The Last Update of Gila Valley

The past three days have been filled with many opportunities for the Gila Valley Team to share Christ with people in the Nyimba boma and in a village approximately 14 kilometers from Nyimba, Dziko Village. God used each and every person to share the love of Jesus Christ and to lead many of them to salvation in Jesus. We cannot believe that their time here is already gone! Tomorrow we will take them to Lusaka and they will be flying home to New Mexico on Saturday. Please pray for their safety and good health as they travel. Praise the Lord for the many great things He has done in and through their lives as they have come to serve and minister to the Nsenga people.

Elaine, Jane, and Miranda with the tailor, Patricia, who prayed to receive Christ on Wednesday!

The men awaiting their first meal of nshima!

Out and about in Nyimba boma

Benjamin Phiri ( a pastor and a translator for the team) and Kendall

Jane, Benjamin, Tar, and Elaine in the Nyimba Market

Zeria and Elaine with Gracesta and her children in Ben Village. Graceta was the first person in this village to pray to receive Christ!

The GV team with Chief Ndake's wife, Ruth

This group of people were people that were in the Nyimba market on Wednesday. The women were able to share Christ with these people and they all prayed to receive Christ and were joyful after their time with the GV women! Praise the Lord for the many people who have prayed to receive Christ.

In Jesus' Presence...

Today, at 1:00p.m. Baby Mwaba went to be with Jesus. After a battle with pnemonia and malaria, he passed away in the arms of his aunt. I received the news from Zeria and began to weep for my precious friend, Chilufiya. My heart broke and it was hard to breathe. I praise the Lord that Elaine, Jane, and Miranda were here to hug me, pray with me and comfort me before walking to the hospital to see Chilufiya. I praise the Lord that they were willing to stay with my precious babies so that I could go and pray with, cry with, and comfort Chilufiya. Please pray for Chilufiya, Wadeya, Lucy, Sandra, Masiye, and Paul as they mourn the loss of their son and brother. It has been a long and emotionally draining day. Pray that in time Chilufiya will turn to Christ and find peace in Him. Thank you all for your prayers and love.

Gila Valley Team Update -July 20

Monday was spent spreading the word about the Jesus Film and evangelizing around Nyimba. In the morning, the team went to the Basic School to get permission to show the Jesus Film on their soccer field and also distribute and hang fliers for the Jesus Film.

After, they visited Chief Ndake's palace. The chief was not at home, but they had a pleasant visit with Ruth Ndake, his wife. They were encouraged and enjoyed their time with her.

In the afternoon, the women ventured to the other side of town to invite people to the Jesus Film.

Upon our return home from our visits, the men went to the Secondary (High) School to play basketball with the boys that Kendall has been coaching. When they arrived there were about 100 people sitting around the court waiting for the game to begin! Tar, Chris, and Kendall had a great time and beat the high school team 20-6 in a 16 minute time period, and the Zambians had 2 teams, so the guys did great! They are heading back there on Wednesday again to play with them. During their time at the court they shared about the Jesus Film and many of those kids were at the Film later that night!

Before the Jesus Film, each team member shared their testimony of salvation in Chinsenga without a translator! We are SO proud of them for really learning their testimonies and sharing their story themselves in the heart language of the Nsenga! The people at the JF LOVED that the mzungu (white people) were speaking their language! Kendall shared the Roman Road and many people prayed to receive Christ and approximately 300 people came to the Jesus Film! We know that "the Word of God will not return void...". Two men came to Kendall afterward and are interested in becoming involved with the Baptist church. We praise the Lord for the souls that have come to Christ this week! Praise HIM!

Elaine sharing her testimony in Chinsenga

Kendall sharing the Roman Road

A few of the people at the Jesus Film in Nyimba

Gila Valley Team Update -July 19

Sunday, we went to Chamilala Baptist Church in Kacholola. Tar preached the sermon based on Ephesians 5. He presented the Gospel and several people prayed to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We had a great time of worship and celebration with our brothers and sisters in Christ at Chamilala. After church, the choir sang for us and the church had prepared a meal of nshima and chicken for us! Chamilala congregation is full of love and happiness! Praise the Lord!

