Touch the World Partners Program
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PR SID T'S M AG DANIEL P . WICHER • President, CAM International \'\farm greetings from your friends at 11nternational! Every year we look forward to this moment. God continue to work through the staff, missionaries and friends of AM International in extraordinary way . Yet, how often do we sir down and reflect on the year-celebrating the remarkable work of God in our midst? The annual ministry review gives us this opportunity. Here, we can celebrate and preserve each year of faithful ministry. As you gather in the living room, take a moment in your office, or join your family to read the contents of this report, we invite you to REJOI CE! In this report, you will see that: CAM made concrete steps toward our vision to partner with the Spanish-speaking church to go to the less-reached peoples of the world. We opened a new region of Spain for mission work, and we have another country on the horizon-Uruguay. We witnessed significant growth in our online ministry ObreroFiel, which offers biblical resources to Spanish-speaking, Christian leaders around the world. We merged our strengths in church planting and theological education to fortifY the movement of Spanish-speakers into cross-cultural missions. CAM also engaged in a variety of innovative ministries this year. You can learn about how CAM missionaries have cared for the poor, offered medical and dental services, starred schools and more to win people to Christ. Every investment you made into CAM International, step-by-step, has made an impact for Christ. The work of your hands and the prayers you offered--everything is meaningful. Your impact is significant! So, thank you for sharing in this journey with CAM! We value your partnership, and we look forward to celebrating the years ahead with you . REFLECTIONS ON THE JOURNEY In 2006, CAM International celebrated remarkable growth in our present ministry as well as the expansion of CAM's ministry into new regions. * witnessed our vision transfer more and more into everydC!)I realig. Join us as we explore ayear of memorable events and see howyour investments ofprC!Jer, financial support, and service made an impact. MINISTRY E X PA NSION TO SOUTHERN SPAIN A Strategic Gatewcry to North Africa Spain with a long history of defiant isolation from the rest of the world-alternating with an imperialistic vision for colonizing and Christianizing the rest of the world has always resisted stereotyping. A dry land, cut off from Europe by the Pyrenees, crisscrossed with. mountain ranges, and cursed with few navigable rivers, the Iberian Peninsula evolved since Phoenician and Roman times into a mosaic of independent sub-cultures, from the proud Basques, to the sea-faring Gallegos, to the stoic Castellanos. Eleven different languages are spoken, although Castilian Spanish dominates. The conquistadores that staked their claim in Central and South America, Italy, Africa, and the Philippines were emissaries of a thriving empire that encircled the globe; their legacy made Spanish the language of more than 300 million people today. Spain has known only about 30 years of religious freedom since 1492. Even in recent history, believers could be jailed for contradicting the parish priest. Many ordinary people had a deep fear of reading the Bible or even listening to any message outside the confines of the Roman church. A measure of tolerance arrived with the Law of Religious Liberty in 196 7, and the post-Franco constitution of 1978 guaranteed religious freedom on paper. But it has only been since 1992 that non-Roman Catholics can enjoy full legal guarantees-to congregate openly, evangelize, educate their children, get married, bury their dead, and receive visits in hospitals without harassment. Official religious teaching in Spain has remained unchanged for centuries; the hierarchy remains far from indeed, a committed barrier to-simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Lord and Savior oflost people. The population of Spain retains its deep Roman Catholic underpinnings, while at the same time embracing a typical European secularism. God is totally absent from public discourse. Only three Spaniards out of every 1000 (0.3 percent of the general population) could be called born-again believers in Christ. This percentage remains among the lowest in the world: less than the Japanese, for example with an evangelical body of0.31 percent of the general population (3.1 believers for every 1000), and less than the Western Punjab people of Pakistan, where 0. 