God’s Passion

Reaching the world

Issue 3 Fall 2006

Fall 2006

In This IssuePresident’s Column ...................................................3

To Spain with Love ..................................................4

The Passion Goes On and On ....................................6

Souls at Stake, not Sandwiches ...............................8

The Latest ..............................................................11

“Thou Shalt Love Him as Thyself” ...........................12

From Mission Field to Missionary Force ..................14

Honor and Memorial Gifts ......................................15

Larry Windle – President

Bob Kracht – Managing Editor

Dottie Medlin – Editor

Doug Roeglin – Art Director

Purpose: To make God’s people aware of the needs of the Hispanic World and the role that Rio Grande Bible Institute serves to provide godly Christian leadership.

Subscriptions: This publication is sent without charge and is sustained by voluntary contributions. Send requests, cancellations and address changes to Development Department, Rio Grande Bible Institute, 4300 S. Business Hwy 281, Edinburg, TX 78539 U.S.A., phone: 956-380-8100, fax: 956-380-8256, E-mail: rgbimail@riogrande.edu

Permission: Written permission is required for reproduction in whole or in part. Address inquiries to: Rio Grande Editor, 4300 S. Business Hwy 281, Edinburg, TX 78539 U.S.A.

© 2006 Rio Grande Bible Institute All rights reserved.Printed in USA

Rio Grande Bible Institute RGBI Canada4300 S. Business Hwy 281 Box 2253Edinburg, TX 78539 Winnipeg, MB R3C 4A6956-380-8100fax: 956-380-8256 Rio Grande Bookstorewww.riogrande.edu 4300 S. Business Hwy 281 Edinburg, TX 78539Bibleville Conference Grounds 956-380-81351346 N. Cesar Chavez Road bookstore@riogrande.eduAlamo, TX 78516-6895 956-787-2024Bibleville@riogrande.edu

President’s Column

“Good morning, Father!” “I’m sorry,” I replied to the young

stranger who had spoken, “but I am not a priest. I am an evangelical pastor.”

His smile grew even wider. “I know that you are not a priest,” he acknowledged, “but you are my spiri-tual father. Remember a couple of months ago when you held an evangelistic service in a little clearing in the jungle in Brecha 10? I was standing in the jungle listening, and I accepted Jesus as my Savior!”

After a brief, pleasant visit, I dropped a question on him: “Hector, do you have a Bible?” Seeing him en-thusiastically pull one from his hand-woven woolen bag, I continued, “It is very important for believers to read the Bible every day. God uses it to teach us about Himself.”

Hector explained that he read the Word each day, morning and evening; he shared what wonderful things he was learning in these quiet times.

“Hector,” I challenged, “there is an important habit that you need to cultivate. Those things that you learn from the Lord each day, you need to share with others, so that they too will know God.”

“I am so glad to hear that!” he responded. “I have been sharing them with my neighbors. Some of them are happy to hear the good news from the Bible, and nine have put their trust in Jesus. Others get angry with me for telling them what I am learning.” He seemed to momentarily struggle to formulate his thoughts, then continued. “I met a man the other day who said he was a Christian, but he had never shared his faith in Christ with anyone. Is it possible to be a Christian and never share your faith?” He looked at me questioningly.

“Yes,” I replied. “Theoretically, it is possible to be a silent Christian, but that is not what God wants.”

“Doesn’t it hurt God’s heart when His people re-fuse to share Him with others?” he persisted.

“Yes,” I had to agree sadly. “It hurts His heart very much when His children refuse to tell others.”

Brethren, Christ Jesus came into the world to re-veal God to man, to destroy the works of Satan, and to make the supreme sacrifice to save sinners from sin and eternal death. A passion for souls reflects the heartbeat of God! Those who don’t have that passion, who don’t yearn to see God’s truth revealed to all mankind, and who don’t care to enter into the spiritual warfare of the Christian walk, are not allowing the Word to radically transform them (Rom. 12:2).

The calling of the Rio Grande Bible Institute is to train godly leaders who will share the truth of God’s Word with faithfulness and will help to coordinate the Spirit-wrought missionary zeal that will necessarily emerge as believers embrace the values and passion of the Cross.

Ever increasing challenges face today’s mission-ary efforts: the high cost of missionary support, diffi-culties in obtaining visas, prevalence of political insta-bility, social unrest, and a growing resurgence of world religions such as Buddhism and Islam. How do we respond? First, we commit ourselves to the authority of Scripture; second, we reaffirm the lostness of man apart from Jesus Christ; third, we embrace the fact that salvation is in Jesus Christ alone; fourth, we de-clare our reliance on prayer. Finally, we must pour our Spirit-motivated passion into obedient action towards the end of making disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20)

Despite the challenges, we are encouraged! We continue to see hearts that are open to the Gospel! In answer to the prayers of His saints, God is raising up an army of harvesters! How exciting to see that many missionaries who will reach the next generation of Christians are coming from the third-world church. Godly leaders in the Spanish-speaking church are helping believers to mature spiritually. The natural outflow of such maturity is involvement in missions. Brethren, pray with us that God would call out, ma-ture, and send laborers into His harvest fields!

