Posted:  January 28, 2010 

CUBA BIBLE INSTITUTE HAS BEGUN

For the past 14 years, the ministries of WHITE FIELDS OVERSEAS EVANGELISM, POEM, H.A.S.T.E.N., AND TEAM EXPANSION have worked together in unity as we have established “house churches” and conducted Leadership Training Classes for the Preachers and Leaders of the Cuban Christian Churches .
We have now appointed White Fields Evangelist, Dr. Don Ott, to lead in the establishment of a Bible Institute in Cuba.  Four seminar modules per year will be conducted on a quarterly basis.  Each module will involve approximately 24 hours of instruction.  The certificate program will total 32 credit hours.  The certificate program will require completion of all 16 modules (four years at four per year).  A textbook, manual, or other study materials will be provided for each module.  Attendance will be required and full participation required to receive a certificate of completion.  Manola and Rolando (Cuban Preachers) will serve as Cuban National Coordinators.
Teachers are being recruited.  Dr. Ott is in the process of seeking Spanish speaking teachers who would be willing to travel to Cuba for the purpose of teaching the seminar modules.  If you are interested, please let Dr. Ott know of your interest.
The following courses will be taught:

YEAR ONE:                                                                   YEAR THREE
Disciplines of Discipleship                                               Acts: The Apostolic Church
Old Testament Survey                                                    Principles of Christian Counseling
Hermeneutics: Principles of Interpretation                        Romans
                                                                                      Bible Lands and Culture

YEAR TWO                                                                 YEAR FOUR
New Testament Survey                                                  Timothy and Titus
Marriage and Family Life                                                Hebrews
Gospels: The Life of Christ                                             Church and Restoration History
Homiletics: Principles of Preaching                                Apologetics: Christian Evidences

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HELPING US TEACH THE PREACHERS OF CUBA, PLEASE CONTACT REGGIE THOMAS @ 417-483-9029 or email whitefds@sbcgoobal.net or contact DR. DON OTT  email drdonott@centurytel.net or  479-967-3700.

During the month of January 2010, Evangelists Harry Douglas and Reggie Thomas made the journey to Havana, Cuba, where they inauguarated the first classes of the newly established CUBA BIBLE INSTITUTE.
Reggie and Harry were pleased that 25 preachers and leaders from the "house churches" of Cuba attended and registered as students in the institute.   Harry and Reggie taught an intensified study of homiletics.  They used as a textbook Don DeWelt's book on homiletics entitled,  "IF YOU WANT TO, PREACH."  This book has been translated into Spanish.
Classes were conducted each day from 9 a.m. in the morning until 4 p.m. in the afternoon.  Thirty hours of classroom teaching was given and now the students have home study assignments for the next 3 months at which time a final examination will be given.
We were very impressed with the seriousness in which all the students approached the classes.  They were on time, attentive, studious, and at the close all expressed to us their appreciation for our coming and for the future teachers who will come.  Please pray for the continuation of the Bible Institute.

GREAT NEWS: 154 SOULS BAPTIZED IN CUBA

When Dr. Blythe Robinson visited Cuba in October, he forgot to ask the preachers to give us a report on their soul winning.  So, during this trip we asked them to give us a report on the church activities during October, November, and December, as well as the 3 previous months of July, August, and September.  After looking at all the written reports that were turned in, we found 154 souls were won to Christ and baptized during this six-month period.
One outstanding happening was a great revival that took place at Alquizar.  The two twin preachers, Roide and Roel, shared the preaching and were overjoyed when 60 souls accepted Jesus and obeyed Him in baptism.  This greatly increased attendance at the Christian Church in Alquizar and they immediately built more wooden benches to seat the worshippers.
We are thrilled to bring back all this good news from Cuba.

Posted:  January 28, 2010

Let’s all Help the Earthquake Victims in Haiti

      Without a doubt, every one of you has been glued to your TV set watching the horrible catastrophe that has taken placed in Haiti.  The whole world has been riveted by this calamity that has taken so many lives and left so many homeless.  Since we have worked in Haiti for the past 39 years beginning in 1971, we of the WHITE FIELDS OVERSEAS EVANGELISM family are directly affected.  It is our own brothers and sisters in Christ who have been killed and who are suffering so horribly.
      When the earthquake first occurred, our first thought was to get on the next plane and go and try to help where we could.  But the airport was immediately closed to commercial flights so that the rescue workers from around the world could go and try to save lives in the thousands of collapsed buildings.  We then thought that the best thing for us to do was to collect all the funds that we could gather and be ready to take them to meet individual needs as soon as possible.  This is what we are doing.  Here is our plan:

