Inspiring Journeys

“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” —John 9:4 (NIV).

After Linda and I came back from celebrating Christmas with Jonathan, Michelle and the grandkids in Argentina, I hit the new year running to represent the ministry of Builders International this past week in Arizona.

I traveled through snow and sub-zero wind chills, and saw a couple of beautiful sunsets, like the one above outside of Tucson.

Sunday morning I had the privilege of sharing with Pastor Peter Kraft and the congregation of Eastside AG In Tucson, Arizona. We are so thankful for their faithful support for the 15 years of our missions journey.

After service I caught up Tom Amrozowicz, who has worked on many stateside projects as a veteran MAPS RVer.  He is just one example of the inspiring people we have the privilege of working with each day.

As a missionary with Builders International, the more we connect missionaries on the field with Builders like Tom, the more souls are saved and lives impacted with the gospel.

With over 1000 teams in the past 40 months, our Builders International teams and missionaries have built 4 AG Bible Schools on 4 continents and most recently led teams to Nepal, Honduras as well as to a sensitive country.

We have so many opportunities to make a difference around the globe in 2015. I would love to talk with you face-to-face about what God is doing through the ministry of Builders International and how you can get involved.

If you would like for me to visit your church or missions committee about the ministry of Builders, please contact me at jim@buildersintl.org

Thank you for your generous and steadfast support of Linda and me as we work to equip ministers to reach the lost through Builders International. Without your prayers and financial support it wouldn’t be possible.

Pray for us as we itinerate over the next few weeks believing the Lord will give us favor with friends and church leaders to raise our missions budget . We urgently need to find an additional 30, $67 a month partners by Feb 1.

Will you join with us today as a #Wellborn67Builder? Every dollar you pledge toward our budget will get us one step closer to securing the future of our missions appointment.

You can sign up by clicking here. 

Thank you for your strong support today and in the coming year!

Building Together,

—Jim & Linda Wellborn—Builders International Missionaries

Visit our AGWM Missionary Profile by Clicking Here

 

On the Road: Argentina Pioneer Missionaries & Church Planters

Linda and me are enjoying the opportunity to spend Christmas with Jonathan, Michelle and the grandkids who are serving as AGWM missionaries to Argentina. This country has a rich church planting legacy thanks to the work of pioneer missionary Ralph Hiatt and others like him.

 

Building for the Road Ahead

It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is right around the corner and we are less than 7 weeks away from the Christmas holidays. Since I’ve written to you last week, I’ve traveled through many states venturing to Alabama, Florida, back to Springfield, and Oklahoma. Now I’m on my way again to Alabama.

It’s a blessing to represent the ministry of Builders International at conferences, conventions and to churches across our fellowship–and it is imperative that we seize as many opportunities as possible to jumpstart projects for 2015.

One of those projects includes building a Latin America Childcare School in Ciénega, Columbia. We are immediately looking for Legacy Team Investors to join us on a trip, January 28-Feburary 1, 2015, and work-teams starting in mid-June. To learn more please visit http://buildersintl.org.

Building sustainable support for this stage in our personal missions journey is also an essential part of this process. Without your prayers and financial support, it won’t be possible.

Thanks for praying and believing with us to raise the missions support needed to continue carrying the message of the gospel. We need to quickly raise an additional $1200+ in monthly missions support as well as $10,000 cash to cover our budget shortage. We appreciate your support on any level.  You can click here to designate your online gift as well as monthly giving commitment towards our ministry.

Your faithfulness blesses us daily.

Thank you for Building with Us!

Jim & Linda Wellborn

Assemblies of God World Missions

Builders International/ MAPS Construction

www.buildersintl.org

Blog www.jimwellborn.wordpress.com

Twitter @JimWellborn

Instagram JimWellborn

Like Jim & Linda Wellborn—Builders International Missionaries on Facebook

On the Road: Sweet Home Alabama

Yesterday began the long trek back to Springfield, Missouri from the place that will always have my heart—the state where I spent a good chunk of my teen years—Alabama.

My dad moved us from West Florida when he took the pastorate of Westview AG in Opp, Alabama where I attend from 6th through 12th grade.

Here are a few of my trip highlights catching up with old friends and representing Builders International at the Alabama District 2014 Men’s Encounter Retreat.

I love being a Builder and I love Alabama food. This is my happy place in Clanton, Alabama. I loaded up on boiled peanuts and peaches. By far, Durbin Farms is the place for the best pies, homemade peach pecan ice cream and produce in the South!

Just about 10 minutes north of Durbin Farms—just off I-65 is one of our faithful World Missions supporters, Temple Assembly of God in Clanton. Pastor Royce and Lila Ellison are warm hosts and it’s always a joy to share with them and their congregation.

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The men of Alabama not only had a great time hanging out and worshiping together—there was skeet shooting, golf, fishing, motorcycles, BBQ Cook Off and 3-on-3 basketball.

We heard a great Word from special guest, Allen Griffin. You’ll want to listen to his Thursday evening sermon here.

Here is Alabama District Missions and Men’s Director David Strahan making His Mission a Priority.

I was able meet up with Myrice and Cynthia McNab as well as Myrice’s sister, Sue Bradshaw, at the Dothan Country Club for some great southern food and fellowship! I love Alabama and my Assemblies of God family!

#building4life

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!

ON THE ROAD: Building Resilience

This week at the Builders International headquarters we did  Resilience training with Springfield, Missouri Nathan and Beth Davis, authors of Rebound from Burnout: Resilience Skills for Ministers.

Every month Nathan and Beth talk to pastors who are on the verge or already burnt out.

The Davis’ help approximately 100-200 pastors each year who are on the verge of quitting.

 

Here AG Missionary Beth Davis illustrates the CPREP speaker-listener technique: “What you really need to do in conflict is to listen.”

We all learned so much and had a great time of team bonding and fellowship together.

Please continue to pray for Linda and I as we prepare to raise $13,000 quickly and another $1500–$2000 for Builders International/MAPS Construction.

It’s an exciting time of transition as I already had three missionaries asking for teams for four projects.

We appreciate all your prayers and financial support in this new ministry endeavor!

ON THE ROAD: Royal Ranger Rendzvous

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Today I’ve been out bonding with the Builder’s International team at the Royal Ranger Rendezvous at Eagle Rock Royal Ranger Camp in Missouri. There have been classes for plumbing, welding, block laying and tabernacle raising. Day 2 training & recruiting Royal Rangers & … Continue reading →

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 →