In His ministry,

Lawrence B. WindlePresident

P. S. I would love to send you a complementary copy of “Let’s Remember...” a documentary of Rio Grande Bible Institute’s first 60 years of ministry. This film, available in DVD or VHS tape, produced by our own video department, contains never-before-published historic footage of founder M.C. Ehlert plus interviews with several of our former presidents and staff. I highly recommend it. I’ll send you a copy if you simply write to me or call Esther at 956-316-8092. I look forward to hear-ing from you. May the Lord bless you.

Jesus’ command, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel . . .” has taken the Quiroz family from Ecuador to Málaga, Spain. César and Luz (Villacis) Quiroz, 1987 Rio Grande Bible Institute graduates, served faithfully in the pastorate in their home country until the Lord’s call redirected them last year. Firm biblical training received at RGBI necessarily includes a strong mis-sions emphasis that has carried more than one graduate to other countries, cultures, and religions. The Quirozes and others featured in this issue have discovered both the trials and greater joys of following the Master wherever He leads. Our cover shows César standing inside a mosque in Málaga. Their family, pictured here, includes (left to right) Priscila (16), César, Luz, Josué (11), and Rebeca (14). Cover photo by Sam Dick.

2 Rio Grande Magazine Rio Grande Magazine �

About the Cover

Reflecting the Heartbeat of God

Floyd

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Vicky

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César Quiroz, ’87 RGBI graduate

It was August of 2005. My family and I were arriving in southern Spain. As I surveyed its lovely coastline, I marveled that a desire God had earlier placed in my heart was becoming a reality eighteen years later!

In the summer of 1987, I was facing my last semester at Rio Grande Bible Institute when the Lord added an exciting, practical opportunity to my ministry experience. It was a trip to Spain with Operation Mobilization, a mission agency that operates ships going to more than 100 countries, carrying missionaries to share God’s unchanging truth with millions. Our immediate purpose was to distribute literature to Muslims crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. Although our focus at that time was the Arab world, as I traveled around the southern part of this beautiful country I became aware of its great spiritual need. God used that awareness to awaken in me a longing to return to Spain some day to make disciples for Jesus Christ. Now, in 2005, it was happening!

Upon graduating from RGBI, I returned to my country, Ecuador, where in February of 1988 I married Luz Villacis, a 1987 RGBI graduate. God gave us the privilege of serving Him in pas-toral ministry and later on in leadership train-ing and mentoring as a part of Avant Ministries. Throughout those years we felt the strong con-viction that God wanted us to serve Him in Ecuador, strengthening His church there.

Later, however, when Avant Ministries sharpened its focus to reaching people groups or countries with less than 2% of believers, it prompted us to pursue a different direction. After much prayer, two things became evident. First, God had blessed the missionary service in Ecuador so that the percentage of Christian believers was well over 2%; the church was ap-proaching a mature stage. Second, our particu-lar missionary involvement there was coming to an end. After we had prayed and waited on the Lord, He confirmed through our leaders that we should move to Spain with seven other individu-als in a short-cycle church planting team.

The “dream”—delayed but fulfilledOnce we had made this decision, we were anxious to ar-

rive in our new place of service. To our dismay, many delays awaited us! At one point, we even thought we would not be able to travel to Spain with our three children, Priscila (16), Rebeca (13), and Josué (11)! The visa process was long and complicated and it took fifteen months of waiting, with a trip to Ecuador, three trips to the Spanish Consulate in Chicago, and a couple of trips to the police office here in Málaga to have a residence card in our hands.

We finally arrived in 2005, full of anticipation. As with most missionaries who go outside their own borders, there were many unanticipated hurdles. The separation from rela-tives, church, and friends hit us hard. Our older daughters were greatly affected by leaving their friends in the USA and Ecuador and coming to a country in which they had never been. The knowledge of Spanish as our first language helped us communicate with the people. Nevertheless, culture shock was a vivid reality. The friendliness and openness of our cul-ture contrasted greatly with the seemingly cold, hermetic life-style of most Spaniards. Day by day, we continue adapting and learning how to break barriers to get the message through. Yet, the joy of seeing God at work in our own family, people hearing the good news for the first time and being saved, and believers growing in the knowledge of the Lord make it worth the trials.

The challengeSpain has more than 2000 years of history. Cultures such

as Roman, Arab, and others have made great contributions to what Spain is today. In one of Málaga’s historical sites, we can see an amphitheatre from Roman times at the bottom of a hill,

and at the top, the Alcazaba, one of the many Arab castles in this region. In spite of its rich cultural background, Spain has lived in spiritual darkness for almost its entire life. Though the light of the Gospel has shone sporadically here throughout the last two millennia, for the most part it was firmly sup-pressed by the fanaticism and zeal of Roman Catholicism. The Spanish Inquisition was one of the most radical practices used by the Catholic Church to stop “heretics” from propagating their beliefs.

Today, with more than 40 million residents, Spain still boasts of a large adherence to the Roman Catholic Church. Nevertheless, postmodernism and human secularism, added to disenchantment with the “Mother Church,” have caused a new generation of Spaniards to drift away from Catholicism—and from God. This has left a major void in the people. However, years of tradition and prejudice against other “sects” (includ-ing evangelicals) make Spaniards reticent to embrace the good news of the Gospel.

