Timothy Two is growing rapidly in Latin America. In the past two months, God enabled the teaching of nine (9) Timothy Two workshops by five (5) teachers in four (4) different Latin American nations. See highlights and testimonies below.
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Nation 1. Dan and Beth in Guayaquil, ECUADOR (2 workshops)
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Beth and I traveled to Guayaquil, Ecuador, South America to teach workshops for children's ministry leaders and pastors. Beth trained a group of ten children's ministry leaders and I trained eleven pastors from as many churches.
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The host pastor's church was planted especially for the indigenous Quichua (Kichwa) people from the Ecuadorian highlands. The ladies in costume perform traditional dances for special functions. There are many families with children.
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Dan with Ecuador pastors' workshop participants
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Dan and Ecuador pastors with workbooks in Spanish
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Beth with Ecuador children's ministry leaders' workshop participants
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Beth and Ecuador children's ministry leaders with workbooks in Spanish
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Both of our groups were highly motivated learners, actively participating in the studies, discussions and activities. Most of the participants have not had access to such training due to the high cost and inaccessibility of traditional seminaries. That is why Timothy Two gives this training to them for free. All were very grateful for the training and for the lunch meal we provided so they could study with us all day for four days. And they were especially thankful to receive the workbooks printed in their own language to use for training others.
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Testimonies from ECUADOR pastors (translated from Spanish):
- "This workshop resolved many doubts. It also helped me understand things according to God's word."
- "I am learning more from the word of God in this workshop so we can be better pastors and leaders and be able to teach God’s people. This workshop has also helped me answer many questions and doubts I had."
- "It helped me so much in my spiritual growth and increased my knowledge in the word of God."
- "It helped me a great deal. I met other pastors and made more friends. I had some doubts in some areas, but they were cleared. I learned new things I didn’t know."
- "It has been great because I was edified. As a pastor I need to get training, know more and acquire what I need so I can teach others. The topics they taught have been very helpful."
- "It was a great blessing because I was able to understand some things better since I became a Christian that I could not explain."
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Nation 2. Santa Tecla, EL SALVADOR: National Missionary Partner Helmuth Aguilar (4 workshops)
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Our National Missonary Partner, Helmuth Aguilar, taught four workshops in Santa Tecla, El Salvador, Central America. Nine men and six women ranging in age from 18 to 80 participated in the training at Nazareth Baptist Church.
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Helmuth Aguilar with El Salvador workshop pastors and church leaders
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Helmuth Aguilar and El Salvador workshop participants with workbooks
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Testimonies from EL SALVADOR participants (translated from Spanish):
- "We have never talked around the table or at church about themes discussed here like homosexuality, abortion, sickness, fear, etc. Those are very important themes because many people ask about them when we go to evangelize. Previously, we did not know how to respond, but now we do."
- "These are a very useful workshops to teach to others, we are going to implement a study with the Women's Society."
- "Everything God has allowed in my life through these teachings has strengthened, and blessed my life. I can confess God is in control."
- "It has been wonderful to receive this training. It is very important everything we have learned. I have shared, learned and I am in the position to teach others what I have learned."
- "I thank God that through these studies there are many practical ideas of what we can do in our church. We are going to start a Men’s Ministry."
- "Timothy Two's 'Serving God' [workshop] is about practical themes of everyday life to implement in the youth ministry. I like the dynamic used, it is very participative."
- "We have learned to know more about the Word of God. The goal is to make it practical. Otherwise it will not be of use. We are going to practice all we have learned. This material will help us to be more giving, hosting others, godly, loving and given to evangelize and disciple others."
- "We have been taught how to serve God by living our lives as a response to God’s grace focused on each ministry. These have been very participative and practical workshops."
- "As a pastor I am going to use these materials in the church for future studies and sermons or reflections."
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Nation 3. Managua, NICARAGUA: National Missionary Partner Leonel De La Rosa (2 workshops)
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This was Timothy Two's first training in NICARAGUA, Central America. Our Latin American Missionary Partner Leonel De La Rosa traveled from his home in the nation of Belize to the city of Managua, Nicaragua to teach Timothy Two Workshops #1 and #2.