1. First, we want you to know what we know: The terrible earthquake in Haiti has devastated the city of Port Au Prince.  Many Christian church members and many church buildings are victims.  The cities of St. Marc, Gonaives, Port De Paix,  Cap Haitian, etc., have been spared.  The Jesus Loves Me Orphanage has been spared.  Our orphans are all safe.  We have been in direct communication with the preachers in Gonaives such as Sainsurin Jean the Baptist, Moise Deshommes, Francius Joseph, Solonique, Jean Raymond Delzume, Charles Wilfoget, etc.  There was no damage in Gonaives nor that area.  Everyone in the Gonaives area is okay.  The preacher from St. Marc,  Francilius Aime, had 3 sons in Port au Prince,  but all three are okay.  Preacher Charles Wilfoget’s wife and 2 daughters were in Port au Prince and the wife was injured.  We do not know how badly?  In Port Au Prince, we know that the buildings of the Lifeline Mission have been badly damaged.  We know that Gretchen Devoe and her group of 48 ladies are safe, although several were injured and one lady was helicoptered out by the Navy to America for medical treatment.  The Devoe’s are remaining on-site to help the victims.  Their orphan's home was damaged, but all children are safe.     We know that Eddie Bazin lost 200 of his 600 church members.  RoRo and his wife, Alene, left for the states the day before the quake.  Two of their children are in the states in Bible College and one is in the service.  Fourteen people from their church were killed and many injured.  The church building is still standing but is cracked very badly.  RoRo went back a couple days after the quake to the orphanage that they work with.  He has gotten a plane and is planning to bring 50 children back to the states.  His brother, Gerard, is a co-minister with him.   Gerard was in the big hotel that went down.  One hour before the quake he received a phone call to attend a meeting, which he did and thus was not in the hotel at the time it went down.  When RoRo went back to Haiti following the quake,  he went to his own very nice home and the next quake hit leaving his home with unsafe cracks in it.  He is now sleeping in his yard.  It's rough for them, but praise God they are all safe.  The Church Building at Gros Morne was damaged.  We don’t know the extent of the damage.  The 7.0-magnitude quake killed an estimated 200,000 people, according to Haitian government figures cited by the European Commission. Countless dead remained buried in thousands of collapsed and toppled buildings in Port-au-Prince, while as many as 200,000 have fled the city of 2 million, the U.S. Agency for International Development reported.  About 609,000 people are homeless in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, and the United Nations estimates that up to 1 million people could leave Haiti 's destroyed cities for rural areas already struggling with extreme poverty.  In the three miles (five kilometers) or so between Port-au-Prince and hard-hit Carrefour, satellite images show 691 blockages on the road - collapsed houses or other debris - the U.N. reported.   This is the road that leads to Leogone and Petitt Goave where there are many Christian churches .  We do not know how many Christian churches were destroyed or how many members died in this area.  White Fields Overseas Evangelism sponsors 60 preachers in the area around Petitt Goave and west of this area.  It is called the "Promised Land Christian Churches."  We have heard from Jean Joseph St. Juste, the leader of this area, and he tells us many church members died and their orphanage was destroyed and the children are all sleeping on the ground, but they are alive.
2. We want you to know we have sent help to the victims and some of our workers are in Port Au Prince right now.  The first friends to give to the victims in Haiti were Victor and Evelyn Knowles, the President of POEM.  We have sent their help and the help of others who were very quick to give on a special flight to Haiti.  They are there right now helping the victims.  During the time I was in Cuba, J.D. Miller, Director of Development for White Fields, contacted the Founder and President of CURVES, Gary Heavin, who is a dedicated Christian.  Gary has a private jet and he has taken a small group of workers to Haiti at his own expense.  Our daughter Lori Darnell, who is the Office Administrator of White Fields and the Director of the Orphanage Ministries of White Fieldes  has worked tirelessly for over a week with Gary Heavin and was able to coordinate with a group of Doctors who wished to go and help.  Lori was also able to contact a preacher friend in Haiti,  Avenel, who has agreed to use his church building for a medical clinic to help the victims.  They are there right now helping the victims.  Our dear friend and Timothy from our ministry in Chattanooga, Dan Roberts, now the minister of the Christian church at Fayetteville, Georgia, and Director of LOGIC Ministries, has made contact with a friend of his in Port au Prince who is providing our friends on this special emergency trip a place to sleep.  Dan has worked hard to help our group by contacting Avenel and by helping to provide transportation while the team is in Haiti.  This first group who has gone in this emergency are in Haiti right now as you read this and this is our first urgent effort to help the victims.  Meanwhile, we are collecting all the funds possible and soon we will send another White Field's team to Haiti to help specific individuals who we know personally and are faithful members of the Christian church who are injured or have lost eveything.
3. We want you to know that there is room at the Jesus Loves Me Home for more orphans.  We are in the process of contacting our Haitian administrator, Prospere Delphin, to alert him to be ready to take in more orphans from the victims in Port au Prince.  We have heard from the preachers in Gonaives that hundreds of victims from Port Au Prince are already flooding into Goniaves and we know that we must be ready to minister to these victims. 