The goal enlargesEvery year Spain receives millions of tourists from around

Europe and the world. As Spain is geographically close to North Africa, a number of mission organizations focusing on that area are located in this country. Our team’s vision is to see biblically healthy and mature churches reproduced among the Spaniards. We want to see strong churches affecting every aspect of Spanish society and vibrant believers reaching their neighbors. We want to see Christian Spaniards accepting the Great Commission as their responsibility.

Only 0.5% of Spain’s population claims to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The task before us seems gigantic. In spite of many difficulties in our efforts to establish His church, it is amazing to see God’s Spirit open-ing doors and touching lives. Since the arrival of our team last summer, more than 20 individuals have placed their trust in Jesus for salvation and many others have heard the Good News. It is exciting to see how the individuals with whom we are working are embracing evangelism and discipleship as their lifestyle. The progress seems slow but steady. We rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, believing that Jesus Christ is building His Church in this country and that the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

As we seek to continue following our Lord’s call wherever He leads, our hearts overflow with thankfulness to Him for making us participants of His harvest in this needy country.

Cesar QuirozIn addition to his training at RGBI (BI ‘87), César received his master’s from Briercrest Biblical Seminary in Caronport, Saskatchewan, Canada. While in Ecuador, he was dean of a Bible Institute for a time, fulfilled the role of a field pastor to other pastors, and performed many leadership training duties. His wife Luz (Villacis, BI ‘87) has served alongside him with a strong ministry to women, having trained as a Christian counselor.

The stadium in Málaga, Spain, is the venue for bullfighting and other public events. Facing page - Cesar shares God’s Word with students at camp.

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God called from ecuador...

Sam

Dick

To Spain wiTh love

Some mission fields

closed to many North

Americans are wide

open to Latinos .

Luz Q

uiroz

Sam

Dick

Carlos and Evelyn Ruiz

“Some day I’m going back to Ecuador to start a mission agency so my friends there can become missionar-ies,” promised Evelyn (Delgado, my fiancée at the time).

Evelyn had graduated from Rio Grande Bible Institute in 1996 with missions as her primary focus. Continuing that interest, she was now in Brazil, serving a one-year term with a mission board from the United States. The agen-cy had done everything it could to accommodate her as an Ecuadorian, but it was obvious to ev-eryone that structures for Latino missionaries were severely lacking. Meanwhile, I, Carlos, was in seminary in Guatemala, sharing her missions vision while waiting for her.

We were married after the completion of her term in Brazil, and I completed my seminary studies in Guatemala. Surely, we thought, we

could find a missionary organization that would sponsor us in Ecuador to start a mission agency! But no—every door we tried slammed shut.

We returned on our own to Quito, Ecuador, and spent a year visiting churches, mission groups, and Bible schools—seeking, seeking for God’s ongoing path from there. One day a friend said, “You need to meet Jeff Hahn.” Jeff, director of the team of missionaries with SIM (Serving In Mission) in Ecuador, Chile, and Peru, had expe-rienced a “closed door” of his own. The environ-ment in his area of intended ministry caused him extreme illness; for that reason he was now living in Quito.

Jeff had recently formed a council of Latin Americans to evaluate Ecuadorian candidates desiring to be SIM missionaries. As he showed us the vision statement of the SIM Ecuador team and we shared ours with him, we knew our Lord had orchestrated our meeting. Only God could have brought together two visions so identical!

Since that day, doors have opened rapidly.

They kept on knocking

and the door was opened.

Carlos and Evelyn Ruiz are surrounded by their site for home and ministry, the large city of Quito, Ecuador.

Within four months we applied to SIM-USA and were accepted as missionaries to serve in the newest SIM Sending sub-Council.

Our basic vision all along has been to encourage and equip the local church-es to be able to understand and fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus. Though the theme of missions in our Ecuadorian churches is still not well developed and there is much to do, we thank God for those churches and pastors that are working diligently in promoting trans-cultural missions. As leaders in this emerging missions movement, we are focused on two principal areas:

Recruitment of new missionar-ies. We have met many who say, “I know that God is calling me to the mission field but I don’t know where to begin.” When such people come to us, we thank God that we are here! We realize that our office can be much help to them; the goal is to help each one find the best way to serve as a missionary and at the same time, offer a stable plan for sending them.Missionary mobilization. It is our strong desire that the church of Ecuador understand its responsibil-ity for fulfilling Jesus’ commission to preach the gospel in “Jerusalem, . . . Judea, . . . Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (See Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:19-20) Only in this way will we have missionaries that go out with adequate support and good pastoral care. We are praying now for a mo-bilizing team.

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Activities that assist in mobilizing are study courses, workshops, mission-ary conferences, and exploratory mis-sion trips. One particularly satisfying event in which we participated this year was Latina 2006, where about 350 youth from more than twelve nationalities sought God’s direction for serving Him through their professions.

