Venezuela…Waiting for the Call

God used our Venezuelan team to cause the lame to walk, the blind to see, and the deaf to hear…literally. More importantly, He used our team of 13 high school students, 1 college student, and four adults to heal people spiritually by introducing them to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Team Venezuela

We experienced a phenomenon that was new to us. Over and over, we heard people saw that they wanted to have a relationship with God through faith in Jesus, and that they believed what we were offering was Truth, yet they were “waiting for God to call” them.  Their faces portrayed a deep longing for God. We’d explain that God was calling them and then share Revelation 3:20, while literally knocking on their house door: “Here I am. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone opens my vice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”  Their eyes would indicate they were tracking with us, but then they’d say they needed something else, maybe a miracle, to know for sure it was God calling.

Michele sharing the Gospel in Dabajuro

“Has anyone from a foreign country ever come to your home and sat with you to explain how much God loves you, a foreigner who’s taken three planes and one bus to tell you?” we’d ask.  Wouldn’t that be considered amazing, even miraculous? Some agreed and became followers of Jesus Christ. Still others needed more assurance. God healed some of them physically and, finally, they understood God’s call for them to follow Him. 

After God chose to heal this lame man, the wheelchair was no longer neccesary

Some did not receive His call to follow Him, which is exceedingly sad.  Interestingly, most people going on their first mission trip do not decide to go because people in a particular country are destined for hell, eternally separated from God. They are motivated by other reasons. No matter their initial motivation, rarely do they return home without being burdened for those who haven’t made a decision to follow Jesus.

Taylor spent hours and hours sharing with this family during the week

Who in your life is waiting for God to call them, possibly once they “clean up their act,” or once they “are done having fun and doing life their own way”? Who is waiting for someone to explain to them what it means to accept God’s gift of forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ? Who does God want you to share His love with this week? Ask Him. Obey Him. Rejoice with Him, whatever the outcome.

We’d be blessed to hear how God uses you to share with that person. Please let us know.

Update from Venezuela: Thank You!

Dear Friends,

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your prayers on our behalf, and more importantly on behalf of those that God is drawing to himself in Venezuela. We are starting to experience some breakthroughs even today. Taylor, Roger, and Jessica visited Josmaira again today, and the walls are crumbling down. Her heart has softened completely and the Holy Spirit is revealing so many things to her. There are so many Josmairas among those we are visiting every day. Continue to pray that God would crush the chains that hold them in bondage, and they would fall into the arms of their loving Creator.

Michele leading a new believer in the study of God’s word.

A group of young boys learning how to share the Gospel.

Pray for us, that we would finish strong. That we would bring glory to God in all we do and say. That his love would touch the hearts of both young and old, and that the people of Venezuela would praise Him.

Bendiciones,
Andreas (on behalf of the entire team)

Update from Venezuela: Please Pray!

Dear Friends,

“I know what you are sharing with me is truth. I understand that God loves me and He wants to have a relationship with me. I realize that He was willing to offer up His own Son that I might live forever with Him...but, I won’t accept that gift.” The exact words change slightly, but this is the response that we hear over and over as we share the Gospel with hundreds of Venezuelans.

Pray with us! Pray that God would remove the fear deeply rooted in the hearts of the people we are sharing with. Pray that God would break down the walls of pride keeping these beautiful people from accepting His free gift of salvation. Pray that God would break down every barrier that would keep the Venezuelans from having an intimate relationship with their Creator.

As I write this quick update, my heart aches for Josmaira. Josmaira is a beautiful, intelligent young woman around 20 years old. I found Taylor and her translator Roger sharing with Josmaira and her entire family. There were so many people sitting and listening that I never quite figured out who was who, but I know her 82 year-old grandfather has been a Christ follower for a year now. He desperately wants his whole family to have that same intimacy with his Savior. I could see the battle raging in the heart of Josmaira. She finally told me that if God would call her she would believe. I asked her how much louder He would have to call. He had brought Taylor, Roger, and myself all the way to share His love with her. Her family lives out in the middle of nowhere, and here we were sitting on her front porch. But she could not see the extent that God was going to in order to pursue her.

Join me! Pray that God’s Holy Spirit would soften hearts, that He would draw these precious ones to Himself. Pray that we would present the Gospel clearly and accurately. And please, please pray for Josmaira. Pray that tonight would be the night that she would allow Jesus to take control of her life. God will never force Himself on anyone, but loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.

With a heavy heart,
Andreas (on behalf of a faithful team)

Easter Sunrise in Venezuela

Dios les Bendiga,

Easter in Venezuela was wonderful! Our team of 18 Americans divided up and worshiped in five different mother churches. Several team members preached for the first time.

Sunday night, we had a celebration with all the mother churches together to launch our work for the week. Joey and Nick, along with two of our nationals, led all 400+ people in worship. Following worship, we divided into our six teams to strategize for the week.

