Alianza Hispana

In the interest of combining vision and efforts to make a greater impact in this world, ministries and mission endeavors are practicing TEAMWORK. The biblical example of utilizing teamwork is seen in the missionary practices of the Apostle Paul. Throughout his ministry as recorded in the Book of Acts, Paul worked and traveled with a ministry team.

For years, veteran missionary John Dykes [serving Hope International Missions based in Hobe Sound, FL] envisioned a magazine for Hispanics which would provide something for the whole family. As the lack of time and the pressures of missionary life proved itself, his vision remained that...simply a very good idea.

One August summer day in the Rio Grand Valley (in Texas), John, his missionary colleague Philip Burch, and Steve sat in a McDonald's restaurant munching on some french fries while they laid out a strategy for how this "Hispanic magazine idea" might become a reality. A plan-of-action was devised and job assignments were given. About six months later, the premier edition of Alianza Hispana rolled off the press.

The magazine is designed with the idea that missionaries, Hispanic national leaders and their churches, US pastors and their churches, and anybody wanting to impact Hispanic communities for Christ can purchase as many copies as they desire and impact those around them.

Many Hispanic ministries have been blessed by this magazine. The theme articles, Bible studies, the children's stories, the youth lessons, the family articles, and even the graphic designing are all enculturated as much as possible, thus, making the magazine contextualized to the general Hispanic community.

The initial role Steve played in this project was an organizer regarding the plan-of-action to see this idea become a reality. Also, he offered his services as a graphics designer. Each edition is designed with his layout. This July (following SíMO ) he will begin working on the newest edition of Alianza Hispana.

John Dykes is the editor and article coordinator. The rest of the team members contribute their skills of writing and proofing while Steve does the layout & design. In addition to John and Steve, other team members include: Steven Hight [Vice President of Evangelistic Faith Missions -- www.efm-missions.org]; Rex McDowell [Co-ordinator of the Hispanic Studies Program at Penn View Bible Institute]; Saul López Martinez [the director of a Bible school in northern Mexico]; Sharon Weaver [Christian worker serving the Construction Department of Mission Helps, Inc.]; Butch Heath [Director of Crisis Family Care -- crisisfamilycare.com]; Sid Grant [Director of Hope International Missions -- www.hopeinternational.cc]; and Eli Balderas [Director of the Bible school in Salamanca, Mexico.

To purchase copies of this professionally produced 12 page magazine for ministry distribution within your local Hispanic community or to sponsor a bulk purchase of Alianza Hispana for mission churches to distribute, contact John Dykes @ JohnFDykes@juno.com or Rex McDowell II @ AHDistributions@hotmail.com.

Summer Institute
for Missionary Orientation

The Summer Institute for Missionary Orientation (SíMO) has completed six years of ministry training! It is hard to believe that we have reached such a milestone already. Again this year, the Lord brought together the missionaries He wanted together for this specialized training. [See group picture above.]

Co-founded in 2000 by veteran missionary Leroy Adams and Steve (who is the Director of SíMO), this annual missions training program has addressed issues related to mission life particularly, the missionary attrition rate. As one author wrote, “Missionaries are too valuable to lose.” Thus, we deal with a variety of pertinent issues such as, submission to authority and conflict resolution, interpersonal relationships, cross-cultural ethics, the missionary work ethic, stress management, family issues, music and worship styles, missionary finances, and many other relevant topics.

Over the few years of operating SíMO, we have had forty missionaries and mission leaders in the program. These cross-cultural Christian workers represent about ten holiness mission organizations, plus a few who were not connected with an organization. We continue our steady service to holiness missionaries and their organizations.

New to this year’s training was SíMO for Leaders. Running simultaneously with some of the regular SíMO training, this track focuses on the needs of mission leaders, mission board members, and mission office staff. Although the duration of this training is abbreviated to accommodate leaders’ schedules, the training is intensive addressing specific issues confronting mission leaders.

We are now beginning preliminary preparation for SíMO’07. The dates are June 18-29 for SíMO and June 20-22 for SíMO for Leaders. For more information regarding the SíMO or SíMO for Leaders training and for a list of subjects for this year’s SíMO for Leaders training, contact Steve using the contact information in the header of this newsletter.

Thank you for your prayers for this unique and vital ministry. Your financial support for us helps to make our involvement in this orientation training possible.

