Spotlights – Fall 2017
By Emily P. Meyer
Missionary Highlight: THE WEIDMANS
Jonathan and Anna Weidman both grew up in Christian homes. Anna accepted Jesus Christ as Savior at the age of twelve. They were introduced to Source of Light Ministries more than twenty-five years ago when SLM missionaries visited their church in Pennsylvania. A few years later Jonathan gave his life to Jesus. Soon thereafter they felt that the Lord wanted them to use their abilities in the ministry of Source of Light. This was reinforced when in 2014 they took their youngest daughter, Ashley, to participate in SLM’s ten-month Extreme Assignment Program and volunteered for a week in various departments of the ministry.
During the following months the Lord brought various events into their lives to show them that they can depend on Him to lead them to service at SLM. Then they contacted SLM and their church leadership and let them know of their desire to serve at SLM. Since then they have completed applications, visited the mission for more orientation, started taking some of the SLM Bible correspondence courses, prepared presentations, and made contacts. They are amazed to see how God is bringing people to them who want to be part of their prayer and support team as they follow His leading.
Their desire is to help people come to know Jesus Christ as Savior and grow in Him through using their abilities in His service at SLM.
We are excited that the Lord is leading Jonathan and Anna to join SLM in much-needed areas. He will be working in Maintenance and Anna in Discipleship. If you would like to learn more about them or be part of their support team, you may contact them at: jweidman@slmin.org.
NEW MEXICO
It’s rather comical, but many Americans often ask if they need a passport to visit New Mexico. Darryl and Joan Evans don’t need a passport to come out of their home in Las Cruces, New Mexico, but their efforts travel beyond their borders to impact the world for the Kingdom of Christ. They’ve been serving with SLM for 17 years with Darryl as the Director and Joan as the Office Administrator for their work with Bible Studies By Mail.
Using SLM Bible Correspondence Courses and Tracts, they send these resources to whomever requests them, whether it’s from walk-ins, phone calls, a written letter, or an email. Over 2,000 students are actively studying the Bible with the materials their office sends out. Approximately 500 of these are inmates in the USA. Darryl and Joan are really good about connecting international requests to the appropriate country’s office when emails for resources come into their website. They have also seen the Lord’s providence and grace in getting these items into people’s hands that don’t have such connection points.
The Evans ask that supporters pray for them to continue to be diligent in their daily personal walks with Christ as they seek Him first, and that they would remain steadfast in fixing their eyes on Him as they purpose to follow Him faithfully and fearlessly through whatever the Lord graciously sends their way day-by-day. They also ask for people to faithfully pray for their students by keeping up with their weekly prayer and praise report, which can be requested at edjlevans@gmail.com.
Hyderabad, INDIA
Looking at a world map, India appears to obviously occupy a large mass of land. But it isn’t until you start learning about individual places that it sinks in just how large a nation this vast region hosts. Christudas and Martha Earla serve in the tribal and rural village region near Hyderabad, which is the capital of India’s southern state, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and parts of Orissa, region. This area occupies 250 square miles of the Musi River and with its metropolitan population included, it homes over 7.75 million people. “The City of Pearls” as it is called is like India’s second Hollywood as its major industry is film making.
The Earlas, however, have spiritual pearls and a story to showcase of their own with their Gospel focused work with the tribal side of this diversely populated area. They joined SLM in 2008 as church planters, trainers of local church leaders, and disciple makers. Currently, they oversee 54 other leaders who are serving in these tribal areas. Their work serves orphans and church planter trainers. Their vision is to build a Training Center where they will be able to host the church planters for training and to serve at risk children through a farm and a camp.
For the work they do with the 54 Leaders, they need an additional $300 in monthly support; to sustain and grow their ministry of Gospel for All People DTB, they need an additional $350 a month; and for the land to build the training and outreach center, they need a God-sized sum of $160,000. As you support them in prayer for these wonderful endeavors for the Lord with SLM’s resources being put to good use, please consider offering tangible support for these needs as well.
Hyderabad, INDIA
Given that Hyderabad, India is so large, the efforts that SLM is investing in these people is large as well. Dodla and Vedakumari Wilson also serve in the remote tribal regions in the borders of Andra Pradesh State, India. Hyderabad is the fifth largest GDP area in all of India. Even with big pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies that have moved in to give this area a nickname of “Genome Valley,” there are still many people who have often been overlooked and are considered “the least of these,” that remain on the outskirts.
The Wilson family started serving as disciple makers in 1981 and he has been the leader of the Central Zone since 2001. It can be difficult to gain entrance and immersion into the tribal areas outside of Hyderabad, but God used Dodla to start 12 village tribal churches and he has been working with them faithfully as he uses SLM resources to train leaders and disciple new believers. The Wilsons work diligently in medical camps, serving and helping impoverished children, planting and aiding churches, and in leadership training. Their current financial support of $200 a month greatly limits what they can do. But with $1,000 more in monthly support, they can offer more help towards growing the 12 churches Dodla started and have enough for very necessary travel funds. Will you pray for this family as they continue to offer their time and talents to reach these seven tribal people groups and will you consider offering financial support to help multiply their efforts?
ALABAMA
Settled in Mobile, Alabama, Director of the Alabama Discipleship Training Branch of SLM’s work, Marjorie Jordan Isbill Hall, has been dedicated to the Lord’s work for some 26 years. Marjorie understands the importance of efficiency, community, and teamwork. She oversees sending lessons to students and grading them. But she brings others along with her to not just get the job done, but to get it done together. She has linked arms with ladies from her church who get together to grade the lessons while enjoying fellowship and helping one another. Marjorie’s daughter, Jean, inputs the grades in the computer and keeps the records. Their faithfulness and consistency in meeting the needs of their students is notable.
The fact that Marjorie has continued serving in this role well into her 90’s is a major testament to her dedication to what God is doing through SLM and His blessing upon it. The free Bible lessons that they send out go to people ages three years through adulthood. Interestingly, more are sent out of state than in state, which is a great indication of the vision beyond borders that SLM has for training people in God’s Word. As you pray for the good work that God is doing through this area of ministry, ask God for good health for Marjorie and her teammates, students for mission, and spiritual growth in the students who are participating in these lessons.
In Memorial: Mary McAllister
By Glenn Dix
May 7, 1913 – May 5, 2017
It was my great privilege to appreciate the spiritual life and ministry of Mary McAllister, wife of my dear friend Doug McAllister. At 24, Mary had bravely sailed from Brussels, Belgium, to the Amazon rain forest to begin her lifelong ministry of telling the Good News of God’s Love. There she met and married Douglas McAllister, from Australia. Together they spent the next 47 years as missionaries, traveling up the Amazon on a handcrafted boat teaching and preaching to the indigenous people of Brazil.
My first thought when I think of Mary McAllister is what a gifted and effective one-on-one personal soul winner she was. She used her Gift in a wonderful way; throughout her full and fruitful life (she died two days short of 104), she focused on leading people to a saving knowledge of Christ. When they came to work at Source of Light, first while they were on furlough, then in retirement after leaving Brazil, they were a great asset to the work here. They translated courses into Portuguese for Brazil, and Mary later continued working in a “retirement” village teaching Bible and Sunday school, still correcting SLM courses and corresponding with Spanish and Portuguese students about the Lord.
I have many memories of seeing Mary go out on door-to-door visitation, introducing herself with her characteristic radiant smile and telling the residents about the Good News of Jesus Christ and the salvation He offers to all. There was surely great rejoicing in Heaven as this valiant soul winner came Home.
