“Before we go out to speak to women on the street and in brothels, we always pray the verse, which says: ‘Greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world,’” shared OM outreach worker Sara*. “It’s a declaration that the light of Jesus in us is stronger than the darkness we go into.”

Sara and OM partners held on to this truth during special Easter outreaches in Central Europe. Small outreach teams talk to ladies each week; however, on this occasion they sought to reach more women, bringing gifts to over 750 individuals. They offered Easter eggs together with a leaflet, which communicates the hope found in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. The leaflet was designed by OM EAST’s literature and media ministry and written specifically for those in red light areas.

“The ladies definitely received our gifts happily and we had quite a lot of personal talks,” reflected Sara. “It was hard work, but God gave us strength.”

In one brothel, Sara found Janka* alone. Sara has known Janka for years, but, for the first time, they were able to have a deeper conversation without being watched. “I came to faith through the literature you gave me,” Janka told Sara, sharing some of her journey from the past few years. “Later, in my despair, I called to Jesus; I asked Him to help me and He heard me.” Janka felt Jesus’ presence and she received strength and hope. Since then, she has taken steps towards being able to leave prostitution. “I believe in God—He is real and obviously leading me,” she added.  

“It was special to meet Janka,” said Sara. “Usually it is a long road for individuals leaving prostitution because they are traumatised and there are many consequences. The Holy Spirit needs to, and can, help them—we have seen this happen.”

“For people coming out of prostitution who were not protected from many things, there is a lot more to deal with from the past,” considered OM worker Simon, who designed the leaflet. “But it’s like all of us who come to faith; we decide to follow Jesus and then the process of growing starts, like a plant that needs watering and nurturing.”

Sara and her colleagues continue to speak to ladies, build trust and give them contact details. “Relationship is key in helping healing take place—that’s why we do what we do,” she said. Recently Sara gave her name, and phone number to Nadia*, pronouncing her name clearly. “No,” Nadia replied. “Your name is ‘mama’,” and proceeded to type “mama” into her phone.  

“Even though we don’t see it, we know Jesus is in us,” said Sara, referring again to the verse of Scripture. “It is His kindness, friendliness, love and life reflected in us to those we meet.”

Praise God that in Him there is light, strength and hope! Give thanks that Jesus hears prayer and responds to people in their time of need. Please pray Janka and others will experience God’s provision in enabling them to find freedom.

*name changed

A simplistic view of salvation is to consider it a legal transaction, a 'get out of jail free' card from the consequences of sin or avoidance of hell—at best, an incomplete and imperfect gospel. The New Testament view is that Jesus came to save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:23), not merely the consequences of those sins. For us to obtain salvation, we first agree that it is a gift of God through Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:9) who freed us from bondage to sin and the evil one. Then comes the process of submitting to the transformational work of the Holy Spirit to form us in Christ-likeness.

I wonder where the concept of people ‘accepting’ Christ came from. It has the scent of a promotional advertisement on it: “Just accept this special offer! You can choose to receive this message now.” So easy, so passive, so deceptive. The heart of the gospel is not that we accept Christ, but that through Him, God accepts us—a difference that is worlds apart. For this reason, we should examine our vocabulary and scripts that we use in presenting the gospel. The cross is not a tattoo or jewellery; it is offensive, and the cost of truly following Jesus causes many to turn away. Salvation in Christ means submission to Him and His agenda for His church and the world. This submission transforms every aspect of our lives. Jesus told interested people to count the cost, with no compromise on offer. Is this clear in the gospel we are spreading? Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last” (John 15:16, NIV). God is the initiator of our relationship with Him. We are in no position to set the terms.

OM has enhanced its mission from merely proclaiming the gospel to making vibrant disciples of those who trust Christ—a process that is long, costly, and utterly necessary to fulfil Jesus’ command. Recently in a Himalayan country, I met with 68 people under the age of 25, all from villages, many semi-literate. They were being trained as disciple makers to be sent a week’s journey away to live among least-reached people. In the last 18 months, they have led and then discipled 154 people to be Jesus followers, forming ten new churches. They are continuing to multiply today. I would rather support that work than invest in thousands who never develop beyond being fans of Jesus.

Fans or followers?

Jesus initially had few followers among countless ‘fans’. The crowds that enjoyed the very best entertainment—miracles, meals, clever arguments—disappeared when Jesus made it personal and risky. Fans are passive spectators and admirers, whereas followers serve a leader, submit to that leader’s teachings, and imitate his example. Many people are fans of Jesus, admiring His values, respecting His teachings, but do so without committing wholeheartedly to His cause. Jesus is looking for followers, not fans. With Jesus, I want to wholeheartedly learn all I can about Him, adopt His ways, and live by His teaching.

Are we sufficiently clear in our own minds that the gospel we proclaim promises these two kinds of people two very distinct futures? Jesus warned false disciples (fans) to be certain of their final outcome (Matt. 7:21–23). Is this central to our message?

In God’s grace, fans can become followers. How can we overwrite ‘accepting’ Christ with the good news that, in Christ, God accepts us? How will this change our effectiveness in mission? Jesus deserves nothing less.
 

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide. 

Lawrence Tong

It felt like every little thing came under the microscope. How much did culture shape the way I prayed, expected to hear God, treated people of different backgrounds or ethnicities and disciplined my children? I felt like an alien from outer space – not knowing the rules; not knowing how much of ‘me’ I get to keep.

A small example: I needed to learn to ask: ‘how are you?’ every time I greeted anyone. Easy with friends but more difficult when you’re asking a question of someone in a supermarket. In the UK it would be odd to start a sentence with ‘how are you?’ to a stranger but in South Africa it’s rude not to.

I frequently needed to change my behaviour, my language and my expectations to consider my new cultural norms. Sometimes, however, I needed to resist adjusting. We had a street WhatsApp group and many times people would make racist comments encouraging others to think the same – a hangover from Apartheid days. We would need to hold on to different values; ones we had learnt from an alternative culture. In these instances, we needed to be comfortable in ‘offending.’

As time went on, I started asking myself different questions. What did I need to change that wasn’t helpful in my own culture? What did I need to resist adopting from the culture I was living in? What would Jesus do? Living according to biblical values is the obvious ‘answer’ but sometimes the Bible has been used to argue a point either way. Life isn’t that black and white, and I needed to learn to live in the grey.

A friend of mine explained that South African laws require companies to have a certain percentage of non-white workers. This was problematic for my friend’s company as it was much easier to find white applicants with the right skills, due to a history of preferential education. The company decided to try harder and spend more time looking. They resisted the urge to be impatient. They hired a black lady – not just for her colour but also for her skill. My friend recounted: “We now have someone in our team who brings a different outlook, a fresh voice and sees things from an alternative position. It has made our team that much richer and we are so grateful we took the time to find her. Now everybody wins.”

I learnt that my culture doesn’t have all the answers. It’s not better to be British or worse to be South African. It’s also not better to be South African and worse to be British. I needed to take responsibility for the cultural failings of my home culture and learn new ways of living. This is the most interesting and exciting part of living elsewhere. You learn things you cannot read in a book, understand on a trip or have explained to you by someone else. Investing in deep friendships with locals brings a richness to life that has changed me forever.

Today, after six years in South Africa, I am living back in the UK and I find I feel more an alien than ever before. Starting a conversation with ‘how are you’ gets raised eyebrows! I could easily slip back into conforming to all cultural norms, but instead I find I continue to question if they are helpful. I realise the experience of living in a different culture has changed me and taught me to be a global citizen, always considering culture as an influencing factor. England no longer feels like home like it used to and I miss my ‘other’ home in South Africa. But I am richer for the experience. I seek out people from other cultures, I make the effort with people ‘not like me’, and I hope that means that everybody wins.

I am now an alien wherever I go, and I love it.

Having arrived unexpectedly earlier this year after six years in South Africa, Ali currently lives on the south coast of England with her mum, her husband and her two young children. Ali serves as OM’s Internal Communications Director, working part-time and spending the rest of the time making puzzles, painting and enjoying the English countryside with her kids. She previously worked for global companies in the telecommunications and film industries, joining OM in 2013.

The leaflet, entitled Maria, was designed by OM EAST and written by an outreach worker. The fictional story of a woman called Maria was inspired by the life of Mary Magdalene. It describes her brokenness and how, one day, she met Jesus Christ who told of a new kingdom where anyone can become a child of God through faith in Him. Maria expresses the wonderful change in her life as she experienced her Saviour’s acceptance, forgiveness, love and comfort.

“I was thinking about the verse in Matthew chapter 21 where it says those trapped in prostitution will enter the God’s kingdom ahead of others because they believed,” reflected an OM EAST worker. “This gives such hope that women today would also put their faith in Jesus and receive new life in Him!”

The Maria leaflet has been translated into nine languages, including Romanian, Hungarian, Bulgarian and Chinese. OM EAST will print a total of 4,700 copies to help outreach workers offer hope to hundreds of ladies this Easter.

Please pray many women read the ‘Maria’ leaflet and believe in Jesus and His promises. Please pray they would trust their Saviour to provide them with a way out of prostitution. Please pray individuals receive the healing, restoration and freedom only Jesus can bring.  

“Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did.” - Matthew 21:31a-32a (NIV)

OM EAST’s literature and media ministry produces high quality print and digital media in over 25 languages. Always working with partners, they seek to share the gospel, strengthen churches and bring hope to people groups throughout Eurasia.

To ‘the ends of the earth’ or to ‘the end of the earth’?

Field worker ES moved to Arctic Russia with the dream to share the gospel by translating the Bible for the Nenets people. The Nenets are indigenous reindeer herders living in Northern Siberia, including the Yamal Peninsula. Yamal means 'the end of the earth'. Out on the tundra, locals travel by snowmobile or reindeer sled. To reach particularly remote villages, it takes two to four hours by helicopter from Salekhard, the main city in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. 

The Yamal Peninsula is home to more reindeer than people, and winter lasts nine months. “It’s very cold; minus 40°C can be pleasant for a walk if there is no wind,” joked ES, an OM EAST partner. ES previously worked on an OM team. It was during this time that her vision for Nenets Bible translation began. In 1992, an OM colleague challenged her to pray for the Nenets. She received a book on minority groups, which offered just a few lines of information about them. Eight years later, ES relocated to Northern Siberia where she has invested 18 years of her life bringing the gospel to 'the end of the earth'.  

Understand or misunderstand?

The minority group has a population of around 45,000 people. Half of them live in Russian-speaking villages, while the other half are nomadic reindeer herders who live on tundra and speak the Nenets language.

“Nenets is the heart language of the reindeer herders. It’s much easier for them to understand,” ES said. “Translation is a complicated process because there is a great gap between two totally different cultures.” ES found it straightforward to learn Nenets since the word order is similar to her own native language.

When local woman N read a passage in Nenets, she discovered she had misunderstood the same Scripture in Russian. “This is why we need the Bible in our own language!” N expressed. Four books of the New Testament are in print, while others in progress. Two illustrated Bible storybooks have been designed and published by OM EAST.

A book of light or a lighter load?

“I moved to Arctic Russia during December, the darkest month,” ES recalled. “One day when I was testing translations, the electricity suddenly cut out. We sat without light all day. It was dark! Then I understood the meaning of light.”

For ES, this experience of the Arctic winter darkness is a picture of life without Jesus Christ. She desires that the Nenets would know Jesus as the light of the world. It is Jesus who frees people from sin and gives them the light of life if they ask Him for forgiveness and choose to follow Him. “I want every Nenets child to have a Bible,” said OM EAST’s partner, who has distributed thousands of Bible storybooks over many years. ES has observed children taking more interest in the Bible storybooks than the chocolate she offered.

A nomadic lifestyle makes it difficult for the reindeer herders to carry a collection of Christian literature. “They don’t have extra things—just the minimum is enough,” ES explained. “They have one pot, one kettle, and they don’t need a freezer!” However, they do have mobile phones. Her solution is to develop publications into applications so they can be stored on mobile phones, also allowing individuals to listen to the text. OM EAST plans to help provide these resources digitally. “Apps are able to help bring salvation to the Nenets!” said ES. 

Faith seen or faith to see?  

ES met N 16 years ago at a church in the town of Salekhard. Later, N invited her to visit two family members on the tundra. ES tested a translation by reading some Scripture verses to their hosts. They reacted by walking out, leaving her alone in the tent. Jesus’ teaching had touched a nerve. “N came in, angry, asking me what I had told them,” ES remembered. “But N showed me pity because my face was black and swollen with frostbite. She let me read another passage to her, which described how to be born again into a new life of following Jesus and gave the example of selling everything and giving to the poor. This made her more angry!” However, when they next saw each other, N had changed, and she had decided to be baptised and wanted to give ES a tithe to print the Gospel of Mark. Since then, ES recovered from frostbite and, over the past decade, N has sometimes joined ES and another woman early in the morning to pray. 

“Not many are excited about the Bible,” said ES, crying as she spoke. “I’m looking for revival!” There are around 200 known Nenets believers, representing a small percentage of the population. The indigenous people group believe in numerous gods. For many, the reindeer are their life, their source of food, clothes, transport and shelter. ES longs for the Nenets to acknowledge their Creator as their true provider and life-giver.

“A few have faith, and I see some who want to read the Bible. Through them I have hope,” reflected ES. “There is hope that they will know Jesus. I see beyond reality. We need to be patient, keep serving and not give up.”

Give praise to God who is light. Give thanks that He speaks through His Word. Please pray Nenets will put their trust in Jesus and receive His salvation. Please pray for wisdom as ES helps make God’s truth available. Please pray that believers grow strong in their faith. 

Scripture reference: “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” – John 8:12 (NIV)

OM EAST’s literature and media ministry produces high quality print and digital media in over 25 languages. Always working with partners, they seek to share the gospel, strengthen churches and bring hope to people groups throughout Eurasia.

A balanced response to cultures

The myriad of cultures in the world is a gift from God reflecting His beauty and diversity. Engaging complex cultures should not frighten or discourage us. Yet no culture is above the teaching of the Bible. Cultures change constantly; Scripture does not. We should never allow the ‘culture card’ to be a negotiating tool exempting one cultural group from international standards or agreements. Cultural clichés are no excuse for double standards in a global organisation.

At the same time, every culture deserves respect and understanding. No single culture is better than another; failing to acknowledge this accounts for many of the problems in our world. We are too quick to label people and end up using stereotypes that block us from seeing someone made in the image of God. People become targets and commodities when lumped together in the name of missiology. I have met well-meaning missionaries whose goal was to change others’ culture in the name of progress rather than infusing their hosts’ cultural worldview with Biblical truth. This type of thinking needs to change. Every culture makes assumptions about other cultures that are often false or distorted. We accept that every culture should be respected, but we can fail to recognise that all cultures – including our own – are fundamentally broken before God. We can share this common brokenness rather than strive for superiority.

Heaven is ready for all the cultures of this world: “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Rev. 7:9, NIV). In the meantime, our task as Jesus followers is to engage with other cultures for the sake of the gospel.

Love covers all

In OM, we are so accustomed to people from dozens of different cultures living and working together that cultural boundaries fade. They are only re-activated when someone offends another’s culture. It might involve a sense of humour, an unwitting hand gesture, or whatever. If a foreigner makes a cultural mistake, we have an obligation to correct them, but in private. The Chinese see burping as a compliment to the chef but, when I once did so, naively, on the ship, my table mates were deeply offended.

However, when we offend, do our sincere apologies create an opportunity for growth in the offended party? We have no right to go around insulting others, but the world we operate in does so. Equipping our people must include teaching them to handle insult and offense in a godly way. If we want our people to be durable and flexible in foreign fields, we should not overly shield them. Rather, they need to learn to face cultural offense with grace and determination. One way is to train ourselves to find the good in other cultures and to learn from them, especially in areas where another’s cultural practice might be an improvement on ours!

Discerning human nature and culture comes with maturity and experience. Ideally, we will learn to recognise the difference, which is useful in team situations. If a person is acting out of line, is it a matter of personal character or their culture? Both require a suitable response.

Release your cultural baggage into heaven’s culture and follow its rules of grace. Look to Jesus and how He dealt with offense: He confronted wrongdoing as needed, He rebuked His errant disciples in private; He never belittled anyone for their ethnicity.

Let us set an example in being gracious to other cultures without needing to apologise for our own. Learn to lighten up, because the journey ahead may be long!
 

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide.

Lawrence Tong

Elham*, a newish believer, focused on his 'rescue from the pit.' Esther remembered how God had used Moses to open the Red Sea for the people of God and saw it as symbolic of our great deliverance in Jesus. I commented on God's father-like compassion and Julyan was struck again by the brevity of human life in contrast to God's everlasting love. Maryam* felt the enormous scope of worship in the Psalm and how we must tell our souls to join in, even when we don't feel like it. That was the action point, so it led naturally to a time of worship and prayer for one another's needs. We all left feeling we had been fed by the Word and had connected with each other.

DBS is a Bible study tool that emphasises obedience in keeping with the Great Commission (Matthew 28: 20). Purists of this method insist on obedience steps after every study and on the group holding each other accountable. Scripture is, after all, profitable for teaching, rebuking and correcting (2 Timothy 3:16). One week Maryam knew she had to make a difficult phone call to a friend she had wronged. And she did it! Obedience trains in righteousness and her report back to the group the following week brought joy to us all. In our experience there isn't always a specific action point for each person. The Word is God-breathed, often evoking a godly sense of awe and gratitude which shapes our values and attitudes.

A simple format

There are several positives I see in using this style of study. It is enjoyable because everyone is fully participating. We read, listen, think and all share so we remember what we have learnt, especially if it has involved an action point. The newest member can contribute as easily and sometimes with more freshness of insight than the mature believer. Anyone can lead and therefore it's reproducible. Our more traditional style of study didn't happen if the leader was away. This method doesn't look to 'a sage on the stage but rather a guide at the side.'

If we are going to see our mission of vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached fulfilled, we will need a way to help believers and seekers get into the Word of God. Our understanding of God, His gospel, His ways and purposes must be informed by the Bible itself. It was finding Jesus in the Scriptures that caused the disciples' hearts to burn on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:32). Vibrancy comes from the Word of God kneaded into our lives by the Holy Spirit. As we humbly submit ourselves to hear and obey, our faith communities will have a strong foundation and a life that reproduces. This simple format of DBS enables even new believers to start their own groups.

Of course, it isn't a magic bullet or the whole story and teaching and mentoring leaders will be essential for the spiritual health of any movement. Nevertheless, Discovery Bible Studies will be a key contributor to seeing vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached.

I would encourage anyone interested in this topic to learn more about the DBS rationale and how it is being used by God in both rural and urban settings. You can watch a short YouTube video about how it is being used in Africa.

*names changed

From 1980-1995 Lenna and her husband, Julyan, lived in Turkey, focusing on discipleship and church planting. Now they live in Scotland where Lenna supports Julyan in his role as Ambassador for OM's Muslim ministries. Locally, the couple are involved with their church's ministry to Iranians, Kurds and Turks.

Living with change

Change is part and parcel of everyday life. It is impossible to exist without encountering change. God’s people are not exempt: The Apostle Paul went through many changes, yet he could see how God refined and empowered him to accomplish far more. The Bible is full of stories of such people.

In fact, the heart of the gospel message – that which OM and the church exist to spread – is change: a change of master, of destiny, of life attitudes, and of purpose. Thank God for the ability to change, be changed, and change others. Change really is the good news! When our lives are surrendered to Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins a transformational, redeeming work to form us to be more like Jesus. That change is what the gospel is all about.

The changes we are making in OM will position us to remain relevant to the cultures we work in. Our Biblical convictions are the same, our core values remain unchanged, and our commitment has deepened. However, our method, our approach, and our strategy must adapt to changing cultures and trends. The changes underway in OM today are disruptive, but they are essential for our growth and effectiveness in the future. There is no other way to achieve that.

I am so grateful that OM at 60 is able and willing to make bold moves in evaluating everything we have done. A number of leaders have voluntarily stepped aside to allow space for a new generation of leaders.

Guidelines for effecting change

• Start at the top. The International Director’s leadership team must be committed to change We cannot assume that everyone will agree and align. Our implementation process is ongoing to ensure that everyone moves forward together.
• Involve everyone. We spent 18 months engaging with frontline staff before settling on planning strategies. The task of rolling out change is much smoother when people are engaged early for input on issues that will affect their ministries. Achieving broad involvement within our organisation saves untold headaches. We were able to hear confidentially from participants, and because they’ve had a hand in developing a plan, they are now more invested in it. In change management parlance: “You have to go slow to go fast.”
• Engage, involve, participate. Sustaining effective change requires constant and creative communication. Many leaders mistakenly assume that an initial strong message of change will be sufficient. Such ‘leaders’ are deceived. The more other leaders are involved and participating, the greater the likelihood of successfully executing the change.

For Asians, having a voice is more important than having a vote. As the International Director, I presently vote on a number of issues. But my term is limited; in a relatively few years, I will move on and no longer have a vote. However, I want to still have a voice that people will listen to. There are those whose long service and wisdom merit respect; when they speak, people should listen.

Make change personal

Think of one or two things in your life that could be changed to help free you from the rut of ‘tried and true’. It may be a regular routine, making new friends, or breaking a bad habit. You also can change for the better!

When I took on this role, I gained a lot of weight. I learned that I was a stress eater. A doctor gave grave news: change my lifestyle or else. So, I had motivation to change. My attitude towards food had to change, and it did. I learned to enjoy vigorous exercise. I also learned to not immediately answer every email.
 

In May of 2011, I was meeting with the leadership team of OM Near East. We were discussing the situation in the area – which was clearly heading towards all-out civil war – and we agreed quite clearly that we were not going to get involved in relief work. We had teams in the region with strong discipling relationships with some local believers, and we were working on training and equipping - and working alongside - some of those believers in church planting initiatives. Getting involved in relief would be a distraction from that, and besides, previous experience reminded us big relief efforts can become never-ending and all consuming. We just weren’t going to get involved.

Within a year we were running a large relief project serving both locals and those in the neighbouring countries.

Why this dramatic change in our thinking and actions? Well, we had good relationships with a number of local believers and churches, and the biggest thing happening in their lives was the war. They had to respond to the needs around them. Could we have really said, ‘we’ll help with discipleship training, but about the biggest thing happening in your life right now, we won’t get involved’? What kind of gospel would we have been proclaiming or demonstrating? So, we got involved, working in partnership with local believers and churches who had a passion for their community and for the communities around them.  

Being different

We sought to work together with certain distinctives, however. In the Near East you help your own people: Sunni help Sunni, Shi’ite help Shi’ite, Catholics help Catholics, Evangelicals help Evangelicals. We were set on being different, because the gospel is different.

Together we designed relief projects with different distinctives, and we wanted to be truly holistic. As we designed and regularly reviewed the projects, we asked a number of questions: Are we providing relief where it is most needed? Are the projects being run with transparency? Is access to relief being provided according to need and regardless of religious affiliation or spiritual openness? Are our projects providing opportunities for local, Christian-background believers to engage with people of other religious backgrounds? Do people have the opportunity to hear the gospel – in its fullest sense – through our projects? Do those that are spiritually open have an opportunity to join a Bible study (or some other follow-up possibility) which could potentially lead to them being part of a new community of believers?

There were many other questions we asked. We felt that if the project design and implementation was not integrated in this way, our work would not be holistic, and it would not be a demonstration and proclamation of the gospel. That the assistance was given according to need and regardless of someone’s spiritual openness, and that there was a clear pathway between the project and potentially vibrant local fellowships of Jesus followers was fundamental. In fact, if that were not the case, we believed that we would be doing a disservice to those we were seeking to serve and to the gospel itself.

Where we see the mission

I am really encouraged that we as OM are increasingly wrestling with what ‘integral’ or ‘holistic’ ministry means in the light of our mission statement. I think it is a bit of an untold and unknown story in OM that where we are seeing fruit, the context is often a holistic approach. I believe this is true in the majority of the cases. That may include development projects in Central Asia, sports coaching and self-help groups in Africa, relief projects in Europe and the Near East, or simple community engagement in a whole range of other ways – and there are often many advantages in simple community engagement over big projects.

We need to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel and live it out vibrantly in our own lives among least-reached peoples and communities. Our prayer is that the new communities of Jesus followers that emerge will themselves be a witness to the transforming power of the gospel, making a tangible and sustainable difference in their societies. 

Stephan Bauer* presently serves as the Associate International Director for Field Ministries and says it is an exciting (and daunting) time to be involved in this kind of leadership. 

*name changed for security

The dangers of entitlement

We should see our calling to serve in missions as a privilege, not a right. The God of the Universe, all supreme and powerful, considers us—broken and sinful, yet forgiven—as, through His Son, worthy to serve Him. This is an awesome privilege. Those of us who have been around for a long time must diligently guard against a sense of entitlement that can creep into our thinking. It is a destructive mindset that will lead to toxic behaviour. Deal with it: We are not the centre of the Universe. 

As followers of Jesus, we are showered with blessings, purpose, significance, and gifts based not on our merit but on the character of the giver: God Himself (Eph. 1:3, NIV). Yet, over time, we can presume that we have merited these blessings. Such an attitude dishonours God and devalues our own character. Living with a sense of entitlement is common today, but it is odious to the Lord. If anything, experiencing His bounty should result in deep humility and, frankly, surprise: “Imagine: God has blessed me!”

All of us in OM have volunteered to serve; God owes us no favours for our service or leadership. Looking at myself, I might see God’s sense of humour. But He makes no mistakes in whom He equips for different roles. God has specific tasks for me to do; when they are completed, He will call someone else to lead and I will look for other ways to contribute. 

Our personal relationship with Jesus is one of master and servant/slave. Jesus points out, “Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” (Luke 17: 9-10, NIV) That is seldom preached or modelled today. It’s not up to us to determine the limits or parameters of how we serve. I once invited an OM leader to speak to a team; he responded that he only speaks to a minimum of 500 people! This was how he exercised stewardship of his time and supported his ministry strategy. He probably could have been more effective to speak with five people, but his sense of entitlement warped his metrics.

A better blessing

We have not consciously affirmed our people enough in OM – in part because we have had a self-effacing culture. Often, we showed affirmation through promotion, which was unwise because it placed people in roles they weren’t suited for. 

Getting past that dark hurt of feeling unnoticed is possible. Eliminating a sense of entitlement through gratitude to Christ will lead to greater contentment and peace. Once I accepted that positions should come to me instead of seeking them, as I continued to serve, joy returned to my daily life. No one owes me anything.

Paul says that we have been appointed as Christ’s ambassadors: a role with dignity, authority, and gravity (2 Cor. 5:16–21), “approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel” (1 Thess. 2:4). We represent the kingdom of heaven on earth (John 18:36), and it is our responsibility to reflect the official position of heaven. Our role as ambassadors of Christ is to take the message of our King to the “ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), imploring men and women everywhere to be reconciled to God. Being a child of God brings us the ultimate entitlement as we await Christ’s return. In the meantime, keep Christ first, for He knows our every thought, word, and deed. You cannot please everyone, but you can please one, and He is Christ.

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide.

Lawrence Tong

Our driveway and walkway always had a forgotten baseball, wooden sword, or homemade bike ramp sitting out. Guests weren’t expecting these hazards and so we would have to clean them up before they arrived. In the same way, we should consider the hidden ‘hazards’ for new believers or new folks who join OM. How might it feel to sit in a meeting and overhear people talking about an amazing new retreat or comparing new cars when you can barely afford to feed your family? Are there attitudes and lifestyle choices which might make it difficult for newcomers to feel included and welcome?

