On the Road: Face-to-Face with Mother Teresa

One afternoon several years ago during our Ambassadors In Mission outreach to Calcutta, India, missionary Huldah Buntain casually mentioned that  we had an appointment to meet with Mother Teresa.

Talk about excitement! We were all pretty anxious when we arrived at her residence not knowing what to expect.

Mother Teresa immediately set us all at ease with her quiet and humble demeanor. She told us about her homes for the destitute and dying and her new out reaches in the USA for terminal AIDs patients. We all remember her saying,

“Calcutta is everywhere”

It is one of the most desperately poor places in the world.

I was so blessed to have the opportunity to talk and share with such a great servant. I remember all the sisters kept saying ‘no pictures’ but when we sat with Mother Teresa just outside her simple room, the Indian Youth Pastor asked if we could have a photo. She said , “Yes, just one.”

I prayed as I set my camera that the lighting, shutter speed and focus were correct. I was so relived to see this great moment captured days later when  the film developed.

On The Road: Legendary Builders

During the AG100 Celebration I met up with old friend and missionary legend Huldah Buntain (above). I had the opportunity to work with her on two separate Ambassadors in Mission trips to Calcutta, India. She ministered in Calcutta side-by-side with husband Mark.

In 1954 the couple agreed to travel to India and serve in Calcutta for one year. That year turned into a lifetime of service to the people of Calcutta and its surrounding communities. Together, they established a holistic inner-city outreach consisting of more than 100 schools, over 700 churches, a daily feeding program for 25,000, and a full general hospital that has treated more than two million people and provided free care to 880,000.

That work continued even after her husband’s death in 1989.

(Huldah, co-founder of Calcutta Mercy Ministries above with Mother Teresa.)

In 2005, Huldah, along with her daughter, Bonnie, and her brother-in-law, Fulton Buntain, founded Calcutta Mercy Ministries so that the work in India will continue to receive support and international volunteers participation.

Read this Builders’ inspirational story of over 60-years of service by clicking here.

 

Travel Diaries: Throwback Thursdays

There is a definite beauty to Facebook for the ability to reconnect with the many people that I’ve shared National AIM trips with over the years.

This week, Mandy Hiser Groot, from Sandusky, Ohio shared this photo of the letter I sent her after her 1993 AIM trip to El Salvador. This was her very first missions trip.

It’s hard to believe that was 21 years ago when Dick VanHuss and Terry Raburn had their offices at 1445 N. Boonville.

After she and husband Tom graduated from Southeastern (Lakeland, Florida), they returned home to Ohio to become the youth pastors at Faith Memorial Church.

Mandy now serves as the Ohio Girls Ministries Network Director. She has been involved in several church ministries. For over fifteen years, Mandy has led in the areas of youth, Girls Ministries and church administration.

Tom is Ohio Ministries Network Student Ministries director and they are enjoying life together with their three boys—Micah, Levi, and Noah.

Thank you Mandy for sharing this blast from the past. I know I will get to work with a lot of former AIMers serving in my new post at Builder’s International.

GO AIM!

Welcome to #Bogotá14

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Holly Davis, International Fine Arts Festival (FAF) leader, gives a shout out from #Bogotá14. #Bogotá14 International FAF workshops and room locations. We wish you were here! Holly Davis connects with Missionary Leslie Latona (pictured below), youth and children ministries in Colombia. Leslie … Continue reading →

ON THE ROAD: Saying Goodbye to Vienna

It’s hard to believe that today wrapped final day of #Vienna14 International Fine Arts to the Nations outreach. This time has flown by and it’s time to head home. Then I’ll have about two weeks before I venture off with the team again to take Fine Arts to Bogotá, Colombia.

It was a joy to be ministering side-by-side with students like Mitchell who are passionate about sharing their faith. This is the same passion that God ignited in my heart so many years ago when I followed God’s call to the mission field. I know these students’ lives will be changed forever because of the outreach they’ve had opportunity to participate in this past week and a half.

I can’t brag enough about our great team (on the right half of the above photo). I’m very proud of all our students and leaders . We have accomplished so much this past week.

Two of the college-aged team members are even talking about returning to assist Vienna Christian Center as short term volunteers.

I was so impressed by our #Vienna14 Human Video team as they took to the streets with their presentations. They really created a buzz with the crowds that gathered.

Here is our group sharing the gospel in the shadow of the cross.

I know that these students have helped our brothers and sisters in Vienna gain confidence in deploying their gifts in ministry. Lives have been changed, and the impact will continue as these students reach their city for Jesus Christ long after we have headed home.

In this video clip you can see the Vienna Christian Center youth choir warming up. There are even greater testimonies yet to come from these world-changers.

I couldn’t have asked for better leaders. Here is veteran team leader Holly Davis sharing Jesus one on one in the streets of the city.

I have to admit I’m going to miss these special trips and these special Jesus kids—especially the really long dinner tables.

It’s difficult to say goodbye to Vienna…

But the journey home begins…

Linda and I so thankful for your continued financial and prayer support of our ministry that has allowed me to journey with these students to see them connect with the Great Commission, especially as we wrap this summer of outreach.

Counting down 15 days to Colombia…

Hopefully I should recover from jet lag by then.

Blessings! -Jim

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ON THE ROAD: Reaching Vienna

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Here are some more photo highlights from #Vienna14. There is so much going on it’s really hard to capture it all. Make sure you’re following me on Instagram or friend me on Facebook for the latest video clips and photos … Continue reading →

On the Road: Building on the Legacy

For those of you who are parents and grandparents, you know the beauty of history—seeing the call of God passed down from generation to generation. Recently, Linda and I were blessed to spend our vacation with 7 of our 10 grandchildren pictured above— Stella & Liza Wellborn, Ellie, Aubrey & Sydney Marcelo and Simon & Isaac Wellborn. We were able to visit Westview Assembly of God in Opp, Alabama. It’s where my dad pastored and the town in which I grew up.

Even in those early years as my parents pastored, then later as appointed AG U.S. missionaries to Bethel, Alaska, I see how God was shaping the call He placed on my life. That followed me through my college years at Southeastern, where I met Linda.

For Linda and me, it’s been a privilege to see that legacy unfold in the lives of our three children, and countless “adopted” children that I have had the privilege of leading on their first and subsequent overseas missions experiences.

We are so thankful to have a part in sharing this legacy of reaching the world with Jesus’ love with these little ones who are very close to our hearts as well as the heart of God.

On June 12, just a little over a week and a half, I will have another opportunity to connect students with the legacy of missions on an AIM/Fine Arts trip to Vienna, Austria. We will be coming alongside missionaries Larry and Melinda Henderson and Tony and Anna Gryskiewicz of the Vienna International Church to equip students to utilize the arts to reach their communities.

It is a privilege to be able to help support and encourage these young lives as they pursue the calling that God has on their life to reach this lost world for Him!

I want to take this time to express gratitude to you our faithful supporters. Without your prayers and giving, throughout this journey, these moments would not have been possible. Thank you for partnering with us to pass this legacy to the generations to come!

For More Information of AIM/FA Austria Trip visit http://aim.ag.org/nat-trips.cfm?targetBay=80d53e27-a1d5-4ffe-a98e-620eeaf24fe3&ModID=2&Process=DisplayArticle&RSS_RSSContentID=27549&RSS_OriginatingChannelID=1201&RSS_OriginatingRSSFeedID=4665&RSS_Source=

To Support Missionaries Jim & Linda Wellborn visit http://worldmissions.ag.org/search.cfm?Display=Yes&churchdetail=AGFM0466