Connecting with
National Afrikaans
Church & Mission Leaders

_________________

Church & mission leaders from South Africa, Gideon Jacobs and Anthonie Kruger, paid us a visit during a recent US tour. Based in Smithfield, South Africa, "Uncle Gideon" ["uncle" is a respectful and personal title when addressing South African "elders"] heads the ministry of Kwasizabantu Mission in that region. Periodically, he and some of his church leaders tour the US. Their work has recently been coming into connection with holiness churches.

The warm and friendly fellowship shared with "Uncle" Gideon is very refreshing. He has again extended an invitation to us to visit his work and to work with them for a month or so in leadership training at various points throughout South Africa. This is another wonderful opportunity to impact national leadership!

Accompanying him on this trip was the principal of their Christian school, Anthonie Kruger. Although this was our first time meeting, we quickly became fast friends. Anthonie was in our area for several days after "Uncle" Gideon continued his tour. It was great to get to know him and to develop mutual respect and appreciation.

For your information, Joy's sister, Carol Witter, is now serving as a missionary under Hope International Missions at Ladybrand, South Africa. Ladybrand is approximately an hour and a half drive from Smithfield. Sometime before Carol and her team began their school year, she connected with the Smithfield mission school as part of her training for the school set-up in Ladybrand. Our new friend Anthonie is the principal of the Smithfield school with which she connected! It is definitely a small world!

[l-r: Steve Mowery, Gideon Jacobs, & Anthonie Kruger]

Our Prayer Card

Here is a view of our prayer card for the various ministries we have among holiness missions [for more details, see BLOG Entry 09/06/06].

To receive a hard copy or multiple copies of this prayer card, e-mail us at Missions@PVBI.edu with your request.

Moments for a
Missionary Meeting

Missionaries needs some moments to encourage one another. Thus, this brief --albeit refreshing-- meeting with others of like mind. What a joy is was to see once again Filipino National Leader David Yucaddi [photo above] and his co-worker veteran missionary Timothy Keep (Field Supervisor for Bible Methodist Missions: Philippines)! During their quick US missions tour, they had a brief stop at the Emmanuel Wesleyan Church in Gratz, PA. For that evening church service, I was accompanied on my visit to Gratz by my South African friend, Anthonie Kruger.

Brother David has a genuine vision for his people. He is serious about evangelizing this nation. He has developed an evangelism training center there in Banaue, Philippines. The effectiveness of his ministry is seen by the steady church-planting progress being made in his region. He and his ministry comrades are establishing churches in remote mountainous areas which are neglected by other missions. His ministry has even impacted the lives of some of our Penn View Missions Division interns during their internship training in the Philippines.

After the service there at Gratz, we had a few fast-and-friendly moments as we mutually shared our appreciation, love, and support as comrade-in-arms. Our hearts throb with the same "missionary heartbeat!"

[l-r: Anthonie Kruger, Steven Mowery, David Yucaddi, Timothy Keep]

Ukrainian Pastor Tours the States
____________

For the past few years, Steve has assisted one of our Ukrainian pastor friends (Nicholay Mironenko) in trying to get his brother to the US to visit some Ukrainian churches as well as to visit with our missions students. Each attempt was met with some type of hurdle.

The purpose in getting this brother to the States is not to have him re-locate to the US, but to strengthen him and his Ukrainian work as well as to edify the Ukrainian churches here in the US which are connected with him.

Finally, after several tries, Steve and Nicholay were instrumental in getting Pastor Vasil Mironenko [see photo above] into the US for a ministry tour. The US State Department granted permission for Vasil's visit. They did not merely provide him with a one-entry visa, but a FIVE-YEAR, multi-entry visa!

Nicholay and his Slavic church host our Summer Institute for Missionary Orientation each year in a cross-cultural worship experience.

In November, we (Steve & Joy) took our children and most of our Penn View missions students to a special service where Pastor Vasil was among the speakers. The congregation was made up of Ukrainians, Slavic people, Americans (our group), plus a friend of ours from South Africa! What a variety of nations were represented in that meeting. That is what the grace of God can do for mankind!

The service was almost FOUR (yes, 4!) HOURS long! The reason for this was the fact that during the service four different church leaders spoke and were followed by English translation. One of the speakers was an elderly man who had escaped from the notorious Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald during World War II!

Following the lengthy --albeit culturally enlightening-- service, we had a time of eating a variety of ethnic Ukrainian and Slavic quisine. The food and the fellowship were so enriching. ...And it was great to finally meet our brother in the Lord --Vasil!

