Newsletter: August and September 2018

September 10, 2018September 10, 2018 by cornerstonechileanmission, posted in Informative, Mission Update

A newsletter that isn’t six months late? WHAT? Is there something wrong with me? Shh. Just enjoy it while it’s happening.

Before we go any further, we’d like to let you all know that, thanks to some generous donations from friends and family, we will be able to make our furlough trip this year. If you are a church that supports us, please check your email for a message from us. We’d like to visit you this furlough!

Ok, moving on . . .

Tabi

August and September have been pretty great months! The kids are transitioning into new, interesting stages. They’re learning so much, and I love seeing how they grow! As I have mentioned in previous letters/entries, we decided, as a family, to invest in year passes to our local zoo. It’s educational for Lydia, and great for a day trip. Lydia isn’t homeschooling yet, but I take every opportunity when we’re out to teach her something new.

There’s a section at the zoo that has to do with dinosaurs and archaeology. Lydia really likes to “discover” the dinosaur buried in the sand. We had quite a few really nice days, and it was good to get out of the house and let the kids play.

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I finished up the Discipleship class with Malli, and now we’re working on Basic Bible Doctrine and Hermeneutics. Honestly, it’s been a real blessing, because the way she applies the knowledge I give her is just amazing. I may have the book information, but she has the experience to apply it in ways that are wise. I teach, but I also learn.

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Women’s Fellowship

On September 8th, I participated in a Women’s Fellowship event. I preached one of the sermons for the day. I talked about attitudes that kill the spirit, and practical steps to address them. The sermon was called “Emotional Cancers”. It was a good day, and I made a lot of connections.

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Whenever we’re home all day, I keep up with websites and blogs. At the moment, I manage a website, five blogs (and do occasional write-ins at another), the Facebook and Twitter pages for each of those blogs, and I write the newsletters. It takes a lot of time, but I enjoy doing what I do. See the bottom of this newsletter for links, if you’re interested in knowing what websites and blogs these are.

Mike

Mike has been teaching two short classes at two churches– Montijo (teaching Hermenutics) and Pudahuel (teaching Basic Bible Doctrine). The Institute is currently on break, and will resume classes when we return from furlough.

He has also continued participating in meetings for ministers. They formed the first group several years ago, seeking to encourage unity, spiritual growth, and mutual encouragement. They’ve had their ups and downs, but have continued to meet regularly to study the Word and encourage each other.

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Church/Bible Study

The church has been doing well. Most of the member attend faithfully every Sunday. The Wednesday night Bible study has begun streaming video, so that members who can’t make it then, can still listen in from their homes. It includes a chat room where they can add comments if they have any.

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Events
Minister’s Retreat

We attended a retreat for ministers and their wives. There were services, workshops, a day trip to see the surrounding area, and a concert in the evening. Overall, a nice experience.

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And that’s what we were up to in August! Thanks for reading this, and we hope to see you soon. Many blessings!

Mike and Tabi Boyce

Cornerstone Chilean Mission Website, Blog, Facebook
Preguntas Teológicas Website, Facebook, Twitter
El Discípulo Cristiano Website, Facebook
Dosis de Doctrina Website, Facebook
Tabicat Blog Website, Facebook

Newsletter: July 2018

August 16, 2018 by cornerstonechileanmission, posted in Informative, Mission Update

It’s nice to read about exciting things happening, and big events. Most of life, however, is made up of the small moments strung together, of the daily toils adding up to a life that reflects Him. It is the many links that form a strong chain. We have had some exciting events in the last few months, but we have also had many days where we continue chipping away at our missions.

Mike does a lot of work preparing courses, classes, sermons, and devotionals. He also teaches and preaches, as well as recording a podcast. Tabi continues to translate and tend to the various websites associated with the mission. She has recently also begun having a Bible study with a friend, and has participated more actively in the women’s ministry at Iglesia de Cristo Maipo.

The Institute

The Institute had a good start, but has met with challenges. We expected these challenges to come, so we have several plans of action to implement in response to the difficulties. Class participation tends to drop off toward the end of each semester, so we are working on ways to keep the students motivated. Although many of them say that they value the emphasis on theology and Bible, they have a hard time setting aside the time to attend the classes and do their homework.

We ask that you keep this ministry in your prayers. It was started a little earlier than anticipated because the local ministers asked for it. And although they have been supportive of it, they cannot obligate their members to attend. So the challenge now is to promote the institute, and to encourage students to attend faithfully, in order to gain the greatest amount of profit from it. We are also looking for more teachers.

