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Missions Report - Missionary Jose Obando (Nicaragua)
56 Plays4 years ago
Missions Report
Missionary Jose Obando (Nicaragua)
Sunday Message recorded 12 September 2021
by Pastor Victor Morrison
First Baptist Church
1700 Milam
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
http://fbccolumbustx.org/
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Transcript
Adrian Mingo's Impactful Mission Work
00:00:00
Speaker
You know, I was really amazed when I heard in 2008. I came in 2007, so maybe one year later, I heard a mission report from a team that went from our church to Nicaragua. And they came back talking about the witness of a man named Adrian Mingo and how God was using him there.
Church Support and Activities in Nicaragua
00:00:22
Speaker
They had known him. The Dishmans had known him for many years, he and his wife, Cheryl.
00:00:27
Speaker
and their family. And so I was amazed. And I thought, man, we've got to go down there. Let's take another team to go down there. So I think in 2009, we sent another team. And that team went down there. And it was just incredible the things that we were able to do with construction. We worked with Vacation Bible School. We took soccer balls. There was so much that the Lord opened up for us.
Adrian Mingo's Preaching and Influence
00:00:53
Speaker
But I was able to meet Adrian Mingo.
00:00:56
Speaker
And then he came and he preached a few times in our church. I don't know how many times Adrian and Cheryl and their family would come and share, maybe three or four times since I've been pastor. I can remember him being here, but he was always like a live wire, so full of the Lord and so forth. And then we sent a third team in, I think it was 2017 over spring break. Are there any of you here this morning that went on that team? Would you raise your hand?
00:01:23
Speaker
Yeah, there's quite a few different ones I see across here. Yeah, thank you. Well, anyway, I know that you probably remember the two men that are before us today.
Adrian's Legacy Continued by Family
00:01:34
Speaker
Jose Obando is actually Adrian Mingo's son-in-law. He married Adrian's daughter, Noelia. And the Lord blessed them with a baby girl that they have, Addie, I think is her name, right? Addie. And she's three years of age.
00:01:49
Speaker
And so Jose may be telling us more about his family a little bit later. But also translating for him is Adrian's son, Mickey. Mickey will be coming and he'll be helping us to understand because we want Jose to share from his heart. And his heart language is Spanish. And so we're so glad that you're here, Jose, because Jose and Noelia and also Cheryl Mingo, they're going to continue the work that's been going on.
00:02:19
Speaker
All of you may not be aware, but in April, April 9th, God called Adrian Mingo home to heaven. And we miss him. I miss his enthusiasm and his joy. I see it though in his son Mickey and in their whole family. They love the Lord as a family. And so what a blessing. Do you know that Mickey came from Washington
00:02:41
Speaker
today so that he could be here to translate. So this weekend he traveled a long way just so we could understand the message that God's placed on Jose's heart.
Insights on Church's Mission and Gospel Spread
00:02:52
Speaker
But we're so excited to have you guys come. He represents Interges Mission International. It's a group, a mission group that we've been supporting now for a few years.
00:03:03
Speaker
And so anyway, he'll be telling us more about the work and about whatever God has placed on his heart. But I want you to welcome Jose Obando and Mickey Mingo as they come to share with us. Would you welcome them? Hello. Good morning. It's a privilege to be here. It's a privilege.
00:03:33
Speaker
That's as far as I can go with my English. As many of you can see, I come from Nicaragua, a place that is in very much need of God, as well as many other countries. We're going to go ahead and continue on the slideshow.
00:03:59
Speaker
I'm usually accompanied by my wife Noelia and my daughter Addie. Unfortunately, I have my brother-in-law this time.
00:04:21
Speaker
And to be able to share a little bit of the work that we do in Nicaragua. And the importance of the gospel in all countries. We're going to be watching a video, a 25 minute long video. Be patient and we'll watch that. Just kidding. It's not 25 minute. If you need to use the restroom, I recommend doing that now.
00:04:53
Speaker
So we'll go ahead and watch... It's not 25 minutes, but... Is the video... Does the video work? Alright, well we'll have to skip the 25 minute long video, so apparently it's what God wanted. So we're just gonna keep moving forward.
00:05:30
Speaker
used amongst unbelievers as well. Which means just a gathering of people. But today we will be talking about the Church of God. God's Church as in a gathering of people for a purpose, for a dedicated purpose.
00:05:42
Speaker
This is where we get the word church from the original Greek.
