Summer 2020

Shield of Faith Mission International

SFMIPrayer/NewsUPDATE

Fulfilling the Great Commission Through Establishing New Testament Churches

PO Box 144 Bend OR 97709 • Phone (541) 382-7081 Email: sfmi@sfmiusa.org • Fax (541) 382-4471

Online at www.sfmiusa.org

2 SFMI Update

EulogyJames Carol Lucas: 1942 - 2020

James and Francille were married November 29, 1962. Later James started a logging company and became quite successful in business. In November of 1969, James and Francille surrendered their lives to Jesus.

New to the faith, James and Francille became increasingly convinced of the worthiness of the call of Jesus to reach the nations and make disciples. One night, James dreamed that he was being called to Mexico. He attended the Shield of Faith Mission training in preparation to move to Mexico as a missionary. Having such a strong call, James began to pray about what to do with his successful logging company. Through much prayer the Holy Spirit led him to give his company away instead of selling it. This bold step of faith was the beginning of a missionary’s life of faith seeking fi rst the kingdom of God and trusting God to provide for every need.

James and Francille have seven children, twenty-two grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.

Over the years James spent extensive time as a missionary in Mexico, Belize, Australia, Russia, Kenya, and Ghana. Additionally, James preached the gospel and made disciples in United States (including almost every state), Costa Rica, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Uganda, Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, Singapore, Myanmar, Nepal, Ivory Coast, and South Korea.

He was a man of faith. He was a man who genuinely trusted God for everything and in everything. He preached the gospel and made disciples across the world.

But James wasn’t caught up with the numbers; he was concerned with being faithful to the Great Commission and the God that saved him. He would share the gospel with one person with the same love and sincerity that he did when he spoke to the crowds.

His life is an amazing example of seeking fi rst the kingdom of God: a life well-lived!

In this issue:Missionary James Lucas: Eulogy ............................................................................... Pages 2,3About the Infl uence of Women ......................................................................................Page 4A More Sure Word of Prophecy .....................................................................................Page 6Five Smooth Stones (Part 4)...........................................................................................Page 8Missionary News ..............................................................................................................Page 9Labor Day Conference Registration Forms .........................................................Pages 14,15

Shield of FaithMission International

AdministrationDick York

Founder, Editor

Executive Council

Richard McDanielMission President

Training Program Director

Frank StangelMission Vice-President

Torry RockwoodMission TreasurerTechnical Support

Jim MillerBoard Secretary

Offi ce Manager, Asst. Editor

General Board MembersJames Bonner Larry MontgomeryDave Kercher Ed NewbyBrian Martell Jack RingDavid Martell Skip Voetberg

Offi ceHoward Modin, Offi ce Secretary

Located at: (not for postal delivery)1599 NW Galveston Ave

Bend, Oregon (541) 382-7081

3SFMI Update

FATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFATFAT“Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall fl ourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and fl ourishing.”

Psalm 92:13,14

Available. Jesus is a present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1), always available when we call, always available to do the Father’s will (Luke 22:42). The apostle Paul demonstrated that when he was called to go to Macedonia. He went immediately (Acts 16:10).

Jim responded the same way: always available in matters small and great to serve the Lord and his co-workers. For example, in 1995, Jim, having just returned from Russia, was asked to go to Kenya, East Africa, in the stead of another brother who had committed to go there to preach and teach discipleship but because of illn ess was unable to go. Without a moment of hesitation he said, “Sure,” and immediately was available. Many fruitful years in Africa followed for Jim and Fran, leading many to Christ, mentoring many faithful disciples who are still changing the face of Africa.

Teachable. Jesus learned obedience by the things that He suff ered; and being made perfect He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:8, 9). He did only what He saw His Father do (John 5:19). He denied Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane saying, “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).

Jim saw his Lord’s example; and denying himself, he was taught of God and led by the Spirit. And he was not too proud to heed counsel from his brethren.

Jim was a Faithful, Available, and Teachable disciple of the Lord Jesus.He will be greatly missed for the short time until we are all together again.

The apostle John defined eternal life as what they (the apostles) had heard, seen, looked upon, and handled of the Word of Life (Jesus). Eternal life, therefore, looks like Jesus, Who is...

Faithful... Available... and Teachable.

Faithful to His calling. He came to die to save sinners. But how could He die? Death is the wages of sin, of which He had none; to die He had to take upon Himself our sin and die our death. Dying, therefore, was the accomplishment of the work God gave Him to do (Luke 9:31; John 4:34; John 19:30).

Jim demonstrated that life. He was faithful to his calling. Jim took the great commission seriously. He fi nished the work God called him to do.