Once, we had a visitor in town originally from Germany who mentioned how much he missed chocolate mousse. My mother searched to find a recipe (this was before the internet) and it took several tries to get the mousse to turn out perfectly. She never complained about how hard it was to make the mousse, offering hospitality without grumbling (1 Peter 4:9). After dinner, the German shared he was very honoured that someone would make such an effort just for him. As we welcome more believers from Buddhist, Muslim and other faith backgrounds into our lives—and into OM—we need to ask ourselves if we are willing to make the effort to make them feel welcomed and esteemed. We should ask them what they want before assuming their needs must be the same as ours.

First impressions can be last impressions

My parents’ friends like to laugh about my brother and me sprinting to see who could welcome the guests first. But when was the last time I excused myself from a conversation with friends and sprinted to welcome a new face to church, a fellowship group or an OM meeting? A few years ago, I attended a new church while travelling in the USA. During the post-praise ‘meet and greet’, a fellow turned to the man next to me and asked, “Hi Bob; is she with you?” The man answered, “No, she’s just sitting in my seat.” What if I had been attending church for the first time—would I ever return? What do we think Jesus would say if we refuse to shift seats to make room for someone new? When was the last time we competed with each other to welcome the most people, or invite the most newcomers over to dinner?

I am reminded that we are called to be hospitable (Romans 12:13) and we demonstrate this by how we welcome new believers and each other. This is easy to do when we all have similar backgrounds and have known each other for years. But as the Church, and our movement, becomes more diverse, do we merely tolerate or do we warmly welcome newcomers? How do we welcome people who bring different viewpoints, expectations, traditions, communication styles and faith expressions into our movement? Are we willing to put aside our preferences to esteem our brothers and sisters (Philippians 2:4)? Will the world look at OM and know we are Jesus followers because of the love we have for one another (John 13:35)?

Heather has served with OM for six years. Before moving overseas, she worked in management consulting and was led to Jesus by a co-worker. Heather is from the USA but has lived/worked in Ecuador, Mexico, Germany, Singapore, Indonesia and is now based in the Middle East. She currently leads the Global South Initiative and is passionate about seeing the global south church sharing Jesus with the least-reached.

“Initially, I was not at all inspired to translate for such a small number of people,” admitted Wycliffe translator Mark*. The Amur and Schmidt speakers are even fewer than the total population since some speak other Nivkh dialects or Russian. “But later, the parable of the Lost Sheep came to mind, where the Good Shepherd left the majority to go after one stray sheep,” Mark added. “Then I realised the number of native speakers is not the only criteria that counts.” Following Jesus’ example, Mark recognised it’s still worth the effort to publish Bible stories in the Nivkh dialects.

“The description of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is a beautiful picture of His love for those who belong to Him and for those who don’t yet believe in Him,” reflected an OM EAST worker.

Mark knows of three Jesus followers among the minority group whose beliefs are rooted in shamanism. He wants more Nivkh to encounter the Good Shepherd who laid down His life to be an atoning sacrifice for sin. He desires to share the message that anyone who confesses Jesus Christ is Lord and believes in their heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, will be saved and have eternal life.  

“While drawing, I have been thinking about how the Nivkh don’t know the Bible passages,” said Julia, an OM EAST graphic designer and artist. “It’s beautiful to think it will be the first time many will read God’s truth and hold it in their hands. I want my drawings to express the message.”

The illustrated Bible storybooks are being distributed on Sakhalin Island and in villages along the Amur river. “We have published literature, but it is now the work really begins,” emphasised Simon, OM EAST’s production coordinator. “Let’s pray for believers giving out copies and speaking with individuals. One day there will be Nivkh worshipping before God’s throne!”

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” – John 10:16 (NIV)

Praise God for His love and Shepherd’s heart! Give thanks to Jesus for His great sacrifice; give thanks for the freedom and forgiveness found in Him. Please pray for believers distributing literature; please pray Nivkh listen to Jesus’ voice and choose to follow Him.

View Bible storybook for the Nivkh here.

*Name changed for security
Scripture references: John 10:11, 1 John 2:2, Romans 10:9 and John 3:18.

OM EAST’s literature and media ministry produces high quality print and digital media in over 25 languages. Working with partners, they seek to share the gospel, strengthen churches and bring hope to people groups throughout Eurasia.

Ownership vs. stewardship

It’s easy in our circles to extol stewardship over the idea of ownership without understanding the differences, which can be subtle yet many. While we all should take responsibility for our tasks and outcomes, a selfish ownership mentality can easily creep in, particularly in situations where a leader has kept the ministry afloat for years with little other help. In a team environment, a sense of entitlement evolves: “Since I’m in charge, it’s my right to have the best vehicle, the best office, or to withhold accounting for my time. I should have a say in everything and no one should question let alone challenge anything I do or say.” This is toxic power, not servant leadership, and there is no place for this in OM or God’s kingdom. Teams led by a personality attract a certain type of follower; when that leader leaves the picture, what he has built disappears. Many ministries have collapsed and all have suffered when built around a personality.

Our vocabulary reveals our inner heart when we talk about “my ministry, my position, my possessions”. Each of us should regularly come before the Lord in this regard: Lord…Is it I? Am I heading in a negative direction, betrayed by my vocabulary and attitude of self-centeredness? Is my lifestyle markedly different from my team members’? Do I place myself above policies submitted to by others? Am I quick to rationalise this?

Stewardship, in contrast, has a relatively brief term. Sooner or later, God will move us onto different responsibilities and tasks. Stewardship acknowledges that the Lord owns everything; we are His servants taking care of matters assigned to us. The ministry is centered around God and the people He chooses. This is liberating and empowering to all. Christ’s servants are freed from selfish ownership or entitlement because we have a different measurement of success: being faithful, putting others ahead of us, and expecting a very different reward. We have been given only temporary care over whatever we attain in this life. Everything belongs to God: our lives, material possessions, jobs, bodies, time, resources, talents and even our children. If we truly believe this, it will drastically change our attitude, reminding ourselves daily that all of us will give account of our stewardship—a sobering thought (2 Cor. 5:10).

Whether much or little

When I was Director of Logos II, I saw the potential of a sharing mentality. OM ‘owned’ the ship but we made our public spaces available to local churches and other groups. Once, doing line-up in Bermuda, I had only nine days to create a programme! I contacted the churches and said, “Our home is yours to use, to meet in every afternoon and evening.” Soon the rooms were fully booked. The ship was packed with visitors even without preparation. This was very liberating and showed how stewardship empowers in ways mere ownership cannot.

The Bible says that to whom much has been given, much will be expected (Lk. 12:48). As we are entrusted with God’s resources, we are to leverage them for His gain—every one of us. Realising that everything is God’s frees us to share God’s blessings, open our homes and so on. Beyond our words, God is looking for us to be examples of stewardship that mark us as hilarious givers (2 Cor. 8:9). Changes in roles or how we operate—as we in OM are experiencing—does not threaten good stewards.

Take an inventory of your life: Are there areas of fear, pride or shame that you want kept ‘off limits’ even to your heavenly Father? Such an impossibility encourages us to transfer ownership of each situation back to God. Take baby steps; share something you have with someone.

EVANGELISM

SOUTH ASIA: ONE WILL DO

A family of six living in the Himalayans recently came to Christ after hearing the story of Zacchaeus from an OM team that came to their village. “The focus of the story was that we are sinners and God can forgive our sins,” said an OM worker. When the entire family heard the story, they believed in Jesus as Lord and Saviour and repented of their sins. Maya*, seven years old, decided to share the story of Zacchaeus with others. Determined to share her newfound faith, she memorised the exact way the OM workers shared the story. She also fasted (as taught by the OM worker) for one day for God to strengthen her faith.

Maya shared the gospel with around sixty of her friends at school, shocking her teachers with her ability to learn all of this and speak so effectively. Thus impressed, they allowed her to share with teachers as well who wanted to know more. Out of Maya’s bold evangelistic efforts, one friend came to Christ. How encouraging it is to see Maya, a child, declaring God’s love and forgiveness to those around her. Pray that more new believers like Maya will be bold in sharing the gospel.

MOLDOVA: DREAMS COME TRUE

Going to unreached areas and seeking out marginalised people, many short-term outreach teams shared about God in word and action throughout the summer.

As they visited people in need, bringing food parcels as well as words of encouragement and hope, one team arrived at the home of Sonia* (26) and her daughter, Sara* (8). Recently, both her parents and a sister with a child had died in a road accident. Sonia lives with a man who is not Sara’s father, but his family rejects them because they are of Roma (gypsy) background. Sara usually doesn’t go to school, so she can hardly read and doesn’t have many friends. But when the team visited and shared the gospel, Sara told them about a dream she had had a few days earlier wherein she had seen Jesus, who had asked to come to her house. When she invited him in, He had made everything clean and beautiful. She told the dream to her mother, who had laughed about it but, in light of the team’s message, started to consider its significance.

While the team was at her house, Sara was eager to hear more about Jesus. The visitors shared Bible stories with her, using the illustrations in a children’s Bible they had brought. As a result, Sara prayed with them, inviting Jesus into her house and her life.

Pray for Sara to grow in her faith and for her mother, Sonia, to also trust Jesus as Saviour. Pray for families who receive food and other physical aid will also receive the hope of the gospel. Pray for God to reveal Himself to many more people, like Sara, who are ready to hear the Good News.

RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT

SOUTH SUDAN: PLENTY TO DO

The OM team in the world’s youngest country has faced multiple challenges since its inception: the deaths of two influential OM country leaders, armed conflict in their area and, in 2017, widespread famine. Wanting to reach out to those affected by food shortages, five OMers began a relief project in parallel to church planting.

The outreaches take place in makeshift communities of internally displaced peoples (IDPs) between 10–15 kilometres outside Juba, the capital. Together with volunteers from local churches, OM team members spend the day listening to people, hearing their stories and understanding the group’s particular situation. The team distributes practical aid, as well as supplying medical treatment and personal counselling. The team also spends two days telling the gospel story from creation to Christ. “It takes a lot of prep before and work after,” shared Tobias, OM MENA Area Leader, who joined one outreach. But it’s an opportunity to make a tangible difference. “This famine relief turned out to be a major encouragement for the team,” he said. “They see fruit, and they pull in many people from churches who are excited to join them.”

This year, the team plans to re-visit many communities and focus on spiritual development, discipling new believers to feed themselves from God’s Word using tools such as Discovery Bible Study (DBS). The area leader hopes for lasting fruit and sustainable change to come out of these visits, and that team members would find ways to continue with new believers.

Besides relief projects, the OM team operates a bookshop in Juba and looks to organise two training conferences this year: a three-day gathering for ladies and a youth camp. “OM has an excellent reputation, which opens doors right and left,” the area leader said. “If OM invites people, hundreds come.”

Pray for new team members to join the OM team, and for lasting change in communities the team visits. Pray that the upcoming conferences will be successful in equipping and mobilising believers to reach the least reached.

CHURCH PLANTING

CENTRAL ASIA: INFECTIOUS

For a number of years, the OM leadership team in one country has been praying for a specific region—“a difficult place, spiritually, with a proud and aggressive tribe,” described OM country leader Kevin*. “Very few churches exist in the three major cities, and these face significant persecution from authorities and the community.” OM seeks to mobilise existing churches to recognise their role in reaching people in their region. One strategic tool for introducing Central Asians to missions is OM’s annual (regional) outreach, where participants gather for training before being sent out in small teams for short-term trips.

When one local pastor was asked about participating, he said that God was leading his church to engage the same area of the country. In fact, the church already had some contacts in one of the cities and wanted to send a team there. “Their vision was to plant a church there without even having visited the place,” Kevin said. “The team went, shared the gospel and experienced God opening spiritual conversations and eyes to see Jesus.”

Upon returning, the short-term team shared about their experiences, and “their enthusiasm was infectious,” Kevin explained. “As their pastor of 20 years listened, touched by their experience, he said, ‘We should send more people, maybe everyone, to everywhere… to share the gospel!’”

OM’s outreach aims to see the gospel going to every village and city in Central Asia and to see the lives of those participating in the outreaches transformed. This church team’s eager participation—and their pastor’s subsequent response—encouraged OM leadership to continue pressing forward. Pray that God would continue to open doors in this region for OM and local believers to share the gospel of Jesus with those who have never heard.

JUSTICE

CENTRAL EUROPE: GOD’S GIFTS

Small outreach teams brought Christmas gifts to over 1,000 women in brothels and on the streets in Central Europe. In one city, they also gave ladies a Christmas card, printed by OM EAST, which was an invitation to a Christmas party hosted by OM EAST partners for ladies trapped in prostitution and for those who have left. “We wanted to offer a change of environment, a safe place where they feel loved and can rest,” expressed outreach worker Sara*. “We wanted to share the Christmas story and tell them the Lord Jesus Christ came to save them too. We sang songs, which I hope they remember during dark nights.”

Women received little wall calendars with Bible verses in their own language. On the back is an explanation of the way to salvation through faith in Jesus. “May God’s Word give direction, hope and comfort in times of need,” declared Sara. “May women dare to call on His name, be saved and experience miracles.” Pray for God’s protection over outreach teams and their families. Pray that individuals would have courage to come to the celebration and accept the ultimate invitation to receive Jesus as their Saviour. 

MENTORING & DISCIPLESHIP

ECUADOR: BRINGING HOPE

Logos Hope crewmembers visited children at a Guayaquil hospital living with HIV/AIDS, to tell them about their value in God’s eyes and the power of prayer. The team was accompanied by OMer Candy Arteaga, who visits the children weekly.

The crewmembers wanted to express God’s love and care to the children and parents at the unit. Dressed as clowns, they performed a drama that got the kids laughing. The message conveyed was that their value is not defined by how they look or their circumstances but that, in the eyes of God, their value is such that Jesus, the Son of God, would die for them.

One volunteer, Bogdan Pavlovic (Montenegro), who is understood to be the first Christian to have come from his country to share the Good News abroad said, “It was nice to see their smiles. We brought them joy, and I think we helped them.”

Bogdan told the children about his own life. As a child with special needs, he had been told that he would never be able to walk, nor live beyond the age of 15. Through prayer for a miracle, Bogdan started walking and getting involved in sports—even becoming a professional table tennis player.

Bogdan, now 21, said he wanted to show the children and parents that miracles do happen through prayer and faith. Having grown up with health issues, he could relate the hope he found in Christ. “Whatever they need and whatever their struggle in life, if they pray and seek God, He will answer at the right time,” Bogdan said.

The volunteers played games with the children and spent time with them individually, giving them cardboard models of Logos Hope, which they built together. One mother said, “I would like to thank you for your presence and your message.” As they were leaving, a 10-year-old boy handed a note to a crewmember, which read, “I love you very much.”

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide.

Lawrence Tong
 

* name changed

However, a number of fields on the receiving side are less excited, as they don’t see how SSTs contribute effectively to seeing VCJFs among the least reached. Indeed, STTs are sometimes seen as a distraction, not a help. This is compounded when a field doesn’t actually see many (or any) long-term workers emerge from the effort they put into receiving STTs.

With frustration on both sides, this is a polarity: less a problem to be solved, but more a tension to be managed, and the aim should be for STTs to have a credible impact on the ministry and be effective in mobilising long-term workers.

The near/far culture dynamic is crucial to consider. A French team going to Spain, or an Algerian team going to Morocco may, in the space of two to three weeks, see people come to faith and groups of new believers start. For a Finnish team going to Jordan, or a Chinese team going to Turkey, it is far less likely (but not impossible) to witness this. In the first example, the STT may be predominantly ‘ministry’-focused, while in the second, it may be 20 per cent ‘ministry’ and 80 per cent vision casting and mobilisation focused. We need to recognise the reality of near and far culture dynamics and set things up accordingly.

It may be that many long-term workers have been on a STT at some point, but correlation is different from causation, and it is important that we don’t confuse the two. Would they have gone long-term anyway, or was participating in a STT causative in them going long-term? Perhaps, or it may be that the STT experience helped determine exactly where they ended up serving and with which organisation.

Get ready, then go

When a team is well prepared, and good follow up is done, the trip is more fruitful on every level: the impact of the team in country, the impact on the team that translates to changed attitudes and behaviours back in their home country, and the likelihood of some team members returning long-term. In that sense, high barriers to entry are good—not bureaucratic barriers but rather a commitment to study, pray and meet prior to the trip, and a similar commitment after the trip. When it is more about the journey that God is taking someone on and using them in, it becomes less about what they get out of it, and more about how they can serve—though they inevitably get a lot out of the experience, too. A low barrier to entry would be someone joining their church team because their friends are going and which, for that individual, involves little more than turning up at the airport on time. 

Recently, I was talking to the former leader of one field that over the years has received many STTs. He explained that the key to handling this tension of receiving STTs and long-term ministry was to place their STT program under their training department. It eased the burden on many of the long-termers and also meant that the time in country was focused on equipping and building into the STT participants, with better results there and then as well as in the long-term. 

Amen to that

A final word on prayer teams: I have seen prayer teams that are little more than tourists with a bit of extra prayer thrown in, but I have also seen some amazing prayer teams that are well prepared. Their sacrificial praying has started weeks or months before they come, not the day they arrive, and they come with a deep servant attitude leading to real impact on the ministry, local partners, the least reached and the long-term OMers. This has been true for near- and far-culture prayer teams.

Does it have to be an either/or? I don’t think so, though I do think that if we are more intentional in the way we set up STTs, the impact in every area—on the participants, the ministry and the least reached—can potentially be effective.

Stephan Bauer* presently serves as the Associate International Director for Field Ministries and says it is an exciting (and daunting) time to be involved in this kind of leadership. 

God can’t do everything

We cannot measure God with human metrics. Man’s knowledge obtained over centuries is a drop in the boundless sea of God’s knowledge. We are called to explore what we can about God—though hopelessly under-equipped to do so, because God can only be ever greater than our understanding.

God is not bound in any way to His creation. He remains changeless. This builds our faith in Him: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8, NIV). One consequence of His immutability is that His love for us never changes, being founded upon Himself, not us. Nothing I can ever do will make Him love me more—or less. Everything we do is a service of gratitude to Him, not to earn merit. 

God’s immutable qualities mean that if something is true about Him, then everything opposite to that cannot be true. Consider this short list of His qualities and how they call into question commonly held beliefs.

• God is omniscient (all-knowing), which means that He cannot learn; to lack exhaustive knowledge of anything would be a vulnerability and dependency on others. Why then do we feel it our duty in prayer to inform Him of the facts? How might our prayer times be different, knowing that He knows all? God is interested in detail and, when He responds to particular details we pray for, He is glorified and our faith grows. We don’t need to inform Him of our needs for His sake, but for ours. He knows perfectly what’s up and what’s needed.
  Never being able to hide anything from Him encourages us to live transparently before Him. When as a team, things beyond our control go wrong and there is loss in ministry or even life, we can feel crushed but, accepting that God has never been surprised, lets us lay our burdens on Him.
• God is omnipotent (all-powerful, ‘Almighty’). He cannot be beaten or fail. He is less dependent on us than we may have thought! He speaks and the earth trembles. A child cries unto Him, and He hears. Knowing that God is all-knowing and all-powerful, we can accept His timetable for the world and our own lives. Too often, we run ahead of God, looking for our wishes to be granted. Yet God can take His time, often to change us to receive His answer. The genius of God’s miracles is in their timing. As an organisation, we don’t want to run ahead of God nor lag behind. Both squander the present moment, which is all we are given
• God is omnipresent (everywhere). As the Creator, He is above all things and yet there is no place ‘off limits’ to God. We should practice the presence of God more in daily life. We should not think that a formal worship time in a large group has more of His presence than a handful of people toiling unseen and away from the crowd. We decide the depth and intensity of our experience of His presence, because He can never be less than 100% of Himself.
• God is just and the source of all truth, so He cannot lie or deceive or twist His word. There is no such thing as ‘situational ethics’ or a need to compromise His principles. God cannot deny Himself, His nature or His will. Whatever He has said will remain true forever. “Let God be true, and every man a liar” (Rom.3: 4, NIV).

When we fully grasp God’s eternal nature, we understand that every promise in His Word will come to pass. God is the ultimate planner and we need never be anxious about our future.

EVANGELISM

SPAIN: TAKING IT TO THE STREETS

Transform 2018 fielded several teams in Spain, Portugal and France. Every home in Saint-Flour, France received an invitation to an evangelical church in the historical city centre, along with a gospel of Luke. Other seeds were sown through conversations while walking the El Camino pilgrim route in Spain. “Do you think this walk can really change a person’s life?” asked one man. “I said ‘Yes!’ And that was the opening to share the gospel,” wrote a team member. In La Vera, Spain, a team member from Hong Kong shared the gospel with Chinese storekeepers. A local Christian who had spent several years in China, will follow up with those interested in learning more.

One team in Lisbon did not obtain permission to hold a street meeting, so they simply had natural conversations with people on the street, some of whom were interested in knowing about Jesus. Many local Christians were grateful and impressed that young people from far away would come to share the gospel. For Pastor Yann in Bruay-la-Buissière, France, it was a busy week; “The OM team really blessed and encouraged us,” he said. Over 75 people came to a concert on the last weekend, which meant a packed full church, and people were touched by the lyrics of songs. When the church put on a family carnival, all 11 church members worked hand-in-hand with the OM team, running the games, serving food and drinks and generally enabling the activities to go well. Approximately 40 children and their parents (more than 100 people in total) enjoyed a sunny afternoon in the church’s garden! It was a great day and a great way of introducing the church to many people in the community. Please pray for lasting fruit and consider joining the next Transform (in Greece, July 2019).

RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT

CAMBODIA: PAYING IT FORWARD

Tiny spirit houses spin in the wind in front of homes and offices. Fresh food and abundant tea are provided daily as offerings to ensure protection and luck. Temple spires peak amidst urban skylines and rural rice paddies alike. Evidence of Buddhism infiltrates nearly every aspect of Cambodian society, but for many people, religion is less about rituals and more about superstition and following tradition, said Sokhem*, a teacher at OM Mercy Teams International (MTI). Sokhem grew up in a remote province, steeped in Buddhist tradition. After he married, his wife encouraged him to pursue higher education. In order to afford tuition, Sokhem worked at a restaurant run by a Christian woman and attended a weekly Bible study there. “The boss encouraged us to study, to learn, to get to know Jesus, so step by step, I felt in touch with God.” Sokhem read Proverbs, “which has a lot of advice on how to live,” he noted. One day, the pastor who taught the study approached him: “Sokhem, if you want to trust Christ, tell me.” “The answer was already yes,” Sokhem recalled.

After obtaining a university degree, Sokhem spent two years working at an acclaimed international school. “But I wanted to be with kids who were broken, who were orphaned, who were poor, who didn’t have proper education,” he said. Since joining OM MTI, Sokhem participates in a daily Bible study where the staff read Scripture and discuss its meaning.

OM MTI allows Sokhem to connect with his students and pray for them. He also travels to another province to share God’s Word. “My vision is a church where I can teach English, preach the gospel, have my people come together and worship Him alone.”

CHURCH PLANTING

COSTA RICA: EXPANDING WORLDVIEWS

A group of indigenous people from the Talamanca region travelled for 10 hours to visit the Logos Hope. Talamanca is one of the least-reached areas of Costa Rica, where OM has been working for many years. “People there have [few] material possessions; they work the land and get little in return for the produce they sell,” explained OMer Roberto Ramirez. “They have little education and very little contact with the outside world.” When OM’s previous ship, Logos II, visited in 2003, there was only one small church in the area with no regular pastor. Since then, OM has enabled a full-time pastor to live in the community, and there are now churches in six different areas and an OM ministry centre. Beyond that outreach, this facility provides a place to train missionaries from Latin America and equip local leaders to
better serve their own people.

The group who visited Logos Hope is from a community called Sibujú (meaning ‘Land of God’). Their pastor, Pedro Ocon Flores, expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome they received on board. “We are indigenous people; nobody really cares about us or our struggles,” he explained. “But here we feel so loved and honoured and we are happy to be on this ship.”

The group shared about their community’s struggles with addictions, domestic violence, witchcraft, unemployment and lack of proper housing. Crewmembers prayed with them for their community and these issues. The guests were amazed that some of the crew also came from places of poverty, high unemployment and limited access to education. They realised that, though they have similar challenges, there is opportunity for them to be involved in sharing the gospel with the nations. Nine women from Talamanca attended a two-day sewing workshop on board, and sewing machines were donated to help provide a means of income. Meanwhile, three crewmembers had the privilege of experiencing life and serving the community in Talamanca. Learn more about OM’s ministry in Talamanca at: https://youtu.be/1BFIzey7UHI

JUSTICE

SOUTH ASIA: ONE NEW LIFE MATTERS

Rana* a 35-year-old woman shared her story with OM workers recently at the AIDSLink International* care centre. Ten years earlier, she had a beautiful life that came crashing down when her husband suddenly became sick. Test results showed that both Rana and her husband were HIV positive. They were shocked and full of fear. “What shall we do?” they thought. Rana’s husband’s health continued to fail, and he later died. Without a husband and having no children, Rana was alone. 

Rana was not able to stay in the home of her husband anymore, so she returned to live with her parents and brother, though she kept her HIV status a secret from them. After nine years, Rana, too, became very sick and though she already knew, the doctor now confirmed to her family that she was HIV positive and sent her to Kathmandu for testing and treatment. 

It was there that Rana met the staff of AIDSLink, who were friendly, helpful and understood her situation. They counselled and encouraged her, and helped her with her antiretroviral therapy. AIDSLink also provided her with a place to stay during her time of testing and initial treatment.

Through the work of AIDSLink staff, Rana got the opportunity to understand more about her condition, and she was able to see the hope and joy in the lives of the staff through the way they served. For such a long time Rana felt hopeless and sad, but now, for the first time in 10 years, she had hope and joy. Today, Rana feels well and thinks the future looks much brighter for her thanks to the work of AIDSLink.

*AIDSLink International works in partnership with OM to impact the worldwide HIV and AIDS pandemic.

MENTORING & DISCIPLESHIP

HUNGARY: SPEAKING FOR THE UNBORN

In early 2017, OM’s Bus4Life ministry cancelled a weeklong outreach and offered the bus to a Hungarian pro-life organisation, Shout for Life. During that first week, Bus4Life visited ten schools in six towns around Budapest. 1,500 students climbed on board the bus and were introduced to foetal development and pregnancy through a specially designed exhibition. Since then, OM has done three other outreaches with Shout for Life. Altogether, more than 5,000 young students have been challenged to consider the value of the unborn. Some schools have allowed the gospel to be shared, too.

The latest outreach took place in September, 2018 when Bus4Life visited several schools in the greater Budapest area. Students were invited to the bus in groups of 15-20. They looked at the exhibition, and watched three short videos about dating, pregnancy and abortion.

“We want students to understand that they are unique and that God created them,” OM’s Istvan Horvath says. “We talked about God’s plan for their lives, about dating and how you can prepare for a good marriage. We discussed the way media portrays sexuality, and how that contradicts God’s plan for sex.”

Istvan explains that speaking about sexuality is ‘taboo’ in Hungary, and the topic is rarely raised in schools. Bus4Life creates an opportunity to talk with students about sexuality and issues around it—an opportunity that the schools are happy to take. “Schools have started to notice the results of the work, and they invite us back. They want all students to go and see the exhibition,” Istvan says. “Teen pregnancies and students having abortions are common, and so is young children watching porn. No one is teaching them.”

