Testimonies from COICOM 2012

I just got these translated testimonies from COICOM President, Arnold Enns.  They are from people who attended COICOM.  See the earlier post and slideshow for details.

 

I heard about COICOM on the radio, our church had saved $600 and decided to send 5 people and each of us took a different specialization course. We were all blown away by the quality of the event and speakers levels. On October 19 we will be getting together with our church and 10 other churches, to present the courses we learned. Because many had financial difficulties and did not know of the scholarships and were not able to go. As a pastor God extended my vision to use the media to share the gospel and we are implementing what we have learned. God took us to grow at COICOM
Lydia Meza Marlen Urbina
Honduras

To me COICOM is a school. I have been to several COICOM congresses because I can learn and discover strategies that help me in my ministry. This time I passed the baton to my son, who is 19 and took him with me, he was impressed to participate and now he has a better perspective of serving God. Blessings
Marvin Santos
Guatemala

For me it was a blessing and I left with a different perspective. As a pastor I realized what God wants from me, and taught me what it means to be a pastor. I understood that being a pastor is not the same as being a shepherd to my church. I'm so excited to give my best to God and let me use for Him. You COICOM Brothers are in the will of God with these events and are a great blessing to my life, I bless you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jaime Rodriguez
Honduras

COICOM changed my perspective and now I’m more committed to serving God. Now I'm just waiting to get a chance to make changes in the Church to implement what we have learned.
Misael Avelar
Honduras

It was a blessing to have been in COICOM 2012, we shared with many brothers and sisters from other countries about their experiences of what the Lord has given, is a beautiful and challenging experience! You left thinking, "If God did it with them, he can do with me too!"

Lourdes Caballero Gauto
Paraguay

For more than 12 years I have tried to go and never could, but this time God gave me the opportunity. A month before COICOM I asked God to give me wisdom and use me as he wishes and still am with the fire of God and I hope even the ministry that God wants to give me, because I was moved by the Holy Spirit and cry out for his direction with Alberto Mottesi.

Carlos Orellana Joshua Portillo
Honduras

It was my first COICOM. I have waited for 15 years for this opportunity and thank God I was able to attend and thank God I could realize my dream of getting equipped and trained.
Ismael Ortiz
El Salvador

COICOM was a supernatural experience for me, I learned a lot and especially since I received healing. I came with a knee problem and that night the Lord placed the bone in the right place that was bothering me to walk. I left with extensive knowledge and walking well.
Cessna Amaya Rivera
Honduras

This Congress was for my life a spiritual refreshment and an important training where I was definitely blessed in all areas of my life!
Mauricio Mata
Costa Rica

I particularly congratulate and bless your lives. This is completely different from other conferences. The talks focused on "DOING" and not just talking.
Alfredo Ortiz Mauricio Matamoros
Honduras

COICOM was a good time to connect with people who have the same interests as us and who are headed in the same direction as in my church.
Ender Sangronis
Venezuela

To me COICOM 2012 was the balm in my life and ministry that I needed for a long time, I am inspired by the power and vision to conquer my city, uncertainty and a sense of failure disappeared. The Lord visited my life and ministry and I can say this with tears of joy, thaaaaaank yooooouuuu .. May God keep using you.
Hermes Turcios
Honduras

Participating was a wonderful motivation for our ministry “Love Worth Finding”. We got the opportunity to witness the impact of our programming in Honduras. Hundreds of our viewers and listeners with tears, hugs and kisses thanked us. They gave testimony of how the Lord has used “Love Worth Finding” to get to know Jesus Christ, and how they have been discipled, edified, exhorted and strengthened. We left Honduras glorifying God and encouraged to continue working in His work.
Lara Maritza Edmiston
U.S.

It really was a refreshing experience and led to new insights to work in the ministry, has undoubtedly been one of the best experiences I have had and would gladly repeat.
Ligia Sosa Sosa
Hong Kong

COICOM -- DR UPDATE!

See a COICOM video report for WestGate Church!

As I write, I am returning from the Dominican Republic, where approximately 1,000 pastors, leaders and media workers gathered for the annual COICOM convention.  Along with my internal work as the CEO of Paraclete, our board allows me some time each year to come alongside kingdom workers outside of Paraclete.  This was one of those occasions.


It has been my privilege to serve on the COICOM board since 1996.   I’m on the left in the photo with Stan Jeter, recently retired from CBN News, and with two men we brought to COICOM from Cuba for media training.


My role with COICOM, like the role of Paraclete associates in all we do, was one of trainer, mentor and coach.  This year I gave a seminar in the Leadership track of the event on how to start a nonprofit organization.  There were 60 seminars in all, given over a three-day period.

The church in Latin America is growing rapidly.  That is the case in parts of Asia and Africa as well.  Other places where Paraclete associates serve are more resistant.  Both settings are important ministry opportunities.  Pray for discernment for Paraclete associates, as they make decisions about 2016 ministry this month.  We are all budgeting during October, and we need discernment from the Lord of the harvest.

Together in the work,

Glen
P.S. We had enough in donations and sponsorships to give 250 scholarships in the DR.  I'll close the projects on Donate button.  Gifts to COICOM there will start the scholarship fund for next year.  Thanks!

Original Post...