Tar preaching at Chamilala

The Gila Valley Team with Chamilala Baptist Church

Gila Valley Team Update -July 18

Today was an awesome day of ministry in Nyimba! The GVBC team went out to several different villages and shared the Gospel with the people there. This morning, Kendall and Benjamin Phiri traveled to Mozambique to teach the large crowd of Mozambiquans that had gathered at Meze to hear the Gospel and teachings from the GVBC team. When Kendall arrived in Meze this morning, there were over 150 people waiting for him. The day before there were approximately 320 people that had traveled to meet the team and hear their testimonies and lessons from the Bible. When Kendall arrived he explained to them the difficulties that we had faced in attempting to get proper documentation to cross the border. The people were understanding and the visit from Kendall made the apology and teaching a lot better. During their time in Mozambique 7 people prayed to receive Christ. While they were teaching there the team was sharing Christ in Nyimba. Total today, 30 people prayed to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior!

Praise the Lord for the new brothers and sisters in Christ in Nyimba and Mozambique!

Pray for the team as they continue evangelism and prayer walking on Monday.

Pray for the Jesus Film as it is shown in the Nyimba boma (town) on Monday night at 6:00 p.m.

Pray for the work that will take place in Dziko (zee-ko) Village, Tuesday-Thursday of this week.

Pray for a church to be planted in the Nyimba boma near the villages of Kampala and Ben.

Although we were not in Mozambique, we decided to have MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) for lunch! It was a fun time with our Zambian friends! It was actually good food!!!

Jumbe had Chicken and Noodles.

*Praise the Lord for Jumbe. Last Monday, he was hit by a drunk driver on a motorcycle and was hit on his side and back. We all went to the hospital to pray for him on Tuesday. He was released from the hospital on Wednesday and has been a translator and awesome friend to Tar and Chris! Praise the Lord!*

Yesterday, the ladies, Zeria, and Benjamin began witnessing in the Police Camp. They met a family that was very concerned about their son, Rafael. He had been lured into a Satanic cult and was in deep bondage and was being oppressed. The ladies promised him that they would return today (Saturday) to pray for him. When we arrived at his home this afternoon, he was not there, so we promised his sister that we would be back on Monday to pray with him. As we began to walk home, Rafael came running up behind us. Immediately when he approached us, no one recongnized him. What we then learned was that a pastor from his family's church had come on Friday night and he was set free from the demon that had held him in bondage and he prayed to receive Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior! Rafael was FREE and was a NEW CREATURE! On Friday as the women tried to read Scripture to him, he never made eye contact, he placed folded arms upon his knees and buried his face, then just left the house. Today, we shared Scripture with him and before we began he said, "I want to get my Bible!" We had an awesome time with Rafael and in the words of our great friends, Zeria and Benjamin, "look at this boy...he is FREE...REALLY FREE!!!"

Jane, Miranda, Zeria, Rafael, Benjamin, Elaine

Gila Valley Team Update -July 17

July 17, 2009

The team arrived home from Katete around 12:30p.m. with news of no visa for Mozambique. The border officials brought a lot of concern and fear into the team, but we know for sure now that God wants them to glorify and testify His name in Nyimba. They are out in the Nyimba boma (town) today sharing their testimonies and inviting people to see the Jesus Film on Monday night.

Pray that they would be bold in their witness.

Pray that the people of Nyimba would accept them with open arms.

Pray for God to use them in mighty ways to plant a church in the boma of Nyimba.

Praise the Lord for closing the door to Mozambique, not because we didnt want to go, but His plans are bigger than ours!

Pray for Zeria, Benjamin, and Jumbe as they translate for the team.

Enjoying Zambian sugarcane with Zambian friends at the Helgren's house!

Preparing to cross the Luangwa River by canoe to see if the immigration post in Zumbo, Mozambique would assist us in receiving a pass to enter Mozambique.

Chris, Jane, Elaine, Miranda, Benjamin, and Tar at a Baobab Tree near Luangwa

Gila Valley Team Update #2

Today is Friday, early this morning around 6:30a.m. they began traveling to the border of Mozambique and Zambia through a town called Katete. There they are going to attempt to purchase a visa to enter Mozambique in order to travel there to begin ministry this afternoon.

Pray for effective travel back to Nyimba from Katete in order to pack up and head to Mozambique.

Pray for the travel to Mozambique to be smooth and for the vehicles to travel well.

Pray that as they get set up in Mozambique that all will go well.

Pray for Tar, Elaine, Chris, Miranda, and Jane as they practice their salvation testimonies in Chinyanja and as they start evangelism in the villages tomorrow morning.

Pray that all of their fears would be erased and that they would fully rely upon the Holy Spirit in all circumstances and conversations.

