en http://www.wyattchurch.com © Copyright 2000 - 2008Church Community Builder. All Rights Reserved. http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=19 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=19&article_id=21 Hester McAdamsHelen AdcockLee JohnstonMirene MooreOra Belle KeelingPat RackowRicky WoodNate GivensSandra BellMarlon JoinerErvin SpencerDee LewisVirginia MendenhallTonja O'NeilBryan ShultzCecile ShacklefordMarlon MendenhallMary Sue NobleSean FallinRoger ButcherBetty Jane Dixon & familyMark FitzgeraldRobbye Baylis RankinJerry BaileyKaren McDonaldLucas MatthewsMargaret LeeRaymond HoltBruce WatsonAngie StephanLouis RaineyBro. Roy PerdueIvie CareyKristin PopeTina HaneySteve AllenBill HartsfieldHannah SullivanDon & Edna MagrudgerPeggy LewisPam FaulknerSherman AllenLisa RoberdsKenny PughStephanie GleghornMr. Poke JrJohn HammondRussell WalthallGlynn HortonJeff ThurlkillThe Amber Sabala FamilyHoward PepperTito & Lace TinajeroAmy RisingerThe Jill Attebery FamilyAlice LawsStacee RobersonKaye EckhoffThomas NolanRalph ElmoreJene DumasMembership Matters ClassMaster's BuildersNicaraguaUkraineJacob's WellBudgetBasketball Ministry Nursing Home Residents Al Johnson Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:01:05 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1&article_id=792 Wyatt recently announced six mission trip destinations for 2009.  Commitment Sunday for these trips is December 14th.  For more information about each opportunity (including dates, descriptions, and costs), click here .  Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:15:37 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=1&article_id=569 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:24:27 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=793 The Trip: Espabel, Nicaragua 2009When: March 21-28The Mission: Do mission work in the most remote of our churches in Nicaragua.Missionaries: Oscar and Tamy Gaitan - Catarina, NicaraguaTeam Leader: Adam ThomasEstimated Cost: $1,000Details: We will leave the U.S. on Saturday, March 21st. We will spend the weekend in Catarina and attend church services there on Sunday. On Monday, we will head out on the long journey to the village of Espabel. For the next couple of days we will hold a morning Bible school for the children of the village. We will spend the afternoons visiting with and encouraging the Christians in Espabel. At night we will hold services to reach the adults. Though the long 14 hour journey is a challenge the rewards are worth it. It is an amazing thing to be in a place where foreign visitors are so rare for the people. This will be our third trip to Espabel and we have formed an amazing relationship with the people of this remote village. At the end of the week we will head back to Catarina and fly back to the States on Saturday, March 28th. The Trip: Bridge City, TX 2009When: Spring Break, March 22-28The Mission: Help Circle Drive Baptist Church members rebuild their homes after Hurricane Ike.Missionary: Jack Comer, PastorTeam Leader: Tim BolinEstimated Cost: $250-$500Details: The mission team will depart on Sunday March 22nd after Wyatt's morning service and travel to Bridge City, Texas. The team will arrive at approximately 7:00 PM. Team members will stay either in a hotel, at Circle Drive Church's Family Life Center or in church members' homes. The team will work each day assisting church members with demolition and/or reconstruction of their homes as well as tasks at Circle Drive Baptist Church. Wyatt church members will be divided into "work crews" with each crew having at least one lead person. Other activities may be defined as the trip draws near. The entire mission team will reassemble each afternoon/evening for reflection on the day, devotional, singing and prayer. Team members may consist of any age group - from school age to retired persons. Friday will be a "fun day" to give our school age team members a chance to "hang out" during Spring Break. The team will depart on Saturday, March 28th, and travel to El Dorado. Expected arrival at Wyatt is around 6:00 PM.The Trip: New Mexico/Colorado 2009When: Late June or Early JulyThe Mission: Conduct a Bible school on an Indian Reservation.Missionaries: TBDTeam Leader: TBDCost: TBDDetails: Details of this trip are still being worked out. The initial plan is to work in conjunction with a local church to conduct a Bible school on an Indian Reservation in either New Mexico or Colorado. Plans are being finalized and details will be made available in the coming weeks. The Trip: Ukraine 2009When: July 17-27The Mission: Conducting at a week-long youth camp in Ukraine.Missionaries: Andrey and Laura Kanaykin - Irpin, UkraineTeam Leader: Wes Taylor / Scott AtteberyEstimated Cost: $2,000Details: The mission team will depart on Friday, July 17th and travel to Ukraine. They will arrive in Kiev on Saturday afternoon. The team will travel to a village (yet to be finalized) on Sunday and conduct a youth camp from Monday through Friday. The camp will run from 9:00am to 1:00pm each day. The afternoons will be spent in fellowship with the local youth. Evenings will be spent visiting local villages/church services and the Irpin youth. The Saturday after camp will be spent sightseeing in Kiev. Sunday the team will attend church at Laura and Andrey's home church in Irpin. The team will travel home on Monday, July 27th.The Trip: Catarina, Nicaragua 2009When: July 20-27The Mission: Help the missionaries with their work around Catarina and do a bible school in the community of El Romo.Missionaries: Oscar and Tamy Gaitan - Catarina, NicaraguaTeam Leader: Jay GlassEstimated Cost: $1,150Details: The mission team will depart on Monday, July 20th and travel to Catarina, Nicaragua. The team will work with the missionaries around Catarina and attend the Action centers around Nicaragua. The team will leave Catarina on Tuesday morning and travel to El Romo which is 6 hours away. In El Romo they will conduct a Bible School for the children, and an Intino meeting for the youth on Wednesday morning. In the evening they will have a church service with all the surrounding communities. The team will return back to Catarina on Thursday afternoon. Friday and Saturday will be spent working around Catarina helping wherever needed. On Sunday morning the team will visit different missions for Children's Church. Sunday evening the team will go to Centro De Vida Missionary Baptist Church in Catarina for a worship service. Monday July 27th, the team will leave Nicaragua headed back to the U.S.The Trip: Chicagoland 2009When: September 2-8The Mission: Filling and handing out water bottles, working comfort station and witnessing to people at Yorkville festival.Missionaries: Rob and Christe Hagar of Jacob's Well ChurchTeam Leader: Louis RaineyEstimated Cost: $550Details: We will leave Wednesday before Labor Day and plan to be in Yorkville on Thursday evening. The team will help with setting up tents on Friday morning. The work will consist of filling water bottles and handing out free water to Fair participants. We will also provide a baby changing and nursing tent for young mothers and witness to those who stop by our tent. We will work with the people from Jacob's Well Church and they really need our help in this. It takes about 8-10 people manning the tents at all times. Also we will have some kid games set up which we will watch over. One day will be spent sight-seeing in Chicago. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:14:26 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=791 At the close of our service Sunday, November 16, upcoming mission trip dates and team leaders for 2009 will be announced. This year we are trying to start ear­lier than ever before to promote the mission trips, raise funds necessary to go on these trips, and purchase tickets in order to get the best rates. Will you begin praying now and asking God what you should do? Maybe He wants you to step out on faith this year and go on a trip. Maybe He wants you to be a sender and give money so that others may go. Or maybe, He wants you to be a mobilizer and help the teams make all the preparations neces­sary for them to go. It doesn't matter who you are...God can use YOU in one of these ways! Will you do what God wants you to do? Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=762 I am very glad to let you know that I came back home safely, and I have been feeling God's care. You know, there are different times in our lives: there is a time when you want to laugh, a time when you want to cry, a time to be quiet, but my heart is so overwhelmed with emotions experienced in the USA so that I can't be quiet! I want to speak because it's impossible to write on paper and even put into words all my gratitude for everything you have done for me. These emotions come from the bottom of my heart and I can't stop being surprised and thankful. How wonderful and great is our God! I could never think about coming to your country and much less meeting your wonderful and hospitable church through which God taught me a lot. I am immensely happy that I was able to learn about Americans and learn more about your culture and customs. I could see and keenly feel the love, care, and kind thoughts of American people. I had the privilege finding out that your church consists of such people. I bow before you and pray for the blessing of your wonderful church family. May God fulfill your every need, and may many more people join your church. I want to say special Thank You to Pastor Scott and his wife Jill. I think your church is so happy to have such pastor like you! And also I want to say very special Thank Yous to Jan, Tim, Katie and Karis Fleming, Mark and Vicki Harmon, Sylvia and Darius Stubbs, and Adam and Cheryl Williams! I very much want to do something for you and don't know how I can serve you, but I want crisply say that my heart, my family's heart, and the doors of my home are always open for you! If you want to learn at first hand as I did, then come to Ukraine! :) With love, Julia Tishchenko Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=743 The Chicagoland Mission Team is back with a great report! Max Adams, Wilma Adams, Louis Rainey, and Margaret Rainey worked with Jacob's Well Church in Chicagloand, a ten-county area surrounding metropolitan Chicago that is one of the fastest growing in the nation. This is an area where many have never been to church. Jacob's Well's goal is to show God's love through acts of kindness to the people of Chicagoland. The mission team assisted with a hospitality booth at a major Labor Day festival. They helped give out 4,000-5,000 FREE bottles of ice-cold water. That is over a ton of ice and 355 gallons of water! They also provided a tent for diaper changing that included all the essentials--lotion, powder, diapers, diaper cream, bug spray, and sun screen. In the same tent, rocking chairs were provided for nursing mothers where the youngest attendee, a two-week old boy, stopped for a break with his mom. