Letter from Sam Berberian - April 26, 2009

From Sam and Martha Berberian
P.O. Box 1602, 01901 Guatemala, Central America

Telephone: 011 (502) 2478-0634 (home)
Fax: 011 (502) 2443 6582 (home)



Making a difference through preaching, teaching and writing. April 26, 2009
Dear Friends,

After going over my agenda since November, and seeing the diversity of ministry, I remember what I prayed when I was a newly converted teenager: Lord, make me useful! That is a dangerous prayer, because the Lord takes us seriously. Even today the Lord calls us: "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt.4:19).

I never imagined the wide variety of ministries God would lead me into over 50 years of serving the Lord: fishing for men through street evangelism, tract ministry, literature distribution, traveling speaker in 36 countries, pastoral ministry (in Lebanon and in Kansas), and now in Guatemala: training Christian leaders since 1977. Martha has been updating and editing my life story, adding more photographs, and, you bet! The title is "Señor, Hazme Útil" (Lord, Make Me Useful).

So, what "useful" activities filled my agenda in recent months? I have traveled five times to the interior with responsibilities as Dean of the School of Theology, because pastors from several major cities have been requesting extensions of theology in their area. Three extensions have already started with much enthusiasm in Zacapa, Jutiapa and Puerto Barrios. My present goal is to train enough teachers who can teach in these extensions. I think you agree with me that a pastor who reads and studies makes a better pastor, and serves his congregation more efficiently.
On the other hand, the Instituto Federico Crowe (Frederick Crowe Institute), graduated 27 students in November, including a pastor's wife, Irma, a grandmother, whose husband, Fermin Cuyuch, graduated from the IFC a few years ago, and recently graduated from the School of Theology (see foto). We are proud of these Guatemalan leaders who didn't give up, but decided, with effort and determination, to complete their high school education and more.

A new school year began mid January, and at the end of February we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Institute and Library, that my wife and I, with a group of Christian professionals, established in 1989. With my wife, my daughters and their children, and a host of former students, we celebrated this unique effort to train leadership, in a country where education has been so limited. One after the other, our graduates (now university students or professionals) expressed the meaningful impact the Institute had in their lives. This is just the hand of the Lord that makes it possible, using donations from many of you to provide sponsorships for needy students.
And the Dr. Núñez Library? Begun with my personal library, it now has 13,000 titles. Let me tell you something: every time I get a call that someone has books to donate for the library, the question is: where do I put them? The library is growing and we expect a miracle of the Lord to give us the right facility (a building of our own) so we can serve God and His people through education as well as through the facilities of the library. There is no greater gratification than when you see someone walking out of the library with a smile and a spark in their eyes, expressing appreciation because they found what they were looking for and promising to come back because there was a lot more available.

The more meaningful for my heart is the privilege to serve the Lord, preaching the Word and counseling with people in different ways. Believe it or not, I am 68 already, an old man, and now I have volunteers to drive for me, taking me to my preaching engagements in the interior. In one of the cases, my son-in-law, Ivan, offered to drive for me to Cobán which is 200 kms away, and then drive back the following day after the preaching engagements were over. It must be God's grace.
Last Sunday our home church had anniversary activities, so I was asked to preach in the three services. Man o man! The third round was a "knock out" for me! Gone is the time when I could preach five times a day and no problem! Today the pastor gave the comment that it was a real blessing, that my being worn out in the third service didn't show. What was so gratifying was that in the services people came forward to accept the Lord as Savior.

Thanks for your prayers, so this old "machine" can still function and be productive on the basis of God's requirements. My prayer for you is that this crisis that we are going through, can reveal in you the Mighty One that can give you maturity to adjust your life and not miss your responsibilities.

Your brother,
Dr. Samuel Berberian mailto:samuelberberian@hotmail.com

Letter from Martha Berberian - April 28, 2009

LETTER FROM MARTHA BERBERIAN
Guatemala, April 28, 2009

Dear Prayer Partners,

Life is always full of things to learn, and Sam encourages me to keep learning. With the crisis in the world today, we have ample opportunity to study about what happened, how it happened, and pray intensely that God work mightily in the hearts and minds of the world leaders today. It is said that the United States is in trouble because its leaders left aside the Word of God and its teachings, and are harvesting the consequences.

WRITING AND PUBLISHING

It seems that I spend 8-10 hours a day at my desk writing, editing, correcting. Personal letters are part of my ministry. For several years (until he was set free in December) I corresponded with a Christian inmate, unjustly incarcerated, encouraging him to write; God has given him a wonderful writing ministry now. My weekly column comes out in La Palabra newspaper, where I answer questions related to family, studies, church ministry, health, all kinds of topics, and folks comment how they are helped. Who knew when I took that elective typing course in 10th grade that I would get so much good out of it! November 26 I graduated with my Masters in Pastoral Theology (see the picture above), and the following day I began a blog to train Christian professionals to write, with 53 now signed up.

TEACHING. I just finished teaching another course Techniques of Research to the first year students at the Panamerican University School of Theology. I am honored to invest in the intellectual lives of pastors and leaders who are excellent preachers and teachers, but few know how to write a research paper. Actually my job is to help them organize their thinking as they analyze a Guatemalan problem such as domestic violence, adolescent pregnancy, or a church problem. Four pastors weren't there the day the picture was taken. I have enjoyed photography since Sam bought our first camera in 1967, and consider it a ministry because it blesses people.

FAMILY. I enjoy baking with the grandkids, and attending school events, seeing the kids participate in various activities. But mostly we sit on the rug, get out the blocks and make a garage, and put cars inside it. With some of the family living far away, we installed Skype in our computers to be able to chat with Lydia in Argentina, and Steve in Houston.

DOULOS FOUNDATION: Frederick Crowe Institute and Dr. Núñez Library. Many of you know about the Institute that we founded with so much love and effort 20 years ago. Over 800 students have graduated successfully from the excellent high school program we set up, oriented to pastors and leaders. Sam is there every day supervising and guiding. Our constant prayer is that the many Guatemalan adults who never completed high school, will have the determination to study in our Saturday program.

About 40% of our 170 students are from extreme poverty level families who live on less than $250 dollars a month, such as Florinda (see picture right), who completed her studies with honors; her mother is a Bible translator. You can make a difference in a student's life being a donor. We continue to rent a large house in downtown Guatemala City; the 6 classrooms barely hold 15 students each when our goal is 23. We are considering a building in downtown Guatemala City valued at $160,000 dollars and we have 20% in hand. You can be a part of this important project by designating a gift.

THANK YOU for your prayers and gifts. We invite you to be a part of our ministry by praying and giving, perhaps sponsoring a needy student ($300 per year per student), or a gift towards buying a building.

For a tax deductible receipt, write your check to CMM (Christ’s Mandate for Missions) directed by our close friend, Jorge Parrott, and mail to P.O. Box 7705, Charlotte, North Carolina 28241, USA. Telephone: (704) 225-3927. If you don't need a receipt and it is more convenient, you may deposit your gift directly into our Bank of America account. Write us for details.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10: “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel 'Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!…' And God granted his request". God wants to bless you with a larger territory for His glory.

Prayerfully,

Martha Saint-Berberian
To write to me: marthaberberian@yahoo.com