00:05:56
Speaker
So we could translate this word as a group of people sent to share the gospel.
The Church Beyond Physical Buildings
00:06:05
Speaker
To you, what is the church? Someone who, anybody want to give a definition of what the church is, volunteer? Okay, perfect.
00:06:24
Speaker
Pastor Victor, we'll give you guys a chocolate bar later. Anyone else who'd like to share their definition of church? Someone back here said something? Did I miss it? Okay. What was that?
00:06:50
Speaker
Why do I ask this? And it's because a lot of us have, we've lived a long time coming to church.
00:06:59
Speaker
And we get into the belief or we get into this groove thinking that church is this building. When in reality, we are the church. We are the body of Christ. When I was a little kid and someone shared the gospel with me, they told me Christ was going to come for his church.
00:07:30
Speaker
I used to think, how am I going to be able to plan this so I can be in the building by the time God takes his church with me? However, we understand and we know that the church is the body of Christ. It is us. We'll go to the next slide.
00:07:53
Speaker
Vision and projection. This is a personal question for you. However, before I ask this, we will open our Bibles to Ephesians chapter 1.
00:08:15
Speaker
I know this is Texas, so am I going to get in trouble if I don't read out of King James? OK. Because I forgot my King James. I do have one, though. I just want to clarify. Ready? OK. And God placed all things under his feet.
00:08:43
Speaker
And here we have Paul talking about God. And however, who is he talking about? Who is Paul talking about? God placing everything under the feet of who? Under the feet of Christ. And appointed him, him being Christ, to be head over everything over the church.
00:09:09
Speaker
Who put Christ as head over the church? It was God, the Father. God placed Christ as head over everything, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.
00:09:37
Speaker
The message that we see here is that God placed Christ as the head of the church. And that we are that body that belongs to that head.
00:09:51
Speaker
a body in Nicaragua, a body in Afghanistan, a body in the world. However, it does not say that Christ has a body in Nicaragua, that he has a body in Afghanistan, that he has a body in Texas. We have one head. And we, as the church, as a whole, are the body of Christ.
00:10:19
Speaker
And we are all united under that body. Unfortunately, we as humans have found a way to divide this body. Whether it be we look at another church and feel jealous of how that church is growing or what they're doing.
00:10:47
Speaker
However, the idea is for us to be able to come together as a body of Christ and come together in communion. So today, this morning,
00:10:58
Speaker
I feel as if I'm in family. Because I know that we are one body in Christ. Each one of us having our own role and our own function. Whether it be playing an instrument or leading a worship or whether it be coming to clean the church.
00:11:22
Speaker
Whether it be running PowerPoint or teaching or exhorting. Whatever God has placed in your spiritual gifts and talents.
00:11:37
Speaker
However, before I begin the ministry presentation, I'd like to ask you this question.
Vision for a Christ-focused Mission
00:11:44
Speaker
Where do you see yourself in three, five years, ten years? What is your vision? Do you have something planned? Do you have a vision before you? Is God a part of these plans?
00:12:11
Speaker
Maybe some of you, some of the younger ones are projecting or envisioning finishing high school or finishing college. Or starting a business. Or completing just different tasks or retiring.
00:12:38
Speaker
But the question that I have is, is your vision focused on Christ? There's a Bible verse that says, go and preach to the nations. Have you thought about that verse? Has that verse come to mind?
00:13:05
Speaker
You might think, that's an old verse, everyone always talks about that verse, that verse is overrated. But are we doing this? God gave us a mission. And He gave that to every single child of His. Go and preach the gospel.
00:13:27
Speaker
We are all missionaries. We have a mission. Are you doing your mission? If you aren't, it's never too late to start. So I encourage you, if you don't have a vision with Christ's focus in your vision,
00:13:53
Speaker
And this morning I would like to encourage you to find a way to make God part of your place. That he will be the focus of your vision. But of course, just having a vision is easy. So there is where we start talking about your projection. You have to project yourself to do... Sorry, I have a sneeze coming up.
00:14:25
Speaker
You have to project yourself to move forward in that vision, to be able to actually pursue that vision that Christ is leading you. Our purpose as children of God is to worship Him, to adore Him. And the best worship to God is obedience.
00:14:55
Speaker
And there's different ways to be able to work in God's, to be able to be part of God's work. One of these ways is prayer.
00:15:10
Speaker
Maybe the doors haven't been open for you to be able to leave or go to another country or maybe it's difficult for you to even be able to share in your community. However, you always have the opportunity to get down on your knees and pray.
