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News and Notes about Brigada, Your Gateway to Missions Networking!
[Pass this issue to a friend! To subscribe, see instructions at end.]
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In this issue….
* PHYSICIANS TO MEET IN LOUISVILLE TO PLAN SERIES FOR FALL
* FOLLOW-UP TO FOLLOW-UP TO “HAVE YOU SEEN THE FIREWORKS???”
* INTERFACE WITH OLYMPIC GOLD
* AD2000 & BEYOND TO TRACK JP2000 OUTREACHES
* QUENCH YOUR THIRST FOR THE RIGHT DISPLAY! GET LEMMON-AID
* GLOBAL GLIMPSE FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA
* CRAFTY FUND-RAISING IDEA
* CONFIRM YOUR ‘INTENT’IONS
* HAVE YOU NOTICED WE’RE GROWING?? CHECK OUT THE NEW CONFERENCES!
* FREE INTERNATIONAL EMAIL — JUNO REVIEWS LOOK PROMISING
* TECHNOLOGY PROMISES BENEFITS FOR MISSIONS . . . MOST LIKELY
* TO SUBSCRIBE TO BRIGADA TODAY
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PHYSICIANS TO MEET IN LOUISVILLE TO PLAN SERIES FOR FALL
Have you heard about the physicians’ series shaping up for this fall in Louisville, KY? Initiated in part by an MD from Louisville, Dr. David A Dageforde ldageforde@aol.com, the series hopes “to give physicians differential diagnosis of general medical problems in 3rd World countries using only history & physical as the source of information to make the proper diagnosis.” Bottom line: a special symposium this fall for doctors headed overseas. Describing his recent experiences overseas, David wrote to Brigada this past week, “Most of the disease processes are in the area of tropical medicine where most of us are not exposed to that type of disease on a routine basis. Just as the book Where There Is No Doctor gives excellent written descriptions as to how to make the differential diagnosis of fever or diarrhea, or other problems, we felt these physicians [presenters] could come to this lecture with handouts and expertise in making physicians more comfortable at practicing in remote areas of the world.” Exciting stuff. If you’re interested in attending or presenting, contact Dr. Dageforde at ldageforde@aol.com. The planners are getting together May 20th, this coming Monday evening, to map out details on the fall event. They seek your prayers and participation if you’re able!
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FOLLOW-UP TO FOLLOW-UP TO “HAVE YOU SEEN THE FIREWORKS???”
Still trying to get a bang out of the worldwide web? If you visited our one-year “Happy Birthday Edition” at http://www.xc.org/Brigada/today/bt960322.html and STILL couldn’t find the fireworks,
1. the fireworks display should be to the right of the table of contents at the top of the page
2. make sure you wait until the entire page has loaded
3. make sure the Netscape window is as wide as your screen.
Otherwise, contact our web wizard, Bob Mayhew Mayhew@XC.Org, for more ideas. If you haven’t seen animation on the web, it’s really pretty cool.
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INTERFACE WITH OLYMPIC GOLD
“Bravo!” to Bill Perry who is helping develop “InterFACE” for this summer’s Olympics in Atlanta. This past week, Bill wrote, “Thanks for continuing to send BRIGADA TODAY. I enjoy reading/praying through it. In the last issue it mentioned outreach to Muslims. The mission group I belong to, InterFACE Ministries (“InterFACE” stands for International Friendship Activities & Cultural Exchange), whose HQ is in Atlanta, GA, is hosting a 1- and 2-week outreach for the 200,000-250,000 Muslims expected at the ’96 Summer Olympic Games. We are looking for those who would come and be a part of this “window” opportunity. The program includes staying with Christian host families, 2 day training seminar, local transportation, coordinated field operations, literature, recreation, 2 meals per day. Only 125 can participate. Cost: 1 week: $140.00; 2 weeks: $230.00. If anyone is interested, please contact InterFACE Ministries ASAP at: 102227.2626@Compuserve.com…”
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AD2000 & BEYOND TO TRACK JP2000 OUTREACHES
Once again, don’t forget to contact the AD2000 & Beyond office in Colorado Springs if your group is adopting or considering a Joshua Project 2000 outreach. Mary Ann Stone wrote Brigada this past week to explain that her office would like to track these intentions so that they can…
1. recommend clustered training events
2. pray for the short-term trips as they’re happening
3. track who is focusing on which people, so they can guide others interested in this project to a people who may not be receiving any or little attention.
