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READING THE BIBLE WITH THE DAMNED??
By Joel Van Dyke
One of the principles that we hold very close to our hearts in the EdT training initiative is the idea of reading the Bible WITH high-risk youth and their families in hard places. Dr. Bob Eckblad is one of our "long distance mentors" by means of the book he wrote a couple of years ago with the title found in the heading above. Dr. Eckblad reads the Bible "with" illegal immigrants in the Skagit Country Prison in northern Washington State. His book is full of incredible stories of life transformation that have occurred as a result of his choice of prepositions in the way he explores the story of God's scandalous grace with societal outcasts behind iron bars. In the work of our gang chaplains in Guatemala City's maximum security gang units, we strive to restrain from entering with prepared Bible studies laced with three cute points, a sappy poem and a superficial prayer. Rather, we seek to discover targeted passages of Scripture that we can prayerfully read WITH the homeboyz in the prisons. This allows us to be fellow learners of God's magnificent grace at the direction of the Spirit of a living God. A Spirit that hovers, according to Genesis 1:2, in the midst of darkness and chaos such as makes up the world of our "partners" in the reading of God's precious Word. Let me briefly share two short stories of this principle in action. I first met Byron when he was the "elected president" of the incarcerated population in the most notorious prison in Central America for members of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). He served in this capacity for better than a year and displayed amazing leadership gifts as evidenced by a 26 page "strategic plan" I have in my possession that he spearheaded with a 9 MS-13 gang member task force committed to the implementation of an extensive project entitled, "OPENING DOORS FOR A BETTER FUTURE." (To read a translated version of this document click here). In spite of Byron's strong leadership gifting, or perhaps because of it, he found himself in a dangerous predicament several months ago as he was falsely accused of leaking information to prison authorities that lead to the murder of several MS-13 homeboyz on the street. To
read the complete article, click
here |
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Vision
on the Street, Nicaragua |
The
Word became Flesh in the DR |
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 With the presence of 35 students from 15 different churches from 5 different cities in Nicaragua; the Ciudad de Gozo (City of Joy) was far more than just a class. Rather, it was an exercise of reflection around the topics of the City from a theological and sociological point of view. How do you see your city? These, and several other questions, were the central topics of discussion during the 3-day conversation that ended up with an experiential exercise in a barrio called Florida known for crime, delinquency and drugs. Currently, there are 32 students that are candidates
for the graduation as Agents for Youth Transformation, Level III.
This graduation will be held in the Camp of Celebration, the last
days of November, 2007. |
On the weekend of September 12-14 the second course of the Strategy of Transformation "Street Psalms" was offered. This took place in the General Orientation Room in the library of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Sixty leaders and youth pastors from 40 different local churches attended. This
course is the second of a series of six courses that will be delivered
during the next two and a half years. In November 2007 we will
repeat the course for some 30 participants that could not attend.
There is a four-month intervals between each course. In these
intervals the participants meet once a month in small groups that
are geographically organized for follow up, reflection and application
of the "Streets Psalms" content.
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Amazing Stories of Transformation
By Jairo Piraneque
God's thoughts and paths are so different than ours! It is amazing to see how God is working in the lives of the participants of the EdT in Nicaragua. When we started the first training, there was a 40 years old man named Elias. He wasn't a youth leader, nor did he have a position in his church. He said that he was only interested in knowing more about God for his own life.With a military background after the civil war in Nicaragua, he was accustomed to command others and to obey orders from his superiors. After we finished the second training, with tears in his eyes, he told us that God had challenged him to help the youth in his neighborhood especially those involved in gangs and those unemployed. A couple of weeks ago, after the last training of the EDT in Nicaragua, I spoke with him and I was amazed by what God is doing in his life. The kids that he is working with deeply respect him and appreciate tremendously his work.
He also accepted an invitation from his pastor and is now teaching about what he learned in the EDT. God is using him not only with the kids that he helps, but he is also (despite his self proclaimed "lack of education") is teaching a group of lawyers that are receiving enthusiastically the teachings of the EDT. These lawyers have expressed to him their desire to also be part of God's transformation in Nicaragua.
God wants to use anyone that is willing to be transformed by Him. Whoever is willing to serve Him can be part of the growth of the Kingdom.
- The official
launching this month of the Faith Comes By Hearing Project.
This past week we had a two day training and received 48 special MP3
players with dramatized readings of the New Testament. Each of the gang
chaplains will get one and 10 will be delivered to 10 gang members each
in 4 different gang prisons. The chaplains will spend special time in
small group discussion each week with those who have received the MP3's.
This "pilot project" will run until the end of January and
then evaluated. If successful, the project will be expanded and we will
be able to secure a MP3 player for every single incarcerated gang member
in Guatemala. Please pray for this incredibly exciting opportunity to
creatively get the Word of God into the hands and hearts of active gang
members and their families.
- The official
launching of the EdT in El Salvador.
We will be kicking off with the Street Psalms course on Oct. 29-31 in
San Salvador. Especially for EdT El Salvadorean coordinator Salomon
Medina.
- Key meetings
with Orlando Japás and our national EdT organizational
partner (Red Viva) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on Friday, October 26th
and then the subsequent launching of the EdT in Honduras.
- Prayer
for Hultner Estrada and Carl Most, the Nicaragua national
coordinators of the EdT as they plan a closing retreat for the EdT network
at the end of November and make plans for multiplication of the strategy
in other cities of their nation (specifically the city of Leon).
- Prayer
for Mario Matos (EdT Caribbean Director) as he coordinates
follow-up of the Street Psalms course we taught there last month and
inaugurates the launching of monthly geographically organized cohort
groups scattered throughout the capital of Santo Domingo.
- Pray for
work being done in preparation for a major fund-raising breakfast with
Guatemalan Businessmen on Saturday morning, November
10. This is being held to help raise local funds and awareness
for the work of the gang chaplains in Guatemala City prisons.
- Please
pray for the group of artists coming with Build-A-Bridge International
during the dates of November 17-24. They will be running an arts camp
in La Limonada and working in the prisons with gang members. Pray for
open doors to the arts of all who participate. Art is such a powerful
tool in and with marginalized places and people.
We praise God for Rosa Lennox from Eastern University and Build-A-Bridge International and Jeffrey Kroondyk from Kuyper College as they are both doing three months internships with the EdT in Guatemala City. Rosa is working with children in La Limonada and networking national artists while Jeffrey is serving and studying youth ministry at Iglesia Nueva Jerusalem in Santa Catalina Pinula. They both finish their time with us officially in early December.
We praise God for two short term missions teams that came to serve with Liderazgo Juvenil and visited many EdT Guatemala ministry sights during the month of August. We extend huge thanks to Christian Cultural Center from New York City and Northside Baptist Church from South Carolina for so effectively reflecting the smile of God's grace here in our beautiful Guatemala in some very hard places with very marginalized peoples. Thanks for your partnership in loving the least, last and lost of Guatemala.
A huge answer to prayer was delivered in the provision of Summer Cordon who has taken on the huge task of Coordinator of Cross-Cultural Relations for the EdT meaning that she will be coordinating all details for short-term missions teams from the states as well as EdT internships, etc. She and her husband Maynor and little baby Alex are a huge blessing to us all and we know God will be using Summer's labor of love in a huge way here in Guatemala.
Carl Most
hultner1@yahoo.com
cmost@ibw.com.ni
Organizational Partner:
Centro Nehemias
If
you want to see more pictures and more info about the EDT in each country,
go to our website www.estrategiadetransformacion.com
If you have any questions or comments regarding this
bulletin, please write back.
