The Drum

F a m ily

April 2016

atrophy
OriginfromGreek,lackoffood,fromawithout+trophfood.
verb
1.(ofbody ssueoranorgan)wasteaway,especiallyasaresultofthedegenera onofcells,orinjury"thecalfmuscleswillatrophy"

synonyms:wasteaway,waste,becomeemaciated,wither,shrivel,shrivelup,shrink,becomeshrunken,dryup,decay,wilt;

2.gradualdeclineineec venessorvigorduetounderuseorneglect.

Synonyms:peterout,tapero,tailo,dwindle,deteriorate,decline,wane,fade,fadeaway,fadeout,givein,giveup,give
way,crumble,disintegrate,collapse,slump,godownhill,drawtoaclose,subside

noun
theprocessofatrophyingorstateofhavingatrophied.

synonyms:was ng,was ngaway,emacia on,withering,shriveling,shrivelingup,shrinking,drying

up,wil ng,decaying,decay;

Irememberbacktoseveralyearsago.IrememberthefearthatIhadwhenmylegwasnotresponding.Ihadalongtroublingback
issuethatbecameamajorproblemwhenIsneezed.Okaynojokeshereitstrue,asneezecausedmetoruptureadiscinmyback
andsentmeintoseverepain.Itwasapainlikenoother,likerewassearingmywholebody.Intheemergencyroom,theygaveme
themaximumamountofmorphinetheycouldgiveme,andIcon nuedtofeellikeIwasonre.Theproblemwasanervethathad
beencompromisedintheinjury.WhenIwasseenbymydoctorandreferredforsurgery,mylegwasalreadynotresponding.Thesig
nalstothenerveinmyleghadbeenblockedandIcouldnotmakemycalfrespond.Ihadsurgeryacoupleofweekslatertodealwith
thedisc,butthedamagewasalreadydonetomycalf.Insuchashortperiodof me,themusclehadbeguntoatrophylackofuseand
lackofnervesignalshadalreadycausedittobegintheprocessofdecline,ofshu ngdownandgivingup.
Ittook me,manymonths,butoncemybackwasrepairedandIbegantoworkonusingthelegagain,Islowlyregainedwhatwaslost.
IwasremindedofthisscenariorecentlywhenIheardaSpanishpastordiscussingatrophywithregardtoourfaith.Ifwedontuseour
faith,ittoo,beginstoatrophy.Itbeginstoshrivelandfadeaway.Notunlikemycalfmuscle,whenwearenotmaintainingacommuni
ca onwithTheSource,ourfaithcandryupandweloseourabilitytofunc onasapartoftheBody.
Con nued on page 2 . . .

