International Missions

Peru 

Several years ago, God led River Bend to partner with a retired electrical engineer, Sam Nicholson, and his wife Marcie.  God led Sam and Marcie to start a ministry in Nuevo do Octubre along the Amazon River, south of Iquitos Peru.  Sam and Marcie reach the people along a 100-mile section of the Amazon River through medical clinics. River Bend conducts a Pastor Training class every February.  In addition, River Bend adopted a village called Buenos Aires, Peru.  It is on an island in the middle of the Amazon River with approximately 400 residents.  The living conditions on the island are deplorable.  There is no electricity, and safe drinking water is scarce.  Most of the villagers suffer with the effects of intestinal parasites and other waterborne illnesses.  River Bend is helping the people of Buenos Aires by digging fresh water wells and delivering much-needed medical supplies.  So far, we have completed one well, conducted  one children’s evangelistic event, and delivered medical supplies.  We have also helped Pastor Ramon with a much needed cataract surgery.  He lives on the island.  Our future plans include installing water catchment systems, delivering more medical supplies, and bringing in more teams to reach the people for Jesus Christ.  

Pray for:

Please pray that our efforts to reach the villages and inhabitants of the Amazon Jungle will be in accordance with God’s perfect plans for making His name known among them.

- Please pray for our continued health and safety as we live among the Cocamas in the village.

- Please pray for the continued spiritual strengthening of our fellow Cocama family believers and the little churches that exist in jungle villages.

- Please pray for the children of the jungle who had no internet or means for communication and who had not had any educational classes for almost two years due to the pandemic.

John 17:3 This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent—Jesus Christ.

Website: www.cocamaproject.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/cocamaproject

The PEAN family is serving in Peru with the Cocoma Project. 

Prayers for 2022:

- Pray for the health of our newest addition, Samuel, as we venture back to Peru.

- Pray for all of us as we continue to learn Spanish, so that we are able to communicate effectively with the locals.

- Pray for the hearts of the Peruvians, that they would know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.

Psalm 105:1 “Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Peans-To-Peru-105816344993704/

Canada

Luke and Maudie Watson serve in Vancouver, Canada.  Luke graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2016.  They began serving locally in Texas as part of the Core Team in their first church plant, International Baptist Church of Arlington. During their time Corpus Christi, after seminary, they served in the Baptist Student Ministry with the Culture Connections international student group. In February 2020 Luke and Maudie traveled to Vancouver, Canada on a Vision Trip and are serving there today as missionaries. We are excited to witness the growth of their mission as they share God’s Word in Canada.

Pray for:

- Pray for our evangelism and outreach. We make relationships with people in our community in many different ways.

- Please pray for our new Bible study.  The people attending are folks we have met and befriended through outreach. Most are not Christians or have very limited experience with Christianity. We are praying that some of them will receive Christ.

Acts 17:16-17 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/mark1045watsons Giving site: https://missionaries.namb.net/full/luke-watson Address: 231-368 Ellesmere Avenue, Burnaby, BC, Canada, Postal Code V5B3S9

Tanzania & Myanmar

April 2024 Blessings Letter

Prayer Update

The Wilson Family: Kobus, Marlene, Jacques and Wiehan joined River Bend Baptist Church in 2018. Marlene is currently serving as missionary in Tanzania where she functions as the Director of the Disciples For Christ (DFC) Ministry. The DFC Ministry believes Jesus’ Great Commission was focused on seeing people brought to Christ, nurtured, discipled and made into strong disciples who will be trained to become disciple-makers, until the Gospel has been proclaimed to the ends of the earth. The DFC Ministry uses a cyclical training series to help those who attend, to grow in their knowledge of God, to help them grow into devoted and dependable disciples of Jesus Christ, whose lives are being transformed and at the same time who are being equipped to pass on what have been learned to others. DFC trainings in Tanzania are directed at Church leaders and their spouses, National Missionaries, Evangelists, Church Planters and Theological Students. The Wilson Family are born South Africans who moved to the USA in 2003. Marlene served with AMG International as missionary in Myanmar, Southeast Asia from 2005-2020. 

