Also nearing completion is the new maternity ward in Belize. We need supplies to equip this facility as well. Do you have a knack for sewing? If so, then perhaps you would consider sharing your talents in Belize with Maya women who are learning sewing techniques. They have also been experiencing the love of Christ by other teams who have spent time with these precious women.

ROW’s medical program at our new clinic in Honduras is expanding and we need teams willing to offer medical care, conduct Vacation Bible School and share the Word of God with people who are physically impoverished but who have a hunger for God.

We have a new ship that is about to launch in Nicaragua, new solar powered light bulbs are shining in villages along the Amazon River in Peru and the Mama Mickie is back in service in the Democratic Republic of the Congo delivering supplies, food and hope. ROW is staying busy serving the Lord and meeting many needs around the globe because we believe that God has not called us to bog down in the quagmire that fills the news these days. Instead, He wants us to continue to keep our eyes on His leading, His love and His presence in our lives and in the lives of others.

According to Luke 10:2, when Jesus sent out the group of 72 people:

“He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’”

The same is true for Christians today. There have been great strides made in presenting the gospel to countless ethnic groups in some of the most desolate and remote corners of the world. We now have Bibles translated in numerous languages and no distance seems to be too great for the advances that we have made in technology, which has opened so many doors for people to come to know Christ. Despite all of this, there is still so much that needs to be done in advancing the gospel. So, I say, “Let’s get busy!”

We now have cutting edge technology that enables us to share the gospel in amazing ways. We can witness using various social media outlets, we have a variety of telephone capabilities that allow us to speak to people across the globe and we have countless translations of the Bible written in numerous languages. Rivers of the World (ROW) uses solar powered DVD players in remote jungles in order to show the Jesus Film. We also utilize the technology of solar powered, digital Bibles to share the gospel in several languages where we serve overseas.

Despite what that chaplain told me years ago, I don’t believe there is anything wrong with trying to figure out the most appropriate and effective ways to communicate with people so that they can understand and apply scripture.

In Psalm 119:34, we learn the importance of providing sound doctrine to people without Christ:

“Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.”

To merely preach the gospel to someone without providing a clear understanding of how to apply the Word of God, oftentimes will lead to confusion and a lack of understanding. We must use every possible means to reach the lost before Christ returns.

We veered left onto the Napo River, eventually finding our way to the Yanayaku and Apayaku rivers. One of the teams then maneuvered their way through another tributary, possibly the Orosa River. Whatever river that was, they decided to stop and visit the folks who live near that river. They walked for what seemed like miles and miles. At the end of the road, they met a woman living alone in her home. First, they presented her with a solar powered light bulb. Next, they gave this dear woman a solar powered Bible in a language she could understand. It was then that this woman burst into tears hearing the Word of God.

The team had much to reflect upon on their long walk back down the trail. Much of our trip in Peru was spent traveling in small and large boats up and down rivers with names we could hardly pronounce. The long walks and long journeys on the waterways were well worth it in our efforts to deliver God’s word to people living in some of the most remote areas in the world.

Refresh your memory with the words of Jesus spoken in Matthew 5:13-16 (NKJV):

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. ‘You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.’”

If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, then He lives within you and the love and light from Jesus should shine forth in all that you say and do. Make a commitment today to do whatever it takes to bring the Word of God to people in need. How will people know the saving grace of God unless we, who are the salt and light of the world, share the incredible gift we have been given?

About 60 miles up the Temash River in Crique Sarco, Belize, some villagers are doing an amazing thing. While we have been busy in Punta Gorda building a maternity ward, in Crique Sarco villagers have been busy building a library to help in the education of their children. The official language of Belize is English. This means at some point ROW will need someone to travel to Crique Sarco to assist with organizing the library. If you are passionate about education and evangelism, contact ROW for more information on how you can make a difference in the lives of people in this part of the world.

