Home From Nicaragua

As the summer is winding down, I am thrilled to share with you how the Lord worked in my life and in others as I served in Nicaragua in July. I, along with a team from Living Water International, set out for Central America to share the love of Jesus Christ with the people we encountered. We also had the opportunity to drill a water well at an elementary school and teach hygiene to the women and children of the community.
Our week began in the community of Telica, just outside Leon, Nicaragua. We fell in love with the people who warmly welcomed us into their community, especially the children. The drilling process was underway and we began our lessons with the women and children and had a lot of fun doing it! As we worked, the people of the community worked right alongside of us. We were so humbled to see their love and appreciation. We felt as if we were being used as the Lord’s hands and feet to communicate His love to them in real, tangible ways.





Our time with the children and women was precious and so purposeful. We communicated basic hygiene such as hand washing, disease prevention and simple medical practice. The women of the community warmly received these lessons as well as the spiritual lessons that we shared. The children were also excited to learn new ways to stay healthy and play a few games in between! The Gospel was presented many times and was well received.
As we sought to make the most every opportunity we were given, the week went by very quickly which was expected. The Lord taught us a few things about His plans when we were not able to find water by the end of the week. Although we were disappointed for the sake of the people of the community, we knew that the Lord could see much more than we could. The people of Telica remained hopeful and so appreciative of all the hard work that was put in that week despite the results. We were also encouraged to know that Living Water will be going back to that community after we have left and will work until they find water.
I was so blessed by the people of Telica and by what the Lord taught me that week. I was encouraged by knowing that we never know what our part is in the spiritual harvest. Sometimes, we are the planters and other times we water the seeds that are planted (1 Corinthians 3:6). I am so excited for the day when we get to see all the fruit of our labor.
I want to thank you so much for your vital part to this ministry. Your prayers and financial giving enabled me to serve and answer the call that that the Lord has given me. Also, I thank you on behalf of the people of Telica. Even though separated by distance, you were such a blessing to those people and I know that one day in heaven you will get to meet each and every one of them. Know that you are continually in my thoughts and prayers!

digging wells, yummy mangos and a little Espanol!

My second semester here at West Texas A&M is just flying by! Classes have been going great as well as ministry with the BSM here on campus and my job as an after-school tutor at an elementary school. God has been working many things together to bring me to what He has in store for this summer. Even I am not sure of all the details, but He definitely is and that is more than enough for me.
He has closed many doors and opened a few unexpected ones! I have had to let go of my plans and let Him lead. He has given me the opportunity and the heart to serve in Nicaragua, Central America for a short time this summer. I was assigned to Nicaragua as a student missionary through GoNow Missions, a missions organization for college students through the BGCT. The dates of my trip are July 11-19, 2008. We will be working alongside an organization called Living Water International. We will be working to share the Gospel and love of Jesus Christ by digging/repairing water wells in various villages and teaching health education. My personal role on our team will be teaching basic hygiene to the women of the village. This is an amazing opportunity as it will allow me to build a foundation as I prepare to be on the medical mission field one day!
I am sharing this with you so that you can fervently PRAY for the team and I. This is not a culture that I have experienced before so I know that God has a lot to teach me in the process. Please pray for me as I prepare with my Spanish speaking skills and for the people of Nicaragua to be thirsty for the true, Living Water! Also, if you feel led to give financially to help send me, I would be very grateful. Thank you for partnering with me in missions this way. I pray that you will be encouraged and blessed because of your sacrificial giving.
Many of you have been walking this journey with me since 2006 and I have been so blessed by YOU! Words cannot express my deep gratitude for how you have continued to support me as I have followed Him to the nations! Please know how much I value your friendship and appreciate your faithfulness. I will be keeping you updated on how God moves in the coming days and all he does while I am in Nicaragua. Again, thank you for your love for Christ and your love for those who do not yet know Him!

Serving Him,
Angela Banks

CHINA REPORT!!