Pray also for the translators (Zeria, Mrs. Maseko, Benjamin, Samson, and Gideon) to clearly translate English to Chinsenga so that the Gospel is heard clearly without fault.

Please pray also for Lily. She has been very sick for 24 hours now and is not well.

Pray for quick recovery and good rest.

Mozambique Update

Praise the Lord that the team from Gila Valley, New Mexico arrived healthy, happy, and did not have a battle with jet lag at all! All of their luggage arrived and we only lost one trunk full of American goodies. Since they have been here they have been to visit the District Commissioner, the immigration officer, the hospital to visit Jumbe after an accident, the market, the tailor to have suits and shirts made to remind them of their time in Zambia, sang songs, shared their testimonies with nationals, and seen the difficulties missionaries can face in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Since I posted last, a great deal of time has been trying to get legal permission for them to enter Mozambique. Today they traveled 3 1/2 hours to Zumbo, Mozambique. This trip was by road and boat to find out that they must have a Mozambiquan visa to enter. Tomorrow (Friday) is the day that we are supposed to go and share the Gospel in Kasenga and Meze. They will travel with Kendall 2 hours from our home to Katete to try and buy a visa in order to share Christ there. Please pray that they are able to get the visa. If they are not able to, then we know that God desires for us to minister to the people of Sinda and Dziko, here in Zambia. Pray for Meze Baptist as 25 people anticipate their baptism this Sunday. Pray for their hearts to understand and be gracious if we are unable to arrive there. We praise the Lord for this team! They are amazing...flexible, fun, encouraging, in love with Christ, and full of excitement to see when, where, and how God is going to work in and through their lives during their time here in Zambia!

Mozambique Concern...We Need Prayer

We just received a call from Leonard Banda in Mozambique. He said that the Border Officers have told him that we are going to have to travel 5-6 hours to Zumbo to receive a proper letter of documentation in order for our volunteer team and us to enter the country to do ministry. Many times prior to this, Kendall has asked about the proper channels we must go through in order to enter the country. He made a trip to Zambue and received clearance from the District Commissioner and the Police Chief. PLEASE PRAY for Leonard Banda as he goes on our behalf to Kasenga tomorrow to meet with Filipo (Vice District Commissioner) to clear up this matter. PLEASE PRAY for this to be resolved, for the border crossing to be smooth, and for us to be safe in our travels there. We leave Friday and will return home on Sunday. Thank you for your love, concern, and earnest plea before the Father on our behalf and the Nsenga of Mozambique who are anxious and excited about our arrival.

They're Here!

We have just arrived back in Nyimba after a busy, yet incredibly fun week with Kenny, Lesley, and Tyler Vines! Praise the Lord for their safe and happy arrival in Lusaka! They have officially received their work permits and PASSED their Zambian driving test and are waiting for their driver's licenses. Lesley has found the great places to shop and Kenny has been introduced to life as a daddy and handyman in Zambia. We had a great time playing games with the Kimbrough's and Schwarz each night and enjoyed many good meals together! We are so excited about seeing God use this family to reach the Kunda people of Luangwa.

Canaan Baptist Church

Lily, Lauren, and I had dresses made this week at the market here in Nyimba! We were so excited to wear them to church today! Lauren matched me and Lily picked out her own chitenge and green ribbon! We had to have a picture made before we went to church!

We attended, Canaan Baptist Church in Minga Stop today. It was a great day of worship and encouragement after a difficult week of ministry. The most encouraging part of the service was the 10 women that prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior! We were also so encouraged by the leadership of this church, the congregation, and the fact that all of the leaders had one wife and all of their wives were active members of the church! Praise the Lord for this church! Pray that they continue to grow strong in the Lord, the church is 4 years old! Praise the Lord for the godly leaders leading this church!

Deacon Patrick Phiri and his son, Patrick were dressed identical! He was so cute!

The Phiri Family generously opened their home to us for lunch! Patrick is a teacher of mathematics for 8th-12th graders at the Minga Stop Secondary School. We had a wonderful afternoon with the Phiri's!

Ruthie (21 months) and Lauren (17 months) had a fun time playing together!

Nyimba Agricultural Show 2009

To start off our family day on the 4th of July, we attended the Nyimba Agricultural Show. We were so excited to see what all was there. It was a big deal with a gate to pay and a huge grass fence all around! It was cold and windy so our visit was brief, but it was neat to see all of the crops that are grown here in Zambia. Everyone in Zambia is a farmer, so this event was a huge help and encouragement to the farmers. People would bring their crops and they would be judged and receive a prize for quality of the crop!

