March 9, 2006

Sharing with each of you a small part of what God is doing in Caracas brings
me great joy each month. There are always more things to tell you about than
I realize until I sit down to put it into words.

Many of you are aware of my initial goal to serve in the new works in Bogota,
Colombia. My visa situation in Venezuela has not changed, so every ninety
days, I am forced to leave for a visa renewal. When I am required to leave
the country, I often take advantage of the time away and assist the church in
Bogota. I made such a trip February 13-20 and it was a blessing on numerous
levels. It had been almost a year since I had been back to the country that
borders Venezuela to the west. It was a blessing to see the maturity of some
of the members, but there is still a despirate need for capable workers,
solid in the Word and their faith... ones that can encourage, challenge and
serve the Colombians. The church there is so young and has faced many
struggles.

As a country, things have improved politically, economically and in safety
for the Colombians and their visitors. There are many Colombians who had
moved away from their homes and are now returning, excited about the
improvements being made in their homeland. Please pray that these national
improvements also bring about blessings for the church.

While in Bogota in February, I was able to visit and study with many of the
ladies I always make a priority to see, but was limited somewhat in the time
I had available because of a weekend seminar we conducted for the various
churches throughout Bogota. The Memorial Church of Christ in Houston, Texas,
sponsors a program called "Vocational Training of Workers." The program is
designed to support the churches throughout Latin American by bringing solid
teaching and encouragement. One of their special speakers is Daniel Mata,
from Venezuela. He arrived in Bogota for a weekend seminar and since the
timing worked out perfectly, I also taught a couple of classes for the
ladies. One was on Women's Role and the other was on Women Workers for
Christ. It was a joy to be a part of that program and see the attendance
start at eighteen on Thursday night and grow to sixty-five Sunday afternoon.
On my website ( www.MichelleMissions.com), I have included pictures of each
of the congregations that hosted the seminar over the weekend. There are
also a few pictures from downtown Bogota.

Another special addition to the Bogota trip was the presence of Dianne
Powers, a Christian sister from Denver, Colorado, who is considering moving
to Bogota to work with the church there. We spent a lot of time talking
about the church, its needs, and how she might be able to help meet those
needs on a more long-term basis. Dianne was full of questions and ideas. It
was a joy to share the excitement for the work and desire to serve the Lord
with someone in that way.

Back in Caracas... there have been several unique activities lately. Since
it was February, we took advantage of the commercial holiday of Valentine's
Day and had a restaurant-style dinner for the married couples, complete with
waiters, candlelit tables, etc. There were even a few pre-dinner games. You
won't want to miss the pictures online!

In this highly Catholic culture, Mardi Gras or Carnival is celebrated each
year with a two-day holiday. As a church, we decided to take advantage of
the "day off" and take the church to the beach. It reminded me a lot of the
Labor Day picnics at Highland Road Park each year with the South Baton Rouge
Church of Christ. Twenty-eight people in a thirty-passenger bus rode for
over two hours then took a ten minute boat ride to a more isolated beach
(still crowded for the holiday). Fourteen of the beach-goers were family
members and friends of the East Caracas members. Three of the non-Christians
were from the English classes. It was a wonderful opportunity to shine God's
light and spend time with everyone. There are many great pictures from that
outing as well.

Just two days after the beach trip, I was able to share with the ladies in
Caracas the same class I had prepared for the women in Barquisimeto on
Depression and Discouragement. They are both topics that are often avoided
and misunderstood. Five of the eighteen ladies were visitors and all left
encouraged and uplifted by the Scriptures shared and a better understanding
of God's perspective on depression and discouragement.

Thanks, as always for your prayers and encouragement as we move forward in
the local ministry. I would like to continue to ask for your specific
prayers for the men to step up in leadership and for God to provide us with a
more permanent meeting place. Don't forget to check out the new pictures and
more complete stories ( www.MichelleMissions.com)

May God bless you all.
In Him,
M.
www.MichelleMissions.com

Donations and monthly contributions can be sent to:
South Baton Rouge Church of Christ
8725 Jefferson Hwy
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

US Contact:
9836 Keenan St.
Highlands Ranch, CO 80130

Venezuela Contact:
720-249-4266 (Denver phone number that rings in Caracas)
58-212-266-0164 home
58-414-129-2035 cell
mjgoff@gmail.com