January-April 2012 PK 9160 444 Brickell Ave. Ste 51, Miami, FL 33131 USA to Honduras: (901) 405-9424 Kim’s Honduras Cell: 011-504-9-854-8912 Rick’s Honduras cell: 011 504 9 958 6709
yfcRickBeck@hotmail.com, yfcKimBeck@mac.com www.RickBeck.blogspot.com
Rick & Kim Beck Ministering in Honduras
THE BECKONING A Newsletter Raising Awareness, Prayers, & Support for Honduras Missions “And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them”. Luke 5:7
Michell and Tatiana Visit USA VISAs Granted For Winter Trip
Would it be just another travel experience, just an entertaining trip, or would this vacation have spiritual significance for our oldest Honduran foster daughter? This year it was Michell's turn to travel to the USA with Kim and I. We could not obtain visas in time for us to "be home for Christmas," but Michell (age 20) and her 2-year-old, Tatiana, were able to spend January - March in the USA. What joy to share in their many new experiences: jet airliners, snow, Smokey Mt. Tennessee log cabin, YFC's MidWinter national conference, and our home church's missions conference. Introducing our Honduran kids to our American family and friends was great. But, the highlight of it all was Michell's renewed commitment to follow Christ. Having spent many hours in our mini-van driving from Memphis to the Rockies, and back (did I mention, "many Michell (center) and Tati (bottom left) experienced hours") we had much time to share with one another our thoughts and feelings. Several times Michell was moved to tears, as she considered many "firsts," while in the USA January-March, God's goodness in her life and in the life of her siblings. She pledged 2012. Michell returned with a spiritual renewal. anew her commitment to live for Christ. As with any family vacation, it came with a hefty price-tag, but I strongly feel that the spiritual and eternal dividends will far outweigh our financial and earthly investment. Yes, it was an experience of a lifetime; Michell has already told so many of her Honduran friends what God did in her life. Just two weeks ago Michell invited her classmate of three years to church where she gave her life to Christ… yes, it was a good trip for Michell.
Please Give Generously
Can you imagine???
Let's not replay April, 2011. Last spring the Beck's YFC missionary account fell into the negative and remained there throughout most of 2011. It was a most difficult year regarding finances. Please prayerfully consider a special and generous gift this month when historically giving decreases seemingly due to the tax season.
5% of your grocery, fuel, and prescription expenses every month going to the YFC/Honduras Special Projects account? When those of you in the Memphis-area reload your YFC /Kroger gift card, a 5% amount will be donated. To request your gift card simply contact Ann or Tammy: ►Ann Beck (901 767-9203), or ►TammyDerryberry@gmail.com
The YFC/Kroger GiftCard
Kroger gives 5% of your reload amount. Thank you so very much. Continued...
every young person one at a time Rick & Kim Beck Missionary Account # 25292 Donation Information: Check # __________ Amount _______ This is a pledge of $______per month Special gift of $__________ I will pray for the YFC in Honduras Honduras Special Projects Account # 25505 Donation Information: Check # __________ Amount ________ Apply $________ to the Tolupan Indians Apply $________ to the Foster Care Apply $________ to the Prison Ministry
Geared to The Times... Anchored to the Rock. I love this slogan that I've seen in old YFC photos of youth rallies during the 40s and 50s. I was reminded of the reality of this YFC slogan several months ago. During February I attended two conferences; YFC/USA's national MidWinter conference and World Missions conference of Bellevue Baptist church. Once again I saw that YFC is indeed "Geared to the Times‌ Anchored to the Rock" These two conferences were reminders that Youth For Christ has played a significant role in the lives of kids from "yester-years" and today, decades later, their influence is great. They are now leaders in the Lord's kingdom in many wonderful ways. Consider these six cases of kids who came to Christ through YFC way back when‌ Case #1... the key note speaker at Bellevue Church's missions banquet was an elderly lady who has given her life to missions in Haiti. She shared in her testimony that, as a youth, her faith began to grow after she confirmed her personal relationship with Christ at a YFC meeting in her home country, the Dominican Republic. Case #2... at the same banquet, the new chairman of the missions committee was introduced. I remembered his testimony. As a youth, he committed his life to Christ at a YFC rally in Chicago. Case #3... as I met folks at our YFC booth during the week of the missions conference, one gentleman showed me an old photo that he carries in his Bible. It was his YFC Bible study group from Memphis-YFC in the early 50s. Interestingly enough, in the group photo with him was a young Elvis Presley. Case #4... I was reminded of a note that I still carry in my Bible. It was mailed to me with a donation from a lady I met at a similar missions conference years ago. It reads, "I gave my life to Christ at a YFC rally at Ellis Auditorium, Memphis, Tennessee. It was the most exciting day of my life!"