Iglesia de Cristo Maipo

Not long ago, we collaborated with some Chilean friends to start a church in our neighborhood. Jaime and Malli Escobar are a couple with a heart for the Lord and His work. In the time we have known them (about 6 years), we have seen them plan yearly retreats focused on families, do marital ministry, start a Bible study for non-Christians (they called it Come and See), and now start a church. We have had the privilege of participating with them in most of these activities, usually with Mike as a teacher.

Starting this church has gone surprisingly well. It already has a youth group, women’s group, prayer group, and Bible study group, in addition to the Sunday morning services. It is facing challenges, of course, but we are grateful and happy with its progress so far.

On Sunday the 22^nd of July, we had a special service. Two members, Joana and Nico (mother and son), had asked to be baptized. Joana got baptized first, and then baptized her son. Later, they joined us in taking the Lord’s Supper.

The women of the church have started a series on prayer, and stay in touch through Whatsapp, encouraging each other to pray every day.

Maipo, by the way, is the name of the province where this church is located (a little like a county in the US).

Life Between Ministries

When we’re not working on our ministries (institute, church, websites, translation), we spend time with our family and our friends. It’s important not to get lost in the work, and neglect our relationships.

We thank you for your prayers and support, and pray that God blesses you as richly as He has blessed us.

Supporting Your Missionaries: Investing in the Kingdom

July 5, 2018 by cornerstonechileanmission, posted in Informative, Mission Update

Dear friends, family, and supporters,

We are always grateful to have the privilege to work overseas, in Chile. Our years here have been abundantly blessed, as we strive to be a blessing to those around us.

We try to gear our work to our strengths, which is why Mike has focused on teaching, and Tabi has focused on translation and website upkeep. These ministries don’t occur in a vacuum, so between the work and the long hours writing and preparing, we also make sure to extend and maintain the bonds of friendship.

We also do our best to stay connected to you, our supporters, and to keep you informed of our ministries and our day-to-day life through newsletters, Facebook updates, and blog updates.

We have, for the 9 years we’ve been here, returned to the United States every 2 years, in order to reconnect with our supporters and supporting churches and give detailed updates in person. These furloughs are good times for us, and have been even better as our family grows.

We strive to be honest and transparent about our life and ministry here. We want our supporters to always feel confident in their decision to choose us as their missionaries. We know that times are hard and money isn’t easy to come by. We want you to know that you have made a solid investment in the Kingdom by investing in us. We also recognize the sacrifices so many of you make for us other missionaries and your generosity.

So, in an effort to be transparent, we have written this letter to let you know that our plans this year have hit a snag– due to our funding steadily declining over the last few years, we do not have sufficient funds to do our furlough this year. Unless our funding goes up, or we receive a special offering, we will be unable to make the trip up with all our family.

We want you to know that we are committed to staying in Chile, and have no intention of letting hardships get in our way. We believe in our mission here, in the value of teaching and training leaders, and of providing accessible materials for the Body of Christ. We have a calling, and we will heed it.

We also want you to know that we will still be trying to get at least one of us up to do the furlough, but we would like our whole family to go, if possible.

We would like to be able to share our successes and joys, our sorrows and yes, even the times we feel we dropped the ball. We want you to be able to share in our ministry, as you have these last 9 years.

Thank you for giving us the time to read this letter. Thank you, as well, for being our supporters through these years.

If you would like to donate to our mission online, please click on the button to donate.

May the Lord bless you all, and fill your lives with His joy and peace. “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Blessings,
Mike and Tabi Boyce

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Can You Hear Me Now?

June 28, 2018June 28, 2018 by cornerstonechileanmission, posted in Family Life, Mission Update

Just a brief update for now:

Recently, Mike has been collaborating with Habacuc Díaz to record a podcast. The topic is the Bible– how did we end up with the books we have, who are the authors, what are the sections of the Bible?

They are currently unpublished because they’re still in the recording phase, building a buffer. They should be available in a while, though. We will post a link to them when they are available. Until then, we appreciate prayers for this project.

All other missions march on normally. Classes continue, blogs are updated, Bible studies, and sermons. The kids have been battling colds, but are otherwise healthy. We thank you for your support and keeping up with us.

Blessings!

Online Giving

June 4, 2018June 3, 2018 by cornerstonechileanmission, posted in Informative, Mission Update

We live in an age that is increasingly digital. As more things move to digital formats, we have striven to stay abreast of the changes. We have been asked, many times, if we have a way to donate to our mission online. Until now, we did not.

But.

Now we do!

It should now be easier than ever to send donations to our mission. Follow the link on the “Support Our Mission” page, You’ll find it both on our blog and on our website.

