesus.
* Ask God to encounter struggling believers so they may once again experience the abundant life of Christ.
TRANSFORMATION  ROMANS 12:2   PHILIPPIANS 4:8
*Thank the Lord for the godly leaders in our Metroplex.  Ask God to strengthen them, and pray for them to serve God openly in their places of influence, so that others may join them in working for the Lord.
*Pray that those in the entertainment industry will seek God and that their work will reflect His beauty and will impact our city with His wisdom and creativity, drawing more people to Him.
*Pray for upcoming city elections--for godly leaders to be elected.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO PRAY.  --pam woller

Update from VRBC missionary Charlotte Wootton

VRBC-supported e3 missionaries Charlotte Wootton and Claudia Adame were in Lima over spring break with 3 female students from VRBC and a few others joining their group. Read below for an update from Charlotte about their trip. Charlotte also mentions Edith Guzman, e3's national director for Peru, who is also a VRBC-supported missionary! We are grateful that our three students had a chance to serve with three of our missionaries in one week. Read on to learn more about it, and check out www.vrbc.net/missionaries for more info on all of our VRBC-supported missionaries.

 

What a joy it is to report the wonderful ways we saw your faithful prayers answered while we were in Lima last week!  This trip was not without its challenges but God is always faithful to bring us solutions that always work out for our good! 

 

My teammate, Bitsy Barr and I had the privilege of being at a site that looked almost insurmountable at first!  The first 2 pictures below show the steep steps we would climb every day in order to reach the hundreds of one-room humble homes of those living in this area.  Emanuel was Bitsy’s translator and Judith was mine.  We were extremely blessed with their skills and spiritual maturity.  But each day became easier to navigate as God gave us strength and balance (there were no side rails)!  We were able to share the gospel with 28 people during the 3 ½ days we were on this “hill” and 25 of those who heard the Good News prayed to receive Christ.  We are still rejoicing over those who are now children of God!

 

 

 

 

Each afternoon we had a Bible study for the adults and a separate Bible time for the children in the home of Melenio Navarro.  He lives in this area and we pray that he will be able to continue encouraging his neighbors and friends to come to Bible study each week.  We pray that this will become a house church as there is no evangelistic presence in this area right now.  Please pray with us for this to happen.

 

Every appointment we had was a divine appointment and I want to share my 2 favorite ones! When we walk into a home, we never know what blessings await us!  On Tuesday I entered a home with dirt floors and sat on an old cushion from a car.  I shared the gospel with a daughter, her husband, and her mother.  All 3 prayed to receive Christ and it was a wonderful time.  The mother is 95 years old!  Is this not a picture of God's grace to allow this lady to live long enough to hear the call from God to accept His free gift of Salvation?  As I hugged this precious lady whose name is Celestina, tears rolled down her face, my tears mingled with hers, and she kept patting her heart as she looked at me.  She knew that God had changed her heart forever. 

 

 

On Thursday, we had planned to have follow-up visits with those who had accepted Jesus during the week.  But we also had nationals go with us that day for the first time and I wanted them to be trained in evangelism.  So I prayed that God would give us that “divine appointment”.  After we had made our first visit, I turned around to head up the “hill” and there were 2 ladies sitting on a rock, both dressed in purple. They had not been sitting there earlier!  I knew that this was the opportunity God was giving us to share the gospel one more time!  So as I shared, their hearts were open and they both prayed to receive Christ.  One of the sisters, Carmen, wiped tears from her eyes after she had prayed.  Her sister, Marisol, had a big smile on her face.  They then went up the “hill” with their market purchases, their lives changed forever.

 

 

Not only do we have a witness when we are in the field, but also in the hotel or restaurant where we are staying.  One waiter had been serving us all week with a big smile and a desire to help us in any way he could.  On Thursday, he said to our Peru Director, Edith, that our group was different.  Then he said, “I want what your group has!”  So Edith explained how God had changed our lives and our desire was to reflect Christ in everything.  After serving breakfast to us on Friday, he went with us to our community outreach and worked with the sports ministry.  We believe his life will soon be changed to reflect God’s glory also.  Pray with us for his salvation.

 

There are so many stories from each one of our team of 15 North Americans; I wish I could record them all and share them with you!  God continues to amaze me as He uses us to be His hands and feet but God also uses each of YOUR prayers to help us accomplish what He planned for us in Lima.  Thank you for your faithful prayer support.  God continues to move through the prayers of His people. 

 

We also have fun as seen in the last picture of Bitsy and me at the church service on Sunday night.  I have no idea what was so funny!