Case #5... several booths down from ours was the Eikon Ministry booth, where Willie is on staff. He came to Christ back in the 90s through Memphis-YFC in his urban Hurt Village housing project neighborhood. (You may remember this neighborhood from the recent movie, "Blind Side.") I've hosted Willie before in Honduras, as we ministered to the Tolupan tribe. Willie told me that this year he is leading three short-term mission teams to Honduras to work with the tribe. (Now, there is the storyline of a movie.) Case #6... actually came from Dan Wolgemuth, president of YFC/USA, who shared something during our YFC MidWinter national conference. He shared a childhood memory. Dan had gone with his mom to pickup his dad from the airport. His dad, who was also president of YFC/ USA, told of the highlights of his YFC trip to India. Dan recalls the somewhat grim report that only one young person gave their life to the Lord during those YFC meetings in India. It was a young Ravi Zacharias, today's renown Christian author and lecturer.
You can count them... six wonderful cases to encourage us to continue the mission of YFC. But, you know what you cannot count?... those who have been influenced by these six. As my pastor used to say, "Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the apples in a seed." Tomorrow will be influenced by the kids in YFC ministry today. Let's support and keep the YFC vision.
Hosting and Training Interns Is Like Investing In Tomorrow's Career Missionaries
Rick in front of the new intern house on move-in day, January, 2012. Just days later a mission team of 24 from the youth organization, YWAM, stayed there three weeks. In addition to doing ministry around the capitol, YWAM painted the house inside and out. It looks much better now than it does in this photo.
January started a new ministry for us in Tegucigalpa... we have grown into an office/intern house. Like everything we do, we do by faith... so, in January we "bit the bullet" and signed a $450/month lease on a two-story four-bedroom house a block away from our urban Tegucigalpa church. The community is full of those who have volunteered with us, translated for us,
and prayed through our first ten years in Honduras. So, the community is a perfect place to launch this effort. More than our first physical YFC office location in Tegucigalpa, the house will provide room and board for visiting interns who will assist our mission. Our oldest foster daughters, Michell (20 years old) and Nuri (18 years old) will be the keepers of the house, as they show the interns how to shop, cook, eat, drink, flush, lock-up, speak Spanish, etc... all Honduran style. Michell is majoring in tourism and hotel management, so for her this "fits like a hand in a glove." Nuri is majoring in accounting, which is going to be most helpful, too. While we were stateside during February and March thousands of USA college students on five college campuses received personal invitations from us to serve internships alongside us in Honduras. The idea is that the expenses for this house will be selfsupportive from the interns that will be hosted there. Our first group of
interns are not scheduled to arrive in Honduras until the end of May, but we were blessed to host a short-term YWAM team in January, and one missionary family in February. But, the rent and utilities for March and April have come without anyone paying "room and board." As with any new business, it takes a while to "get going". So, please pray for four things: 1. Prayerfully consider an extra/ above-and-beyond gift these months until we get a continual flow of interns. 2. Pray for the four interns (thus far) that will be trained to serve alongside us this summer. 3. Pray that many kids will come to Christ through the multiplied efforts of these interns. 4. Pray that some of the interns through this long-term intern effort will become career missionaries.