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=738 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=727 The Chicagoland Mission Team will be leaving Wednesday, August 27, traveling to Chicagoland. This ten-county area surrounding metropolitan Chicago is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation. The team will be working with Jacob's Well Church, led by Pastor Rob Hagar and associate Michael McClure. The mission team includes: Max Adams, Wilma Adams, Louis Rainey, and Margaret Rainey. They will be working on various projects at the church and assisting with a hospitality booth at a major Labor Day festival in the area. They will return to El Dorado by September 9. Be sure and check the 2008 Team Chicagoland Discussion Board for updates on the trip. To access the discussion board, log in to the Wyatt website and click on Discussions. Select the "2008 Chicagoland Discussion Board" to read and create messages. If you do not have Wyatt login information, click the appropriate link at the bottom of the column at the left of this page, and login information will be sent via email to you as soon as possible. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=721 September 14, we will celebrate missions throughout the day. Each of our services will feature reports from Wyatt mission teams who traveled to Nicaragua, Ukraine, and Chicagoland. After our morning service, we will enjoy eating lunch together in the fellowship hall and visiting the "mission fair" in the gym lobby. Dr. Charley Holmes, president of the Baptist Missionary Association Theology Seminary, will be our guest preacher. Come and celebrate Missions Day! Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=709 Bro. Oscar Gaitan, Coordinator of missions in Nicaragua FIRST MEETING OF THE DEPARTMENTS OF OUR ASSOCIATION This past Monday the 19th from 9 in the morning, a group of eight pastors and leaders of new missions arrived in Catarina. Each one of them shared a report of what had happened since March, when we had our last meeting. 15 baptisms and 35 souls for Jesus and 10 new action centers started. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the people who work at the Good Samaritan Clinic, the professors of the Institute and pastors of the missions met at the Centro de Vida Baptist Church. Dr. Alexander Navarrete gave a report since the opening of the clinic in September of 2004, having seen 14,200 patients during this time. We have been able to reach five towns in our areas as well as 12 churches and missions. He talked about the new lab we started this year to offer additional services to the population. But he also was very careful of stressing that although the physical needs are important, the spiritual need was more so. Bro. Javier Ruiz, dean of the institute gave us a why of all the different classes. One is to prepare the students for ministry, arm them with teaching and defense against false doctrine and to encourage them to work for the Lord. We have been able to have 3 graduations with a total of 23 graduates and we are having our fourth graduation this year with 12 graduates. Bro. Javier presented the 6 teachers, secretary and group of brothers that work in this ministry. From our different missions, some of the pastors gave testimonies of how God used them to open new missions. They also shared about constructing 7 new buildings with help from the association, churches in our country, as well as churches from the United States who have come to share their offerings. On behalf of our Nicaraguan association, we gave several recognitions to brothers and sisters who have worked in the past few years. A special recognition to Pastor Salomon Gaitan for his 37 years as a pastor, Dr. Alexander Navarrete, Nurse Margarita Nicaragua, Teachers at the Bible Institue Bro. Javier Ruiz and Bro. Lester Acuña and Bro. Sindulfo Gomez for his outstanding work in missions. I want to thank the Department of Missions in the United States and many brothers and sisters from different churches who have come and joined us in our missionary work, as well as different ministries who have been a means to reach people. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=696 By Jennifer Martisek My experience in Nicaragua made me look at myself and see how much I think inside the box. The people in Nicaragua made a huge impression on me with their kindness and their willingness to put themselves aside and do what had to be done...to glorify God. And they never complained or expected anything in return. The day we arrived in La Conquista, there were around 200 people to serve lunch to, including children and parents that had come as far as three hours on foot or horseback. And the journey was in no way flat ground. Our missionaries, Tamy and Oscar, told our cooks to plan on us serving the people at around 12 for lunch. At about 11:30 we were done with crafts and games, so Tamy sent some of us to the preacher's house to check on our cooks and see how much longer until lunch was ready. Now if I was preparing lunch for 200 people, how many cooks do you think I would need? There were only three women and two men at that house cooking for 200 people. That blew my mind! I would need that many people to help cook for just 20 people, and then I would still be stressed. So anyway, we walked through the woods across a creek and to the house. The cooks were busy de-boning chicken. So here we were, non-Spanish speaking, trying to ask them how long until lunch is ready to bring to the church. They looked at us like we were crazy, but I think they might have understood why we were there. They asked what time it was, and said that it would be another hour or more. They brought us chairs and asked us to sit. So we all sat down and just looked around at all the chickens, pigs, turkey, dogs, cows.. Then I stood up and asked, using the very often used sign language, "Can we help ya'll?" They looked at each other and looked back at me. I wondered if they understood me. Then I got my answer... they handed me a bone bucket and let me help. So Kristel and I de-boned chicken right alongside them. We only had one big bowl to go when I saw the two male cooks (Miguel and Kevin) dumping a huge black pot. I realized that they were trying to get out more cooked chicken to de-bone. That's when it hit me..."Oh my, there's a lot more to do before anyone eats!" So I told the men on our team who were with us how much more chicken we had left to de-bone, and they got up started helping with the task too. We all de-boned chicken for quite awhile. But it did go a lot quicker with all of us helping. And of course, we did some whining like babies as our fingers burned from the recently boiling chicken. Long story short, lunch was served sometime that afternoon, right after we all carried all of the food across the creek balancing on one rock at a time. These cooks that prepared our food everyday showed so much kindness and never ever complained about anything. While cooking, they would start to sing songs and we would try to figure out the songs and sing along with them. Their love for God was so contagious and so obvious by their actions. They were in no way stressed or screaming at each other while cooking. I guess they knew God had a plan, and it was for these lost-looking Americans to come walking through the woods looking to help in any way we could. We were all there for the same reason - to glorify God. But this group of people really showed us how to do this, and reminded us how it's still possible to do so even during the most trying times. Their actions were such a witness to me of their love for God. They were such a blessing to our whole trip. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=673 The Nicaragua Team, consisting of Jay & Elizabeth Glass, Tim Bolin, Josh Bolin, Douglas & Jennifer Martisek, Kristel Thomas, Joyce Hile, Buddy McAdams, Jordan McAdams, John Davis, Snookie & Kathy Sullivan, Jared Sullivan, Hannah Sullivan, and Brady & Tara Morgan will be traveling July 21-28 to work alongside missionaries Oscar & Tammy Gaitan. One of the main purposes of this trip is to provide ministries to children, women & men. Be sure and check the 2008 Team Nicaragua Discussion Board for updates on the trip. To access the discussion board, log in to the Wyatt website and click on Discussions. Select the "2008 Nicaragua Discussion Board" to read and create messages. If you do not have Wyatt login information, click the appropriate link at the bottom of the column at the left of this page, and login information will be sent via email to you as soon as possible. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=668 The Ukraine Team, consisting of Wes Taylor, Ryan Taylor, Katie Fleming, and Tiffany, will be traveling July 4-14 to work alongside Andre & Laura Kanaykin again this year. One of the main purposes of this trip is to do a 5-day kids camp in an area about 4 hours from Irpin. Be sure and check the 2008 Team Ukraine Discussion Board for updates on the trip. To access the discussion board, log in to the Wyatt website and click on Discussions. Select the "2008 Ukraine Discussion Board" to read and create messages. If you do not have Wyatt login information, click the appropriate link at the bottom of the column at the left of this page, and login information will be sent via email to you as soon as possible. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=609 As the Wyatt short-term mission team departed Nicaragua in March, they left one member behind. No, it wasn't an accident. Kristen Wood decided to remain in Nicaragua through July to serve as a missionary. Kristen described her typical week in a recent email. Every day she works in the Good Samaritan Clinic. The clinic is an outreach of the Centro de Vida church in Catarina. In addition Kristen also spends a few hours each day painting the church building. Three times a week, Kristen takes Spanish classes to learn the language. And once a week she meets for discipleship with a young lady named Crystal. In addition to her regular schedule, Kristen has taken trips to support mission churches in Nicaragua, has worked with youth ministries, and is in charge of a children's puppet ministry. We praise God for the excellent work He is doing through Kristen! You can send her an email at wood.kristen@yahoo.com. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=605 By Mark Harmon When our kids were preschool age, the second great Peter Pan movie was released. The movie was called "Hook" starring Robin Williams as Peter Pan. In this version Peter Pan met a girl named Wendy and chose to leave Neverland. We all know that when you leave Neverland you forfeit the ability to stay young, and this is exactly what happened to Robin Williams. Peter Pan had grown into a middle-aged man with two children of his own. In this movie, Hook came and kidnapped Peter's children and demanded that Peter duel with him if he wanted them back. Peter had lost all of his powers as a "lost boy" and had to go back to Neverland to regain them. My favorite line of the movie was when Peter finally started getting his skills of flying and crowing back. One of the lost boys said, "It's happening, Peter!" Going back to Nicaragua for the fourth time was a great experience; however, I admit that I wondered if the trip would become less shocking. God proves to show Himself more amazing each time. On my second trip I was asked the question, "Of all the places in the world you could go, why did you choose Nicaragua?" I answered the question then that I believed that God had a specific purpose for Wyatt going there. Going back this fourth time seemed to confirm to me that God sent us there because He has a special plan for our church. I do not want anyone to think I know the mind of God, but I do know from John 17 that God has a plan for His church. One of the things that amazed me the most is just how Biblical the churches are in Nicaragua. We have heard much from our pastors over the last few years about being a Great Commission Church, making disciples... It is great to get teaching on disciple-making, but to see it first hand is a bonus. Just a couple of examples: 1) When Kristen Wood decided to stay in Nicaragua she was assigned a young lady to disciple her before we even left the country. It was evident that this church cared for her spiritual well-being above all else. 2) Another was during the invitation at the Sunday service in Centro de Vita Church in Catarina. Three men came forward with decisions. One came who had been attending an Action Center to profess Christ. One came to rededicate his life to Christ. The third was very unique to me. Tami translated to me that he came asking the church for work. I asked her if it would be appropriate for us to give an offering to him if he needed work. She told me, "Oh, he doesn't need work for money, he is asking for a ministry within the church." He wanted a place to serve. I was amazed! What does all this have to do with Peter Pan? Well, I don't know if you have noticed, but IT IS HAPPENING in our church. No, we are not learning to crow or fly, but we are becoming the church God has called us to be for his glory. We are seeing people being discipled; we are seeing people serve; we are raising up missionaries; we are reaching out in our community with the gospel; and to God be the Glory, we are seeing lost people coming to Christ. I believe that God has a purpose for Wyatt doing missions in Nicaragua! I believe God is doing great things and wants to do much more. I am thankful to be part of a biblical church and for the leaders we have here at Wyatt who care deeply for spreading God's Glory. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=598 By Vicki Harmon. When you go on a mission trip, you quickly realize that there are many types of missions being accomplished. There is the effect that your ministry is having on those you came to serve. There is also the effect that the trip is having on the missionary. Then there is the effect the trip is having on the short-term missionary that will have a long-term impact. Only a Sovereign God could accomplish so many things by working concurrently in all hearts for his glory. God truly equipped us through our on-the-job training course last week. One of the highlights for me was seeing the different talents that our group was able to use in our two-day Vacation Bible School in Espabel. Whether it was Jay and Tim with their technical skills; Adam Bishop and John Davis playing games with the kids; Mark teaching spiritual lessons from a bag of popcorn; Adam Thomas with great messages for the kids' sermon; Kelly, Elizabeth, Kristen or me improvising when the number of kids doubled the second day and we ran out of craft materials; or Brittany Vick showing God's love by wanting to speak Spanish to everyone that came in contact with her. Everyone played an important part in sharing the gospel in some form or another. We are blessed to live in the modern age of motorized vehicles, electricity, indoor plumbing, and grocery stores. However, the love of God was very evident in the citizens of Espabel, and we were all challenged to live our lives more intentionally. Most of these people walked 40-90 minutes to church (one way) for each service. Over 150 people crammed into a church that usually has 80 members to see "The Passion of Christ". We all saw a deep love for God and a burden for the lost in every Nicaraguan church we visited. My prayer is that I will show that love to the people that visit our church and town as well. The main thing that I love about short-term missions is that it goes beyond a vacation. It is a "vacation" with a purpose. That purpose is to share the glory of God to all nations through the prayer support of our church, the funds provided by God through others, and the obedience to go where He sends us. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=522 From Missionary Oscar Gaitan Since Saturday, October 6, for Bro. Sindulfo Gomez ordination service it has been raining in the San Francisco Libre area. We had a difficult time getting out, but the good vehicle we have allowed us to get out. Since that date, the roads have gotten worse and the past five days, the road is impassible. Today, the government began taking water provision to some communities. I talked to Bro. Pedro Torres and although he is fine was unable to know about the others because he has not been able to go to visit. He is going to try to go tomorrow on foot. We have been suspending classes at the Institute because we have not been able to get in by vehicle and the students have not been able to go to class even by horse. Your prayers are needed so that the roads will open up soon and that we might know about the people in this area which has 7 churches and 4 missions. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=519 The following is an e-mail excerpt from Nicaraguan missionary Oscar Gaitan: I would like to share this short testimony and special ordination service for Bro. Sindulfo Gomez. Fourteen years ago, he accepted Christ as his Savior and four months later was baptized. He thought the pastor would give him the job of cleaning the church since he did not know how to read. However, the pastor gave him the task of giving devotionals. His daughters would read him the verses and he would explain them. After a year, the church in another community, La Trinidad, needed help and the church voted that Bro. Sindulfo go to this church. He would travel Thursday and Sunday, one hour each way on a horse to the services. Little by little, he began to see the need of visiting and evangelizing other communities. After a few years, he felt he needed to visit a community about 30 minutes from La Trinidad. There were now leaders in the church of La Trinidad and he now had more time to spend in mission work. The community is called El Riego, and this was a feared place because there was a very well known family throughout the region known for violence, jealousy, not allowing any one in, much less to preach the gospel. Bro. Sindulfo, however, prayed for God to open the door for him to preach in this place. Being a little fearful, he asked two other brothers to accompany him. After a few days, Don German accepted Christ. The news traveled fast that Don German had changed. After Bro. Sindulfo worked there for two years, much of Don German’s family and other members of the community have given their life to Christ and have been baptized. After that, Bro. Sindulfo left another leader he had trained in El Riego and at the beginning of this year left there and opened a new mission in San Jorge, where he works with cell groups and children. His wife and four children travel with him. Bro. Sindulfo is now in his second year of Bible Institute with a desire to graduate next year. On Saturday, October 6, we traveled to the Mt. Horeb Baptist Church in Las Lomas, where Bro. Sindulfo accepted Christ to have a special ordination service. There were several ordained Pastors from our association who also went to help ordain Bro. Sindulfo. It was a beautiful service with much joy for all who participated and attended and many were there as witness to his hard work for the work of the Lord. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=504 By Mike Brown Several years ago when I first received four weeks of vacation a year, I can remember thinking, three weeks of vacation have really been enough for me, I'd like to give that fourth week to the Lord. So when Wyatt sent out its first mission team to Nicaragua I thought that the trip would be the perfect way to give that week to the Lord. But what I thought would be a sacrificial gift to God turned out to be a wonderful blessing for me. Our mission trips have been my most enjoyable vacations of the year. Which goes to prove what we studied in the stewardship sermons a couple of months ago -you can't out give God. I think we have been successful in planting some seeds of the gospel and in encouraging our Nicaraguan brothers and sisters in Christ to continue working hard for the cause of Christ. At Center of Life Church, BMA, in Catarina, Tuesday night is Action Center night. An action center is a cell group that usually meets in a home of one of the church members. The members of each cell invite everyone who lives nearby to join them for Bible Study. They have 36 action centers. We divided our group into 2's or 3's and went to different action centers that night. Tina and I went to one that was led by Johnson and Margarita. It is a new action center started in the nearby town of Nicinomo. This was a group of teenagers, and there were 36 there that night. They have had as many as 50. We divided into two groups with Johnson teaching one and Almondro, another young man of the church, teaching the other. I was impressed with how most of the youth volunteered to answer Johnson's questions and that he made sure to directly ask the others and they also answered. When we got back to Oscar and Tammy's house I asked her if any of the Nicinomo youths had been saved. She said, "Oh yeah, a bunch. Later when Johnson was giving his testimony he said the number was 20 saved in just three months of meetings there. Alex is Oscar's brother in law and you might remember him being mentioned from our previous trips. He's the tri-vocational one: a plumber, dentist, lawyer and most recently a used car salesman. Since the bus was broken down, Alex provided a vehicle and drove for us as we went to minister at some of the missions. He lost several days of work to help us. On Friday I asked him if he would be going with us to the mission Saturday, and he said no he had a class at the Bible Institute. Alex was willing to sacrifice a days pay but his bible class was even more important than that. He still provided a vehicle. When Alex spoke at the men's meeting the first year we went to Nicaragua he said, "I am very blessed to have a car, but it's God's car first, and if He needs it I'll do without it." One day we went to El Naranjo, way down the gravel road we've traveled all three summer trips. We ate dinner at Pastor Claudia's home. He gave his testimony and he, his dad, and his daughter played guitars and sang. His daughter is twelve and played a very old guitar that had a chunk broken out of it where the top string would normally connect. But in the worship service we had with them she played and led about 25 children in singing. She sang out very strongly and very well and the 5 string guitar did not get in the way of her singing praises to our God. We are hoping to take her a better guitar the next time we go. The singing at the Sunday night service in Catarina was great as usual, so after it was over I told the keyboard player Salie, that she played very well. Her answer was to just point up toward heaven, which I took to mean that she was giving God the credit for anything good that she did. Oscar and Tammy were the perfect hosts as they always are. They get plenty of practice since almost every time we go there they have someone new living with them. This time it was Yaritza a 15 year old girl from San Francisco. I think she is a member of the BMA church there. She is living with them to go to the church school in Catarina. Oscar and Tammy are such a great team. They always put forth the maximum effort in any work of ministry. When we were traveling sitting space was at a minimum, so they had assigned seating to make it as comfortable as possible. When Oscar was teaching us a song in Spainish, we went over and over it. Some of us were not practicing as seriously as Oscar thought we should, so he gave us a short speech about how he could teach us the song but he couldn't make us feel it in our hearts. Then Tammy, his faithful help meet said, "But Oscar, we haven't even told them what the words mean yet!" It has been such a surprising thing that at 48 years old I have just begun the most exciting time of my life; going on mission with God. And you know, it really doesn't have to mean going to a foreign country. We can all go on mission with God right here. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=502 By Jill Attebery Our team went to Ukraine hoping to bless & encourage the youth there. However when we met people like Olga, we knew that we were the ones that were being blessed & encouraged. Olga (pronounced Ola) is a 16-year-old girl who is actively involved with the youth at the church in Irpin where Dennis Zaulin is youth director. She serves God by volunteering her time at church and at camps as much as she can, including the camp we did in Yasnogorodka during our trip. Laura Kanaykina (BMA missionary) shared with us that Olga had been saved for a couple of years and is the only believer in her family. Olga's mother often forbids her to attend church services or activities. Laura commented that despite all of the opposition from her mother, Olga has remained not only faithful to God but also submissive to her parents' authority. While serving alongside her all week, we discovered that Olga was beautiful inside and out. She willingly did anything she was asked with a smile on her face and a bounce in her step. She was the group leader for the young teenage girls - a very difficult group - and she modeled godliness to them all week. She was an encouragement to everyone, especially our team. We were happy to hear that on the Sunday after camp, the Irpin church would have their annual baptismal service at a lake and that two of our friends - Max & Olga - would be baptised! We all congratulated them on the days leading up to their baptism, and also prayed for them as they tried to obey God in the midst of unbelieving family members. Sunday morning came and we all gathered at the lake with fellow believers from the church. We saw nine people in white robes and learned that these were the candidates for baptism. However, there were supposed to be ten baptized that morning. Olga was missing. We soon found out that Olga's mother had forbidden her to be baptized. Knowing her desire to follow the Lord in baptism, our hearts broke for her as we imagined her sitting at home knowing all her friends were at the lake without her. She had chosen to quietly and respectfully obey her mother. And in doing so, she obeyed God. But that evening at the youth meeting, Olga was there! We all hugged her and greeted her with encouraging words. She smiled through tears, nodded her head, and modeled with her life that the joy of the Lord was her strength. Just minutes later, we all sang praise songs together. It was amazing to hear nearly 100 youth voices lifted to God singing songs simultaneously in two different languages! While we were singing, I noticed that Olga's face was lifted to God as we sang the words, "Blessed be your name on the road marked with suffering; though there's pain in the offering, blessed be your name." She knew what those words meant because she was enduring suffering at this time. And though she was experiencing pain in offering her own will and desires to be submitted to her mother's God-given authority, she knew that all blessing and honor belongs to God. We learned so much from Olga, even though we could not speak her language. It was hard to understand why God would call her to obey her mother even though it meant that she would not be baptized at this time. But what a unique way that God taught us about selfless surrender using this teenage girl. How amazing that God called Olga to obey Him by obeying her mother even though her mother was not obeying God. And how blessed we all were to have Christian parents who raised us in church and supported us in obeying God. Maybe next year when we return to Ukraine, we can see Olga baptized. And knowing God, maybe He will make that day even sweeter because maybe Olga's mother will be baptized alongside her! Oh God, glorify yourself in Olga and her family! To see pictures from the 2007 Ukraine mission trip, click here. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=465 The following is an email from missionaries Tammy & Oscar Gaitan (6/14/07) Hello my brothers and sisters, who in one way or the other are always interested in the work in Nicaragua. Last month we begin the second trimester of the Bible Institute in Catarina and in San Francisco. A total of 28 students continue to prepare themselves for ministry through the studies offered at the Institute. For this trimester, we invited Debora Gaitan to be part of the body of teachers. Mrs. Gaitan was one of the graduates from last year and is giving classes to the ladies, as well. Last week, I had the opportunity to be at the mission of San Roque, about an hour and a half from Catarina. Bro. German Rojas is working in this place and about 25 were gathered waiting to hold a service. In this mission the majority are older adults and the ever present children. Sunday, June 10, the missions of Managua, Empalme de San Benito and Tipitapa gathered together and had a second baptism service for the mission of Managua. If God allows, on Sunday, July 1, we will have our first Celebration Service and so inaugurating Sunday services in Managua. We thank God he has provided us with a good location to meet and we now just have to work hard in our cell groups. We can now say we are in the capital city of Managua. Last month we traveled with the team of the Good Samaritan Clinic to one of our sisterchurches in El Naranjo. For this trip, our sister, Dr. Claudia Sanchez joined us, who has just returned from her social service time the government requires to finish your studies as a medical doctor. About 80 patients were seen either for medical or dental attention. It is always in our plans to travel every month to different places and this way help our brothers and sisters. I am very glad to share with all of you because you have all been of great blessing for usand every church or mission in our country. I will share again soon what God is doing in Nicaragua. Bro. Oscar Gaitan Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=402 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=399 The following is an email from missionaries Oscar & Tammy Gaitan. Remembering the days God has permitted us to share with our fellow brothers and sisters are unforgettable. From the time Bro. Paul Robinson left Nicaragua, the churches and missions had not had fellowship with sister churches from the U.S. After God allowed me to take over and coordinate missions in Nicaragua, it has been a great blessing to host you, year after year in our churches and missions. Every year, there are more and more churches and missions who are blessed by your visit from listening to you sing, preach, share the gifts you bring, visits in homes, and praying for pastors and leaders. My brothers and sisters, we are most grateful for you deciding to take time out to visit and for having a special place in your hearts for the people of Nicaragua. Today many brothers and sisters are joyfully reading the books and Bibles, and even more, the people unable to read can now listen to the New Testament using the Ipod you shared. We feel very privileged, that no matter the distance traveled, the roads or conditions, that brothers and sisters after walking on carpet should choose to come and join us in walking in mud with like mind and purpose ; permitting that God should be manifested in your lives and give honor and glory to Him that deserves it. We love you and for the hundreds of things that you shared with all of us, we appreciate it and thank you so much. You will always be in our hearts. Oscar, Tamy and Lidia To read more articles inspired by the recent trip to Espabel, Nicaragua, click here. To view pictures from the trip, click here. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=398 "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." John 15:8 Before team Espabel left, there were months of preparation. At a group prayer meeting just days before our departure, the request for souls was at the forefront. I specifically asked Adam if our chief goal was for souls or God's glory. He answered "God's glory," which of course involved souls. I prepared in every way that I knew how - mentally, spiritually, and physically - for the trip. I had dreamed of a virgin jungle with large trees, fruit and flowers everywhere. My spiritual dreams were even more glorious than my jungle dream. Little brown-eyed girls seeing Tim Bolin's smile with a bright green parrot puppet and falling in love with the Word and thus coming to the saving knowledge of Christ, and fellow Nicaraguan workers to help us gather in the harvest. The adults hearing Brother Adam and Brother Scott preach were sure to be pricked to the heart and come to the knowledge of God's amazing grace. Reality was that in order to survive, the people had cut down the jungle and brought in cows. Some of the church members at Espabel get up at 3:00 AM on Sunday morning so they can go to their places to teach God's Word Sunday after Sunday. Tim did great with the puppet, but I could not operate the CD player and a rainstorm came on the tin roof preventing everyone from hearing a thing during the climax of the performance. So the self-examination began. If I was the "Jonah," let them throw me overboard now and save the crew! Everything that I touched seemed to fall apart. Nothing was going as planned. I quickly examined my heart and did all the "spiritual checks." Nothing showed up on radar. I was all "confessed up" and "prayed up." I kept trying. I prayed hard during each service, each testimony, every moment I could, but we did not see any souls saved. What was this about a "vine and fruit," Lord? Satan was very busy telling me how worthless and insignificant I was, that I was a product of the fall and I could never do anything right. I thought of how the people of Wyatt will think I have failed, by "no souls reported." How could I have even thought for a moment that I could be used by God? "Tina Kay, what a waste of time and money. What a terrible steward you are." I had forgotten an important fact from the 15th chapter of John: I am just supposed to abide in the Vine, and not try to force the fruit. On the mission trail, just like the path of a Sunday School teacher, an AWANA worker or any worker for the Lord, Satan whispers his lies to us. It seems the harder we work, the more he tries to deceive us. It was in the midst of one of his monologues about how much Lucy and I had in common, I remembered a Bible study Lori lead where Beth Moore had alluded to the fact that you become a slave to the one from whom you seek approval. I had placed myself under the yoke of works and man's evaluation of what is fruit. I was reminded of the question I had asked Adam: even if no souls are saved does God still get glory? I reread the 14th chapter of John not wanting to get into the 15th chapter out of context (yes, I was being that legalistic), and was reminded that Jesus' love is agape love that flows from what is right and best and the sweet surrender to the Holy Spirit. Even the capacity to love God is completely supernatural and totally divine, given to us by grace through the cross. I placed my faith in the fact that God was greater than my sinful heart. Every call for service is to place me in a position that God can bless. He reminded me that the exposure I get from each assigned task is as important as the accomplishment. As Satan kept sending his counter attacks, I reminded him with scripture that it is not wrong for me to feel certain disappointment as long as I kept obeying what God was telling me to do because God's glory is at stake - according to the 14th and 15th chapters of John. The trip to Wapi was certainly a God-glorifying thing. Again it was evident that all my physical preparation failed as I quickly got a sniff of diesel, causing my asthma to kick in and Mike to ban me to the car. The hours of walking, exercising and dieting leading up to the trip were now destined to a car sit. My pride was hurting very badly. I was totally useless now. But it was from this perspective that I was able to see the sap that flows through the vine covering the men of Wyatt, filling them with what they needed. They lived, "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me so have I loved you. Abide in my love....these things have I spoken to you that MY joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment that you love one another" (John 15:8-9, 11-12). They might not realize the miracles they experienced, but I saw the whole picture. I saw the fruit of the Spirit bursting forth as they showed love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22). God was being glorified in Espabel. I watched as the people from the countryside watched. They saw brothers in Christ who do not speak the same language producing the fruit of brotherly love where there could have easily been argument, and joyful peace where there should have been none. I am back to my dreaming again. Something in me tells me that someone who was discouraged at the church in Espabel needed to see all of that in order to be encouraged. That perhaps this Sunday at Sunday school a little brown-eyed girl will hear the Word, fall in love with it, and come to know the Lord. I had dreamed of Tim acting silly with a puppet, but God used him covered with mud instead. I dreamed of the perfect words flowing from our speakers' mouths, and yet God used "Uno, dos, tres, PUSH!" To God be the glory! To view pictures from the Espabel, Nicaragua trip, click here. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=396 By Tim Bolin As I awake on my first morning back from Nicaragua and at what has now become my normal wake up time, 6:30 am CST (5:30 am Nic time), I'm caught up thinking about lying in a hammock in the Templa Bautista in Espabel. One difference is that this morning I'm not being stirred by the sound of roosters crowing but instead by the sound of K-LOVE's inspiration. Thinking back, I actually enjoyed lying there in that hammock slightly swaying left to right and covered by a sheet that I pulled on me sometime during the nights sleep. My pillow always remained intact firmly in exactly the same position it was originally placed at about 10:30 pm the previous evening. Each morning began this same way. Little did I know that the start of my first day in Espabel would set the tone for each morning's arrival. In addition to beginning the way mentioned above, there was the first task of the day - the floor check. This is the process of seeing how much the hammock stretched during the night revealing my final elevation. The check is simple and not scientific whatsoever: 1) take arm out of hammock; 2) reach arm down; 3) attempt to touch the roughly finished, ant traveled, dirt splotched concrete floor without looking. The first morning, I didn't have to perform any of the steps. It was painfully obvious that I had hit bottom - literally. Although discouraged, I decided the next morning would be different. "I'm tying this thing up a little higher tonight and this won't happen again," I told myself. The next morning I knew I had succeeded; I just wasn't sure how well I had done. I put my steps into practice. Can you imagine my excitement as I discovered that my goal was met by the distance of my entire forearm? Wow! By this time I'm thinking, "Oh, yeah! I've got this thing in exactly the right position - no more sinking feelings for me!" Day three, I was overcome with the same enthusiasm as the previous day. I had done it again and was so excited that I'd made it. The only thing left to do was check my distance from the floor. "Maybe I should use Tyler's GPS to check my elevation; no, no, I don't have time for that. Okay, here goes…." Woah! Although not as fortunate as yesterday, I did succeed - by the length of my thumb! Thinking back on something as insignificant as waking in the morning in a hammock has taught me something. I used to wonder, how are people able to witness God in everything they see or in everything they do? After all, it's just a rainbow colored hammock. But if you look closer, is that all it is? The hammock was supported by the walls of His church; the walls of Christ's love. His compassion doesn't fail (Lam 3:22). It took faith to climb into that hammock and trust that the ropes were strong, that the knots would hold, and that I would not hit bottom. There was a time I did hit bottom, but, I overcame. There were times I was closer to hitting bottom than others. I rejoiced in those times. When my faith is not where it should be, when I'm not in the Word, when I haven't tied my life into Christ's life… I will hit bottom. There are days I'm flying high and soaring. There are also days I'm dangerously close to failing - some days as close as the length of my thumb. Christ will fix that. How is your hammock? To view pictures from the Espabel, Nicaragua trip, click here. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=393 By Adam Thomas Ecclesiastes 7:13 admonishes us to "Consider the work of God: for who can make straight, that which he hath made crooked?" The crooked paths that God ordains for man come in many forms. For some it comes as cancer. For others it comes in the form of the losing a loved one. But for 11 mission team members from Wyatt Baptist Church, it came in the form of a muddy path that leads from the village of Espabel to the town of Wapi. God has given our church the wonderful pleasure of working with missionaries Oscar and Tammy Gaitan in Catarina, Nicaragua. This was our church's third trip to Nicaragua, but the goal of this particular trip was to work in the village of Espabel for the first time. Espabel is a small village located deep in the Nicaraguan jungle. During the war it was the heart of the Contra army's territory. Besides former BMA missionary, Paul Robinson, we were the only Americans that had set foot in the area since the CIA was in the area training the Contras during the civil war 15 years ago. The village can only be reached for three months out of the year during the dry season. We spent 4 days preaching, giving testimonies, performing puppet shows, teaching hygiene, and meeting with church leaders. Our hearts were blessed beyond measure as we heard the Nicaraguans' testimonies of hardships and saw the church members' love for God. Little did we know, however, that God was preparing us for one of the greatest physical challenges of our lives. The journey from Espabel back to Catarina includes thirty miles of hilly, dirt road between village of Espabel and the town of Wapi, and then gravel or paved roads from there to Catarina. The night before we were to leave Espabel, a downpour of rain came, which was a very strange occurrence for the dry season. We waited a few extra hours in the morning to let the roads dry out, but the showers kept coming. We heard that there would be three more days of rain. We loaded up in our three trucks and headed towards Wapi. There were several men from the church in Espabel and a couple of mules that accompanied us for the ride out. Nothing could prepare us for the difficulty that the next two days would bring. Just one mile down the path, the trucks began to stall on the muddy hills. Thus began our long journey of getting out in the rain and pushing the trucks. Everyone - men and women - pushed with all their strength. The long journey was literally progressing only inches at a time! The situation was further complicated when one of the trucks ran out of gas. Therefore, we had to push the "dead" truck up the muddy hills without the help of its engine. On some hills, it took 18 people pushing and 4 mules pulling to get a truck to the top. Soon the mules were dispersed to carry men to look for gas, and so that left us to push on our own without the help of the animals. Taking a lesson from the mules, we cut poles and yoked ourselves to the truck and did our own pulling like human mules. We also used the poles as levers to push the truck from the rear. At times we felt like we could not go on, but somehow God would give us the mental and physical strength to go a few more inches. Inch after inch, mile after mile, river after river, hill after hill, we trudged on. By 11:00 that night and after 11 hours of traveling, we had made it only about 8 miles - and we still had 22 miles to go! Tammy informed us that one of the men who had been helping us along, who was not connected to the church of Espabel, had offered us his house for the night. Though we were strangers to this man, we decided that we needed rest after a long day. Just as we approached the house, the "bottom fell out" and the rain poured even harder. Soaking wet and covered with mud from head to toe, we made our way into the house. We were physically and emotionally drained. We had spent the weekend with the meekest of the earth. Now we were the meek. We nestled in on the crude wood floor among the chickens and the dogs. The floor was hard, but it was dry. As the rain roared on the tin roof, we thought of God's amazing provision. Never again would we read, "I was a stranger and you took me in" in the same way. Just a few hours later when the darkness broke and the roosters began to crow, we awoke in our own peculiar little "bed and breakfast" to a pot of rice. We filled our bellies with this simple provision of God's grace. With many thanks we returned to the trucks. God had not only provided rice for our bellies but also gas for the truck. The big question was, "Can we even make it to the good road in Wapi - much less in time for our flight home the next morning?" The progress was better but the pushing continued. The miles slowly went by. We heard reports from the locals that there was a big truck stuck in a river up ahead, and that we would not be able to get through. Our hearts sank as we approached the crest of one of the next hills and saw the huge truck stuck in the pass. Then we noticed a small bridge beside the truck. This was an odd thing - we had crossed countless rivers and not seen even one bridge. We marveled at God's amazing provision once again that in all the rivers on the path, the only bridge that existed was in the one spot that we needed it! Without this bridge, the journey would have been over. Although it was a horse bridge, it held the trucks as we crossed the river and bypassed the roadblock. We finally arrived in Wapi at 2:30 pm. The journey that normally would have taken 5 or 6 hours had taken us 26 hours. We still had 10 hours to get back to Oscar and Tammy's house in Catarina, but we knew that the God who had taken us through the crooked path from Espabel to Wapi could take us down the highway to Catarina. Our bodies were covered in mud, but our hearts were filled with the joy that only comes through the evidence of God's provision. We learned many lessons from this difficult journey, but one of the most profound lessons was that God's provision does not mean ease or comfort. On the crooked paths of life that He ordains, He sometimes provides inches instead of miles. Even when He hides Himself behind the veil of trial, He raises the veil long enough for us to catch glimpses of His grace. In one moment all hope seems gone and all we see is darkness, but the next moment He provides just enough light to give us hope to take that next step. Even when God makes our path crooked and instead of straight, He gives us the simple provisions that help us make it around the curves. Our journey was but one tiny drop of sacrifice in the ocean of suffering that has been accumulated in the name of making disciples of God of all nations. May all the glory be His, through both the crooked and straight paths of our lives. To view pictures from the Espabel, Nicaragua trip, click here. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=389 The eleven-member team that was sent out from our church a week ago is scheduled to arrive home today. Team Espabel has been ministering deep in the jungles of Nicaragua. Although the plan was for the team to be in the jungle from Thursday to Monday, flooding delayed their return until Tuesday night. Imagine the stories they will be able to tell! The report from the team is that they are all doing well and that the trip has been great. Continue to pray for the team, and for Bro. Max Adams and others who will be traveling to Shreveport today to pick them up from the airport. Team Espabel consists of Adam Thomas, Logan Brown, Mark Harmon, Mike & Tina Brown, Tim Bolin, Scott Attebery, John & Angelia Dolden, Kelly Bishop, and Tyler Williams. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=387 Interested in a summer mission trip? Wondering how to finance it? The Go! Scholarship fund exists to help Wyatt's missionaries finance their travels. Members of our church contribute to the fund monthly and scholarships are awarded every year. To print a Go! Scholarship application, click here. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=379 It's incredible that in less than three weeks our first mission team of 2007 will be leaving for the village of Espabel in Nicaragua. God has blessed us as a church so much already during this year, and the planning of this trip was no exception. Planning has also begun for three summer mission trips to Ukraine, Nicaragua, and Colorado. Please pray for the planning and preparation for all of our mission trips. Also pray for the hearts of all of our members who will travel to a mission field in 2007. More than anything, pray that God will receive glory in every aspect of these trips. More details will be available soon regarding the summer trips. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=368 The following is an email from Nicaraguan missionary Oscar Gaitan. On Sunday, February 11, we had the first baptisms for the Center of Life Baptist Missions of Managua and Empalme de San Benito. The Center of Life Mission of Tipitapa also joined us to have this special service. In one of the beautiful rivers of Nicaragua, Las Banderas River, about 45 km from Catarina, the three missions joined together in a special service instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, which is to teach and baptize. Eight young people were baptized, five from the Mission in Managua and three from the Empalme San Benito. We concluded the service praying for the leaders and the wives of each mission. Every mission has action centers, children's club and Celebration services on Sunday. Pray for the leaders of the three missions: Managua: Bro. Carlos and Blanca Martinez, Empalme de San Benito: Bro. Amado and Reyna Gomez, Tipitapa: Bro. Jose and Bernarda Martinez. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=342 The following is an email from Nicaraguan missionary Oscar Gaitan. I Would like to share the closing ceremony we had for the Institute. Monday, December 11 was our second graduation. 10 brothers and sisters finished their two years of study at the Bible Institute. Bro. Ramon Potosme was the best student and had the privilege of preaching to the congregation of more than 300 present. Also in the area of San Francisco Libre, 14 students finished their first year and are excited about starting their second year. For 2007, we will continue with the second year and open for new first year students. It is a joy to share that the graduates from 2005 are all serving in leadership. Three of them are working in missions and and two of them have started cell groups in their respective churches. I thank God that every year we have a great team of teachers that I am happy to be a part of. I am proud of them that not only do they live with a good testimony before God but they have a great ability to teach. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=343 The following is an email from Nicaraguan missionary Oscar Gaitan. MISSION: EL VIJAGUE About 120 km from the capital city of Managua came Bro. Pedro Torrez, pastor of this mission to share this beautiful testimony. A 14 year old young man was out hunting for rabbits and iguanas to eat with a friend. The other 13 year old young man went up to a higher spot while the son of Mrs. Lucia Treminio stayed at the bottom. The boy up at the top moved a rock and it came sliding down on top of Mrs. Lucia´s son killing him instantly. From that moment on, Mrs. Lucia´s husband became very sick and tried to commit suicide twice. He began drinking heavily and his wife always worried that he would take his life. One night she got down on her knees and asked God to help her husband with his liquor problem and his desire to kill himself. Her husband in the next few days quit drinking and resigned himself to the loss of his son. The next Sunday, she heard the songs from the mission and went toward the house where the services are held. That day, Mrs. Lucia accepted Christ as her Saviour. She said that she prayed with faith for her husband, but she also needed to have faith in Christ for salvation. That is why she came that day to the services. Now, her husband has agreed to marry her legally and she has asked to be baptized. On December 30, I will be traveling to this mission to have a Baptismal service. Mrs. Nicolasa Two Sundays ago in the Mission of Empalme de San Benito, Mrs. Incolaza accepted Christ as her Saviour at 81 years old. Since beginning this mission 5 months ago, I talked to several people asking them to pray for this lady. She was very devoted to Catholic mass every Sunday. She always showed love for Jesus, but after two months of faithfully attending the action center, while one of the Institute students preached the service, Mrs. Nicolasa gave her life to Christ. She shared with us that she has been very religious since she was a small child, but she now understood she needed Jesus. Bro. Amado Gomez family has done great work in their community. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=328 Recently Mount Union Baptist Church and First Baptist Church (Springhill, LA) have voted to participate in "Operation 750." Currently 4 churches are raising money for Oscar & Tammy Gaitan's Nicaragua Work Fund. This is 1/3 of the goal! Praise God for his blessings and pray for eight more churches to join this important project. For more information on "Operation 750," click here. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=279  Flash player is required to view presentation. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=278 God continues to bless the fundraising efforts of "Operation 750." The project has already been adopted by one church and many more are anticipated to follow. In October, Wyatt voted to sponsor the effort and on November 5th the church collected a generous offering in support of it. "Operation 750" is designed to raise work funds for Nicaraguan missionaries Oscar & Tammy Gaitan. The Gaitan's have been unable to travel to the United States for fundraising since the adoption of their daughter, Lydia. The paperwork necessary to secure a traveling visa for Lydia has been difficult to process. For this reason, churches are asked to adopt 1 month out of the year to raise and contribute $750 for the Gaitan's work fund. For more information about "Operation 750," contact the church office at info@wyattchurch.com or by calling 870-862-2619. To download an "Operation 750" facts sheet, click here. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=273 The following is an email from Nicaraguan Missionary, Oscar Gaitan. It has been four months since we have started a new action Center in the Empalme de San Benito. We have had an average of 35 people with children and adults. This Sunday, however, we were unable to have the action center because the daughter of Bro. Amado, whose house we meet in, had an accident with her husband on a motorcycle. I have visited them in the hospital. The husband is in very critical condition. He has lost one kidney and the other one is not functioning correctly. He is in his last hours of life. The wife has a serious brain injury and has fractured a leg. She needs a pin in her leg to be able to walk again. Her pin cost 700 dollars and the exams she needs are 150 dollars. They are very worried because they are a very poor family. I have just talked to them and the doctor says they need the pin urgently. I told them I would share their situation with the church and many others and God will supply their need. I would like for you to pray for this family, because even more than money we need to ask God to do His will in each and every moment. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=263 On Sunday Evening, October 1, Wyatt approved two new mission endeavors. First, the church will organize and support a new campaign called "Operation 750" to raise awareness and funds in South Arkansas churches on behalf of Nicaraguan missionaries Tammy and Oscar Gaitan. Second, the church voted to pursue a spring trip to Espabel, Nicaragua in order to provide spiritual and health instruction in the jungle. More information will be available soon. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=235 The following is from an email by Nicaraguan Missionary, Oscar Gaitan. (9-06) Again we want to share the work of God in Nicaragua. THE CLINIC EL BUEN SAMARITANO (GOOD SAMARITAN) The last week of August, Dr. Jose Abraham Zúniga was bitten on the hand by a dog. Because of this, he has been absent from the clinic. Dr. Villareal has taken over the days he gives consults. Your prayers for our brother and the work he does each day as he tends to patients physical needs with treatment as well as the message of salvation that is even more important. BAPTIST BIBLE INSTITUTE The second trimester of the Bible Institute ended on August 23 in Catarina and August 24 in San Francisco. In San Francisco, the teachers Oscar Gaitan, Javier Ruiz and Salvador Sanchez travel on Thursdays to meet the 14 students in this area. They are very encouraged and ready to finish their first year. In Catarina, there are 19 faithful students and probably 10 students who will be graduating this year. There are currently 6 teachers teaching in the institute in Catarina. The third trimester will begin the third week of September. MISSIONS The new mission at the Empalme de San Benito has been open for two and a half months now. We travel to this place every Sunday morning. We now go on the motorcycle since the car we have does not wish to take us to the missions any more. We have an action center as well as a kids club. My wife Tamy teaches the children while I lead the action center. Our average is about 12 adults and 15 children. Next weekend, I will be traveling to San Jorge, where Bro. Guillermo Balmaceda has also opened a new action center in this community. Our brother graduated last year from the Bible Institute. With the opening of these two new missions we now have a total of 10 missions. DROUGHT I am sharing with you a picture of Bro. Lester Acuña, Pastor of the church in Diria. Last week, with the help of his church, he traveled to the area of San Francisco to take food to the people in the different communities. The people planted their crops in hopes of rain, but drought set in. The talked to us with great concern and asked for our help with food. We are now gathering food to take to help them a second time at the end of this month. YOUR PRAYERS FOR NICARAGUA Last month I shared the critical situation we are living because of lack of funds for Nicaragua. I want to thank all the people and churches who immediately responded so that our work fund would not be affected for the month of August. I again share with you this need, since for the month of September we were able to raise only half of the funds necessary. I am certain the work of God will not stop especially in the areas of preaching His Word. However, we are having to make adjustments in the Bible Institute because we were unable to fund some of the costs. Your brother in Christ, Oscar Gaitan Picture 1: New mission in the Empalme de San Benito Picture 2: Students from the Institute in San Francisco working on their final exams Picture 3 and 4 : Bro. Lester Acuña delivering food. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=230 Dar Lee, BMA missionary to the Philippines, will speak in Wyatt's morning service on September 10th. The visit is in coordination with the Southwest Arkansas Mission Symposium on September 11-13. Dar Lee has served in the Philippines since 1988. In addition to her work there, Lee is also pioneering work in "Creative Access Nations" such as Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam. These nations forbid the entry of Christian missionaries requiring alternative legal means of entry to enable Christians to plant churches. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=219 Britt Har, Ukraine Every morning when I wake up and go upstairs there are so many youth sitting around the church reading their Bibles. It's so inspiring to see their dedication to the Lord and to see how much they value the Word. I really have enjoyed our small group times. I have learned so much more about our team members and it's been awesome to hear how they are being blessed by the people at camp. At 6:33 a.m. on Mondays, Slovik has a prayer group that meets. We got to meet with them on both of the Mondays. Hearing them pray is such a great experience. So many of the youth are so devoted to prayer and it really helps you see the power of prayer. Mark Harmon, Nicaragua I love fried cheese sticks, but I found out cheese sticks are definitely not the same all over the world. Be prepared if the missionary tells you, "it will only be a 20 minute walk". The 20 minute walk into El Riego ended up being a 2 hour bus ride, 1:30 minute flat bed truck ride and a 1 hour horse ride. It was refreshing to see how the church at Catarina is impacting their city. Approximately 1/5 of the population at church on Sunday. Also, the city council asked Oscar to be present at the council meeting. They wanted his input on health issues of the city. Pastor at Los Lamas had been the pastor since the church begin. He had never receive a salary from the church. He said, " there are 52 homes in this area," and when asked if he visited these homes, he said he had been in all 52 of them. I felt guilty when I thought about the homes around me that I've never knocked on the door. The discipline of the people to the Word was amazing! Wes Taylor, Ukraine I've been here less than 24 hours and I'm already so thankful for what I have at home in the United States. I don't want this trip to only be about making me realize how blessed I am. I know it's going to do that even much more than I thought. I also want to make a difference in the lives of some of these youth. I want them so see Christ in me. Had a great evening service and fellowship. Sang choruses and I recognized 2 of them so I sang in English; God of Wonders and Blessed Be The Name of the Lord. That was an incredible experience! If you walk around, drive around this country, the city, this neighborhood, you get the impression that this is a poor destitute country. Dirt streets, unkept yards, fences made out of anything. Things on the outside look like they probably did 50 years ago. But on the inside of homes, the churches, etc. things are beautiful and modern. Ukrainians seem to be more concerned with what is on the inside than what is on the outside. We Americans are sometimes more concerned with how things look on the outside. We can definitely apply this to our lives. Am I more concerned with what people see on the outside than I am with what is on the inside? Many times I would have to say Yes. I want to have the Ukrainian attitude. Mark Stringer, Nicaragua Even though the Nicaraguans are very poor people ( wealth) they are some of the richest people(spiritually) I have ever been around. Even though the Nicaraguans don't have many worldly possessions they are laying up their treasures in heaven. The Nicaraguans are very concerned about their neighbors' final destination ( heaven or hell ). How many of us are concerned and pray regularly and weep about or neighbors and families final destination? Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=217 On Sunday, August 6, Wyatt emphasized world missions. Bro. Grady Higgs, executive director of the BMA Missions Department, preached two challenging messages. Members of Wyatt's Nicaragua and Ukraine mission teams shared testimonies of God's work overseas. After the morning service, a Mission Fair displayed world evangelism efforts through exhibits, videos, and brochures. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=213 Pictures of Team Nicaragua's trip are now posted. Click here to see them. Team journal entries and other information will be posted soon under the "missions" link. Pictures of Team Ukraine's trip are also available under the "pictures" link. Both mission teams worked hard to share God's love around the globe this summer. Thank you to everyone who prayed for the teams, donated items for the trips, helped train team members, and supported them financially. Truly, our entire church traveled the globe this summer. Praise God for His faithfulness in our mission efforts! Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=210 Team Nicaragua arrived in Little Rock at 10:45pm on Monday, July 31. After a week full of exciting ministry opportunities, the team was eager to share stories of God's work in Central America with the airport welcoming team. Pictures and testimonies from the trip will be posted soon. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=204 Members of Team Nicaragua have been hard at work ministering this week. Here's an excerpt of a recent email: "Everyone is doing well here and our God is an Awesome God! We have had some great experiences that we can't wait to share. We have also learn how we can be a blessing in the future." Team Nicaragua will return on Monday July 31 at 8pm in Little Rock. Pray for their remaining time in Nicaragua and their safety in travel. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=201 The following is an excerpt from a recent Team Nicaragua email: We can not describe what our day was like today. We were told that there would be a 2 hr. bus ride, 30 minute truck ride and 30 minute walk. That 30 minute walk turned into 1:15 minute walk up the side of a mountain and through river bottoms. Pretty tough for our group, but we made it and were able to finish their roof, do a puppet show, Alex pulled 15 teeth, and Oscar baptized 3 adults in a river. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=198 Our Espabel, Nicaragua mission team is on the ground! You can encourage and check on them by posting to the Team Espabel Discussion Board. The discussion board requires a username and password for this website.  To apply for a username and password, click the link to the left. Once you have a username and password, login.  After you login, click on "groups" and "entire database."  Next, select "discussion."  Here you will find the forum for reading, posting, and replying to discussion topics. For questions regarding the discussion board, email info@wyattchurch.com Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=195 July 15, 2006, Kiev The seven member mission team from Wyatt to the Ukraine arrived in Kiev at approximately 5:30pm (9:30am CST). At 8:30pm, they will board a bus to travel twelve hours in route to a youth camp in the Crimea. Missionaries Andre and Laura Kanaykina estimate 80 students will attendt the camp. About 40% of the students profess Christ as savior. The remaining students are regular vistors to youth meetings. The camp will be an excellent opportunity to share the gospel and encourage fellow believers. Please pray for Team Ukraine as they travel and minister this week. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=187 Members of Wyatt's summer mission teams gathered on Saturday, July 1 to participate in "Bootcamp" training. The all-day event emphasized biblical missions, cultural issues, travel tips, and safety information. Several guest speakers presented information to the team mebers including missionary John David Smith, and Volunteer Student Missions leader T.J. Johnson. In addition to the speaker's presentations, team members participated in "learning games" such as the "airport relay" and "survival night." To see pictures from Bootcamp, click here. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16 http://www.wyattchurch.com/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=16&article_id=175 June 2006 Aloha ~ Greetings from the Kakilalas! It is hard to believe we have entered our fourth month here in Hawaii. We truly appreciate your prayers on our behalf. God continues to touch people's hearts as they respond to the Spirit and accept Christ as their Savior. We have come to realize that health crisis is no respecter of persons and visiting the local hospital is a wonderful opportunity to meet people who are searching for help. Not only are patients willing to listen, but extended family and friends. What a great opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. The number of people praying to accept Christ as Savior is now at 205. God's grace is amazing! Please join us in praying that these new converts will see the need for growth through Bible Study. Many in Hawaii have two jobs in order to survive the high cost of living in Hawaii and they are reluctant to commit to a scheduled Bible Study. We are currently meeting on Sunday afternoon for Bible Study in Nanakuli, HI in the home of a Samoan family. This large family came to Christ one by one while the mother was in the hospital. Mrs. Foniti was able to go home and is now amazing the doctors by her gained strength inspite of the cancer throughout her body. God's grace is amazing! Perhaps you knew that we had to leave our piano in Walla Walla, WA. The Kakilala kids took every opportunity to play church pianos while on deputation. After getting settled into our home in Hawaii they felt the loss. Susann was searching the classified ads on a daily basis for pianos and jobs that she might find to save money for one. Well, when a dear friend in Texas found out about this she set out to raise money for a piano. We visited the Piano Outlet Store. To make a long story short- the piano salesman prayed in the store and is now attending our Monday night Bible Study. Dave loves music, and he will be a great asset as he learns worship songs. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. And- we now have a piano that is paid in full. What a joy to hear piano music again! Mother's Day was memorable for us. After church we decide to visit some Open Houses. That was how we met Eric, the realtor. God opened the door and after hearing the Gospel Eric prayed to get saved! Eric was willing to come to Bible study on Monday night. Before leaving he said that was the first time he opened a Bible to read it. Wow! He said he learned so much in just a short time. God's grace is amazing! Ali'i Baptist Church - The missions office urged us to decide upon a name and open up a checking account so this is now our official name. Ali'i is a Hawaiian word that means royal. We thought it was most appropriate since we are children of the King of Kings. On a personal note: Susann celebrated her 16th birthday on April 27th. God allowed both grandmothers to be here for this special time. Now Susann is enrolled in Driver's Training- how would you like to learn to drive in Hawaii's traffic? Charisa and Matthew are waiting acceptance to the Online Charter School that is done in the home offered by the public school system. Susann will continue her advanced classes through Lighthouse Christian Academy in Florida using the A.C.E. material. Lisa has just accepted a 2nd grade teaching position at Lanikila Christian School that will begin in August. Justine will attend the Daycare on the same campus and join the Dusza girls. We look forward to seeing God do a mighty work here on the island of O'ahu. We pray that God will call mature Christians to join us in this effort. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:13:56 MST