 

For His Glory,

Charlotte Wootton/Church Planting Coordinator

Cell:  214-803-0463

Join my prayer email list: Send a blank email to: join-woottonprayerteam@lists.e3partners.org

2001 W. Plano Pkwy., Suite 2600, Plano, TX  75075

 

Update from VRBC missionary Talsy Vega

Please read on for an update from VRBC-supported missionary Talsy Vega, who was able to visit VRBC in February with her daughter Ruth.

 

Blessings:

The Word in Luke 12:12 encourages us to trust in the Holy Spirit, specially when we do not know what to say, for in the proper time He will give the words to say, we only need to open our mouths and trust that the words, His words, will be placed in us in order to speak them out.  I am sharing this because, when we return from the e3 conference las February, I just did not know how to put into words everything we received.  We prayed for opportunities, to serve while in our home town and not in the mountains or in another city.

 

So since February our Lord has allowed the moment to share with the women's leaders from my home church about training them with the small group format used by the I Am Second groups used by e3; they were so excited for they were looking for ways on how, to provide pastoral care but at the same time provide a way of nurture the women in church in order to reach others that do not know about the Lord yet.  So far we have had two training sessions with them and tomorrow we will get together in order to follow up on how they are doing.

 

Besides this and through them, doors have being opened at the women's jail where about 12 women get together with us.  In this case, it has not being easy for they are fully concentrated on the things they have to do in order to get released from jail.  They search for prayer, thinking that it is some kid of magic behind prayer that will bring freedom to them.  In this case, it is taking a while for them to grasp the stories and concentrate in them in order to be enriched with the teachings behind the passages, but we will not give up on them.  In jail they are assigned to homes, which are blocks where 5-7 women share a space and they call this, homes.  They have a nice opportunity to start small sharing groups in their homes (no pictures for you are not allow to take them while in jail with the ladies).

 

So these are the two things in which we are involve while at home, so would appreciate your prayers that the Lord will keep opening opportunities to keep on training and serving.

 

On the family side, the three last kids that are still at home with me already have started their studies, Ruth is specially excited as finally she has started her studies in business adm. Little Talsy her nursing and David continues on his studies on system adm and assisting in the ministry as needed.  Moises Jr and family as well as Josep are doing well in the business that God has given them, may God continue to bless them.  They are making plans to join us for easter weekend. 

 

We are also sending the working agenda that, until now, we have for this year. Pls pray for:

1. Protection as travels are being made for training.
2. New areas that are open for future work. Pastors have called from Chiriqui Grande, David and the area where Juselino is working in order to have training and teams.
3. The vision of seen new areas being reached, equipping the Church for the call of lifting Jesus up every where and developing a team in order to multiply the work of serving be accomplish.
4. resources in order to carry all this.
5. of course my family and the coaches families (Juselino, Pastor Eudilio, Missionary Mateo, Pastor Enrique).
6. For the Lord to be glorified in everything that is being done.

God bless you as you join Him in the work being done.

In Him,

Talsy

 Mail:

Talsidia de Vega Pty 986

P.O.Box 25207

Miami, Fl 33102-5207

 

 e3 Partners / MGPanama

Tel / Fax:  (507) 774-5247

Cell Talsy:     (507) 6618-9870

E-mail: mvega7@mgpanama.com

 

"Anxious for nothing,

Praying for everything,

Thankful for anything,

Peace of God”

 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Phil 4:4-7



 

Introducing VRBC-supported missionaries Steven & Emily Dilla

Recently VRBC began supporting a new missionary family, Steven & Emily Dilla, who have moved to Manhattan with their children Eden and Jonas to plant a church in an underserved area of NYC. Steven previously worked at Fellowship Church and is friends with Amy Goble (VRBC's children's minister) and a few other VRBCers who have attended Fellowship in the past. You can read more about their family and ministry at www.vrbc.net/missionaries. Please see their latest update below, and begin praying for their family as they serve in NYC.

Join us in prayer this year as we are asking God to draw together a group of friends that will be the core of this new church.

View this email in your browser

 

Before we moved to the city someone told us, "winter in New York is difficult." They warned us that people put their heads down, walk fast, don't try anything new, and tend to hibernate in their apartments.

After going through our first solid week where the temperature never crept above freezing we began to experience first-hand what our friend described...

Despite the temperatures, and different rhythms in the city, God has been deepening our roots in preparation for spring.