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4 SFMI Update

Originally, God made one man, Adam, and commissioned him to fi ll

the earth with people. He made a woman, Eve, literally as part of the man, specifi cally to be his help. The apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthian church, taught us that the woman was made for the man (1 Corinthians 11:8,9). It was through her availability to God’s order and her obedience to God’s directive that she would cause the man to succeed in fulfi lling his role or, on the other hand, to curtail it or cause it to fail altogether.

The woman was made to do what a man, obviously, could not, that is to bear children thus making it possible for man to fulfi ll his commission to multiply and replenish the earth. When Satan approached Eve, it was with the intent of hindering or, if possible, aborting God’s plan:to render the man independent of

about the influence of womenJesus’ teachings and those of the apostles seem radical in the light of what we have come to

accept as normal in our time and culture; therefore, they are not heeded by unbelievers or, in many cases, even by those who profess to believe what the Bible teaches. It seems that those

men spoke in hyperbolic terms that many people think need to be tweaked just a little to be applied in our day. After all, they would say, is it not evident that things have changed in the two millennia since Jesus walked on the earth and what applied then cannot work in a modern society? This would apply especially to what the Bible teaches about the relationship of men and women, and most especially of marriage. But, in reality, that is not the case; Jesus is the same yesterday, and today, and forever; and the words He spoke, as well as those spoken by inspiration of the Holy Spirit by the apostles, are also unchanging and eternally true.

God and the woman independent, if not competitive, with the man. To be a “mere” help meet for her husband became looked upon as an inferior role and, therefore, demeaning. But how could being made a procreator of God’s masterpiece of creativity be demeaning? Only to one deceived could it be considered such, and Eve was deceived; and so are multitudes of others in our day.

One result of the fall was continuing rebellion against God’s order in this essential relationship. Satan would have us believe that the perceived inequity must be rectifi ed, hence the feminization of society, not to merely make the sexes equal but to reverse the roles— the result being, in many cases, two competitive agendas in one union. Sadly, such an embattled arrangement cannot succeed; one of the visions must die, or the union will be torn apart. If it is the vision that God has given to the believing husband that is cancelled to satisfy the competing preference of his wife, a great loss has been sustained. We have been able to observe this on an ever-increasing scale as Satan’s “solution” is embraced.

As the years have come and gone, we have been able to watch, with increasing sadness, the escalation of the problem. Young men, fi lled with enthusiasm and eagerness to engage in the work to which they believe God is calling them, become attached to young women who initially seem to share their vision but cannot subscribe wholeheartedly to “merely” being their husband’s help; in reality they have a diff erent goal. Soon they are both turned away from their purpose, and mundane and earthy pursuits replace the once glorious expectation of walking with Jesus in that special holy assignment. Compromise has cancelled the calling.

What is normal in God’s economy has become a radical notion and disgustingly archaic in the thinking of modern man even if he professes to believe God’s word. One example of God’s normal and man’s radical is found in 1 Peter 3:1-6:

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won

Dick York

5SFMI Update

by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. (Emphasis mine.)I have emphasized four phrases in the foregoing

text because they are what makes this seem radical in today’s culture. Whereas, in fact, God is giving it to us as His recommended norm and as His solution to the problem we have already addressed. Sarah, obviously, did not have an agenda of her own; she was Abraham’s wife and subject to him. Peter calls her “a holy woman who trusted in God” and holds her up as an example for other women to follow in how they relate to their husbands. His reference is to Genesis 20:1-16 when Abraham placed her in jeopardy to protect himself. Of course, I don’t know all of the circumstances of the time, so I must be careful not to judge Abraham unjustly; but it seems obvious that he was not her protector, guardian, or defender in this case. Her trust could not be in her husband for her well-being in this particular instance but in the Lord, who protected and delivered her while she embraced her husband’s folly. Their relationship remained intact; no harm came to her, and the lineage of Christ was preserved.

The apostle Paul also spoke of the woman’s role in a way that gained him the accusation of being chauvinistic. But in reality he spoke of God’s norm by inspiration of the Holy Ghost.

One thing that will likely be concluded by some who are reactionary or who think superfi cially of what has been expressed here is that women are deemed inferior, or even chattel; and men alone have the mind of Christ, but that has neither been said nor even hinted at. The opposite is true. Women, in the role for which God made them, are extremely infl uential and absolutely essential to the purpose of God for the human unit that God intended when He created Adam. Eve was actually created in

Adam and was a part of him. God called their name Adam, and He said they were one fl esh. Then He said the same concerning every married couple. The role of the believing woman, as that of the man, is obedience to God’s order by faith; and, together with her husband, they are fruitful beyond imagination.

There are many examples, historic and contemporary, of women who have followed in the footsteps of Sarah subjecting themselves as unto the Lord to their husband’s calling. They would have considered it their calling when they committed to hardships that led to the furtherance of their husbands’ ministries. Their obedience to their husbands was their way of obeying God; their reward will be for their obedience to the Lord and to His word.