Since coming to Ecuador, we have been so encouraged to see how the Lord continues to call more and more Latinos to the mission field. The lack of a stable structure for sending them has limited the number we have been able to send, but we are thankful to God for the vi-sion and His perfect timing. Our agency has had more than 100 years of experi-ence in helping churches of Africa, Asia, and America to understand and put into practice the Great Commission. That command sends us not only to share the Gospel, but also to make faithful disci-ples of all nations. The Ruiz family is ex-cited to be a part of helping Ecuadorians participate in this task and privilege!

Carlos and Evelyn Ruiz1996 RGBI alumna Evelyn (Delgado) Ruiz serves in her native Ecuador with husband Carlos. Their missions vision includes encourag-ing and equipping local churches to understand and fulfill the Great Commission.

Because it is our desire that more people be a part of this ministry, we share the following prayer petitions:

That Ecuadorian churches will awaken to their Great Commission responsibilities.

For a team of mobilizers to help us in the task of missionary awareness.

For financial resources for candidates we have in process. The raising of funds is a very difficult topic in local churches.

»

»

»

For Prayer:

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The Passion Goes On

and On

Bob K

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Bob K

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gry. When it’s lunchtime, you eat; life is that simple. They returned with their food and His. “In the meantime His disci-ples urged Him, saying, “‘Rabbi, eat.’” (31) Then came the rebuke: “I have food to eat of which you do not know . . . My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. (34) Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? . . .” (35)

Jesus says in a most positive way that those who labor will reap a harvest, gathering fruit to eternal life. (36) The rebuke of the disciples seems rather mild. We might have expected a much stiffer rebuke. But our Lord, while mild, is also urgent. You don’t have four months. The Samaritans are here and now, at our doorstep. Don’t let the legitimacy of hunger or the reality of racial prejudice blind your vision. Souls are at stake, not sandwiches.

What are the parallels of Jesus’ words today for the North American church? They cry out for urgency and action. For more than a century and a half, the sending churches of North America have sensed their responsibility to send others. It was easier to send the young who volunteered. After all, afflu-ence makes it easy to give dollars and say, “I’ve done my part.”

But now the world of missions has come to our doorstep. The church can no longer conveniently discharge its mis-sionary duty with a few dollars or the occasional two-week mission trip. More is required than the minimal approach of the disciples. Hispanics statistically lead the way as “the new mission field in our own backyard.”

When we left our hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, there were no Hispanic churches, but today there are several, including one pastored by Luis and Blanca Infantes (RGBI alumni ’02).

Why did the disciples lack vision? They saw exactly what Jesus saw, but they had no eyes to see, nor ears to hear. They only saw themselves, their immedi-ate physical needs. In essence they were self-centered, not Christ-centered. Prior to Pentecost they lacked that power to be witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Even if they could excuse themselves then, we cannot excuse ourselves today. The Holy Spirit has come and He will make us His witnesses. (Acts 1:8)

The dynamic of the Cross that can-celled our old priorities of the self-love, self-centeredness, and self-satisfaction, has not been preached nor practiced among us as it should have been. Yes, in men and women like David Brainerd (American Indians), Adoniram Judson (Burma), Mary Slessor (Africa), Hudson Taylor (China), Amy Carmichael (India), and five martyrs in Ecuador, there have been those who have blazed the trail. Will we be followers?

We must see our Hispanic mission first as God sees it. It is time to face our smugness and affluence and recognize that we share more with the disciples of Jesus than with Jesus Himself.

*All Scripture references are from the New King James Version.

Dr. Gordon E. JohnsonSince arriving at RGBI in 1954, Dr. Johnson has served as professor, Academic Dean, and President, as well as friend and mentor to hundreds of students. He has voluntarily added to his teaching duties a monthly person-al ministry to some 450 alumni around the world through e-mail. Frequent personal visits to these alumni, conferences, and preach-ing/teaching meetings on their fields keep him happily busy.

Dr. Gordon Johnson, President Emeritus and Professor

“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” ( John 4:35*) These words of implicit rebuke were addressed to Jesus’ disciples, who could not and would not see the harvest all around them. Before we are too judgmental of the disciples, we need to look around us. The Hispanic mission field has come to our door.

Early in Jesus’ ministry He journeyed from Nazareth to Jerusalem. John pointedly says, “But He needed to go through Samaria.” (4:4) At first thought, it seems to say so little, but it means so much.

What did Jesus see? He was to meet a Samaritan woman in desperate need. He was to give His disciples their first lesson in missions and break with the mindset that they had as Jews. He was modeling the heart of God, not only for His disciples, but beyond them to others, includ-ing us. That was his mission.

The much-traveled, normal route south was to avoid Samaria, a despised people and place. I can imagine that Jesus’ travel route raised some questions among the disciples. They probably discussed it among themselves, fearing that any specific comment would question the Master’s choice. But they accepted the unusual route and gave it no more thought than “Let´s get this over with and on our way to Jerusalem.”

What did the disciples see? They saw noth-ing of particular interest, because they were hun-

You don't have four months. The

Samaritans are here and now, at our

doorstep.

