Surprise Party
I was so thrilled to come home and find 40 people hidden in our bedroom. Our whole church came over to celebrate my birthday. It was a great night with lots of fun. There was a Piñata and pin the tail on the donkey. We had cake and quesadillas made by the ladies from church.
Teacher’s Scholarships
3 of our teachers have received scholarships to further their education. Luis and Wilfredo are working on their MA in Theology through SBTS. These scholarships are provided by Sunrise Baptist Church in Petal, MS and Glen Baptist Church in Fl. Bald Mt. Baptist Church has provided another scholarship starting in June. Nestor is working on getting his BA in Biblical Theology. With your help, we are changing impotent churches into bold, healthy churches, that are equipping Christians to be effective witnesses for Christ. It is the Gospel alone that can redeem people form eternal death. Having these men formally trained is such a blessing and I thank God for allowing us to learn more as we invest in local pastors. Glory to God.
Bible Institute
Absolutely wonderful news to report with regards to the Bible Institute. We have a 3 year plan to invest in the teachers of the Bible Institute. We are pouring into them and every day it is paying off. Partnering with The Gospel Coalition and receiving their literature is a great help. One reports, “By strategically training pastors and students in scriptural theology, giving them practical knowledge to plant and sustain churches, we hope to see the church strengthened. We want to see indigenous Christians live out the Great Commission among their own people.” We hope to see our supported pastors grow in their theological depth and preaching precision. We also hope resources provided by TGC will equip Nicaraguan pastors for the work of discipleship that goes beyond seeking professions of faith. We hope the books will help them give more attention to Christian discipleship.”
Carazo Bible Church 
Throughout the last year, our church plant has blossomed into a beautiful family. We now have formal membership and appointed elders.We are seeing the power of the Word of God. Lives are being changed. People are being set free from the bondage of sin. The transformation that is brought about in the lives of people as they submit to the word of God is a wonderful sight to see. I am so thankful that God has allowed us to be a part of it.
Critical Need
The medical portion of the ministry here in Nicaragua has suffered some severe blows. We have been notified that, in July, we will loose funding for the doctor on staff. Not only will one of our loved staff members loose her job in a critical time in the Nicaraguan economy, but our ministry will also take a hit.
Some of the problem.
Part of the problem is our reliance on large donors to fund this program. When we loose a large donor, we loose most of the support to fund the ministry. Over the next year, I hope to work to retain the support we have and to add some smaller monthly supporters. If we could find several Churches, Sunday school classes or individual families to become monthly supporters, at $10, $20, or $30 a month, when one or two had to quit it would not be such a large blow. It would also eliminate the need to be constantly asking for donations. It is such a conflict to see a need and have to ask for help. In the past, when a special need came up I would turn to social media and most of the time the need would be quickly met. We have been experiencing some problems with locals seeing our facebook posts and asking for funds because they saw we just had a donation made. We raised $500 to purchase Bibles through social media. Praise God for this. We are taking advantage of the closing of the LifeWay stores and making some purchases at substantial discounts. I know you’re as eager as I am to put God’s Word into the hands of as many people as possible. Your gifts make it possible for us to carry out these ministries here with the people of Nicaragua.
Your donations help support continuing efforts to reach Nicaragua with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Would you consider asking your Sunday school class to become a monthly supporter? As we stand together to assist the Nicaraguan people during this crisis, we’re making disciples and being used by God to reach them with he Gospel. Your prayers and monthly support change people’s lives forever. Your support matters, it keeps this work moving forward. April and I are so thankful for all you do for the Kingdom through our small medical clinic, the Bible institute and Carazo Bible church.
Be a partner
To support God’s work here in Nicaragua financially by setting up a monthly automatic payment or make a one time donation just Click here You can also make a tax deductible gift by mailing a check to:
CENTRAL MISSIONARY CLEARINGHOUSE
C/O Gass Family
PO BOX 219228 Houston, TX 77218-9228
You can also PayPal it to:
www.paypal.me/gassfamilymission
Your Servants in Christ, Joel & April Gass Family.
That they may know Christ..... 