June 2017
We have just wrapped up
another year at Virginia Wesleyan . . . now University! The changes happening at VWU are at a fast
pace! We in Marlin Ministries continue
to lift up Jesus and the Kingdom of GOD to the students, staff and
faculty. We are seeing a deepening of
many students as they pursue Christ.
The world seems to be more
divided and more complex all the time.
Sharing the Gospel amidst competing truth claims is a regular thing on
the college campus. It is crucial for us
to be equipped to communicate our faith in word and action as well as being
able to point out the shortcomings and errors in worldviews that reject Christ. I listen to Ravi Zacharias online frequently
and know of no other person who articulates the good news of Jesus while
comparing and contrasting it to other faiths and secular worldviews. I encourage you to pull up some of his videos
on youtube or online.
Last
year on the Wesleyan Revival and Scottish Reformation trip I was with a group
of our students in a pub in
Oxford. As we talked, one of our students,
Nic Snyder, was pondering his future with us.
Numerous times in the conversation he shared that he was reluctantly
heading to Law School, though his real passion was to study the Scriptures. When we pointed out that this could be God
calling him with that deeper desire, he seemed to have his eyes opened! This past year Nic helped me launch a new
“Life Group” reaching out to the fraternity and sorority population on
campus. Nic begins his formal studies of
the Scriptures this Fall at Duke Divinity!
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| Virginia Wesleyan Students in England - Nic Snyder in the flowered shirt, also left to right: Taylor McIntosh, Britt & Nic Hipple |
The Board of LIHN voted to
send two $2,000 gifts to help vital ministries, one overseas and one local.
The first is House of Hope in
Nicaragua which has expanded into San Pedro Sula, Honduras. This city is one of the most dangerous cities
on the planet, as gangs and chaos have largely taken over. However, the House of Hope is reaching women
and children with the good news of Jesus and helping them find healing, job
skills, safety and salvation in Christ.
They are working towards the purchase of a 3 story building where House
of Hope already meets.
I met April and Mike Havelin,
the founders of HoH a decade ago on a mission trip to Nicaragua. I have taken teams from the USA to work at
and learn from ministry at HoH. I have
heard some beautiful stories of redemption from the ladies and believe strongly
in this ministry.
If you are interested in
finding out more about the House of Hope, check out: www.houseofhopenicaragua.com/
We also gave NEIGHBORHOOD, a
Christian community development organization a $2,000 donation. Mike Senecal, who is on the Board of LIHN,
and his wife are a part of NEIGHBORHOOD.
Their ministry model aligns with Jesus’ parable of the yeast working
it’s way through the dough.
“He told them still another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven
is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it
worked all through the dough.’” Mt.
13:33
NEIGHBORHOOD is community
development organization for families committed to making South Norfolk a
thriving place to live, work, and play. The majority of families in this
community are caught in a cycle of economic distress, institutional neglect and
relational brokenness. The mission is to cultivate a vibrant community by
connecting families with the skills, services, and neighbors they need to make
a living and a life; unleashing families as “makers” of a thriving
neighborhood. NEIGHBORHOOD has the goal
of providing a 2 year program for 7 families at time that addresses the
following:
- HOUSING
- Goal:
Provide clean, safe, affordable housing for families to begin building wealth
and planting meaningful roots in South Norfolk.
- CREDENTIALS
- Goal:
Provide ground level assistance to overcome barriers to employment and housing
and credit.
- EMPLOYMENT
- Goal:
Provide skilled job training in partnership with local businesses that leads to
sustained income and opportunities for career growth.
- CREDIT
- Goal: Provide capital through
non-predatory, simple loans for families to buy homes or start businesses.
- FAMILY
- Goal:
Provide families with meaningful connections with the Family of God in South
Norfolk to flourish as full humans, created in the image of God.
When we consider partnerships or supporting other ministries we
filter it through the mission statement of Life in His Name, Inc.:
Partnering with the church
to equip God’s people to share their faith and make disciples of Jesus
especially through small group ministry; And connecting the church in the
States with the church in Latin America.
I did not travel
to Nicaragua this year as I felt a leading from God and yes, from my wife to
take a year off. I later realized that I
had gone 6 years in a row with Virginia Wesleyan and so the 7th
became a year of rest! I have been in
touch with other friends in Nicaragua and they are already making plans for
next year.
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| Emily Testroet received the Servant Leader Award at VWC for her Christ-like service to others. This included a check from LIHN for $200! |
Bob Boyd Sr.,
gave Marlin Ministries a financial gift so that I could hire an intern. Emily Testroet is a rising junior from
Richmond, VA who has a great love for Christ and an eagerness to lead others
into saving faith! It is a blessing to
have her help as we organize for awakening and a faithful following of Jesus!
I have I
continue to teach and preach at local churches on “The Method of Jesus”
focusing on evangelism and discipleship through small groups. I’ll be preaching a number of times over the
summer at Virginia Beach Christian Church as they are in between pastors.
Thank you for your
continued support and prayers for me and this ministry. Our Lord tells us to store up treasures in
heaven by giving to ministry and we do not take that lightly!
Greg West