Hit the Ground Running

May 21, 2018May 28, 2018 by cornerstonechileanmission, posted in Mission Update

After our return from the US, we hit the ground running, in terms of ministry. For this blog, we’d like to share with you a little of what’s going on through a video. If you can’t see the video, there’s a brief summary below it. We recommend seeing the video, though, because it includes details not present in the bullet points.

This place is called “Quebrada de Macul”.

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Mike’s dad passed away and we took a two-week trip to the USA.
Our average week is as follows:
- Sunday– church (Mike preaches two weeks, rests two weeks)
- Monday– Second year students of the Institute have classes
- Tuesday– First year students have two of their four classes
- Wednesday– Bible study in our neighborhood
- Thursday– First year students have two of their four classes
- Friday– Bible study every other week
- Saturdays– our day to rest
Mike is part of a group of ministers that focuses on encouragement, edification, and unity.
Mike does occasional guests preaching at other churches, or speaks at events.
The church we attended for 8 years was unable to continue and closed its doors.
BUT a new church has started up in our neighborhood. This church, so far, is doing well. We ask for continued prayers for it.
Tabi tends to the digital side of our mission. She also leads songs sometimes at the new church.

And for those of you who would like to watch the video with further updates, please click on the following link to view the video. What changes are coming up in our ministry?

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We ask for continued prayers for the Institute and the new church, as well as Tabi’s blogs. We thank you for your support and pray God’s blessings for you always.

In Him,
Mike and Tabi Boyce

Dolled Up and Dapper

February 20, 2018May 28, 2018 by cornerstonechileanmission, posted in Family Life, Mission Update, Uncategorized

An Update on the Boyces

Written by:
Tabi

I was noticing that, unless you follow either of us on Facebook, you have heard virtually nothing from us since October! It’s time to correct that. So, hold onto your hats, because we’re going for a fun ride!

October

Engagement
Some friends of ours asked me to take some engagement pictures of them. I gladly obliged!

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Noche de Luz (or Night of Light)
Lydia participated in a church event called Night of Light as an alternative to Halloween. She went as Rey from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Caleb went as Tigger.

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Reformation Day 2017
Starting back in August, I began posting the 95 Theses that Martin Luther nailed to the door. I posted the last one on October 31st. I made pictures out of them, so that they were visually engaging. You can see the full series here.

The Institute
The institute was in full swing, with regular students and four teachers. Every Tuesday and Thursday night. Please visit the Facebook page to see more about it!

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Interpreter
I was invited to be an interpreter for a guest preacher at ICM.

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November

Fourteen Lessons on Grace
I finished translating a series I’ve been working on for a while now: Dr. Cottrell’s Fourteen Lessons on Grace. If you are a Spanish-speaker, or know someone who is and want to recommend it, you can find the whole series here.

The Institute and Work
Classes continued. Students attended pretty faithfully. Mike also worked at his office three days a week, busy writing courses, contacting churches, and filming promotional materials for the Institute. You can see the videos he and Habacuc Díaz have made together on the Institute’s YouTube Channel. Check it out!

The Zoo
Mike and I purchased year passes to the zoo, so that we can take our kids regularly. It has been a great and educational experience for Lydia. While Mike works at his office, my main work is to be a mother. You can see more about how my day goes here. Some days, I take the kids to the zoo. Mike has gone a few times, too, when the Institute is on summer break. Here are some pictures I’ve taken at the zoo, the days that we do go.

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December

Leadership Retreat
Mike went on another retreat with just a few other men, to give them classes about Bible and leadership. They spent a couple of days at the beach in study, prayer, and fellowship.

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Preaching
Mike is invited to preach fairly often. I’m listing it in December, but here’s a compilation of the various churches Mike has preached at.

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Christmas
We spent Christmas Eve with our church group. Lydia tried out her Christmas presents and made cookies.

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January

New Church in Lomas de Mirasur
Together with our neighbors and friends, Jaime and Malli, we began a work in our neighborhood. At this point, the start-up church is meeting on Wednesdays. We ask that you pray that this work be to the honor and glory of God.

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Wedding
Our friends, Todd and Dany, got married! Congratulations to them! Incidentally, Dany is my future partner in the project of opening up the café. I hope to write an update about her in the future, so you can get to know her a little more.

Family Retreat Las Peñas
Each year, Jaime and Malli organize a retreat at a retreat center up in the skirts of the Andes. It’s a time to rest, fellowship, and spend time with family and friends. Each year, Mike preaches one of the sermons. This year, I did a workshop on rock painting. People loved it! I hope to do this again. Each year there is also a clown troupe that does a show for the kids. It’s wonderful, because they teach a Bible lesson in a fun and active way.

