Global Passion Ministries Mission Trip to Nicaragua Begins Tomorrow!

In the wee hours of tomorrow morning, February 5th, the Global Passion Ministries team will be leaving the cold and snowy weather of Nebraska for the hot weather of Nicaragua! The team will spend Feb. 5-14th working with the people of Puerto Cabezas, performing life-changing surgeries, If not for the volunteer doctors, nurses, anesthetists and other support people, the people in this very poor region of the country would probably not receive the medical care they need. 

This is the team's 6th trip. You can read more about it by clicking Global Passion Ministries Team Planning 6th Trip to Nicaragua

You can also read about the team's  5th Mission Trip and the follow up to the 2014 trip

Follow the team at their blog at  Global Passion Ministries ; they will blog as they have the time and available internet connection. 

Please keep the team in your prayers as they travel and work! 

These photos are of some of the patients the team cared for last year. 

Scripture Memory Challenge

Verse of the Year 2015

NFT Verse of the Year 2015

By Shelly Burke, Editor

We have chosen Romans 12:2 as the Nebraska Family Times verse of the year. You’ll find a graphic of this verse every month on the Editor’s Letter page, starting next month; I encourage you to cut it out and hang it where you’ll see it frequently. This verse is also the verse for the Scripture Memory Challenge for January. Receive your FREE verse card; see details at the end of this post. 

Do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God,

what is acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

We are constantly encouraged to conform to this world, by what we see, what we hear, what we read—by everything around us. Sins of the world—what is acceptable and even encouraged in the world—can gradually, without us even realizing it, change our viewpoint until we have conformed to the world, rather than what the Lord commands and expects of us.

How can we be transformed and renew our mind? First we must discern what is the will of God. To do this, go directly to the source—His Word, the Bible. Despite being written several thousand years ago, the Bible provides us with the basic principles to make God-pleasing decisions in any situation. The best way to know His will is to read and study His Word. As you read, study and memorize, the instructions and directions and principles will move from your head…to your heart. You’ll automatically know what is the right thing to do in every situation in your day to day life.

What are some other things you can do to renew your mind?

• Worship. As you gather with others in God’s house, you’ll learn more about Him in the company and with the support of fellow believers.
•  Pray. When you communicate with the Lord regularly, you will become more attuned to hearing His voice, knowing what He expects, and you will feel His leading.
•   Memorize His Word. Several articles in this issue of the Nebraska Family Times emphasize the importance of doing so.

To receive three FREE verse of the year cards (why three? See the Scripture Memory Challenge post) 

e-mail your name and mailing address to shelly@shellyburke.net. 

Global Passion Ministries Planning 6th Trip to Nicaragua

Editor's Note: I so admire the members of Global Passion Ministries so much for all of their work in Nicaragua! I know several of the members of the team personally and whenever I talk with them about their work, I can tell how touched they are by their time in Nicaragua. They all speak of how their lives have been changed. I know they've changed many lives in their work, as well. Please prayerfully consider supporting the team with your prayers and donations! 

This article appears in the January issue of the Nebraska Family Times. A follow-up article will appear in the March issue of the paper. 

Global Passions Ministries Planning 6^th Trip to Nicaragua

By Shelly Burke, Editor

A team including Sue and Karl Tillinghast from Lincoln, NE, and Tamra Boettcher and Carolyn and 

The Global Passion Ministries participants
will travel to Nicaragua in February.

Dean Athey from Columbus, NE, will be joining 12 members from a California team in Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, February 5th - 14th to treat area residents.

Three members from the California team recently went to Nicaragua to triage potential patients in the small villages in the jungle and gold mining region north and west of Puerto Cabezas; many of these patients will have surgery to repair a cleft palate and/or lip. A family of one of the cleft lip patients on the last trip reported that there are as many as 35 children with a cleft lip and or palate in a rural church in that area; the team anticipates doing more cleft lip and or palate surgeries this year than they have in the past.

There are many theories as to why there are so many clefts in this area. Genetics is of course is one cause as this is a rather closed society. There is also a lot of heavy metal contamination of the ground water from the mining industry. One other theory the team was told about during their last trip was that pregnant women who have an exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide have a higher incident of having a baby with a cleft. Because the women cook over an open fire and many times the stoves inside of their houses are not vented to the outside, they are exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide.

These patients have little or no chance of having these defects repaired if not for our team.  Last year the team treated a 16 year old girl with a cleft lip and palate. These children are often rejected by their villages and sometimes even by their own family. This young lady would probably never have had another opportunity to have this repair done because to do so she would have had to travel to Managua by bus on terrible roads for 14 to 20 hours depending on weather conditions. The passengers are subject to the possibility of robbery or assault along the way. There is no certainty that her surgery would have been done once she got there;  these people are extremely poor and could not afford the travel, food and lodging expenses that it would require.