Back in 1992 I attended the first gathering of Latin American media leaders that soon became COICOM.  I've blogged about those events here.  COICOM has held a conference in a different country every year since then--sometime in two countries, and I've been to most of them.  It has been an amazing adventure, and many lives have been touched.  I've been the treasurer since 1997, which created it's own set of adventures, including thinking I might be arrested on a couple of occasions.  The Lord was merciful!  

This year COICOM is celebrating two events.  One was held in August in Bogotá, Colombia, and another is coming up on the 1st of October in the Dominican republic. 

1,500 people gathered for the convention in Bogota a few weeks ago.  The results were excellent as is always the case.  Leader's network.  Lonely Christian workers are encouraged.  Poor pastors receive training.  And Kingdom use of the media is stimulated--sometimes dramatically like the 1994 joint venture between HCJB and Trans World Radio to launch the first Latin American Christian satellite network, ALAS.  1,500 is a small event, designed that way on purpose as a followup event for COICOM 2014 in Cali.  The largest conference to date was in Paraguay, where over 7,000 people attended some of the main sessions.

COICOM 2014 in Cali, Colombia

As treasurer, I've seen the economic model for pulling off these events evolve.  In the early days each attendee paid their own way.  Then we started getting sponsorships.  Some years local Christian businessmen sponsor pastors.  In one country we even saw serious government money to sponsor rural pastors.  In Bogota we had enough sponsorship to open the event to any pastor who wanted to come.

I'll be attending the DR event.  The financial verdict there is not in yet .  We want to open the event to anyone who would like to come, but we don't have enough sponsorship funds to do that.  But you could help!  Over the last few weeks I've put together a crowd funding site for COICOM using ContinueToGive.org.  The yellow button links to the site, or you can go directly to either of two projects--a fund for Dominican Republic Scholarships, and a separate Cuban Scholarship Project for bringing nearby aspiring Cuban Christian media specialists to the DR.  Shelly and I have given several donations through the system, and we can vouch for it's privacy and safety.  A full scholarship is $60 for the three-day event. Any amount helps!  Want to invest?

COICOM 2016

The COICOM Board -- Where's Glen?

Some reading this post have heard of COICOM so many times over the years that you could write a description of the ministry, but for those reading of it for the first time (or as a refresher!), COICOM is a Latin American organization that puts on an annual training event for pastors, leaders and media professionals.  Each year the event moves to a new country, and this year the conference took place in Calacoaya, near Mexico City.  I have served on the board of COICOM since its inception in 1992.  The first event was a gathering of 78 folk working in the media.  The largest event on record was in Paraguay where around 7,000 people attended a few years ago.  COICOM 2016 brought together around 2,200 from 24 different countries.

Shelly and I both planned to attend, but her accident a day before we were to have left kept her at home and delayed my departure.  (More on her accident in the Our Health post.) When I was convinced that Shelly would be okay alone, I traveled in time to give my seminar and participate in the board meetings that always follow the event.

This year Valley Church of Cupertino, CA sponsored 150 pastors at the event, and I produced a video report for the church that gives a good overview of what happened COICOM 2016.

COICOM 1992 --Where is Glen?

The post-event board meetings were tough. We had to come to terms with the fact that the way we are putting on these events is not financially sustainable, and the fact that while still unique in it's content, COICOM is no longer the only large training event for Latin Americans.  Next year is COICOM's 25th anniversary.  We'll hold a celebration in the city where it all started, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and we'll look forward to a future much different than the years we celebrate.

COICOM 2014 in Cali, Colombia

It was a pleasure to attend this year's COICOM convention in Cali, Colombia. August 5-9 two thousand attendees from more than twenty countries gathered for a time of fellowship, training, challenge and networking.  In the 23 years that COICOM has been celebrated, I've been at all but two of the events.  Shelly has been to only a few, so it was great to be able to attend together.  It's an expensive proposition for both of us to go.  The Lord provided the funding through some dear ministry partners just when it was needed!

Professionals from the media form the core of COICOM, but attendees represented the church and missions as well.

The theme of this year's event was Washing the Feet of our Brothers, and we celebrated a time of literal (and symbolic) footwashing in which Colombian pastors from the city and from the rural areas took turns washing each others feet.

The plenary sessions, like the one shown below, are the anchors in the COICOM program.  This year COICOM enjoyed music and messages from across Latin America and beyond.

Several unplanned "subplots" emerged, as the Lord led three of the Ernesto Pinto, Joseph Matterra and Alberto Motessi to call for a focus on family for the church, leaders and all believers.

Local dignitaries usually come to give greetings at these gatherings.  This year was no exception, most

notably in the person of the Colombian Procurador, Alejandro Ordoñez, an elected official who fills what is considered to be the second highest position in the nation.  Charged with leading an autonomous agency to safeguard ethics, justice and governance in Colombia, the Procurador spoke to the COICOM crowd about the sanctity of life, and the importance of traditional marriage for Colombian society.

A theme of reconciliation also emerged.  Cali became famous in the 1990s for the unity of the church, which led to profound transformation in the city.  You may have seen the story in the "Transformation Videos" of the late 90s.  Over the years unity faced many challenges.  We believe that it was renewed by many public displays of reconcilliation--the foot washing mentioned above, public confession and forgiveness by well known leaders, and side-by-side presence of Hispanic and indigenous leaders.

