General Activities - Santa Cruz

At present, we have absorbed our on-going street ministries into the programmed activities of the Ebenezer Drug Rehab Foundation.  Youth ministries are presently on hold due to a lack of volunteers.

Ø      Ebenezer Foundation:  VLM has aligned itself with the Ebenezer Drug Rehab Centers to fight this horrible problem in Santa Cruz, which affects children as young as 8 years old.  We teach and counsel weekly in the Main Center in Santa Cruz; and on weekends in both the Women's Center near Cotocas and the Farm Project just outside of town. 

Ø      Mercy Ministries:  Winter is a difficult time for people who live in what are little more than shacks; and particularly for people on the streets.  We are mobilizing a house-to-house 'Blanket Drive' so we may have blankets to give parents for their kids.  We will also continue with the street feeding as we have in the past.  The only difference is that this year, we are trying to be more facilitators than ministers by inspiring local churches to dedicate themselves to a calendar week; planning an outreach ministry in advance for that period. 

Ø      Construction-Life Improvement Efforts:  VLM continues with the Olga Taboada Project; intending to make electrical connections and further home improvements over the next three months.  We also desire to see her lot get paid-off, freeing her from monthly payments.

Other:  Travel within the Country, as well as local outreach in public forums, has been greatly limited over the past 18 months by local political convulsions.  We continue however to facilitate the training of small group leaders in cell and house church groups here in Santa Cruz.

General Activities - Northern Missions

At present, we continue to work at a distance with Pastor Ruben in Magdalena and Pastor Rodolfo in Bella Vista & Baure concerning the following:

Ø      VLM Institute:  The VLM 'Institute of Leadership & Advanced Sciences' is up and operating in a private home for now; but we are in need of supplies.

Ø      New Church & Annex:  Two potential sites have been located for the new church and estimates for nearly all the construction materials and labor are completed.  Between 50 and 70 local people are now involved with the project; meeting in seperate homes and the unfinished Annex; awaiting the building of their church.

Ø      Children's Evangelism Project:  We desire to hold-fast to Pastor Rodolfo's 3-year strategic plan to train teachers and initiate/implement the 'Feed My Lambs' project within the Province of Itenez.  Funds are primarily needed for the copying of study materials and for travel.

The blueprint of our strategic missions plan for the North is in development; but will require more on-the-ground orientation of the region before a viable, and strategically effective, plan-of-approach to our challenges can be produced.  

I am sure however of the following basic policy objectives

1. Relationship-Based - Promote relationship before and above need (Treat others as equals whom we need as much as they need us)
2. Infrastructure Issues (natural & social) - Analyze, address, and improve quality of life issues
3. Ministry Platforms & Goals - Use education vehicles and socio-communal life-styles as platforms to present a Gospel centered in intimacy with God and each other.
1. Develop relationship with education and civil government functionaries
2. Raise low-cost, open-air church structures within remote communities and disciple those churches through on-going missions relationship
3. Discover, equip, and train spiritual leaders/pastors within communities; then move them to the front
4. Provide new testaments and faith materials to children
5. Provide bibles and critical study materials to adult believers
4. Core VLM Mission - Address 'Victim (Poverty) Mentality'  by what I term, 'Demonstration Theology'
1. Increase hope with the power of the Gospel
2. Sow a pragmatic, usable, Word-based, results-producing faith
3. Sow the Love of Christ by demonstrative example  (Faith with works)
4. Call others to imitate our Christ-likeness and measurable faith works (through like discipline & commitment)

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