We know that Jesus died on the cross to provide a way of reconciliation unto God for all mankind. However, did you also know to this day He continues to wait for His Word to go forth unto all the world? Christ’s love for His creation is unfathomable for it reaches to the very ends of the earth. In Matthew 24:14 (NKJV) Jesus said:

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

We serve a patient God who desires that none should perish, but instead, He desires that as many as possible would come to the saving knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ. Ask yourself today, “Do I possess the same passion and love for the lost as the One whom I am serving?” If not, ask the Lord to give to you more compassion, mercy and love for His people.

I just returned from a scouting trip in Thailand, looking at new work that ROW will be starting in that country. This is certainly one of my favorite regions in the world.

We have an opportunity each day to reveal Christ to others, regardless if we travel overseas or simply venture out in our neighborhood. We are told in Isaiah 52:7 (NKJV):

“How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

We don’t have to preach the Word of God in order to share Christ with others. We merely need to live in such a way that it is evident to all who is Lord of our lives. Whether you are planning a mission trip this summer, visiting a nursing home monthly to bring some laughter and cheer to the residents, volunteering to babysit for a military spouse to provide that much needed time away or helping at your church with Vacation Bible School, find creative ways that you can reveal Christ to those in need of a Savior.

Word about the sewing school project has spread far and wide and we now have teams of women from the United States planning to travel to southern Belize and work with these Maya women, who live out in remote jungles. These teams will assist with teaching basic literacy and sewing skills and all the while they will be sharing Christian fellowship. All I know is I am planning on staying out of the way because the power that is being created by the Lord and His women is overwhelming.

The Great Commission given to us by Jesus was not targeted only at those who are called to be missionaries or for those who serve as pastors. This command was given to everyone who has accepted Christ as their Savior. Granted, not everyone can travel overseas, either short or long term. However, there is something each of us can do in fulfilling the Great Commission. Refresh your memory with Romans 10:14-15:

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”

I pray blessings upon these women who have stepped up and have decided to sacrifice their time, talents and money to travel to Belize and minister to the Maya women. Consider today what you can do to further the gospel. There are many ways that you can be a part of this sewing project in Belize.

You can gather up all your sewing implements that you are not using and send them to ROW. If God has especially blessed you financially, you could send a check to ROW to help establish a sewing school. Probably the most important thing of all that you could do is pray. Pray for God’s protection upon those who are planning trips to Belize, pray for God’s favor amongst the communities we’ll be serving in and pray that God imparts great skills to these Maya women so that they have a means of generating an income and providing for their families.

The change you have contributed has helped us change lives so keep changing your change into change so we can continue to change more lives! In America, it is difficult to fathom how a digital Bible could possibly have such an impact upon a person’s life. However, in many third-world countries, there are tribes and groups of people who communicate verbally, yet, they have no written language. Many communicate through stories using their own distinct language. Presenting the Gospel using a digital playback device is a very effective method with people who are oral learners.

Would you consider pledging $50 for ROW to purchase one solar powered Bible? Perhaps your Sunday school class, mission’s committee or youth group would like to take on this project and pledge to buy a certain number of digital Bibles for ROW to distribute around the world.

How will unbelievers hear the Gospel message unless someone tells them about Jesus Christ? Creation speaks of the very existence of God. However, in order for the plan of salvation to be revealed to the world, Christians must use every means possible in communicating Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for all mankind. Read Romans 10:14:

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

We further learn in Romans 10:17:

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

Venture out from the four walls of your church and ask the Lord to lead you to those who are lost and dying in this world without Christ.

Rivers of the World’s (ROW) administrator, 3, and I were preparing for a recent trip to Honduras. 3 left all of her clothes and all of our mission money in a pile on the floor in her house. She went to bed and sometime in the middle of the night, she thought she heard an odd noise. 3 decided it was likely just her dog, Chloe rearranging stuff on the floor. As she was getting comfortable and preparing to go back to sleep, 3 suddenly decided she had better take a look and see exactly what Chloe was doing.

Turning on the light, 3 saw Chloe, the dog with bad breath, chewing the envelope filled with our mission money! The money survived, but everywhere we went in Honduras we smelled funny! We praise God though that despite our unpleasant smell, we were able to use that money to accomplish great things for the Lord.