February 5, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,


I pray that the Lord has brought much joy and blessing to you and your family as He has in my life this year. There is much to rejoice about! I apologize that this update is long overdue. I want to share with you how the Lord changed many lives in China this past Christmas! First, let me thank you for your faithful prayers. I cannot express in words how critical you were in our ministry by going to battle for us in that way. "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."(James 5:16) There were many days our team was discouraged and lacking in energy but we had victory in Christ every single time! Thank you for giving of yourselves financially as well. Because of your sacrificial giving, the Chinese people could hear the story of Jesus Christ, many for the first time!
Although we were only in G-City for a short period of time, the Lord gave us so many unique opportunities to share and we took advantage of them. "…Make the most of every opportunity."(Colossians 4:5) Just a few of our ministry tools included: Christmas parties, drama/storytelling, children's play groups, discipleship with new Christians, public performances, teaching English, a radio broadcast, and building relationships with university students. As you can probably guess, we were very busy from early in the morning until late in the evening. Many times we had 2-3 Christmas parties a day, which left no room for jet lag! I was constantly amazed at how God gave us divine appointments with people, no matter what we were doing!
While our team was in-country, there were 25 people that gave their hearts and lives to Christ! Then, after we returned to the States we received word that 4 more people accepted. Let me tell you, that in a country like China , that is so HUGE! In China , professing that you're a Christian is not something that is taken lightly. Many times because of fear of persecution and abandonment, the Chinese are not open to receive the Gospel. It was unbelievable to see the passion and commitment of the Chinese believers. I was reminded that because I live in America I had never seen real Christian persecution until coming to China .
There are so many amazing stories and I would love to share them all with you! But one experience that God allowed me to have I think will encourage you as well. Throughout our trip we had been establishing relationships with many university students. These students are in the same stage of life as we are so it was very easy to find common ground with them. Our very last night in G-City our goal was to make contacts with those that we had built relationships with that past week. Instantly I thought of one of the girls we had met at a Christmas party earlier that week named Sarah*. I could tell on the night of the party that she was really seeking out answers so one of my teammates and I took a bus to the university that night to go talk with her. God had just put an urgency in my heart to share the Gospel with this girl one more time before we left. When she met us at the bus stop she had brought one of her roommates along with her. Once we all sat down together in a tea shop there on campus, the Holy Spirit gave us the words to speak but it was obvious that God had been working in their hearts long
before we arrived. When I asked them if they wanted to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they enthusiastically replied, "YES! But no one has told us how." Wow! They were so ready to receive but just needed someone to share with them how. God had already done the work for us! After the two girls prayed to accept, Sarah told us all that now she needed to share this with her other roommates immediately. Her instant enthusiasm and passion for her God was so humbling for us. Later that night as we were leaving to go back to the city, she turned to me and simply said, "Thank you for giving me the chance to become a Christian." I share that with you to simply extend the thanks to you, you have been missionaries right alongside of us. So, thank you for allowing many of these beautiful Chinese people to hear about what the amazing love of Christ!
We might never see on this earth all of the fruit of the seeds that were planted. That is something that we have to look forward to one day when we meet all of our Christian brothers and sisters from every nation. I expect that on that beautiful day, a Chinese man or woman will walk up to you and simply say, "Thank you for giving the way you did. I am here because of it." I hope that you will continue to pray for these new believers and their families as they are discipled and even as they may face persecution and difficulties inside their culture. Pray that the Chinese believers will rise up as leaders and have an amazing influence in their country. I have included photos of my time there and a website that you will find updated prayer requests from missionaries all over China . I hope that you have been encouraged by what our amazing God has done and continues to do! Thank you for being a part of it!

Serving Him,
Angela Banks
www.peopleofchina.net

CIC UPDATE-less than one month away!

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope that you have had a relaxing and renewing Thanksgiving break! I know I have! It has been great to be home in Wichita Falls for a few days and spend time with family. This Thanksgiving, I brought home one of our international students from WT and my family fell in love with her! It has been a great opportunity to share Christ's love with her while she has stayed with us. God works in mysterious ways!
To give you an update on Christmas In China: preparation time has been very fruitful! I have shared with many of you that ministry in China is so different than ministering in parts of Africa. For security reasons, we simply cannot be as open so we have many creative ways of sharing Christ this Christmas! Some of those things include: performing skits, using salvation bracelets (power bands), sharing the story of the candy cane, singing songs or simply sharing your testimony. The Lord is already stretching me spiritually in so many ways. Many of you have also asked where exactly where we will be. For safety of the home missionaries there in China, we cannot disclose that specific information. I can share with you that we will be in Hong Kong for two days for a brief orientation and then we will go into our main ministry city in China. Know that this place is in desperate need for the light of Christ! Pray for open hearts!
Finally, I would like to share with you the need that is still present. About one-third of the funds for this trip have been raised. About $1800 is still needed by December 7th. To some, this may seem like an impossible goal. But our God is not a God of human circumstances! His resources are endless! I was sharing with my parents just this evening that in Scripture it talks about being ready and prepared! I want to be ready and prepared for what the Lord has in store and I can't wait to see how He does it! Please pray with me that this need will be provided for in God's way and timing! Pray that those who are able and feel led to will give. When we are obedient and trust the Lord with little, it is amazing what He does with it! Let's trust Him and see what He does with it! Again, thank you so much for your support and prayers! You are my prayer warriors and I am so blessed to have you in my life! I pray that you are allowing the Lord to use you in the places that He has for you!

Serving Him,
Angela Banks

*If you as an individual or collectively as a church would like to give financially to support this project, you may do so by writing a check to WTAMU BSM and designate it to "Angela Banks-CIC". Then simply mail your tax-deductible gift to the following address:
WTAMU BSM
WT BOX 60815
Canyon, TX 79016
Again, thank you for being missionaries right alongside of us as we minister to the people of China!

Christmas in China!