Abortions performed in Hungary have decreased dramatically in recent years, partly due to a shift in government policies that seek to strengthen families and encourage couples to have children. But credit must be given to Christian organisations, too, particularly in their efforts to inform and educate the Hungarian youth about abortion.

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide.

Lawrence Tong

* name changed

To imagine!

‘To see’ should mean to imagine. When we want ‘to see’ communities of Jesus followers, we imagine by faith what we do not as yet see in the physical realm. We dream beyond the present reality and believe God to do more than we can ask or think (imagine) as Paul prays in Eph. 3:20. Einstein said that “imagination encircles the world.” We want to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers encircle the world, too, so let us dream towards that end.

At the same time, imagination can lead to fanciful dreams that go nowhere. We can become so captivated by vision statements that they get the better of us and we become victims of our visions. We eventually burn out and another vision statement joins the ranks of other unfulfilled dreams.

To be visible, countable

‘To see’ must be concrete. When we see something, it actually exits. Vibrant communities of Jesus followers must be accessible, tangible, touchable. In the NGO world of development projects, we are required to monitor and evaluate projects. In areas of unrest, often ‘security concerns’ means that a supervisor or outside evaluation team cannot have direct access to the area. This makes it more difficult ‘to see’ and often projects will stage an impact. We must not fall prey to staged stories. A vibrant community will be visible and hence, countable. What do we count and what do we not count? Someone recently mentioned that they had started a community of Jesus followers in an unreached area, proclaiming “We are two expats who meet together for prayer on a regular basis.” Is this counting honestly?

Seeing is more than observing

‘To see’ thus can sound passive. Is it merely to observe? How much does one have ‘to see’ to be part of the ministry? We can be removed from the actual project and merely hear what is going on. When we want to see communities of Jesus followers, we want to ensure that they take place. We therefore work towards this vision. So ‘seeing’ should be an activity where we implement actual steps which will hopefully birth such communities. Each step may be small, but these steps move us towards the goal.

Presence

In order to really see vibrant communities, we need to be present among the people where we envision Jesus followers to gather together. One of our team members working among Persian refugees wrote recently,

“A refugee couple started coming to our church. The wife was not a follower of Jesus, but the husband was. The husband hurt his hand. It was very painful. He was afraid he would lose his job because he could not use it. He asked for special prayer, and by God’s grace he was healed. His wife began to weep. She confessed Jesus as her Lord!”

How else would we have seen (known) this story, if we were not present with the people? It is easy to rely on second-hand reports or hearsay, but through actual presence we are able to see people following Jesus.

To see means to notice change

Paul writes about being “...transferred to the kingdom of His Son,” – Colossians 1:13 (ESV). Such transfer means transformation. We must be able to witness this. It will often mean time lapse as change is not always sudden. It is more than one evening of excitement or a great baptismal service. It could mean ongoing discipleship and training, long-term care, counseling, wholesome and well-rounded development and much more.

Indeed, there are so many variables as we ‘see’ vibrant communities develop among the least-reached peoples. As we work towards this vision, I nevertheless fall back on the age-old cliché that my father stressed repeatedly: “We are not called to be successful, but called to be faithful.”

Arley specialises in Persian culture, with an MA in Persian (Pakistan) and a PhD in Middle Eastern Civilizations (Canada). He directs Pamir Productions, media and discipleship for Afghans and teaches on Muslim-Christian themes. Exploring cultural themes in honour-shame societies, Arley occasionally runs seminars for professionals and college students in Central Asia. Arley and his wife Janice have been with OM since the early 1980s.

There’s no app for that

In my short lifetime, I have never seen anything that has invaded, by our invitation, and altered our lives more than the internet. Our world can no longer function without this connectivity, but few dare to question the cost to our society and our souls. Who dares to bite the hand that feeds us? 
 

A sign of the times

Technology is neutral, it is said, but networking, data mining and manipulation challenge that platitude. Regardless, while there are so many amazing, helpful and educational resources a click away, this digital deluge devours our most precious, irreplaceable resource: our time on Earth as mortals who will give account to God. We have a binary choice how we invest that limited asset: We can continue to spend more time on our devices than we do in sleep, or we can invest into study and reflection, into face-to-face connections with people craving real fellowship. We have created a culture where people prefer interaction with strangers on screens than with people around them. Is this what we want to pass onto the next generation? Power now rests not with those of authority or role but with those who can be heard globally in social media where truth is optional. My concern is a lack of balance in our lives; my lamentation is that most people are unaware and unconcerned where we are being taken. 

Why is it that, generally, we are unwilling to admit that we are digitally addicted and not ready to reclaim time and space for reflection, individually and corporately? Facing social pressure, we turn off the ringer but, to be physically separated from our devices, even briefly, causes anxiety. Too many of us are living with an addiction more powerful than hard drugs—and harder to govern.

The Bible says that there is time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens (Ecclesiastes 3:1), introducing a balance between ‘on’ and ‘off’. A modern paraphrase might add, “a time to surf Facebook or WhatsApp and a time to be offline” …although few would care to heed it. Paul said of believers’ freedoms that they are legal but not always beneficial or constructive (1 Cor. 10: 23). Today we have relationships ‘a mile wide and an inch deep,’ a reflection of the times. You can have 1500 friends on Facebook but shrivel in loneliness. And I can ‘unfriend’ anyone with a single click.
 

You can do it

Here are some ‘baby steps’ we can take to bring more balance into our lives:

• Personal prayer and reflection: Consciously separate yourself from your device as an act of worship. Turn it off and keep it elsewhere.
• Group prayer: Use a dish/box to collect all devices, deliberately proclaiming Christ’s preeminence.
• Ten-minute ‘time out’ of utter silence when retiring and when rising.
• No-phone zones: bedrooms, meal tables, church, meeting friends.
• Nature outing: Leave your device at home or in the car. You will survive!
• Weekends: no emails sent or read.

OM has entered on a year of weekly prayer and fasting. Adding to this, I would like to call everyone in our movement to also make this one day entirely free of digital devices and distraction. You do not need to have your phone so you can pray better for Yemen. Use your imagination! In the sovereignty of God, life will go on. It’s one way that we can put God above all else.

EVANGELISM

GUATEMALA: A MESSAGE FOR EVERYONE

Logos Hope leaders and crewmembers were honoured to receive the First Lady of Guatemala on board. Marroquin Argueta de Morales, wife of President Jimmy Morales, visited the ship’s book fair in Puerto Quetzal. She was greeted by a crowd waving national flags, as well as crewmembers waving their own national flags from the top of ship.


Logos Hope Director, Pil-Hun Park (South Korea), gave the First Lady a tour and explained three main goals: to share knowledge, help and hope. Crewmembers share knowledge through literature and events, help through humanitarian projects, and hope through personal stories. The First Lady was sensitive in particular to ‘hope’. “She said that, in the world, many people are losing hope, and the ship aims to bring hope worldwide. That is why she appreciated our visit. Every country needs hope,” Pil-Hun shared.


As the First Lady was browsing the book fair, she picked a few books to purchase, and greeted other visitors. “She was hugging people, and a lot of them wanted a picture with her,” said Nathan Schmutz (Switzerland). 


In a private meeting, the First Lady and the ship’s leadership conversed about the experience the people of Guatemala have had on board—for many of them, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.


“We were able to give a great experience to the First Lady of Guatemala,” Nathan commented. Logos Hope’s leadership was encouraged by a united heart for sharing hope to the nations, and greatly appreciated the First Lady’s visit.

RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT

MYANMAR: MORE THAN MEALS

In situations of incredible suffering, spending time with people helps convey a message of love. Recently, an OM team visited a flooded village to distribute basic food items, but they also spent time with people affected by the disaster, listening to their heart-wrenching accounts.

Alice*, an OMer, sat across from a woman who held her two-month-old baby. His name meant ‘floating in the water’ because he was born in the floodwaters. The OM team named him Moses, who similarly was a child who floated in waters. Due to lack of food, the young mother was unable to breastfeed but Alice gave helpful instructions and food. The community had been pooling food and money, but did not have enough. The food that the OM team gave was the first they received in a week. The local pastor partnering with OM asked if they could pray for the mother and child.

The village’s high monk has never allowed Christians to enter. However, he now invited them to come as a church, do a medical trip and host a concert at Christmas—even offering to arrange things. He has been so touched by the work of the local pastor and the OM teams that he has been listening to the pastor’s weekly sermons. For most families, the financial strain of the flood has been crushing. Despite having so little themselves, they are quick to share with each other but they also extended generosity to the OM teams.

One OMer shared, “We went to give rice, but I think that [the woman] felt love. She invited us many, many times to come to her home and eat with her in another year, and that we could sleep in her house then. The generosity of people who don’t even have enough daily food is so touching.”

CHURCH PLANTING

NEAR EAST: SEEDING FIRST

“We started this team to focus on planting churches and finding groups that will reproduce,” long-term OM worker Diane* emphasised. Her team (three women) wanted to implement important principles inherent to church planting and disciple-making movements (DMM). Since Diane and her team were starting ‘from scratch’, they decided to build prayer into their schedules: thirty minutes of shared prayer daily plus one day a week of team fasting and prayer. Nancy*, another team member, added, “Prayer number one is to see disciple making happening.”

“We would love to see things happen quickly and have lots of people hear the gospel, but our goal is to make people into disciples with depth,” Diane stated. “A disciple is always someone who makes other disciples.”

Nancy talked of one woman who “was asking questions and wanted to read together. She believes that her help is from God, and is asking me about the book,” Nancy said. “I’m finding out what she really wants: to follow Jesus or is it a polite way to connect with me?”

In another family, Diane met a husband and wife who initially showed interest in the Bible. The husband told Diane he had once dreamed that he opened the gospel and read that God is one. “That’s a fantastic dream,” she replied. “Let me show you where it’s written.” When Diane got ready to leave, the woman asked her where she could get a gospel. “I could give you a book, but it’s much more fun to read it together. Would you like to study the Bible?” Diane asked. The next time Diane visited, that same lady invited an aunt and uncle, who had stayed an extra night in order to read the Bible.

Pray for the ministry team to develop perseverance. “Many relationships take three steps forward and five steps back,” Diane shared. “People get teary-eyed when they see a Bible, and they really want to read it, and then suddenly they no longer answer your phone calls.”

Pray for more people to join the field. “We all have a long-term commitment, but for a stable team we need more people who are passionate about making disciples and planting churches,” Diane said.

JUSTICE

SERBIA: REACHING THEIR OWN

OM has played a significant humanitarian role in a government-run camp since the ‘refugee crisis’ in Europe escalated in 2015. Today, many refugees from Iran are turning to Jesus during a worldwide move of God amongst Iranians.

“It’s a privilege to witness the Lord touching so many Iranians,” Balkan Field Leader Volker Sachse shares. He tells of an Iranian, Ali*, living in Bulgaria, who plays a strategic role in God’s work. Previously a major drug dealer and convicted of murder, he was sent to prison where he came to Christ through a visiting pastor and immediately began preaching to his fellow inmates, many of whom trusted in Jesus.

Released in 2015, just as a new wave of refugees from the Middle East entered Bulgaria from Turkey, he preached the gospel to every Iranian refugee he met. Many responded, even being baptised right away.

One of Ali’s contacts who came to faith in 2016 was Farzad*. Over the past two years, God has used Farzad to share God’s love with other Iranians in Serbia.

In autumn 2016, when Farzad entered the camp in Sid, he witnessed to a handful of Iranians in the camp, but the presence of many strict Muslims in the camp inhibited Iranian believers.

In the last year, though, many stricter Muslims moved to other camps. Despite coming from a Muslim theocracy, many newcomers were surprisingly liberal in style and outlook, learned Farzad. Then, one night, Farzad had a powerful dream. “He saw a highway filled with people walking to somewhere beautiful,” says Volker. “But his own feet just wouldn’t move. He sensed God was telling him to stay where he was.” Farzad become bolder in preaching and discipling, both in Farsi and English. He encouraged believers of every nationality to meet together for fellowship and built up many Christian contacts in the Iranian diaspora worldwide through social media.

There is now an ongoing need to nurture young believers towards greater maturity. “I’m excited by the possibility of an intensive discipleship training course for up to eight Iranian believers over five days, which would then be repeated for others,” says Volker. The course will equip Christians to launch a church in the camp. Praise God for the increasing number of Iranian believers in refugee camps. Pray that God raises up more long-term workers to join OM’s work in Serbia.

MENTORING & DISCIPLESHIP

MOZAMBIQUE: I’M AVAILABLE

“If a person I am discipling says, ‘I am going to look for honey,’ I say, ‘Let’s go together.’ I don’t like to be far from those I disciple,” said OMer John. Currently, John is discipling a young Muslim man in a northern village. Both men were planning on building houses, so John decided to make mud bricks together. Every day as they work—carrying water, mixing mud, shaping bricks and burning them—they do it together, providing an opportunity to share the gospel. “Everyday I share. He has many questions,” said John.

“The foundation of the gospel here is relationships, friendship that yields trust. This takes time. If you merely talk to [many people] about Jesus it is easy—but one day, they will all disappear. One listener is a fisherman; another a hunter or farmer. If the fisherman goes to the river, you need to escort him and concentrate on him. This is discipleship with quality: You release him, and he is going to make disciples.”

Zito was another disciple of John. After one of Zito’s close friends became a Christian, he was angry, thinking his friend was following nonsense. One day John asked Zito to go for a walk. Zito agreed, all the while thinking, “He is my enemy, a Christian.” John asked Zito: If God asked you if you wanted everlasting life, what would your answer be? “[John] said, ‘Zito, God loves you,’” Zito remembered. “I asked, ‘How can you say God loves me?’ He said, ‘God loves you, and He wants your life. The only way to enter the presence of God is through Jesus Christ.’”

Zito continued on as he was, but John kept coming alongside him. “Whenever I said I was going to fish, he said, ‘Let’s go.’ So I decided I wanted to go to [church]; from there I started growing slowly.” After one year of searching, Zito trusted in Christ and joined the OM team. “I am so happy that if I die today, I will be with God,” he said. 

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide.

Lawrence Tong

* name changed

Being what we want others to be

Our new vision—“We want to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached”—is a practical action statement, a gift from God that can transform our movement and impact the world. However, that transformation, that impact, must begin first with us, on every team. We must first ‘walk the talk’ to rescue this call from remaining theoretical and, frankly, useless. What was crafted in our minds needs to be powered by our hearts long before any churches are planted. A mere statement of intent will not change the world.

‘Vibrant’ is hard to define, even in English. We know that it doesn’t translate literally in many languages and isn’t found in Scripture. For one thing, vibrancy gives off (good or bad) vibrations that transfer energy elsewhere in the system. How do we keep a 60+-year-old organisation vibrant as it was from OM’s founding: a radical, passionate call to expecting more with God together? How do we draw upon our communal ‘DNA’ to ensure that we do not settle for less over time?
 

Back to basics…or else

A community is a group of people who are voluntarily yoked together to realize a common destiny. It’s not a social club or mere companionship. Most OM teams (and many churches) began as such communities but, over time, some have decayed into shadows of once-vibrant reality. As churches or missions grow in size, intimacy and passion for the Kingdom wane because other factors in larger communities drain energy such as control and regulation. Don’t mistake busyness for vibrancy. Genuine growth happens in environments that relinquish control and set people free. Ten communities of ten people will by definition be more successful than one group of 100. This raises a question for OM: For the Kingdom’s sake, should we be aiming at relentless growth or would it be more strategic to form many smaller entities? Bigger need not mean better. The kind of community we need to be is enthusiastic, inclusive, spiritually attractive. People encounter such groups and want to be part of them.

All institutions over time cede spontaneity and risk for the sake of stability. Missions should never succumb to this, because God has promised resources to keep us full of faith and vision. However, those new resources often come packaged as change, and we can be averse to change thereby missing great potential for renewal. I believe that this overhaul of our organisation came about at the right time, saving us from rigidity and irrelevancy.
 

Practical steps to foster greater vibrancy

• Share your faith with others, not merely your testimony. The first is forward-looking, Christ-focused and contemporary; the second is rearward-looking, self-focused and historical.
• In your office workplace, bring back the day of evangelism that was normal in times past. Step out in faith together regularly and connect with non-believers.
• Guard against a pseudo-poverty mentality. Dress as well as you can. Decorate your office spaces to be attractive and…well, vibrant. Some of us are stuck in the ‘60s mentality and some churches won’t take us seriously because of that. Confidence and positivity make a good impression.
• As Jesus followers, we have the most important work in the world. But that should not crush us because it is God’s mission, not ours. We need a lot more spontaneous celebration and, dare I say, a renewed sense of humour that can bind us together, recharge out batteries and show those around us some of the abundant life God has promised His children. Start with that smile!
   

EVANGELISM

ROMANIA: NOT JUST ANY BUS

OM’s Bus4Life visited Romania twice during the summer of 2018. In one town, 120 children took part in Bus4Life activities. Bus4Life was warmly welcomed to the county of Buzau, participating in school outreaches organised together with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF). Several workshops for children included arts and crafts, sports and watching Christian cartoons. The Bus4Life team then travelled south, and organised an outreach with a small church of about 20 people—the first time the church had organised a public event. The local newspaper wrote articles about the bus every day the team was there.

Feedback from the church was also encouraging: “Bus4Life is such a great tool! People are curious, and it is so easy to start conversations. We could see how they started to respect the church more, because they saw the quality programme we offered. It was nice to offer a wide range of activities from medical tests to kids’ programmes and lots of books—even conversation with international people!”

Some months later, Bus4Life returned to Romania for twelve days in the Constanta area near the Black Sea. The team invited people to have their blood pressure and blood sugar tested. OMer Delia said, “It is quite common here for people to live all their life without ever visiting a doctor’s office, fearing they will be diagnosed with some awful disease.”

Upon finding out that Bus4Life is a Christian ministry, one Orthodox man exclaimed, “This is why you know so much about God!” Formal confession and praying to Holy Mary play significant parts in Orthodox faith. “I encouraged one man to pray directly to God”, Delia remarked. “I said, ‘You don’t have to wait until Sunday to confess your sins; you can ask for God’s forgiveness any day.’”

Known as OM’s ‘ship on wheels’, Bus4Life is a multi-functional missions centre that serves the communities of Central and Eastern Europe. Bus4Life is currently looking for a driver for 2019.

RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT

ZAMBIA: LIFE LEARNERS

Esther started attending Makwati Community School in Kabwe when she was in grade three. At that time, it was a small building of split-plank logs covered in black plastic to keep dust out and offer protection from wind and sun. Students held books in their laps and sat on bricks that would one day build their school. The teachers quickly noticed an improvement in students’ academic performances after moving into the new classrooms; they were more focused on learning and less on pushing each other for the best seat or balancing their books. 

Though much of the construction is finished, there is still a need for finances to furnish classrooms with furniture and to purchase resources and materials. “People are really changing because of this school,” said Phoebe, who has been a teacher at Makwati School since its beginning. 

“After we teach [the students] , they go home and tell their parents what we have taught them,” said Phoebe.

The Manna Project provides a lunch every school day—for some, the only full meal they receive. In 2013, teachers noticed students were having difficulties staying engaged and lacked energy to play during break times. “A lot of [the students] were suffering from malnutrition. They were unable to count because they were sleeping, caused by not having enough food. Starting from when they introduced the Manna project, students were happy and playing,” said Phoebe.

Makwati School is the only school in the area and provides Christ-centred education to 289 students from pre-kindergarten to grade seven. Each year they have added one class to accommodate the growing students.

CHURCH PLANTING

SERBIA: NO WORD FOR HOPE

OM EAST partner Goran belongs to the Gurbet Roma, a predominantly Muslim minority group. Goran heard God’s Word when he started going to church and believed in Jesus Christ after an answer to prayer. “In 1996, my mother was in a coma for three months,” Goran shared. Their pastor prayed and declared she would recover. “I said [to myself]: If my mother really gets up, I will give my heart to God,” Goran remembered. “Two days later, she got up.”

Goran’s decision to follow Jesus challenged cultural values and traditions he grew up with, causing him to live differently in his community. In 2002, Goran completed a theology diploma and co-pastored a predominantly Roma church for 15 years. Two years ago, he started a Christian non-profit organisation involved in Bible translation and producing literature and media for the Roma. In 2017, OM EAST provided the design and layout for a Gurbet Roma-Serbian-English picture dictionary now used in a school, and as a tool to help Serbian or foreign believers learn Gurbet Roma to communicate the gospel in their heart language. “There is no word for ‘hope’ in our language,” stated Goran. “The words ‘blessing’ or ‘thankfulness’ don’t exist either. What does it say about the condition of a people group who need to borrow the word ‘hope’ from the local language?” an OM EAST worker wondered. “When I translate, there is revival for me in my heart,” Goran said, smiling. Goran leads a youth group and desires to invest more time speaking to individuals about God’s Word. 

Goran lives in the Roma area of Leskovac, where most are from a Muslim background. Last year, three OM EAST team members visited him, where they met a young man who interpreted into English. One OM guest asked their host to tell them about someone whose life he has seen God at work in. “The young man turned said with a smile, ‘I am the first’,” the OM worker recalled. “Our interpreter had come to faith through Goran passing on the hope he has received.”

Please pray for wisdom as Goran translates. Pray the Gurbet Roma would respond to Jesus. 

JUSTICE

KOSOVO: RE-UNITING MOTHER AND SON

OMer Anita tells how Besjana reunited with her son after a night of prayer with the local church. In May, they spent six hours worshipping God, and praying for their country. Slips of paper were distributed, each bearing the names of mothers and children living at the House of Joy, an NGO supported by OM, which reintegrates survivors of abuse into society.

Besjana and her children came to the House of Joy in 2013, but Andri was taken from her to live with her husband’s family. In May, she attended a court case to show that she was a fit mother. Anita, graduating from Law School, went with her for support. The opposing lawyer asked Besjana if she had been able to see Andri. No one had allowed her to see him in five years. Anita said, “I asked for the documents from Besjana’s last court case; when I read them, I realised that the decision to keep Andri away from Besjana was made without speaking to the family, including Andri—this is illegal.”

Anita pursued this with the judge, who immediately asked Andri if he wanted to meet his mother. Andri had been told by his father’s family that Besjana had abandoned him, so he did not trust her. However, Anita asked if she could hug Andri on behalf of his younger sister and brother. “He gave me a very sweet hug, and it touched my heart,” Anita remembered. On the way home, Anita asked Besjana how she felt about the day. “She looked at me with a smile of pure joy, and told me she did not have the words to describe how happy she was,” Anita smiled.

Three days later, the lawyer brought Andri to the House of Joy to meet his siblings for the first time in five years. They laughed, played together and now stay in contact through social media. Anita ended saying, “I had been praying for him since the prayer night. God showed up and has allowed for healing to begin.” Please pray for Besjana and her son Andri to be fully reconciled and for the original unlawful judgment to be overturned, so that Besjana can receive her son back. Please pray for wisdom for Anita as she helps Besjana with the court case.

MENTORING & DISCIPLESHIP

PANAMA: MOBILISING TOGETHER

COMIBAM (Congreso Misionero Ibero Americano in Spanish, meaning ‘Ibero-American Missionary Congress’) is an umbrella organisation mobilising Hispanic-background believers from Latin America and other nations to share the gospel around the world. The organisation was created by Decio De Carvalho (Brazil) thirty years ago, after his experience serving on board Logos and Doulos. Decio had the vision of bringing together many smaller mission agencies in Latin countries.

COMIBAM’s 2018 three-day convention took place on board Logos Hope in Panama, a unique multinational platform for the organisations’ leaders to discuss the future of mission agencies in Latin America, the state of missions globally and what coming years may bring. Their goal was to explore how teams might improve, individually and collectively.

The event was possible thanks to cooperation between COMIBAM, Logos Hope and OM both in Panama and across Latin America. “We received phenomenal support from OM and the ship in hosting us, for which we are very grateful,” said Decio. “The event was organised for leaders of missionary agencies, churches and organisations that send missionaries. It was beautiful for these brothers to observe what collaborating in God’s mission looks like,” he added.

Ninety-seven leaders from over 30 nationalities participated, representing 40 different organisations. Some had previously served with OM and even on board forerunner ships to Logos Hope. 

Cristian Castro (Costa Rica), sending director for COMIBAM International, said, “We need to understand how this world changes, the new roadmaps for mission, and the new migration situations. We need to adapt and be relevant to the Church, to new generations, and to people who haven’t been reached.”

Allan Matamoros (Costa Rica) found a spirit of collaboration between OM’s vision—of seeing vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached—and COMIBAM’s aims to reach indigenous and isolated people groups with the gospel. Several leaders commented on the unity found in the joint effort and were encouraged to continue in shared vision and purpose for God’s kingdom.

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide.

Lawrence Tong
 

* name changed

The current, upcoming generation is Generation Z that follows the famous Millennials. Born between 1993–2012 (give or take), most of Generation Z are teenagers now, and we meet them at TeenStreets in six countries across the globe: Australia, Middle East, Germany, Philippines, Malaysia and Montenegro. In Germany, teens were recently confronted with the problem of billions of people having no chance to hear about Jesus. We were surprised by the immediate response of more than 100 teenagers who were ready to sign up for outreach in Europe. 

It turns out that the top two skills of Generations Z are communication and problem solving1. Have you ever heard of a hackathon? It’s a group of people who gather (virtually or face-to-face) to crack a problem. Gen Z loves doing that—and they are good at it. The teenagers of Generation Z want to be involved. They are entrepreneurial, ready to crack problems…if we supply them. They are great communicators…if we give them a platform to communicate. 

You too were once a teen

Our world—secular and Christian —underestimates teenagers. The only ones who are really good at valuing them are businesses that make money from them. A company like Nike spends billions annually to understand teens!

As we look at the signs of the times, we see the greatest number of people in history that have no chance to hear about Jesus. And we see a generation that loves a challenge and has skills to make a difference. 

Watching those 100 teens sign up to make a difference, we immediately knew that we had a problem: OM does not have many options for teens to go out—yet. We need to solve that problem by creating ways to get this generation involved while they are willing. Even small steps can cause major ripple effects in the future, as these teens’ world grows. As their responsibilities grow, they will already have a worldview that includes being a Jesus follower reflecting Him amongst the least reached. 

I believe in a global movement of young Jesus followers that will do exactly that. The question for us older generations is whether we are willing to pour 60 years of global missions experience into them while being willing to learn from them. TeenStreet has proven to be one effective tool for this, but we need to think of many other ways to engage with this generation, trusting them with responsibilities that fit that their capabilities. Let us take these teens seriously enough in their role of fulfilling the Great Commission. That sounds to me like something Jesus would do!

1. Koulopoulos, T. M., Keldsen, D., & Hoopla digital. (2015). The Gen Z effect: The six forces shaping the future of business. United States: Gildan Audio.

Ewout met his wife, Ali, in OM 10 years ago, and they now are the parents of Jonathan (7), Toby (5) and Charlie (3). They live in the Netherlands, as part of a small vibrant community of Jesus followers amongst secular Westerners. Ewout is part of the international resourcing team and his main role is directing TeenStreet internationally and looking into starting many more TeenStreets around the world. 

Being people of grace

Justice is when you get what you deserve; Mercy is not getting what you deserve; Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. How others perceive our personal character is heavily dependent on the quality of grace we exhibit. Grace is an acquired attitude, a gift from God that reflects His Son’s example. No one from birth is naturally gracious, but anyone learn to live in the grace of our God and Father. Sin is corrosive to grace and, since we face that daily, we need to draw more grace from God through daily surrender and receiving inspiration from God’s Word.