Sunday morning, Mickey, Mike and Aurora had two worship services. Mickey preached twice, while Mike and Aurora shared their testimony.

Bud, Nick, and Savanna, along with Joey’s team of Taylor and Brandon, experienced a Venezuelan sunrise service at 6am (the service actually started at 5am, but I negotiated for 6am) followed by a morning of games.

Bud and Joey did a great job preaching, and the rest of their teams shared their testimonies.

Mackenzie, Ryan, and Audrey had a great time with their worship service. The majority of this church actually walked the team all the way back to the hotel because they felt bad about not having a vehicle to take them back.

Terri and Aubrey enjoyed the morning with a great Easter service, then challenged this little church with the vision that they had for them. The church agreed that it was from God and have moved out in a powerful way to reach a new community about an hour from the hotel.

I have heard only great things about the message that Tim brought for their Easter service. Anna and Michele each had the opportunity to share their story with the congregation, as well.

I apologize, as I tried to get this update out all day Monday, but I was unable to connect to the Internet. I already have more stories to tell, but they will have to wait until tomorrow, because I am going out to visit five more sites right now. God is so good! Pray that He makes the rough places smooth and that we would be faithful in the task that he has given us.

Dios les guarde,
Andreas (on behalf of the team serving Him in Venezuela)

Venezuela Prayer Calendar

Dear Friends,

Please hold up our e3 Legacy Venezuela team in your prayers.  Here is a calendar to help you know how to pray.

Blessings

Faith of the Young

Eleven-year-old Delaney ministered in the Amazon basin in Peru in June and five months later, her dad, David, and 13-year-old sister, McKenna, jetted off to Cambodia with us for the New Year. Delaney and David worked as a team as they shared the story of God's love with Buddhists in the village of Pum Veal. Read on as she shares part of her story.

"We had just come back from visiting with people, and it was lunch time. I had just gotten back from a house with three people that came to Christ. I really wanted to go to houses by myself on this trip, but my mom said, 'No.'  I did, however, get to go to some people and share the gospel on my own. The first guy didn't come to Christ, but the second and third did.  During lunch, I went to an older lady's home. Just going to houses on my own (actually, I was also with my translator and Cambodian Christian) was amazing. This lady received Christ. Then this guy who sells clothes rides up on his moped. I stared at him, and all of a sudden I heard a voice in my head that said, 'Go!'  I rushed to get the evangecube out of my backpack and then rushed over to him. I started talking to him and discovered he is from India. I shared the Gospel with him, but he didn't receive Christ. That was fine. I just love having conversations with the people. It is an amazing experience!"

And that's the faith of a child! Delaney can do it because of the Holy Spirit in her. YOU have the same Holy Spirit, right?

Friends from a Distance

By Terri Mehrguth

Life is a journey and it’s crucial to have people who guide you in wisdom and other truths. Sometimes those people are family and close friends, while others are “friends from a distance.” Well, Andreas and I recently returned from Colorado Springs where we were interviewed by someone who has been that friend to us, one we hear from through the airwaves – Dr. James Dobson, an icon in Christian family ministries.

In early February, we learned that Dr. Dobson and his son, Ryan, wanted to interview us about e3 Legacy – Families on Mission for the Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk nationally syndicated radio program. In fact, e3 Legacy has been selected as an official partner of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, and you can find us on his website under “Partners.”

On March 4, we sat down with Dr. Dobson and Ryan before going into the studio and got to know each other on a personal level. As the conversation developed, it seemed appropriate for me to share our family’s journey.

“Dr. Dobson, I feel like I grew up with you.”

“Really? No one has ever said that to me.”

“Let me explain. I came to Christ at 25 years old when Andreas shared the gospel with me. We were married one year later and then had our sons, Garrett and Jordan, several years after that. That’s when I found you. I would listen to you on the radio as you shared your wisdom about marriage, parenting, homeschooling, and so much more, from a biblical worldview. Because of what you and others shared about homeschooling, Andreas and I decided to school our sons at home.”

“Did you hear my interviews with Dr. Raymond Moore on homeschooling?”

“Of course!” and we both smiled as we reflected back to those early days.

“Dr. Dobson, you also impacted our family in another significant way about 16 years ago.”

“What do you mean?”

“You did a program about the importance of the role of the Christian church in ministering to widows and orphans. God used your program and one by Dr. Larry Burkett to encourage our family to begin and to run a single-parent ministry at our local church.”

Dr. Dobson smiled.

“Now, here we are sharing with you about how God has used our family to serve other families in taking the gospel to the lost around the world through short-term mission trips.”

And then the tears just rolled down my cheeks as I sat in awe of God and how He weaves our lives together with like-minded people, all for His glory.

Check out e3 Legacy on Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk.