Blog

As Christians, we are commanded to spread the gospel to every tribe, nation, and tongue. We are called to go, send, and support.

Depending on your individual circumstances, overseas travel may not be right for you. But, since begining our partnership with Food for the Hungry in Bolivia more than 10 years ago, it has been right for more than 70 of our congregation! An astonishing number for the size of our church!

But not everyone has to travel overseas to be a part of mission work! Many others participate locally, through prayer, encouragement, financial contributions, sponsoring children in Bolivia, and participating on our Missions Team. Our church was founded years ago by a group of believers who thought missions programs were a critically important part of our being Christians, this commitment carries on today.

We have designed our missions program to spread the gospel locally, overseas through organized short-term mission trips, and through engagement of native missionaries in remote areas of the world. Below are short descriptions of some of our missions’ programs.

Juntos is a program located in Albuquerque’s International District. They focus on reaching at risk youth by giving them a place and programs where they can be safe while hearing and reading God’s Word. As part of the Navigators urban ministry, paid Navigator staff work with volunteers from several partner churches, including MCC, to provide evening, after school and summer programs to more than 100 regularly attending youth. This year with generous giving from our church, we are supporting a new program of workshops requested by the youth to introduce them to art, cartooning, pottery, wood working, and robotics.

International Students, Inc. (ISI) is a faith-based program at the University of New Mexico providing support to newly arriving international students from all over the world. With approximately 500 international students attending UNM each year, the opportunity to reach out and welcome new students is significant. ISI provides furniture, beds, housewares, transportation assistance, English training, Bible studies, and mentoring through volunteers who have a heart for working with international students.

Bolivia, through our relationship with Food for the Hungry, has been a vital MCC missions program for more than ten years. A short-term mission trip is held each year, usually in March/April. FH works with our team leader to organize the activities of these week-long visits to Villa Margarita near Sucre, Bolivia. These trips are about relationships that are led by the Holy Spirit to be transformational both for those who go from MCC and the Bolivians they meet in country. 

Reaching unreached people, primarily in Peru and Ethiopia, is another focus of the MCC Missions Program. In Peru we work with a local organization (AMFA) to bring clean water to remote and mostly forgotten villages in the jungles where the Amazon River starts. As part of the team that drills and constructs the well, a native pastor teaches the gospel and shares about Jesus Christ through oral teaching and the Jesus movie. In Ethiopia, we support four native missionary pastors who have traveled to remote regions to share the gospel and plant churches in remote villages. In both Peru and Ethiopia, our efforts are bringing souls to Christ while transforming lives and communities.

As you can see, having a missional focus can take you across the world or just to Albuquerque. The programs with Juntos and ISI are a good starting point for becoming involved in our missions programs locally. If overseas travel is appealing, then joining our annual short-term mission trip to Bolivia is a great way to participate in a well-organized trip working with FH staff and our team leader in Villa Margarita Bolivia. Our missions programs in Peru and Ethiopia need prayer support and financial support. The native missionary pastors we support face many challenges including disease, venomous snakes and dangerous animals, armed robbers and attackers, and resistance from witch doctors.

I hope you are encouraged to learn more about our missions programs and to get involved. Please see me, Tom O'brien, or any member of our missions team (Emily Gray, Jake Gray, Sami Guiterrez, Tom Young, Vince Tidwell, Joann Talent, and Jennifer Ward) to ask questions or learn more about MCC Missions.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 28:19

Meet Demeke!  He is another one of our Hawassa graduates, and one who will be co-teaching with us this week.  Over my visits in the last four years, he has become a friend.
Since I was arriving later than the rest of our TLI training team, Demeke was dispatched to the airport to come and receive me. His was the first friendly face that I had seen in many long, harrowing, and weary hours of traveling.
After a rich welcome, we began the bumpy crawl of a drive back towards Shashemene.  In the front seat of the van, as we sat nearly on top of one another, I learned a new part of his story.

You see, Demeke has a great sense of humor; but also a fierce seriousness about the things of God.  In part, that’s because he used to think that he was serving the Lord, when really he was working on the other side.

Demeke grew up in a family that was Ethiopian Orthodox, a church that has deep roots here.  To this day, his elderly mother is an Orthodox monk. 

Demeke was zealous in his faith as a young man, and even persecuted evangelical Christians.  He led others to do the same, and they followed.  At one time, he was responsible for the burning of the homes of 35 Christian families, and the dispersal of their belongings.