A woman must realize that when she has, for a reason dictated by her preference, her comfort or her safety hindered her husband or defl ected him from his conviction to pursue what he believes to be God’s calling, she has reversed the roles and has encouraged her husband to substitute her agenda for his, making him a help meet for his wife. Together, how will they explain that to God when they are called to give account?

Many are the women who, through their commitment to their husband’s calling, have spent their lives in a most infl uential and fruitful manner furthering the kingdom of God. From Suzanna Wesley to Rosalind Goforth to Elizabeth Elliot and thousands of women in between who, just like them, are laboring even today alongside their men domestically and abroad as missionaries, ministers of the Word or in ordinary secular jobs in which they are holding forth an eff ectual testimony of Jesus. In all of these cases, the woman recognizes her husband as her head and is committed to his leadership as her calling. This is even true in some cases where the husband has not been obedient to the Lord and has made it diffi cult for his wife to be subject, as in the case of Abraham that Peter addressed. The fruit that is forthcoming, however, is a vindicator of her choice to obey God’s word.

Even in some cases where the husband seems to have failed in his eff ort, his wife will receive a full reward because she was faithful to do what the scriptures told her to do regarding her relationship to him. God’s judgments are just, and He is faithful to reward His daughters: holy women who trust in God and are not afraid with any amazement, not afraid, that is, to commit to her husband as her head and follow him.

6 SFMI Update

I believe that the biggest factor which makes the Bible so unique from other books is that it is a book of prophecies. Numbers vary as to

how many prophecies there are, but we can safely say that there are over 1800 of them. One count that I read had 1239 listed from the Old Testament and 578 in the New Testament. Most of these prophe-cies have already been fulfi lled, which gives an in-credible testimony to the authenticity of this book as being authored by God. The proof of whether a prophet has spoken the word of the Lord is in wheth-er or not what he or she prophecies comes to pass. Knowing that, we can be assured that the prophecies that haven't been fulfi lled yet will also come to pass at God's appointed time.

God has a voice, and He speaks to His creation. One of His reasons for creating man was for Him to have someone with whom He could commune. Throughout time He has spoken in various ways. He has often spoken through angels; He speaks through the prophets; once He spoke through the mouth of an ass, and He speaks through His son. “God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom he also made the worlds” (Heb. 1:1,2).

Jesus is identifi ed in John chapter one as be-ing the Word of God Who became fl esh and dwelt among us. He is the One Who has spoken through-out the ages. In Revelation 19:10 we are told that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. We can, therefore, conclude that all the prophecy throughout time has come forth from the Word of God. It was His word which fi lled the mouths of the prophets in time past as they spoke to the fathers. Then when the Word became fl esh and dwelt among us, Jesus took upon Himself the prophet's ministry and spoke to mankind as one of the prophets. Since then He has ascended from the earth; but even though He is no longer here in the fl esh, He continues to speak

through His spirit. The spirit of prophecy is stillactive in the world today.

God tells us in Amos 3:7, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” He has decided to use the prophets to be the transmitters of His message to man. In the book of 2nd Peter, the apostle Peter brings to our remembrance that although he and his fellow apostles were eyewitnesses of the Lord's tes-timony and even heard the voice of the Father speak-ing from heaven, there is also a more sure word of prophecy (2 Peter 1:19). This is a reference to the Scripture and to the fact that it is made up of a sure word of prophecy. In other words, it can absolute-ly be depended upon. He goes on to say, “Knowing this fi rst, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:20,21). This last statement shows us Who is the author of all prophecy. Prophecy comes from the Word of God and is transmitted by the Holy Spirit. Because God is the author of it, we know for certain that the prophetic message is sure.

There are a couple of ways to defi ne prophecy which are helpful to understanding the whole scope of what it consists. One defi nition is “forthtelling.” A broader defi nition is “speaking under inspiration the mind and counsel of God.” Forthtelling has to do spe-cifi cally with forecasting what will happen in the fu-ture whereas the broader defi nition of “speaking His mind and counsel” goes beyond that to include warn-ings and counsel and all that God has to say to man.

In God's ability to forthtell the future, He has set Himself apart from all of His creation and all the gods of the heathen. He says in Isaiah 46:9-11, “I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure....yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have

a more sure wordof prophecy

Richard McDaniel

7SFMI Update

“Knowing this fi rst, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private inter-pretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:20,21)

purposed it, I will also do it.” The Scripture tells us that God determined His purposes even before He began His creation work. He then reveals His plan, detail by detail (“line upon line” Isa. 28:10) through the many prophecies in the Scripture and assures us that these things shall come to pass. Later on, after He's already accomplished many of these things, He makes this statement, “Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them” (Isa. 42:9). Who else could do such a thing?