We sing of God’s amazing grace, but does it permeate our soul so that we are known for reflecting His graciousness? To make grace a spiritual reflex in our lives will be costly, but imagine: Our very thoughts, words, actions and desires can be permeated with Holy Spirit-given grace. Imagine more: Each of us can in this moment covenant to submit to the Spirit and be molded as vessels of grace. This should stir our imagination, precisely because it is not imaginary.

You get what you pay for

Dietrich Bonhoeffer spoke of ‘cheap grace’ and ‘costly grace’. The former is a platitude that costs us nothing…and accomplishes nothing. Costly grace is the grace of Jesus who paid the ultimate price, a grace that is transformative and eternal. Costly, real grace is when you forgive someone for an offense: You may not feel warm to that person afterward, but you recognise that he/she is also your sibling in God’s family. Therefore, when they need support and help, determine to be the first to come to their aid. Cheap grace makes a show of forgiveness but shows no mercy to the ‘forgiven’ one: ‘Let him suffer as I suffered.’ Taking the grace of God and others for granted cheapens our experience of it. We should be in awe of grace, whether the saving grace of God or the long-suffering of our neighbour.

As OM’s International Director, I observe many individuals under pressure. Some shine in trials, while others surprise themselves at how poorly they react. We would do well to learn that when “iron sharpens iron” (Prov.27:17), regardless of the test or conflict, “He gives more grace” (James 4:6). To imitate the world’s ways, I could fire people ‘when needed’ and be applauded as a CEO. God’s grace pulls in another direction: Here is someone wanting to serve God. What should I as leader be doing to help him achieve that? In what other capacity can he find fulfillment? He may choose to move on, but will know that we care for him.

Five ways to exhibit God’s grace daily:

• Cultivate an inner, vulnerable humility rather than pride. Focus on quality and depth of grace, not mere appearances.
• Recognising your own need for God’s grace, strive toward unconditionally forgiving others. We are all broken people—tainted souls apart from God’s grace.
• As Paul affirmed Mark after he had failed (2 Tim.4:11), restore people after they stumble.
• Accept criticism, even if you are proven right. Criticism can be our friend and teacher as leaders.
• Seek the benefit of those around you. My prayer is that I will always use my position to enrich others.

Paul speaks of “the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding” (Eph. 1:7,8 NIV)—the word ‘lavished’ meaning to pour out to the point of wastefulness. There’s plenty of God’s grace to share with others; don’t try to hoard it.

EVANGELISM

KOSOVO: USING DAILY LIFE

In a very relational culture where people love to talk. Peter* found a group of men ready to discuss life issues when he went for a haircut. God used this everyday event as an opportunity for gospel conversation. Several men, friends of the owner, were talking politics over coffee. Peter asked if they believed there is hope for Kosovo. They doubted it, unless the country could get younger, educated politicians who are not corrupt.

Peter explained how he prays for Kosovo: as Jesus instructs in Luke 10, pronouncing blessings of God’s peace in all its forms (within people, between communities, etc.). The idea of Kosovo receiving a blessing of peace was exciting to Fatmir*, an older gentleman, who brought up the Islamic blessing of Salaam Alaikum (‘Peace be unto you’) which was familiar to them.

A lively conversation ensued about religion and the purpose of life, giving Peter opportunity to share from the Bible about God’s call to look after the world and each other. Peter explained how these are fulfilled in Jesus, and how He calls people to find forgiveness and join His commission in the world. The group invited Peter to come back to share more.

Often, the opportunities God gives in daily life to build new relationships and reveal His glory to those who don’t know Him is overlooked. Peter turned a necessary haircut into a gospel opportunity. Pray for this group of Kosovar men as they ponder what Peter shared from the Bible about peace and the purpose of life. As this new friendship develops, pray they may be open to learn more about how Jesus is the one true hope for their future.

RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT

ALBANIA: LET THEM COME UNTO ME

Over 18,000 children are disabled in Albania, but over 80 per cent receive no education at all (Unicef, 2014). When scarce health and education resources are allocated, children with disabilities are a low priority. Most families with a disabled child receive a modest allowance from social services but no therapies or other aid.

In one city, OM partners with an evangelical church to express God’s love in this difficult situation. A weekly outreach event, Sweet Mess, hosts ten such families. Paired with home visits, holistic activities, educational care, parents are given a listening ear and practical help. Whole families come to Sweet Mess for fun, crafts, Bible stories, prayer, songs and drama, and a meal—a rare oasis in a culture that defines and limits their daily lives. Here they can feel loved by God and His people, valued, equal.

Sixteen-year-old Arben*, a regular attendee, has special needs and is also paralysed in a wheelchair. His entire life has been in a small, cold, run-down house, along with his recently widowed mother and three siblings. He has never been to school. The OM team helps Arben out of his house, along with his family, for the ride to church. “He adores coming; it’s the highlight of his week!” shares OM team member, Lisi*, from Austria. 

More therapeutic input will be provided by two colleagues with professional skills and experience who joined the OM team in early 2018. Anna* is a special needs educationalist from Germany, and Deasy* is a music therapist from Indonesia. Pray for them in language learning, for patience and persistence to build trusting relationships. Pray for sufficient staffing and funding to keep running Sweet Mess every week and for much-needed therapy equipment and resources for youth with disabilities. Pray for family members to respond to the love of Jesus as they see it lived out in the actions and attitudes of OMers and members of the church.

CHURCH PLANTING

PANAMA: FROM EVERY TRIBE…

Tribal people, called Wounaan, living on an island near the Colombian border, were visited by a team from Logos Hope who shared their various cultures and unifying faith. More than four decades ago, a pregnant young woman named Rosaura came to the mainland, knocking on doors in a neighbourhood occupied by North Americans, and asking for help and food. A Christian couple showed compassion and welcomed her into their home, found her a job and shared the gospel with her.

The American woman who welcomed Rosaura spent hours daily praying aloud in a language that she did not understand. When the two ladies started praying together, they both realised this language was the dialect spoken in the Wounaan tribe, from which Rosaura had come. Thus began the indigenous young woman’s grasp of the greatness of God.

Rosaura told the ship’s crewmembers that she was uncertain how she had come to be among the tribe in the first place; nor did she know her own age. Once her child was born, she went back to the island and shared the gospel with the entire tribe. Most have now become believers in Christ. A church nearby has ministered to the Wounaan community for 40 years and facilitated Logos Hope’s interaction with the tribes people.

Using a canoe to reach the island, the team discovered a community virtually untouched by modern society. Any Salazar (Mexico)  remarked, “Though isolated, they are very open. They are so intelligent, making use of everything in nature,” she exclaimed. While crewmembers were sharing the gospel with the tribe and praying together, a group of visitors arrived and sat with them. A young girl approached and said that she had been on Logos Hope in the Bahamas last year and had never expected to see the ship again. “God blessed this tribe so much,” said Any. “And the tourists heard our message as well.”

JUSTICE

SOUTH ASIA: GOOD NEWS SPREADS FAST

A few years ago, a group of people living with HIV began to gather monthly. Though not all followed Jesus, they were drawn to Him and to those who demonstrated Jesus’ love for them. A care centre was opened where people living with HIV could stay while at the hospital. News of God’s love spread, demonstrated by this small team, most of whom were living with HIV themselves.

As part of their work, they counsel new clients at the hospital, guiding them where to go, how to understand test results and how to live with hope, understanding that an HIV diagnosis is not the end. Two new support groups have started in distant regions. The team drove seven hours over beautiful mountain passes to a distant town, where about 15 people travelled up to three hours to meet them. The group ate, sang, prayed and shared together. They listened with rapt attention to the story of the woman at the well—so contextually appropriate in a place where they use wells. So many women have had bad marriages thrust on them, yet are still blamed for negative outcomes, much like the Samaritan woman. 

There were Hindus, a Muslim, Buddhists and a few freshly-minted Christians­—all were either Jesus followers or on the road to being one in a vibrant, relevant community. All of them had a couple of things in common: They were living with HIV and had seen Christ embodied in the people who helped them. 

A sixteen-year-old girl translated the message for an OM team member. Going through the passage together beforehand, she was shocked how Jesus broke all the rules for this Samaritan lady–rules of gender, religion and mixing with outcasts.

Surely if Jesus were walking the streets of this town, this is the house He would choose to visit. In reality, He is, in the form of His servants who bring His vibrant love to those in need and help them to flourish and grow into the people that Christ intends them to be.

MENTORING & DISCIPLESHIP

RUSSIA: NO PLACE TOO FAR

The Chukchi people, a minority group of 15,000, are indigenous reindeer herders and fishermen living in Siberia. Partners of OM EAST seek to bring the truth about Jesus Christ to the animist Chukchi. “The biggest challenges in reaching the Chukchi are isolation and fear,”  explained Natalie*, a field worker. “It is very expensive to travel to their remote villages, and official permissions are required. Furthermore, they fear the consequences of not following rituals such as wearing amulets (charms).”

OM EAST’s partners on the field want the Chukchi to know that through faith in Jesus, it is possible to have peace with God and assurance of salvation. To communicate this hope, in 2017 they published a book of 25 Bible stories in the Chukchi and Russian languages. An Android app enables individuals to both read and listen to the content. The Bible storybook declares Jesus’ authority over nature, sickness, death, demons and to forgive sin. OM EAST provided the design and layout, also creating an eBook version.

“My local colleague Katarina* is distributing the storybook and she says some people even want her to write a little note to them personally inside it,” shared Natalie. The storybooks are being given out in the Republic of Yakutia, where Katarina visited a village with 300–400 inhabitants, home to a handful of believers. To get there, it is a four-hour flight from Yakutia’s capital, followed by a six-hour journey by snowmobile or a 45-minute flight by helicopter. “It’s worth the labour of translation, the cost of travel and the risks of the climate to deliver the message of greatest worth to the Chukchi people,” reflected an OM EAST worker, while considering what their partners on the field are prepared to invest to fulfill what God has put on their hearts.

Praise God that the Chukchi are hearing the gospel. Please pray that individuals will use the print and digital Bible storybooks and that they would have courage to leave their rituals and trust Jesus as Saviour. Pray for local followers of Christ hold firmly to the faith they profess.

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide.

Lawrence Tong

* name changed

In his defence of Christianity, Justin (2nd c.) said, “When Christians live with integrity and visibility, by our patience…and meekness [Christians will] draw all men from shame and evil desires.”1

Pagan writers saw patience as a characteristic of lowly people. Tertullian (4th c.), however, said it is rooted in God Himself. Christ’s incarnation is the ultimate act of patience, as He bore the reproach and shame of people. This patience reflected a new way of life which, along with the hidden power of yeast (ferment) within the church, drew people towards the Kingdom and the church grew spontaneously. 

While the early church world is vastly different from the 21st century, this reading has led me to reflect in the following ways.

Patience and sacrifice

In Persio-Indian cultures, the virtue of jawanmardi (young manliness) is extolled as the greatest virtue (futuwwat/fatan in the Arab world) that embodies all the qualities of good men (courage, hospitality, generosity and more). However, the ultimate jawanmard willingly sacrifices his life for others’ benefit. Persians have told me they see Jesus as the greatest jawanmard. He gave His life away, pouring it out for others (kenosis—emptying of Philippians 2:6). 

Indeed, the Christ-like patience which the church fathers extolled is much deeper than waiting quietly for a bus. Rather, it is a sacrificial and enduring compassion for others, which our Lord embodied in His life and ultimately on the cross. We are to have that same attitude (patience). 

Patience and Christian witness

Secondly, as we witness unprecedented growth of Christian faith among Muslims in recent years, we see a similar phenomenon as in the early church. We note the push from within the Muslim world, a deep dismay at the present state in the Middle East which compels people to search for answers beyond their world. We also see the witness of compassion demonstrated by Jesus followers as they care for refugees and others. Yes, we must talk the gospel and explain the person of Jesus but, as Origen believed, “patience—Christians treating their neighbours well and behaving courageously in the [public] arena—is at the core of the church’s witness.” 2

Patient presence and the OM vision

Thirdly, our OM vision statement has galvanized the OM world. As we seek to implement this vision, let us put on the garment of patience, becoming visible among the people we serve. One team member working among refugees wrote recently, 

“An Afghan man and his wife wanted to come to the fellowship, but he had heard Christians get drunk, turn off lights in the service and grab someone’s wife. We assured him that this was all lies. He dared to come a few times, but became too busy with work. We trust he will bring his wife soon. 

“Another man who claimed faith was jailed for stealing. He was finally released. He acknowledged his sin and is experiencing real change. Our team member spends regular time with him and his wife.” 

Would these people be experiencing the new way of life if we are not patiently present among them? As these stories demonstrate, the vibrant community itself must be visible, tangible and accessible. If not, how can the unreached see Christ (dreams notwithstanding)? 

Cyprian, a church leader, wrote in 256 CE, “We are philosophers not in words but in deeds; we exhibit our wisdom not by our dress, but by truth; we know virtues by their practice rather than through boasting of them; we do not speak great things but we live them.”2 

I see in myself the tendency to boast about impact and numbers. Can we relax from pushing or tracking outcomes and overly coordinating efforts that easily run afoul? I want to believe in the divine ferment of God’s Spirit who draws people to the Kingdom and transforms them in a new way of living.

1. Quoted in The Patient Ferment, 16.

2. Ibid., 20.

Arley Loewen specialises in Persian culture, with an MA in Persian (Pakistan) and a PhD in Middle Eastern Civilizations (Canada). He directs Pamir Productions, media and discipleship for Afghans and teaches on Muslim-Christian themes. Exploring cultural themes in honour-shame societies, Arley occasionally runs seminars for professionals and college students in Central Asia. He and his wife Janice have been with OM since the early 1980s.

The Chukchi people, a minority group with a population of around 15,000, are indigenous reindeer herders and fishermen living in Siberia (Russia). Partners of OM EAST seek to bring the truth about Jesus Christ to the Chukchi, whose beliefs are animistic.

“The biggest challenges in reaching the Chukchi are isolation and fear,” explained Natalie*, a field worker. “It is very expensive to travel to their remote villages, and official permissions are required to go into these areas. Furthermore, they fear the consequences of not following rituals such as wearing amulets (charms), feeding the fire and feeding the land.”

OM EAST’s partners on the field want to tell the Chukchi about Jesus, the great high priest who came down to earth to pay a costly price in offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for people’s sins. They want to speak of how Jesus was then raised to life and overcame sin and death. They desire the Chukchi to know that through faith in Jesus, it is possible to have peace with God and assurance of salvation. To help communicate this hope, in 2017 they published a book of 25 Bible stories in the Chukchi and Russian languages. Their Android app also enables individuals to both read and listen to the content. The Bible storybook declares Jesus’ authority over nature, sickness, death, demons and to forgive sins. OM EAST provided the new publication’s design and layout, also creating an eBook version.

“My local colleague Katarina* is distributing the storybook and she says some people even want her to write a little note to them personally inside it,” shared Natalie. The Bible storybooks are being given out in the Republic of Yakutia. Katarina visited a village with 300-400 inhabitants, home to a handful of believers. To get there, it is a four-hour flight from Yakutia’s capital, followed by a six-hour journey by snowmobile or a 45-minute flight by helicopter. Harsh and dangerous weather conditions make it wise to travel using two snowmobiles in case one breaks down in the vast frozen landscape.

“It’s worth the labour of translation, it’s worth the cost of travel, and it’s worth the risks of the climate to deliver the message of greatest worth to the Chukchi people,” reflected an OM EAST worker, while considering what their partners on the field are prepared to invest to fulfil what God has put on their hearts.

Praise God that the Chukchi are hearing the gospel. Please pray individuals use the print and digital Bible storybooks. Please pray they would have courage to leave their rituals and accept Jesus as their Saviour who offers forgiveness and eternal life. Please pray local followers of Christ hold firmly to the faith they profess.

*Name changed for security

View eBook: 25 Bible stories for the Chukchi

OM EAST’s literature and media ministry produces high quality print and digital media in over 25 languages. Always working with partners, they seek to share the gospel, strengthen churches and bring hope to people groups throughout Eurasia.

PRAY

All great people of God pray. If God is the one who changes hearts and communities, then asking God to help in missions is our utmost priority. We should bathe ministry in prayer. Let’s take every opportunity to pray for individuals and intercede for communities because prayer unleashes God’s power. It also moves lost people and God’s mission from our mind into our heart. 

CONNECT

God is a relational God, and so ministry works through relationships. Mobilising near-culture believers to go and connect with unreached people is key. Face-to-face contact builds relationship, and living amongst the communities we are trying to reach maximizes this. Our daily life can shine Christ through word and action. 

SHARE 

Jesus is the only hope for a broken and lost world. It’s clear that people must know of Jesus and what He has done for them to be saved (Acts 4:12). While our mission should seek to be holistic, we mustn’t forget to actually share the gospel. We share, and God transforms. So, let’s do our best to train and mobilise local believers to share the gospel amongst their own people and beyond, in ways that lead to multiplication. No fancy programmes—just wide sowing amongst remaining people groups in a way they understand.

TRAIN

Jesus commanded us to make disciples defined by active obedience (Matt. 28:18–20). As God’s Word is the primary way God reveals Himself and His purpose for us, all discipleship efforts should centre around the Bible. Believers need the opportunity to listen, discuss and understand God’s Word, and a way to respond with accountability. This helps move God’s word from the pages in our Bibles, to our heads, hearts and hands. The idea is not to teach new believers everything they need to know, but rather obedience to what they know. I believe the Discovery Bible Study (DBS) approach is effective, adaptable and flexible enough to suit most groups and cultures. It’s also easily reproducible leading to multiplication, because everyone can be commissioned and mobilised to minister. Our aim should be to train and mobilise Spirit-filled disciples motivated by love and equipped with the necessary skills. 

GATHER

I’ve learnt that gathering believers is key because communities are rarely transformed by an individual, and individuals struggle to shine without fellowship. Allow the Bible to define ‘church’ (Acts 2), and work to keep it indigenous, and locally ‘owned and operated.’ Where there are no believers, starting with a household of peace can be a bridge into the community. If they believe, these households already have numbers, influence and a place to gather for regular fellowship and discipleship, and therefore can quickly and naturally become Jesus’ communities.1 Our aim is to create loving vibrant communities with local leadership who gather to worship, pray, train, celebrate the Lord’s Supper and practice baptism, in order to obediently give, serve, and tell, so they will multiply and impact! Let’s build and help these communities be all they were made to be, and do all they were created for. 

MULTIPLY

As a leader and follower I see that, without committed local leadership, the church will simply not fulfil God’s purpose and multiply. Let’s work to raise faithful leaders with God’s vision and heart who are rooted in His Word. Let’s spend extra time to help them understand key truths, and to pass on the authority given to us.2 God will provide the leaders, but we need to be prepared to walk with them.

Ben serves in South Asia along with his wife and five children. He has a passion for evangelism and discipleship and enjoys sport, riding motorbikes, trekking in the mountains and working with his hands. He also loves to spend time with his family and reading to build his faith. 

1. See Luke 10:5–9, Cornelius – Acts 10:24, 33, Lydia - Acts 16:13–15, Jailer - Acts 16:33–34, Crispus - Acts 18:7–8.  

2. Matt. 28:18-20, 2 Tim. 2:2.

Biblical separation from the world

To live a biblical lifestyle distinct from the world does not come from our own initiative; it is a call from God. Our aspirations and standards should not be determined by the world. So much of the Christian’s life is a paradox, a tension of polar opposites. There is the inner struggle for righteous desires, set against the outward consequences of being human that Paul bemoans (Rom.7: 21–25). Trusting in Christ leaves us between a carnal world system and the glories of heaven. Separation does not cut us off in holy huddles, because Jesus Himself set the example as a friend of sinners whose testimony was spotless (Luke 7:34). True piety finds contentment in Christ as we “live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:12, NIV).

God deserves our best efforts in purity and single-minded devotion while being His change agents in a broken world (John 17:15), ‘a peculiar people’ observed critically by that world. Without demonstrating God’s better ways, our purpose as Jesus followers is in question. By putting first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, we should expect opposition and even persecution when the two value systems collide. We have certain rights as citizens of our nations, but we have no rights as slaves of Christ. Too often we forget this: Living by the principles of God rather than the world’s is a costly choice. Our battle is not against flesh and blood (Eph.6:12) so, when we face social or legal pressures, we should not use the world’s weapons of slander or violence but instead love our enemies for Christ’s sake. Against this there is no defense. To love the world the way that God does means seeing people made in His image worth redeeming.

Doing right is radical

In Lake Tanganyika (Tanzania), an OM worker sought to establish vibrant communities among the least reached, particularly the fishermen who live on the lake in sordid lifestyles. He fished with them and let his life testify to Christ. They were amazed: He loved his family, he was sober, he was honest to all; why this radical contrast? This is the kind of life all of us should exhibit with natural grace.

Those of us from peaceful, wealthy nations can mistake temporal blessings for God’s favour, subtly allowing earthly causes to overrule our allegiance to God alone. If we think that God has blessed us, what then of our brothers and sisters in South Sudan who love Jesus as much as we do or perhaps more? Has God blessed Singapore because of its Christians? Our neighbour Brunei has as much security and wealth, but no place for Jesus Christ. What then shall we say?

We can evaluate our thinking and actions in living a separated life in several ways:

• Motivation: What driving force or value is behind my views and behaviour? Can I still see the line between competing kingdoms? Do I allow a double standard to prevail? Am I swayed by money, power or reputation?
• Method: Jesus has called us to a better way. Am I ready to have Him examine my words and actions through an accountability partner/structure?
• Measure: Absolutes of right and wrong must prevail; everything said and done to exalt Christ needs no justification.

The Lord is impressed not by our attempts at piety, but with lives of consistent humility and putting His ways first. Our ultimate motive is not to witness to people but to imitate Him, even when only He sees.

EVANGELISM

MEXICO: SHARING WORLDS

While Logos Hope was in for maintenance, some crewmembers visited a remote people group in the mountains. The district of Orizaba has been visited by previous OM ship teams over the years, so it was special to see fruit from previous ministry such as a teenager who committed his life to Christ at an outreach fifteen years ago is now training to be a pastor.

A church leader let the ship team use his house. They were blessed with food and transport from the congregation as they spoke at school assemblies, shared the gospel door-to-door and informed the church about persecuted Christians around the world.

At a number of large-scale shows, Logos Hope’s international volunteers shared different cultural expressions but a common faith. More than 3,000 people attended these evenings and had opportunity to ask questions; several decided to follow Jesus.

Recalled John Hernandez (Aruba), “I’ve never known people unaware of other civilisations and countries, so we kept things simple. The indigenous Nahua people are very poor but had so much joy in offering whatever they had to us. It was amazing to seeing how active the church was. Working with them was tiring, but encouraged us all.”

“I struggled to keep meeting people,” said Steph Jemphrey (Northern Ireland). “But God gave me new capacity. I also learnt the simplicity of the gospel,” Steph said. “When you see the reaction of some, you know that it’s truth that people need. This experience helped me to share the gospel again.” She explained, “It not only brings joy to hearers; it brings you joy too, because you know that you are spreading light with eternal value.”

Pray for the church in Orizaba as its workers make an impact in this least-reached community.

RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT

GUATEMALA: JUST RESPOND

OM has started a relief project for people affected by the volcano eruption of June 3. As of June 12, the government reported 110 people killed, 197 missing, 57 injured and 5,074 in emergency shelters. This relief project will address the medium-term needs of people as urgent needs like food, water, clothing and shelter are being met by the local population and the government. 

We will provide items such as beds, tables, chairs, stoves and washing sinks for those affected to restart their lives. The project should be completed by the end of July. The team is currently meeting with the people directly affected, local leaders, pastors, teachers and government officials. We plan to assist 50 families and are raising $20,000 USD but these numbers could change as we have greater understanding. Pray for fortitude and compassion for all those involved in the situation, and that lasting relationships will form that extend God’s kingdom

BANGLADESH: HITTING BOTTOM

Since August 2017, OM’s partner organisation has sent teams once or twice a month to refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar where an estimated 700,000 Rohingya have fled violence in Myanmar. The army asked them for assistance in the distribution of food, soap and umbrellas for protection from the sweltering summer sun and coming monsoon rains to 1,000 families. Team members protected children from the sun, cut their nails, combed their hair, prayed silently over them and made them feel seen and loved.

“We’re aware that we can do little, but God called us to do something,” shared programme coordinator Pastor Saul*. “When we pray, ‘Your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven,’ what do we pray? Is there hunger in heaven? Homelessness? No. If we as Christians pray this prayer, we also need to act. Prayer is not enough.”

OM’s partner wants a long-term presence in the camps and surrounding community. Sophia*, one of those establishing the office near Cox’s Bazar, joined the distribution efforts in April and felt the presence of hope in the camps but also much fear as monsoon season approaches.

“Everything they are building now might be destroyed in the coming weeks,” she said. Real fears exist that temporary shelters “will be demolished through the heavy rain and winds, roads will be inaccessible, families will be separated through landslides, latrines will overrun, access to drinking water will be cut, and diseases will spread.”

NGOs are distributing kits to make shelters as safe as possible and implementing plans for better drainage and an identification system for children in case they get separated from their families. Pray for OM’s partners as they seek permissions to work there. Please also pray for health and safety of the Rohingya people with the dangers the summer rains are expected to bring—and for them to know the love of the Father who sees them in the midst of the storm. 

CHURCH PLANTING

FRANCE: ORGANIC CHURCH

Martin and Petro Delange joined OM in 2012 to work among a large Turkish community with little exposure to the gospel. They now work among groups of Christian Turks in six towns. Martin recalls a recent experience sharing the Word of God with Turkish-speaking believers.

“Sometimes we ask ourselves if it is worth it. You work hard and long with little fruit. I pondered this as I followed Ahmet up to the fourth floor of a rundown apartment. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon, and we were going to minister to a Bulgarian Turkish-speaking group.

David*, the leader, was filled with joy, as he told how everyone was waiting for us to share the Word of God. As we entered the apartment, we saw people sitting on the floor in the corridor, the kitchen, the adjacent room and the lounge—there were people everywhere. They were so excited to see us, after we had been away for a month. David whispered in my ear, “There are about 50 people here, and we have six new families that accepted Jesus as Saviour last month.” After I ministered the Word of God, they lined up for prayer and, for the next hour, Petro and I prayed for different needs. We left, four hours later, completely exhausted but so blessed and encouraged.

We then realised that God is at work in His own way, and Muslims are stepping into a relationship with Jesus like never before. It is worth it all.”

Pray that the Lord will reveal Himself to the Turks in France, and that He would strengthen leaders already in place. Pray, too, for the Delange family, as well as Alper Tetik, a Turkish Christian who recently joined OM.

JUSTICE

IRELAND: A PARALLEL WORLD

When Ellianna (USA) sought an eight-month intercultural ministry internship for her university studies, she wanted to go to Austria to work with refugees. Yet two weeks before her departure, her visa was denied, meaning she would spend all of her internship with OM in Ireland. Settling into an admin role there, Ellianna struggled with this dramatic change of plans. Several months passed as she participated in street evangelism, on-site hospitality and school programmes—yet still not among refugees. Teammates had been visiting a hotel serving as a refugee centre once a week for several months; during a casual conversation, they invited Ellianna to go with them.