Dean Athey says, “We have been told that the reason we are so well accepted and respected by the people of this area is that we say we are coming and we come and we say we are coming back and we come back. It is so gratifying to return each year and be welcomed with open arms by the people at church, the hospital and the community. They are like family to us. We want your readers to know that this is a Christian mission first and a medical and service mission second. We have the privilege of knowing for the time we are there serving God’s children we are exactly where God wants us to be doing exactly what He wants us to do. That is a feeling that I would wish for everyone to feel at some time in their lives. We did about 50 surgical procedures and another 100 or so minor or what we call “ditzel” procedures last year. These small cases may not seem significant to us but it is so meaningful to these people that someone will take the time to do these procedures. I would guess that this year we will probably do a few more surgical procedures and about the same for the minor cases. That will make for some long tiring days. As with most missions we always receive more than we give. There will be plenty of service projects for our maintenance team to tackle. We always take cash from our fund raiser with us and decide  on how to use it once we find an area of most need.”

To read about previous mission trips the team has taken, and receive updates on the 2015 trip, follow the blog at www.globalpassionministries1.blogspot.com.

Monetary donations may be sent to Dean Athey, 3471 E. 14^th Ave., Columbus, NE, 68601. For more information contact Dean at (402) 276-0638.

Revolution

“Nobody’s Business” drama by group of young adults brings awareness to dating violence

By Shelly Burke, Editor

A group of young adults in Columbus, NE, is bringing awareness to a sensitive but important topic; dating violence and sexual assault. “Revolution”, a group of about 40 young adults that range in age from freshmen in high school to sophomores in college, writes and presents a drama about dating violence and sexual assault every year, and presents it to various groups throughout the year.

The name of the drama this year is “Nobody’s Business.” It’s about three couples; one with domestic violence, one with sexual assault and one couple with a healthy relationship. Abbie Tessendorf, Revolution Supervisor, started with the Center for Survivors,  which Revolution is associated with, in 2000. While working with youth she realized that she enjoyed prevention work; she became the Revolution Supervisor in 2008. Abbie says, “My favorite part of the presentation is after the dramatization. The audience gets to question the actors, who answer in the character of who they played in the drama. The audience asks why they think and acted as they did during the drama. It’s very powerful.”

The actors then come out of character and provide information about the behavior of the person they played in the drama. The presentation ends with a slideshow and a “call to action” by one of the group members.

All of the Revolution members go through 16 hours of training to learn about dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, and mandatory monthly meetings include more education about those issues. The focus is on recognizing the signs of violence and helping friends who may be experiencing it. Members who act in the drama and presentation receive much more training and rehearse for months before presenting it.

The group typically presents at high schools; there is no charge for the presentations if they are done in The Center for Survivors service area of Platte, Colfax, Butler, Boone, Nance and Polk Counties. If a presentation is requested out of this area the group only asks for travel costs to be covered.  This year “Nobody’s Business” will be also be presented at the “No More” conference in late October and at the Hastings Campus of Central Community College, in November.

Abbie  describes how Revolution has touched lives. “When I first started with the group, I knew it would have a profound effect on the members of the group, but I had no idea how it would touch the lives of those who see it. I think for some, seeing the drama puts a name to something awful that has happened to them, and for others they feel like they see interactions around them differently. I think victims feel some shame lifted and friends feel like they know better how to help. The young people involved with Revolution have a huge passion for others, and they want to make their world a better place.”  

If you would like Revolution to present to your group, please contact Abbie Tessendorf at The Center for Survivors by calling (402) 564-2155, or e-mail her at abbie@centerforsurvivors.net.

See the Ask the Expert column, by Abbie Tessendorf,  on this page for things you can do to protect your kids from teen dating violence.

November Issue

It's hard for me to believe it's November already! Sometimes I'm still amazed that it's 2014! I remember being a little girl and thinking about how I would be "old" when the calendar changed to the year 2000...I'd be over 30 years old!

The November issue of the "Nebraska Family Times" has distributed to sponsors, subscribers and advertisers! I pray that the articles in this issue bless you. Among some of my favorites:

• What Should Christians Do About Ebola? Hint: Pray first! 
  
• I Didn't Sign Up for This, an article that describes our sometimes unrealistic expectations of pastor's wives, along with suggestions as to how we can encourage pastor's wives. 
• Seven Positive Ways Christians Can Use Social Media
• Know the Effects of Selfie Trends on Our Kids
• Thankfulness for Thanksgiving, an article with some great ideas for focusing on what Thanksgiving really means. 

You can read all of these articles and more by picking up a copy of the "Nebraska Family Times" in many locations; click on the "sponsor" tabs at the top of this page. Or call me at (402) 750-3496 or e-mail me at shelly@shellyburke.net with your name and mailing address and I'll send you a free complimentary copy of the paper. 

Do you know someone who would enjoy receiving a Christian publication in their mailbox every month? Perhaps your shut-in grandparents or a newly married couple on a tight budget would appreciate the encouragement of news, devotions and Bible study, all from a Christian point of view. A gift subscription is only $20/year; the "Nebraska Family Times" is published monthly. To subscribe, or give a gift subscription, click on the "Subscribe" button on the right hand side of this page. 

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