� Rio Grande Magazine Rio Grande Magazine �

Souls at Stake, not Sandwiches

It takes more than Bible teachers to train godly leaders. In fact, many other men and women at Rio Grande Bible Institute work “behind the scenes” to keep the campus running smoothly -- and they need YOU! Are you ready to consider joining this team?

Current openings at Rio Grande Bible Institute include:Spanish/English Bilingual Administrative AssistantHVAC TechnicianComputer Help Desk TechnicianCataloging LibrarianPlumberGraphic DesignerBroadcast Engineer

Applicants must be dedicated, called of God to the mis-sion field, and excited about being a part of the team committed to training godly leaders for the Spanish-speaking world.

Please contact the Director of Personnel at (��6) ��0-�1�� or via e-mail at personnel@riogrande.edu for more details.

•••••••

Are you ready to consider joining this team?

Left:

Bob K

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Righ

t: Art

Explo

sion s

tock p

hotos

Sporting their new Pastor’s Conference shirts, this group paused for a photographic memory of the 2006 bi-annual event in May. Pastors and other Christian lead-ers shared experiences concerning counseling in many areas of life for which they are consulted. Workshops and general sessions provided inspiration and encour-agement for the ministries of the approximately 240 Hispanic pastors and wives registered. In addition, more than 600 attended the evening sessions with guest speaker David Hormachea.

Eight students and Professor Aaron Juett ac-companied students Jacqueline Guzmán and Esmelda Amarante to their home church and coun-try of the Dominican Republic in July to share the gospel and to minister. Through evangelistic visita-tion, drama, music, mime presentations, Vacation Bible Schools, and preaching, the group saw more than 40 adults and young people pray to receive Christ. In addition, more than 300 children heard the message of salvation. Professor Juett and Benjamín González, president of this year’s student council, continued on to Panama for further ministry.

In mid-August we once again rejoiced to wel-come the new and returning students. The Registration Office reports a total of 70 Bible Institute students and 27 in the Missionary Language School. Thirteen countries are represented in the Bible Institute and current language students’ ministry destinations include five nations.

Singing and witnessing their way through �� churches in four states, the talented student music group, the Ambassadors, left a powerful influence for Christ and RGBI during its May/June tour. Accompanied by five different couples or sponsors on different segments of the trip, the students blended their instrumental and vocal abilities into a cooperative and dedicated tool for an effective witness. Members this year were Bible Institute students Esther Santos, Abisai Ahumada, Moisés García, and Oscar Martínez, plus Missionary Language School student Angie Meadows.

God used the tragic death of five young mis-sionary men in the jungles of Ecuador in 1956 to challenge a generation of Christian work-ers to commit their lives to serve God in many remote parts of the earth. Fifty years later this sto-ry is still being used to challenge a new generation to do the same.

We can help you share this life-changing story with your friends and loved ones. Contact our bookstore for any of these resources.

Rio Grande Bible Institute Bookstore956-380-8135bookstore@riogrande.edu

DVDs BooksShop in our

bookstore from wherever you are

10 Rio Grande Magazine Rio Grande Magazine 11

The Latest

Copyright © by Len Jones. All rights reserved.

Bob K

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Bob K

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Bob K

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Available in Spanish

Available in Spanish

Jesus is the Model for

overcoming racial

prejudice.

What can you do?

Below are a few editorial suggestions for specific ways to develop a relationship with your Hispanic neighbors.

Encourage your children to make friends with these youngsters in the neighborhood. They are not as hampered by language barriers as adults are, and children’s friendships open many new doors to further contact with their families.

Prepare simple refreshments, such as cook-ies or sweet breads, to share with your Latino neighbors. Often they will graciously respond with a return offering, which gives more op-portunity for getting acquainted.

Invite them to a special activity at your church by giving them an announcement flyer. Those who may not initially attend a worship service will sometimes accept invitations to a church social event, sports activity, or concert.

With many bilingual people in our communi-ties now, you might be able to ask one for help in speaking with a Hispanic neighbor or learn a few Spanish words for greetings and friendly exchanges. (Starters are “Buenos días” (Good morning); “Hola” (Hello); “¿Cómo se llama?” (What’s your name?); and “Me llamo ____.” (My name is ____). They appreciate sincere efforts to communicate in their language.

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By Woody and Kelly Lewis, RGBI Professors

“A mericans are clearly racially preju-diced!” Andoni Olvera would de-clare while changing my dollars into pesetas. A cultured and most

agreeable gentleman, a manager at the Banco de Santander in Spain, Mr. Olvera would often chat with me about finances or culture, as well as spiritual matters. He was quite forthright in his assessment of American race relations.

While serving as missionaries in Spain, we would often hear similar statements about the prejudice in American society. It didn’t seem to faze Mr. Olvera to be reminded that the solution Spain has historically applied to “relieve” racial tensions in their own land (until recent times) was to block the entry of foreigners from other cultures! Many Spaniards, while objecting to American prejudice, seem blind to the prejudice in their own country against Gypsies and North Africans already living in their midst.

