Ministry Highlight Interview: Silas & Amanda Cheek

Tell me a little bit about your family and your life right now. 


            After school, we moved to Bend, OR, and have been there for seven years. God used these years to grow us in our marriage and to grow our family. Emma, who will turn six this spring, has a tender heart for others and loves to have fun. Issac and Isabella just turned three this February and, while they are opposite in every way, they both love doing puzzles and coloring all day long. We’ve been plugged into an amazing church here too called Eastmont, where we’re serving with the high school youth group and helping the worship team.



How did you two meet?


            While pursuing my dream of being a missionary pilot, I (Silas) began flight training, which ultimately lead to becoming an aircraft mechanic. I met Amanda in the process as I attended the church where her dad pastors in Tucson, AZ. I quickly realized her call and heart for missions. After being married, we attended Frontier School of the Bible to start our life together and to prepare for life in missions.



How did you first know you were called to ministry (individually and/or as a couple)?


            Amanda and I both grew up in full-time ministry families. Amanda’s parents have been working in ministry for 30+ years. My parents have been with UIM International for over 30 years. We both accepted the gift of salvation at the age of 5. With so many faithful individuals guiding us at every stage in our lives, we both felt called at a young age to be in full-time ministry. We never wanted to lose sight of this calling, and that’s why last year, we prayerfully applied to UIM.



How did God lead you to pursue UIM Aviation?


            Again pursuing God’s call on our hearts towards missions, the opportunity to join with UIM Aviation in Tucson, Arizona was open to us. We have always had a heart for this ministry and organization. We love the people in it and are excited to work alongside them.



What kind of process did you have to go through to become UIM appointees?


            Like with all mission organizations, we went through a thorough application process. We had references, outlined doctrinal statements, and an interview. We had the opportunity to go to their headquarters in Glendale, AZ for orientation where they officially made us appointees.



What type of ministry will you be doing?


            UIM International exists to share the Gospel with indigenous people groups across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Across Mexico many native people groups are in need of medical attention, essential goods, disaster relief aid, and, most importantly the hope of the gospel message. What takes several hours, even days, to travel rugged mountain roads, trails and unforgiving terrain takes only minutes in an airplane. God is working in the hearts of these wonderful people and is accomplishing the work through indigenous Church leaders, missionaries, missionary pilots, technicians and aircraft. Currently, there is a high need for aircraft technicians as there is more work than what personnel can easily manage.


            Silas will be onboard as an aircraft maintenance technician with the opportunity to continue flight training. Amanda will be onboard to assist with any non-aircraft work such as office administration, event coordination, and fund raising, in addition to being an amazing mom of three.



Is there a specific location where you hope to serve?


            We will be serving in Tucson, Arizona with extension to Mexico.



What is the projected timeline for your ministry?


            Our family needs to be 100% financially supported before being field missionaries with UIM. We are praying for a quick, yet lasting, financial partnership development so we can be available for the future God has for us on the field as soon as possible.



How are you serving the Lord right now as you wait to be sent to the mission field?


            During our time in Bend, the Lord placed us in an amazing local church where we have all enjoyed serving and growing spiritually as a family.



How can people support you as you begin your journey with UIM Aviation?


            Pray – Our dependence on the Father through prayer is key to any ministry. We are asking committed family and friends to be on our prayer team to consistently GO for us in prayer. Your vital role will be the life blood of this ministry, helping it thrive and be fruitful to the glory of our Lord.


            Give – Again, we need to be 100% financially supported before we are able to begin our journey as field missionaries with UIM. You can give by mailing a check payable to UIM International designated for Silas and Amanda Cheek to P.O. Box 6429, Glendale, AZ 85312-6429. For those who would rather give online, you can go to uim.org/donate. You will receive our newsletter and updates. Any amount helps! Thank you in advance for your generosity and service!

Thanks for reading!  And a huge thank you to all of you who are prayerfully considering supporting this wonderful couple!  

Don't forget to find We Are Seen on social media or sign up for e-mail updates!

(I promise not to spam you ☺)

Ministry Highlight Interview: Miguel & Jenny Bejarano

Tell me a little bit about your family and your life in Nashville in general.

We got married in the US in 2012, took a year to establish ourselves here, and started a church in July 2013 while we were living with Jenny’s parents and looking for a house!  God gave us our house in September 2013, our first son Nata (4) in July 2014, and our baby Benjamin (3) in March 2016.  Most of Jenny’s family lives near us and are very involved in our children’s lives.  Miguel’s entire family lives in Argentina.  No one has ever been able to come visit us.  We are hoping to take a family trip to South America in 2020.

