Basic Bulgarian w/Benjamin – Lesson #2

Ben’s Mom and Dad are serving as art consultants in Bulgaria. He’s picking up the language quite well. See lesson #1 here. Looking forward to learning more Bulgarian with Benjamin.

Follow the Randolph’s at http://justinandbethrandolph.blogspot.com/.

Ministry Innovation: Clean Water

• 5 million people die every year of water-related illnesses.
• It is estimated that half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by people with a water related illness.
• Women and children in developing countries invest two hundred million hours a day fetching water.

~ Stats taken from Richard Stearns book The Whole in Our Gospel. I blogged about this book here.

One of the most crippling problems around the world is a lack of safe, clean water. Water related illness and disease and the

Before and After Water in Chiapas

time it takes to deliver and prepare water for living and cooking and bathing in the majority of homes and villages around the world slows progress, wastes precious resources, and causes tremendous grief and hardship to families. Many missionaries are engaged in projects to bring clean water to people as they share about the living water that quenches eternal thirst.

We are excited to be partnering with Sergio and Beth Matassa, of GLED, to bring clean water to hard to reach villages in southern Mexico through a simple, innovative bio-sand filter that can provide 120 gallons of safe water for a family every day for up to 20 years. Bridge Church has partnered with the Matassa’s to install filters in several village homes. Including an orphanage in Las Margaritas, Chiapas, Mexico, that was paying $8,500 per year for clean drinking water for the kids in

Bio-sand water filter being installed in Chiapas

their care. This filter will save this orphanage over $150,000 dollars over its life span and that money can be put into other resources for orphans in a very poor part of the Americas. What’s it cost us? $150! A small amount that saves lives, resources, and opens doors for the Gospel to be shared. These filters are made from scratch and utilizes natural sand and water flow to kill bacteria and clear up bad water. This week we’re installing a few filters in southeast Louisiana. If you’d like to see one in action or hear more about the water projects in Chiapas, or other innovations in missions, hit me up this week.

Read more about the Matassa’s ministry here. Support their work here. Let me know if you want information about future mission trips to Chiapas to reach out to the ancient Tzotzil Indians.

What other water projects do you know about?

Have You Seen Any Miracles?

Great story about the miracle of church planting…

Bridge Church to Chiapas, Mexico

A team from our Church took off this AM bound for Mexico’s southern most state to work with missionaries & church planters, Sergio & Beth Matassa. Their work consists of raising up and training indigenous leaders among the Tzotzil Indians to plant churches in the 9,000 or so unreached, remote villages throughout Chiapas. Our team will go deep into the Lacandon Jungle to support the Church Planting movement there with free medical clinics, installing life-saving water filtration systems, and sharing the gospel via film and other means. Pray for our team. Chiapas is considered a Voice of Martyrs Restricted Nation (check out my personal picture that made it onto Voice of Martyrs cover in 2009) but much is needed to provide the gospel for many unreached peoples in Mexico’s southern most state.

Chiapas is a great place to invest people and other resources. You can learn more about partnering with the Matassa’s at their website gled.net. To partner with them on a Mission Trip check out there East-West Ministries page.

Painful Realities of life in Africa

This is a picture of a Widows seminar at a friend and partners church is Harrare, Zimabwe. Over 400 widows responded to the seminar. The picture tells of the devastation of AIDS, poverty, poor governance, etc. Imagining the pain of losing loved ones, caring for orphans, and more. Praying for relief, comfort, hope through the Gospel, laborers for their good.

Here’s a statement from the pastor:

The poverty gripping our country could be seen with all its viciousness on the faces of many of these women some of who are having to look after many children with no visible form of support. Some are also maintaining children of relatives who would have died from the AIDS pandemic. It was such a moving sight seeing these ladies receiving the word of God for spiritual empowerment as well as some clothing donations soap and lotions.

Let me know if you’d like to help meet needs in Zimbabwe.

 

Chiapas, Mexico Mission Trip – May 30th-June 8th, 2011

Sergio and Beth Matassa – Chiapas, Mexico

I’ve been blessed to know Sergio & Beth Matassa for about 10 years now. We worked together as Apartment Church Planters at Oak View Baptist Church in Irving, TX, where Sergio later became the Minister of Missions. From that post Sergio developed a heart for the indigenous peoples of Chiapas, Mexico, where today, he and Beth serve. Their work consists of raising up and training indigenous leaders to plant churches in the thousands of unreached, remote villages throughout Chiapas. Along with bringing the Gospel their organization G.L.E.D, Global Leadership and Economic Development, provides life-saving water filtration systems and takes on other empowerment projects for the villages. If you’re looking for a missions partnership opportunity, Chiapas is a great place to invest people and other resources. Sergio will be in Southeast Louisiana this week and he’ll be available to meet with anyone interested in partnering with him or hearing more about missions possibilities in Mexico’s interior. Three specific opportunities:

1. Wednesday, Dec 8, Sergio will be speaking at Bedico Baptist Church, 6pm.
2. Thursday, from 2-4pm, we will be at PJ’s in Madisonville for a meet and greet with Sergio & Beth. Come by for coffee and conversation.
3. Sunday AM, 10:30, Sergio will be our Prayer Focus at Bridge Church and will share about opportunities in Chiapas.
4. Bridge Church will return to Chiapas May 28-June 5, 2011 for a Medical & Evangelism trip. Jump on board!!!

Justin and Beth Randolph, Wycliffe Associates UPDATE

Today’s a great and difficult day for our family. Justin & Beth, Brother & Sister In-Law, and their son Ben, leave for a missionary assignment with Wycliffe BibleTranslators. I couldn’t be prouder of them. They’ve committed their lives at all cost, heard from God and followed his calling, trusted Him through fund-raising and placement, and today they fly out to do their part to fulfill the Great Commission. It’s GO TIME for them! Please join me in praying for them and for our family. The distance makes this difficult, my heart is heavy this AM, but technology will keep us closer as has ever been possible. You can follow them on their blog. And not too late to get on board and partner through praying or giving. You can do so here. And check out their final stateside newsletter: Randolph Report – November 2010. It will bless you!