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And that brings us to:
February

With school on summer break, and everything in Santiago basically grinding to a halt because of vacation time, we’ve also taken a little time off. Mike still goes to his office to work, but only twice a week. And we took a couple of days to go to the beach. Mike still managed to squeeze in an opportunity to teach at a camp for a day, but we’ve taken things at a slower pace, besides that. Everything is scheduled to speed back up in March.

We ask for prayers for all of Mike’s ministries, and that I will be able to continue to find time to translate, since my blog traffic is holding steady. We thank God for your ongoing support, and for all of you who have checked up on us regularly. Thank-you, and may the Lord bless you!

In Him,

Mike and Tabi Boyce
(also Lydia and Caleb)

*Note: Original photos for the “Dressed and Dapper” photo, and the one where we’re dancing were taken by Donoso Carlhos.

* Note: Original photos at the end of the blog were taken by Abraham Alarcón.

Newsletter Delays

January 23, 2018May 28, 2018 by cornerstonechileanmission, posted in Mission Update

IMG_20171229_163152928 (2) — A picture of me and my adorable baby’s huge eyes. Just because.

Friends,

I am writing this as part apology and part imploration for patience.

About a year ago, I switched newsletter carriers. Besides sending all emails to people’s Social or Spam folders, it seemed like a pretty good service. Easy to use designs, and once the settings were programmed, easy to send out.

Then we hit a snag. They let me know that they wouldn’t be accepting our gmail email anymore. So we payed for a website and created our own, personalized email associated with the website (mission@cornerstonechile.org). That worked for a few months.

Then they notified me of another change. In order to send out the newsletters, I now had to authenticate our email. They have a page that explains how to do it. But I must confess that, though I’ve tried to follow the directions, I’ve been completely unable to authenticate the email. I’ve spent the last three months returning to the website to try again periodically. I never do it right. And until I can fix it, I can’t send the newsletters I’ve designed.

Now, I have a few options available.

Switch carriers again. I don’t really want to go through that process again. It took a lot of work to change the first time, and the other ones I tested didn’t have quite so nice a look.
Find someone who knows this kind of stuff to help me authenticate the email. This is a good option, but I haven’t found anyone with the time to do it yet. If you’re reading this and have the time to walk me through it, let me know.
Keep trying until I do it! This is the option I’ve decided to pursue so far. Hasn’t gone so well.

So, in lieu of a very-delayed newsletter, I’m posting an update on our blog. I hope to resolve this issue soon. Until then, thank-you for your patience.

In Him,
Tabi

Seminario Bíblico Restauración Cristiana

August 26, 2017May 28, 2018 by cornerstonechileanmission, posted in Mission Update

“No one cares about your fancy degree, son. To them, you’re just a young man pretending he knows more than they do. If you want to teach, first you have to gain their trust.” The man leaned back in his chair and eyed Mike skeptically.

It was 2007, we were recently graduated and beginning our fund-raising journey. We had decided to visit Chile so that I could get to see it before moving here. We also wanted to meet the director of the Institute that Mike wanted to join, once we made it to Chile. He was unimpressed with Mike, but decided to give him a chance, once we came as missionaries.

So we considered it all set up. We came. And, as things often go, we found upon our arrival that the Institute had stopped functioning from lack of attendance.

From that point on, he made it his goal to start another one. Remembering the advice given to him, he has patiently worked toward that goal for 7 years– building friendships, earning trust and a reputation, developing material, and finding a place to begin. He taught classes at churches, and word spread about them. After a few years, the ministers hosting the classes at their churches began encouraging him to start the Institute.

Which brings us to now. Seminario Bíblico Restauración Cristiana has finished the first semester of the trial run successfully, and is set up to start its second semester of the trial run in September, with four professors, as well as the excellent support of Habacuc Díaz and his media team. We are so grateful for how well things are going. We pray things will go well. We ask for your prayers, as well. Seminaries are difficult to run and maintain. Often they start off strong, only to taper off in attendance later. We hope that this will not be the case, but time will tell. For now, things are looking good.

Please visit the Seminary’s YouTube page, where you’ll find promotional and educational videos. You can also visit their Facebook page. Thank-you for all your support and prayers.

Tabi

Women’s Fellowship

Mike

Church/Bible Study

Events Minister’s Retreat

The Institute

Iglesia de Cristo Maipo

Life Between Ministries

An Update on the Boyces

October

November

December

January

And that brings us to: February

Events
Minister’s Retreat

And that brings us to:
February