An unexpected blessing was when Colombian pastor and journalist Darío Silva called to the platform a former FARC guerilla leader known as "Commander Geronimo," to give the story of how he came to Christ and is now a pastor.


The large plenary sessions of COICOM combine with smaller in-depth training seminars.  This year the program offered 125 topics covering everything from starting a radio station, to sexual abuse, from digital film making, to (Shelly's) challenges facing the wife of a Christian leader. Full Program in Spanish  Shelly also addressed a plenary session for all the women of the convention, speaking on the importance of intentional living as we lead our busy lives.

I did a session for a brave few on governance of Christian organizations.  It never draws a crowd, but I'm convinced that it's an important topic for the exploding church of Latin America.


Giving a good idea of where the church of Colombia is hurting these days, one of the most well attended seminars of the week was done by Argentine psychologist José Luís Cenali, who has a ministry focusing on sexual wholeness.  The room was packed as he addressed issues like homosexuality in the church and sexual abuse.  In case you have trouble with the Spanish, the slide in the photo at right reads, "The only safe sex is sex God's way."

After the convention, the COICOM board got away for 36 hours of rest, reflection and planning at a hacienda an hour west of Cali.  It was a joy to be together with friends and ministry partners who have been a part of this movement for years.  We restored, prayed together, walked around the little town of Lomitas, and wondered together what God is going to do next.

And when all our COICOM friends said goodbye, Shelly and I had the joy of spending a day with our good friends from Ecuador, Remberto and Marta Fortich and their son, Mateo.

 They are Colombian, but were living in Ecuador when we served in Quito.  Remberto and Marta were part of a Bible study that we helped lead there, and Remberto led the ALAS satellite network during its early days.  Now they are back in their home country, living in Cali.

Thanks to all who prayed and donated to make this trip possible!

More Photos on Google+!

COICOM 2012

I'm back and the dust is settling after a new adventure at COICOM 2012.  It seems that every COICOM breaks a paradigm.  Each time I participate I see something unexpected and new.  I've been a part of these events since they began in 1992 as an informal meeting of Christians interested in use of the media in Latin America.  The event moves to a new location every year.  A few venues have repeated over the years, but this was the first time we had ever been in Honduras.  What a welcome!  The local committee had been preparing for the convention for two years, and you could really tell.

COICOM 2012 in Numbers...

• Attendance at the public inauguration: 7,000+ (9,000 as reported in the leading paper, La Prensa)
• Registered attendees: 2,700
• Scholarships provided by various agencies of the Honduran government: 1,450
• Volunteers: 300
• Assigned police, medics and other public servants: 90
• Nations represented: 23

From La Prensa, the largest newspaper in Honduras, after COICOM 2012

"Bendición" is the Spanish word for blessing.

The biggest paradigm shift was the investment of a government in scholarships for national pastors.  1,450 Honduran pastors, largely from rural areas, received a government scholarship to attend COICOM.  The president of the country, the president of the national congress, the ministry of tourism and the mayors of San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa all contributed toward the scholarships and addressed the inauguration.

The Iglesia Ebenezer hosted the inauguration of COICOM.  Check out their photos of the event on the Ebenezer website.  The sanctuary that seats 7,000 was something of a new paradigm itself.  There are larger sanctuaries in Latin America--even in San Pedro Sula.  But there are none nicer anywhere.  The spirit of the opening meeting was one of celebration.

After that first night, the main course of COICOM got into full swing at San Pedro's largest convention center the CCIC.  Hundreds of hours of seminars and training courses got underway in three main areas--media, leadership and pastoral training.  As of today (9/29) the CCIC website is still featuring COICOM 2012. 

The Honduran people gave a warm welcome to international attendees.  It seemed that everyone wanted a photo with everyone else! Much of the program came from elsewhere, but it was the local committee that made this event a blessing, and it was the Honduran "pueblo" that gave it spirit and warmth.

I've posted a few photos and a video of my own on the right panel.  I'll put up a video clip soon.

Guatever!

I saw the title of this post on a tee shirt in Guatemala. Clever! But probably more indicative of the influence of American tourists than of anything about Guatemala.

COICOM Board in Hope of Life's Tree Top Cafe

COICOM is a ministry to media professionals and Christian leaders that is now in its 25th year. I have served on it's board since the beginning. For several years fellow board member Mynor Vargas has been inviting the board to hold a meeting at the Hope of Life ministry center in Guatemala. In February we finally did it, and it was an amazing experience. More on Hope of Life below.

These were critical meetings for COICOM. The organization has struggled financially for much of its existence, but  the last few years have been more difficult than usual. The board was wrestling with existential questions... Is 25 years enough? Is our mission complete now that Christian radio and TV are present in almost all of Latin America? If not, then how do we adjust to the new digital media realities of Latin America and the world. We debated these questions and others and put together a plan for 2017.  