      We will continue to update you on this human catasrophe and urge you to help us in anyway you can to collect more funds, so that we may help the helpless.  Remember Jesus said,  "Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."  ~Matt. 25:40  When we help to feed the hungry, or give drink to the thirsty, or minister to the sick or wounded, or house the homeless, we are doing it to Jesus Himself.  Please continue to pray.  Please check back for updates.

      On Monday here in Joplin, all Christian church missionaries and para-church organizations met for their regular monthly prayer meeting.  They always meet once a month and pray for each other.  This time they spent their entire time in prayer for  Haiti.  Why not organize a prayer meeting in your city for the victims in Haiti?

Love,
Reggie and Esther

Posted:  January 26, 2010

HAITI UPDATE

“You have not because you ask not...”

     It is with great joy and wonder that I write today to share with you the exciting news that we now have a jet, pilot, supplies, and medical staff planning on being in Haiti on Thursday, January 28! This miracle was made possible by your prayers, the generosity of the President and CEO of the CURVES Health Clubs and Fitness Centers, Gary Heavin, and the voluntary sacrifice of professional services by several medical staff directed by Dr. John Walker from Greenwood, Indiana, and others from Joplin, MO.

     White Fields Orphanage Ministries Director, Lori Darnell, made me aware that several medical personnel had volunteered  to go and serve our friends in Haiti if we could provide transportation. I searched and called for two days and nights to find available transport. A fellow missions participant from Waco, Texas, Susan Snyder, gave me the number of a business owner that she thought might be willing to assist us. She was right! Mr. Heavin agreed to provide his jet and fly himself and our staff to Haiti AT HIS OWN PERSONAL EXPENSE!!! This was “more than I asked our even thought” as Paul said in Ephesians 3:20. But that is just how our God works!

     The current plan is to pick up the medical team members in Joplin and Indianapolis on Wednesday evening, fly them to Miami for a good night’s rest, then arrive in Haiti on Thursday morning, returning on Sunday, January 31. We are thrilled that this team has received permission at this time to enter and has a place to operate.

     WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS FOR SAFETY AND GUIDANCE FOR THIS TEAM, STARTING NOW!!!  They are bravely trusting the Lord to keep them safe and uninhibited by the intense tragic situation they will face.  Your prayers are SO IMPORTANT.  Many people have asked me how they can help along with praying. Brother Reggie posted an email requesting your financial donations, so we can send more assistance in the near future when the situation becomes practical for more teams to go.

     We will keep you updated with the progress and success of this medical team on the website, so please check back frequently.  Thank all of you for praying, caring, sharing, and the hard work several of you committed to helping us find and receive resources and much needed assistance.

     May God continue to bless you and our brothers and sisters in Haiti!

Because of Jesus,
JD Miller

Posted:  January 14, 2010

Earthquake in Haiti

  For the fourth time in 5 years, the Americana Music Team had the amazing experience of conducting a musical tour of 5 cities in mainland China; October 12th through 27th. Ten team members led by Kenny Speakes from Winchester, KY, included Lowell Mason, Duke and Stephanie Mason, Steve Ansley, Cheryl McKenney, Cheryl Roberts, Joe and Wailu Ching, and J D Miller.  In each of the cities, we performed a two-hour concert that also included traditional Chinese performances along with the Classic American songs. 

  We traveled on planes, buses, cars, and even trains to reach the cities that hosted each concert. We were welcomed by province and city officials and honored with the presentation of gifts and banquets. Even for veteran performer Lowell Mason, the China concerts were, in his words, not quite like anything experienced before! We arrived home from the 15-day tour quite exhausted, but grateful to have been chosen to serve in this unique way.

