The Newsletter of
SOMA USA

April 2002     Volume 17, Number 1

Empowering Young Leaders             By Mrs. Parthy Evans

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The Rev. Dr. Alison Barfoot emphasizes a leadership principle.

Our mission trip to Uganda fulfilled a vision imparted to the Rev. Alison Barfoot during a SOMA mission to Uganda in 1996. Her vision was to provide Biblically-based leadership training for young Ugandan leaders. Over the next few years, Alison wrote her doctoral dissertation entitled, “Principles of Empowerment from the Book of Nehemiah: A Leadership Training Program.” The devastation to the ranks of Ugandan leaders by HIV/AIDS contributed to the critical need for leadership training. As a result of the shortage of mature leaders, many young people are placed in leadership positions prematurely and without leadership mentoring or training. Through the recent SOMA team, God imparted the much needed leadership mentoring and training to twenty-six young Ugandan leaders.

During the five day Nehemiah Leadership Conference, held from March 4-9 in Kampala, Uganda, the topics included: Biblically-based leadership; what is vision; vision casting; character, and its importance to leadership; prayer in leadership; planning and goal setting; communication; team dynamics; and conflict resolution. Presentations, small group projects and discussion, worship, prayer ministry, and fellowship provided the means for learning Biblically-based leadership.

We believe that God is very busy working in Uganda. God’s word in the Book of Nehemiah provided a strong platform for the young leaders to learn the skills needed to fulfill their visions. The young leaders received visions of rebirth and rebuilding for Uganda, and the building of God’s Kingdom there. Not one participant received a vision for acquiring personal wealth or position.

The SOMA team (clockwise l to r): Mr. Bill Stalcup, Church of the Redeemer, Memphis, TN; Mrs. Parthy Evans, Christ Church, Overland Park, KS; the Rt. Rev. Henry Orombi, Nebbi Diocese, Uganda; the Rev. Dr. Alison Barfoot, team leader, Christ Church, Overland Park, KS; and the Rev. Benoni and Mrs. Joyie Mugarura-Mutana, St. Francis Chapel, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

The conference concluded with an opportunity for the young leaders to work on a leadership field project, based upon their visions, over the next twelve months. Over the next year, periodic gatherings will be held to support one another and to receive mentoring from the Ugandan team members.

In May 2003, the SOMA team will return to help the young leaders evaluate and plan the next steps in their field projects, and to train the participants to teach the Nehemiah Leadership material. In order to address the continuing need for leadership training, a second Nehemiah Leadership Conference will be taught as well.

Servants' Hearts            By Scott Field

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Bishop Botengan (on right) and his wife Kate gave his milennium stole to the Rev. Richard Stamp.

The Episcopal Church in the Philippine Islands draws on a rich missionary history from the beginning of the twentieth century. Missionaries from the Episcopal Church in the USA planted congregations and built hospitals and schools in Manila. The churches sent evangelists into the mountain villages to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Episcopal Church in the Philippines continued to grow, and became autonomous in 1991.

Out of this missionary heritage, the Rt. Rev. Benjamin Botengan, Bishop of the Diocese of Central Philippines, invited SOMA to conduct a clergy and lay leaders conference. The objectives of the conference were:

1. To empower the clergy and lay to be aggressive, committed, spiritually-filled, and involved in the worship of Christ and service and witness to the world.
2. To encourage all individual and institution members to fully support a sustainable stewardship program towards a dynamic and self-supporting diocese.
3. To inspire clergy and lay members to strengthen and bring to greater heights their zeal for mission.

We had our work cut out for us. In a nut shell, we had to address the topics of Bible study, rekindling missionary zeal, and stewardship in three and a half days. Leaning into the Lord and being guided by the Holy Spirit were the only ways that we could accomplish the bishop’s objectives (and let people get some sleep!). The retreat facility provided ample space for individual prayer and reflection as well as small group discussions.

Compared to most of the other countries I have travelled to, the church in the Philippines has many resources-church buildings, offices, and a seminary. But I believe the greatest resource that the church has is the people. We experienced the warm and friendly hospitality of our “new friends” throughout our time together. I found the mission a tremendous blessing and privilege to serve with such servant-hearted men and women.