00:15:29
Speaker
That is our strength as missionaries. And our strength as believers is to be able to seek God's guidance in our life. Now that we have been encouraged to have a vision and projection, if you have no idea how to begin having a vision or projection, you always have Pastor Victor,
00:15:58
Speaker
And he's going to start a workshop next week. He's just finding out about that. I'm just kidding. We'll go to the next slide. EMI, Anerhas Mission International.
00:16:23
Speaker
I found that with the projection of the leaders and pastors, I began with the vision to be able to train leaders and pastors. To train leaders and pastors. It was a lot of pastors and leaders in Nicaragua.
00:16:50
Speaker
A lot of the leaders and the pastors of Nicaragua, they have the calling and the desire to serve God. However, they may not have the knowledge nor the resources to be able to grow in that knowledge to do this job.
EMI's Role in Leader Preparation
00:17:10
Speaker
And so that is the main purpose and goal of EMI. To prepare them, to give them the necessary resources,
00:17:24
Speaker
However, as many of you may already know me or know the ministry, we'll go to the next slide. In 2015, we started a kids' club.
00:17:42
Speaker
We all started a youth group and to me it was a privilege to be able to start working with the youth. I've been working with them about six years now. Personally, it has been a great spiritual growth for me and for the teenagers as well.
00:18:09
Speaker
There we have a meeting with one of the youth groups. With some of the youth group events that we have on Friday, Friday nights.
00:18:25
Speaker
One of my ideas or one of my goals when I took charge of this year was to be able to fill the multi-purpose building.
00:18:41
Speaker
However, I've come to realize that the main goal isn't necessarily to have a full place. We are trying to shift our focus and focus, and instead of having a huge group of people, instead of having our focus be quantity, we are focused on having quality and discipleship.
00:19:02
Speaker
People who are ready, who are prepared, who have been taught how to share the gospel. That is wherever they're at, starting with their own families. Starting in their own neighborhoods, in their communities, their cities.
00:19:24
Speaker
You don't necessarily have to leave to be a missionary. You don't have to leave the country even. You can count like five seconds and go through them, so it's just pictures of...
00:19:48
Speaker
This was actually just this year we had a vacation Bible school. We had a wonderful time with the kids and the leaders as well. We had some of the actual youth group students came and were leaders of the kids club as well.
00:20:18
Speaker
That particular picture, we had evangelistic outreach in the park at the city, in which we had a big kids event, knowing full well that for the kids to come, the parents would have to come. And so we were able to preach the gospel to the parents as well.
00:20:49
Speaker
This is the youth group, this is the youth group logo.
00:20:56
Speaker
How many of you were, I can see when you raised your hands, how many of you were in Nicaragua, but the D.D.O.M.O., which is, well, your guys' 2017 team. So you might remember that you could see a volcano in the background. I don't know if you guys remember that. But that's... That's the idea, or that's the logo there.
00:21:21
Speaker
We keep moving forward, these are just pictures of the youth group and the kids. Thank you very much for watching us play football. Thankfully we were able to complete a soccer field as soon as you walk in through the property. Where every Sunday at 5 p.m. we play at least a couple matches. With the opportunity and the opportunity to play in other
00:21:48
Speaker
with the idea of being able to have a fun, good time with the youth, but also to be able to bring them to our place instead of having them be somewhere else around that time. The only requirement for them to be able to play on the soccer field is that they have to sit down and listen to us for 10 to 15 minutes sharing the gospel.
00:22:14
Speaker
So we use it as a gospel strategy. If you would like to know more specific details about this or other aspects of the ministry as we're going along, you will have a table set up outside and you can put your email address. We have a little notebook out there as well.
00:22:42
Speaker
How many of you already know that classroom, Pastor Victor's classroom? That is where we started our youth group actually, where we started doing our youth events or our youth group nights in this classroom.
00:23:03
Speaker
And we thank God because he provided actually what you guys were a part of in building that multi-purpose building. We also use a soccer field to have evangelistic rallies.
00:23:27
Speaker
Always with the purpose, our vision, and our projection is always to preach the gospel, to reach the lost through the gospel. You can keep moving forward with these. That building that you are seeing right now, that is where the 2017 group, that's where they went down underneath the hot sun,
00:23:55
Speaker
Digging, shoveling. And God punished one of the members of the church, Ron Dishman. He got hit in the back with a fishing line, a snap line. I told him these are the consequences of sin, Ron. OK.