  We had the opportunity to fellowship with some very brave and special friends, and share our personal joy from a common faith in Christ!  These encounters were the highlight of the trip for me.  For their sake, we will limit comment on details of these meetings, but know that God is at work at all levels of power around the globe, including the ever-growing nation of China. We are thankful for the invitations to return next year to each of the cities that hosted our concerts.  It is even possible that we may get to perform in the Bejing Opera House next year!  Please pray that the Lord will protect our Christian families in China, and continue to give us the courage and support to walk through the amazing doors that He is opening for us there!

Because of Christ,
J D Miller

PS: Please check out some snapshots of the team in action in our Photo Gallery!

November 9, 2009

Reggie Home From Dominican Republic

Back in May we wrote concerning the new little congregation that we had established in the capital of the Dominican Republic called Santo Domingo. At that time the small nucleus of 8 members were meeting in the home of Lukencia Aime.  Lukencia is the 27 year old daughter of White Fields Evangelist Francilius Aime the Preacher of the Christian Church in St. Marc , Haiti.

Sister Lukencia moved to Santo Domingo about one year ago.  She was not able to find a Christian Church in the area of the city where she lived.  We had written to her and encouraged her to start a church in her own house. As a woman she was hesitant to take on such leadership.   We traveled to Santo Domingo in May to help her to gather believers and organize a congregation.

Oct. 24- Nov. 1, 2009, Evangelist Reggie Thomas and Song Evangelist Lydia Abbott conducted a 10 service evangelistic meeting for the First Christian Church of Santo Domingo.  We found a congregation that had grown from 8 members to one numbering over 50 members!!!!!!  Praise God.  At every service there was standing room only.  The little congregation had completely outgrown Lukencia's house and they had rented a hall in town that will seat about 100.  However they only had the 24 chairs that we had originally purchased back in May.

The first thing we did on Monday morning, as soon as the stores opened, was to go and purchase more chairs.  Now they have room to seat 60.  The meetings were completely full at every service with standing room only!!!!!!!!!

We were able to do daily personal evangelism.  Lukencia translated for those who spoke Creole and Lydia translated for those who speak Spanish.  We also printed copies of the sermons for each service and Lydia translated these into Spanish.  The majority of the congregation speaks Creole and so Leukemia was the translator for the preaching.

5 men and 2 ladies accepted Jesus as Savior and were buried with Him in baptism and raised to walk in newness of Life.   We hired a large van and took the converts to the nearby river for their baptisms.

Please pray for this new congregation just 7 months old!   They have already chosen Elders and Deacons and have committees organized and working.  They are an enthused church working and serving our Lord Jesus Christ.

August 25, 2009

BACK FROM MAURITIUS!!!

Dear White Fields family,

 I am in the JFK airport in New York City as I write to you.  Boyce Mouton , minister at the Carl Junction Church of Christ and I have been back in the states just an hour, but I couldn’t wait to  share with you some of the exciting details of our trip to Johannasburg, South Africa and the tropical Island of Mauritius just west of South Africa and Madagascar.

As most of you know, our Board of Directors  earlier this year established at least 64 nations  that currently do not have a New Testament Christian Church in their borders , and determined a plan to reach each and all of them in the next ten years. The island if Mauritius is on that list! While Brother Reggie and I were spending time in the White Fields Exhibit at the North American Christian Convention in Louisville, I received an email form a good friend and fellow musician, Jonathan Miller, now a resident and business owner on the island was raised in a Jewish family.  He has been a Christian, or as he calls himself, a “Completed Jew” for seven years. He recently moved to Mauritius to establish a music store. He quickly discovered that he and his family were unable to find a church of simply Christians like those established in the New Testament. His email was a plea for help in his desire to institute a church that was not bound to denominational doctrine or government. He had discovered at least five more families that were interested in being part of this new congregation. Jonathan had toured with the Americana Music Group in China in 2005, and also knew that I was now serving with White Fields. Since these families had just begun to meet together and were seeking help in planting a firm foundation,  Reggie suggested that  make immediate plans to go to Mauritius and discover how we could best serve this new church.