This man has since been won to Christ, and been in his service for many years.  He now pastors, and mentors missionaries.  In fact, he currently supports our four native MCC missionaries - Epheson, Beyene, Tesfaye, and Henoke.

Demeke continues to grow as a faithful teacher of God’s Word.  He is an integral part of God’s church here in Africa.Please pray for Demeke, and all of the Ethiopian graduates who will be co-teaching next week.  They are learning quickly, and we are also learning a great deal from them.

Pastor Frank Malizzo is currently serving with Training Leaders International in Ethiopia. Join us as he shares about the people, lessons and experiences that God lays before him throughout his short-term mission trip.

Meet Gidaju! He is one of the leaders of the church here, and a key part of our training in Ethiopia this week. He is preparing with us to co-lead in our next theology course.

Early on, Gidaju was nearly taken from this world. But the Lord had other plans, and rescued him for a reason.

You see, Gidaju’s parents had seven children already. When they found out that they were pregnant with Gidaju, they decided that they could not handle any more. So, his mother was given a saline injection to get rid of him.

It did not work.

Then, they went to another doctor, where she was given a medicine to drink that was meant to induce an abortion.

But boils broke out all over her body.

Gidaju’s father then decided that God must not want them to get rid of this baby. So they carried Gidaju to term, and he was born healthy - miraculously! After that, they decided to allow God to lead, and they had two more children.

In time, Gidaju’s older brother would come to trust in Christ, and begin to follow Him. Then Gidaju did the same. Eventually, all of his siblings became followers of Jesus Christ. Last of all, his parents also came to believe.

Clearly, the Lord has a reason for rescuing Gidaju, and He is not done with him yet!

You might find it interesting, though, as you learn about the meaning of his name. It is rather ironic, given his humble demeanor.

With his surprising origin, Gidaju’s parents named him, “forceful one”.

Please pray for Gidaju, and all of the Ethiopian graduates who will be co-teaching with us next week. They are learning quickly, and we are also learning a great deal from them.

Five loaves and two fishes. You remember the story right?

Jesus had crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee and a crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. When Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down with his disciples he saw the great crowd coming toward him, and asked Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Simon Peter’s brother Andrew, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (paraphrased from John 6:1-9)

Just as the boy who gave the bread and fish never thought his meager offering would be enough, I wondered how my tiny contribution could make a difference in a country as big as Bolivia during a mission trip there in March. I knew exactly what he felt like!

Throughout the trip I wondered:

“How can conversations using my limited Spanish vocabulary have any Eternal impact?”

I don’t know but I did have fun helping Dakota Powell's sponsor child practice her English homework, I enjoyed getting to know the mothers in the Savings Group by asking them about their children and I enjoyed teaching a group of children about savings.  All in broken English, usually through a translator, but always hopeful that God’s love would shine through me and shower them with His affection.

“Did hiking alongside 14-year-old Tatiana really have eternal significance?”

Again, I don't know, but I learned that Tatiana loves all kinds of flowers and that her favorite animal is a rabbit and for that day she had the full attention of one person who really wanted to get to know her and share the love of Jesus with her.

“How can sewing a hem into a sheet of plastic while telling our bus driver about my pets (because that is the only vocabulary that I knew) make a difference?”

Still, I don't know, but through our translator he shared that he and his wife have lost two babies and I was able to use that time, and my broken Spanish, to encourage him.

So that big question that continually pestered me throughout the trip: “How can my tiny contribution make a difference in a country as big as Bolivia?” I never actually found a concrete answer to that but I do know that I loved communicating with the children, FH staff and people I met in Villa Margarita and God taught me so much about myself and showed me what I COULD do in the midst of everything I was afraid I couldn’t! It seems small but it grew my faith!

And, do you remember the end of the story about the boy who gave the loaves and the fishes?

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There were about five thousand men were there and some likely had family. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. (paraphrased from John 6:10-14)

My trip to Bolivia may not have had the same obvious abundance, at least not that everyone else could see, but it taught me that God can use me just the way I am, I don't have to try to be like somebody else; I need to be willing to do what he asks and trust Him with the results.

If you are interested in learning more about Nicole's trip, or other missions trips at MCC, join us Wednesday, May 16th at 6pm at MCC for a Mission's in Focus program where we will be talking about mission trips to Guatemala, Bolivia and the Czech Republic as well as MCC's Business as Missions program. Contact Jennifer Ward for more information about that event!