Ellianna shared, “I had no idea what to expect: In the middle of nowhere, there’s this hotel with 200 refugees—a Syrian world in the middle of Ireland.” The OMers visit the refugees without an agenda. Each week, they hang out, love the people they meet and pray that God gives opportunities to speak gospel truth. Now Ellianna has begun building her own relationships with the refugees.

“It’s been amazing to see how conversations have come up about Jesus and the gospel,” Ellianna marveled. “We often feel, as Christians, that after you meet someone, you have to share the gospel, but it was four months before I shared my faith with anyone. It’s been eye-opening to talk to people who have been through so much. There’s a whole other world out there that is suffering. To see that these are real people with real fears, joys, passions, it’s challenging to truly value these people for who they are.”

Through a handful of OMers simply valuing individuals in this displaced community, these refugees have had the opportunity to experience God’s love in ways they might never otherwise have done.

MENTORING & DISCIPLESHIP

NEAR EAST: START HERE, NOW

A kids’ club for local Arab children and Syrian Muslim refugee children started at a local church with initially ten children. Within two months, it grew rapidly to 66. OM team member George* saw that a number of the children were illiterate and began teaching them. Some of the children encouraged their parents to go to the church despite the adults’ objections. “These are great people and they talk about Jesus the Messiah,” they said. A mother and her children were deeply touched by the teaching and outpouring of love they found at the church. Spurred on by what they were learning, they said, “We want to follow Jesus.” Some 21 are preparing for their baptism.

The DBS (Discipleship Bible Study) programme is taking off with six groups of Arabs participating in one location. Many other DBS groups are springing up elsewhere in the Near East (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq).

Meanwhile, the eighth training of local university students is underway, teaching participants how to effectively answer common questions Muslims have about Jesus, how to share their Christian faith with Muslim friends and ways to pray with them. “So many of my dear friends are Muslims. I love them. But every time I tried to speak about Jesus, I felt stuck,” one student said of her experience before the training. “As the course finished, I found I could speak confidently with Muslim friends,” she said. “In fact, I had the opportunity to pray with more than 20 Muslim women so far who were sad, sick or simply needed some encouragement. I am so excited!”

A project translating the Jesus film into Arabic sign language recently wrapped up. Stay tuned for its release and distribution.

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide.

Lawrence Tong

* name changed

Are projects like OM’s Global South Initiative (GSI; see www.omgsi.org) set up to deal with a problem? Perhaps the problem is that the Church in the Global South is weak and needy (‘Global South’ being a polite term for countries sometimes referred to as ‘Third World’) and not able to do mission the preferred First World way, i.e. fully supported or going with an esteemed First World identity of being highly-skilled or expert.

Dependent and weak?

GSI promotes business-as-mission and vocation as new models of mission for Global South missionaries. I wonder whether deep down we feel that these are weak models compared to the fully-supported sending model. When we do business-as-mission, we are dependent: We need local customers and suppliers, and the goodwill and acceptance of the local community. With a vocation or job, we need to prove our worth to an employer who pays our salary. With business or vocation, we don’t have an independent safety net; our fortunes rise and fall with our host community’s.

Jesus’ self-emptying

I recently read Kenneth Bailey on Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes (2008) and was reminded that we should not see the dependence or vulnerability of our businesses or vocations as problems. Rather, they are the privilege of doing mission as Jesus did, from a position of humility and vulnerability, not of power and strength. Here’s what Bailey has to say about the ‘surprise of intentional self-emptying’ in the context of Jesus asking the Samaritan woman for a drink in John 4 (pg. 203–205):

“Contained in this dramatic action is a profound theology of mission. Jesus so totally humbles himself that he needs her services. Jesus does not establish his initial relationship with her by explaining how she needs him and his message. That will come later. Rather, his opening line means, ‘I am weak and need help! Can you help me?’”

“Daniel T. Niles, the great Sri Lankan theologian, has written of Jesus:

He was a true servant because He was at the mercy of those whom He came to serve…This weakness of Jesus, we His disciples must share. To serve from a position of power is not true service but beneficence.’

“The first ‘mission trip’ in Christian history was the sending out of the twelve disciples recorded in Mark 6.7–13. The disciples were commanded to, ‘take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics’ (Mark 6.8-9).

“A babe in a manger is an ultimate example of one who comes in need of those to whom he or she comes. The incarnation affirms this profound theology. Even so here with the woman, as an adult engaged in ministry, Jesus lives out this same theology. His request is genuine. He is thirsty and has no leather bucket.

“In our day, a style of mission appears to continue to flow from the developed nations to the developing world that affirms the strength of the giver and the weakness of the receiver. We in the West go with our technology, which often is the point of our greatest strength and often reflects the developing world’s greatest weakness. This tends to stimulate pride in the giver and humiliation in the receiver.”

Strength in weakness

Do we sometimes feel uneasy that our business-as-mission and vocation models are so dependent on the very people that we are trying to reach? Does this make us feel powerless and needy? Rejoice! We are walking in Jesus’ footsteps!

Seang Pin is Singaporean and serves with the Global South Initiative of OM. She joined GSI because she was captured by the vision of seeing Global South Christians participate in mission in full strength and numbers, thriving, contributing and changing the world

Excellence is a choice

Excellence is an attitude, a cultivated habit, a developed trait. All followers of Jesus are called to excellence—driven to expend all we have to be and do our best—to reflect God and to serve His will. Our role or gifting might seem insignificant and therefore exempt from a standard of excellence; that’s why Paul declared, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Phil. 4: 13, NKJV). We pursue excellence not to boost our ego, but as an offering to God. Otherwise, excellence can become an idol! God is looking for us to be all we can be (Ps. 24: 3–5) and will provide what we need to be so (2 Pet. 1).

We are all gifted with talents to honour God and we should not try to be someone else. I may aim for excellence in organisation, but not likely ever in singing! There will always be others with more talent, so forego comparisons. Comparing my efforts with myself motivates me to raise my own bar.

It has been researched that masters in a given field must first invest 10,000 hours of study and practice. The take-away for us is that those 10,000 hours will elapse whether we use them to improve ourselves or live life ‘as usual’. Instructively, masters are never satisfied but continue to acquire knowledge and hone skills through a lifestyle of discipline. We can ‘start the clock’ here, today, as we are. In pursuing excellence, let us distinguish between character and accomplishments. Our character is who we are; our accomplishments flow from that. I encourage every OMer and every believer to place character development at the core of our spiritual formation. Nothing gives God more pleasure that seeing His children wanting to become more like His Son.

In our desire to honour Christ and build up others, we will consistently put our best foot forward, as Paul did: “To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me” (Col. 1:29, NIV). It honours God to excel in society as His ambassadors, provided we have the humility to credit Him.
 

Let’s get radical again

Perhaps the gravest distraction for inner excellence is the media, including social media. Today you will rarely find a person who isn’t glued to their phone. Even as Christians, we devote a chunk of our day to social media but I doubt that we allot a fraction of that time for our own character growth.

Since we reap what we sow (Gal. 6: 7–8), the time needed to develop spiritually must come from somewhere. Wouldn’t it be good to monthly call all of OM to a 24-hour fast, including from all media and digital devices? Let that be our offering to God, our focused time spent recovering our passion for Him. Is our relationship with God important enough to make this sacrifice? Is our first reaction to rationalise why that would be impossible?

Every follower of Jesus should see every day and every situation as an opportunity to develop excellence in character—realising that it comes often through trial and adversity. The journey could begin by watching our words, written or spoken, because they have the power to create or destroy. We can exercise affirmation of one another despite our circumstances. We can ensure that we are quick to listen and sincerely apologize. God will show us what is necessary

Every day we are presented with situations that can inspire us to excellence or to compromise. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:17, NIV). Remember: Our God is for us.

EVANGELISM

NEAR EAST: BOOK OF LIFE

A young Saudi entered a Christian bookshop in a densely populated city. From Mecca, he was curious about the sign at the bookshop’s entry: ‘I am the door’. “People [inside] were talking about Jesus,” OMer Ingrid* said. “After reading more scripture verses, the man dramatically fell on his knees and proclaimed: ‘Yes, really He is the Lord!’ He was already reading the gospel online over the past half-year and was prepared for this special moment,” she said. “My husband studied Scripture with him the next day. Later, we gathered with other believers from a Muslim background and shared a deeper time of study and fellowship in Christ.”

“The days that this man visited the bookshop were very days allotted by Operation World to urge people to intercede for Saudi Arabia and its people!” she shared. “Wow, on these two days people are praying for my country,” the young Saudi marvelled. He was greatly touched by this news.

TURKEY: A SPECIAL FARE

In a western city, OMer Marcella* and her roommate took a taxi. The driver was an older man and very conversational, wanting to know more about them. He said he was a Muslim and asked what she believed. He was excited at her response, telling them that he believed in the same Allah and that he used to drive near a church that ‘Saint Paul’ started.

Marcella and her roommate talked about who Paul was and how Paul met God on a journey. Marcella asked him, “Bir soru soruyabilir miyim, Abi?” (“Can I ask you a question, big brother?”) She asked him how Allah loves people. Marcella told him that God loves people like a father—so much that He has a close relationship with each person who knows Him. The taxi driver told them he also believed that Allah cared about people. There was no immediate spiritual breakthrough, but it was the first time that Marcella was able to talk extensively about the good news in Turkish, and she was encouraged! Pray for ‘everyday life’ opportunities to share the gospel.

RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT

CAMBODIA: SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

Countless issues plague the poor: Lack of good jobs leads to poor nutrition. Domestic violence destroys families. Adults and children alike turn to alcohol and drugs. The risk of human trafficking is high, caused not only by pimps who stalk the communities but also by overwhelmed single mothers selling their kids for cash. Those seeking medical help go to hospital; without money to pay upfront, they are left waiting on the floor. The list could go on, said Tanja, social worker supervisor for the OM Mercy Teams International (MTI) office. OM works in four slums, providing counselling, parenting classes and, on a case-by-case basis, money for medical treatment or housing.

Tanja said that the most basic medical knowledge can have dramatic effects. People in slums do not drink a lot of water and constantly have kidney problems. “I asked parents if they often had pain in their back, and advised to drink more water,” she recalled. “Two or three women followed the advice and their pains were gone.”

The sole caretaker for her two children and a niece, Srey Sina talked about what happened after her husband passed away. “My children were very small. We worked to collect the rubbish. After that, I got sick.” At her lowest point, she encountered OM MTI. “MTI was very kind; they visited me, gave counselling and supported my children [to go] to school,” she said.

OM MTI invited Srey to join a parenting skills class. “Before, I didn’t know how to talk with my children,” she shared. “Now, the situation has changed. My children listen to me. We talk and understand each other,” she noted. OM MTI also reaches out spiritually. Through its ministry, Srey started a relationship with Jesus. “I believe in God, so I pray for MTI to stay for a long time.”

CHURCH PLANTING

ZIMBABWE: WE WERE WAITING

A brief glance of the open landscape reveals long-bearded men with clean-shaven heads sitting opposite to head-scarfed women wearing long white garments. Known as Vapostori (Apostles), these gatherings of pseudo-Christian groups mix traditional African beliefs with select Bible teachings.

When Pastor Tafara* attended an OM outreach to a vapostori stronghold, little did he know he would be reaching out to more of the groups. On a visit to another area, Tafara took an opportunity to preach at a gospel rally where forty-two people wanted to follow Christ. “I expected resistance, but people came to Christ in numbers,” said Pastor Tafara jovially.

Those who came to Christ showed deep hunger and an eagerness for more. “Suddenly I had a big crowd of people looking up to me,” he explained. Probing deeper, he discovered that most of them were former members of vapostori sects that were prevented from reading the Bible for themselves by their former leaders who claimed direct communion with God. “(The people) did everything their former leaders asked them to do, because they believed it was God who had spoken!” narrated Pastor Tafara.

So he started a church with the group and resolved to help them grow in their walk with Christ. With no Bibles to give each believer to study for themselves, the pastor approached OM to assist. He also asked OM missionaries to teach Bible sharing skills for the new believers to reach out to their friends who remained with the sect. OM has also supplied audio Bibles for those who cannot read and other materials to help Pastor Tafara continue helping the new believers.

JUSTICE

AUSTRIA: LIVE IN PEACE AND HOPE

Since 2016, OM, through its Building Bridges Team, has worked among refugees in partnership with local churches and organisations. A house called ‘Peace and Hope’ has been provided for Christian asylum seekers who, because of their faith, have problems in other refugee homes. The OM team supports these and other refugees through several programmes and projects.

Since the end of 2016, Javid* and Maryam* have lived in the Peace and Hope housing with their two small children. The Afghan family’s story of encountering Jesus, their changed lives and how they’ve suffered for their new faith touched the OM team. Sadly, like other former Muslims, they have faced discrimination in Austria and were treated as second-class citizens by other Muslims. In their first refugee housing, Javid recalled, “We were not allowed to use the dishes everybody else used because the Muslims said to us ‘You make them dirty.’ We were not allowed to enter the kitchen whenever Muslims were there because they said that we were unbelieving and impure.”

The young family was thus thankful to move into the Peace and Hope home. “We are very grateful to God that we can live here,” Javid said. “Finally we have found a place where we can live our faith in Jesus in peace. We can go to our church every Sunday as a family and get support with integration. My wife attends a German class, as well as a meeting for women and their children and a sewing class. If it is possible, we both attend the weekly Bible study and visit the International Café as a family. We are happy to live here and to be in so much contact with other Christians.”

Javid and his family are growing in their faith and have an increasing desire to share the good news with other people. Javid once shared his testimony in front of 130 people. Many of the crowd were Muslim and appeared sincerely touched. As Javid speaks Turkish well, he has a growing desire to reach out to the many Turkish people in Graz with the gospel.

Pray for more Christians to share the good news in Graz so that more people can be won for Christ. Pray for those who have heard the gospel to believe.

MENTORING & DISCIPLESHIP

MEXICO: BREAKING RECORDS

Logos Hope’s visitor count in Veracruz broke the Ship Ministry’s record for a single port, with 226,554 people climbing the gangway to browse the bookfair, sample the atmosphere in the International Café or attend an onboard event during its six-week visit. The previous record was set in 1988 when 201,710 people visited Doulos in Taichung, Taiwan, during a 19-day port call.

Seelan Govender (South Africa), Chief Executive Officer of OM Ships International, welcomed the exciting news. “We are constantly asking, ‘Is the Ship Ministry still relevant? Are we still accomplishing what we believe God has called us to do?’ These numbers reinforce the sense that there is a strong appeal for the ministry. More than that, this gives us a reach far beyond what we could do without a ship: in challenging people, in motivating people, in moving them one step further in their understanding of the kingdom of God, who God is and what God has done for them.”

Veracruz has traditionally given OM’s ships a warm welcome. All four OM vessels have visited the city in a total of six port calls since 1979. Each time, large numbers of people have been drawn to the floating bookstore and to connect with the international community of Christian volunteers. In almost 50 years of the Ship Ministry, total visitor numbers for a single port have exceeded 150,000 on only eight occasions, two of which were in Veracruz. This call marked another milestone as the current vessel’s seven millionth guest was celebrated.

Whilst such figures are encouraging, Seelan’s drive is that each visitor leaves the ship having been impacted personally. “Through a book they may have purchased; through a conversation they may have had with a crewmember from a different part of the world; through asking questions like, ‘Why do they give their life to something like this?’ it’s our desire that each visitor experiences something that causes them to evaluate who they are and where they’re going, or to reinforce the values system within their own lives. My hope is that we will see lasting impact that goes on to bear much good fruit in people’s lives not only in Mexico, but to the ends of the earth.”

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide.

Lawrence Tong

* name changed

What are some elements of godly character? Honesty, principles and humility can be observed in trials that bestow a key trait: authenticity—simply put, to be real or true. One might assume there is always sufficient moral polarity to give a thumbs up/thumbs down in assessing the trustworthiness of a person or his claims. Yet as individuals we can aspire to being authentic while failing to recognise the creep of compromise even in our beloved church or mission.

It’s human to appear (if not be) successful, well-liked, respected, in control. Tension arises when we put those desires ahead of reality, effectively warping truth. We can be guilty of telling half-truths that tip the balance to our favour. By speaking only of victories and not of struggles or failure, we spin one-sided stories to credit our success. Companies that engage in that often disintegrate in spectacular fashion because the truth will win out in due time. We have lots to learn from best practices of other organisations; however, as God’s children there is never a need to plaster over cracks to secure continued support. After all, the whole point in accountability is to identify problems and rectify them openly. “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe” (Proverbs 29:25, NIV).

I hear you…maybe

As one devoted to communication, I find many examples where authenticity can be tested. Do we really expect anyone, even our mothers, to believe that all we touch turns to gold? Often we tell the ‘happy ever after’ version of a story, sanitised to assure people that our ministry is a winner. That is not to deny that, in spite of our weak faith and strong egos, God is pleased to bless our endeavours. But hiding the other side of the coin, filled with struggle, doubt and old-fashioned error, fails to engage the vast majority of readers/listeners for whom life is a lot messier and unresolved. When we make it all look easy, it becomes harder for others to imagine their own abilities being useful in ministry. In this we sin against them as much as God.

Every time we communicate, there is potential to inform and inspire others for mission. Shall we not then covenant to ‘tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth’? Paul typically leads the way as our instructor: “A great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me” (1 Cor. 16:9, NIV). Are you finding great doors? Then include us in the celebration. Are there many (forces) that oppose you? Bring us into your confidence. Are you going through a time of testing? Tactfully admit it, for some of us might be able to help. Did you try your best but simply got something wrong? Your confession and analysis will endear us to you no matter what, for you are showing yourself to be authentic. In contrast to the Christian marketing ‘industry’ of our day, Paul said, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9, NIV).

Occasionally we receive affirming feedback from partners whose hearts resonate with our candid reporting of the good and the bad. It is risky, but we need Christ’s power resting on us, and we need His strength, displayed amid our weakness. So be authentic.

Greg Kernaghan joined OM in 1978, serving on the ships Doulos and Logos until 1989, when he and his wife, Anni, moved to Finland for nine years as Eastern Europe opened. He has worked in international communications for the past 20 years, helping people to tell God stories. He lives in Canada.

Don’t be anxious

Anxiety and fear are kindred spirits with similar symptoms yet with very different causes. Fear can be a useful reaction to immediate danger or threat. Anxiety is an emotional response to vague, potential threats. The physical, instinctive reactions to fear (adrenalin, blood pressure, indigestion, muscle tension etc.) become harmful when sustained over time through anxiety. The expression, ‘It’s not what you eat but what eats you’ describes this private, silent and unnecessary burden called anxiety.

Different things cause anxiety for different people but, ultimately, the root cause is failing to exercise faith in God who loves us. Ironically, we can become anxious over our lack of faith (!) but focusing on His promises instead will free us. Failing to accept when plans and prayers turn out differently can become an anxiety trap that predisposes us to worry. When I am presented with potentially bad news as OM’s International Director, I am initially anxious, feeling vulnerable and uninformed. After an hour of processing, I am in a better frame of mind to respond. I recommend that strategy for anyone facing an emotional situation: Commit it all to God and wait for His peace.

The Bible says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6,7 NIV). Paul certainly had reasons to be anxious that we will never experience. Thinking logically seems no match for chronic anxiety yet, at some point, a decision needs to be made: Do I trust God, or not? If I do, I can surrender myself to God as the people of Israel did in 2 Chr. 20:12 (NIV): “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” We can feel powerless to change things that we didn’t cause. Yet, in the eye of the storm, we can find submission to and peace in God sufficient to keep us in polarity with the harsh reality we face.

Baby steps

At some point, we have to trust another human with our vulnerability in order to release our anxieties to God. Here’s how:

a) Make a list of everything you are anxious about. Spell them out (on paper, so you can burn it later).

b) Identify those things that you can do nothing about; delete them.

c) Involve a trusted friend to help you reduce the remaining list by doing a reality check.

d) Shift the spotlight from yourself to helping others dealing with similar anxieties.
 

Never criticise or belittle someone who is struggling with anxieties. Earn their trust and confidentiality to journey together. Be available to work things through. Aim for little victories and celebrate and remember them. Help them regain perspective and encourage the expression of thankfulness daily. My longing, personally and for OM, is that we would create homes where no one is judged for being human; rather, we offer environments of trust and acceptance that dispel anxiety through experiencing God’s care.

Call upon the Lord every day, claiming His promise: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt.11: 28–30, NIV). I understand the first half of the verse, but that Jesus’ yoke and burden are light remains a mystery. I know He would never lie, so I can indeed rest in Him, free from anxiety.

EVANGELISM

ZAMBIA: DEEP IN, BUT DELIVERED

“Don’t give up on me,” said Wilson*, a former witch doctor in Kapembwa, located along the shores of Lake Tanganyika. “Please teach me the Word of God. I want to serve Him.” It’s common for the OM team to have people associated with witchcraft come for deliverance, but Wilson wanted more.

Growing up in a family of witch doctors, Wilson saw visions at the age of 11 and practised witchcraft for the next 25 years. To gain more power, he said he delved deeper and deeper into the spiritual world. In February, Wilson fell while descending the mountain. When he awoke, he couldn’t move his right leg, and had to be carried down. Deciding that was enough, Wilson no longer wanted to live under the control of spirits even if it meant losing power and wealth. He called an OMer, Clement, for help. “Please come to my house for prayer and burn all my charms tonight,” Wilson’s pleaded. Twice a day for one week the OM team rotated in worship and prayer in Wilson’s house, telling him the importance of Jesus who would destroy the bondage of the spirits.

“I’ve seen many come for prayer, but then go back to witchcraft,” OMer Abbie Corbie said. “However, Wilson wants to make it right with God from now on.”

With his leg healed, Wilson went around the village sharing about his new life, going door-to-door among previous customers to tell them that Jesus alone had power and that they should burn the charms he previously gave them. “Everyone knows him as the big witch doctor; now his story could have great impact on the people,” Clement said. “We have to invest in him so his family will stand firm. Then he will become the living testimony around the lakeshore.” Please pray for God’s provision and protection for Wilson and his family as they need to find a new way to provide an income.

RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT

PHILIPPINES: A SECOND HOPE

Nora from Germany volunteered for 10 weeks in Cebu. She shares about OM’s learning institute that prepares students for High School exams:

Alternative Learning System (ALS) is a learning institution for those who have dropped out of school or failed their exams. Initiated by OM, its workers strive to transform lives through God’s Spirit. Lyra, head of the team, says it also teaches students who they are in Christ, which will influence all other areas in their lives. “Their confidence will rise, they will be able to reflect on their experiences, learn to forgive and be forgiven,” she says, “They will find a new family in Christ.”

In ten years, ALS has gone through many different batches of students, staff and locations. Today, it is run by Lyra, her team of two teachers and some international volunteers.

Mark, having passed his exams, is studying for a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and volunteers with OM staff and students who have become family to him. May didn’t finish high school because her family moved. Still, she wanted to financially support her family. While she studied, God changed her life. Today, she is studying for her Bachelor of Science in Christian Education; her dream is to be a missionary.

Most students come from dysfunctional families  with drug and substance abuse, products of abusive and broken homes. About 80% of the ALS students pass the final exam. OM’s passing rate is much higher than the national rate.

Please pray that each student will know and rely on God. Pray that the ALS program will address their physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and that they will become godly mentors for their generation.

CHURCH PLANTING

TAIWAN: PRAYERS AS INCENSE

The Hakka—a culturally Buddhist group—comprise one-fifth of the population, yet less than .02 per cent are believers. They share similarities with Christians, including the desire to help others less fortunate, being among the first to respond to natural disasters. Their identity is closely connected to family traditions.

“For a Hakka to become a Christian is tantamount to disowning their family,” shares Solomon, an OMer. “Hakka believe that the world of the living and the dead are connected and influence each other, so Christians are perceived as seen as not fulfilling their filial duty by not worshipping their ancestors. This causes a lot of tension.” It is important to win over family leaders who “will then lead the rest of their family to follow them towards Christ,” he added. Solomon and Ken, work at OM’s Community Transformation Centre (CTM), a multi-purpose facility that hosts Bible studies for young adults, a library, and facilities for community outreach. The team partners with Hakka churches through children’s programmes and short-term teams.

“It takes time to explain the gospel in a culturally understandable way,” Pastor Richard Huang, an OM partner, explained. “We need to help people understand that Christians don’t just forget their ancestors, but we are able to teach that we have to trace our roots all the way back to our Creator. The Hakka use incense to worship their ancestors; we teach that our prayers to God are incense to Him and that we have to honour God as the source of our first ancestor.”

“Success [in ministry] for us means mobilising the Hakka into missions, discipling them to a place where they catch the vision for all nations to know God,” Solomon shared. He hopes to see his team grow so that CTM can host more outreach events in the community to support existing churches. “We need to create opportunities for the gospel to be brought to the Hakka, and for Hakka to take the gospel to the rest of the world.”

JUSTICE

NEAR EAST: NOT FORGOTTEN

“I know a 30-year-old man who, when he held a Bible for the first time, cried,” OMer Margaret* said, recounting the emotional encounter of someone hungry to know more of God’s Word in Kurdistan. “A young Kurdish couple struggled because there was no mention of Kurds in the Qur’an, whereas this ethnic group appears in the [biblical] account of those in Jerusalem swept up by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost,” she said. “Although the Kurds feel they are a forgotten people, they aren’t forgotten by God.”

In the wake of Kurdistan’s recent failed bid for independence from Iraq, many in the region are feeling great tension and uncertainty. OM’s ministry partners reported that 100 people from the Kakai religious minority fled Kirkuk, heavily traumatized by atrocities witnessed. OM also desires to minister to Syrian refugees in Kurdistan by meeting the physical and spiritual needs among this refugee community.

“Families are interested in learning what’s in the Bible through DBS (Discipleship Bible Study),” Margaret said, “but we still lack government permission to carrying out our project. Pray for us to persevere in the midst of these challenges: the physical ones, like the lack of petrol, as well as spiritual obstacles.”

“A Syrian Kurd went to a large refugee camp and told everyone that he wants to become a Christian,” Margaret said, marveling at his boldness. “If we could get the message out [about Jesus], half of the camp would follow Jesus Christ,” the man told her. 

Pray for the right door for OM to enter communities in Kurdistan and to meet those who hunger for God’s Word. Pray for communities in Iraq and Syria impacted by war, that their spiritual hunger would be met in Christ. 

MENTORING & DISCIPLESHIP

MEXICO: POWER OF EXAMPLE

The response to Logos Hope’s first visit to Veracruz has been overwhelming, with more than 100,000 people coming on board in the first two weeks, including the seven millionth visitor since the ship started ministry nine years ago.

As well as managing crowds and interacting with visitors, teams have been visiting local churches to encourage and motivate Christians towards greater involvement in mission. First Baptist Church of Veracruz, led by pastor Jaime Rojas Enríquez, gave crewmembers a warm welcome. Wan Li Haw (East Asia Pacific) spoke about a difficult period in her life: “From a very young age, I looked for God, but nobody spoke to me about Him.” At age 22, Wan Li was in a serious accident yet recovered miraculously. “I know God gave me a second chance,” she said, “And I promised to serve Him every day of my new life.”

One couple, Omar and Nancy, listened with tears of gratitude for the miraculous near death recovery from illness of their son, Omar David. “We believe God has a plan for our son,” Nancy said. “During the service, the Lord was telling me that this strong test should not be forgotten; it will renew our strength every day and encourage us to move forward.” Sharing his personal story, crewmember Shinya Funakoshi (Japan) told the congregation, “My father came to this same church 35 years ago!” Showing everyone a photograph, he said, “I am very moved to know that my father was in this same church and that, even if he does not return to Mexico, you will see him again in heaven.”