Have you ever thought about the fact that as a child of God you emit a pleasing odor unto the Lord wherever you go? We are told this in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16:

“For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?”

For those who are seeking God, Christians have a sweet aroma produced by Christ who lives within us. On the contrary, our smell is revolting to those who have no interest in knowing the God who created them. In each case, it is not us as individuals that the world is attracted to or despises, but instead, it is the blood of Jesus Christ the produces such intense emotions. Live your life today as a sweet aroma of praise unto Jesus.

With only being two weeks off schedule, the staff built and completed a 36-meter barge, named Petit 3 for our favorite ROW administrator, 3. The barge was launched and it is now attached to our big ship that we have on the Congo River. It will be used by an international food program to deliver 300 tons of food to needy refugees along this nearly 3,000-mile long river in the DR of the Congo.

The barge will not only provide steady work for our director, Omba Ngandu, but he will also have an opportunity to preach to people along the Congo River in any of the nine different languages he speaks.

The refugees living near the Congo River are certainly in need of physical nourishment for their bodies. However, their greater need is for spiritual food that will satisfy even when the hunger pains persist.

We have an assurance in Matthew 5:6:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

I am overjoyed to know that ROW will be part of the solution in meeting the needs of hungry people in the DR of the Congo. Moreover, I praise God that we will have numerous opportunities to share the Bread of Life with starving souls along the Congo River.

I have never done an auction in my life! However, the folks at the Widow’s Mite Experience are quite familiar with auctions as a method for raising funds. Of course, what we are trying to do with this event is to involve people in ROW and to raise money for the work we are doing around the world.

Unfortunately, it takes money to drill a well in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to buy medicine and food in Belize, to launch a ship in Peru and to hire new staff. The list of projects that ROW is involved in is lengthy and each endeavor requires sums of money.

The opportunity to conduct an auction is new and exciting to me because it is something unknown. Today, take a look at your life and your ministry. Is there anything unknown that you could do as a step of faith and as a way of helping grow your ministry for the kingdom of God? Ministry does not have to refer to preaching, missions or a Christian organization. All Christians are called to minister the Word of God and to love others.

Is your faith active and living? Test it against James 2:17 (Amplified):

“So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).”

Salvation is not acquired through deeds, however, once we are saved, we will be compelled to exercise our faith by living for Jesus. Live out your faith today by finding creative ways to minister to those in need.

The Petit 3 is 36 meters long and she will carry 300 tons of supplies up the Congo River from Kinshasa to Kisangani and back again. We will have an opportunity to deliver food to folks whose lives were ruined by six years of civil war. Omba Ngandu, one of ROW’s Congo directors, and the Petit 3, will make a great combination. With Omba’s skill of preaching in nine different languages and a new barge carrying 300 tons of food to refugee camps and villages along the Congo River, people will get a chance to receive physical and spiritual food. Frankly, it just doesn’t get any better than that!

As Christians, we have experienced the most incredible new and exciting thing ever. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV):

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

When we surrender our lives to Christ, He doesn’t just change us or transform us, instead, we are created brand new from the inside out. Our thought patterns, our desires, our motivations and are very purpose for living radically becomes new. We no longer resemble our former selves because we now serve a new master, Jesus Christ.

More recently, people practicing radical Islam on some city streets in Europe confronted me. I discovered that my heart had grown cold toward these folks and that really is not effective in trying to reach them for Christ. I do not know why I did this, but the last time I was confronted by a large group of radical Islamic Muslims, I started singing, “Jesus Loves Me.” As I sang that song aloud for all to hear, my heart softened and at the same time, I was actually presenting the Gospel through song.

Is this an effective way to deal with difficult people, telling them through a song that Jesus loves them? I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Paul gives us a reminder and a good example for us to follow when we must deal with difficult people. Read Colossians 3:12 (Amplified):

“Clothe yourselves therefore, as God’s own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper].”

If Christ is ever long-suffering with us than it would make sense that we must demonstrate a gentle spirit when dealing with folks who are a bit contentious.