Kendall, Lily, Easton, Jumbe, Lauren, and Zeria at the Show

Lily was braving the wind and cold!

This was one of the displays from the Farmers Co-ops here in Zambia.

Rape is one of our favorite "relish" to eat with nshima. It is a lot like collard greens.

Groundnut (peanut) shavers are used for livestock feed.

I thought that this crop was unique. Cat whiskers. They will preserve it and eat with nshima during the dry season when relish is hard to find.

From top left to right: Corn (maize), sorgham, peanuts (groundnuts), soy beans, Bandara nuts

You can see all the produce they had. I wanted everyone to see the kind of crops that are grown and produced in Zambia!

There were acrobats that were quite entertaining!

The excitement was too much for Lauren!

The Red, White, and Blue...

I was so excited for this 4th of July because my friend, Vira had sent all of the kids their own 4th of July shirt! I had fun taking their pictures before our family festivities began. It is not easy to get 3 kids, (ages 4, 2, and 1) to stand or sit still, smile, look at the camera, etc. So, I take what I can get and laugh at the rest!

*For more on our 4th of July, visit our family blog at:www.thehelgren5.blogspot.com!

Amuna a Chikhulupiriro

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news,who proclaim peace,who bring good tidings,who proclaim salvation,who say to Zion,

"Your God reigns!"

Isaiah 52:7

Meet Kendall's dearest friends, "Amuna a Chikhulupiriro" (Men of Faith) from left to right:

Samson Lungu, Gideon Tembo, Josias Daka, Leonard Banda, Derek Daka, Laxson Mumba

Each Friday when Kendall arrives home from Mozambique, I cannot wait to sit down with him and hear the stories of the day, hear about the people that he met, who rode in the truck, and most importantly how much the men that are traveling with him are learning.Many times we share with you about what is being taught and who came to Christ and about the people in Mozambique, but we have failed to make mention of the men that are truly teaching the Word of God and are missionaries as well!

Each week, Kendall comes in and smiles and says, "I love those guys...I really do. They are my friends and they support me, encourage me, and teach me so much!" Our prayer from the time that God called us to Zambia is that He would bless us with men such as these to help us and walk with us in our ministry. Without our Zambian brothers and sisters encouraging us and teaching us and advising us, our ministry would be very difficult and challenging. Each day we praise the Lord for the amazing friends He has given us that love us enough to correct us, assist us, and put their reputation on the line to walk alongside the mzungu (white man).

The awesome thing about these six men is that they have come together, from different churches, villages, and tribes in order to share Christ with the Nsenga people from Kompo to Zambue. I could go on and on about each one of these men, but will say only a few words about each. (Can you tell how passionate and excited I am about the relationship and friendship that Kendall has with these men?)

Samson Lungu- faithful friend who has been walking with Kendall since the first day we stepped foot in Nyimba.

Gideon Tembo- his heart is full of the joy of the Lord and has a deep passion when he shares about Jesus Christ, an awesome church planter in his home village and a man of integrity.

Josias Daka- he has the joy of the Lord and a true servant's heart. He once jumped off the back of a moving bicycle in order to greet me (Joy) as I walked down the road with friends.

Leonard Banda- first convert in Mozambique, man of peace, and a genuine concern to see those around him know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.

Derek Daka- "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." Colossians 3:16 Derek touches the hearts of the Nsenga by speaking their heart language through song.

Laxson Mumba- quiet and humble leader who follows Jesus Christ and desires to see the people of Mozambique come to know Him.

Pray for each of these men. Pray that the passion that burns within each of them would not be extinguished in the slightest bit.

Pray that these men would be an encouragement to one another and to the people of Mozambique.

Praise the Lord that He has set these men apart to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and that they have been obedient to His call!

Paths Crossing Again...

God has an incredibly unique and amazing sense of humor when He allows us to cross paths with friends not only once in life, but twice.

Kendall and I were both friends with Kenny Vines while we were attending Southwestern Seminary in Texas. At the time that we were friends with Kenny, Kendall and I did not even know each other! A great deal has changed since either of us has seen Kenny. But on July 7th, our family will meet the Vines Family, Kenny, Lesley, and Tyler for the first time! It is amazing how God has orchestrated our steps and blessed us with the amazing opportunity to minister with this family in Zambia.

Kenny and Lesley will be our closest neighbors and will be serving the Lord in Luangwa, Zambia working in Zambia and Mozambique.

