Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS! WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU!

Even though the coconut trees are getting ripe, the banana trees are blooming, and the weather is hot and balmy we are getting into the Christmas spirit, and as soon as we land in Spartanburg and hopefully experience some colder weather and seasonal sites we will know Christmas is here. We will be in Spartanburg December 14 through January 6, and we hope to visit with many of our friends and family while there.


Below I have listed our involvement over the past few months and our direction for 2008, but I would first like to sincerely thank each and every one of you that has provided support this year, both prayer and financial. Everything that we have experienced and been able to accomplish could not have been done without you- our supporters. You have impacted lives for Christ and made an eternal difference.


We welcome your continued support


In October we mailed a letter explaining what we have been involved in this year and what our goals and direction are for 2008. Enclosed in the letter was a pledge envelope. If you have not already mailed in this envelope please take a moment and do so or contact us via email or phone as to your pledge. If you would like to email, please email office@efihdq.org or call EFI at 864-595-0404 and give them your pledge amount for 2008. This will help us with our budget for the next year.



Our Plans while Home

As mentioned, we will be in South Carolina from December 14 through January6. We will be staying with Cindy's parents, Kay and Wayne West. Our plans are to have an enjoyable Christmas time being with family and friends and we desire this in particular for our children. I'm sure we will have a little reverse culture shock to deal with in coming to the U.S. We will probably miss the bumpy roads that have potholes large enough to eat your car, horses and carts on the roads, and seeing people outside everywhere! Everything is so clean, organized, orderly, consistent, and comfortable in the U.S. We are looking forward to it all!




On the Sundays of December 16th and 23rd we are planning to be at Evangel Cathedral in Spartanburg. Sunday, December 30th, we will be at Pastors Kevin and Tracey Baird's church in Charleston, SC, Legacy Cathedral. We will be sharing with their church about our work and vision for Nicaragua. We would be glad to share with any other groups during our time in South Carolina. If you are interested please contact us via phone at 864-595-1582 or email at markquillen@yahoo.com. During our time in S.C. you may reach us at 864-573-9373.



Our Work at the Abundant Life Church in Managua


Mark preached during the Sunday morning service on November 18 at Abundant Life Managua and several weeks prior spoke at the church's leadership retreat. Mark has loved these opportunities to share what he feels the Lord has put on his heart for this country and the people. They are so open and need so much, yet one can sense and see God at work in their hearts. It is an exciting time. An associate pastor at Cathedral of His Glory, here in Managua opened the retreat and the service was awesome. The Holy Spirit ministered His presence to many of the leaders as they were prayed for and refilled. Two weeks ago we participated in a baptismal service at a local beach, Coasta Azul, in which we baptised 9 new members of the church. We also conducted the Sunday service right by the beach lagoon.


Looking towards 2008 with VAM


My responsibilities with the church in 2008 are exciting. I have been assigned a section of the community to develop that is located behind the church. This area is new to the church. The aim is to continue to establish cell groups, conduct outreach and service events and provide pastoral care for this area. A Nicaraguan associate on staff will be developing a program and training for church members to progress through stages of commitment, service, and discipleship. I will be assisting him with the curriculum and possibly the teaching.

International School of Ministry


The two classes of students enrolled in ISOM have just completed their end of year exams and most all scored quite well. Currently we have 33 students representing at least 12 different churches. I can't say enough about the quality of the curriculum and the ministry that takes place during our class time. Each student is working towards an Associates degree in Biblical Studies.


Exciting Opportunities


Several months ago Bryan Hutson and I met with two pastors from the Rio Coco River area that have established a network of primitive churches along the river. They travel up and down the river in a canoe preaching, teaching, and encouraging the people and the churches they have established. They are interested in establishing a training program for their pastors and would like to use our ISOM school as the possible method. The Rio Coco River area is a very poor area of the country on the Atlantic Coast. The conditions and way of life are extremely primitive with few or no roads, making transportation and shipping very difficult. We would like to visit this area and assess the opportunity and needs first hand. It may be possible that we could help them construct a church building that could be used for the school as well. The city of Puerto Cabezas is the main city bordering the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. There are several churches there that are also interested in discussing a possible ISOM school. On our way to the Rio Coco area we will pass through Puerto Cabezas and evaluate this possibility as well. Thirdly, there is a department named Matagalpa located in the mountains of Nicaragua known for its coffee plantations. There are three churches there that are overseen by a local pastor here in Managua. He has asked me to travel with him to Matagalpa to see about setting up a school in a chapel located on one of the coffee farms. This school would serve these three churches and possibly others in the area. These are exciting opportunities for our ISOM program that will require some evaluating, time, energy, and resources. If we pursue each of these I will travel to these locations at least twice this coming year and train coordinators at the local sites to administerate the schools.


Mission Teams in 2008


We are expecting to host at least two mission teams this coming year and possibly three. We will work with the team leaders to put together a ministry agenda, some fun, room and board accommodations, and transportation that will fit the make-up and purpose of each team.We will assist with the Evangel Cathedral team that is scheduled to host a pastors conference in January.

The Orphanage


Cindy has been extremely active at the orphanage this year. In October there was literally an epidemic of the roto-virus. Cindy, as well as many other ladies from the missionary community, joined with the staff at the New Life Nicaragua orphanage to transport children to the hospital, clean, and care for the children. It was quite a job, as they stayed up 24 hours at at time to help. Cindy has continued to organize and inventory all donated items and has provided great care and medical attention when needed. There is one particular baby, named Nancy, that Cindy does physical therapy with almost everyday. Looking towards 2008 Cindy's involvement will continue to be of great value as the orphanage is beginning a building program that includes future plans for a medical clinic.


The Language


Well. We are not progressing quite as fast as our children. They are getting it quick. Cindy and I speak a lot in the present tense and our Spanish is a bit more primitive but we do get our point across. Mark has several interpreters, Roland Meja and Jorge Guadamuz, that help him with the Bible College. Our aim now is to continue to learn the language as we move forward with our work.


Our Children


We can't say enough about how proud we are of them for pressing through this year. It was hard to leave everything and everyone they knew, all of their security and comfort and relocate to a third World country that is indeed a "different country". But, they have made it and done great! They have each made friends, gotten involved, and made the best of their situations and that says a lot about their character. They have adapted to the missionary school's difficult curriculum and their grades are as strong as they were before coming here. Thank you all for your care and prayers for them during this first year.



Getting on the plane in a few days


I guess we better start packing and preparing to come home for a few weeks. We are looking so forward to it! We hope to see, thank, and visit with as many of you as we can while home. Thank you so much, God Bless you and have a great Christmas!


We Love You,
The Quillens