Pastor Enríquez thanked the crew for their participation and encouraged the church to consider sending missionaries where the gospel has not been heard. “The Lord asks us to leave our comfort zone to go into the world,” the pastor said. His message reached two brothers: 19-year-old Arturo and 18-year-old Andrés, members of the youth group, said they were ready to begin missionary service. “We are encouraged by the testimony of these wonderful people from Asia,” said Arturo. “If they go around the world, we can as well, by the grace of our Lord.”

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide.

Lawrence Tong

* name changed

However, this was not always the case. In the first Avengers movie, these superheroes had great difficulty working as a team. Everyone distrusted each other’s motives and competed to lead the mission. As a result, the supervillain nearly destroyed them all until they realised it took all of them working together with their special powers to defeat the villain.

How the Avengers achieved their mission reminds me of Paul’s picture of the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12:

“For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body… But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honourable we bestow the greater honour” (ESV).

The mission, not me

Everyone in the kingdom of God is essential to the mission that He has called us to. Unfortunately, while we may profess this, often we don’t practise it in reality. Instead, we buy into the world’s idea that one can only make a difference as a leader, and, therefore, everyone should aspire to leadership. However, this would seem to go against the part-of-the-body analogy of the kingdom of God. Counter-culturally, the biblical worldview teaches that all of us play a role in the kingdom of God and we are to be faithful where God has placed us to serve Him best, whether in a leadership position or otherwise.

Some of us are called to lead, but many of us are not. (In a world where everyone is a leader, no one is!) Some of us are called to lead for a season and afterward serve on a team. Some of us perform exceptionally as team members but will be poor leaders. However, not holding a leadership position does not diminish our part or value in the advancement of God’s work. Hence, we must embrace our given role because we flourish only when we live and work according to God’s design and calling.

Finally, because we serve according to the rules of the kingdom of God and not of self, we must recognise that whether we lead or serve as a team member, we aim to draw attention to Jesus and not to self. If you are a leader, your leadership is ultimately not about you or the team/organisation you lead, but about God and His mission.

Like the Avengers banding together to defeat the evil supervillain, we must embrace God’s place for us so that, together with the diverse ‘superpowers’ that God has bestowed on us, we fulfil the mission of the kingdom of God.

I’Ching is an aspiring sinologist who wears three hats: wife to a New Testament professor, mother to a third-grader and OM’s international director of leadership development. She also moonlights as an apologist and a writer in all things related.

When accountability gets personal

While at Prairie Bible College in Western Canada recently, I met with Lorentz and Mary Lou, longtime prayer partners to whom we are as accountable as to any authority. Being held accountable is fact of life. External, often legal/professional, accountability is good and necessary, even if at times inconvenient. In a team environment, personal accountability is only fair when all submit to it. An accountability relationship should be a safe place, free from judgment. Establishing and respecting boundaries with checks and balances leads to clarity, motivation and assurance.

We understand the benefits of making sure that everyone is doing as expected. But we hesitate when moving from the procedural to the personal: Our guard goes up and we are hesitant to entrust our dreams and weaknesses to others. We feel vulnerable. Culturally, Asians are uncomfortable discussing private matters like spirituality. Chemistry is another factor: If I don’t sense a connection, it will be hard to open up with someone. Auditing your character is not like evaluating your work; it takes time to probe deeper. Personal accountability does not seek to expose failure but to spur one another on to Christlikeness, the purest example of excellence in life.

What areas of our personal lives develop better when others we trust can ‘audit’ us, prompting us to push that little bit harder? Life as a whole: family, spiritual walk, struggles, sexual temptations, emotional and other health, how you deal with people and money are obvious. Knowing that I will meet with someone in a few days is a healthy deterrent to fall or compromise. When we are low, we are weak; having trusted people at hand to remind us of God’s goodness and blessings restores hope. Having someone a phone call away when I need courage or comfort can make the difference.

A good accountability partner can help us appraise our personal life dreams and goals—and shortcomings—for the purpose of aiming higher and not losing the power of those dreams. I am scheduled to take a leadership course at a prestigious university in the near future; our board suggested it, but I dragged my feet to register. In stepped my accountability person to make sure that I did enroll. I am grateful for his persistence in helping me to grow personally.

Too many of us have adopted a ‘lone wolf’ mindset regarding accountability: We’ll submit to work-related evaluations, but are determined to go it alone in our personal lives. The Bible challenges such behaviour: “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today’, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Heb. 3:13, NIV). Keeping my life too private may mean that temptation and opportunity could meet; without the knowledge of a friend watching out for you, your ability to overcome may suffer enough for a tragic outcome. Jesus set out the twelve two-by-two, not one-by-one, for a reason.

Elements in personal accountability:

• Look for someone who will actually help you to stretch and grow, not just pat you on the back.
• Establish boundaries and confidentiality, respect, and frequency of meeting.
• Enjoy this relationship and focus on serving one another for a fixed period. True personal accountability is not constraining but liberating, knowing that someone is watching out for you

What would happen if more of us—in OM, in our churches or organisations—craved the humility and courage to increase our accountability by faith? For one thing, there would be less space for critical spirits (knowing that we all need ‘work’ done) and a greater testimony to unity and gracae in Jesus. I’m up for that—are you?

EVANGELISM

NETHERLANDS: WE CAME FOR YOU

“He was shaking as he came aboard, overwhelmed by the presence of God,” recounted Ray Trainor (UK). Once a Christian, Max became jaded after several difficult experiences and failed suicide attempts. Invited to lunch, he was overwhelmed by the community. “He was looking around in surprise the whole time,” shared Ray.

Max visited multiple times while OM’s riverboat was in Dordrecht. He attended Sunday Service, helped on a practical ministry day, and even participated in a prayer and evangelism walk. Ray put him in contact with a local friend. “This was the right time for the Riverboat to come, and for you to talk to me,” Max told Ray. Max has since contacted his former fellowship group to restore his relationship with God. 

When the Riverboat arrived in Arnhem, Marjolein Doornebal (NL) befriended a local Turkish lady. A believer from Istanbul, Volga had moved to the Netherlands alone without her husband in search of work. “She was feeling very alone, and needed support from other Christians,” said Marjolein, who is contacting an appropriate local Christian organization to follow up with her.

The Riverboat community serves as a source of new energy for former OMers when they visit. Witnessing its ministry in their own country rekindles their passion for missions. “Talking to people onshore was my favourite [thing],” said Jelle, an ex-Logos Hope crewmember. “It reminded me of what I love to do. I have missed this so much.”

“The Riverboat is a breath of fresh air for former OMers to remind them why they are here,” said Riverboat Director, Peter Nicoll (South Africa). “I pray that this rekindling will turn into action and fruitfulness in their lives.”

RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT

ALBANIA: A BETTER WAY

When OM launched a kingdom-oriented micro- and small business initiative, Business as Mission (BAM), they focused on Christians who needed assistance to grow their businesses to positively impact their community spiritually, socially and economically. BAM committed to operate in a way that first honoured God. As Enio, BAM’s leader, commented, “One of the keys is to have a legal business by registering, and paying taxes and bills.”

In 2016, one of the first businesses was a small metal fabrication shop in west-central Albania, run by a Christian man, Turi*. BAM seeks to create sustainability in churches, communities and Christian families through job creation, and Turi needed his own business to manage his time for work, his young family and involvement in church activities. Turi’s church sent him and his wife to help a church plant in a traditional Muslim village.

Turi used his skills in welding and metal work on windows and gates. Located in an industrial area with other businesses, it was hard to find legally-established enterprises, Enio recalled. Tax inspectors checked businesses and the only business that remained open was Turi’s shop—a great testimony to the other businessmen; in fact, the inspectors actually thanked Turi for his organisation. “It was an amazing encouragement for those running BAM, seeking to honour God through our business and how we can be a testimony to the others,” Enio said.

Please pray for other current BAM-supported businesses that OM follows up with, as well as future BAM-trained kingdom enterprises, that they would maintain these strong values, shining Christ’s light in the workplace in communities across Albania.

CHURCH PLANTING

SOUTH ASIA: GRASSROOTS CHURCH

OMer Kelly* shares how a miracle brought people to Christ in a remote village: “We were the first to believe in Jesus and the community did not take it lightly. They did not give us work nor speak with us, and they destroyed our livestock,” lamented a number of Christians from a small church.

“Maya* and I first went to a neighbouring village where people were very open to hearing about Jesus. A man next to me was so delighted to talk with us that he invited us to his house. He and his uncle were influential leaders in the area and would discuss the possibility of a village meeting. Waiting for a reply, we agreed it was a good time to visit the small church, thirty minutes away, which we had planned to visit. 

“Approaching the village, we saw a sign with a blue painted cross on a house. Hannah,* who we had previously met, welcomed us into the church. We listened to stories of seven years following Jesus and difficulties in the first three years. Only when Hannah’s grandfather became a Christian did their struggles turn into joy.

“For years, he had worshipped idols and had three in his house. When her aunt had a vision that there would be a cross in place of those idols, the grandfather turned to Jesus, immediately removing the idols and replacing them with the cross, creating the area for Christian fellowship. After believing in Jesus, the grandfather prayed for a son. At the age of 80—and his wife at 50—God gave them a son whom they named Isaac. When villagers saw this miracle, they stopped persecuting them because they saw the power of God. This also impacted the neighbouring village.

“Maya, myself, and three others from the church then met with 17 people waiting to listen to us. As we shared about Jesus, the local Christians discussed Christianity with the leaders of the village. Before Maya and I left, we prayed over the house of the Christians to be completely dedicated to God and that He would bless these families. Pray that the Christians would continue to be a light transforming many villages. “

JUSTICE

ALGERIA: REFINING GOLD

“There’s no fear, no turning back and a very strong commitment to continue whatever the cost,” stated Youssef, OM field leader and native of Algeria, two months after the government closed the House of Hope, a thriving church and primary ministry centre. Four police cars came and sealed the door; the activities, church service and Timothy School at the House of Hope have all been ordered to stop for the time being.

At least seven churches and a bookshop were also affected. The authorities have started systematically closing church buildings and forbidding any activities. Closing buildings, however, cannot stamp out the Christian presence in Algeria. A pastor observed, “The Church of Jesus is not the walls or the roof, but it is Jesus’ people, His living body!”

Indeed, the church in Algeria “is united at this time more than ever before,” Youssef said, adding that believers have reconciled and come together in prayer and fasting. All OM ministries—the Timothy School training programme, media outreach and follow-up—“carry on as usual in different locations,” Youssef’s wife, Hie Tee, affirmed.

“I believe we have to thank God for what He has done in the house [over 20 years],” Youssef emphasised. Over 360 people went through training, which sparked at least 25 house churches across the country. Over 8,000 Muslim background believers participated in summer camps through the church during the last 26 years.

“We are asking God to speak to us: How are we going to operate as a church in spite of what is happening?” Youssef explained. “We have to raise awareness around the world, among churches and believers. They have to know what happens, the persecution.”

 After the closure, Youssef visited a local police chief. “Actually, they were very sorry. He said, ‘This is beyond our ability,’” Youssef related. One church leader gave the police chief a Bible. Youssef explained to the police chief how God is alive and listening to the prayers of His people. “We always talk about our faith—that’s a positive outcome,” he said.

Praise God that the church in Algeria is united in prayer, fasting and seeking His strategy for their trials. Pray that God would give believers wisdom and the ability to continually glorify Him and reach out in Algeria. Pray for the government harassment to stop, for the churches to reopen and to resume their ministries for His glory.

MENTORING & DISCIPLESHIP

COLOMBIA: NOT FORSAKEN

A ministry to a remote community still feeling the injustice inflicted on their ancestors has received a boost from Logos Hope crewmembers. Youth With A Mission (YWAM) reaches out to the village of Palenque, two hours’ drive from Cartagena. Organiser Yeison Valencia explained: “This community’s history dates from when Spaniards brought black slaves from Africa to Colombia. Their ancestors fought against that and set up home in the countryside. To gain acceptance, we first apologised for the sins of the past. The Lord told us to start a community project, specifically with kids, because through them, we can bless their families.”

For 12 years, Yeison and his team have run games activities and taught the Bible in Palenque. YWAM shows God’s love to children for whom abuse is common and whose families are suffering the effects of drug use and mixed worship practices taken from their African heritage.

By helping with a sports club and sharing their personal stories of God, a team from Logos Hope was something of an attraction, coming from various ethnic backgrounds, which Yeison said was helpful. “Through this exposure to white people (formerly their oppressors—the kids see normal relationships across cultures and feel free to relate as equals,” he explained. “It is also wonderful to see people from different parts of the world and realise there is no distinction between black, white, indigenous: we are the same before God and He is bringing healing.”

The ship team were shown micro-business ideas being developed in the community, which is otherwise reliant on handouts from local authorities. Traditional sweets made from locally-grown fruits and hand-made jewellery are products the Palenque outreach is working to sell more widely, to lift the village out of poverty and give its people self-respect and a more driven attitude of hope and freedom. “But above all, our hope is that they will know Jesus,” said Yeison. “Please pray for these children’s future.”

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide.

Lawrence Tong

* name changed

As “do not kill” covers a swathe of sin—hateful thoughts included—“honouring parents” points beyond rote obedience. With other Scripture, it tells us that all humans are to be honoured—including the weak whose contributions seem insignificant. This is in stark contrast to the narrative of our ego-centered, pleasure-driven world, as well as that of Canaanite and Egyptian societies of Moses’ time.*

Honouring the weak

Comparing (at a possibly stereotypical level) values of European and North American societies with those of other regions, we think of differences in age-related esteem. A core Chinese value of loyalty and deference to parents is captured in the word xiào.** The English translation, ‘filial piety,’ sounds a bit weak itself. But while non-Westerners might come out ahead on honouring the aged, my observations raise questions about a failure to protect the weak. Dishonouring the aged, devaluing the disabled: One way or another, barring biblical transformation, all societies violate this command.

Honouring our seniors

What about us in OM? Do we buy into the world’s narrative on the value of life, or do we live out a more godly view? In our early days, Brethren ecclesiology and Francis’ Schaeffer’s theology gave us a high view of work, and of each worker: bookkeepers and Bible teachers, evangelists and mechanics—esteeming everyone was built into our DNA.

Some who helped lay OM’s foundation have gone ahead to be with the Lord; many continue with us, several in their 80s: Ray Lentzsch, Pauline Jones and possibly others in their 90s. Over 400 active OMers were born before George, Dale and Walter drove to Mexico 60 years ago. Others have dropped from our personnel lists but are still heart and soul part of the family.

How can we honour these ‘mothers and fathers’? Inclusion is one way, encouraging their ongoing participation, not forgetting them in our concern. While OM thrives on the passionate energy and creative approaches to witness of youth, Mickey Walker’s ministry in Dublin demonstrates that the Great Commission doesn’t expire when pension benefits kick in. Nor, we must remember, does the potential of turning to Jesus for the first time. In years past, five of my Asian colleagues rejoiced when their fathers professed faith in Jesus, each within six months of his passing.

A delightful ‘moment of honour’ was expressed at our last OM USA Christmas party. Carl and Arlene Hoffman, volunteers according to the database but fully OMers at heart, were recognised for 60 years of service: hosting visitors, providing mailroom services, maintaining facilities, praying faithfully and much more, going back to the very beginnings of OM in New Jersey. 

Financial care is another statement of honour. Some of our seniors are well-prepared for the years ahead; others find their bank accounts moving toward depletion. Laws and social practices varied in the countries they came from. Some were enabled (if not required) to make long-term provision; others lived—and still live with abundant generosity, while trusting God for daily bread.

And allow me to suggest a fourth, ongoing expression of honour: connection. None of our seniors desire control; they delight in the energy and leadership of younger OMers, rejoicing that God is doing greater things than before. Intentionally keeping them informed means much for their prayers and simply because they care. At a personal level, a phone call or email, a birthday card or (perhaps best of all) dropping by for a visit means so much. Why? OM seniors I surveyed told me that “keeping connected” was what they most desired from OM.

The contribution of our OM seniors might not be the same it once was in terms of books sold, tracts distributed, or miles travelled, but they are wonderfully worthy of honour. Together, let’s make sure we keep them connected.

David Greenlee is presently OM’s director of missiological research and evaluation. Based for the last three years at OM USA, he and his wife, Vreni, also serve as OM USA’s senior liaisons.

*I am indebted to Dr. T. Scott Daniels, now of Nampa (Idaho) College Church of the Nazarene for this thought.

**“What is Filial Piety?” https://www.thoughtco.com/filial-piety-in-chinese-68838

A few days earlier, a large black dog had barked and strained against its chain, announcing the outreach team’s arrival in Bela Reka, an isolated village in eastern Serbia. The group of OM EAST workers, Roma Bible Union (RBU) partners and believers from the local town, Bor, walked along a grassy track. Passing domed haystacks, they reached an unfinished blue brick house, home to a Bayash-speaking Roma family in the community.

I see a generation rising up to take their place…

The family welcomed their guests into their yard. Boys and girls gathered around Andrijana*, a young Roma RBU volunteer, who began to lead the children’s club. Andrijana and other RBU colleagues came from Croatia last September to train church members from Bor to run a monthly club.

Sitting on a blanket beneath a tree, Andrijana gave out booklets and badges. She placed a badge into a little girl’s palm, closing the child’s hands over the gift. The girl peeked between her cupped hands; a look of excitement spread across her face. She immediately attached the badge to her t-shirt and fingered it, beaming with joy.   

Andrijana guided participants through activities in a booklet, which promoted literacy and taught a biblical truth. The children learned about prayer, focusing on the Lord’s Prayer. “It was amazing to see their concentration!” said graphic designer Simon*, who was encouraged to observe how OM EAST’s media materials are being used.

“Ten years ago it was westerners going into Roma settlements; now Roma believers are taking on leadership!” he enthused.   

I see a near revival stirring as we pray and seek…

While the children’s programme came to a close, a few of the outreach team led worship songs. A follower of Christ in the village accompanied them on a drum, slung from his shoulder. “He played with his whole heart!” emphasised Simon, emotions stirred by the memory. “He made the drum himself–out of rubbish.”

“There in the yard, in front of piles of scrap metal and a house that was missing a windowpane, they worshipped God,” described OM EAST worker Inger*. “It was powerful!”

“God will drive out fear. God will push away the darkness. We will praise the Lord!” The lyrics sung during the time of worship proclaimed Jesus Christ’s authority—a key truth to bring to Bayash Roma communities who are oppressed by superstition, witchcraft and their conviction they are cursed. This song of faith drowns out the condemning verdict found in the Bayash ‘national anthem’: “We are cursed, we are cursed because one of our ancestors stole a nail from the cross of Jesus—no wonder we are cursed.”

“Let heaven be opened to Bela Reka,” another song declared.

“Normally the words are, ‘Let heaven be opened to the Roma,’” shared RBU worker Nina. “But this time they inserted the village name.” As individuals hear the gospel, hope for eternity and hope on earth becomes a possibility. For those who ask Jesus to forgive their sins and choose to follow Him, this hope becomes reality. 

“It is happening!” Inger said. “Soon after we arrived, somebody told me that a few people have already been baptised.”

Break my heart for what breaks Yours, everything I am for Your kingdom’s cause…

“It’s a shame they don’t have a church,” Bajram* expressed. He explained how it was too far and too expensive for the Bela Reka believers to drive 30 minutes to church in town each week. Similarly, the Bor congregation could not afford to offer transport.

Lack of fellowship means it is especially important that believers from town visit regularly. Receiving training to provide a monthly children’s programme is a significant development, since RBU finds it is a first step, which can lead to planting churches.  

“I love theatre and writing music, but I love Roma more!” expressed RBU volunteer Vedrana*, an arts graduate from Croatia. “I just wish they would know God and be saved—this is my biggest prayer. God gives the opportunities; we have to decide how will we respond.”

“I was moved by the heart that Roma and local believers have to invest their gifts and lives into reaching the Roma,” Inger reflected.  The song “Hosanna” summed it up for her: “The words were a reminder for me of what God is doing among the Roma, as well as inviting us to be part of what He will do.”

Praise God that Roma are equipping others to spread the gospel among Roma. Please pray that individuals in Roma settlements would grow in faith and gain the needed support community.

*Full name not included for security
**Subheadings credit: Song Lyrics: “Hosanna,” Brooke Fraser, 2006 Hillsong Music Publishing

Join OM EAST to serve in graphic design or bookkeeping: https://www.om.org/east/en/portal/go-om

OM EAST’s literature and media ministry produces high quality print and digital media in over 25 languages for people groups throughout Eurasia. OM EAST support their Roma Bible Union partners by producing booklets, badges, t-shirts, Bible study resources and Bible storybooks.

Nobody likes a gossiper

Gossip is toxic, poisonous, destructive, sinful, dishonouring to God and cancerous. Why do we latch onto, relish and pass on ‘information’ about others, usually in a negative or suspicious manner? We live in critical cultures that normalise judgmentalism and prejudice from an early age. It’s easier to smear someone than to affirm them, especially if they enjoy success and we do not.

One motive is the desire to inflict harm on someone’s reputation. However, more often than not, we go along with gossip because of a desire to be ‘in the know,’ a person who knows others’ secrets—a crude form of power and status. In my leadership role, I am privy to more secrets than possibly anyone else, but I must take that knowledge to the grave if I am to serve with integrity.

There has always been gossip but, in this day of social media, the consequences can be exponential: a generation ago, gossip was usually between two people; now it can be among millions, impossible to retract or control. Gossip is a serious character trait that the Bible often ranks with keeping bad company. Proverbs alone refers to it six times, always negatively (11:13, 16:28, 18:8, 20:19, 26:20, 26: 22 NIV). Christians are called to rise above that.

Every time we listen to or pass on gossip, we make a moral choice with its consequences. Whenever we hear gossip, we do the teller well by denouncing it. If we partake in gossip, we need to repent and take steps to change, even if it means changing friends. You might be passing on facts, yet who wins from this but our enemy, the father of lies? That’s why Jesus admonished us to settle matters privately as much as possible before involving others.
 

Heard this?

We should proactively respond when gossip is near by asking:

• Why am I being told this? Why are you telling me?
• Is this factual? (Can’t prove it? Dismiss it and say so.)
• Is this meant to defame or hurt someone or some ministry? (Remember, slandering an individual ripples through a larger group whether a church, a mission field or organisation).
• Vocally decline to participate, gracefully challenging those involved to stop and retract their comments.
• Realize that whoever would gossip to you will also gossip about you, whether or not by name. I once confided in a leader about a struggle, only to hear him one week later share its details in group devotions. Though not naming me, I was mortified; people who knew me well could easily connect the dots.
• If you have been caught up in gossip, confess, repent and restore the injured party—tough to do, but cleansing!

Rather than stain ourselves with gossip, we should intentionally speak well of others and pass on news with pure motives. As light dispels darkness, even small steps in this direction can have a wider impact in our communities. Paul exhorts us: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Phil.4:8, NIV). And may I add, do it constructively and publicly.

Take stock of your life: What might you achieve with the free time and energy released from idle gossip? Jesus warned, “everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken” (Matt. 12:36, NIV). From this day forward, let us band together to speak with pure motives, a community of affirmation in a culture of believing the best of others. In a world of aggression and malice, this will make us fragrant to the world.

EVANGELISM

NETHERLANDS: STREET CRED

When OM Riverboat community members went on a prayer walk in Dordrecht, God directed them to those with open hearts. Led by Rob Veenstra, from a local ministry named Bonfire, they went looking for people for whom He had a specific word. It was raining, so Rob’s team, with three others, sought shelter when a girl passed by.

“Do you speak English?” Rob approached her slowly. “Yes…?” answered the girl, unsure. “We are Christians on a prayer walk, reaching out to people,” Rob started. “Your bright red umbrella caught my eye, and I feel the need to talk to you.”

Rob described how God loved and cared for her, sending the team to her. The girl’s face turned from caution to a bright-eyed smile. “Yes... yes…yes…” was all she could muster, speechless with joy. She had been praying that week for God to make Himself known to her. She revealed the jealousy for a colleague at work who experienced the love and peace of God. “I asked how he could have that, and why it seemed impossible for me to have the same peace,” shared 19-year-old Femmie, “There was so much doubt in my heart; I didn’t know what to believe.”

Her colleague encouraged her to keep praying. Six days later, Femmie was stopped by Rob and the Riverboat community members. “I can’t believe this,” Femmie cried out. “This is the moment I have been waiting for all my life—for someone to tell me that God is there for me!” Femmie prayed to accept Jesus Christ into her life. Rob prayed a blessing of peace and comfort over her and her family.

Pray for many more life-changing conversations on the Riverboat, and that Femmie will grow in a local church.

RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT

UKRAINE: OUT OF THE ASHES

Over the last three years, the Ukraine has frequently been in the news. Many people have died; even more have fled, while internally displaced people (IDPs) wander all over Ukraine, many helped by churches. Others have left for Russia, Europe, the USA and Israel. Ukrainians have suffered tremendous losses: the violent death of loved ones, or having to flee their homes. Although the news media has moved on to other crises, in Ukraine things are still happening—and God is on the move.

“The churches are busier than ever,” says Oleg, OM team leader and pastor in Rivne. “Many people are seeking God. It is a new day, with a new sense of freedom. There is also the awareness that in our time of need, our help did not come from Europe or the USA, but from God Himself. We are excited to see what God will do. Please continue to pray for Ukraine, and for the new day dawning in our country.”

OM teams work with several churches in Odessa, Rivne, Vinnitsa and Kaharlyk. They often focus on children, through Sunday schools, clubs and camps. The teams also help IDPs from the war zone in the East, reach out to Jews, and create new business opportunities. OM welcomes short-term teams, especially during school holidays, when week-long camps for children can run back-to-back for several weeks.

“In the past, the churches had no vision for mission, nor could they travel anywhere. This is now changing; some students are ready to go on short-term mission outreaches to the war zone in the East or to a neighbouring country. When they return and share their experience with the church, it is changing the church!” Oleg rejoices.

The OM team praises God for what He is doing and asks for further prayer: for protection and an end to the war in the East, for the churches and OM teams to seize opportunities for outreach, and for even more people to turn to God for spiritual freedom.

CHURCH PLANTING

PAKISTAN: GROWTH IN GOD’S TIME

Saif* and Asma* have worked in one province for over 10 years, desiring to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached. Their first year goal was to see six people come to know the Lord. That didn’t happen, nor in the second year. “But in the third, God gave us one man who was baptised,” Asma said. “Then, a family came to the Lord. Now, we have 10 home churches of people from the majority background.” After specific training, they changed their initial approach and soon saw three second-generation groups form, as well as four more seeker groups.

Now Saif and Asma provide training to others. “We understand now what home churches need to grow,” Saif said. “So besides the 10 groups, we have second-generation groups, and our other groups also have seekers’ groups,” Asma said.

Osman*, a young man, is a seeker and regularly reads the Bible hidden in his home. One day, he saw his mother reading his Bible; she said, “You can read this secretly, but don’t tell others.” She started studying the Bible; six months later, she recognised that Jesus was the way, the truth and the life. Later, Osman became a believer. One day, Osman’s uncle found the mother’s Bible and said to her, “This book is good for me, not for you.” So he took the Bible and left. “Now he is reading the Bible as well,” Saif said, smiling.

