Guyana Mission Report

Our family is leaving today on a missionary trip down to the Rupununi in Region #9. Today we'll overnight in Paramakatoi village...

GFN Update

From John and Sue Bartels in Grenada 

Table of Contents:

• GFN Receives $75,000 for TV Broadcast Equipment!
• Construction of GFN TV station/studio is well underway!
• Greatest Project Needs
• Contact Information

GFN Receives $75,000 for TV Broadcast Equipment!

A few years ago we had opportunity to get to know someone who has been supportive of a couple of different Gospel Ministries International projects including GFN.  In an email from our president, David Gates, I learned that this person was interested in our TV station project and needed more information.    Gratefully, we sent out the requested information along with prayers and thankfulness to God for the interest.  Praise the Lord, we are so blessed and happy to report that the donor ‘approved’ of the work we are doing and wanted to become more involved.  Now we have $75,000 to purchase the needed television broadcast equipment.  This package of equipment will handle basic editing, playlist preparation and broadcast on Channel 4 in Southern Grenada.  In the future, this system will be expandable to include multi channel broadcast to satellite.  Please join us in praising God for this most-important milestone.  We are anxious to begin the long-awaited dream of television broadcasting to Southern Grenada.

Receiving these funds right now is perfect timing considering the radio station funds we received in December.  Having the opportunity to install both systems at the same time will save a lot of time and effort.  God’s timing is perfect!

The rebar has been tied, footings are all poured and blocks are beginning to go up!  Here are some pictures of the progress.  Enjoy!

Greatest Project Needs

Where do we need help?

 1)     TV station/Studio Construction Project - Resources are needed to keep the project moving. Our construction down payment funds will run out soon!

2)     TV Station Transmitter Equipment - $52,000 needed to broadcast TV in Northern Grenada.  Existing equipment will only cover the southern half of the country.

3)     Volunteers - http://www.globalfamilynetwork.net/site/volunteer/

• Construction - Civil Engineer/Architect/Draftsman
• Media - Production/Broadcast for TV and Radio
• Agriculture
•  Apply Online: http://www.gmivolunteers.org/custom/lang_app/index.php

4)     Operating expenses and volunteer support - Once the newly acquired equipment is installed our $2500 monthly operating expenses will multiply by two or three times!  And that doesn’t include volunteer living expenses.

5)     Laptop is dying – If you are willing to help replace it, please let us know.  Interested in an HP ENVY 14.

 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. Joel 3:14

 Will you help GFN to reach the multitudes in the valley of decision?  Thank you so much for your support!

Please include a separate note stating that your donations are for Grenada Family Network/Bartels.

Go to: https://personal.paypal.com/cgi-bin/marketingweb?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=marketing_us/send_money

Use our This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it email address to send funds to our PayPal account.

Thank you so much for all your support.  Your prayers and contributions are deeply appreciated.

Sincerely,

John, Sue, Steven and Sarah Bartels

Grenada/Global Family Network

www.globalfamilynetwork.net

Contact Information

*********************************************************************

GMI ministry address:

GOSPEL MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL, INC
P.O. Box 506, Collegedale, TN 37315
Office Tel/Fax: 423-473-1841
Office cell phone: 618-697-3799
Accounting: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Volunteers: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
General: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Web page: www.gospelministry.org

Accounting Office:

GOSPEL MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL, INC

P.O. Box 506, Collegedale, TN 37315
Office Tel/Fax: 423-473-1841
E-mail: christina@gospelministry.org

(Christina Parsons receives donations for many different ministries within Gospel Ministries International.  If the Lord has placed on your heart the desire to send a financial gift, please include a separate note indicating, “For the Grenada Family Network/Bartels”.      Thank you!!)

Our contact information in Grenada:

John and Sue Bartels

P.O. Box 2747

St. Paul’s, St. George

Grenada, West Indies

Home/Office: (473) 435-4297

Cell: (473) 403-9763

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Skype: jnsbartels

Praying for a Miracle: Children In Need of Heart Surgery

Thanks for your prayers for these kids. We will bring Joy to Manila tomorrow for surgery! Please pray the surgery will go well and that Joy and her family and the doctors will be touched and changed by the experience. Please pray also that the doctors and hospital staff will be convicted to offer heir services for free or discounted.
Thank you!
Wendy

Here's a letter from our friend, Karen who made the video about these heart kids (the video is below, if you haven't seen it already):

Hi friends,

May my email find you well.

I'm writing to you today because there is this great burden in my heart. Last July, I went to the Philippines for a medical missionary trip with the Philippine Adventist Medical Aviation Service (pamasmission.org) and I saw a great medical need in the villages. We were able to help the sick get well with simple treatments and minor surgeries. But we could do little for three children, Joy, Jeric and Jomar, who need special help.

They have a condition commonly known as Heart Murmur or also known as Hole-in-the-Heart. As the name suggests, their heart has a hole or multiple holes in it causing it to not be able to function properly and/or not be able to support their growing bodies. Since then a few of us have been praying for God to provide a way for these children to get well. But their condition requires heart surgery which they can't afford.

By God's grace, enough funds came in through some donors and we were able to bring these children from their homes in the remote areas in the Philippines to the capital Manila for a medical check-up. Praise God, we currently have enough to get one surgery done! Joy will be having her surgery this Wednesday (25th January 2012). Please pray for her surgery and recovery!

However, I just got news that Jeric is in quite a critical condition. We just found out last week that his lungs were already expanding, which is not a good sign at all. When I saw him during my trip last year, he had to breathe very hard just standing still. I don't know how long he has left but I'm praying that we can get help for him before it is too late.

Here is a video that I made about these three children. Hopefully, it will give you a better understanding of their situation.

Please click on the link below to watch the video:
"Listen to the Heart"

For those of you who would like to know the diagnosis and the estimated costs of surgery, please see below:

Jeric:
Double outlet right ventricle with pulmonic stenosis, severe
Normally related great arteries
Atrial Septal Defect, secundum
Ventricular Septal Defect, inlet type
Aortic regurgitation, mild. Tricuspid regurgitation, moderate
Estimated cost: U.S. $12,260

Jomar:
Ventricular Septal Defect, Perimembranous
Pulmonary stenosis infundibulovalvar
Estimated cost: U.S. $9,520

Joy:
Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Aortic Insufficiency, Mild
Tricuspid regurgitation, mild
Mitral regurgitation, mild
Estimated Cost: U.S. $3,390

The villages that these children live in have yet to come to the faith. If we can help them to get well, it will be a great testament of God's love for His children.

In Acts 3:6, Peter told the cripple at the temple gates.

"Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."

Can you believe it? Day after tomorrow marks the sixth anniversary of our coming to Guyana. How 2190 days can disappear in the blink of an eye, I'm not sure, but a simple photograph comparison reveals the shocking truth