Prayer:

1. We praise God for the huge, open door for ministry into Tanzania. Our ministry is mainly focused on working with members of  Africa Inland Church Tanzania. Three trips are planned for 2023 April-May, August and October-November 2023.
2. We are very thankful for the relationships that continue to grow with the Bishops and leaders in each Diocese. Please continue to pray over these relationships to grow deep and strong. Rev. Yusuph Malahu has been appointed as National Coordinator for the DFC Ministry in Tanzania. Please pray for him and his family as they serve alongside us. 
3. Necessary support to be raised to cover all 11 trainings scheduled for this year. 
4. We praise God for the completion of  the Swahili Translations of all three levels. Pray that God will use these manuals to equip our Pastors, Evangelists and Bible School Students to serve Him better in their own congregations. 
5. Myanmar: Although we still cannot enter the country, the work still continues as much as possible. Please pray for an end to the civil war and military coup in the country.
6. For Hosea and Naomi: Hosea Hreliam Khum is our DFC National Coordinator in Myanmar. Hosea and his wife take care of  20 children from war torn areas in Chin State, to protect them as well as tutor them and help them attend school.
7. For a motorcycle and a few bicycles to transport the children to school. The cost is about $600. 
8. For the completion of Update process of Level 2 and 3 Burmese Manuals.

Isaiah 41:9-10 I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, “You are My servant; I have chosen you and not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

 

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Africa 

In 2005 the Lord led our church to form a relationship with Andrew Mukasa in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania. At the time Andrew was attempting to raise funds to buy the building his church, Victory Centre, was meeting in. We were blessed to help him reach his goal and assist the church in securing a permanent home. In the four years since then, Andrew has started 3 more churches and two pre-schools. Every week he conducts four radio broadcasts which reach up to 4 million people.

Pray for:

- Continued prayers for Andrew’s health

- Radio program reaching people in his country

- Christian soccer team in his country that he started to help spread the gospel through sports

- Provide resources

Psalm 65:11 You crown the year with Your goodness; Your ways overflow with plenty. Zechariah 8:23 The Lord of Hosts says this: “In those days, 10 men from nations of every language will grab the robe of a Jewish man tightly, urging: Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”

Thailand Missions

Jeff and Julie Johnson  have been faithfully serving the Lord in missions for over 24 years. Serving everywhere from Central Asia, to a small town in New Hampshire, God has led them on quite a journey. But it is far from over. After becoming empty-nesters, Jeff and Julie felt the unquestionable moving of the Holy Spirit, one they have grown to know quite well, and relocated to Chiang Mai, Thailand. 

Pray for:

• Please pray that the Lord will help us complete an entire Sunday School curriculum for the Lahu children in the coming year.  There is currently no known S.S. curriculum available for any of the Lahu churches in northern Thailand and Myanmar.
• Please pray that the Gathering International Church will continue to be strong in the Lord, and be a bold witness for the Gospel of Jesus Christ among the many nationalities here in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
• Please pray for God's blessing on Grace International School, and especially for the Lord to provide the necessary godly teachers and staff needed to minister to the next generation of missionaries and possible future world leaders.

Colossians 3:16 “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Website: https://letitdwell.weebly.com/

India 

Several years ago Steve and Mercy Bolting joined River Bend and not only have they blessed us by their membership and helping us to reach this area for Jesus but they introduced us to Mercy’s father who leads a ministry in India.  Dr. Joseph Samuel is a medical doctor who at the prompting of the Holy Spirit left his practice to continuing the ministry establish by his father. The ministry is called the Perambur Christian Church and God has called them to the following:

Church Planting, Pastor Training, Bible Seminars, Orphan and Widow Care Ministry, Evangelism, Medical Clinics, Bible Schools, Christian Mission Hospital, Christian school, A future orphanage 

Dr. Samuel has visited us several times over the years, and he always brings an exciting word about the ministry.  In June of 2008 we were able to raise enough funds to buy 78 bicycles for new pastors, what a blessing it was to know the gospel was going to spread into new areas.  We continue to support the ministries of Dr. Samuel.

Belize

Bob and Rhonda Farley and their two girls Meredith and Hannah are members of River Bend Baptist Church serving in Southern Belize at missionaries. The Farley have been serving there for eight years and God has used them in mighty ways through the relationships they create.  Some of the things the Lord has led them to do are:

Pastor Training, Primary School, Assist churches from the US on mission trips, Dig water wells, Establish a Radio ministry, Help start new churches, Build a medical clinic, Children’s education and rehabilitation  center, Trail guide for visiting pastors who don’t know where they’re going. 

Bob and Rhonda have a tremendous faith and follow God in a difficult place in the world.  In 2008, after much prayer and seeking the Lord, River Bend partnered with Bob and Rhonda to establish a new church in Barranco Village. This village is inhabited by an unreached people group called the Garifuna. For years Bob and Rhonda have been creating relationships in the village and bringing groups from the US to lead VBS or do special outreaches. The work was growing and the next step was to create a new church, it was exactly what we were seeking.

Pastor Rosalio who was living and ministering in Honduras was called to come start the new work. Although it has only been a short while the ministry is going well. We are excited that this marks the first time an ongoing indigenous evangelical work exists in Barranco.