00:24:21
Speaker
That was when Ron decided he really wanted to be a pastor. Next. So these are the outreaches that we do through soccer. Did you see us all sweaty and gross?
00:24:38
Speaker
On Sunday, in 2018, we started doing a Bible study on Sunday. It was on Sunday mornings. It's now Sunday evenings, afternoons. It had originally begun as a formal church. It became called El Cerrito.
00:24:59
Speaker
However, just because of the structure and just based on what the people needed, we decided to do it a little more informal and it's now more of a Bible study group. However, one of our prayer requests is that God will provide someone to lead this on a regular basis on Sundays, a pastor.
00:25:21
Speaker
Because we don't have to find a place to find a place. Because EMI was not... It did not start with the purpose of starting churches. That was never its original goal. But when you do this, you have to do it. However, if God says, this is what I want, we have to do this. This is our little small Sunday group. This is our little small Sunday group.
00:25:48
Speaker
You can go ahead and go to the next slide and we'll stay there for a little bit. That map that you see there, I made that little trajectory with my wife two years ago.
Jose's Reaffirmed Calling During COVID
00:26:04
Speaker
This was our goal two years ago when we came to the United States. We spent a year in the state of Washington sharing with the surrounding churches.
00:26:16
Speaker
We made a trip to California. However, when we got to California, I had to lock myself up in the house. Because it was around March of when COVID hit. The time that I was there, I was actually very discouraged. I felt like I was wasting my time.
00:26:47
Speaker
However, God was able to open the doors for me and show me the way. And the purpose of which, why He was doing it. It was one of those things where we see God and a lot of us, we just don't understand why He's doing this. However, when He reveals to us,
00:27:12
Speaker
We realized that in reality it was a great blessing. And I'll share with you briefly what that blessing was. When my wife and I were discouraged, we decided to come back to Washington. I was able to get a job rather quickly.
00:27:38
Speaker
I also got a side job, which was painting houses. It went well. When I started, it was going really well. The Lord was providing economically. We were comfortable. And I told my wife, why don't we just stay?
00:28:05
Speaker
I could start my own painting business, I could work. When I began to let this thought grow in my head, about a month after I began doing the side work as a painter, God closed every single painting.
00:28:30
Speaker
And I was able to reaffirm and re-understand what God had called me to. I called you to Nicaragua. That is where I need you. That is where I want you working. Even when I got to Nicaragua, I was still a little discouraged. We got there a couple of weeks after my father-in-law had passed away.
00:29:00
Speaker
It was a confusing time. We weren't sure what the direction of the ministry was going to be. But thankfully, in these last six months that have passed, I was able to replant myself.
00:29:20
Speaker
And to refocus myself on the vision and projection that God had placed in my heart originally. If you look at the map, I only made it to the big blue dot. That's as far down as I made it. My next stop was going to be Texas.
00:29:49
Speaker
However, God's plans changed all that and we were unable to make it. And so I've shared with you a little bit of how God worked in my own life. And many of us. As we live, we will continue to find what God has called us to, what God wants us from us. We'll go ahead to the next slide.
Prayer Requests for Ministry Growth
00:30:18
Speaker
These are our prayer requests that God will continue opening doors to continue presenting in other churches.
00:30:40
Speaker
As I was sharing vision and projection, this could be if not only just praying for us, you could be that missing piece that we need to be able to go to other churches, to be able to share with other churches.
00:31:00
Speaker
Do you have a comment on the other side of Don? I thought I understood Pastor Victor when he was talking to Don
00:31:08
Speaker
That if you guys hadn't met Don, you wouldn't have never met us. And so there's a great example of the opportunities that you present for us to be able to share with other churches. And not just to raise financial support for us personally or the ministry.
00:31:36
Speaker
But for churches to be able to see God's work in other countries as well, and it can be an encouragement that you may want to do the same, that you may want to go and serve Christ in another country. The second one that the ministry in Nicaragua would grow with activities,
00:32:03
Speaker
The Mingo family. For protection, because... For protection for the Mingo family with Adrian passing away is only girls living in the house now. So just that God will continue to protect them and continue to watch over them. For more staff, for an ERHIS, that is one of our main prayer requests.