How did you two meet?

We met at Word of Life Bible Institute in Argentina. Miguel had finished studying and stayed on staff an additional year.  That’s when I (Jenny) was finishing my studies, and God brought us together.  We had a beautiful relationship, and God showed us very quickly that marriage was His plan for us.  There were many small miracles that God did to affirm our relationship, and we are so thankful for the peace we had the entire time leading up to our marriage.  We spent half of the year countries apart and half together serving in Miguel’s local church in La Plata Argentina until his fiancé visa was approved.

How did you first know you were called to ministry?

Miguel - Before I received Christ, I was a mess.  I left my home when I was 21 with plans to commit suicide.  One day, my cousin tricked me into going to a church service.  The preacher was doing a missions call that day.  They were looking for a missionary to go serve in another province.  The position had a home and food provided; they just needed someone to go.  That night (before I was even a Christian), I stood up and said I would go! The church sent me to summer camp, and when I finally gave my life to Christ, I told him that if he was willing to change me, I would dedicate my life to sharing the gospel wherever he sends me.

Jenny- I grew up in church and my parents had missionaries stay with us every year.  The missions conference was the most exciting annual event at our church.  In college I lost my way, but my parents’ church begged me to go on a missions trip to Peru with them.  I was amazed to see all that this American missionary family had given up to serve in a village ministry without any of our everyday comforts.  I was so impacted, I decided to go to the mission field after college and ended up in Paraguay.  From there, I attended Word of Life in Argentina, and the rest is history.

When did you plant Iglesia el Faro, and how did God lead you to do that?

While we were dating, we were serving in a church planting ministry in Argentina. When we decided to get married and spend a season in Nashville with Jenny’s family, a local pastor started sharing about the great need among the international community and how God has strategically brought many nations together here in the Bible belt to form disciples to go back and win their countries for Christ.  We prayed for several months, and God showed us He would be extending our time in the US to serve the Hispanic community here.  In 2013 we had the blessing of doing a Church Planter Assessment Program with the Berean Fellowship of Churches where God affirmed the calling to start El Faro.

When are the services for Iglesia el Faro?

●        Sunday School – 9:00 AM

●        Sunday Worship – 10:15 AM

●        Sunday Night AWANA and Bible Study – 5:30 PM

●         Prayer Meeting – Wednesdays, 6:30PM

●       Monthly Couples Nights – Fridays

What would you like people to know about ministry within the Spanish speaking community?

There are about 20 countries that make up the Spanish community and a lot of diversity between each country.  Imagine planning a corporate meal when everyone wants their own country’s food to be represented!  It’s a delicious organization mess!  While there are a variety of different motives and situations that bring them to the US, we know that God wants us to treat them with compassion by loving on them and teaching God’s Word no matter what their legal status is.  Ministering to Hispanic immigrants in the US is completely different from ministering to them in Hispanic countries.  The process of establishing their families in a new country brings on extra social and financial burdens.  While those burdens can limit their time, as they must work as much as possible to make it, they also open many doors for community service ministries to reach new people for Christ.

What would you like people to know about church planting?

Church planting can sometimes get lonely, but it is very rewarding.  While we miss the security of serving with mature believers, it’s the hunger for new disciples and transformed hearts that keeps us motivated!  We cling to Paul’s writings in 2 Corinthians 3 –

“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.  You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Cor. 3:2, 3).

          Most church planters start out operating as missionary evangelists and transition towards a senior pastor role as the ministry grows.  We have learned to be flexible and give grace as we work with new Christians who don't have 20 years worth of church life teaching them how to act and serve.

Can you tell me about some of the fruit you have seen as a result of this ministry?

2019 has started off great with our first 2nd generation converts.  One young man from Guatemala received Christ in winter 2017, was baptized in the spring of 2018, finished his first book of discipleship in the fall of 2018, and (after several months of prayer and invites) has brought about 7 relatives and coworkers to visit El Faro, 2 of which he has already led to Christ in January and February of 2019.  He is one example of the fruit of our focus on disciple making over program hosting.  The discipleship program we use is called New Life in Christ.

We have also seen fruit in our marriage ministry.  As a couple, we are not what our culture would consider compatible, but we both have the Holy Spirit in our life to guide us together.  We are very passionate about marriage ministry and offer free counseling as well as monthly group teachings about Biblical Marriage.  We have seen God restore many marriages through that ministry from adultery to selfishness and apathy.

What are some ways that Iglesia el Faro is involved in the community?