Carlos and Cheryl Vargas with some of the COICOM Board

Over the years the folks on the COICOM board have become some of our best friends. We were privileged to get to travel to Israel with them in 2011 when the Israeli government  hosted us there. The large and small events of COICOM, and the board meetings, have become the highlights of my spiritual calendar. So the hard questions rattled all of us. One thing that helped was the incredible hospitality and vision of Hope of Life president, Carlos Vargas, his family, and his team. They run a ministry that broke many paradigms, not just of Shelly's and mine, but for the entire COICOM board. Their ministry ranges from rescuing starving children (Reuters recently ran a story about starving children in Guatemala.), to orphanages, caring for poor families, providing clean water, church planting, seminary level training, a nursing home and a memory care unit. They even have their own hospital. The ministries are staffed by locals and helped by hundreds of work teams each year.  

Mayan Mother and Child we Met on the Rio Dulce

Carlos hosted the COICOM board and spent a lot of time with us. He showed us around their ministry, inspired and challenged us. And after three days of work, he took us down the Rio Dulce on the Caribbean coast to see some of Guatemala's tropical wilderness. We have been changed by what we saw, and I can't help but think we will return to Hope of Life, one way or another.  

Check out Hope of  Life online.  


More photos of Glen and Shelly in Guatemala
More of Glen's nature photos of Guatemala

COICOM 2013 Honduras

COICOM was a different experience this year.  It was a regional conference, rather than the international variety that we have done historically.  So it was a smaller conference and venue, more intimate, with less time spent in transportation and logistics.  The unofficial initial count was 600 registered participants.

COICOM kept its traditional media emphasis, but this year's conference was organized around the concept of the Seven Spheres of Influence.  This is a concept originally promoted by Francis Schaefer of L'Abri, Loren Cunnigham of YWAM and Bill Bright of Campus Crusade.  The idea is that for a nation to be transformed, Christians need to be influential in the spheres of Government, Economy, Education, the Arts, Family, Religion and the Media.

Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa
Addresses COICOM 2013

The majority of the attendees were Hondurans, although most of the countries of Central and North America were represented.  A good number of the Hondurans received scholarships from the Honduran government to attend.  As a gesture of good will, (and a sign of the acknowledgement of the number of Honduran evangelicals in the electorate), Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa addressed the opening session of COICOM.

Alberto Mottesi Challenges COICOM 2013

The main speaker that evening was Alberto Mottesi, a well known Latin American evangelist.  His message was a challenge to the church of Honduras and beyond, to leave behind the idea of a simple individualistic salvation message, and to embrace a message of the Kingdom of God that will have an impact on the cultures and societies of the region.  Sadly, this impact is still lacking in Central American countries that have seen incredible growth of the church in recent years, but that are still plagued by high crime rates and high levels of corruption.  It was a very timely word to all of us, regardless of our passports.
 


Josh McDowell @ COICOM 2013

Other plenary  message highlights came from Josh McDowell and Joseph Mattera (through translators).  Both took advantage of the Seven Spheres theme to challenge the attendees.  McDowell reminded us of the strategy of Justin Martyr who similarly found himself in a situation in which the church was not having the impact it should on the culture around it.  Mattera spoke on the Kingdom of God, and challenged the group to expect the gospel to have an impact in all seven spheres and beyond, not just in the church or in our personal spiritual lives.

Others picked up on the same theme, including the three Honduran convention attendees pictured at left (right side of the photo) who are candidates for Honduran public office.  They were called forward for prayer in the final session of the event.

There were a host of smaller workshops and lectures by spheres, as well as the normal media training courses in radio, television and church media.

Glen Leading the Governance Seminar

The session that I led was in the sphere of government-- a niche of that sphere that covered the governing of organizations.  I have covered similar material in other settings.  Presenting it in the context of a group of Christian Latins who were interested in government was a challenge and a pleasure.  We had a group of around 20, some of whom were familiar with the material, some not.  It centered around Christian principles that can guide us in board-led governing of organizations and companies.

Another regional conference will take place in two weeks in Paraguay.  It too will be organized around the concept of the Seven Spheres.  Some of the presenters and attendees will be the same, but many will only attend one of the two events.  Paraguay is expecting a larger crowd than Honduras.  Audio and video on www.coicom.com should be available from Honduras in a few weeks and from Paraguay a few weeks after that.

COICOM 2008, Panama

This week Shelly and I have been at COICOM in Panama City, Panama. COICOM is a Latin American association for Christians who work in the media. I was part of the group that founded the association back in 1992 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and I continue to serve on its board. Over the years the annual event has become a place for pastors and Christian leaders as well. This year the week was filled with workshops and courses in radio, television and leadership and a new series that was added for the first time on the use of media in the local church setting.

One of the most profitable aspects of COICOM is always the networking that takes place. This year was no exception. The COICOM board held a series of meetings with the leadership at the convention--leading local pastors, media leaders from Latin America and the US, evangelical and missions movements. The group pictured above represents COICOM, CONELA (the evangelical alliance of Latin America), COMIBAM (an Iberoamerican missions organization), Lausanne (international evangelism congress) and Transforma (a Latin American Christian movement). This may have been the first time that all of these groups met together.

The convention has a trade show, workshops, plenary sessions and worship. Some pictures are scrolling at the top of the blog. Click on them for a larger view and captions. Today Shelly and I leave Panama City with the board of COICOM for two days of board meetings and fellowship.