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Leonel De La Rosa (center in yellow shirt) with Nicaragua pastors and leaders
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Leonel De La Rosa teaching Nicaragua pastors and leaders
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Testimonies from NICARAGUA participants (translated from Spanish):
- "As the pastor of this church, I am thankful to God for the truth you have brought in this seminar. It has been of much benefit to us."
- "I am 21 years old. I really liked the teaching. It is very beautiful. We shared, we laughed and we learned much that we can use to communicate to others."
- "The studies helped me a lot because I learned much that I did not know of God's truth."
- "This seminar has taught us much that we can use to help many people. I am 27 years old and I am a leader."
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Nation 4. Chiclayo, PERU: National Missionary Partner Reynaldo Rubio (1 workshop)
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Our Latin American Missionary Partner Reynaldo Rubio traveled from his home in Lima, Peru north along the coast to Chiclayo Peru, South America to teach Timothy Two Workshop #1.
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Reynaldo Rubio (back row center with gray shirt) with pastors and leaders
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Reynaldo Rubio teaching pastors and church leaders
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Schedule-in-Progress of Upcoming Workshops and Events
- Mar 17-26: Cartagena, COLOMBIA (Dan/Beth Sonnenberg, Intern Dale Brown and wife Kelly)
- Mar 19-27: Baracoa, CUBA (*NMPs Leo Padrino/Esdras Richardson)
- Mar TBD: Sonomoro and Cachingarani, PERU (*NMPs Luis Rojas Espinoza/Lily Barrenechea Damián)
- May 17-26: Guayaquil, ECUADOR (Dan Sonnenberg)
- Jun 23-27: Memphis, TENNESSEE (Dan Sonnenberg at Timothy Two display table at EPC General Assembly)
- Jul or Sep TBD: Cartagena, COLOMBIA (Dan Sonnenberg)
- Aug 23-30: La Romana, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (Dan/Beth Sonnenberg)
- Oct 11-17: Panama City, PANAMA (Dan Sonnenberg attend conference of pastoral trainers working in Latin America and the Caribbean)
- Nov 15-21: Guayaquil, ECUADOR (Dan/Beth Sonnenberg)
- Jan 2021: Villa Rio Bermejito, ARGENTINA (Dan Sonnenberg)
- *NMP. A National Missionary Partner (NMP) is an indigenous pastor trained and funded to teach Timothy Two workshops in their own country.
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Workshop Coordinator & National Missionary Partners in this Newsletter
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(First) With Ecuador workshop coordinator Pastor Juan Jimenez, wife Analy
(Second) With El Salvador National Missionary Partner Helmuth Aguilar, wife Hilda
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(First) With Belize/Nicaragua National Missionary Partner Leonel De La Rosa
(Second) With Peru National Missionary Partner Reynaldo Rubio
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How You Can Help the Growing Work in Latin America
By God's grace, the training in Latin America is continuing to expand. It now includes a number of National Missionary Partners working in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Peru, Cuba, Haiti and Chile. These are indigenous pastors we have trained to teach TTPI workshops throughout the region.
The benefits of sending them are: their expenses are approximately one-third of the cost of sending an International Missionary, and they already know the language and the culture.
Beth and I still need continuing financial support as well as some new monthly donors to train the 1st generation of pastors and leaders in the 30+ nations of Latin America.
But we also need donors who will commit to giving monthly to the account of our National Missionary Partners who are training the 2nd generation of pastors and leaders. Please pray with us that God will raise up donors for these efforts.
Thanks to all who generously and sacrificially pray and give to support us and our National Missionary Partners. You are enabling us and them to train and equip indigenous pastors and ministry leaders with the essential truths of the Christian faith so that they can train others.
Together, we are "making disciples" with sound doctrine in this area of the world where there is little or no formal biblical and theological training available.
To God be the glory, great things He has done!
Dan and Beth
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