The truth is, all human societies suffer the scourge of prejudice. Israelites of the later mo-narchial period, and Jews before and after Christ held their privileged position among the nations, in God’s plan, as an entitlement deserved, rather than as a responsibility implied. They took ad-vantage of God’s bestowal and turned it into an excuse for self-aggrandizement, rather than as a resource for help to the needy, whether poor, widow, orphan, or foreigner. This happened in spite of God’s repeated exhortations such as, “The stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thy-self; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Lev. 19:34)

In a somewhat similar manner, many in the United States and Canada have come to implic-itly interpret the liberties and wealth enjoyed

by them—by God’s grace—as His conferring on them a status of superiority over others of “third world” countries. One would expect these things of our secular, self-centered, self-indulgent culture. But when that attitude becomes appar-ent among those who bear the name and life of Christ Jesus, it is time to search our hearts.

In Jesus’ self-description, “I am meek and low-ly in heart” (Matt. 11:29), it is obvious that meek-ness is not weakness. To the contrary, Jesus’ type of meekness is demonstrated through strength exercised in behalf of the weak, privilege applied to the benefit of the disadvantaged, and resources administered for the blessing of the needy.

Left to the dictates of our sinful nature, fear and distrust lead to insensitivity and prejudice. It should be disconcerting to those of us who love Christ and desire to honor His Word to see good Christians in good churches support foreign mis-sions with generous enthusiasm, yet withdraw from people of differing cultures and customs who move into their communities.

What is the answer?Will we be held accountable for “(receiving)

. . . the grace of God in vain” (2 Cor. 6:1) by self-centeredly clinging to our wealth and comfort, along with our freedom in Christ, and using them “for an occasion to the flesh” (Gal. 5:13b)? Or will we view privilege and plenty as resources to show forth, as Jesus taught, judgment, mercy, faith, and the love of God? Through these, we can follow Paul’s further instructions, “by love serve one another.” (Gal. 5:13c)

We have only to look at the Word and the ex-ample of Jesus Christ to see that His attitude and compassion comprise our pattern for the right attitude toward those generally despised by many of His countrymen. One has only to remember His concern for the Samaritan woman at the well

of Sychar, the care for the Samaritan leper, His tenderness and grace toward the Syrophoenician woman, and His kind words toward the Roman centu-rion. On the other hand, consider His solemn reprimand and warning with re-spect to those who held their spiritual blessing in hypocritical haughtiness!

Without a doubt, the answer is found in Christ’s example and teach-ings. As we worked in Spain, it was only as the Holy Spirit worked His compas-sion in our hearts toward the Spaniards that we discovered open doors to effec-tual evangelistic witness and continu-ing spiritual development. The same was true in working with the Gypsies in their unique (and often puzzling) ways. As we continued Hispanic church planting in the USA in 2000, the same spirit of compassion was the necessary ingredient.

We discovered that many church leaders and members here in the United States were concerned to reach out to the Hispanics in their communities, but felt hampered by language and culture barriers. We have dealt some with these problems in previous articles of this se-ries and shown how sympathy, friend-ship, kindness, developing relationships, and prayer can overcome such barriers. May we suggest the following “starters” for “Anglo” churches as well as individu-als to help break the barriers?

Pray sincerely for holy and meek boldness (see Acts 4:29, 1 Peter 3:15)Trust the Lord in all things; that will be the source of effectual ser-

•

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vice and witness.Pray for opportunities to show compassion; that will make you sensitive to others in their needs.Think creatively of ways to gain a hearing with Latinos and of com-municating the message of salva-tion (e.g., carry tracts in Spanish to make available to neighbors or those whom you contact in business).In these ways we can live out what

seems to be the message of 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Note: The terms “Hispanic” and “Latino,” though viewed somewhat differ-ently in different areas of the country, are used interchangeably by the U.S. Census Bureau. Dictionary and encyclopedic ref-erences seem to agree that they can be in-terchangeable in United States usage. Therefore in this publication both terms are referenced for variety.

Woody & Kelly LewisWoody and Kelly Lewis have lived and ministered in numer-ous countries before coming to our campus as professors last year with their teenagers, David and Mark. Their diverse talents include music, speaking, and interpretation. Woody uses the latter ability to assist in local judicial settings as well as at RGBI.

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12 Rio Grande Magazine Rio Grande Magazine 1�

The World at Our

Doorstep

Doug

Roeg

lin

Honoring or remembering your loved one results in furthering the gospel through preparing more leaders.

(In memory of:)

Arlene AdamsBiblevilleMr. & Mrs. Jerald L. Ryks

Bonnie AndersonMr. & Mrs. Jerald L. Ryks

Jack AshcraftBiblevilleMr. & Mrs. Jerald L. Ryks

Joyce BenedictBiblevilleMr. & Mrs. Jerald L. Ryks

Bob BerryDavid P. AdamsPhyllis Berry

June K. BerryMr. & Mrs. Billy P. Tucker

Levi BrandtLena BartelMr. & Mrs. Jack Siemens

Paul A. BrownRobert M. Brown

Arlow CareyBiblevilleMr. & Mrs. Jerald L. Ryks

Max ChambersMr. & Mrs. Jerald L. Ryks

Joan DeLooffMr. & Mrs. Jerald L. Ryks

Marvin FolkertsMr. & Mrs. Jerald L. Ryks

Lila GaumnitzViola Willie

Gregg, son of Mr. & Mrs. Phil Gour

Viola Willie

Esther GraberDick & Melita Graber

Dan HelmViola Willie

Joe HendleyDavid P. AdamsTom & Donnah AingeVirginia AshcraftJerry & Claudia AxvigDonald & Helen Bass

