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Dear HCM Supporters:

 

I want to give a brief update between the regular newsletters to keep you posted for items of prayer.

 

Thank You – First of all I want to thank those of you who responded to my special request last December for funding. Our funds were down to $1,300 in the bank and the financial situation was rather bleak. Your response brought in enough year-end funds to match our bank balance of the beginning of 2007 with an additional $62! Thank you for your response to the “SOS”.

 

Montreal Trip – Yesterday I returned from a trip to Montreal. I had started up a Centre there in December, 2006. The purpose of my current visit was to follow up with them, because there hadn’t been much activity at the Centre. While the original group of students are not continuing. However I’m thankful to report that while the seed that was planted has died, two new potential Centres have sprung up in its place. One of the students is planning to start a Centre in his own church. He also informed me that they have just begun a Hispanic ministerial in Montreal and some of their pastors are interested in starting up a Centre among the Hispanic pastors of Montreal. I’m thankful for the seed sown, and the potential fruit shown from that. Please pray for these two new potential Centres. While in Montreal my wife and I also had the privilege of staying with a couple who are keenly interested in our mission efforts. Our visit with them to provide information about how they could get involved was reciprocated with an overnight stay of warm hospitality.

 

El Salvador – Tomorrow morning I leave for El Salvador, returning on March 3. This is a very exciting ministry trip. One of my MINTS-Toronto students who is from El Salvador will be accompanying me for the trip. I participated in his graduation from the Masters of Theological Studies program with us in Toronto and he is currently teaching his second course there. We will be starting a MINTS Centre in his home village in El Salvador. I also have seven other individuals in El Salvador who have contacted me for more information and with whom I will be meeting during the visit. There is a potential of beginning four new MINTS Centres during this ministry trip. I’m very thankful to be accompanied on this trip by a student who is able to encourage leaders among his own fellow countrymen. More and more MINTS students are graduating and either starting new Centres or playing a significant role in the establishment of new Centres. This is a blessing from the Lord. It is precisely the goal of our “mission seminary” approach to leadership training.

 

Please be in prayer for me during this ministry trip and for my family during my absence. Please also pray for the on-going financial needs. The first months of the year have brought in fewer funds than this same time last year, but God has been faithful in providing when the funds have been needed.

 

Rev. Eric Pennings,

Associate Academic Dean for MINTS

Central America Regional Coordinator

 

Canadian Donations: Hispanic Christian Ministry, c/o Covenant Reformed Church, 265 Albion Road, Toronto, Ontario M9W 3P1

 

US donations: Hispanic Christian Ministry, c/o Faith United Reformed Church, 8270 120th Ave., West Olive, Michigan 49460