Supported Missionaries
Lisandro and Patty Restrepo, Oaxaca, Mexico,
September 2016
September 2016

Gary and Mary Lou Sander
Colombia
December 2015
Thank you so much for your faithfulness in lifting us up in prayer over the past year. We look back and see God at work around us and we see your strength and faithfulness in prayer for us. We want you to know how much you are loved and appreciated for partnering with us in this way. As we head into the Advent and Christmas and the New Year season we ask you to join us in the following:
1. Praise God for the good Spiritual Formation year-end celebrations that were held in all four of the regions that we work with in Colombia. We experienced some real personal time with different pastors, spouses, their children as well as with a representation of the youth ministry going on in each of the regions. This year, ALL of the pastors and their families were able to be present at these times of celebration and that made 2014 a memorable year. Everyone is looking forward to where God will take us together in 2015.
2. Pray for the special gatherings and year-end closing celebrations for the Hands with Hope ministry, December 2 and 12, and for the Antioquia Regional Conference pastors and leadership families, December 9.
3. Pray for the eleven-member Men's mission team from First Covenant of Sacramento, CA, who will be with us in Monteria, January 2-11, 2015. The time will begin with a South Coast Men's retreat, where more than 30 are expected to attend. This Men's retreat has been in the planning stage for three years and we are thrilled that this year it is going to happen! The team will also be putting a roof on the Family Restoration Church in Monteria. An added bonus to this men's team are the college age youth who will be a part of this year's team.
4. A special thank you to all who have supported us this year, especially in the special projects that we have been a part of - FRIENDS OF WORLD MISSION, "THE GIVING HOPE THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES CENTER, #217; the VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL "BIBLES IN THEIR HANDS, JESUS IN THEIR LIVES"; and the COVENANT CARES CATALOG - http://www.covchurch.org/covcares/. These projects have reached many lives in Jesus' name here in Colombia and we thank you for partnering with us.
Blessings,
Gary and Mary Lou Sander - Colombia
Gary and Mary Lou Sander SUPPORT THE SANDERS
Send support check to: Covenant World Mission, 8303 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago, IL 60631
Account #5090-1010-55-10 - GARY/MARY LOU SANDER
****Please note our new email addresses and kindly change your email address lists accordingly: gary.sander@covchurch.org marylou.sander@covchurch.org
Colombia
December 2015
Thank you so much for your faithfulness in lifting us up in prayer over the past year. We look back and see God at work around us and we see your strength and faithfulness in prayer for us. We want you to know how much you are loved and appreciated for partnering with us in this way. As we head into the Advent and Christmas and the New Year season we ask you to join us in the following:
1. Praise God for the good Spiritual Formation year-end celebrations that were held in all four of the regions that we work with in Colombia. We experienced some real personal time with different pastors, spouses, their children as well as with a representation of the youth ministry going on in each of the regions. This year, ALL of the pastors and their families were able to be present at these times of celebration and that made 2014 a memorable year. Everyone is looking forward to where God will take us together in 2015.
2. Pray for the special gatherings and year-end closing celebrations for the Hands with Hope ministry, December 2 and 12, and for the Antioquia Regional Conference pastors and leadership families, December 9.
3. Pray for the eleven-member Men's mission team from First Covenant of Sacramento, CA, who will be with us in Monteria, January 2-11, 2015. The time will begin with a South Coast Men's retreat, where more than 30 are expected to attend. This Men's retreat has been in the planning stage for three years and we are thrilled that this year it is going to happen! The team will also be putting a roof on the Family Restoration Church in Monteria. An added bonus to this men's team are the college age youth who will be a part of this year's team.
4. A special thank you to all who have supported us this year, especially in the special projects that we have been a part of - FRIENDS OF WORLD MISSION, "THE GIVING HOPE THROUGH OPPORTUNITIES CENTER, #217; the VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL "BIBLES IN THEIR HANDS, JESUS IN THEIR LIVES"; and the COVENANT CARES CATALOG - http://www.covchurch.org/covcares/. These projects have reached many lives in Jesus' name here in Colombia and we thank you for partnering with us.
Blessings,
Gary and Mary Lou Sander - Colombia
Gary and Mary Lou Sander SUPPORT THE SANDERS
Send support check to: Covenant World Mission, 8303 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago, IL 60631
Account #5090-1010-55-10 - GARY/MARY LOU SANDER
****Please note our new email addresses and kindly change your email address lists accordingly: gary.sander@covchurch.org marylou.sander@covchurch.org