There's an entry from Shelly's Panama Journal here. See some photos on Picasa from Panama here.

COICOM 2005 -- Santa Cruz, Bolivia

I've been involved with COICOM since it's begining in 1993. It is a grouping of Christian communicators and mass media users for Latin America and Spain. Because of conflicts with mission commitments, I missed the conference this year. Shelly was able to be there for part of the event and taught a seminar on developing intimacy with God. I arrived as the conference was closing and joined the board for meetings after the crowds went home. This was a smaller and more focused convention. We had 850 registered participants, plus around a hundred Bolivian volunteers.

Shelly Giving Her Seminar at COICOM

Like many Christian organizations, COICOM is going through a major change. Our dear friend, Raul Justiniano, stepped down as president earlier in the year and the transition to new leadership has been very good, but difficult. Pray for Arnold and Sigrid Enns. Arnold is COICOM Executive Director and CEO.

For more pictures of COICOM 2005 check out the COICOM website.

COICOM

Since 1992 I have been a part of COICOM, a Latin American Christian media association. We hold an annual convention that moves from country to country. See the post on last year's event in Colombia. Last week the COICOM board met in Miami. It was a pure pleasure. There are always problems to discuss, and we never have enough money to do everything we can dream up, but the relationships with these committed men and women are rich. They have helped sustained my spiritual life over the last 15 years.

The two men pictured above are Luis Fernando Solares of Guatemala (left), and Arnold Enns of Bolivia. Luis Fernando is the COICOM Board chairman. He is a pastor of a very large church in Guatemala City and the President of Channel 27, and Christian television station there. He is one of the most Godly men in my life and I cherish his friendship and his prayer for me. Arnold is the Executive President of COICOM. He is a multi-cultural Paraguayan with German, Latin and North American roots. He manages COICOM's huge base of friends and volunteers with a small dedicated full-time staff.

It was great to be with these men and others for fellowship, business, prayer and planning. Next year's conference will be in Panama!

Glen

COICOM 2007

COICOM 2007 took place September 19 - 22 in Cartagena, Colombia. COICOM is an organization of Christians that work in the media across Latin America and Spain. Glen is a board member and the treasurer. Each year a core group gathers in a different country of Latin America, joined by many from the host country and surrounding region. This year's event drew 2,000 attendees from 20 countries.

For four days the convention offered up a full slate of forums, seminars, plenary sessions and consultations. Topics covered a wide range of topics useful to pastors, media professionals and Christian leaders with an overall theme of spiritual transformation. Glen did a seminar on board governance, a topic that doesn't get much coverage in Latin America.

The event always features an exhibition fair called FEXPOCOM. 2007 was no exception. Exhibitors offered products and services ranging from radio programs to broadcasting hardware, from books to internet ministry, from study courses to satellite networks. Several radio and television networks originated programing from the floor of the hall. Over the years countless partnerships and other valuable forms of networking have been born at FEXPOCOM.

Cartagena was a wonderful host for COICOM. The convention took place in the City Convention Center, located in the historic city center. It was a tropical combination of beaches, Latin flavor, Spanish history and a vibrant growing evangelical church.

Shelly had been in Cartagena in July. Too bad we didn't get to be there together--especially for the board meeting that took place after the event. Oh well, maybe next year. COICOM 2008 is planned for Panama City, Panama.

For more pictures check out COICOM's photo gallery.

Shelly's Panama Journal

We are sitting at American Airlines waiting for our plane home. We left there ten days ago. It’s been a wonderful trip on so many levels….

We arrived in Panama City about 7:00pm and when we walked out into the warm air, there was a COICOM delegation waiting for us. So we rode in an air conditioned van with the Pintos (another couple on the board) into town. We dropped them off and went to our little hotel. It was only a block and a half from the main hotel. The street was mostly residential with lots of shops. It could have been anywhere in Latin America. A lot of people live in high rises in the city. Our hotel was seven stories high. We were on the 7th floor in a simple room. We had warm water, a clean dbl. bed, tile floors, television, and a fresh bottle of water each day and were perfectly fine. The window wasn’t situated in the room for the view but I enjoyed looking down into the patio of the house below and onto two different streets. It was also helpful to be able to check the skies for the frequent tropical rain.

Tuesday morning was the Friends of Israel breakfast. It was very significant. The hosts were all very personable but we were most impacted by the Rabbi. He told us about his first encounter with an evangelical. It was an 87 year old black pastor who was his roommate on a tour of Israel when he was a new Rabbi. What a sweet impact that elderly, godly man had in the young Jew’s life. The Rabbi closed with a Hebrew blessing. It was fun to watch our Latin brothers and sisters rejoice in the spirit of unity and a love for God’s chosen people.

Another highlight was the meeting we had as a COICOM board with Doug Birdsall, executive director of Lausanne III, Jesús Londoño of COMIBAM, Ricardo Luna of CONELA and José Gonzalez of TRANSFORMA, all representing major evangelical movements. COMIBAM, CONELA and TRANSFORMA are continent-wide. The hair literally stood up on my arms to hear these guys talking about sharing information and resources because several of the organizations have had a history of competition! Around that table we saw history being made and the true impact of what the Gospel is all about! “Behold! How they love one another!”