4. follow-up to obtain much-needed research data
5. find out when and if a church or agency adopts a people for networking and partnership possibilities in order to see a people’s needs “served” in the most effective and appropriate manner possible so churches can be planted among them sooner rather than later.
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QUENCH YOUR THIRST FOR THE RIGHT DISPLAY! GET LEMMON-AID
Lemmon-Aid Displays was brought into existence as an alternative to the many high priced displays offered in today’s marketplace. Ralph Lemmon wrote Brigada this past week to say, “It is my desire to “aid” churches, missionaries, mission organizations, service organizations, and non-profit groups, with a quality presentation of their work and goals. Send for a free color catalog and price list today. Included are table-tops and free standing designs. Lemmon-Aid Displays, LADisplays@aol.com, 4425 W. 59th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46254-1205.
PHONE: 1-800-895-8838, FAX: 317-291-0873.
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GLOBAL GLIMPSE FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA
A new church is organized in Cambodia every week among churches related to the Khmer Evangelical Church, which saw 13 congregations started in three months. The group has a goal of 300 new churches started by the year 2000.
(Source: “Advance,” May 1996, Copyright (c) Kainos Press. Contact Mark Kelly 70420.1057@compuserve.com to receive the Advance monthly by email.)
John Hanna, Caleb Project, Littleton, CO.
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CRAFTY FUND-RAISING IDEA
For more information about how to utilize crafts to raise support for your mission work, contact concerned_crafts@jpusa.pr.mcs.net.
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CONFIRM YOUR ‘INTENT’IONS
Ken Smith KSmith@gati.wa.com is editor of a newsletter called TIE for tentmakers. He wrote this past week to report that “All international attendees to the INTENT’96 (formerly U.S. Association of Tentmakers) conference at the LAX airport on Aug. 2-4 are invited and encouraged to attend an International meeting during the pre-conference schedule. Either at 2 to 4 pm on Aug. 1st or in the morning of August 2nd. If you plan to attend these international meetings, contact tie@gati.wa.com so that proper space arrangements can be made.”
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HAVE YOU NOTICED WE’RE GROWING?? CHECK OUT THE NEW CONFERENCES!
How long has it been since you sent the message “conferences” to hub@xc.org to see the growing list of Brigada options! If you’re new to the Brigada family of networks, you just might be surprised at the amount of “connections” that are being forged around the globe! Just this past week, conferences for the Uygurs (Brigada-Peoples-Uygur) and Jews (brigada-peoples-jews) have launched into action.
Michael Hewitt is moderator for brigada-peoples-jews. He wrote this past week, “There is much study of Jewish culture today by Christians. It is said that the more you understand the jewishness of Jesus, the more you understand the New Testament. But the Bible is clear that we gentiles are grafted in, that the gospel is a stumbling block to the Jew, that we are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. There are over 15 million Jews worldwide, over 5 million in Israel. The peace process, the elections in Israel on May 29th, the rising anti-semitism in America, all deserve a spot on our prayer list. It is hoped that brigada-peoples-jews conference will be a place where believers can come together to share information, prayer requests, and encourage one another to seek Gods’ heart for the jewish people.”
So, if you’ve been wondering how you can get involved in missions today even though you haven’t left for the field . . . or if you’re in the field and would like to get your newly planted church into missions, wonder no more! Just join up! To subscribe, just send email to hub@xc.org with only these lines in the text of the message:
subscribe brigada-peoples-jews
subscribe Brigada-Peoples-Uygur
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FREE INTERNATIONAL EMAIL — JUNO REVIEWS LOOK PROMISING
Initial reviews look promising for Juno, the email system mentioned previously in Brigada Today. For free software and information, turn your worldwide web browser to http://www.juno.com/ and get started today! Thanks to John Hanna for forwarding us info. from a current user who felt that the advertising in the upper pane wasn’t too much of a pain! :-)
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TECHNOLOGY PROMISES BENEFITS FOR MISSIONS . . . MOST LIKELY
[The following first appeared in Team Expansion’s weekly update, the HeartBeat Online, via brigada-orgs-teamex. To subscribe, send email to hub@xc.org with only the words
subscribe brigada-orgs-teamex
in the text of the message.]
