As tradition, an upside-down globe is given to each mission team member to signify our mission to turn the world upside-down for Jesus!
On August 5, 2012, five mission teams were sent out of Los Angeles at our 2012 Global Leadership Conference. These teams are the newest of over 40 churches around the world – all unified in heart and mind to evangelize the world in this generation. Each church in the Sold-Out Discipling Movement has sacrificed tremendously in this effort. The Mission Bay International Christian Church, in this year alone, has given an amazing $20,500 for our contribution to the cause. The following are excerpts taken from the weekly good news report shared between all of our churches. Ev
Vic Gonzalez Jr. reports from the NEW Mexico City International Christian Church:
Greetings from “your” missionaries in Mexico City! (“DF” – Distrito Federal) It has been an exhilarating couple of days!!! We landed here into Benito Juarez International Airport on Thursday afternoon, where we were graciously met by a small yet excited group, including Carlos & Karla Vargas – the Ministry Leaders of the Madrid (Spain) Remnant Group. (Carlos was converted here and is visiting his mother who is an ICOC disciple.) Our “guardian angel,” Guillermo Huesca was there with open arms and a very willing heart to help with whatever was needed. Also, there was a very awesome remnant couple that met with the McKeans and Aurora & myself when we did our “Spying-Out the Land Trip” a month ago – Cesar & Lucila, both baptized on the campus at UNAM! These disciples have been waiting for the mission team for years. A special thanks to Alfredo & Alejandra Anuch – our dear partners in the gospel in Santiago, Chile – that initially spoke and maintained contact with this incredible couple.
The Mexico City Mission Team!
Sunday was “cranktastic!” With a mission team of 13 disciples (and no remnant group), the Lord blessed us with 30 in attendance – 24 adults and six kids! We already have a few studies and we know that God is going to bless our sacrifices. Currently our entire team is staying at a hostel near Zocalo, in the very center of Mexico City. Although slightly cramped, this has been very exciting as we are constantly meeting and sharing with travelers from all parts of the world. “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church.” (Colossians 1:24) I have reminded the team again and again that we are not here on vacation; we are not here to be comfortable; we are not here to make friends; rather, we are here to save souls!
As to be expected, a few on the team have gotten sick, but we are glad to do what we do for the sake of His church and all the lost not only in Mexico but in all of Latin America! Of special note, the Mexico City Mission Team has sacrificed two of the interns that were originally planning to join us in “DF”: Alexa Manco, who will be going to Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Karina Diaz, who will be staying in Santiago and assisting the Mejias with work there. We will see you next week here on the Good News Email Report! ¡Ponte Las Pilas!
Matt Sullivan reports from the NEW Orlando International Christian Church:
It has been an absolutely incredible week! God is moving powerfully and we are so fired-up to be here! The Remnant Group – built by the amazing faith of Anthony & Elizabeth – is so incredible; the mission team is on fire; and God is unifying all of us as we have “hit the ground running” for the Lord!
The Orlando Mission Team
Although the mission team arrived on Saturday afternoon last week and we had few visitors that first Sunday, those who came out are very open! Amelia’s sister Jasmine and her boyfriend Paul have been driving down from Ocala (1 1/2 hours) to come to First Principles.Jasmine ran up to Helen & me at service today to tell us that she got a job in Orlando and will be moving here within a month!
Today, the Lord added two to our number: Gary moved here from LA’s South Region, as he wants to help his family get restored! In addition, the Lord gave us our first baptism today since the mission team arrived on August 11th! Glen was at a restaurant a few weeks ago helping a fellow student from Full Sail University work on a project. Behind him were three awesome disciples: Anthony, OJ and Alan – a newly baptized disciple from Full Sail University – were studying the Bible and Glen could not help but listen to what they were talking about. He tried to stay focused on helping his fellow student, but could not help listening in on the entire study! He was so blown-away that he turned around and asked them what this was all about and shared that he had been looking for something like that for a long time! He studied for the last few weeks and so was baptized today!
He brought out his wife Laura, his mom Debbie, and his dad Glen. We went to lunch afterwards. It was awesome as Glen poured out his heart, after hearing the Word Study today about looking for God’s will for his life. I believe he has found it and will be your brother soon!