...Atrophy
Romans12:46Eachoneofushasonebody,andthatbodyhasmanyparts.Thesepartsdontalldothesamething.Inthesameway,we
aremanypeople,butinChristweareallonebody.Wearethepartsofthatbody,andeachpartbelongstoalltheothers.Weallhave
dierentgi s.Eachgi camebecauseofthegraceGodgaveus.
WewerestudyingthispassageandtheideathatPaulisusingthedoublemeaningofbodyandpartsobviouslyusingtheideaofourphysi
calbodiesandbodyparts,butreferringtotheBodyofbelieversandourcommunityoffaith(theChurch).Thepointwasmadebyour
friend,Oscar,Abodypartonlytrulylivesandexistswhenitisapartofthewhole.Whenamputatedorcuto,itceasestotrulylive.
Whenahandisamputated,itcannotexistonitsown.ThesameistrueoftheBodyoftheChurch.Weareonlytrulywholewhenwearea
partoftheCommunity.However,whenwearecutoorwhenweisolateourselves,weslowlyatrophyandwitheraway.
Ithinkthisisalsotrueofpeoplenotusingtheirgi sandtalentsinservice.Whenourgi sarenotusedandourtalentsarenotbeing
placedintoservice,weslowlybegintoshutdown,toloseinterest,tofadeaway,andtobeunfrui ul.
John15:48Jesussaid,Iamthetruevine,andmyFatheristhegardener.Hecutsoeverybranchofminethatdoesnotproducefruit.He
alsotrimseverybranchthatproducesfruittoprepareittoproduceevenmore.Youhavealreadybeenpreparedtoproducemorefruitby
theteachingIhavegivenyou.StayjoinedtomeandIwillstayjoinedtoyou.Nobranchcanproducefruitalone.Itmuststayconnectedto
thevine.Itisthesamewithyou.Youcannotproducefruitalone.Youmuststayjoinedtome.Iamthevine,andyouarethebranches.If
youstayjoinedtome,andItoyou,youwillproduceplentyoffruit.Butseparatedfrommeyouwontbeabletodoanything.Ifyoudont
stayjoinedtome,youwillbelikeabranchthathasbeenthrownoutandhasdriedup.Allthedeadbrancheslikethataregatheredup,
thrownintothereandburned.Stayjoinedtogetherwithme,andfollowmyteachings.Ifyoudothis,youcanaskforanythingyouwant,
anditwillbegiventoyou.Showthatyouaremyfollowersbyproducingmuchfruit.ThiswillbringhonortomyFather.
Severalyearsago,Icouldnothaveimaginedbeingabletospend5yearswalkingtheAndesmountainpathswithQuechuawomenandchil
dreninPeru,ormakingthe791kilometerpilgrimageontheCaminodeSan agoasamissionarytootherpilgrims.Honestly,justgoing
upstairstomybedroomwasahugefeat.ButGodhasbeenfaithfulandmercifultomeandallowedmemoreopportuni estobearfruitin
Hisname.WhenIbegintoallowmyselftobetoobusyandIslowlyfeelmyselffallingtothewayside,notstayingfullyfocusedandcon
nectedtoHimtoTheVineIalsobegintolosemyabilitytoproduceanyfruit.Nobranchcanproducefruitalone.WhenIbeginto
feelthosemomentsofatrophyinmylife,Iremembermyleg.Irememberhowmycalfwascutofrommybrain,andhowquicklyIlost
myabilitytofunc on.ThesameistruewithmyspirituallifeandmyusefulnesstothecommunityofbelieversandtotheKingdomas
soonasIamnotjoinedwithChrist,IloseanyusefulnessIhaveforHim.
Iam,bynomeans,theperfectChris an.Ha!Iconstantlystrugglewithstayingfocused.Icon nuallyfall
intomydefaultmode,allowingmyscheduleandmytodolistrunmylife.Itisadailyba letoremember
whatismostimportantandtonotpermittheclamorofbusynesstooverrunmypriori es.Manydays,
whatseemsfrui ulisreallyjustachievementandaccomplishmentandsuccessatdomina ngthemean
inglessitemsonmylistbut,whenImhonest,noneofitwastrulyfruitbearingfortheKingdom.
Daily,Ihavetoreectandremembertofocus,tostayconnectedtowhattrulyma ers.BecauseIremem
berhowscaryitwastobecomedisconnectedandbegintolosefeeling,toloseability,tolosehope.
Stayconnected.Stayac veinservice.Stayfrui ul.Dontatrophyandslowlyfadeaway.Stayconnected
toTheBodyandtoacommunityofotherswhoareservingandlearningandgrowinginHim.
Prayer Requests -

Pray for the global regions of Europe, the Middle East, and the Balkans we work as Care Coordinators for workers in these regions. This month has seen heightened security concerns for our areas. This month also began many changes to how the refugee situation will proceed in Europe. There is much tension on many fronts political, humanitarian, terrorism, etc.

Pray for Spain. Prayers for God to raise up workers who are willing to come to the areas of Spain where there is little to no witness.
The large cities have a disproportionate amount of Christian workers and resources, while the small towns and regions have virtually no
one and nothing. Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, and Malaga continue to be the areas that agencies send workers, while virtually no one is
sending workers to the villages and pueblos. Spanish pastors in the outlying areas are struggling to carry the load alone and are subject
to burnout and exhaustion. We know of 3 ministries that have closed their doors in the past two months, one who has had a major crisis
and church split, and others who are overworked and underfunded / understaffed and frustrated. Pray for workers to come alongside
local pastors in ways that will lift them up, ways that will lighten the burden, and ways that will glorify God.

Pray for Relationships: We have been overwhelmed with the sad truth that several mission families we serve with are in various
forms of crisis. Christian workers are NOT immune to hardship and struggle. Over the past few months, we have been witness to marriage struggles, depression, serious illness, grief and loss, looming financial crisis, and crisis of faith - all among our friends and peers.
This takes its toll on us as friends / workers / counselors, as well as on friendships, marriages, and families. Please pray for healing
and reconciliation for all.

What do they do???

We serve in several roles in ministry, and each of those holds

a variety of ways that we work and serve others. Our roles as
Care Coordinators for Europe and the Middle East /
Balkans and as local Cross-Cultural Workers to Spain include coaching and counseling, teaching and mentoring, leading
and equippingand a LOT of loving others! This column will be dedicated to sharing parts of that work with you each month.