Praise the Lord for Kenny and Lesley's obedience to the Lord's calling on their lives!

Pray for Kenny and Lesley as they say their goodbyes to friends and family in Texas.

Pray that they would not be overwhelmed with the events that are before them.

Pray for the Vines and Ferguson families as they say goodbye to their children and grandbaby.

Pray for safe travel, beginning on Sunday, July 5th, that they would make connecting flights in proper time.

Pray that Tyler sleeps well and travels well on the very long flight!

Pray that Kenny and Lesley will have a peace about their travels and their calling to Zambia.

Pray for Kendall and I as we are with them their first week in Zambia.

Pray that we will help them to feel welcome and at home in their new home, Zambia.

Helgren Family Prayer Letter- July 2009

Recently, I saw that one of our fellow missionaries began posting portions of their family prayer letter on their blog. I read it and thought, "DUH...why don't I do that too?" For those of you who don't receive our prayer letter, this is a monthly letter that we send out to our prayer partners, who we fondly call, "our warriors". The letter is basically an update of what is going on with our ministry to the Nsenga people of Zambia and Mozambique, prayer requests and praises! Here is the letter for July.

Crossing Borders of Zambia and Mozambique to share the love of Jesus Christ with the Nsenga People.

Leaders can either encourage a group to grow or discourage them into complacency. Some will debate that “leaders are born” and the opposition states that “leaders are made”. As we learn more about our leaders here in Nyimba we are discovering that some people are born with the characteristics of a leader and others have been chosen as a leader, but are in need of training in order to be a godly leader. We have realized that in order to strengthen the churches, we must invest great amounts of prayer, teaching, and discipleship so that the leaders that have been chosen by the churches will lead the Baptist churches to follow Jesus Christ in all that they do, in and out of the church.

Pray for Mr. M as he has been elected as the new chairman of the Nyimba Baptist Association. Pray for humility and wisdom as he begins to challenge and lead the association. Pray for the deacons, treasurers, secretaries, and pastors of the churches of Nyimba. Pray that corruption would be void in the congregation and that in all transactions and activities in the church that God would be glorified. Pray that as we continue to teach and encourage the leaders that they would find what we teach valid and applicable to their churches. Pray that we could teach them to seek wisdom from God’s Word.

Praise the Lord for the five members of Gila Valley Baptist Church in New Mexico that are coming to serve with us among the Nsenga of Zambia and Mozambique! Pray for Chris, Miranda, Jane, Elaine, and Tar as they travel to Zambia on July 11 and return home on July 25th. Pray for their traveling mercies and for luggage to arrive when they arrive. Pray for their families in New Mexico. Pray that we will use them where God wants them to minister and not our wishes. Pray for safe travel into Mozambique, good health, and for God to be glorified and the name of Jesus to be proclaimed in all that we say and do!

“Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.”
2 Samuel 22:50

• During the month of June, 70 people in Mozambique and Zambia have come to Christ
• The Vines Family will arrive in Zambia in July and begin serving in Luangwa, Zambia!
• Praise the Lord for the thousands of Southern Baptists that graciously and generously give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering that supports our vehicle, housing, and much much more!

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”
1 Chronicles 29:11


Strengthened By Your Prayers,
Kendall, Joy, Lily, Easton, and Lauren Helgren

What is a Deacon??

On Saturday at the Nyimba Associational Meeting, Kendall told all of the church leaders that he would be more than happy to come and teach them concerning any matters in the church that they were uneducated about or unsure of. Immediately, the pastor at Chansanje Baptist Church , Laxson Njobvu, approached Kendall and asked him to come on Wednesday, July 1st, to teach about the role of deacons in the church. Kendall was so excited that they had invited him, he studied God's Word to see what it said about the qualifications of a deacon and their job within the church. Here are a few of the passages that Kendall taught from in order to teach these church members about the character, role, and selection of deacons within the church body.

1 Timothy 3:8-13 describes the character of a deacon:

"Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus."

Acts 6:1-15 describes the need for deacons, the way of choosing and ordaining a deacon within the church. Acts 6:3-7 gives specific details of how the disciples chose deacons to assist in serving the church. Below is Acts 6:3-7.

"Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them. The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith."

It was an encouraging morning and we were so happy that churches are asking to learn things that they are lacking knowledge about! Praise the Lord for the 19 men and women that attended the lesson this morning! Pray that these leaders and church members will take what they have heard from God's Word and apply it in their congregations. Pray that the congregations will receive God's Word with an open and pure heart.