Team list: Mr. Scott Field, Associate Director, SOMA USA, team leader; the Rev. Richard Stamp, Associate Director, SOMA Australia; and Mrs. Jessica Ferrara, All Saints’, Dale City, VA.

God Surprised Me Again (and Again!)        By The Rev. Chuck Sharrow

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The Rev. Chuck Sharrow conducts a Bible study with some of the girls at Our Little Roses.

After two postponements trying to organize a mission trip to Our Little Roses (OLR) home for abused and abandoned girls in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, I was starting to wonder if God had other plans for me. In hindsight I realize that God had some surprises for us as we waited for His perfect timing and not my perfect organizing for this mission.

After many struggles getting people to commit, the Lord arranged just the right combination of team members. He also surprised us with the amount of money we were able to raise quickly. Since God owns all the cattle on the hills, He must have had an auction to sell off a few extra to support this trip because money was not a problem.

God included two teenage girls on the team, which is unusual for SOMA mission trips. It worked perfectly. The girls became the vital bridge that enabled the adults to bond much faster with the older girls at OLR. I was personally surprised by the comfort level shown by our youngest missionaries, who entered a place where they knew no one and established friendships within a few of hours.

God blessed us with the right chemistry on our team. The fact that we all had different gifts and personalities allowed us to do some things I did not expect. Maria has a beautiful singing voice, which I did not know until we were well into the mission adventure. Blanca has a heart and a gift with little children, and Neri has a passion for Hispanic women and tries to help them advance in life. Putting all that together with our ability to speak Spanish, we bonded with one another and with the staff and girls in a way that was amazing.

Ms. Esli Ceballos prays for a young girl while the others wait their turn.

Another surprise came at the end of our time, when a fourteen year old stood up during our closing service and announced, “Before the group came, I sort of believed in God but not really. But when someone was praying with me, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit and now I know that I am not alone.” Normally dry-eyed and with a stiff upper lip, I started to shed tears over that one. God had surprised me with another unexpected gift from someone we had met and learned to love.

I know that this mission adventure will take years to fully digest. But the surprise for me is the extent to which the trip has changed me. I understand more than before about Jesus’ words, “unless you become like a child you cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” Today, I know that I am more child-like. Finally, I was surprised at how graciously God used us, in spite of our weaknesses. We heard people describe how the Holy Spirit had touched them, and we were humbled. Would I go again? Of course, and I would encourage others to do the same because we serve a God who surprises us, and I know He wants to do the same for you as well.

Team List: The Rev. Chuck Sharrrow, team leader, and Mrs. Neri Vail, Advent, Brownsville, TX; Mrs. Blanca Ceballos and Miss Esli Ceballos, St. Paul's, Brownsville, TX; Mrs. Maria Hall and Miss Nicole Hall, St. Andrew's Port Isabel, TX

Director's Corner       By Mrs. Edwina Thomas, National Director

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Edwina Thomas, Director

Oh God, the world is a difficult place. Daily we read parallels to Matthew 24 in our newspapers: terrorists, suicide bombers, full-scale wars, and rumors of war. Famines. Earthquakes. Faithful believers are handed over to persecution in our age. Look around: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.”

In Numbers 13, God bids Moses to send twelve tribal leaders to spy out the land of Canaan. At the end of forty days of exploration, they reported back to the whole assembly: large and fierce people, enemies in well-fortified cities, and huge and abundant produce. All twelve had seen the same things—they were in agreement.

But they were not in agreement about the interpretation of their report. Only two, Joshua and Caleb, declared that God was greater than the giants in the land. “Do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people in the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” God was pleased with their faith.

Like the spies, we all agree that the world is a difficult place and terrible things are happening. But will we hold fast to a Biblical worldview and the promises of God? Is God bigger than the giants that we encounter?

Matthew 24:13 – 14 says, “But he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Lord God, in the face of a world in upheaval, help us to see and respond to the world in agreement with your Word. We choose to listen and obey as we put faith into action. Give us courage to look fear in the face as we consider the invitations of Anglican bishops in the Middle East who say, “Please come.” Lord, SOMA chooses to participate in your plan to preach the Gospel of the kingdom to the whole world—NOW.