72 percent of the populace are believers in Christ. Even Saudi Arabia has a greater evangelical population (0.6 percent) than Spain! Thousands of Spanish towns (7000, according to mission experts) remain devoid of any gospel witness: no known Christians, no visible testimony for Christ, and no evangelical church. Most evangelical churches are small (30-50 people) and unable to support full-time pastors. This makes the calling to preach the gospel in Spain unusually challenging. MINISTRY OVERVIEW & FINANCIAL REPORT l's ministry in pajn for the past 30 years has focused predominantly on the urban areas in central and northern pain. While we plan to continue this essential focus, AM is now extending to the south, where people groups from Europe, orth Africa, and the 1iddle East converge at the Mediterranean port . The large population of 1uslims in outhern pain (Andalucia) presents both an opportunity for church planting, as well as a key entry point for minjsrry to the people groups of orthern Africa. The diversity in this trade center will call for innovative ministry and a . trong, adaptable team. Moving into outhern Spain also gives us an oppornu1ity to minjster to the growing number of Latin missionaries in the area, and equip them through trainjng centers and member care to rea h pain and beyond for Christ. John and Jan Lohrenz, CAM mis ion aries who served in Guatemala, arrived in the city of Ubeda in mid-2007 to establish the framework for a multinational team. Joel and Vivian Lara, a Guatemalan couple who studied at SETECA and did cross-cultural trainjng in Argentina, also plan to join the Lohrenz family in Spain. As new ministry begins in Southern Spain, the team will focus on: evangelism and church planting among paniards, and training for Latin workers and others involved in Muslim outreach. John Lohrenz commented: "In our 22 years of service in Guatemala, we've seen the church move from evangelism to church planting and disciplesrup to leadersrup training at various levels. As JOHN LOHRENZ pioneer mini tries (and pioneer missionaries) in Guatemala disappear, we see the national church "In our 22years of service in maturing and starting to tackle missionary mobilization ... Through a series of interviews with Guatemala, we've seen the church missionaries in Spain, God confirmed His call for us to leave Guatemala and move to Spain, move from evangelism to church primarily to help Latin American missionaries keep healthy and stay on the field longer." planting and diwpleshrp to leadership trarning at various levels. As pioneer CAM's advancement into a new region of Spain through a multinational partnersrup of North ministries (and proneer mrssianaries) and Central American believers represents a concrete step in the direction of CAM's vision. in Guatemala disappear. we see the national church maturing and starting YOUR IMPACT : to tack·le missionary mobilization ... Help advance a cjynamic ministry in Southern Spain. Through a series of rntervrews (#o8J 020 "Latin American Workers Assist") with mimonarre> in Spain, God confirmed His call for us to leave Guatemala and move to Spam, primari!J• to help Latin American your missionarres keep healt~ and IMPACT stl!Y on the field longer." u mto,ungful MI NISTRY OVERVIEW & FINANC IAL REPORT SHORT-TERM MINISTRIES , LONG-TERM IMPACT Not a tourist vacation or fundraising gimmick, the expansion of CAM International's short-term program is an investment toward the long-term service of a future generation of missionaries. Why short-term? Ask just about any long-term missionary. Over 75 percent will agree that one or more short-term experiences influenced their decision to serve in missions vocationally. Ministry connection coaches at Urbana '06 witnessed this growing trend in the younger generation. "Students are looking for a way to make a difference. They have faith and unique abilities, but they often lack clarity on how to merge the two. Short-term experiences may be the missing link." commented Phil O'Day. "Short-term trips provide exposure to the mission field and the opportunity to merge action and faith to make an eternal difference." Short-term missionaries also provide significant resources and assistance to our missionaries on the field. For example, "the combined efforts of 250 volunteers and financial supporters over the course of five years, enabled us to build the Koinonia Camp and Conference Center in Mexico," said CAM missionary Bob Davis. The momentum continues to increase, as the number of short-term interns serving with CAM nearly doubles every year with an increasing number of alumni making concrete plans to serve long-term. To support this movement, the connection coaches at CAM International use innovative tools to stay in touch with students. On facebook.com and myspace.com, students can learn about mission opportunities, dialog with our staff, and stay connected with friends. To experience this community yourself, you can log on to Facebook.com, search for "CAM International," and enter the dialog. ""' CAM also formed an international task force of short-term mobilizers. A core team of CAM missionaries drive the momentum of this program. They recruit, train, send out, and support our short-term missionaries. But why CAM? With all the short-term ministry options available, what sets us apart? At CAM, we look for more than a body to fill a position-we challenge people to a life of purpose.