Barnabas Group

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITY & DECISIONS MADE IN MEETINGS IN NICARAGUA

JANUARY 26 to FEBRUARY 2, 2024

1.      Some of my greatest experiences are with our team in ministry.  And the most moving take-away quote was from Gilcri, our key Barnabas leader on the ground in Nicaragua.  I asked her: “As a leader, what is your greatest desire?”  This was her answer.  “I want to find people like me.”  At first her answer puzzled me a little until she quickly explained, “…I want to find more people who love Jesus – more people who love what they do.  People who can say God is my centre.  People who love what God wants.  More Barnabas team members to have an impact in each segment of our country.”  Gilcri added:  “I realize I’m not perfect – but I also realize God has more to do and can use imperfect people like me.”  Please continue to pray for Gilcri.  The clear call of God is on her life.  We are privileged to have this young, energetic and respected leader at the helm of our ministry in Nicaragua.  

2.      Quality one-on-one time was spent with each of our seven team members who range in age from 18 to 54 – most in the twenties – each highly dedicated to Jesus.  I felt to emphasize “God does not call the qualified – He qualifies the called.”  Eg.  The 12 disciples.  Loiret is our youngest team member.  She comes from a non-Christian family.  She is a university student going through for a pharmacist but spends three days a week working in our ministry to Street Kids and our larger “3:16 Celebration” events for children.  Toward the end of our time together Loiret said, “Working here opened my mind to life – to the opportunities and needs.  I am now wondering about my future.  It could be in ministry.”   

3.      A full day was spent with four of our key partnering pastors from regions as far as three hours away.  They all expressed their gratitude for the generous support we give them and how God is using this literature to bring people to Jesus.  Our discipleship booklet “Welcome to the Family” is also used to help new believers get rooted in Jesus.

4.      In that meeting it became evident that numerous children from poor families could not start school (Jan. 29 is their first day of school) because of a lack of school supplies.  I instantly saw an open door for us to be God’s hand extended.  Before we finished our team was sent to purchase 40 backpacks and fill them with needed notebooks, school supplies, and of course Gospel literature for children.  Three pastors went home praising Jesus for his goodness.  $1,040 Canadian was spent on this project.

5.      One pastor told me, “I love missions.  I love to serve.  I love to go places where nobody else likes to go.  That’s my passion – to go to where nobody likes to go to share the good news of Jesus.  Thank you for providing these excellent tools.”

6.      Another pastor told me, “I use your Welcome to the Family booklet to plant churches.  We start with a small study group and grow bigger from there.”

7.      We also had the privilege of approving Little Lamb Preschool number ten.  It will open in the community of Chinandega.  This year Barnabas is sponsoring ten Church based preschools operating five days a week, ten months of the year, for 3 ½ hours per day impacting over 200 children and their families for Jesus.

8.      We also agreed to help one preschool purchase 20 little chairs for children and 3 working tables.  Part of our commitment to preschools is provide a  “start-up grant” when needed, to help get their preschool started. 

9.      I took time with Gilcri and several others to work through a document outlining our new “Standards & Expectations for Preschools.”   This will be circulated to each partnering church and preschool with the goal of increasing our outreach and effectiveness in impacting children.

10.  Time was spent with leaders from the Lutheran Church in Nicaragua who will be acting as our “importers” for the promised 25,000 Bibles and New Testaments in Spanish from a donor ministry.  Over time this will involve 10,000 full Bibles.  10,000 New Testaments.  And 5,000 comic version of the New Testament for children.  An amazing gift from God!  The first shipment is scheduled to be released by the end of February.  This will involve 3,800 NT’s.  The donor organization is also paying for the shipping charges.  This represents a gift in the range of $300,000 to $400,000.  Can you risk a “Hallelujah!”

11.  We have agreed to give 15% of all Bibles and NT’s to the Lutheran Church in appreciation for their help getting these Bibles into the country.  85% will be held in our trust to place as effectively as possible.

12.  In the front of every Bible and NT we have committed to place a sticker outline on “How to get the most out of the Bible.”  This was developed some time ago and has been a valued addition to every Bible we distribute.  

13.  Significant discussions were held regarding the responsible placement of these Scriptures to arrive by early April.  It was decided to do this in conjunction with a new two-hour seminar on “Scripture Engagement.”  Our goal is to get more people into the Word on a daily basis, growing in their relationship with Jesus, and being a more involved member of Christ’s Church.  They have asked me to develop the outline for this new seminar.  Please pray for me.

14.  Starting in March we will be hosting a new “Barnabas Bible Academy” on the third Saturday of each month for the six months March to August, 2024.   This will be a 3-4 hour teaching session focusing on the Pauline Epistles.  Our goal is a minimum of 100 pastors and believers attending.  

15.   Our Core ministry is to share the Gospel with everyone and seek to establish “3:16 Growth Groups.”  Last year we started almost 400 Growth Groups.  Some have evolved into local churches.  Our commitment is to do what we can to ensure that everyone in Nicaragua has at least one solid opportunity to hear about Jesus.  We call this our “Seven Million Souls Plan.”  We estimate that over the years we have reached almost 5 million people working with upwards of 1,000 churches.  Amazing.  But our job is not finished.  We began to identify the open places on our “3:16” map and what we need to be doing strategically to reach everyone for Jesus.  “We will go til the last person hears” is a popular phrase heard in many of our meetings.

16.  While there we took delivery of 3,000 more BEE Booklets for children;  5,000 more copies of our “Your Life Matters” Gospel foldouts for university, college, and high school students; and 8,000 copies of our “3:16 Celebration of HOPE” tract for children.

17.  I also met with Hellen Castro of New Image – a 20-year-old ministry reaching out to the 3,000 prostitutes who work the streets in Managua.  Barnabas just paid for their graduation dinner and 10 Bibles for the grads in their discipleship program.  New Image will be folding as a registered charity in March due to untenable relations with the national government and their policies of control.  Hellen will continue to minister under Barnabas reaching out to women in conflict and help pastors to be more effective in reaching people in need.  We have also committed ourselves to keep sponsoring “The Lord’s Table” outreaches to women of the street in Managua.

18.  God also gave us an opportunity to help a poor pastor with a gift of $200 USD who was being threatened of losing his home (a basic place of shelter) because of an unpaid loan to help his mother-in-law with medical charges.  Kevin, his young son, was the first child to memorize all 26 verses in our ABC Bible Memory Verse program.  

19.  Very soon we will be needing a new motorcycle for Gilcri.  It will cost about $7,000 USD …less about $1,000 from the sale of her current one. 

20.  Every month we must trust God for the basic $10,000 per month we need to keep our ministry advancing.  Please continue to pray with us for His ample supply and for the possibility that God wants to use you.

21.  I close with this inspiring quote from Mariano Di Gangi from his book “I Believe in Mission”   

“Convinced that the gospel of Christ is the power of God operative in all who believe to liberate them from the condemnation of sin, and indebted to His redeeming love, I am under constraint to communicate this saving truth to all who exist without Him in this world.  To pray and work with others who share this commitment to the Lord of the Great Commission is every Christian’s joyful privilege and sacred obligation.”      

Blessings on you ...and with thanks for your partnership in the Gospel.

Glen

The Barnabas Group / Loads of Love

705 727-8981