Lester & Marlyn BeachPhyllis BerryCharles & Sharon BishopRuth BoicourtMr. & Mrs. John BrawandHarold & Jackie BrownEvelyn CareyMel & Betty CasanovaBruce & Ruby CasteelMarian ChambersRobert & Loida CisnerosGene & Pat CockrillDorothy CoffeyMr. & Mrs. Jack DeanMax & Rosalie DeethardtCyrus & Delia EarhartGordon & Betty EhmkeBob & Shirl HarrimanWilliam & Kathlene HelmMr. & Mrs. W. A. HultgrenMarvin & Bernice

IntermillMrs. Clara J. JohnsonRaymond & Mary

JohnsonWayne & Dorothy

JohnsonMarvin & Dorothy

KautschEd & Elaine KirkhamPeggy W. LairdBennard & Audrey LangCurtis & Joyce LarsenPhil & Olivia LemenKitty McClinticHelen MichaelsonMorris & Molly

MontagueMr. & Mrs. Loren

MosmanMs. Elva E. NortonDon & Betty PetersonEd & Mary QuickGene & Dorothy RaderMel & Alice RobinsonRuthlyn, Inc.Ms. Gladys SneesbyDarlene TrowbridgeJoyce WatermanAvery & Bertha WetzigWilliam & Delores WhiteViola Willie

Elsie HuestonKenneth & Emma Allen

Mrs. Gladys BlairJohn & Dot CampbellRonnie & Coletta

DavenportBobby & Sherry DrinkardJim & Martha Lynn

DrinkardBill & Carol DykesCalista EverageCindy & Courtney

FreemanSteve & Rita GreenPeggy HarrisPaul & Sue HooverBilly & Anne HowellGordon & Grace JohnsonMs. Verbie JohnsonBob LawrenceMs. Melvah Park & familyStephen & Lecia PelphreyDonna PowellBernard & Carolyn

RichburgMs. Jean RichburgLouie & Rita RichburgMs. Monette RichburgMs. Louella SimmonsBart & Stephanie SnyderKeith & Linda SnyderRobin & Tracy SnyderAlma & James TaylorDelmar Williamson

Calmer JohnsonMr. & Mrs. Jerald L. Ryks

Lois LarsonDavid P. AdamsJerry & Claudia AxvigConrad & Vi BarnumLester & Marlyn BeachRonald & Myrtle

BergstromPhyllis BerryBiblevilleClarence & Ardys BloomBob & Gwen BoleyJohn & Alice BrawandHarold & Jackie BrownEvelyn CareyLois CarterMelvin & Betty Casanova Max & Rosalie DeethardtCyris & Delia EarhartGordon & Betty EhmkeBob & Shirl Harriman

William & Kathlene HelmBill & Kathy HultgrenMarvin & Bernice

IntermillClara J. JohnsonViolet E. JohnsonMyrl KatzmarekAlvin & Elma KleinsasserBennard & Audrey LangPhil & Olivia LemenDaisy MarciniakMabel G. MattsonSvea C. MayHelen MichaelsonMorris & Molly

MontagueMr. & Mrs. Loren

MosmanMs. Elva C. NortonRussell & Barbara O’HaraDon & Betty PetersonVelma PetersonPhyllis RaymondMalvin & Helen RobinsonMr. & Mrs. Jerald L. RyksMr. & Mrs. Donald SarverMs. Gladys SneesbyTerry & Elnora ThompsonAvery & Bertha WetzigEthel L. With

Ruby LiebeltBiblevilleMr. & Mrs. Jerald L. Ryks

Mike MarshViola Willie

Harold McClinticKitty McClintic

Ermay MellgrenDon & Betty Peterson

Lois MillsSandra L. BradleyMike & Pam BurrillIvan CotcherLarry & Betty De WaelThomas & Joan HayesRobert & Anne JuddDolores J. LeeTool Sport & Sign Co.Nancy S. Weir

Priscilla OlsonMr. & Mrs. Jerald L. Ryks

Mona PittmanRonald & Myrtle

BergstromPhyllis BerryClarence & Ardys BloomEvelyn CareyWilliam & Kathlene HelmBill & Kathy HultgrenMyrl KatzmarekPhil & Olivia LemenSvea C. MayMr. & Mrs. Loren

MosmanMs. Elva E. NortonDon & Betty PetersonMalvin & Helen RobinsonMr. & Mrs. Jerald L. RyksMr. & Mrs. Donald SarverMs. Gladys SneesbyAvery & Bertha WetzigViola Willie

Anna SeimensIke & Viola FriesenPamela K. FriesenMary Reed

Gordon ShepardPhyllis BerryHarold & Jackie BrownWilliam & Kathlene HelmBill & Kathy HultgrenMyrl KatzmarekPhil & Olivia LemenSvea C. MayMorris & Molly

