X-ray capability is very important to the care provided by the medical staff at the only hospital on the island of La Gonave in Haiti. For decades, the staff has been using a machine that has significant limitations, but it has served us quite well. However, over the past couple of years, it has needed very expensive repairs. So, I put out a notice to our partners informing them that patients would receive a much better quality of care with a new, portable, digital x-ray machine. This change would cost up to $40,000. In a very short time, I received a call from our home church that an anonymous gift of $50,000 had been received specifically for the new x-ray machine. We praise God for the way he moves in the hearts of his people!

A few years ago, Kiko, a young college student, was “dragged” to our home Bible study by another Macedonian member in our study group. Initially, Kiko was very closed and withdrawn. For the first time, he was hearing, in his language, God’s message of love and truth. It became obvious that God’s Word was penetrating his heart. Kiko was opening up, asking good questions, and staying as late as he could. Then, one Sunday, he was at our church drinking coffee with other nationals—just like he belonged.

During the summer of 2017, Kiko was baptized—a public display where his demeanor was completely opposite from his demeanor displayed at those first Bible studies. Now Kiko is becoming a leader at our church—“dragging” his peers to different ministry groups in the same way he was dragged a few years ago. Praise God for the work he did and is doing in Kiko’s life!

The Nepal Emmanuel Wesleyan Church is focused on training all of its church leaders. In 2017, their National Leadership Board adopted the six most essential courses from the 26 courses required for ordination by the international Wesleyan Church. It was decided that these six courses should be taught to all Nepalese church leaders and pastors starting in 2018 and running through 2019.

In April 2018, approximately 20 pastors and church leaders assembled for one week of intensive training for the first course, Introduction to Theology. Some days the class spontaneously concluded in uplifting worship and prayer. The second course, Pastoral Theology, was taught in August 2018 by guest instructor Rev. Bob McHenry from Terre Haute, Indiana.

The intent is to have all six courses completed by the end of 2019. Once Nepalese church leaders complete these six courses, each will be able to apply for national certification as a licensed pastor. The remaining 20 courses required for ordination will then begin to be offered.

This year, JIBACAM, the Ibero-America Wesleyan Church Mission Board, held its third cross-cultural training program in Haiti. The fruits of how God is using this event and past training events are being seen. Here is a short list of what is happening:

• Xochilt Guitierrez has been sent by Nicaragua to Honduras to help revitalize the Honduran church.
• Edgar Rueda is the mission director in Colombia. He has had a key role in the development of the missionary camps in Colombia. These camps have sent out at least 12 teams to do church planting and evangelism in Colombia among indigenous groups and in other countries in the region.
• Windel and Yolie are being sent by Haiti to work in Burkina Faso, Africa.
• Jose and Adriana are being sent by Colombia to do mission work among a Muslim community in Colombia.
• Dario and his wife are being sent to the Amazon region of Colombia to work on developing a cooperative program with Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil to do cross-cultural ministry and church planting in the Amazon area they have in common.
• Ricardo and Noemi are planning to be sent by Chile in the next couple of years to do church planting in Uruguay.

At the end of 2017 and early into 2018, the formation of a national mission council in Ecuador began to take place. While still not fully functional, those in leadership have already been challenging the church on how it can:

1. be more missional in their national ministries;
2. begin emphasizing the necessity to look past their own needs, ministries, and growth toward a more universal idea of The Church and their part in it.

In 2018, part of the national mission council traveled to Guayaquil to meet with the local Ecuadorian pastors. They served Colombian-style food and presented an informative program highlighting the Colombia Mission Camp. Three of these pastors plan to attend the camp to see and experience for themselves its message and method. The council hopes to reproduce this camp within the borders of Ecuador in the coming years.