Spotlights – Spring 2019
Guyana
Known as the “land of many waters,” Guyana is a country on the northeastern coast of South America. Because of its strong cultural, historical, and political ties with other Anglo-Caribbean countries and the Caribbean Community, Guyana is technically considered part of the Caribbean.
The ministry in Guyana has had a long, fruitful, and rich history with Source of Light, led by a vibrant and exuberant woman named Emily Chung. Her vision, passion, and national connections allowed for SLM and their materials to be utilized widely throughout the country in schools and churches. Following her death, she left the ministry to her closest worker, Winston Abel, who continues the ministry with little support apart from what his full-time job provides. The believers from around Guyana have begged for these materials on a broader scope than the workers with SLM have been able to accommodate.
There is a great need and potential for the use of more materials within public schools, churches, and other ministries. Each of them has been so impacted by the SLM materials that they want to use the courses within their ministries more extensively.
Pray with us. Pray that God would raise up support, staff, and volunteers to continue and expand the ministry of SLM Guyana. Also pray for the $10,000 needed for construction, relocation of offices, and materials for this new season of SLM Guyana.
Pray with us.
Jamaica
In July 1952, Charles Gilmore accompanied Cameron Thompson to the island of Jamaica. As Gilmore and Thompson traveled throughout the island in preparation for distribution, they were amazed to see how eagerly people received tracts and any material offered to them.
In November 1952, Charles returned to Jamaica to assist in a city-wide evangelistic campaign conducted by Dr. E. C. Sheehan. They printed and took with them 14,000 tracts for use in the campaign. Thousands attended the meetings and more than 935 made professions of faith in Christ. As Gilmore saw the large numbers of new converts, the Lord revealed to him that there was also a need for a follow-up Bible correspondence program for these and other evangelistic outreaches, and so his vision for SLM began.
Shortly after, Charles met George Webster serving with Caribbean Challenge, showing Billy Graham Evangelistic films, and manning their bookmobile. He invited George to head up the SLM ministry in Jamaica and it was through George’s leadership that SLM expanded throughout the island and saw thousands saved and discipled through schools, prisons, Sunday schools, and youth outreaches, which continue to this day. Early in the ministry, George had the vision to start bookstores throughout the island to fund the ministry. Though George passed a few years back, his wife, Joy, and many volunteers continue to carry on the stores and the ministry, which have become well known throughout the island.
Today, Jamaica displays a façade of Christianity, but pull back the veil, and liberalism, the prosperity Gospel, and complacency have eroded the values instilled in the previous generation. Pray for SLM Jamaica and Joy Webster as they begin to make plans to transition leadership and address today’s needs in Jamaica.
Trapps and Thompsons
In the heart of Africa, Brian and Gwenda Trapp needed good Bible materials that were affordable and could be studied independently. Gwenda remembered doing Bible lessons as a child, and after evacuating to the States due to war, she discovered those childhood lessons were from Source of Light.
The Trapps returned to Africa with boxes of SLM lessons. Their ensuing Associate School became a Branch that continues to this day, a work the Trapps were able to leave in the hands of capable national leadership. They now serve at SLM Headquarters, where Brian offers his handyman carpenter skills in many facets of the work. He also helps coordinate the many volunteer teams that keep operational costs at the mission to a minimum. Gwenda—“Mama Africa” to the national missionaries—uses her experience and expertise as the Africa Administrative Assistant.
Brian Thompson, SLM’s North America Regional Director, also used SLM lessons in ministry before joining Source of Light. While Christine, his wife, cleans SLM guest houses for visiting national missionaries, Brian might be found on the phone talking to a new contact interested in using lessons, or training a volunteer to work with the lessons in the on-site discipleship school.
“The best part of my day,” Brian says, “is to ring the bell when there is a salvation through the lessons in the Madison Discipleship School. I am so encouraged to tell the whole building about what God has done.”
Both the Trapps and Thompsons are currently over 30% below their projected level of needed support. Brian Thompson says, “Being low on support is difficult because your focus can so easily be on the lack of funds rather than your work.”
Would you consider joining in the Trapps’ or Thompsons’ years of faithful service with a one-time gift or monthly support?
Ronnie Barnes, Dan Winder
Dan Winder in printing and shipping and Ronnie Barnes in multimedia and Global Outreach both have previous experience with Source of Light. Dan served with his parents before joining the mission full-time. He now helps out printing in the digital room, sending packages all around the world, pulling orders, catching lessons off the web press, putting books together on the collator, trimming lessons on the cutter, or assisting other departments. He enjoys meeting foreign missionaries. “It is a real joy to…see how my tasks at the mission have helped these people so that they are able to minister to the people in their corner of the world.”
Ronnie Barnes interned every summer throughout his college years. He now serves at Source of Light because he feels “my talents are exactly what Source of Light needs, especially during this season of expansion.” Ronnie adapts the website and is the go-to man when technology goes awry, but his favorite ministry is working with online courses. “They can be used an unlimited amount of times. They have so much potential. Almost everyone in the world has the ability to get connected to the Internet. Every time I travel, I get Facebook friend invitations from people I met in villages that didn’t even have electricity, so they’re connecting somehow!”
Both Dan and Ronnie serve full-time due to SLM’s needs, but neither has reached even 50% support. Dan shares, “When a missionary is low on support, it prohibits them from being able to spend as much time serving as their heart is calling them to, and in some cases, it disables them from serving at all since their time becomes consumed by another way to make ends meet.”
Please pray for Ronnie and Dan and their wives and consider regular support for their ministries.
In Memory: Rose Dix Nabinger
October 6, 1931–November 10, 2018
Rose Nabinger, sister of the late General Director of Source of Light, Glenn Dix, served as a missionary along with her husband, Don, in the interior of Alaska for many years. Raising their family in remote bush country with harsh weather conditions was no easy task, but her faith and trust in her Savior sustained her. Someone said, “Rose was one of the sweetest ladies I ever met.”
After coming to know the Lord, Rose began serving Him during her high school years in the music ministry of Little White Church in Conklin, New York. She and Don both attended Fort Wayne Bible College and it was there that the Lord prompted them to go to Alaska with Arctic Missions. In 1954, they arrived and began serving in the Yukon River villages among the Athabascan Indians, then later, due to health reasons, in Seward and Palmer.
In 1966, Don adapted The Mailbox Club lessons to be used with the native Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut peoples. They were a great help in reaching them for Christ. In 2002, Don and Rose became Associate Missionaries with Source of Light. The Lord took Don home in 2007 and Rose continued serving until 2013.
Rose is survived by her sister, Carolyn and Don Darrow, and children, Vivian and Harlan Willis, Ralph and Patty Nabinger, Raymon and Valerie Nabinger, and Laura Nabinger, along with many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and greatgreat-grandchildren, who, along with myriads of friends, will all miss her nurturing ways.