How will technology impact your mission work or your team in the coming year? Maybe a lot! A few examples…
PHONES – Our Tanzania team . . . God bless ’em . . . puts up with really slow communication the old-fashioned air-mail route. It takes sometimes a month to get one single decision made that, via email, would have probably been over and done with in a day! But technology is bringing them… as early as this fall, perhaps… a kind of “global cell phone” that will permit them to dial out of southern Tanzania and get an instant connection to the world! Roger Lieb, the TZ team’s “tech”, has told us that they think this unit will cost about $3000 up front plus $3/minute for air-time. Before you say “ouch” too loudly, remember that cell phones cost about $2/minute during “roaming” charges here in the USA (when you’re outside your own calling area). Also, keep in mind that in the days of our early entry into China, we checked into sat phones and the equipment was $40,000 and the air time was $8/minute!!! :-)
[Note: Please don’t write for info. at this time. When this phone becomes available on the open market, we’ll announce it here in Brigada Today. In the meantime, the only action to take is to try to start saving your pennies for the $3000 tab.]
COMPUTERS – As INTERNET service continues to drop in “per minute” pricing (AT&T is giving away 5 hours per month free to all its long distance customers and “Juno” is cost-free in the USA), both at home and abroad, “real-time audio/video” links will become more doable. You’ll sit down to your computer monitor and have a video link with grandma and grandpa… and you’ll even be able to hold up the new baby so they can see how much she’s grown already! :-) This link will happen via Internet connections (not international phone lines) so it’ll cost you pennies per minute instead of dollars! How long ’til we’ll be doing this internationally? It’s available today, but not practical [for most non-USA readers], since most … overseas Internet users are still on Internet links that are too costly to use up the minutes in this way. However, count on this opening up during the next 24-36 months!
[Please don’t write for info. at this time. However, if you’re replacing your laptop, it’s probably worth hunting for one with a full duplex telephony feature integrated with the sound on board the computer — word to the wise.]
CD-ROM – Already you can take lots of Bible reference stuff with you to the field… but someday, it’ll all be available via CD-ROM and the “net”. So imagine… instead of carrying 60-70 volumes of OT/NT commentaries weighing in at 150 pounds, the whole thing will come on 2 or 3 CDs and will fit in your coat pocket, weigh nothing, and cost you nothing in shipping charges or taxes. Plus, you’ll have video, slides, and audio clips built in! When will this happen? Like I say, it’s already happening… but it’ll really come into its own during the coming 12 months.
[Word to the wise: if replacing your laptop, get one with a CD-ROM option or planning on lugging around an external “BackPack-like” variety.]
Will all these high-tech tools help us reach the lost more effectively? Maybe. But keep in mind… if our role is supposed to be relationally based (like it is for those among us who are evangelists), these new “toys” could back-fire! After all, it’s pretty cool punching up still shots of Egyptian tombs and or videos of people using Jewish wells “up close and personal…” so we might all end up camping out in front of the monitor — Heaven forbid! Let’s hope and pray that we won’t lose touch with the people we’ve gone to reach! :-)
Doug
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TO SUBSCRIBE TO BRIGADA TODAY, send email to hub@xc.orgwith only the following message:
subscribe brigada
TO UNSUBSCRIBE (Don’t you at least want to scan the table of contents each Friday? :-)), send email to hub@xc.orgwith this line in the text:
unsubscribe brigada
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BRIGADA TODAY IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FOLLOWING TEAM OF REGULAR VOLUNTEERS:
Global Glimpses: John Hanna, Caleb Project, jhanna@cproject.com
ADVANCE: Mark A. Kelley, Kainos Press, 70420.1057@compuserve.com
Web Wizard: Bob Mayhew, Brigada Volunteer, Mayhew@xc.org
Web Art: Patti Mayhew, pmayhew@discover.net
Technical Development: Jonathan Marsden, MAFxc jonathan@xc.org
Brigada Customer Service Manager: Revis Ann Massey, RevisAnnMassey@xc.org
Brigada Coordinator: Doug Lucas, Team Expansion & Brigada, DLucas@TeamExpansion.org
and many other occasional contributors too numerous to mention! But thanks for working together! That’s the dream of Brigada!
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