The Lord Jesus, in His prophetic ministry on earth, said something similar to this. He said, “And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye might believe” (Jn. 14:29). This statement by our Lord reveals the purpose of His forthtelling. Prophecy was not given out to be used as a kind of puzzler, to give us something to try and fi gure out. The prophecies which foretell the future are intended by God to be faith builders. When we see the prophecies come to pass, our faith is built up. God's way is totally about producing faith. “But without faith it's im-possible to please him” (Heb. 11:6), and “The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17).

During our collective lifetimes there have been some prophecies either fulfi lled or in the process of being fulfi lled. One very signifi cant event was the return of the dispersed people of Israel to the land that God promised to Abraham and his seed. This was prophecied in Ezekiel 37 and came to pass in 1948. There are two parts to this prophecy, howev-er. The fi rst part speaks of the bones [picturing the whole house of Israel] coming together and inhab-iting the land but without any breath in them. That's been fulfi lled as Israel today is back in the land. It exists however as a secular nation (without the breath of spiritual life). At a later date, breath will come into the bones; and they will live. This is the second part of the prophecy, which will be fulfi lled when a remnant of Israel recognizes Jesus as the Messiah upon His return.

Some other prophecies that are being ful-fi lled are: (1) the perilous times of 2 Timothy chapter 3; (2) the great falling away of 2 Thess. 2;

(3) the beginning of sorrows, which Jesus prophecies of in Matt. 24.  It was impressed upon many of usrecently when we saw the current pestilence (COVID-19), which began in China but has circled the globe, that the beginning of sorrows is here. The reason for this impression is because of the global impact that this has had upon health, economies, so-cial structures, etc. There is also a spirit of fear that has come with it. The stage is now being set for the global domination that Scripture forecasts, which will culminate with the rise of the antichrist and his rule. It may take some time to build up to that point, but we are well on the way. Praise the Lord.

So how should we respond as we see these things coming to pass? The fi rst thing is to consider what Jesus said to do when we see prophecies being fulfi lled—that is to believe. We were never promised that we would escape tribulation, but His promise is to be with us throughout it. God has given us many promises, and it is time to refl ect upon them and to cling to them. The opposite of believing is fear, and we should not allow ourselves to be overtaken by it. Our lives are in His hands.

Secondly, in the context of Matthew 24 and 25, Jesus told us repeatedly to watch, be not deceived, pray, be ready. I am convinced that the governments of the world do not know how to handle this situa-tion, but the Lord did not tell us to be occupied with straightening them out. He did not tell us to whine and fret about our rights being taken away. In this hour the saints need to stand up and be strong. Seek the Lord to have understanding of the times, prin-cipally in recognizing the spiritual warfare we are in, and then being available to minister accordingly. We also need to be interceding for the fearful and for those who are sick or who are weak and vulner-able to this disease. We can intercede for the welfare of those who are unable to provide for themselves because economies are shut down and people in many places cannot travel about. Pray that the spirit of fear and bondage throughout the world may be broken and for men to repent of their evil deeds and to call upon the Lord. As you can see, there is a lot to be considering and a lot to be praying for. May the Lord lead us in that.

8 SFMI Update

five smooth stones(part 4)

Frank Stangel

When we reflect on what the Church is to be, she is Beautiful, an expression of Jesus Christ to a lost and deceived world;

while at the same time, she is being conformed into His Glorious Image. In 2 Cor. 2:15 we see that “we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish.” In Phil. 3:20-21 Paul says: “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” When we look back at God’s declaration of the nation of Israel in Numbers 23:21, “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel,” we recognize at that time they were not yet the finished product, even as we are not. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

In this life we understand there are things that still need to be worked out of us. One of those things is materialism, at which I desire to aim this fourth stone. The definition of it adds a facet most do not consider. The definition of materialism is “a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.” Many would say, “I do not hold possessions or comforts above my life in Christ.” Then I would ask how you spend your time or money? Take a moment to follow the trail of your time or how you spend your finances, and it will prove out what is of most value to you. Notice this definition does not just say possessions but also physical comforts. Many who call themselves followers of Christ tend to think that they are not endangered by materialism because they are comfortable with what they have, but do our physical comforts get in the way of what Jesus has called us to? Have we added things onto our lives that are a hindrance rather than allowing God to give or take away what is needed?

Let us consider what Jesus told the rich young

ruler in Mark 10:21: “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” We see in the man’s response that his possessions had a hold on his heart. Do yours have an unhealthy hold on you?

Paul admonishes us to lay aside every weight and run with patience the race set before us. We look at the Church in Acts, and they were so moved by what God was doing among them that they sold not only lands but houses and parted the finances among themselves as everyone had need. We also see many men and women through the ages who have left all in obedience to Jesus and His call to go into all the world. They suffered hunger, disease, deprivations. They were persecuted, thrown in prisons and many killed as they followed Jesus to reach the lost with the gospel message. Here, for the most part, we sit surrounded by our comforts and in many cases unwilling to part with what we have in order to obey His commission. We hold onto these things as if they were ours and desire to add even more onto ourselves. Has materialism become our undoing?