Vasil is now back in Ukraine rejuvenated and encouraged to advance the local churches in his own country.


[l-r: Vasil, Steve, Nicholay]

Persecuted Church Leader

Granted His Request for

Political Asylum!

Brother Joshua --pastor of many persecuted churches (see BLOG 09/07/06) who is seeking political asylum here in the Unites States due to the ongoing persecution in his country-- called us recently and indicated he has received his political asylum paers from the US State Department!

Presently, he has applied for permission to relocate his wife and children here to the US.

Visit to The Voice of the Martyrs Headquarters

__________

While in Kansas for a missionary convention at Independence Bible School in Independence, Kansas, Steve took an afternoon to travel down to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to the headquarters of The Voice of the Martyrs. There he received a personal tour of the headquarters from staff member Allan Walker and received many insights into this mission work which ministers to those living in countries which persecutes Christians.

The Church is suffering in many points around the world, most notably in communist China and in the many countries of the Muslim world. It is estimated that 160,000 --yes, you read correctly-- 160,000 Christians lose their lives annually because of their Christian faith. The Voice of the Martyrs provides Christians living in the "free world" a variety of ways to minister to some of those brothers and sisters facing persecution.

Video, DVD, and printed resources were given to Steve which he will utilize in our missions ministry as we share some of the realities of the persecuted church. Steve also received helpful information about two lawyers who provide legal assistance for those fleeing from persecution (see blog for September 7, 2006 "Leader of the Persecuted Church Speaks at Our Church").

If you want resources regarding the persecuted Church for your church, school, or training center, contact:

The Voice of the Martyrs P.O. Box 443 Bartlesville, OK 74005

Phone: (918) 337-8015 Fax: (918) 338-0189 or go to their website (www.persecution.com) for more information.

Serving a Leader of the
Persecuted Church

[Please note: Due to security reasons, some of the information in this article is generalized and somewhat sketchy. The pictures are prepared so as not to compromise the life and ministry of Pastor "Joshua" or his family -- who still remain in an African country.]

This past summer, a missionary friend introduced Brother Joshua (a psuedonym for security reasons) to us. Right from the start we had warm, friendly fellowship together. During our visits together, he shared insights about life in a country controlled by a Marxist and Muslim government.

Converted in the 1960's under a national Christian leader and trained by missionaries at the mission Bible school, he later trained in the university and has tried to use his Christian example to be a witness to others wherever he goes.

In the capital, Brother Joshua has been working with house-churches. During the secret services, songs are sung in whispered tones and testimonies are quietly given as the gathered Christians praise and worship their Savior. Scriptures, sermons, and words of exhortation and encouragement are also shared. Due to the nature and sensitivity of the situation, more information cannot be shared. Certain levels of secrecy must be maintained in a public forum such as this newsletter. Let it be said that the government authorities intend to wipe out Christianity in that country.

Some of his "underground" church people have been imprisoned for various "illegal" activities. Some are currently held in slave-labor camps like we used to read about in the old Soviet Union era. Enough said.

We introduced Brother Joshua to our local Church and made arrangements for him to speak. Hearing first-hand accounts of pressures put on Christians in his country brought the “concept” of the persecuted church closer to home.While in Kansas for a missionary convention, Steve visited the headquarters of The Voice of Martyrs in Bartlesville, OK. There he received helpful information regarding legal contacts for Brother Joshua who desires political asylum for himself as well as his family, which remains in Africa.


Brother Joshua called us recently and indicated he has received his official papers granting him political asylum! Since his papers are received, his next step is to obtain permission to relocate his wife and children here to the US. We now understand a bit more clearly the verse which instructs us to "remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body." (Hebrews 13:3).

Welcome!

_______________
Here are some biographical details about Steven & Joy Mowery to better acquaint you with them and their missions ministry.

Steven A. Mowery
Steven was raised in Sunbury, PA, USA, for most of his life. He is a graduate (1982 - ADBS) from Penn View Bible Institute located in Penns Creek, PA, USA. Following graduation, he taught history and social studies at Penn View Christian Academy for four years during which time he also did course work at Susquehanna University (Selinsgrove, PA) and Penn State University (University Park, PA). He married C. Joy (Witter) on June 15, 1985. He graduated in 1994 graduate (MAMin) from Moody Graduate School in Chicago, IL.

He has been the Director of Missions at Penn View Bible Institute since 1990. He has developed the Missions Division to the point that many Penn View graduates are ministering in a variety of cross-cultural setting around the world.

