February 2006
The Middle America and Caribbean Region is a
kaleidoscope of exotic cultures and languages that catch
the eye and entice the ear. It stretches from the sandy
beaches of the French-speaking Caribbean island of
Guadeloupe to small villages in the interior of Suriname
on the north coast of South America. The diversity stretches
to the megacities such as Mexico City and Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic. Poverty, religious confusion and
political unrest plague many of these cultures. There are
542 people groups in this region, each with its own lan¬
guage and its own understanding of the spiritual world
around them. Their expressions include shrines, idols and
altars for sacrifice. The greatest confusion is over the per¬
son and power of Christ Jesus. IMB career and short-term
missionaries are seeking to confront lostness where major
world religions have a stronghold. All of this diversity is
flowing to the cities in the greatest migration the world
has ever seen. Thousands of families are leaving the known
environment of their hometown as they seek a better life
in the growing urban centers. With more than 61 percent
of the total population of the region living in giant cities,
missionaries are turning their focus and special emphasis
to the urban challenge. Missionaries and local Baptist
Christians are working and praying together for a move¬
ment of God's Spirit that moves across Middle America
and the Caribbean like a mighty wave, resulting in rapidly
reproducing indigenous churches.
INDIGENOUS OF MEXICO. Most people assume that
everyone in Mexico speaks Spanish, but there are more
than 300 different dialects spoken. Nearly 10 percent of the
population is indigenous, whose heart language is not
Spanish. Many of these people groups do not have the
Bible in their language; where it has been translated, it is
often from a different dialect or the people are unable to
read. Our indigenous church-planting teams made up of
nationals and IMB missionaries are working together to
make certain that all of the dialects have key Bible stories
available in their heart language. These stories communi¬
cate the gospel to spread throughout the people groups,
even if those who are sharing are local believers who can't
read. Please pray for missionaries as they seek out persons
of peace to help in the selection, translation and recording
of these stories, indigenousmexico.com.
RWANDA (East Central Africa). Rwanda is often de¬
scribed as Africa's most picturesque country. Tourists
come from worldwide to see rare mountain gorillas, majes¬
tic volcanoes and rolling hills that symbolize this land of a
thousand hills. Unfortunately, Rwanda is also known for
the 1994 genocide that claimed the lives of 1 million people.
During the genocide, thousands of Christians and Christian
leaders were killed. Today many continue to cope with
desperate physical, social, psychological and spiritual
needs. Pray that Rwandan men and women of God will fill
the gap left by those who perished during the genocide.
3DEAF OF JAPAN. When T became a believer in Jesus, she
asked God to give her a job where she could honor Him
and be able to move out of her parent's house and live on
her own. God answered her prayer. Since April 2005, she
has been working as a cook at "Deaf House," where Deaf
college students live. She has been able to meet the chal¬
lenges of a demanding schedule and thanks God for giving
her a job that meets her needs and gives her an opportunity
to be with Deaf students. She thanks you for continuing to
pray for her to have spiritual, physical and emotional
strength. Ask God to open the hearts of the college stu¬
dents whom she meets to listen to her share about Jesus
and to believe on Jesus Christ as their Savior.
GANGS IN NICARAGUA. A mother weeps as she stares
at her son's dead body, once full of life. She recalls with
deep pain the moment when he received 10 deep stab
wounds but lived to tell of it. And then, the fateful night
when she pleaded with liim to not go out and drink with
the other gang members, but he refused to listen. By morn¬
ing, he was dead! This scene is played out over and over in
the lives of many young gang members in Nicaragua. Their
choice of drugs, violence and hate has led them to an early
death. That is their "prize" for sin. In spite of all this, the
Pandilleros para Cristo Team is seeing God at work. Please
pray that in 2006 many more gang members will hear and
receive the gospel message and that there will be evidence
of changed lives.
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (doo-BY). A young
man received a Bible recently from an international friend,
but he did not read it until he met another young man from
his people group who had read a significant portion of it.
Both are seeking answers, but the second man is much fur¬
ther along in his knowledge. Pray that both would seek
God through His revealed Word.
PEOPLE OF THE PATAGONIA OF ARGENTINA (pat-uh-
GOH-nyuh). Since 2003, Grady and Claire Milstead, mis-