What, then, can we do? We are told in Romans 12:2: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Brethren, I implore you and myself that we let go of those things that will not last and take hold of the ministry that is set before us. As we near the finish line with all the hurdles on the last stretch, we cannot be weighed down with the cares of this life and our stuff. We must, I believe as much as possible, let go of our pursuits and possessions, other than those Christ has laid upon us. “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). Let us strive to be those followers of Christ which grew up and increased.

9SFMI Update

history. So, while the villagers endure another prob-lem, they will endure and prevail, just as Cherry and I do.

We hope and pray that countries and airports will allow for travel soon so we can continue our ministry and that during this time people will dis-cover anew that salvation is found in a childlike faith in Jesus.

CanadaFrancois & Nohemi MarcouxDear Praying Saints,“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him” (Psalm 34:8).

In any generation, year, or day we may well repeat in worship and prayer these words, and that includes the ones we are all going through. No one can aff ord not to trust 100% in the Lord, especially now. We continue to see the Lord at work, in spite of the present restrictions. We have continued our Spanish Bible study on Saturday nights through vid-eo conference. We are encouraged as we are reading and studying together 1st Thessalonians. For Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings we connect with the other French-speaking saints.

A Mexican man named Marcelo who had just started to come out to our meetings before the lock-down had been trying to fl y back to Mexico to rejoin his wife and daughter since he lost his job. I drove him to the Montreal airport today (3-hour drive) to catch the fi rst fl ight to Mexico in more than a month. I was able to share my testimony and the Gospel with him very clearly and answering his questions. I am afraid he had only heard a watered-down Gospel in Mexico. Please pray that he might experience the full assurance of the forgiveness of his sins through the Lord Jesus Christ and His work on the cross.

We have been keeping my mom in our home since March 30th when I took her out (temporarily) of the seniors’ home where she was. It has opened up new opportunities to share God’s word with her on a daily basis and praying with her every night be-fore going to bed. What a blessing! Let us keep our eyes on Jesus every day of our pilgrim days!In Him, Francois and Nohemi

After Cherry and I returned on February 16th from the tribe, our short independence was cut short by Oregon’s governor’s stay-at-home order starting March 23. Coming from a “Faith in God only” background to almost every government in the world following “science” has once again made me realize how out- of-sync I am with most people’s thoughts.

One of the benefi ts of our modern society is the ability to communicate easily and cheaply with anyone who has access to the internet. I’ve been in communication with the tribal people who are more confused and frustrated than I am about a deadly sickness that is causing them to not be able to travel and have markets. For them, living with threats of harm and death is normal. A few days ago I heard that another cell of jihadist were killed 50 miles from them. In church during the planting season, testimonies of the Lord protecting and delivering them from a snake while working their fi elds is common. Only a fool or a lazy person would ever think about not working his fi eld because of threats. The known threat of failing to produce food is far greater than snakes in the grass. The threat to their lives is seen and felt, not told to them.

I have received several calls from African friends concerned for Cherry and me; they hear that Americans are dying in great numbers. It is diffi -cult to explain that what they deal with is far more threatening than what Cherry and I face. They then report of their lives and hardships. The Ivorian gov-ernment’s reactions to the COVID-19 crisis has created many inconveniences for the villagers. Mar-kets and schools closed, limited transportation, no singing or dancing in church, and severe economic loss due to buyers returning to Asia and Europe. Ac-cording to what I’ve heard, there are very limited confi rmed cases in the big cities of Ivory Coast and no obvious increase of death in outlying areas.

Fortunately, trusting God always and only for life is a principle that Christians follow throughout

Ivory CoastJerry & Cherry Skiles

Missionary News

10 SFMI Update

Hello everyone, We just wanted to keep in touch with you all even though we are in the States right now. We are currently

in Wyoming after traveling all over tarnation (it seems) visiting peo-ple. On our trip we drove thousands of miles with a baby who had

never been in a car seat before; Jesse spoke at a conference, offi ciated at a wedding, and we had many hours of good fellowship. Thank you to all of you who hosted us and took time to visit with us! We just found out that our fl ight to Ecuador has been canceled so we are just waiting to see when the borders will open so we can reschedule a fl ight. Please remember to pray for our friends in Ecuador. José (pic. 1) is our brother who is young in the Lord and very hungry to grow. Please pray he will stay strong in the Lord and will continue growing while we are gone. Please pray for his daughter Lyda (pic.

