VISION R.E.A.L. NEWS - Roger and Dianne Smalling

Here is the latest from MIA missionaries Roger and Dianne Smalling.

Regional Teacher’s Congress, Mexico

Xonacatlan, Mexico, July, 2007

Why would 70 eager teachers meet in Xonacatlan, Mexico to discuss world views? This was the first regional congress of the Union of Christian Teachers of Mexico where Dr. Smalling was guest lecturer.

Senior Missionary Moments - Update from Neal Hegeman

At the age of 55 I do not consider myself a senior citizen but Sandra’s recent brush with skin cancer (melanoma) and my minor aches and pains are signs of physical maturation. However, there is a positive side to this advancing in age and that is you get to see the spiritual development of your children, both in the family sense as well as in missions. Returning to the Dominican Republic was such an experience. Here is a travel log of the July 11-18, 2007 visit.

Update from Roger and Dianne Smalling

You pray, and it seems God thrusts us through open doors. Enjoy these photos of your family south of the border . . .

Update from Billy and Sherry McKillop

Dear Friends,

If it were up to us, we’d be writing to you from Jamaica, but we are right where God wants us to be right now, doing what He wants us to do. So far we’ve logged 5,600 miles, stayed in 1 missionary guest house, 19 different homes, 1 military base and shared our ministry vision in 11 churches and with numerous friends.

Update From Grenada - Homes for the Homeless

MIA missionaries Dhan and Dolly Lalsee recently returned from Greneda where they led two work teams involved in the Homes for the Homeless project. The first team (MIA Bible Study from Miami) was joined by three skilled men from St. Vincent who performed exemplarily.  Together they poured the floor and erected the external walls for House 9 in three days!  One of the Vincentians returned to work with the second team (St. Andrews Presbyterian Church from Hollywood, FL) and they installed the roof on House ( and the rafters on House 7.  Thanks be to God for the progress on these houses.  A team from Jamaica is schedlued to build House 10 in August.  Our goal is to have ten houses completed by the end of the year.  Please continue to pray.

Update from Lloyd and Elaine Cooke in Jamaica

Family and Friends!

Just a quick note (until I can compose a more comprehensive one) to let you know that I am STILL alive and well and at home, thank God!

The Lord has been merciful! I did not know that I had so many caring and praying friends. Some of you certainly worked the angels of heaven overtime with your prayer requests: and they answered marvelously. The Lord was gracious to me!

Update from Gordon and Marilyn Woolard

Dear World Christian Family,

The meat and potatoes of my two recent trips to Ghana, West Africa and Grenada, West Indies were teaching and advising young pastors at a church planters conference and co-leading a church work team of twenty-one folks, respectively. That would be a pretty bland dish except that our Master Chef, Jesus, knows how to add the perfect amount of spice to the mix. Let me share a bit of that divine flavoring which keeps us marveling at our Lord’s hands-on involvement in that kitchen we call our lives.

Project Spotlight - Bamboo Missionary Church - Jamaica

Nestled in the hills of the parish of Hanover in Jamaica is the small village of Bamboo. As you climb up the steep hill and enter the village, you pass a sign that boasts and warns at the same time, “Only the Strong Survive”. It was painted and erected by the Youth Group of the Bamboo Missionary Church. The surrounding area is a poor community consisting mainly of farmers and persons engaged in some aspect of the tourism industry. After 9/11, the Jamaican economy spiraled downward causing many to lose their jobs.

Update from Marc and Aline Mailloux

Dear friends,

A member of the missions committee of one of our erstwhile supporting churches called recently to inform us that they would be dropping us from their support roles as they wanted to concentrate more on evangelism of un-reached peoples whereas our primary focus was teaching Christians.    Naturally, we regret their decision.  We certainly believe in the importance of evangelization.  But experience has convinced us that a good (the best?) way to extend the Kingdom is through the strengthening of the believers whose solidified faith can more effectively impact the non-believing world. Indeed this seems implied from the fact that the only verb in the imperative from in the Lord’s Great Commission in Mat.28 is the command to “make disciples”.