Hey guys!
This is the support letter I am sending out about the mission opportunity that God has given me this Christmas. Just wanted you to know about it and PRAY!
Love you guys!Angela

September 2007

Dear Family and Friends,
I pray that this letter finds you and your family well and I'm sure very busy as fall approaches. My first semester of college here at West Texas A&M has definitely been a busy one but the Lord has been teaching me so much! I have been reminded of how His plans are always so much better than mine.
Thank you again to all of you who supported me this past summer as I served in Uganda. The Lord did amazing things in many hearts. If you haven't already, you can view a blog about my time in Uganda at angelabanks.blogspot.com. Thank you for your faithfulness! As you will see from the many pictures and journal entries, there was much fruit! While in Africa again, the Lord confirmed my heart and call to those people and He is working plans together for me to return this coming summer. But this semester, He has presented me with another mission opportunity that I would like to share with you here.
Many years ago, I felt a burden for the people of China. Last year I had an opportunity to serve with "Christmas In China"-a direct program through the International Mission Board. However, I felt the Lord was telling me to wait. This semester, He brought the opportunity to me once again and really spoke to my heart about it. I was very hesitant and wasn't sure if this was something I could do. But, after much prayer, God showed me that this was something that He had for me. That week it seemed that I met more Chinese students here at WT than ever before and He was constantly putting China on my heart again. Don't you love it when He makes His will so evident? Again, I'm so thankful that His plans are bigger and better than mine.
So, this Christmas, December 16-31, I will be serving with college students from all over the United States in one of the most beautiful places in China. We will be introducing Chinese students to the true meaning of Christmas-Jesus Christ! We will be doing this through Christmas skits, Christmas music, Christmas parties, English conversational groups, Texas cultural traditions (2-step dancing, etc.) and prayerwalking. God is moving in this country that is resistant to any Christian influence. Chinese Christians face severe opposition because of their faith but their faith is so much stronger than their fear! They know that there are so many people in their country that have yet to hear about Jesus Christ so they cannot be silent.
I know that when we make ourselves available to God, He will equip us with everything that we need. I am confident that He will provide in His own way and timing. I wanted to share this with you so that if you feel led to support this mission opportunity you can. If the Lord has put the people of China on your heart as well, what better time to equip others to share Jesus with them than at Christmas! The overall cost of the trip is about $2,500. I have full confidence that God will provide how He sees fit. He is ALWAYS faithful! If you would like to give, there is an enclosed form and envelope for your use. If you choose to write a check, please make it payable to Western Hills Baptist Church and designate it to Angela Banks. Your gift will go directly through my church in Wichita Falls and your gift will also be tax-deductible.
Most of all, I need your prayer support. Please pray for the people of China; that God will open their hearts to hear the Gospel this Christmas. Pray for the missionaries that live in China and invest their lives in ministry there despite opposition. Pray for our team as we receive training in order to serve the people of China. Through your prayers and financial support, you are missionaries right there beside me! Thank you for that!
I am very excited to see all that God is going to do in the coming months and I look forward to sharing it with you! I am so thankful for your friendship and love in Christ. Please continue to keep me updated on what the Lord is doing in your life so that I can pray for you as well!
Until All Peoples Know Him,
Angela Banks
For more information: http://www.thetask.org/students/Projects/christmasinchina06.asp
Angela Banks
940-782-3587
icthus07mk@yahoo.com
Western Hills Baptist Church
5107 Ridgecrest
Wichita Falls, TX 76310

Grace Expectations

September 2, 2007

Hello, friends! It has probably been awhile since I have seen most of you, so here is a blog to get you caught up...
West Texas A&M University is FABULOUS! I cannot imagine myself going to school anywhere else. For those of you going, 'Where's West Texas A&M?', look it up on the web(wtamu.edu)-it's pretty much the best school ever. You should drop by sometime.
I made it through my first week of classes and even got an A on my first trigonometry quiz! I'm taking 15 hours this semester but feel like that's not enough. I'm sure once I'm bogged down with hours of homework to do in one night I'll say that it is plenty!
So far, I have stayed pretty involved with the BSM (Baptist Student Ministry) here on campus and with First Baptist Church in Canyon. I love having a brand new mission field and people to grow in Jesus with! Next weekend, I'm going with the BSM to the FOCUS Collegiate Conference in Arlington. I am SO excited about that! It is going to be AMAZING! Also, at the conference they will be announcing all the mission opportunities for this summer. I can't wait to see what God is going to show me. I have continuously been asking the Lord every day to use me and boy, when you give Him a request like that, He fulfills it more than once over!
Jesus has been...well...messing me up. Does that make any sense? =D I have been listening for His voice as to where He wants me to serve this summer. At the same time, He has been leading me to places I didn't think I would get to go. He has given me the opportunity to work in a Kid's Klub with underprivileged children at a trailer park here in Canyon through the BSM. He has made it possible for me to take an AMAZING tour of Europe next summer. And I feel that He is also leading me to serve somewhere during Christmas break this year. All the while, I'm sitting here like 'Okay, hold on God, let me just catch my breath for a second? You want me to do what?' Isn't that awesome? We ask for something and He gives it to us in ways we definitely didn't expect.
I got to see my mom the other day! We met halfway in the big city of Childress, TX and had lunch together. It was so refreshing to get to spill my guts to her. =D I hadn't got to do that in awhile.
I wish I could be telling you all this sitting across the table from you drinking some peach tea. Please just be in prayer for me that I will be in tune to what the Lord would have me to do with the mission opportunities He has given me. I want to follow Him wherever He says to go.
Well, I love you guys and hope you are all doing good!
-Angela