Projects Isaiah and Caleb volunteers return to MAC Region after impacting Eurasia for Christ
San Jose, Costa Rica
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The vision was born in the hearts of three regions six years ago. How could Latin America (the South America and Mexico and Central America Regions) provide a cross-cultural ministry outlet for their many young people sensing a call to missions? How could Eurasia utilize these passionate and gifted youth to catalytically transform parts of their region? Projects Isaiah and Caleb were the answer.

After the invitation was given, the arduous selection process took place. Seven missionaries from Mexico and Central America were selected:

Project Caleb
Jorge David del Ángel from Monterrey, Mexico (Northeast District)
Irene Quiñonez Soto from Tijuana, México (Northwest District)
María Eugenia Rodríguez from Monterrey, Mexico (Northeast District)
Vanessa Cruz Blandino from Managua, Nicaragua (Central District)

Project Isaiah
David Campos Martínez from San Salvador, El Salvador (Central District)
Enrique Rasgado Raymundo from Mesquite, Mexico (Oaxaca District)
Jorge Benjamin Cruz from Puerto Barrios, Guatemala (Atlantic District)

These young people participated in a one-year training for their assignments and in July 2007 were sent (along with six missionaries from South America) to minister in Eurasia. Project Caleb's goal was to impact Spain, Portugal, and Italy through relational evangelism and to start Christian Family Centers (the term "cell group" is to be avoided in several of these contexts for various cultural reasons) in those countries. Project Isaiah aimed to impact the Middle East through relational evangelism, especially among people of other religions. The results have been staggering.

Mark Ryan, superintendent of the Spain District, has commented that, whereas two years ago there were six Nazarene churches in all of Spain, now there are 10 organized churches and mission-type churches. The district received more new members this past year than they had ever received in the history of the Church of the Nazarene in Spain.  Missionaries and church leaders in the Middle Eastern country where three Mexico and Central America volunteers were ministering say they are overjoyed with the work of the missionaries and doors have been opened in that area that could have never been opened without their participation.

On July 24, 2009, the seven missionary volunteers from Mexico and Central America returned to their region to an enthusiastic welcome. Nazarenes greeted them at the airport in San José, Costa Rica, along with video cameras and a banner signed by missionaries and regional leaders and their families. The group spent the next week in a debriefing and evaluation time at the regional office and the Seminario Nazareno de las Américas (SENDAS) en San José. While their bodies slowly recovered from jet lag, they told their stories of what God had done in them and through them to touch Spain and the Middle East for Christ. They shared in three Costa Rican zone rallies where hundreds of people came to hear their testimonies and give offerings to support their ongoing ministries. They evaluated their training time and their ministry experiences, with an eye toward bettering the future deployment of missionaries from this region.  They received more training regarding their re-entry culture shock and home assignment time during the following months.

Finally, on July 31, 2009, these seven young people returned to their respective countries and families to continue preparing for cross-cultural ministry. The seven will be serving in various ministry positions, with some as pastors, others as church planters, and still others as contracted regional missionaries in Mexico and Central America. One will be returning to Eurasia to further the work that was begun over these two years.

"On behalf of the local churches and districts that sacrificially invested their offerings and prayers in order to sustain and support these seven volunteers, we would like to say it has been a privilege for MAC to send you and will continue to be an honor to partner with you in your continuing ministry here and abroad. Thank you for investing in the lives of thousands who have been touched by Christ through you. And thank you for allowing Mexico and Central America to truly learn to send our own missionaries to the world."
--Scott and Emily Armstrong, MAC Region (Slideshow)

Note: For previous stories on Projects Caleb and Isaiah, click on the titles below.

Three regions to participate in the launch of Projects Isaiah and Caleb
Project Caleb has Latin-America faith revisiting its European roots
Project Caleb ventures into second year

Note: For additional information about Projects Caleb and Isaiah, click on the links below.
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