One of the ways we minister in Spain is via church plan ng and leadership. Eachmonth,weaskyoutoprayforSpainandforGodto
callpeopletocomeandhelpserveinthesmalltowns,villagesandpueblos.WeprayforGodtoraiseupworkerswhoarewillingtocometothe
areasofSpainwherethereisli letonowitness.Thereare7000+townswithnoevangelicalorprotestantcongrega on.MuchoftheSpanishpop
ula onthatwasborna er1975isunchurchedandhasnoalia onwithanyreligionorcongrega on,Catholicorprotestant.Thesmallamountof
growththattheSpanishprotestantchurchhasexperiencedhasbeenmostlyduetotheinuxofimmigrants.
Thelargeci eshaveadispropor onateamountofChris anworkersandresources,whilethesmalltownsandregionshavevirtuallynooneand
nothing.Madrid,Barcelona,Sevilla,andMalagacon nuetobetheareasthatmissionagenciessendworkers,whilevirtuallynooneissending
workerstothevillagesandpueblos.Spanishpastorsintheoutlyingareasarestrugglingtocarrytheloadaloneandaresubjecttoburnoutand
exhaus on.Weknowof3ministriesthathaveclosedtheirdoorsinthepasttwomonths,onewhohashadamajorcrisisandchurchsplit,and
otherswhoareoverworkedandunderfunded/under
Brazos County
Grimes County
Comarca natural

staedandfrustrated.
(county)de Antequera

Population

200,665
586

26,783
794

64,692
443

OneofthewaysthatweministerinSpainisvialead
ershipandchurchplan ng.Weservealocalcongre
ga oninasmalltown.Ourchurch,CentroCris ano,
hasacongrega onofapproximately130members.
Registered evangelical /
131
39
10
protestant congregations
ButallofthosemembersarenotfromAntequera(the
town).Ourchurchhasanoutreachradiusof32miles
whichencompasses15communi es.Wehaveac ve
housechurchesandcellgroupsfaroutsideofourcitylimitswhichwevisitwithandserveeachweek.Everyweekday,theworkisdividedamong
thepastorandtwomissionarycouplesandwesetoutindierentdirec onstoteach,disciple,andpastorcellgroups.Somegroupsonlyhavetwo
tothreepeople,andsomehaveupto12.Somemeetintheday mehours,andsomeintheevenings.
Land area Square miles

Otherways:WeleadanadultstudygroupandayouthSundaySchoolgroup,aswellasbeingtheSundaySchoolDirectors.Billyservesonthe
boardofthechurchaliatedNGOandwebothworkwiththenonprotinvariousways.Theother
missioncoupleleadstheyouthgroup,guidesawomensworkshop,andworkswiththeNGOinthefood
pantryandotheroutreach.
WealsoserveonthePastorsLeadershipTeam,helpingtodeterminestrategiesandmethodsformore
eec veworkandhelpingtoalleviatetheburdenthatthepastorcarries.Maybemostimportantly,we
aregoodlistenersandfriendswhosupportthepastorandeachother.
Prayforworkerstocomealongsidelocalpastorsinwaysthatwillli themup,waysthatwilllightenthe
burden,andwaysthatwillglorifyGod.

BillyandLaurie(Texas),DelilahandAxel
(PuertoRico)partoftheleadership
teamforCentroCristianoAntequera.

PastorsLeadershipTeam

NON-PROFIT
ORG
US POSTAGE
PAID
BRYAN TX
PERMIT #102

The Mission Society

Laurie & Billy Drum
3907 Old Oaks
Bryan,

Texas 77802

USA

E-mail: billy@drumsforchrist.org
laurie@drumsforchrist.org

Sharing the Love of Christ with the least, the lost, and the left out immigrants, displaced peoples, the
lonely, the abandoned, those who need a friend.

Nurturing and developing people to be healthy spiritually, physically, emotionally, and relationally - because
care is not just an emotional feeling word, care is a verb - an action. Thats who we are the care-givers!

Oh Happy Day!!!
Adventures with
the Antequera
Gospel Choir
Billy sings in a gospel choir in Spain! Our town
has a municipal music school and offers this choir
as a class and performance group. This has proven
to be a fun activity for Billy (he misses the days of
singing with his buddies in the choir in Navasota).
It has also proven to be a great opportunity to
share about Christ. The choir sings gospel songs in English. The choir is made up of Spaniards. So, as a
native English speaker, Billy helps teach pronunciation, as well as translating the lyrics so everyone can
understand what they are singing. On many occasions, the gospel message has been heard and received in
choir as a new word to listening ears! Most of the choir members are not believers or are unchurched.
Some are Catholic by birth, but do not associate with any congregation. This has been a fun way to build
relationships within the community and to share his faith in a natural and non-threatening way.