5, with Titus) who is fourteen and just had a baby. Pray she will have a heart to turn to the Lord and turn from the world. Please pray for Walter (pic. 2) who is considered to be a leader in the church but who still is weak in his walk with the Lord and is very grieved over his eight children

whom he doesn’t know how to lead in the way of the Lord. Please pray for Adan and Edwin, our partners in ministry. Pray that they would learn more of walking in the Spirit and led by His voice alone and be encouraged in the Lord. (The two short ones on the left, pic. 3). Please pray for our neigh-bor Mauricio and his fami-ly. We really feel like God is drawing him. But as far as we know he is not inter-ested at all in the Lord. We

love his two sons Julian and Josue dearly; they spend most of their free time at our house (pic. 4). And please pray for our friends Edwin and Inez (pic. 6), a young couple who are hungry for the Lord. Please pray they will continue to seek

Him and flee temptation. Thank you all so much for your prayers! We rely so much on you. If you have a heart to pray for us, please also pray for us even while we are in the States. The Enemy has really been attacking us with discourage-ment, doubts and heaviness. Please pray that we will have motivation to fight and not give in.

We love you!Jesse, Tess, and Titus

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hungry for the Lord. Please pray they will continue to seek

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EcuadorJess & Tess Barnard

11SFMI Update

A Tribute to Jim Lucasfrom missionary Ed Enns

2 Samuel 3:38: And the king said unto his servants, “Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?”

Jim was a weeping warrior for the Lord Jesus Christ. He fearlessly preached the gospel to an untold number all over the world; and if you spoke to him of the love of the Saviour, you would usually see a stream of tears.

A great combination of a truly dedicated disciple. He will be missed by many.

utes south of Tototlán. Because of this threat thelocal, state and federal governments have askedlocal churches not to meet and instead use other means of interaction. Miguel and I have decided to suspend all church meetings except our Sunday meeting which we have divided into two smaller groups. One group meets at my house and the other in Miguel’s house. We meet at the same time and share the same Bible study. Because of the possibil-ity that this pandemic could get worse, to the point that it would be impossible for us to meet at all, wedecided to change our current sermon series from the Sermon on the Mount to a Back to Basicsseries. We want to go back over topics like quiet time, prayer, personal Bible study, family worship,

the Gospel, evangelism and outreach. Pray that the current crisis would result in the growth and matu-rity of the church here and everywhere. Pray that those professing believers without a real walk with the Lord would wake up and repent.

Thank you for reading and praying. May God bless you abundantly.

Prayer Requests: Pray for Elena’s family in El Venado to come to Christ. Pray that the Gos-pel would heal the entire Padilla family in El Venado. Pray for the Bible study in San Isidro that Lucía’s family would come to Christ.

Tototlan, MexicoDaniel & Maria Fontanez

New Evangelistic Bible Studies“We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done” (Psalm 78:4).

In our last report we shared what the Lord had done through the Health Fair outreach at the

beginning of the year. New contacts were made and visited. Well, new evangelistic Bible stud-ies sprouted that have been going on for about 10 weeks. In the picture above is Elena Padilla

and her daughter Carmen from rancho El Venado. Elena had heard an adulterated version of the Gos-pel and ended up returning to the catholic church some time ago. She is now studying the Bible with us and is slowly understanding the Gospel of grace. Pray that the entire family would be saved and that through them God would bring reconciliation to the extended Padilla family. They have a history of strife, resentment and enmity among them. Pray also for Ramiro and Rafaela, also from El Venado; we’ve had a Bible study with them for several years. Pray that these two Bible studies would become one: the beginning of a new church.

The other Bible study that sprouted from a combination of the Health Fair outreach and our pantry outreach, is the Bible study in San Isidro. San Isidro is a rancho (much larger than El Venado) about 12 minutes east of Tototlán. After the Health Fair the Escoto family vis-ited a family in need there with the pantry goods the church had gathered. This help in time of need opened the door for the Gospel in Lucía’s home. Alexis Escoto (with guitar in photo) heads this Bible study. Pray that as a result of this Bible study Lucía’s entire family would come to faith in the Lord Jesus and a new church would be planted in this rancho.

Coping with COVID-19: The new strain of coronavirus has begun to change the way we do church, even in Tototlán. The closest it has come to us is one case in the city of Ocotlán about 30 min-

Venado. Pray for the Bible study in San Isidro

12 SFMI Update

Report from Samuel Singh in India:Greetings to You, your Family and your Church

fellowship in Jesus’ name.I want to give you very urgent prayer request

that every day in Bombay thousand and thousand new cases are coming of this CORONA VIRUS, and now our CHEMBUR CHURCH AND AIROLICHURCH are also in RED ZONE and now no way to visit our churches. I wanted to open church build-ing as both churches are locked from March. I am unable to go out of the house as we are still lock down for this month and may be again next month. My age is 74 which is not allowed to go out of the house, so situtation is very very bad as our people mostly living in slums. I praise God and thank God they are safe in the hands of the Lord but having lots of other problems as they lost their jobs and com-pany closed down and no money as they are also LOCK DOWN FROM MARCH. Please pray that Lord will take away this virus from ALL OVER THE WORLD as mostly in India poor people are suff ering with so many things. I do not understand what to do as my churches are very, very big and no way to open the churches as according to the law people cannot fi t in. We need your prayers.