Lastly, I am so proud of the church as they have worked very hard to bring more and more visitors! Today, we had 20+ visitors and they are quickly increasing in number as Mike & Chenelle Patterson are calling our campus students to share with 50 people a day as school starts Monday! By faith, the church believes that the Spirit will “blow it out” at UCF – the second largest four year university in the USA with 60,000 students!
Finally, God blessed me with two visitors today: Casey (my new gardener and a very cool guy) and his fiancée Ashley! They both loved it and will start studying the Bible on Tuesday! Pray for the harvest in Orlando as we have predicted for this coming week: one baptism, one restoration and one place membership! So many amazing remnant disciples have contacted me, and many others are VERY interested in getting together and finding out what God is doing in the Orlando ICC! Helen & I have two appointments this week alone with some of the approximately 50,000 remnant disciples here in Florida! God is awesome!
Coltin Rohn reports from the NEW Boston International Christian Church:
Greetings from the Boston International Christian Church! What an amazing full week! We are still carrying the fire that we received at this year’s GLC, as 12 mission team members “[fanned] into flame” (II Timothy 1:6) the Scriptures that we learned!
The Boston Mission Team!
The Boston Mission Team!Amazingly God has allowed us to set a solid foundation in so many areas. Thanks to the tireless help of our Administrator – Brian Carr – we are already in the process of being incorporated; our church office is set-up; our bank account is opened; and our 501c3 is almost done! Five mission team members have jobs and almost everyone else have interviews this week! Our attendance this Sunday was a total of 35 people! Most encouraging was our first addition that took place this Sunday, the restoration of Sal DiFusco!
I first started to talk with Sal over the phone in May, while still living in London (thanks to James Morgan keeping thousands in his follow-up list). I came to learn Sal used to lead the AMS Region in our former fellowship in Boston before falling-away and then, “squandering his wealth.” (Luke 15:13) Once “he came to his senses,” (Luke 15:17) he was revived to know that a church was being planted in Boston! Little did he know it was going to start in his home! (Pray as we find a place to meet this week as Sal’s home is now too small!) God truly works out the times and places; so after years of being gone, Sal was restored to God in his own living room!
We also started our First Principles last Friday and are scheduled to be done before our Inaugural Service which is September 23, 2012. Many are studying the Bible to be restored, place membership or baptized!
Mike Underhill reports from the NEW San Francisco International Christian Church:
Mike & Brittany Underhill!
“Once more a remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above.” (Isaiah 37:31) Greetings from the San Francisco Bay International Christian Church! It’s been awesome seeing the disciples “take root” here in the San Francisco Bay Area! God answered our prayers as we had our highest attendance up to date – 60 people gathered in our room that could hold only 50! We also had our highest contribution – so far! Best of ALL, there is a good number of men and women who are on the verge of baptism or restoration.
One woman, who attended, was at one time a member of the original Berkeley Church of Christ – the Mainline Church of Christ that Kip and the Boston Movement “reconstructed” to become the San Francisco International Church of Christ! She came out today and was deeply moved. She said that it’s been a long time since she was reminded of her first days as a disciple in 1987! As we “take root” in God, His Word and the fellowship of sold-out disciples, pray we will continue to “bear fruit above” here in San Francisco!
Anais Laurent reports from the NEW Paris International Christian Church:
The Paris Mission Team!
Bonjour mes frères et soeurs! This has been an awesome and productive week! God has been encouraging us every day! We had our first service in our amazing location at Gare de L’Est, which is one of the most central spots in Paris! It’s a five minute walk from the Eurostar from London! We have four hot studies on the go right now and baptisms are soon to follow! God has been working powerfully though Phillipe, Prisca and Patricia to help in the landing of the mission team and also pull in the precious Paris ICOC Remnant.
This weekend we all went on the Bateaux Mouch, which is a tour boat that takes you all the way across Paris on the Siene River. The next day we went on an open top double decker bus and saw all the sites. That kicked-off our workshop during which we went out and evangelized on the trains and even learned to dress and cook like the French! Please pray for us as we are very close to finding apartments for the interns who have been staying with the Kernans, the Schiedeckers, and even Omarr’s awesome mother! The week ended powerfully with a really inspiring lesson on Nehemiah by Tim who called us to “rebuild the wall,”not only here but all over Europe! Keep praying for us!
It is incredible to see what God is doing around the world. Let’s make sure to keep these churches in our prayers as each church is having their official inaugural service within the next month and a half. “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
Evan Bartholomew