Eric and Kristi Peterson
InterVarsity in Tennessee
InterVarsity in Tennessee

God, Merge and the Velascos
Ministry Update
Thank you for your prayers during our trip to the Dominican Republic! Oliver and Sebastian did great while we were gone. We were happy to be able to take Santiago with us and also Amanda's mom, who was one of the translators for the week. We worked with a group of about 60 people in the city of Santiago. They worked at 3 different sites- 2 schools and 1 church. Alex supervised all of the sites to make sure everything was running smoothly and Amanda worked with the group at the church. It was wonderful to see the ways God is working in the Dominican Republic and partner with our brothers and sisters in Christ there. The church is active in the community and the group was able to fix 7 different houses. The families cried tears of joy that problems such as leaky roofs and walls and dirt floors were fixed. The groups at the schools helped continue construction projects and taught English classes.
On the way down to the DR, Alex traveled to International Falls. He spoke to the church about missions and becoming a Merge ministry site. They will be receiving their first team this summer!!
After the Dominican Republic, Alex traveled to Guatemala. Since then, he has been keeping very busy training all of the summer staff via many Skype phone calls. This is going to be a very busy summer for Merge, and it is vital to have well prepared staff!
What’s Next
This past weekend, we were invited to talk about missions at First Covenant Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was great to be able to share about what healthy ministry partnerships look like and the opportunities available through Merge. We enjoyed meeting the members of the congregation, and felt so welcomed!
Become a Partner in Our Ministry
We need to increase our support and you can help us by talking to your church about the possibility of us coming out to visit, greet your church, and talk to potential financial ministry partners. We would like to visit as many churches as possible in the fall and would really appreciate your help in spreading the word! Please let us know if you would like us to visit your church so we can get it on our schedule. We would love to share with your church, friends, and/or family about what God is doing through our ministry.
Should you choose to give to our support fund, you can do so online here.
To donate by check, please make it out to Covenant World Mission and write Amanda and Alex Velasco on the memo line. It can be sent to: 8303 W Higgins Rd, Chicago, IL 60631.
Regardless of your ability to support our ministry financially, we would love to have your prayer support!
Blessings,
Alex, Amanda, Santiago, Oliver, and Sebastian Velasco
On the way down to the DR, Alex traveled to International Falls. He spoke to the church about missions and becoming a Merge ministry site. They will be receiving their first team this summer!!
After the Dominican Republic, Alex traveled to Guatemala. Since then, he has been keeping very busy training all of the summer staff via many Skype phone calls. This is going to be a very busy summer for Merge, and it is vital to have well prepared staff!
What’s Next
This past weekend, we were invited to talk about missions at First Covenant Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was great to be able to share about what healthy ministry partnerships look like and the opportunities available through Merge. We enjoyed meeting the members of the congregation, and felt so welcomed!
- May 18: Amanda will have a tonsillectomy. Prayers are appreciated!
- May 31-June 6: Alex will lead a team from our home church in Greeley, CO on a missions trip to Nicaragua.
- July 31-August 7: Amanda will lead a trip in Fairbanks, Alaska
Become a Partner in Our Ministry
We need to increase our support and you can help us by talking to your church about the possibility of us coming out to visit, greet your church, and talk to potential financial ministry partners. We would like to visit as many churches as possible in the fall and would really appreciate your help in spreading the word! Please let us know if you would like us to visit your church so we can get it on our schedule. We would love to share with your church, friends, and/or family about what God is doing through our ministry.
Should you choose to give to our support fund, you can do so online here.
To donate by check, please make it out to Covenant World Mission and write Amanda and Alex Velasco on the memo line. It can be sent to: 8303 W Higgins Rd, Chicago, IL 60631.
Regardless of your ability to support our ministry financially, we would love to have your prayer support!
Blessings,
Alex, Amanda, Santiago, Oliver, and Sebastian Velasco