• After a couple weeks of sickness and doctor visits in January (for everyone but Jonas), we are back on our feet health-wise, and consider it a huge answer to prayer.
• We've been able to mobilize over 100 sweaters and nearly 100 hygiene kits onto the streets of the city to help the homeless through this difficult time. (And more is on the way!)
• Relationships with our neighbors are growing, and we're thankful to share our faith with those closest to us.
• The winter has been difficult for group meetings, but one-on-one meetings have opened up some key relationships with gatekeepers in our neighborhood.
• Planning and training sessions with our supporting networks have helped us continue to prepare a foundation to build on for the coming year.
• In the next few weeks we will begin a weekly meeting in our neighborhood to build relationships, and we're sketching out our next Bible study.

Other pastors in the city continue to remind us the wisdom in walking rather than running. So many church plants don't have the opportunity to take root in lower Manhattan, and as a result they are no longer here.

It's a constant balance of patience and boldness for us. We want to share boldly, serve radically, and see measurable change come to this city through the Body of Christ—the Church. Yet we know that the key to achieve our long-term goals is measured diligence now. We're committed to doing the small things consistently: growing relationships, building disciples, and forming a core team.

Join us in prayer this year as we are asking God to draw together a group of friends that will be the core of this new church. It's a huge prayer, and we are asking boldly for salvations to happen in order to bring some of the people onto this team.

We knew when God called us to New York that it would take a unique vision, with one-of-a-kind supporters to pray, and provide for a totally different way of staring a church. 

So, as always, thank you for walking with us. More-so now than ever. It's amazing to see this work beginning and we're thrilled to be caught up in all that God is doing.

Steven, Emily, Eden and Jonas

PS - if you would like to join in with what we are doing with some of our friends for Lent, you can pick up a couple links here.

Eikon New York  |  917.719.0564  |  hello@eikonnewyork.org

Prayers Answered! An Update from the Stickney Family

ACO Partners,

  I'm writing from a PEACEFUL Kenya this morning!

 

WE (the Stickney's, ACO Staff and your brothers and sisters in Christ) are so Thankful for your Prayers over the past few weeks!

 

The beginning of election week did see some violence and deaths, the Stickney's neighborhood did have a few home invasions, and unfortunately when the winner was announced some riots occurred in some hot spots. BUT ALL IN ALL a peaceful process.

 

The Stickney's returned last night (Sunday) from Dubai since the reports were only skirmishes in areas outside of our "safe zone". Sydney and Raegan's school did shut down last Thursday and Friday for the uncertainty (originally they were going to be open) and today they are back at school with beefed up security and administration scanning the same sources we do for any uprisings. We know the evacuation was a great idea since Reagan asked our friend Charles who always does our airport runs, "Did Kenya elect a president yet? Whats his name?". Removing them from the situation made them continue the great year they are having transitioning into life here. They were excited to get home and see friends and pets (actually for Sydney pets and friends). 

 

The kids and Kerry will get back to normal life in the "safe zone" this week and Tom will remain in Nairobi the next few weeks before venturing back into his traveling routine to campuses. 

 

CONTINUE TO PRAY

*we are not out of the woods yet. The losing candidate has filed a case with the Supreme Court. If the court sides with him then there will be a run-off election in mid-April. We are praying that the case reveals some things needing to be fixed for a safer election process in the future, but does not overturn the decision passed down by the IEBC (polling commission). 

 

*Students at University of Nairobi returned to classes today, the rest of the schools are starting back this week. The Virginia Home did not experience any violence or rioting in their slum. Pray for our staff to connect and continue with where they left off & for PEACEFUL campuses. So much of the terror begins on college campuses. WIth the country still on shaky ground our students need to focus on studies not be apart of the "struggle". Tom and ACO staff can get caught in these riots while on campus working since most begin in the afternoon and evening hours.

 

*keep praying for Kerry and the yearbook. With a week off due to elections and Easter/Spring Break approaching quickly, the deadline for the yearbook is looming large. Pray that Kerry and her class will be able to make BIG strides over the next few weeks to catch-up and get ahead. We all know, "if momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy". 

 

*Pray for Tom as he will make trips to Juba, Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, and Nakuru. Some sites are start-up/new sites ACO is praying and working towards opening, while others will be encouraging staff and meeting/equipping students. Tom will also be mentoring/walking alongside a young man who will begin men's ministry at Kenyatta University.

 

*Pray for funding! The bank account is always lower than the ACO Board would like, but some of them are having to take oxygen when reading the current bank statements. We keep doing what Allen Stickney said, "Trusting God and Doing the next thing." 

 

Each of you is a BLESSING to us and we count it a privilege to know that you are PRAYING for us!

 

Blessings,

 

Tom Stickney

Executive Director

African Christian Outreach

stickneytk@mac.com