One of the men at that meeting is an Ecuadorian, living in the US now. He came up and gripped my arm and said, “Thank you for going to my country as missionaries! I love HCJB and I am so grateful to you for giving so much of your life for Ecuador!” It was so sweet and humbling at the same time. We love Ecuador and Latin people in general and it meant a lot to know that is appreciated! How we long to be instruments to lead more to Christ!

I went straight from that meeting to teach the seminar on Kitchen Table Counseling. There were about 20 people when the seminar began, but by the time I finished 92 had come! I didn’t feel particularly powerful, but the Lord used it in women’s lives and He was honored and lifted up. One challenge was that, due to a major communication breakdown, there were only five copies of KTC in the country! That made some explanations more difficult.

The marriage seminar the next day was well attended. People wanted to share their thoughts and perspectives and it was a challenge to let that happen and get the teaching in. People have such a need to share what they are feeling and experiencing!

The conference was the best ever as far as content, participation of internationals, etc… but poorly attended by Panamanians. It is something of a puzzle because the strongest, largest evangelical churches were a part of the organizing force. It has left COICOM in a precarious place financially and that was a point of discussion and concern at the board retreat after the conference.

The retreat was precious for me. I had good fellowship with the wives that attended, as a board we had some wonderful worship and prayer as well. Even in the face of the financial challenges of COICOM we all felt that COICOM needs to continue, that it has a significant and powerful role to play in God’s work in Latin America.

I came away, so grateful that Glen had the vision, along with some other men, to “found” COICOM all those years ago. God has used it and we trust that He will continue to use it to encourage believers and equip them to bring others into the Kingdom! My heart is so full of thanks to the Lord for allowing us to have a part in what He is doing in Latin America.

COICOM Goes to Argentina this August

I was in Miami February 2-4 for COICOM board meetings. The main discussion centered around the decision to celebrate the 2009 convention in Argentina. This is a big step for COICOM. Since starting the annual event back in 1993 COICOM has never been held in Argentina. It will be expensive and complicated but the board decided it was a huge ministry opportunity and we're trusting the Lord to provide the people and resources to make it possible. See the archives for a report on the 2008 event and pictures. The COICOM website has more information, pictures and video.

God is at Work in Argentina

COICOM, a gathering of Christian that work in the media, will meet this year in Mar Del Plata, Argentina. I've been on the board of COICOM since it was founded in 1992. The event takes place every year in a different Latin American country, making it difficult because we work with a new team every year. The blessing of the approach is that COICOM gets to see what is happening in the church around the region, and gets to support the church in different nations by bringing in resources. In spite of great economic turmoil, (or perhaps because of it) COICOM President Arnold Enns is uncovering a great movement of God's Spirit and high interest in this year's convention. Read an account of his recent trip to Argentina and his appeal for scholarships in Arnold's email to me.

Message from COICOM President, Arold Enns

April 27, 2009

Dear Glen,

Greetings and peace. I'm writing you at the end of a two weeklong journey through several cities of Argentina and I just wanted to take this time to tell you a bit about that.

I had the privilege to meet with a couple of hundreds of pastors and leaders from over 20 different cities in this great country of Argentina as well as preach in several churches.

I did this tour in order to know and get a feeling for what the Lord is doing in Argentina. The meetings over coffee, in churches, restaurants and offices were all insightful and all shared a common thread, we are seeing an incredible harvest time for which we must be ready, and from what I gathered in Argentina they are.

The following lines will only touch the border of the many stories that I have heard and the wonderful ministries that I have gotten to know. These are my impressions and their stories.
At the beginning of this year several pastors and city leaders had made plans for this year and are changing them in view of the global crisis. The changes have to do with the incredible evangelistic opportunities that we have in our cities as people are flocking to our congregations to seek answers.

Roberto Senzini, a pastor from Rosario, told me that they recently started a jail ministry and the warden assigned them 3 pavilions to manage and handle the administration of them because they saw that the work they have been doing is much more comprehensive than what they as a government are able to do, obviously because they present Jesus as the complete answer!

Omar Olier, a pastor from the city of Mar del Plata, recently equipped several mobile hospitals to serve the community because the local government is not able to handle the increasing demand and therefore asked the church for help.

Hugo Marquez, a pastor from the city of Neuquén in the south of the country, opened a school a couple of years ago and now cannot handle the avalanche of people who want their children be taught with Christian values. They have over 1,500 students and are rejecting hundreds because the house is full.

Alejandro Rodriguez, a pastor from Buenos Aires and Director of YWAM, installed his office in front of the Argentine Congress to open a house of prayer where they pray and witness to congressman on a daily basis. The offices are full of pictures of every senator and congressman for whom they pray. Recently he was able to distribute a Bible to every congressman.

A group of ladies in the city of Cordoba have been preparing radio programs and social assistance for over 49 years. This is a remarkable group of ladies, some of them in their 80's and have an evangelistic heart preparing weekly radio programs which are aired on local secular radio stations as well as bringing hope and relief to many impoverished areas of the city.

A church in that same city recently held a youth convention where over 8,000 young people gathered to be equipped and challenged to live their lives to the fullest for Christ, not in church but on the streets!