When Saif and Asma visited Osman, they were amazed to find his New Testament in clear sight of everyone. “Now, I read my New Testament in front of my kids and tell them it is a very precious book,” he said. His young son told him, “Papa, keep this book safe. When I become a big boy, I will also read it.” Osman’s wife is also reading the scriptures, though secretly. “We are praying that God will open her heart and she will come to the Lord, so that as a family they grow in faith,” Asma said.

JUSTICE

ITALY: IF YOU KNOW, YOU ACT

They come to Italy being promised a good job and better life. Instead, they are forced to sell themselves daily for a few euros. This is the reality of girls trafficked into prostitution. For the past two years, members of OM, along with women from local churches, have supported these girls and raised awareness of their situation. Weekly, along with a male driver, the women go to the streets and talk with whomever is willing. Team member Emma* said that building relationships with the girls was initially difficult. “We had to gain trust step by step,” she said. “Over time, they saw that we wanted to help.”

Every outreach, they greet the women by name and offer food and drink. Sometimes they bring birthday gifts, clothes and Italian lessons to help the girls integrate into society. They also take the girls to dinner, the beach, or church. OM team member Katja Johnson* says one of the women’s most important needs is “to be shown they have value and a purpose in Christ. Their destiny need not be prostitution; there can be another option, a way out.” Experts estimate that the number of Nigerian sex workers alone smuggled into Italy by sea has tripled in three years. Traffickers exploit poverty, discrimination, and lack of opportunities by falsely promising a better life in Europe but the women soon learn they have to sell themselves in order to repay their debt. They are told that, if they try to escape, their family will be killed or they will be cursed.

Working with trafficking victims can be taxing for the OM team, knowing that they cannot help everyone. Katja* hopes to care for the women more holistically and “to create a network of people able to respond to the different needs and support individuals as they exit the street by providing spiritual and psychological help and facilitating social and economic integration for them.”

The OM team wants to see greater awareness about trafficking among men as well. “People say ‘Oh, they earn a lot of money; it’s their choice,’” Emma said. “But it’s not their choice.” “In Italy, every fourth or fifth man buys sex yearly, but the problem is not tackled. If there were no demand, there would be no trafficking,” Katja* added.

MENTORING & DISCIPLESHIP

COLOMBIA: TIME TO WORK TOGETHER

Various Christian organisations operating in Colombia and around the world gathered together for a special event on Logos Hope. The missions fair drew in local believers eager to learn more about serving God full-time. Along with Colombian ministries to marginalised people and those promoting fairly-traded indigenous products, there were networks to connect young people with opportunities worldwide. A sports outreach, CRU Colombia (student ministry), and the international missionary agency WEC were also represented, the latter by Jazmin Abuabara, a Colombian woman wearing traditional African fabric and sharing her story.

At age 40, she left her job to go to Bible college, became a missionary and served in Equatorial Guinea for the next 15 years. Jazmin helped to plant churches and teach children. “We saw them move from crisis to Christ—and now those ministries are in local hands,” she said.

Back home in Barranquilla, Jazmin is an example to recruit other Colombians. “Twenty years ago, when I left, Colombians were just beginning in mission. Now we can say we did it, and it is possible. The Church is more aware and churches are larger, with resources to send missionaries.” Distance isn’t as daunting in the 21st century, thanks to better communications. Jazmin recalled, “I phoned my mum twice in my first four years—but then the internet arrived; so young people today can stay connected and they’re excited about finding their part to play.”

Jazmin throws her support behind OM’s ‘Ellos son como Tu!’ (They are like you!) initiative, to encourage Latinos to share the gospel in least-reached communities. “We learn that we are like them. We know the Latino can adapt so well, in terms of physical appearance, in Middle Eastern or Asian cultures,” she said. “Many have learnt to live with little, here in Colombia; so they can adjust well to circumstances in other places. We have so much in common as we come alongside others to share ‘Christ in us, the hope of glory!’”

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide.

Lawrence Tong

* name changed

Being risk takers

Life is fraught with everyday risks that we accept in order to fulfill our lives. Being Christians in the hands of a loving Father does not guarantee immunity from trials, but we should not let risk paralyse us. The people today who change our world see risk as opportunity.

Considering the task God has given us, we have to become comfortable with risks great and small. The Bible tells of many who took risks and trusted God despite the odds; their steadfastness changed history and advanced His kingdom. Risk and faith run side-by-side from Noah to Peter to Luther to George Verwer, Bible smugglers, overland trips to India, a ship team praying six years with no ship—we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb.12:1), so let us run the race set before us! The Bible tells us that “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us his very great and precious promises” (1 Pet. 1:3, 4 NIV). If this is true, shouldn’t we be taking more risks individually and as a faith community?

Throughout OM’s history, risk-taking has been ‘Standard Operating Procedure’ and part of our DNA. The real threat today is if we erect excessive barriers and processes that cripple our ability to risk. It is OK to take risks and make mistakes in the effort to further the Kingdom, because mistakes have far more to teach us than successes.

In OM’s early decades, we became known for working with high-risk colleagues who were impulsive, eccentric…and influential. Many ‘unique’ characters had great passion for God’s kingdom and made a lasting impact on world missions. I wonder how many of them (or us) would be accepted into OM today—or would want to be. Many of us would never have developed in leadership if our own leaders hadn’t taken risks with us. They not only saw what was but what could be: rough diamonds worth polishing. Our story reads, “no place too far, no task too difficult, no idea too crazy, and our mistakes did not stop us.” If we choose a path of risk aversion, that will inevitably be the end of OM.

Of course, we need to mitigate unnecessary risks and screen potential recruits to avoid pain and danger on our teams in sensitive places. However, policies and practices should not take precedence over spiritual discernment. We need people who are ‘different’ to help us think outside the boxes we have made, to be ever-pursuing better ways to grow in effectiveness and to set the pace. A handful of people like Ray Lentzsch and Mickey Walker shaped our movement’s evangelism and street ministry worldwide. Their passion infused generations who followed.

Start small, but start

Each of us can take ‘baby steps’ to tone up our faith. For example:

• giving of our limited time and/or money to a local non-OM ministry
• empowering someone else to take a risk in order to bless and grow
• as leaders, limiting our ‘veto power’ and control of something that team members can develop without us. Leadership isn’t about wielding power but rather empowering others. Our own readiness to take risks may be the greatest gift we can give our people. 

As an organisation, let us stay focused on our mission and strive to recognise more opportunities with a spirit of innovation and discovery that includes genuine risk, because avoiding risks by trusting in our own experience suppresses faith. A willingness to fail through risk-taking is more honourable to God than hiding our talents and thinking that is good stewardship.

EVANGELISM

MOLDOVA: YOU BROUGHT YOUR BEST

Love Moldova teams visit the old, the poor and the abandoned, bringing physical and spiritual gifts. Repeatedly, recipients say Bibles and prayer were most precious. “The lady we visited was deaf; she had dried blood on her hands and face and a bottle holding the liquid seeping from her body,” one participant shared. The team could only communicate by writing. The woman could read and reply verbally but she had lost her hearing during a seven-month hospital stay with tuberculosis. When the team told her they had brought her a food parcel and a Bible as gifts, she was overjoyed. “Nobody visits me,” she said, “but you have come, even from a different country, and also brought a gift for me—a Bible, God’s Word!”

Every year, dozens of outreach teams trek, cycle or raft to some of the least reached places, sharing God’s love through campsor visiting the poor and neglected, bringing material help, encouragement and hope. The teams were amazed at  what a visit meant and what appreciation was shown.

Some hesitated to accept prayer, because their tradition had taught them they had to pay for it. “One lady told us she wanted to have Jesus in her heart and home but did not have enough money to pay the priest to pray for the home,” one participant explained. When the team offered to pray without payment, and shared that they themselves could come to God in prayer, they were very happy to accept the offer.

Many teams saw how their visits brought change. Change for the grumpy man who later sat with a smile on his face, reading the Bible they had given him. Change for the lady who told them she wanted to die, but by the end of the visit had trusted Jesus and declared that she now wanted to live for Him. Pray that these responses will lead to the building up of God’s church.

RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT

ZAMBIA: HELP EACH OTHER

From trying to survive each day to leading the community in bringing development, the members of a Self Help Group (SHG) in the village of Katete are being transformed. “I couldn’t recognise them when they came for follow-up,” said Golden Kateya, SHG coordinator. Katete, located in a remote area along Lake Tanganyika, is a nine-hour boat ride from the main Zambian port. The OM team started a SHG in 2016 among its most vulnerable women. It meets twice a week to learn how to associate with people, use resources around them and incorporate the Word of God into everything.

During training, Rose was identified as a good leader and began leading a group of 17 women so that the facilitator could start other groups. Later, Rose experienced bad stomach pain. In the village there is no clinic. Rose’s pain got worse and she had no choice but to get medicine from a man in the village who charged more than she could ever afford. When the ladies heard Rose’s story, they contributed funds from money pooled to help start businesses. The incident triggered thinking about community development and now the group wants to build a clinic for the village. Using the money saved throughout the year, the group has started other projects to benefit the community such as digging a well and buying a boat. 

“Before, they could only focus on themselves and barely managed to survive, but now these ladies play a big role in the village. Their unity is beautiful,” said Golden. All the ladies can now provide three meals a day for their families and their children are all in school. Along the lakeshore, lack of empowerment contributes to malnutrition, early marriage and forces children to quit school to look for work. The SHGs address these issues and progressively empower communities at individual, family and community levels.

CHURCH PLANTING

UNITED KINGDOM: TURKISH DELIGHT

“There are hundreds of thousands of Turkish speakers in the UK, and only one weekly [Turkish-speaking] church that we know of,” says Deniz, an OM worker among Turkish people. Such a significant population of unreached people presents a great opportunity for sharing the gospel, but there are hurdles: many immigrants struggle to find jobs and are forced to work long hours to support themselves. This leaves little time for rest, let alone spiritual exploration and growth.

Among the few Turkish believers, Deniz finds that many come from shaky theological backgrounds. Deep-rooted misconceptions can make it hard to sustain themselves spiritually. “So we are building them up to study Scripture for themselves, so they are able to teach others,” says Deniz. In spite of obstacles, the gospel is changing the lives of both believers and non-believers: Multiple Turkish fellowship groups meet regularly, and there are plans to plant another church in 2018.

“Many desire to know God and see how that applies to their life,” says Deniz. “One Muslim lady came [to our house group] for eight months, after she saw Jesus in a dream. She trusted Christ, and has brought another Muslim friend to the group for eight weeks.”

OM sent some Turkish background teens to TeenStreet, where they could encounter God in an international community of young Christians. Although the young people are enthusiastic, inviting non-Christian friends to meetings, Deniz shares that they are praying for leaders to invest in the youth.

The work can be slow, according to Deniz, and it takes a lot of time, energy and visits. Pray for spiritual growth among Turkish believers in the UK, so they can share their faith with family and friends.

JUSTICE

SOUTH ASIA: ONE LIFE, ONE VILLAGE

When David and Samuel first entered the remote village, it was difficult to live there and share the gospel. “It took many hours of trekking to get there, the food was very different, and the language was sometimes hard to understand,” said David, a local OM worker.

One day, five men entered the village and asked to stay with the OM workers for the night. While it is common to welcome strangers, David and Samuel felt uncomfortable by the men’s behaviour. One man explained that they actually came to kidnap Kavita*, a teenager, to take her to their village to marry one of them. Forced marriage is very common and accepted in villages, as young girls are physically taken against their will by any man interested in marrying them. The OM workers knew this was not God’s way for love and marriage. David explained to the men that, “Females are not like animals, who you can force to do what you want. They are humans not be taken against their will.” Samuel then showed them from the Bible the purpose of marriage. After this, the men immediately said they would not kidnap Kavita. David and Samuel were surprised, but they did not fully believe them. “We woke up early the next morning and saw that the men had left. When we went to see if Kavita was home, we were once again surprised, but very happy, to see that she was,” David said.

David and Samuel explained everything to Kavita and how God had saved her. Kavita took some time to think about the truth that God is real and then decided to follow Jesus and be baptised. Some days later, David and Samuel met the same man who had wanted to kidnap Kavita. He began telling them how his heart had been changed, that he was heading down a bad road and his understanding was wrong. “I really believe what you said, and I want to know more about Jesus,” said the man.

Many people in remote villages have a very unhealthy view of marriage, love and relationships. Through the word of God, OM continues to equip workers to enlighten societies on God’s love and its power to develop healthy marriages, and transform lives and communities. Pray for godly change in countries where girls are forced into marriage from a young age, and people who believe that forced marriages are good. Also, pray the word of God would reach these people, and their hearts would be open to truth. 

MENTORING & DISCIPLESHIP

COLOMBIA: ELLOS SON COMO TÚ!


Logos Hope has begun a new phase of ministry in Latin America, sharing the vision of OM on shore throughout the region. The ship’s presence on the continent for the coming two and a half years will be a platform for the ‘Ellos son como Tú!’ (They are like you) initiative. The slogan is backed by a mobilising campaign to encourage missionaries from Latin America to take the message of the gospel to parts of the world considered least reached. OM aims to train and send 2,000 Latinos to specific mission fields over the next ten years.

Living on board Logos Hope for the coming years are Alex and Julie Paniagua (Costa Rica), Associate Area Leaders for OM in Latin America. In training sessions for the ship community as they voyaged towards Colombia, Julie said: “My heart breaks for countries and people who haven’t had a chance to hear what we have heard and responded to. So many people are broken, lost, and have no healing. If Jesus were to return today, they would not be able to celebrate and be in relationship with Him, as we look forward to being.”

Alex encouraged Logos Hope’s community: “Our job is to make sure that we are faithful witnesses. You are on this ship because you received that calling and you believed the Great Commission. Your story—the fact that you are here and that you boldly obeyed the calling—is enough for you to speak into somebody else’s life and say, ‘You too can go.’” Events on the ship will be tailored to encourage Christians to consider mission for themselves, and to help churches understand how to raise funding for and ongoing support to missionaries. Already, OM has received hundreds of enquiries about joining and pledges of financial support from Colombians.

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide.

Lawrence Tong
 

* name changed

I have been meditating on and pondering the Kingdom of God and the ultimate reason for what we are doing. According to the vision of John in Revelation, our goal is the worship of the Lamb of God together with a community of people from every, tribe, nation, tongue and language. A key expression of that vision is to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached.

Today’s stark reality is that more than 2.8 billion people have not heard this message of hope and transformation—and 57,000 people are added to this number daily. When I heard this, I was deeply impacted, and resolved that I want to be part of changing that trajectory. 

One question fills my heart: “What is needed to change this trajectory?” I have been engaging the OM ships’ leadership with this and am encouraged to see their positive engagement. To effect a change in trajectory, we need a shift in thinking to understand our role. Given the unique reach and platform of the ministry that we have been entrusted with, by focusing on three pillars of Prayer, Partnership and Mobilisation, we are able to move more strongly toward a multiplication model to see that trajectory changed.

Prayer

From the birth of OM, our focus on prayer has been critical and central and, thankfully, continues to remain largely so. It is important that we do not underestimate or shift this focus during the alignment process of our mission and beyond. In this age of fantastic technology and increased focus on strategic thinking and planning, we can easily relegate prayer to an opening and closing statement of blessing for our plans and thinking. For us, now more than ever, to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached, we need a greater focus on prayer and, I believe, fasting. Prayer is one of our main tools—with faith closely linked—for accomplishing this mission. We must not expect it to be easy.

Partnership

We see throughout Scripture the example in the Trinity of a perfect partnership that has accomplished, humanly speaking, the impossible. We were created for community; integral to that is partnership, enabling us to combine skills and strengths and support each other for a cause much greater than ourselves. If we are going to see a change in the trajectory of these statistics, we need to be seeking partners in our ministries, fields and areas—not only within OM but, dare I say, primarily outside. As the old African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

Mobilisation

When I refer to mobilisation, I think of four aspects: Excite, Engage, Equip and Exit. How do we help people move from excitement about God’s purpose to them living out God’s purposes among the least reached (Exit)? Our name and perhaps our DNA calls others to join. Given the incredible reach we have among thousands of communities that align themselves with God, how do we get more of His people to communicate the singular message of the Good News of God’s Kingdom, now more than ever? 

If we are to see the trajectory of more than 2.8 billion+ people changed, we need more of His people focused and responsive in obedience to His heart for His Kingdom to come among them. We need to clearly, unapologetically and categorically call people to join the greatest cause ever.

Originally from South Africa, Seelan Govender has served with OM Ships International since 1999. Shortly after becoming Director on Doulos in 2009, the 95-year-old vessel was taken out of active service, with Seelan leading the Doulos community through the process of sudden change. Transferring to Logos Hope, Seelan was responsible for public events and, in 2015, became managing director, leading Logos Hope’s ministry until early 2017 when he was appointed as OM Ships International’s chief executive officer, responsible for the leadership and management of the organisation. Seelan is married with two children.

God alone deserves the glory for OM’s story. Despite the founding generation’s inexperience, God laid a solid foundation of ideals and principles that have withstood great testing:

• OM’s passion has always been to mobilise ‘ordinary’ people into mission. Short- and long-term programmes made it possible for people from all backgrounds to serve together.
• Leaders were passionate in training people and releasing them to serve in or start other ministries. More than 200,000 people have served with OM over the last 60 years. More than 100 mission organisations were birthed by OM graduates. Thousands of Christian leaders trace their mission roots back to OM.
• OM was birthed out of prayer, fuelled by prayer and will continue to be powered by prayer. Whether it was our own needs or those of nations, we threw ourselves at His mercy. It was in nights of prayer where vision was cast, ideas were developed and faith was strengthened. This intensity and frequency of intercession must continue.
• From the early days, there has been a sense of urgency to reach those dying without Christ, driving us to redeem time and opportunities for evangelism. May we never compromise in this area!
• OMers were known for being able to accomplish a lot with very little. It was never proof of spirituality; rather, it has been about being good stewards of what the Lord has entrusted to us, whether ministries or materials.

OM has contributed to the modern missions movement in several ways. One is that we broke from tradition in mobilising workers. Life experience and passionate commitment are valued as much if not more than higher education alone. OM also created short-term opportunities for ordinary people with a few weeks to offer—an opportunity that has often been life-changing and has been adopted by other missions.

Secondly, training has always been hands on, side by side and continuous. Cross-cultural understanding, language acquisition and ministry skills are developed in active ministry rather than in classrooms of theory.

Thirdly, OMers employed innovative methodologies often only recognised in hindsight: smuggling literature through the Iron Curtain, using ships as a demonstration of global faith, organising massive mission conventions for teens and more. Recently, this has included agriculture and small business enterprise to sustain the work and bless poor communities.

Challenges we must face

Our world’s culture is changing so rapidly and broadly that it challenges biblical convictions. Though we now find ourselves a minority, we must not waver in our conviction in the Word of God. But we are also confronted with gross injustices, a tsunami of the poor and increasingly antagonistic governments.

In light of these, we are determined to increase our impact, while handicapped by our work’s long-term sustainability. Our capacity to sustain (let alone increase) workers from non-traditional missionary sending countries is insufficient. Many workers come from smaller churches and regions with limited economic means, so funds must come through other means, such as being bi-vocational in business. Essential home office staff, especially in administrative roles, struggle to raise support for their strategic work that directly affects every team and ministry worldwide. I believe that solutions exist, but we must seek them together.

In recruiting, there has been a shift toward a kingdom theology that speaks of justice in economic, political and social relationships. This has wide-ranging implications. Today’s generation is looking to work with mission organisations that represent their values; if OM does not address issues close to their hearts, they will find someone else to work with.

Internally, we can become victims of our own success and put administrative efficiency over innovation. Management and administration exist to serve ministry, not the other way around. Life is messy and vibrant and creative, and our life as a mission organisation needs to be in tune with that. Not everything that really matters is neat and controlled; if we lose sight of this through increased bureaucracy, we can become ‘armchair OMers’, which is definitely not good stewardship!

OM’s mission is “to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached.” That will only occur in partnership with the whole Body of Christ. Mission is a collective effort with local churches and mission organisations everywhere. OM has done well in this regard, and yet so much more needs to be done in cooperation. It will also require a paradigm shift in our recruiting. Living among the people, earning their trust and acceptance, winning them to Christ, discipling and then sending them in ministry demands long-term commitment. The unreached are the final frontier for missions, and reaching them will not be easy; there will be discouragement, disappointment, rejection and opposition. It will take people with Holy Spirit-led tenacity to not give up until the harvest comes.

I want OM and our partners to prayerfully consider our part in the Great Commission by focusing on the least of the least reached, who absolutely have no access to the gospel whatsoever. What if OM and all our partners commit afresh to re-harnessing that zeal that made us a movement over the past 60 years? “To know Him and to make Him known” was OM’s heartbeat in earlier days. As we are now closer to the Lord’s return than ever before, we “look forward to the day of God and speed its coming” (2 Pet.3:12, NIV) by striving together so that all will be reached for Christ.

On 1 September 2013, Lawrence Tong, from Singapore, became OM's third International Director. Lawrence's leadership journey has included serving on the Board of OM Singapore, as OM country leader for Taiwan, as director of Logos II, and in financial development with the OM Ships USA office in Florence, South Carolina. Lawrence also led the fast-growing work of OM in China, with a significant focus on welfare and agricultural programmes. He met his American wife, Susan, while serving on Doulos and married in 1989. They have two adult sons, Josh and Benji.

George and a few other students pioneered OM’s work with short-term outreaches to Mexico, starting in June 1957. Early ministry campgains focused on sharing the gospel and leaving literature in local languages.

At the time, most established mission agencies required a seminary degree and lengthy or lifelong commitment, but George came with another message: "If you love Jesus, come with us and we will disciple you on the way.”

George believed that, if he could mobilise people, what they experienced could very well keep them involved for the rest of their lives. When no one else was doing short-term missions, George enacted this idea and changed the face of missions.

As OM grew—strengthened by its core of short-term and short-turned-long-term workers—its focus soon shifted towards Europe, the Muslim World and India.

During one early summer campaign in Europe, hundreds of volunteers gathered with the goal of distributing 25 million pieces of literature among every village and town in France. They missed their goal but reached it the following summer when over 2,000 joined the next campaign.

When so many considered the communist world closed to the gospel, a few OMers believed they simply needed another way to get literature in. So they retro-fitted vans with secret compartments to hide Bibles and Christian literature. Over the decades, they took thousands of tons of literature behind the Iron Curtain to ensure that the gospel would go to those who had never heard.

In the early ’60s, OM used trucks to carry literature and young people from Europe to India for evangelism. The first group arrived in India in 1964. From the beginning, OM worked alongside Indian churches—a radical departure from the normal practice of Western missionaries. All foreigners were equal team members with Indian brothers and sisters, whose leadership development was paramount.

Although the movement in India catapulted forward, the arduous two-month trip overland must have been pure agony for George, who sought to redeem every minute of time. Air travel was out of the question—think of how many tracts could be bought for the price of one plane ticket!—but another idea began to form.

Back in England, George, then in his mid-’20s, suggested buying a ship to take more literature and more people around the world, while saving time and money. The mission world wrote OM off at that stage. Even many within OM were against the idea, but George believed it was of God, so he kept praying and encouraged the movement to pray with him. Fifty years later, OM has had four ships visited by over 40 million people; millions more have interacted with crewmembers in port cities—many of these hearing the gospel for the first time.

In those first three decades, OMers connected with over one billion people, and launched over 120,000 into missions, mobilising the first cross-cultural missionaries from many of the countries they went to.

One of the first major evolutions in OM happened in the ’80s and early ’90s as a result of two world events. The Russian invasion of Afghanistan caused many refugees to flee the country, followed by the first Iraq war when many Kurds were displaced and became refugees.

A number of people in OM, burdened by these people’s suffering, said the organisation must do something. After all, if someone is wet, cold, hungry and in need of shelter, the love of Christ compels believers to help.

Thus, OM added a new guiding conviction: The gospel included caring for the physical needs of people. As with the first ship, not everybody approved this shift. There was tension in OM for a period, but by the 2000s, relief and development were central activities in many fields, especially in the Muslim world.

In 2003, Peter Maiden succeeded George as OM’s second International Director. Since Peter had already served as the Associate International Director for close to 20 years, his appointment wasn’t a surprise. His experience allowed him to step in and continue developing OM.

“We had been very strong on proclamation and wanted to keep that, but realised that in many parts of the world our ministry had to be to the whole person and community. As part of holistic mission, we were also looking at how a person’s gifting could be used in mission; we were looking at the use of sport, business, dance and more in our mission strategy,” Peter explained. “OM’s leadership had been very Western-dominated, and we were seeking to make the movement more comfortable for non-Western people to move into significant responsibility.”

Around the same time, OM leadership also realised that churches had been planted as the natural outcome of OM’s efforts in the Muslim world, Europe and especially India, where new churches were being added every other day. Therefore, OM’s guiding convictions expanded again, recognising that the gospel included the planting of churches.

Of course, following the innovative nature of OM’s early days, new churches rarely used brick and mortar structures to house worship gatherings. Instead groups of new believers and seekers began meeting in living rooms, on beaches and, in Kabwe, Zambia, in a World Cup viewing tent.

The community of Makwati gathered in the 200-person tent to watch the month-long sporting event in 2010. Thirty days of football transformed into 30 days of encouragement; people started becoming Christians. When the tournament ended, people didn’t want the new community to end. The rented tent had to be returned, so the new believers met in the open air until a shelter of wood and tarps was made. Makwati Community Church was born.

In 2014, OM appointed a third International Director, Lawrence Tong. He called the organisation to a period of prayerful review and future planning. Through research OM found itself evolving once more in a major way. Increasingly, OM was no longer just about the proclamation of the gospel. Instead, workers wanted to see the gospel take root in a community, transforming lives and the community itself.

Today, OM is an organisation with 3,400 workers, serving in over 110 countries, coming from 115 nations. According to OM’s core conviction, the gospel has the power to change everything. It is not just about the eternal destiny of someone’s soul, but his or her life now. The gospel of the kingdom speaks to change in society through the teaching of Jesus being lived out by His followers. OMers still evangelise, still give out literature and still do community development—but they do it now with the focus of wanting to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached.

In a constructive engagement with Winter’s article, Robert Blincoe has noted how church history may challenge the two structures paradigm. Blincoe notes that “some of church history’s greatest pioneers, did not wait to get permission before they started new mission structures. They began, attracted others to the task, and only subsequently were they honoured by their church’s government for their leadership.” William Carey is perhaps the most instructive example. The outstanding legacy of mission left by Carey came as a result of his ignoring the existing structures when they were impracticable and being willing to do mission without being recognised by his own denomination. Blincoe cites other examples such as Samuel Zwemer, a missionary to Arabia.

In step with the Spirit

At a recent gathering of OM church planters, I was struck by how many of our missionaries similarly began outside of official channels. They described themselves as ‘accidental church planters,’ as would I. When I moved to Finland, it was not as a missionary, nor had I even heard of organisations like OM. I came as a university student and an athlete eager to share the gospel. Eventually, I began a Bible study that grew and took the shape of a church as I simultaneously sensed a call to preaching and pastoral ministry. I began visiting the local OM office because of the good books, an informal mentoring relationship with the field leader and the provision of a desk to prepare my sermons. As the church plant grew, sustainability, accountability and multiplication were the crucial questions, and joining OM was the clear answer. The first church plant—and subsequent church plants and training institute—would not have been possible without the support of OM.