I saw in the news that America is opening churches so I Praise God for that! Pray that in In-dia also we can open our churches. Every day I am praying and sending messages to my church people to make their faith strong. They are strong, but prob-lems are very, very big; and they cannot see how they can overcome, but OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL AND HE WILL OPEN THE WAY FOR US.

We have very big cyclone in India which is in Urisa and Bengal, so any time monsoon will hit Bombay, and monsoon will be here for almost four months; and in that time I need so many things to protect my house from water. God has protectedevery year, but this year until now I could not fi nd sand bags as all shops are closed. I could not fi nd pumps to take water out of the society as shops are closed. Please pray that God will provide all these things soon so I can protect my house in this monsoon.

My wife is doing much better, so I Praise God for that. My family is well but still needs your prayers for some problem which God knows.

Greetings from my family and from our churches. God Bless. We Love you,Samuel (May 23, 2020.)

Christianityin the midst of COVID-19

I want to give a report, but fi rst I would like to give three tips for walking with the Lord in the time of pandemic:1. Reject panic and panic-mongers. God is still on

the throne!2. Don’t get caught up in conspiracies. Are there

conspirators? Of course! There always have been. Are some politicians and organizations trying to take advantage of the turmoil? Cer-tainly! Are any greater than the Almighty? No!

3. Keep Christ in the center. Ask the Lord to show you what you can learn and how you can reach out in this time.In Atotonilco, the church is doing well. We are

meeting in seven small home groups on Sundays, while the church in San Joaquin and the disciples in El Tarengo continue to meet in homes. Five peo-ple have come to Christ, and two new evangelístic studies have opened up. We have been able to distribute Bibles, litera-ture and even hand sanitizer and face masks to hundreds of people while still honoring the rules of so-cial distancing. We have also been able to give out food packets to 40 people, mostly members of the church.

Up until last week, Atotonilco county had no cases of coronavirus. Today we have nine. Pray for the safety of this area. We hunger to see this region permeated by Life, not death. Thank you for interceding for the advance of the Gospel here. Steve & Linda

Atotonilco, JaliscoMexicoSteve & Linda Montgomery

13SFMI Update

Note: David is ministering to a lot of SDA people in his area. They are drawn in by the Word, he said, to the point where they are not taken up with the day of worship anymore, like they used to be. He is in demand to teach the Word, especially the study we have, called Renewing the Mind. That study is in very high demand. Now, with this coronavirus, they are not allowed to gather for meetings inside a building; but he has a small microphone/speaker system that he can use to talk to people outside and is able to use that when his voice gets tired.Praise the Lord! -Richard McDaniel

LABOR DAY WEEKEND BELIEVERS CONFERENCE 2020September 4 - September 7, 2020

The Labor Day Weekend Believers Conference will again be held at Pinelow Park & Conference Center on the shores of Deer Lake located only 39 miles north of Spokane, Washington.

• Those who come must attend the entire conference. NO partial conferees.• Register early! Space is limited!• Be praying what your individual ministry and fi nancial support will be• Questions about lodging, please contact:

Brian or Peggy Martell at (509) 738-3041 or bkmartell@hotmail.comCamp registration form, insurance waiver, and directions are on page 14 & 15.

There is NO ONLINE REGISTRATION available.All forms must be MAILED to the Martells.

Email Subscription: If you are interested in receiving the Prayer/News Update by email, please contact our offi ce today with your email address. sfmi@sfmiusa.org

NOTE: The Update is sent free upon request to all wishing to receive it. The cost of $9 per year per subscriber for this Update is covered by the freewill off erings of God’s people.

Cover Photo: Grand Canyon, Arizona: evidence of God’s judgment in the Flood of Noah’s day.

Bible and Food Distribution in Kenya, AfricaDear brother in Christ,

I greet you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, showing that we are fi ne in this world of Corona Vi-rus, and we hope that since we are in Christ Jesus, we are in a new world. I thank God for the gift I received last and we have shared as God guides us.

Since the government doesn’t allow gathering, we called the believers to come on diff erent time on the same day, gave them their gifts [food items]; and they left. We didn’t face any problems in shar-ing them. -David Omari, Kenya, Africa

This is how we shared the Bibles, and we thank God for His gift to reach those in need. We are praying to get more Bibles to reach more people.

