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One Mission Many Nations

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We have known Pastors Joliam and Claudia for almost twenty-five years, served on staff under their ministry and traveled overseas twice with them. Today, I am so excited to be able to recommend to you their first book, explaining their forty-one years of mission’s experience. It all began in 1985 with God’s call and a single verse:

Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness. 2 Corinthians 9:10 NKJV

Often God calls people to leave home and spend most of their lives on the mission field, but others, God sends to come alongside them for encouragement, training and providing resources. Many times, over the years, we have said, “We’ll be praying for you!” as Pastor Joliam left on another missionary trip, but the extent of those travels still left me dumbfounded when I read “One Mission. Many Nations.” If you have a heart for missions, or are planning on any type of overseas ministry, this new book should be required reading. Here Pastor Joliam shares not only his passion for missions, but also hundreds of practical insights for outreach work in twenty-three countries on four different continents. Having traveled with him to both India and Nepal, I can tell you that the highlights shared in these pages are only the tip of the iceberg, of the lives touched and places visited on the field. I love how Pastor Joliam reminds us that to be faithful to God’s call usually means that few will applaud us or even see what we do in the Lord’s service.

“God sees the seeds planted when no camera is present, and no one outside the community knows the name of the person who is planting them.” Dr. Joliam Sampaio

So, if you are feeling God’s call to missions or simply would like to know more about what effective missions looks like in the twenty-first century, it would well be worth the investment of your time to read through the pages of One Mission. Many Nations,” You can find the book on Amazon in both English, as well as Spanish, and Portuguese in both softcover as well as a Kindle edition.

Woulda – Coulda – Shoulda

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments 
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda were
All childhood bosom friends
And they live near each other 
Where the Worry River bends

Though God still loves them dearly
He hopes for them to hear
His voice that calls them to launch out
By faith and not to fear

But instead, they sit at home 
And say “Oh, not today.
This is really not the time
Tomorrow, we'll obey!”

Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2b ESV

Woulda – Coulda – Shoulda
by Peter Caligiuri
copyright © 2024
All rights reserved
Photo by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels.com

Why Should We Care About Memory Care?

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. Genesis 48:10 ESV

They barely remember our name and struggle to recall where they are. The hands, once strong and able that provided for us, protected us and even at times disciplined us now hang limply at their sides. What is the use of visiting, when they will not remember it an hour from now? Those are hard but very real questions we may struggle with if we have a parent in memory care.

Genesis 48:10 ESV  Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them.

https://bible.com/bible/59/gen.48.10.ESV

But God remembers them and like Jacob, they still hold the blessings for our children in their hands. Rather than simply pity them, or stay away in discouragement and sorrow, let us go remembering that God has designed this chapter in their lives to still have purpose. Remember that after Jesus was born, he was brought by Mary and Joseph to the temple.  There Jesus received blessings from, Simeon and Anna, the two oldest members of the community.

Those who are least respected by a society weary of caring for its elderly, are highly honored by God. These weakened by infirmity and age have been entrusted with the blessing for our children. Why should we care about memory care? Because Jesus does and He remembers them and sees when each one falls.