            Iglesia el Faro serves families in our community by volunteering at local food banks, by delivering good condition used furniture and house goods to needy families, and through personal evangelism.  People randomly call Jenny with used furniture and goods, and we always have a family we are ministering to who needs them.

What types of ministries does Iglesia el Faro offer?

El Faro has a dynamic marriage ministry that hosts a monthly gathering to teach on Biblical marriage where we provide childcare, which makes it easy for families to attend.  We also offer marriage counseling.  By the grace of God, we have seen several couples restored after infidelity and other marital struggles through this ministry.  During the Sunday worship service, we have a children’s class called “Little Soldiers for Christ” where we teach the Bible chronologically and teach the children to memorize, give, study, and bring their Bibles.  We also have an open gym ministry 1 or 2 times per month and quarterly evangelistic events on Saturday nights.

What is your vision for the future of Iglesia el Faro?

The goal of any church planter is to see disciples raised up and sent out.  We hope to see God form deacons, elders, and missionaries to send out where He chooses.  We also want to be known in the community for compassion and truth.

How can people support your family and this ministry?

PRAY- Please pray for us as church planters, for our family, for our studies, and for our spiritual growth.  Pray also for our church leadership team and for new workers to join our team (specifically for a youth minister and outreach director).  Help us recruit your church or small group to pray for us as well.  Send us an email (myjbejarano@gmail.com) to get added to the list of people who receive our letters and stay up to date.

GO- We are always happy to receive visits.  We cannot put a price on the encouragement we have received from our ministry partners who have come to see and serve with us in Nashville!  If you are interested in visiting our ministry in Nashville as a family or group, just let us know.

GIVE- Our family’s monthly support goal is to raise $5,000.  Iglesia Biblica el Faro is able to provide about 20% of our needed support at this time, and we have external supporters for another 40%.  We would be thrilled for you to partner with us by making a monthly commitment or a donation.  You can set up a one time or recurring donation on the Iglesia el Faro website, www.iglesiaelfaronashville.com/ofrendar.  You can also send a tax deductible check to Iglesia Biblica el Faro and mail it to 3105 Goodwin Dr., Nashville, TN 37217.

We also have an Amazon Smile account set up for our Church General Fund-

https://smile.amazon.com/ch/46-3049074

Don't forget to find We Are Seen on social media or sign up for e-mail updates!

(I promise not to spam you ☺)

Ministry Highlight Interview: 2019 Peru Project

Can you please introduce yourself and a little about your role on the 2019 Peru Project team?

My name is Chad Johnson, and I’m the pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Lindon, UT.  I have worked at compiling a team of servants to join me in going to Tarapoto, Peru to be a blessing to the missionary family that planted a church there in Tarapoto – Delwin and Techy Fowler.  We desire to encourage them, to put on a pastor’s conference for local Peruvian pastors from surrounding villages (sometimes upwards of 50 miles away), and to do some work on a kids camp the Fowlers have been working to get established in Tarapoto.  My primary role will be serving as one of the teachers for the conference.

What are the dates of the trip? 

          The dates of our trip are February 22 – March 4.

What will the team be doing in Peru?

          Our team will be doing multiple different things. We will be putting on a pastor’s conference where 4 of us will rotate teaching sessions. Those attending the conference will be pastors and ministry leaders from the region of Tarapoto and its surrounding villages. Pastors and ministry leaders will travel as far as 50 miles, sometimes through the hard-to-travel jungles, to come to the conference. We are expecting anywhere from 100-150 leaders to attend.
          It’s a neat opportunity to minister to these leaders, as many of them have no biblical training. The surrounding villages have little pockets of churches where people come to know Jesus, and then just choose who is the oldest or most willing to be the pastor. Many of these leaders who come to the conference are hungry to learn more about the Bible and what it has to say about ministry. It’s a great opportunity to minister to them, encourage them, and further equip them in their role. This will be a 3-day conference, with 10 sessions. Our topic will be bibliology, and we plan on teaching sessions covering the following sub-topics:

• What is the evidence for the Bible?
• Where did the Bible come from?
• How do we defend the Bible?
• How are we to study the Bible?
• How do information and transformation go together?

          In addition to the conference, we plan on serving at the local church where the missionary pastor, Delwin, and his wife, Techy, attend. They planted the church and are the ones who like to organize these conferences for other ministry leaders whom they build relationships with. We will have the opportunity to preach, teach, and share our testimonies during their Sunday morning services and mid-week Bible studies and activities. In addition, we plan on doing a little bit of work on their kids camp that they are seeking to establish to use as a summer camp for kids to come to. We will also reserve one day for sight-seeing and exploring.

How many people are on the team?  