14 SFMI Update

Labor Day Weekend Believers Conference 2020Shield of Faith Mission InternationalPinelow Park, 3806 N. Deer Lake Rd., Loon Lake, WA

Friday, September 4 – Monday, September 7, 2020MAIL ALL RELEASE AND REGISTRATION FORMS TO:

Brian & Peggy Martell, Registrars2 Baxter Lane

Kettle Falls WA 99141MANDATORY INSTRUCTIONS: FORMS: EVERYONE attending the 2020 Spokane Labor Day Conference MUST submit a signed release form (1 per person or 1 per family) as required by Pinelow Park. (Parents/guardians must sign for minors 18 and under.) We MUST have a release form on file for each family before you arrive in order for you to be on the grounds. MAIL REGISTRATION AND ALL RELEASE FORMS to Brian and Peggy Martell BEFORE the conference. PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL OR FAX FORMS.

Arrival Time: 4:00 p.m., Friday, September 4 (To avoid fines, NO Early Arrivals, please!)

Friday Meeting: 7:00 p.m. (There will be no meal served Friday night. Please feel free to bring snacks.)

Meals: Saturday morning is our first meal and Monday lunch is our last meal.

IMPORTANT: Headcount for meals must be in one week before conference begins, so REGISTER EARLY!

Accommodations: Spaces for RV’s are available. There are family cabins and lodging for others. You must bring your own bedding! NO TENTING.

Campground Rules: No pets, No smoking, No firearms allowed.

Questions? Contact Brian or Peggy Martell at (509) 738-3041 or bkmartell@hotmail.comLast Name:___________________ First:____________________Home Phone: ( )______-__________Address_______________________________________________Work Phone: ( )______-__________City:_____________________State______________Zip__________Email___________@_____________Please include infants Spouse:____________________________Child:________________________________Age:______ Child:_____________________________ Age:_____Child:________________________________ Age:______ Child:______________________________ Age:_____Child:________________________________ Age:______ Child:______________________________ Age:_____Child:________________________________ Age:______ Child:______________________________ Age:_____Child:________________________________ Age:______ Child:______________________________ Age:_____

Nights staying over: ALL! Friday Night Saturday Night Sunday Night Sleeping arrangements needed: Room RV (No Tents, Sorry!) Meals: Saturday Breakfast Sunday Breakfast Monday Breakfast Saturday Lunch Sunday Lunch Monday Lunch

Saturday Dinner Sunday Dinner Special Needs: Note: the camp does not provide special meals for controlled diets; special food items must be brought by the camper him/herself.

Circle Choices

15SFMI Update

Driving Directions from Spokane:Total Distance 39 miles Approx. 55 minutes

From I-90 East Bound take the Lincoln Street ExitHead N on N. Lincoln St. toward W. Main AvenueTurn Right onto W. MainTurn Left onto N. Division St./US-2/US-395 NorthKeep left at the Y to stay on US-395 NorthboundOn US 395 go northBetween milepost 193 and 194, turn right onto N. Deer Lake Road.Look for our office on your left:

3806 N. Deer Lake RoadLoon Lake WA 99147

INSURANCE WAIVERI release Pinelow Park and Conference Center, Inc., staff members paid and

volunteer for any injury to me or my immediate family for participation in camp activities. I understand that this means that I am responsible, financially and otherwise, for any injury I or my immediate family sustain during participation in any and all camp activities.

I affirm that the participants are in good health and are not under a physician’s care for any condition other than what has been disclosed in writing to the Pinelow registrar that bears upon fitness to participate in camp activities.

I understand and agree that Pinelow Park, paid and volunteer staff, challenge course facilitators, and waterfront personnel cannot insure or guarantee that the participants, equipment, grounds and / or activi-ties will be free of accidents and injuries.

I understand that each participant must assume the risk of injury that could result from any activities, and I hereby assume that risk for myself and /or my immediate family. I understand that my insurance is the primary coverage and the camp accident insurance is secondary.

Print Name Here: _____________________________________ Organization: SHIELD OF FAITH MISSION INTL

Signature Here: _______________________________________ Date: _______________________________

Print Names of Family/Group Members Here: ___________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

SPECIAL NOTICE: NO PARTIAL ATTENDANCE REGISTRATIONS ACCEPTED! Come and STAY for the entire Conference. If you are sick...STAY HOME! If you are well...PLEASE COME! There is limited space in this facility. If you get sick after registering, please be courteous to call and cancel, so some-one else can have that space. Thank you. We look forward to a wonderful time together in Christ our Lord!

Welcome to Pinelow Park!

16 SFMI Update

Hold fast the form of sound words,which thou hast heard of me,

in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.That good thing which was committed

unto thee keep by the Holy Ghostwhich dwelleth in us.

2 Timothy 1:13,14

Shield of Faith Mission InternationalPO Box 144Bend OR 97709

Return Service Requested

Non-profi t Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDBend, OregonPermit No. 118