MontagueMr. & Mrs. Loren

MosmanMs. Elva E. NortonDon & Betty PetersonMs. Gladys SneesbyAvery & Bertha Wetzig

Ester WeeldreyerIke FriesenRev. & Mrs. B. F. Taylor

Sterling WespBiblevilleMr. & Mrs. Jerald L. RyksMr. & Mrs. Donald Sarver

Al WillieMr. & Mrs. Jerald L. Ryks

COMIBAM- a sign of

changing times in

missions advance

Dr. Gordon Johnson, President Emeritus and Professor

Many people did not realize it at the time, but November 23-28, 1987, became very special days in the history of missions in Latin America. This was the time of the first meeting of COMIBAM (Spanish acronym for IberoAmerican Missionary Congress) in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Until those days, IberoAmerica—a term that includes Portuguese-speaking Brazil and Spanish-speaking Latin America—considered itself a mission field. Until then a missionary was defined by these people as one coming from an-other country to the Southern Hemisphere with the gospel of Christ.

Now for the first time, the IberoAmericans considered themselves not a mission field, but a missionary force. This became a paradigmatic shift in the mindset of the Latin national church leaders. The implications would be powerful for the worldwide missionary force. Recruits from the growing churches in the south would join hands in worldwide vision.

As one of the 3400 delegates who gathered in Sao Paulo, I remember the great enthusiasm. Under the leadership of Luis Bush, an Argentine of English descent and American theological training and a pastor of a missionary-minded church in El Salvador; a new day was dawn-

ing. COMIBAM I was the work of the national church and its leadership.

Representing RGBI, I gave a seminar on The Truth Most Important in the Life of the Missionary. I chose to emphasize “Our union with Christ as seen in John 15 and Romans 6.”

Some of us from RGBI also attended COMIBAM II in Acapulco, Mexico, in 1997. In November 2006, RGBI will again send three delegates—Woody Lewis, Javier Lara, and Bob Kracht—to COMIBAM III (now IberoAmerican Missionary Commission), to be held in Spain.

In the intervening 19 years, God has been changing the vision of IberoAmerica. At first there was great enthusiasm but little recogni-tion of the realities of a “sending church.” It takes time for the vision to penetrate local pastors and churches, but definite progress is being made. Infrastructure develops slowly. Some countries are more advanced than others. A special inter-est has developed in the Middle East. Scores of missionaries have gone and some have returned. Others are taking their place.

COMIBAM is one of the instruments that God is using to analyze, improve, inform, and motivate the churches to accept the Great Commission as equally theirs before the Lord.

1� Rio Grande Magazine Rio Grande Magazine 1�

Honor & Memorial GiftsApril 1, 2006, through June 30, 2006

From Mission Field to Missionary Force

Giving with eyes on eternityGod “isn’t looking just for ‘donors’ for His kingdom . . . He wants people so filled with a vision for eternity that they wouldn’t dream of not investing their money, time, and prayers where they will matter most.” �

Those of us involved in the ministry of Rio Grande Bible Institute seek to do so with our eyes and hearts on eternity. Every God-called student we train here means an investment in eternal dividends because he or she helps to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.

The Student Sponsorship Program and the ongoing support of mis-sionary staff supply the basic material for our ministry—students and staff. Individuals or churches support most of the staff and faculty. Our low costs for students would be impossible if we paid salaries to our well-trained personnel, but they trust God to provide for their needs. When you give to or pray for these needs, you become a partner with us in our eternal venture.

Because the Ministerial Advancement Division of RGBI is committed to build-ing friendships with our partners, we would like to share with you several of the planned giving vehicles by which you can do this. These methods are designed to help you maximize your stewardship potential, as well as realize spiritual rewards. They all can be used to fund the Student Sponsorship Program and the support of our missionary staff.

� Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 200�), p. 43.

Annuities: This tool is one way to give to RGBI while guaranteeing a life-time of income for one or more individuals.

Will: A will is a legal document that declares the manner in which you would like to have your property or estate disposed of after your death. Although we are not qualified to give legal advice, we are able to guide you in the basics and give you the legal wording for adding the Rio Grande Bible Institute to your document.

Appreciated property and gifts of stock: Giving appreciated prop-erty or gifts of stock can be an excellent way of maximizing a gift while avoiding capital gains taxes.

I am available to talk with you personally about any of these options.

Thank you for your partnership with Rio Grande Bible Institute. That relationship has helped to make this a great year financially and to produce committed godly students who recognize a lost and dying world in need of a Savior! If for any reason you feel we are not fulfilling our part of the partnership, would you please let me know?

In reverent gratitude for each of you,

Daniel AntoniukDirector of Ministerial Advancement(956) 380–8��3Dantoniuk@RioGrande.eduwww.RioGrande.eduwww.RioGrandeArt.org

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4300 S. Business Hwy 281Edinburg, TX 78539-9699

In Canada:Box 2253Winnipeg, ManitobaR3C 4A6

www.riogrande.edu

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDST. LOUIS, MO

PERMIT NO. 462

Bob K

racht