12

What people make up the team (walks of life, ages, home churches, etc)?  

New Hope Bible Church (church plant in Utah County that was launched about 5 years ago): There is one married couple (Rob & Denise Rogers) that is going and will be bringing their 3 teenage children. Pastor Chris Dodson will be going and will be part of our teaching rotation. David Denning will be going and will be part of our teaching rotation. Josh Hambrick will be going and serving with a bunch of odds and ends, including providing fantastic cooking abilities. He will also be sharing his testimony one evening.

Fellowship Bible Church (Lindon): I will be going and will be part of the teaching rotation. Marriner Merrill will be going as well. He will have the opportunity to share his testimony and serve as needed in helping organize the pastor’s conference.

Grace Bible Church (Springville): Chris Willett will be going and will be part of the teaching rotation.

Faith Community Church (Eagle Mountain): Luis Leyva will be joining us and serving as the translator since the speakers don’t speak Spanish. Luis has taken this trip and served in this way in the past.

Can you tell me a little bit about how the idea for this trip came about?

          Chris Dodson and I were praying about the possibility after the Fowler’s made a trip back to the States and shared in our church and gave an update on their ministry and their needs. They expressed how the pastor’s conferences are always a great way to train and equip local Peruvian pastors to better minister in their own ministry contexts. Both Chris and I had a passion from that day forward to see our churches join together to make a trip and serve in that way. Through much prayer, we decided to make it happen and reached out to a few other churches to find a few more to put together our team of 12.

What made you personally decide to go?

          Since becoming the pastor at Fellowship Bible Church, I have had a heart to see our church not just be locally minded, but globally minded. For us, it’s not just about what God wants to do at Fellowship Bible Church, but seeing how we can play a part in advancing the Gospel here and abroad. Another passion I have as a pastor is equipping Christians to do the work of ministry and training leaders. As we focus on that and make that a key part of our church philosophy of ministry, we love seeing Christians grow and serve in our local church context. Our goal is always to see how we might be able to send trained, mature Christians out from us to plant other churches, both here and abroad. As we focus on that, one of my favorite quotes I share often at Fellowship Bible Church is “We will always measure our ministry effectiveness more on our sending capacity than our seating capacity.” With that as a core value of our ministry, taking missions trips to serve outside of our own ministry context will always be seen as a healthy staple of who we are. Therefore, that’s why I’m going. I want to be a blessing to the local Peruvian pastors, to hopefully be able to equip them and encourage them in their ministry, and to keep before our own church family a mindset and vision of ministry that spreads beyond Fellowship Bible Church.

What are some of your goals for the trip?

• Exposure to the Peruvian culture
• Equipping the Peruvian pastors to better minister in their churches
• Encouraging the church planting pastor and his family in Tarapoto, Peru – Delwin and Techy Fowler
• Evangelizing in the Tarapoto, Peru region
• Evaluating future plans for the local church and kids camp

Do you have any specific prayer requests?

• Pray for those who are preparing lessons to teach at the pastor’s conference.
• Pray for our health, as going to a brand new culture can sometimes create issues.
• Pray for team unity – that our relationships would deepen and that we’d be unified.
• Pray for a growing enthusiasm in our churches for missions.
• Pray that this trip would help bring greater unity in our churches throughout our Valley.
• Pray for our financial needs.

How much of your financial goal has been met so far?

          Thus far, we have raised $1,848 of the $4,000 for the pastor’s conference.

Thermometer by ABC Fundraising® 

What will the support funds be used for?

          Support funds will be used to go toward the pastor’s conference. We want to be able to allow the pastors and ministry leaders to come free of charge to them. They already have so little and are making great sacrifices to make it to the conference. We want to be a blessing to them by providing the conference, resources, meals, etc., so that they can just come and focus on learning and growing spiritually. Because we expect to have 100-150 Pastors and leaders, we have set the estimated cost to pull off the conference at $4,000.


If you feel led to give to the 2019 Peru Project, click here! (If this link is not working, you can also find a donation link in the pinned post on their page)

Anything else you’d like the readers to know?

          We appreciate any and all prayers we can get! If we have a team of people from all over the world praying for us, for the Peruvian pastors, and for God to work powerfully, that would be a big-time encouragement to us. Anyone interested in following us on Facebook (we plan on updating that page during our trip) can use this link to go to the page and ‘like’ it: https://www.facebook.com/2019-Peru-Project-595767537539370/ If anyone feels led by God to give toward this Peru Project, we’d certainly be very grateful for any gifts that we receive.

Don't forget to find We Are Seen on social media or sign up for e-mail updates!

(I promise not to spam you ☺)