Omar Herrera, a pastor in the city of Cipolleti, began a ministry among the Mapuche Indians in the southern province of Patagonia. The Mapuche are almost impenetrable with the Gospel but the recent drought softened their hearts because their "gods" are not answering and Jesus is bringing them hope!

I share these stories with you because we have been working with all these pastors and ministries in mobilizing them to connect with each other in creating a strategic force to win our cities one hundred percent for Christ.
As you read these lines hundreds of pastors and leaders are getting ready to come from all over Latin America to our next COICOM convention that will take place in Mar del Plata in August 25th to the 29th.

The COICOM convention is not just a one-time meeting, but God willing we want to gather around the theme of transforming our Cities with the power of Jesus Christ using every possible tool that is available to bring the Gospel in a relevant and purposeful way.

I would like to ask you for your support as we prepare for the next convention where we aim to mobilize, connect, equip several thousands of pastors, leaders and communicators in bringing the whole Gospel to all the nations for the cause of Christ, the hope of His people and the Glory of God.

We need your support in prayer and in funding. Will you join me and the churches of the Latin American continent in this effort?

Would you be willing to become a partner in providing a scholarship for pastors and leaders from the region to be part of this mobilization?

What will happen when you're involved? Please let me know if you are able and thank you for allowing me to share these stories with you!

Warmly in Christ,

Arnold Enns
P.S. - Would you forward this email to other leaders you know so they too can learn about COICOM and its strategic mission? Thank you in advance for your help!

COICOM 2011, Asunción Paraguay

Roomates, Luis Fernando Calvo and Glen

Thanks for praying!  My trip in October to Paraguay for the 2011 COICOM convention was a highlight, starting with the adventure of getting there.   A scheduled 30-hour itinerary extended to a 54-hour trek.  My third of five flights (from Mendoza, Argentina to Buenos Aires) was cancelled due to volcanic ash, so I took a 13 hour bus ride, adding a day of travel.   What a trip! 

One miracle was that as I was settling in for the bus ride, one of just a handful of Argentineans that I know sat down beside me!  The "coincidence" was magnified by the fact that several thousand people were in the same boat that I was, with buses leaving every ten minutes for Buenos Aires.  Omar Cabrera is a pastor and leader of a denomination in Buenos Aires.  He gave me his office for a day and had his staff drive me to and from the airport.  Amazing!

A COICOM Plenary Session, (from the second balcony)

4,700 people registered for the convention in Asunción.  An estimated 7,000 came to one of the evening meetings open to the public.  3,200 Paraguayans, many of them pastors, received full or partial scholarships.  One of the most interesting aspects of the event was that over $450,000 USD for those scholarships came from the Paraguayan business community. 

We offered over 200 hours of professional training for communicators, pastors and leaders.  Workshops covered television, radio, new technologies, outreach and leadership.  Five summits were held within the larger event for youth, women, professionals, prison chaplains and prayer movements.  I gave a workshop in the leadership area that was attended by around 80 people on how to setup a new organization.  It was very lively with a lot of questions and about 30 of the attendees asked for copies of the electronic materials I offered.

Hispanic - Indigenous Reconciliation

Plenary session speakers were all well known in Latin America, and some, like Luis Bush, Josh McDowell and Steve Green, in the US as well.  One particularly meaningful ceremony was a time of forgiveness and reconciliation between the Hispanic and the Indigenous communities. My role, aside from the workshop, was to moderate other workshops, make the invited guests welcome, and thank the exhibitors for coming to the trade show--fun stuff!  The board met after the event for evaluation and planning of next year's event in Honduras.

Pastor Omar Cabrera

I saw three distinct models of church growth on the trip.  Omar's "church" in Argentina, Visión de Futuro,  is essentially a denomination, grouping 200+ churches  and 70,000 souls into a tight centrally-run organization.  Centro de Adoración, where we held the event in Asunción,  is a mega-church that has grown in a single location to the point that their sanctuary can now seat 10,000. Ricardo Salazar is the pastor of Vida Abundante,  a church of 1,200 in Costa Rica that has planted 10 churches and maintains only a loose fraternal relationship with them.  All three models seem to be thriving and healthy.

I feel like I am well aware of the rapid growth and maturity in the church in Latin America, but I come away surprised.  The situation has changed so dramatically since Shelly and I went to Ecuador in 1979.  And it continues to change.  Except for a few very isolated areas, the Paraclete model of coming alongside is now the primary role for the Western missionary in Latin America.  Even in coming alongside, the church there needs less and less help.  To make a contribution missionaries will need to bring specialized expertise.

Thanks for your prayer!  I was very aware of the prayer "cover" as I travelled and ministered on this trip.

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Encouraging Feedback

Shelly and Beth Debriefing Latvia Near Beth's Home in Florida

Glen and I spent some multi-purpose time in Florida upon my return from Ireland, Latvia and England. He attended the COICOM Board meeting where he continues to serve as Treasurer.  Ministry feedback from the 2014 COICOM conference in Cali, Colombia was amazing.  COICOM is planning two international events for the fall, one in Colombia and the other in the Dominican Republic. We enjoyed reconnecting with many friends and supporters as well as helping Glen’s mom with things she needed done around her cottage.