00:32:33
Speaker
a pastor, including a pastor for that Bible study. When we got here to Texas, Pastor Victor was sharing this ongoing joke of, oh man, I wish I would have been a pastor, that Ron and Don keep telling him because their construction work. OK, that's a good opportunity. Here's your opportunity. If you really want to be a pastor, here it is.
00:33:06
Speaker
However, down there, it's probably going to be a little bit more difficult. You'll have to dig in every once in a while, too. For the Obando family, our family for our support. As you can see there, our goal is to be able to raise $1,500 a month. And we are currently at $850.
00:33:33
Speaker
However, thankfully, God has provided this entire time that we've been back in Nicaragua, we haven't needed anything. Are there any more slides? So I reiterate and re-encourage you, find your vision, seek that projection.
00:33:58
Speaker
Try not to put that off till tomorrow. We don't know when Christ is coming. And maybe you know someone you have a friend or family member who's never met Christ. And we ourselves have that opportunity to present Christ to them.
00:34:25
Speaker
Back there, behind the doors, we have a little table set up, a display table. If you'd like to, after the service is done, you can come to the table and see the pictures and we have another little slideshow that's playing there as well. The one prayer request that I forgot to put down is...
00:34:54
Speaker
We're trying to purchase a personal vehicle for the Arrondo family. And those things that we have, we have coffee and a couple different things set at the table. You can go ahead and grab a coffee and if you would like to give an offering or whatever God has placed in your heart, that would be going towards that goal of being able to purchase our own vehicle.
00:35:24
Speaker
So if you go through there, go ahead and grab a coffee and you can just leave your credit card there. Thank you very much for allowing us this time. And thank you Pastor Victor, because he has taken care of us as if we were babies.
00:35:52
Speaker
He said no one's ever treated me so kindly in my life. Not even my parents. We also thank Don, who's also not here. Where's Don?
00:36:08
Speaker
He said he thinks he's parking Robbie's transportation. Thank you. Thank you so much.
00:36:28
Speaker
Thank you guys so much. You know, like I told you, I can see the fire of the Lord in both of these men. I know that Adrian and Cheryl invested in both of them. And so it's so exciting now to see. I know yesterday, Jose told me he was 28. How old are you, Mickey?
00:36:45
Speaker
So here's two guys, 28 and 25, and they're saying, our lives belong to you, Lord. What about you? We're going to sing a song to give you an opportunity to respond because I don't know if you were picking up on that. Perhaps the Holy Spirit was speaking to you as Jose was talking.
00:37:05
Speaker
to us about his work, but maybe you were sensing, boy, I would love to do something like that. It begins with surrender. It begins with saying, my life is yours, Lord, whatever your plan is for me. And so maybe you would like to come and pray with me or pray with one of them about that kind of decision. Just at this point, just saying, Lord, I'm open. I just want you to know my life is yours. You know, Jesus gave his life for you.
00:37:35
Speaker
Perhaps you would say, I don't even know Christ personally yet, but I really believe that he is there for me, just like he is there for the youth that are in Nicaragua and so forth. So let's stand together. Let's have a prayer, and then we will give you an opportunity to respond. Lord, I thank you so much for coming and leaving heaven for us. You came to this earth. You laid down your life on the cross.
00:38:05
Speaker
Your body was placed in the tomb and the Father raised you from the dead. I'm so thankful that we serve a risen Savior. And Lord, your heart is not only for our community, our state, our country, but your heart is also for the entire world.
00:38:23
Speaker
even for people that are in Nicaragua, thank you for your great love for them, that Jesus, you died for them. But you also died for each one in this room. Perhaps there's a child or a student, maybe a man or a woman that's here today, and they are longing to have a personal relationship with Christ. And so Lord, we would just pray that your Holy Spirit withdraw them, that they begin the steps toward putting their faith and trust in what you did for them on the cross.
00:38:53
Speaker
We also pray for any that would say, I just want God to use me. I want my life to count for his work, for his kingdom. And so Lord, I pray that you would stir the hearts. Maybe you'll be stirring hearts for someone to say, I can pray for that ministry down there in Nicaragua. I can pray for the Obandos or the Mingos. And so God, maybe that's what you're doing. Maybe you'll call some to support them financially.
00:39:20
Speaker
But others, maybe you'll call to go on a mission trip there, maybe short term, or maybe it'll be a long term. Maybe someone here is gonna be part of an answer of a prayer they're praying. But I pray that whatever you're saying, that our response would be, wherever he leads, I'll go. And so thank you for this time to respond to what we just heard. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.