In this issue…

  1. THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS AND SPONSORS
  2. CHRISTIAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRAINING
  3. AUDIO SCRIPTURES INTERNATIONAL: FACILITATING OTHER MINISTRIES
  4. WE GET MAIL
  5. NEED ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE? NO FUNDS? TRY F-PROT
  6. HEALTHCARE COURSE IN AUGUST
  7. NEW DRUG TO COMBAT MALARIA?
  8. MEDICAL SHIP IN SOUTH PACIFIC
  9. MK SCHOOL DIRECTOR WANTED!
  10. LEARN TO TEACH ENGLISH: TESOL TRAINING
  11. 5TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON LANGUAGE LEARNING (ICLL5)
  12. CONCERNED CHRISTIANS FOR AFGHANISTAN: 2ND CONFERENCE
  13. CULTURALLY SUITABLE SPANISH PASTORAL TRAINING MATERIALS
  14. THE BACK PAGE: LESSONS FROM A “MASHED NAIL”
  15. CLOSING STUFF
  1. THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS AND SPONSORS — We’re so grateful to those who are undergirding the work of our secretary, thus making is possible to keep Brigada going out the door each week. This week, we’re particularly thankful for the anonymous worker laboring in the Arctic north of Europe! He wrote, along with his $50 sponsorship, “Spring is almost here! God bless you and all who labor to encourage and inform us in the fields that are white to Harvest!” Bless you brother! Another brother wrote (and sent $10), ” I appreciate your hard work and often benefit from articles in your newsletter. Please do not publish my name, Thanks.” Thanks also to Blessed Hope Long Distance, who sent their Feb. sponsorship check for $14.60. God bless those using Blessed Hope for their calls, along with Blessed Hope itself.
  2. CHRISTIAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRAINING — Do you minister to the poor in the U.S. or in the 2/3 world? If so, training that you need is available now via email-based distance courses or a live event. Learn best practice, holistic economic development strategies and methodologies to help the poor and build the local church. The Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College, in partnership with Food for the Hungry International, World Relief and World Vision is offering the first course in both our U.S. and 2/3 World /Transitional Economies learning tracks via email from June 7 > -> June 25. Or you can attend our live training events in Bangkok, Thailand on May 24 > -> June 2 or Lookout Mountain, GA, USA August 2 – 11. For more information, visit <http://www.chalmers.org> or email chalmers@covenant.edu
  3. AUDIO SCRIPTURES INTERNATIONAL: FACILITATING OTHER MINISTRIES — ASI’s president, Mark Hoekstra, is inviting visitors to download ASI’s masters from its web site and duplicate them freely, particularly where CDs would normally have been impossible. ASI has master cassettes and CD’s of the translated Scriptures in some 350 languages, including more than 150 entire New Testaments. To learn more, log on at http://www.audioscriptures.org Be sure to check out its beautiful “Portrait of Jesus” and “God’s Powerful Savior” recordings. (Thanks for the sponsorship that ASI recently provided to help us underwrite the cost of our Brigada secretary!)
  4. WE GET MAIL — Thanks to those who wrote to encourage us on after our sleep-keyboarding apparently allowed an unwanted email through the moderator gatway. ” Dear brother: We are very trankful for the information we receive from you. Unfortunately, viruses are part of our daily struggle with internet. So enjoy God´s grace in spite of the complaints.” God bless you! Carlos and Liliana, Patagonia, Argentina. (Thank *you*, Carlos and Liliana, for taking time to write and encourage! )

    Hello from Kuala Lumpur! Just want to say “thanks” for all you’re doing to inform us practitioners of what’s going on around the world. Don’t worry about the spoofed email. My anti-virus software caught it. And I fully identify with keyboard sleeping! Be blessed and graced! Todd, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (We’re grateful for the understanding and grace, Todd!)

    And from Bob in Germany, “I just want to say, it’s not your fault, even if it came to me from your machine! You didn’t generate this virus. I suppose these things happen – like getting flu from someone else! We have to live with this stuff nowadays, but the benefit of email much outweighs the irritation of viruses and worms etc. God bless, Bob” Thanks for your encouraging heart, Bob, but we do take these spoofed emails very seriously. Thanks for understanding that we didn’t design it though.

    And from an anonymous reader, “I must commend your tireless effort in furnishing us with powerful information. God bless you real good.”