I had the privilege of visiting with four of the women who were a part of the Spanish Bible study I taught in Miami. Two of the three had accepted Christ with me during the years of 2000-2002. Two of them are teaching Bible studies, as well as training small group leaders! All four are actively dying to themselves and coming alive to Jesus, offering sacrifices of thanksgiving and living mature Christian lives!!! I am stunned at what God allows me to be a part of--seeing lives transformed for His glory both here and around the world! 

The paragraph below comes from an e-mail I received after speaking at a retreat.  (I spoke at 2 retreats, taught Kitchen Table Counseling and several classes this Spring).  This lady eloquently expresses what I often hear about God’s work in women’s hearts.

You ushered the Kingdom of God into my heart. From there I yielded to His will for me to release pride and self-importance… In a series of moments of surrender and stripping me of earthly identity He asked me, “...With everything removed that hinders you, I am all that’s left… Are you able to let that be ok?”  I allowed God to fill my false self, my providing self, my protecting self by the power of His HOLY SPIRIT. He showed me His daughters’ bleeding hearts encapsulated in a shell of their own making…God showed me how He sees them. Beautiful. Vulnerable... He has ruined me in a glorious way... He is the repairer of walls using His living stones for His Glory.     Thank you from the bottom of His Heart In me... Your Kingdom sister.

COICOM Video

I just got word of this video of COICOM 2011 in Paraguay.  It's in Spanish, but even if you don't understand it you can get a sense of the size and scope of the event.

Video

Glen's blog post on COICOM 2011

Our Health

Thank you for your prayers for our health!

Glen's Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma is being controlled beautifully.  He's very faithful using the special cream that the Lord led him to.  Also, about every 6-8 months, when lesions begin to get red and evident on his skin, he goes on a 4-day zero-calorie fast (see this post 2015 Cancer Update for further explanation).  Several weeks after the fast, the lesions heal up and even the scars aren't evident!  We are SO thankful that the Lord led him to these ways of managing the cancer!  He saw the dermatologist last week who said that all looked good and not to come back for a year!  Yahoo!

I'm actually doing quite well, although there have been several challenges in the past few months.  It took me about 6 weeks to get back to normal activity after the cracked ribs from my fall in June.  The culprit was just an uneven sidewalk and I wasn't even wearing cute shoes! 

I had another scare after being in Kentucky at MissioNexus.  We returned home very late on a Saturday night. During the night I got up feeling a bit ill.  The next thing I knew, I was on my hands and knees on the slate floor in our bathroom with my two front teeth severely chipped and an ugly busted lip.  We were scheduled to fly out very early on Monday morning for Mexico City where Glen and I were to participate in the COICOM. Instead, I was sitting in the dentist chair on Monday morning!  When Glen was satisfied that I could stay alone, he went on to the conference, several days later. The wife of one of our COICOM board members was able to take my seminar, on the spur of the moment.  While Glen was gone, I stayed in bed for a week and a half, resting, and studying for my next two ministry trips.  It was a gift to be able to truly rest and spend many unexpected hours in preparing for teaching many hours in the upcoming days. 

There is nothing wrong with me!  I've just got the tendency to pass out when I've been under a lot of stress. Please pray that I'll learn to recognize the symptoms before passing out next time and be able to prevent it!

Glen's Activities and Upcoming Events

The past several weeks have been intensely busy for Glen as he steers Paraclete through the challenges of the IRS 990 form that guarantees our ongoing non-profit status. We've discovered that this one is particularly detailed and caught not only us, but most non-profits, off guard.

Glen also has been working on several other major projects related to fund-raising for Paraclete. We are praying for God's favor on that front as well. He and the staff have also been researching options for more efficient receipting and shopping for office space options as the lease on the current location runs out December 1 and it doesn't look likely that we'll be able to continue sharing the space with Finishers Project.

He has multiple video conferences each day and joins a daily "huddle" and prayer time with the staff in Arizona. It's not unusual for me to call him for a meal and have to wave at someone in the office on camera! Glen travels monthly to Phoenix for face-to-face meetings with staff, connecting with friends of Paraclete and fulfilling the requests of the board. He interfaces regularly with board members as well as providing them with a monthly report.

He has been editing, writing and launching an on-line version of Paraclete's magazine called, Perspective. You can download a copy, ask to get on the mailing list, or check out the electronic version. He also led staff through the deployment of a new web site for Paraclete. We are excited about the contributions of associates to the magazine and the web site. Their ministry stories show what Paraclete is doing around the world.

Right now he is preparing for Spanish seminars for the COICOM convention in Argentina and a seminar presentation at the annual conference of the MissionExchange in St. Louis. In both cases he will be talking about leadership and governance in Christian organizations. COICOM closed registration on August 21 for the convention starting on the 25th. It's going to be a big event.

He is also preparing for annual reviews with each of the Paraclete associates. I hope to join him on some of the trips where we will meet face-to-face with our missionaries to hear their joys, challenges and discouragements of the past year. We will pray, encourage, counsel and challenge them as they look ahead to future ministry. This type of accountability is one of the rich features of our organization!

Besides all of that he continues to ably lead the small group we host in our home. Many families in our group have faced enormous challenges this past year and it has knit us together in significant ways. Glen also mentors and encourages other men. His plate is full but he does it because of the love of Jesus that compels him.