I asked Brother Boyce Mouton to go with me, due to my deep respect for his spiritual insight on the Guidance of God, as well as his vast experience as a missionary, preacher and Christian author. In spite of the very short notice, Boyce responded to the call and made arrangements to accompany me to Mauritius. When he discovered out flight plan included a stop over in Johannasburg, South Africa, he called long term missionary Alice Fishback to request the opportunity to visit their mission and even spend the night at their facilities. They agreed to accommodate us and so we were picked up at the Johannasburg airport by Phoebe Reese, another resident missionary now serving in South Africa. These sweet ladies have been on the mission field for over 40 years. We were able to get a full report on the amazing work that that have been instrumental in supporting with their lives for so many years. I will share more on the many needs we discovered there  at a later date.

After our overnight stay in Johannasburg, we hopped aboard Air Mauritius and were met at the airport by Jonathan Miller. He introduced to his talented wife Titane, who has just  published her first Christian Cartoon book  called “God Stuff” and is already enjoying much success in Australia and France, as well as Mauritius. She is a very gifted artist, who has dedicated her artistic prowess to the glory of God.  The Millers ( no direct relation to yours truly) have two children : a 12-year-old daughter named “Swan” and a 6 year-old son named “Elle”, and Boyce and I enjoyed getting to know them. Boyce and I stayed with them for the duration of our trip. After arriving late Friday night, we formulated a plan to drive across the island and get acquainted with the general geography and population of Mauritius. We met with some of the new church members that evening to discuss what they felt were their greatest needs and how White Fields could be most helpful.

 Sunday morning we were invited to worship with the new congregation currently meeting in the  beautiful home of  a couple from Australia. The service was led by a former Baptist minister who has chosen to separate from that denomination and just be a Christian! Brother Boyce was invited to preach, and he brought a great message on the Guidance of God in our lives. The members begged him to continue when he began to close his message, but, unfortunately we needed to leave in time to make our afternoon flight back to South Africa.

 We left knowing that the Holy Spirit is at work in the hearts of our new friends, brothers and sisters in Mauritius, The testimonies that were shared that day from former Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Catholics and Baptists were in unison in their desire to just be Christians like those defined in the New Testament.  We have pledged to do all we can to support them by helping to provide a minister  and spiritual guidance through teaching seminars. They are asking us to consider helping them acquire a loan for a building to worship in. Most of these new members are professionals, including a Oral Surgeon, a Contractor and business owners. They are prepared to support a minister as soon as we can provide one that is compatible with their population and geographic circumstances!

  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pray for this new opportunity, One point three MILLION people live on this island. They need  and deserve to know and worship Christ like we do, in truth and freedom from the idolatry that has infiltrated every aspect of worship and was so obvious to Boyce and I as we travelled across the island.

  If you are willing to support this new church by dedicating yourself to personal service or giving financially to support this specific church plant, would you please contact White Fields or me right away? We and they are willing to organise the assistance but we need you to volunteer your gifts of teaching, preaching and giving to be successful. Please let the Lord lead you as He would have you serve.

Your Partner in Evangelism,
J D Miller

68 Souls Converted To Christ In Cuba!

Ever since 1996 when Reggie and Esther made the first historic trip to Cuba to establish the Christian Church in that nation, someone has made a trip every 3 months to teach the Preachers and Leaders of the present "secret house churches" the word of God.  In answer to your prayers Evangelists: Boyce Mouton, John Bliffen, Jack Bliffen,  Lydia Abbott, and Reggie Thomas traveled safely to Cuba in July and completed our mission.  We carried with us 3 of Joe Garman's portable baptisteries.  God enabled us to get all 3 into the nation and into the hands of the Christians without any problems. We also used the baptisteries while there to baptize 6 precious souls.

We were also able to take 2 projectors and 2 sets of the Jule Miller filmstrip series into the country without problems.  The Christian Churches of Cuba will immediately begin using these as a precious evangelistic tool to win more to Christ.

We were able to successfully teach the Preachers of Cuba in a Preacher's seminar.  17 attending in Havana, 13 in Guiness, and 2 plus all church members in San Antonio.

The Christian Churches of Cuba reported 62 souls baptized into Christ during April, May, and June of this year.  We praise God for the faithfulness of all Christians during these times of great difficulty.  We praise God for the safe return of all of us. Lydia Abbott who  chose to remain for a time is enjoying a new mission in Cuba,  that of working with Young People. Quite a number of children and older youth are now attending and Lydia has a special appeal to the youth.  Pray for her as she continues in her mission.

We were able to make further progress with our plans of having a permanent Bible Institute in Cuba.  Dr. Blythe Robinson is heading up this project. Dr. Robinson will be going to Cuba very soon to work further with the Preachers in the Bible Institute.  More news on this later.