  5. NEED ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE? NO FUNDS? TRY F-PROT — If you need a good antivirus package but have zero funds for it, try F-Prot at: http://www.f-prot.com/products/home_use/dos/ Their DOS version is free (and has been for like 10 years!) and is said to be quite effective.
  6. HEALTHCARE COURSE IN AUGUST — Fuller Theological Seminary will be bringing in healthcare professionals from throughout the world to host the 2004 Healthcare Missions Conference, Aug. 20-21. The conference, entitled “Calling the Church to a Healing Ministry,” will have over 30 speakers from a variety of disciplines. Conference organizers hope it will inspire a diverse group of healthcare professionals, pastors, and missionaries within the church to work cooperatively to bring God’s healing to the “least of these” (Matthew 25), equip Christians who are interested in physical, emotional and spiritual healing with practical tools to implement personal and church-based healthcare responses, as well as to network, to be informed of opportunities to serve and to become aware of relevant programs. Prior to the conference, Peter Yorgin, M.D. and Doug McConnell, PhD will be offering a one week intensive course on Healthcare in Missions. If you would like to register for the course, prior to the conference, and are not presently a student at Fuller, contact our admissions office at (800)AFULLER or http://www.fuller.edu. For more information on the conference go to: http://www.fuller.edu/cll/ce/healthcaremissions.asp.
  7. NEW DRUG TO COMBAT MALARIA? — Thanks to our good friend Marty, from New York, who sent us the heads-up about artemisinin (pronounced are- TEM-is-in-in), a new drug reputed to be quiet effective when used against Malaria. If this drug is indeed shown to be successful, it will perhaps be the most welcome treatment for 50 years! For more information, read the full article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/10/health/10MALA.html (but only if you’re subscribed to the New York Times; Thanks Marty!). See the reprint at the Dehai, Eritrea, Online site: http://dehai.org/archives/dehai_news_archive/0200.html if you’re not signed up to read the NY Times.
  8. MEDICAL SHIP IN SOUTH PACIFIC — Marine Reach, the maritime arm of Youth With a Mission is now operating a small medical ship in the South Pacific. Stationed in Fiji the vessel, equipped with an operating theatre, visits the nations outer islands with dental and optical teams. Over the last year nearly 11,000 patients were treated. Marine reach is now running a special Discipleship Training School in Fiji where the students complete a three month lectures phase in Lautoka (Fiji) then spend 6 – 12 weeks on board the M/V Pacific Link severing as part of, or along side, the ship’s medical teams. The dates are 02 August – 16 December 04. For more information log on at http://www.marinereach.com or write dts@marinereach.com (As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding e-mail address, please replace the “at” with an @ and remove the spaces. Thanks.)
  9. MK SCHOOL DIRECTOR WANTED! — The Academia Cristiana Internacional de Caracas (ACIC) is seeking an interim director for the 2004-2005 academic year. This is a K-12 school providing quality Christian Education in English for missionary and international students in Caracas, Venezuela. ACSI accredited. For information please contact Rocky by email at aciccs at cantv.net (As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding e-mail address, please replace the “at” with an @ and remove the spaces. Thanks.)
  10. LEARN TO TEACH ENGLISH: TESOL TRAINING — Receive training and practice in effective techniques for teaching English to non-English speakers. Prepare for cross-cultural ministry opportunities by becoming an excellent teacher. Earn a TESOL certificate to open doors for ministry in many lands. The next four-week TESOL class is scheduled to begin June 13, 2004, at Youth With A Mission in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA. See their website at http://www.ywampa.org for details and application forms, or direct questions to ywampa “at” comcast.net. (As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding e-mail address, please replace the “at” with an @ and remove the spaces. Thanks.)
  11. 5TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON LANGUAGE LEARNING (ICLL5) — If you want to stay abreast of the cutting-edge issues in language and culture learning or are charged with the responsibility to keep your organization’s personnel pressing on toward communicative competence in language and culture, then the 5TH International Congress On Language Learning (ICLL5) is for you! The Congress is hosted by Mission Training International (MTI) and will be held October 11-15, 2004 in Colorado Springs, CO. The theme is “The Right Help at the Right Level”. Register at http://www.mti.org/icll5.htm or or call 800-896-3710 or 719-487-0111 or write info at mti.org (As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding e-mail address, please replace the “at” with an @ and remove the spaces. Thanks.)
  12. CONCERNED CHRISTIANS FOR AFGHANISTAN: 2ND CONFERENCE — This year’s two-day conference will be a premier networking event for local churches, concerned Christians, field workers, missions advocates, and Christian NGOs and professional organizations interested in ministry among Afghans. The conference is to be held at Germantown Baptist Church in Germantown, Tennessee on August 13 and 14. Advanced registration is required to attend the conference. You may register by visiting the website where you will find the registration form. http://www.ccafghan.org For any additional questions or information, call Steve 901-260-5712 or email stevem at germantownbaptist.org (As a means of preventing spam for our contributors, in the preceding e-mail address, please replace the “at” with an @ and remove the spaces. Thanks.)
  13. CULTURALLY SUITABLE SPANISH PASTORAL TRAINING MATERIALS –- Check out http://www.preparacionymovilizacion.ws where George Paterson’s six P & M manuals are available for free download on the web. The “Preparation & Mobilization” manuals (P & M, for short) are superb, culturally suitable, Spanish pastoral training materials written by George Patterson. Good use of graphics, Q & A’s and practical homework. 120-150 pages each. Set of six and ideal for Spanish pastors. Thanks, George and Galen!!
  14. THE BACK PAGE: LESSONS FROM A “MASHED NAIL” — Rats. Last week I shut my 3rd (ring) finger in the door of my truck. How can something so tiny cause so much pain? The morning after, I had to carry around a cup of ice water just go get my breath! You know, life is like that, too. The tiniest piece of a problem can sometimes dominate our thinking so much. One tiny piece that gets trashed can upset the applecart and make everything look bad.

    So maybe I need to keep my fingernail in context. After all, it’s just a nail. Life is good. I’m healthy, except for this rascal nail on my right hand. But hey — it’s nothing life-threatening, actually. I need to “get a grip”, … “buck up”… “dry it up, Doug!” :-) “Quit your whining…” “Be a man!” :-) Seriously… it’s just a nail.

    And … maybe we need to keep things in perspective next time something goes wrong at the church, the studio, or the bookstore. If it’s something that will grow back… if it’s something you can fix.. let’s just forge on. The Lord will help us… and we’ll get through it. If it’s small stuff, then it’s just small stuff. More on the big stuff some other time. But today, let’s forge on… Satan wants to make us think that the small stuff is bigger than life. Forge on. Doug

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