In addition to these responsibilities, he is also the co-founder and director of the Summer Institute for Missionary Orientation (SíMO -- pronounced 'SEE-mō'). This ministry to missionary training is specifically designed for both veteran missionaries and new missionaries under appointment. Veteran missionaries are personally and professionally refreshed by the training while new missionaries are prepared to confront the realities of mission life in a cross-cultural setting. The focus of SíMO is to address the missionary attrition rate. To capsulize the situation SíMO addresses: Missionaries are too valuable to lose.

Steven is a past member of the Board of Directors of Mission Helps, Inc. (1996-2006). Presently, he is a board member for FEA Ministries Inc. based in Hobe Sound, FL. This board is the governing board of Hope International Missions under which several Penn View missions graduates faithfully serve. He is also a graphics designer, a write, and a convention speaker.

Together, the Mowery's were missionaries from 1987 'til 1990 in the community of Black Point, Exuma (Great Guana Cay) in central Bahamas. The national church and mission is called Bahamas Holy Bible Mission. They were the last expatriate missionaries to serve under BHBM. All three of the original BHBM churches (Nassau, Black Point, & Pleasant Bay) are under able indigenous leadership. Three churches on Grand Bahama affiliated with Hope International Missions (Freeport, Holmes Rock, & High Rock) have joined the other BHBM churches to form a six-church Bahamian denomination. Even today, the Mowery's have ongoing communication and relationships with the church leaders and laity in these churches.

C. Joy Mowery
Joy is a third generation missionary. Her grandfather (Gordon Winter) founded the Bahamian work following World War II (in about 1948). Joy spent 7 1/2 years of her childhood in the Bahamas since her parents (Robert & Dorothy Witter) had joined the missionary team. Raised as an MK (missionaries' kid) and as a PK (preacher's kid) brought many experiences into her life.

She attended God's Bible School & Missionary Training Home in Cincinnati, OH, and graduated in 1981 (BA in Music) from Hobe Sound Bible College, Hobe Sound, FL.

Presently, she provides private piano lessons from their home and is also a member of the Missions Training Team in the Missions Division of Penn View Bible Institute. Among her Missions Training Team responsibilities is teaching a unique class "Women in Cross-Cultural Ministry." She is an important staff member of SíMO.

Joy promotes among mission organizations the need for member care and provides personal care and counseling for female missionaries impacted by the rigors and stresses of mission life.

New Ministry Dimension
A new missions ministry dimension the Mowery's are developing is "Ministry to Missions." This ministry to missionaries and national workers serves to enhance their effectiveness through 1) project development 2) marketing & promotion 3) mission consultation 4) leadership training 5) personal development 6) team development.

Together, Steven & Joy have three children: Allen, Alyssa (born in Nassua, Bahamas), & Caleb.

Serving
Church
Leaders
from
Belize
___________

Befriending national leaders is very important. Both friendship and cultural understanding provide foundations necessary in order to effectively minister to these church leaders.

This past summer we endeavored to be a blessing to Belizian Christians from the Crooked Tree Wesleyan Missionary Church at Crooked Tree, Belize. Clarence Gillett and his wife, Winnie, attended Penns Creek Camp. They were accompanied by their leading church musician Eric Lauriano.


During their weeks here, we spent many hours connecting with them and serving them in different ways. Providing meals for them and taking them to stores so they could purchase supplies, clothing, and other things they needed to take back to Belize were part of our ministry to them. The rapport which developed between us was enriching.

For some time, this church and its people have been on our hearts. They are desiring some leadership training and have invited us to travel to Belize to share with them.

This Belizian team enjoyed their stay in central Pennsylvania. While they were with us, we had them share with the congregation of the church we attend. These friends were strengthened in the faith and encouraged to continue working in their hometown among their people. It is so important that quality national Christians shoulder the responsibility of their local churches as they reach out to their own communities within their countries and to the regions beyond.
Presently, the laity of the church are carrying the full load of the local flock there at Crooked Tree. They are requesting people who understand cultural differences to go down and to hold revival services for them. During such times, they are also desiring special training which will help them in their church work.

They are not asking us to be their missionaries for them, they want training so they can do the work more effectively. It is excellent mission practice to train nationals to shoulder the local church responsibilities and also to have a missionary vision for the world!

[l-r: Joy, Winnie, Clarence, Steve, Eric]