Only because OM Finland questioned some official protocol was I able to join the organisation while planting a church. At that time, OM Finland did not plant churches and ‘technically’ OM did not plant churches in Western Europe at all! Nor was I able to attend the GO Conference or first visit my home country. This is not to suggest we should simply drop or disregard these protocols, which I have come to appreciate. OM’s structure, and the two-structure paradigm generally, have served well in many cases. But if we are serious about planting churches among the least reached as how we do mission, we must always be willing to question, reconsider and reform our paradigms: semper reformanda.

In light of the church history and OM’s experiences, let me make two suggestions. First, sometimes we may need to question some of our existing structures and protocols in order to fulfil our mission. Second, while esteeming the local church, sometimes OM must be prepared to challenge it as Carey did. This may entail educating the local church with the need for pioneer mission, aiming at harmonious cooperation so that together we can, with Carey, “expect great things from God” and “attempt great things for God.”

Shaun Rossi is the senior pastor of a church in Helsinki, Finland, which was at one time a church plant. He is lecturer and head of mission for Union School of Theology (UK), researches church and culture at VU Amsterdam, and provides leadership for OM Europe’s church planting. Shaun is married with five children.

Audio Bible preaches itself

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” – Romans 10:14 (NIV)

Paul’s logic in Romans is irrefutable, and Christians have taken these principles seriously for centuries. Entire mission organisations have devoted themselves to translating the Bible into hundreds of languages. Yet for many people, having the Bible in a language they can understand isn’t the problem; it’s having it in a form they understand.

Such is the reality of the Islamic Yao tribe in Malawi, many of whom are illiterate. Up until 2015, the Bible was unavailable in chiYao in written or audio format. Today, the whole Bible can be heard through AudiBibles.

In the first seven months of 2016, the OM team handed out 297 solar-powered AudiBibles. Each recipient is expected to start a weekly listening group, sharing the Word of God.

After training, Shadrick started an AudiBible listening group in March 2016 with 14 people in a nearby village. Mary* was a Muslim whose husband is a sheik. Against his wishes, she started attending the listening group. “I felt like I was empty,” she said. “I needed more; I needed God to change my life.”

After two months of listening to the AudiBible, she accepted Christ. Though Mary continues to go to the mosque—to avoid problems in the community—she strongly desires to go to church. “She’s making changes little by little but can’t switch all at once,” said Shadrick, which is advisable in her community where culture and religion are closely intertwined.

“The AudiBible is a true preacher,” said Fredson Phiri, an AudiBible trainer. “It doesn’t add, it doesn’t subtract; it gives the whole truth to the person. It preaches itself.”

A miniscule device with a big impact

Even in the unlikeliest of places, one thing connects people: smartphones. Travel for hours on dirt tracks in Africa or trek for days in Nepal, and you’re guaranteed to see or hear signs of this small-screen device.

In October 2015, during a three-week outreach, OM teams in Nepal travelled several days by bus to a remote western district. Known for its rugged terrain and sparse population, this area has about 9,670 households in 3,535 square kilometres (1,365 square miles), but there are only 113 known believers.

“We want to see a New Testament in every household in this area,” said Matthew*, an OM ministry leader. “We hope that people hearing God’s Word will be what brings them to believe in Him as their Saviour."

The team distributed over 2,500 New Testaments, paired with a mini-SD card—one to each household they visited. The mini-SD cards fit into cell phones and have audio recordings of the New Testament, the gospels in the local language and a book called God’s Promises.

Considering the treacherous terrain of Nepal, a miniscule device makes delivering these resources much easier than printed media. What may seem like a small gesture continually receives a warm welcome from those that receive an SD card. One man stayed up until midnight listening to the words of the gospel in his own language, and asked for his own copy to take home to continue listening.

Mobile app brings relevance

When Ted* and Jennifer* first arrived in North Africa, they worked for another organisation focusing on Bible translation. In the beginning, local believers did not want to use a Bible written in their own dialect, preferring the standard Arabic translation, Jennifer explained.

For many years, the couple laboured to make progress on the project, eventually passing it on to other champions “who struggled equally as hard,” Jennifer said. Right before she and Ted left North Africa after two decades of ministry, they heard of the translation’s fruit.

Friends shared that on consecutive days, two locals, both struggling to understand the standard Arabic Bible, were introduced to the local dialect translation available on a smartphone app. For half an hour, both individuals poured over the app, asking the other worker not to interrupt their reading.

“Now [the gospel] is reaching people, and that was the intention,” Jennifer shared. “It’s such an exciting way to be leaving on that note, to know what we worked so hard on is bearing fruit and being used. Maybe they’re not being saved yet, but they have the opportunity to hear it, understand and hopefully come to faith.”

In OM’s 60-year history, a few brothers and sisters in the OM family experienced this first hand: David Goodman, shot in his home in Turkey in 1979; Bonnie Witherall, killed while serving local women at a women’s clinic in Sidon, Lebanon, in 2002; Karen Goldsworthy and Sofia Sigfridsson, who died during an explosion at a public ministry event in the Philippines in 1991, and Gayle Williams, killed in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2008. These folks are honoured as OM’s modern-day martyrs.

David Goodman – Turkey, 1979

After reading a pamphlet, “Turkey, the Forgotten Land,” David and Jenni Goodman moved to Adana, Turkey, in 1977, where David taught English as a second language. David’s widow, Jenni, recalled the morning in their second year when everything changed. “Someone came to the door, and I could hear David ask, ‘Who’s there?’ Then I heard the door open…followed by gunshots.” Frantic, Jenni found a neighbour who took David to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. No arrests were ever made.

Jenni returned to the US, pregnant with the couple’s first child, and gave birth to a son, David Yener, whose middle name means “He will overcome.” A year later, she married Bill Perry, and the couple had six more children.

In 2015, Jenni and Bill travelled to Turkey to visit their daughter, who was there on a short-term trip; it was Jenni’s first trip to Turkey since David was martyred. They attended a church and sang a Turkish worship song that David wrote shortly before he died—a song still sung nearly 40 years after David’s death. “Many believers still remember the sacrifice the writer made,” Jenni noted.

Bonnie Witherall – Lebanon, 2002

While it’s hard to measure the true impact of any of OM’s martyrs, the tragic death of Bonnie Witherall in 2002 in Lebanon has had a ripple effect on OM’s ministries throughout the Mediterranean and beyond. Bonnie worked at a church-run prenatal clinic that focused on Palestinian women from a nearby refugee camp in Sidon. On a November morning in 2002, Bonnie answered the door at the clinic where she worked and was shot and killed.

In the aftermath of Bonnie’s death, the Lord gave her husband, Gary, the vision for Transform, a ministry reaching out to the people and nations around the Mediterranean—a region that was dear to Bonnie’s heart. “The vision for Transform was birthed out of great sacrifice,” Gary said during one of the early Transform conferences. “The desire was to see hundreds go out into the Mediterranean nations and tell people about the hope they can have in Jesus.”

At Transform’s first conference in July 2010 in Rome, nearly 430 people gathered for a week of prayer and preparation, followed by 35 teams going to 21 Mediterranean nations. Since then, almost 2,000 people have attended the Transform conferences in Italy and Spain, with short-term teams going into countries, such as Lebanon, Turkey, Bulgaria, Jordan, Egypt, Albania, Kosovo, Greece, Israel, as well as France, Spain, Portugal and North African nations. Many participants have joined OM in longer-term capacities and, seven years on, Transform is still going strong.

Karen Goldsworthy and Sofia Sigfridsson – Doulos in the Philippines, 1991

Hand grenades thrown during the Doulos International Night presentation on shore in Zamboanga in August 1991 left two women dead and many injured. But it did not hinder the ship’s commitment to bringing knowledge, help and hope to all peoples of the world.

Joe Parker, then book exhibition manager aboard Doulos and now serving with the Ship Ministry in South Carolina (USA), recalled the event. “Two grenades were thrown onto the stage area. One detonated in front of a bench and some chairs; the other did not explode. Sofia, sitting on one of the chairs, and Karen, sitting on the bench, were both killed. About 30 others were injured by shrapnel.”

What good came from that evil? Karen’s sister joined Doulos to finish the second half of her sister’s two-year commitment. Joe remembers reports of local people committing themselves to follow Jesus the day after the bombing, which was a Sunday. And the impact of that tragedy is still felt today. When Logos Hope was commissioned in 2009, two meeting rooms on board were named after Sofia and Karen; their story is told on ship tours.

Gayle Williams – Afghanistan, 2008

A few months before her death, Gayle Williams, a 34-year-old British/South African national serving in Kabul, had a dream: A fruitful tree was cut down and a shoot grew out of the stump. When she prayed about what that dream meant for her, friends recall that God answered Gayle: “You are the fruitful tree.” 

Gayle Williams was committed to the Afghan people, especially those with disabilities. She had only been serving in Afghanistan for two years when she was gunned down while walking to work in Kabul in October 2008. Two men on a motorcycle attempted to seize her, but when she fought back, they shot her multiple times and fled. Gayle died at the scene.

Earlier that month, Gayle attended the funeral of Gordon Magney, one of the longest-term workers in Afghanistan, who died of natural causes at age 70 and was buried in Kabul in the foreigners’ cemetery. A few weeks later, her body was lying next to Gordon’s tomb.

Gayle’s death was a devastating blow to the in-county ministry and the Afghan people. But, with thousands of Afghan asylum seekers fleeing to Europe, there is new fruit amongst Afghans. According to Thomas*, an Afghan ministry leader, “throughout the Afghan diaspora many have opened up to God’s grace and become followers. Quite a few (Afghans) have been grafted into the tree Gayle saw.” 

Rebecca Barnhart served with OM as a writer and communications leader from 2001-2015, based in Hungary, Austria, England and the US. Currently working as a freelance writer/editor, she remains passionate about telling stories of what God is doing around the globe.

Beginning relief and development work

In 1980, when OM workers wanted to help Afghan refugees fleeing Soviet oppression, George Verwer gave a long-term OM worker his blessing to start an independent NGO.

During the ’80s in South Africa, as Mozambican refugees were escaping their country’s devastating civil war, OM starting a feeding programme followed by relief and development projects.

By 1991, when Julyan Lidstone, ambassador for OM Muslim Ministries, visited Kurdish refugees living in dire conditions along Turkey’s southern border, OM responded on an organisational level. "We demonstrated that relief and development can work together with gospel ministry to the unreached,” Julyan explained.

In the 25 years following initial relief and development efforts, OM has responded to situations caused by both conflict and natural disaster. During 1997 in Mexico, Logos II crewmembers provided practical help to a community devastated by Hurricane Pauline. OMers responded to the 2011 tsunami in Japan, Pakistan floods in 2013, earthquakes in Chile and Ecuador in 2015 and 2016, respectively, and many more crises.

Developing disaster response

“Relief and development is important to OM, because there continues to be hurting and needy people,” Julyan said. However, OM does not respond to every global crisis. “We don’t have the capacity, and it doesn’t always align with our core calling: We want to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached,” explained Theodore Burns*, former OM MENA Area Leader.

Projects often begin where OM workers have already established ministries and relationships, frequently in response to local partners’ requests. OM extends aid to all people, regardless of ethic or religious background.

“If we, as followers of Jesus Christ, are ignoring the reality of their needs and only preaching the Word, then we are not loving them or serving them as Jesus calls us to. In the same way, if we’re only trying to meet their physical or emotional needs, but not bringing them the opportunity to hear about the person and the work of Jesus Christ, then we are doing them a grave disservice,” Theodore said.

Walking with people in need

In 2013 and 2014, OM in the Philippines cared for communities decimated by a typhoon. Continued work with local churches in both relief and development projects has empowered the OM team to engage in church planting, noted OM Disaster Response and Development Coordinator Jason Puck*.

“While we have become known because of our relief work, it’s just one of the many OM ministries,” stated Philippines Field Leader Sally Ababa. “It’s important that we are equipped [to help] churches to be salt and light in the communities. OM wants to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers, so we should be involved where people are in greatest need.”

“In Greece, relief ministries are carried out through local churches as they co-operate with refugees and local believers and are supported by OM teams,” Jason explained. “One Filipino church is now a multi-ethnic congregation with Filipinos, Greeks, Afghans, Iranians, as well as Arab and Kurdish Syrian—a direct a result of this church’s ongoing involvement in relief work.”

Following Nepal’s 2015 earthquake, OM also provided aid. “In the face of so much devastation, death and need, it was impossible not to get involved. We were surrounded by people, and requests from people, who had lost everything,” said long-term worker Mary*. “Relationships are so important in Nepal, so a lot of what we did stemmed from pre-existing relationships with people throughout Nepal. It was our way of demonstrating that we loved them and that God loves them too."

Mary continued, "In one of the communities, there are no believers and no church. We continue to partner with them through relief and development because we want to see their lives transformed by the saving grace of knowing Christ. Our teams are not only rebuilding homes and providing safer building methods, we are modelling what a life of peace and hope looks like.”

Throughout the Near East Field, OM supports local churches’ work among refugees and internally displaced people. In 2016, OM's Syrian and Iraqi Relief fund sponsored over 26 projects in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and North Africa—on average reaching 35,000 people per month.

Since the Syrian conflict began in 2011, “we’ve continued to be involved. Muslims have come to faith through our local partners, and we’ve seen these partners gain broader vision,” the OM Near East Field Leader explained.

“In the long term, we desire to see Christ-centred, effective and contextually appropriate relief and development projects implemented through local churches in partnership with OM,” Jason shared.

To strengthen the capacity of fields at high risk of experiencing disasters, OM has developed a relief training course for responders. More than 100 Christian workers have received this training. Over 50 per cent of those have participated in short-term disaster response with OM, and over 33 per cent have committed to serving in disaster-prone fields in OM for six months or longer, Jason shared. OM in the Philippines has replicated this training for local workers.

*Name changed

Nicole James is a journalist, ESL teacher and adventurer. As a writer for OM Middle East North Africa, she’s passionate about publishing the stories of God’s works among the nations, telling people about the wonderful things He is doing in the world.

Longing for a better country

Saints throughout history—particularly martyrs—have been fixed not on earthly realms but on God’s heavenly kingdom. Hebrews 11:13–16 shows that early believers were able by faith to see heaven, enabling them to endure ill treatment in this life. Have we largely lost that empowering perspective today? As I approach my senior years (!), the old songs of heaven inspire me more and more. I am more likely to evaluate the worth of something in light of eternity with God, and many of the things that stirred me in my youth are now less important or even irrelevant.

Everything in this life is temporary. Paul gives the right perspective: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor.4:17-18, NIV). Our quest for material things or recognition or power is thus tempered as Christians; today draws its meaning from an eternal certainty: You have one life to invest in God’s kingdom rather than in things that will have a soon end.

A greater and lesser reality

Frankly, knowing what has been promised in heaven, I am in no rush to depart this life: I have my family, I have purpose and more to accomplish. Those believers who have peace and prosperity in this life—ourselves among them—may be poorer in their eternal perspective. I understand how heaven is more real to those persecuted and suffering atrocities. Paul was torn about the two realities of life on Earth and life in glory and explained this ever-present tension to the Philippians: “If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two:
I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far…” (Phil. 1:22-23; NIV). We, too, should wrestle with this. Because we have God’s promise of glory, we should be even more motivated to serve His purposes.

What the Bible says about eternity is central to the gospel message. In our evangelism, it underlines the brevity and uncertainty of this life: None of us know when or how our lives will end, but end they will. This should instill urgency in our message and behaviour. Having an everyday consciousness of eternity with God will influence how we think and act.

Our message must align with Paul’s sober statement, that “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (1 Cor.15:19, NIV). If we have it wrong about eternity, then we have wasted our lives in a groundless religious pursuit—the biggest losers, accountable to a myth…except that we know otherwise from God’s Word, which also says that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10, NIV). That’s a sober statement meant not to frighten us but to spur us on to make every day, every opportunity count. Paul summarises in the previous verse (9), “So we make it our goal to please Him.” I know I can trust in God’s mercy. Let’s choose to focus on the new day in front of us with renewed motivation to please Christ. Keep looking up!

EVANGELISM

ST. LUCIA: TRUE FREEDOM

Up to 80 of Saint Lucia’s most violent criminals prayed to invite Christ into their lives in the island’s prison, where Logos Hope crewmembers were invited to a rehabilitation talent contest. The literary night saw creative convicts performing poetry, rap and drama. Many had produced soul-searching writing. The ship staff shared the gospel in creative ways. Janice Low (Singapore) performed a thought-provoking mime, accompanied by a song about true identity in Christ. Borgi Bareiss (Germany) drew an engaging series of pictures on a large sketchboard, depicting the things most people seek after. She explained that real freedom, love and life cannot be gained through our own efforts. Christa Shipman (USA) told the prisoners that their choices were still powerful, though they were behind bars. The inmates were challenged to follow Jesus; almost everyone prayed aloud in repentance and commitment, including Director of Corrections, Verne Garde, who told crewmembers, “Seventy per cent of the men and women in this room are here for murder. A lot are here for life; there are no ‘small fry’ here. I’m happy you have graced us with your presence and your important message.”

Adding to the excitement was the release of one inmate. He received a standing ovation from his former cellmates and the officers’ endorsement. The guards addressed him as ‘brother’ and promised their physical and moral backing for his reformed life beyond prison. But many
remaining within the prison also took their first steps into freedom and each received a Bible to guide them.

TURKEY: TWO WOMEN SEEK

In past years, the number of women writing into the Bible Correspondence Course (BCC) was less than 10 per cent; it is now over 30 per cent. Özlem* contacted the BCC several months ago. A follow-up person met with her and answered her many questions. She continued to work through the courses, devouring the material given and communicating through WhatsApp messages. After she read the book 90 Questions, she asked even more questions. She and two friends started going to a local church where they attended the Plan of Salvation course.

When Dicle* contacted the BCC through a chat line, she connected with Edona*, another BCC follow-up personnel. The two messaged each other regularly. Dicle was very hungry to know more about God and started reading the New Testament. She soon began attending a local church and came to faith in Jesus! Her mother, siblings, and aunts have rejected her because of her faith, but her husband supports her. Edona and Dicle still meet up from time to time. She goes regularly to church and recently brought her cousin to ask for prayer for her. She is so thankful for her contact with the BCC. Pray for many women like Özlem and Dicle who are searching to find God. They are often in very difficult situations with many barriers to cross in order to follow Jesus.

RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT

CAMBODIA: INWARD AND OUTWARD HELP

Mercy Teams International works among the poor and needy in Phnom Penh, distributing food, covering school or medical fees and, for more than 30 families, raising funds to build new homes.

Five-year-old Sam* and his family of 10 live in a tin and bamboo house that OM Mercy Teams International (MTI) built six months ago. The house is set on high stilts, a typical way for the Khmer people to create a ‘kitchen’ on the hard-packed mud below.

“Our previous house was so old that, when the wind blew, it fell over,” Sam’s mother Paula* shares. When Paula’s mother heard about MTI, the family approached staff with their dilemma: they had no money to repair their home, nor build a new one, and no help from their extended family.

“We feed our family on 2.5 USD a day,” Paula states. “Once a month, we pay 25 USD rent for the land our house is built on. This is difficult.” Paula and her husband collect plastic bottles and beer bottles to sell; on a good day, they can earn 4-5 USD but when it rains, the couple can’t work. Their landlord won’t allow them to build a toilet, and they must buy water from a neighbour for another 5 USD a month.

“I have nothing, except Jesus,” Paula says. “I will believe and follow God until I die because when I am sick, God heals me; and through other people God helped us to build a new house when [ours] fell down.” Mercy Teams International desires to see Paula and her family, and others like them, not just fed and sheltered, but discipled deeper in their faith so that, no matter how fierce the winds blow, they will have a deep foundation in Christ’s love.

CHURCH PLANTING

ANGOLA: LEARNING FROM THE BUSHMEN

For five years, Field Leader Wessel van der Merwe and his wife, Joan, have been directing a missions training programme for local youth, taking them away from the comforts of normal life and into the wilderness of the Bushmen. The Bushmen receive basic biblical teaching about God, salvation and Christian living, while enjoying fellowship with the outside world that they seldom experience. For the students, a week with the Bushmen is a practical illustration of the theological teaching they receive throughout the one-year programme.

Wessel places a strong emphasis on physically pushing his students. Living like the Bushmen do lets the students see what life is like for a missionary committed to reaching the least reached. Students cycle the 200 km journey over three or four days, giving them an idea of just how far removed the Bushmen are from civilisation. “I can’t call it ‘survival training,’ but it’s probably more that than discipleship. We put a lot of pressure on them, so they can discover their weaknesses,” he says, including himself in the challenges of Bushman life. “We hope some catch the vision and say, ‘It’s difficult, but it’s worth it.’”

This year, Wessel’s 17 students taught on sin and its impact on our relationship with God. Wessel makes regular trips throughout the year to the Bushmen, in addition to the annual outreach. He’s hoping to bring one or more Bushmen to the OM training centre in Menongue, where he can equip them to disciple themselves. Wessel’s focus remains on taking biblical discipleship to the least-reached, and mobilising young people to share in his passion. “You know why Africans have this gospel?” Wessel asks his students. “Many missionaries passed away, risking their lives so we could have it. So what are we going to do?”

JUSTICE

CENTRAL EUROPE: DAUGHTERS STILL NEED MOTHERS

OM workers Anna* and Sarah* knock boldly on brothel doors, requesting permission to speak to the ladies inside. They come to chat, offer a gift bag filled with treats and share a message of hope. Each gift represents a woman in a place she doesn’t want to be. Each provides an opportunity to build trust and leave contact details. Each is a symbol that someone cares.

Both in their sixties, they have become mother-figures, often welcomed with the title “Mama!” They regularly visit a town with ten brothels. Driving past, no one speaks as billboards advertise available girls and their price.

Sarah offered Kathrin* a leaflet published by OM EAST called You are beautiful, my sister! When Kathrin arrived, she had found the same leaflet. This was not a hotel room with a Bible, but a brothel chamber with an evangelistic leaflet. Was the other occupant throwing Kathrin a lifeline? The leaflet is a letter expressing the father heart of God, who longs to give the women a new identity and guide them towards His plan for their lives. There is no place where Scripture cannot reach.

“They think I’m the most beautiful woman they have ever seen!” Sarah declared. “They come and stroke our faces,” added Anna. How can it be that women, groomed to appeal, look at two outreach workers and see beauty never encountered before? What individuals notice is Jesus. “We can talk to the ladies in brothels but, if not carried in prayer, we may just as well go home,” Anna emphasised. “Only through God’s power can things really change—including women being able to start a new life!”  

Pray for God’s protection over outreach teams and wisdom as they communicate the gospel to those marked by abuse, control and fear. Praise God for those who have been helped to leave; pray they find healing, truth and hope in Christ.

MENTORING & DISCIPLESHIP

MONTENEGRO: MORE STREETS TO LIVE ON

From the beginning, TeenStreet has shown teens a way of life. Since the first gathering in Germany in 1993, the event has spread  from Asia to Latin America. This August, TeenStreet Balkans was held for the first time in Podgorica. Youth workers from OM teams in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo brought seventy youngsters with them.

Over four days, the teens experienced powerful Bible teaching, spirit-filled worship, hands-on activities and vital Christian fellowship. Most delegates had not experienced this before, and their hearts were deeply touched. As there are only a handful of evangelical churches in Montenegro, inviting them to assist in the event was a key strategy. Two Roma churches brought youth groups and the pastor of one led some small-group work, finding this rare opportunity a great blessing.

What about the vision of young people being united in faith, irrespective of ethnic background? Initially, Robbie from Montenegro observed that “there was quite an awkward feeling…and a definite separation between the teens of each country. But every day you could see walls being broken down and similarities and friendships beginning to grow—something that only God could have orchestrated.”

Sajmir from Albania agreed: “It was so great to see teens from the Balkans coming together despite other political issues. In this we understand that God’s family is unshakeable!”

To symbolise this breaking down of barriers, the week culminated in a silent Unity Walk through the centre of Podgorica, with everyone confessing that ‘we are now all one in Christ.’ Pray for the teens as they witness to their peers.

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide.

Lawrence Tong

* name changed

Gordon Magney was obsessed with changing that, first going to Afghanistan in the 1960s. When Mel Warden*—who joined the work among Afghan refugees in Pakistan in 1981—was returning to Canada to study in 1989, Gordon asked him to re-launch radio programmes for Afghan audiences after a month of training. Mel and his wife met with a number of Afghans in Toronto who had come to faith as refugees, but not one had continued with the Lord. When they met Karim* in 1991, they formed Pamir Productions (named after a major mountain range in Afghanistan) in the Warden house, producing four 15-minute programmes each week in the majority language of Dari. Within a year, they increased to seven half-hour programmes.

Mel remembers the first letter they received from a listener. “We could hardly believe it. This person’s appreciation—and courage to write—was a huge boost for us. We started to answer letters (this was pre-Internet in Afghanistan) and eventually created a programme called Answers to Letters, reading listeners’ questions and answering them on air,” he said. This programme continued through the end of the 1990s.

Different course, same destination

9/11 changed everything: Though over five million refugees poured back into the country, responses to the radio programmes plummeted. Was there justification to continue? Or were there new technologies that would attract more listeners’ feedback?

Then, in October 2008, linking callers to a Western phone number made it possible to engage with Afghans in live conversation. Phone calls from Afghanistan had massive impact on the team as they quickly built an effective means of follow-up.

“We track every call, and follow up every lead. Today, more than 4,500 Afghans are in our database, at different points in their spiritual journey; many are sincerely interested in Christ but feel isolated. Some callers criticise the ministry and defend Islam. Others have come to faith and are eager to be discipled. Four to five Afghans call every day to talk. Television programmes, launched in 2010, are appreciated by a different segment of society,” notes Mel.

Pamir Productions has always been passionate in using all media to spread the gospel. The team, in conjunction with other groups, was instrumental in producing a new translation of the Bible in the Dari language in 2008. Despite the near impossibility of importing and distributing materials, a good deal of material, including the Scriptures, is now available online and in apps through the Pamir website, both directly for seekers and for Christians to pass to Afghan friends worldwide.

In order to help new believers in their walk with God, a Virtual Bible School (VBS) was launched in 2016. Different team members call Afghans weekly using Internet and mobile phone, to study God’s Word. Ten ‘classes’ are running this way as of late 2016. Because Afghan culture is built upon social networks that distrust outsiders, trying to plant a church by uprooting individuals from their networks to join an unknown one simply is not effective. Pamir envisions that these VBSs will bridge that gap. It’s more organic as well: These contacts can draw other family members and friends into that study time, which resonates with Pamir’s vision of Afghans discipling Afghans.

While security concerns have made in-country visits impractical, Afghans continue to spread across the world. In 2015 alone, 150,000 arrived in Germany to join tens of thousands already settled there. This has shaken the whole Church there, and many are reaching out to Afghan neighbours. Pamir sees unprecedented opportunity in Europe for training and equipping Afghans to reach their own social networks back in Afghanistan.

Looking ahead, Pamir wants to grow in two areas. One is the production of more creative media at street level (not just studio programmes), involving a wider range of Afghans in daily life. Coupled with cutting-edge social media, Pamir seeks to engage a wider group of believers to challenge the status quo. The second area is in discipleship such as the Virtual Bible Schools, digital smart phone Bible courses and specialised training for Afghan seekers and young believers in Europe. Pamir is exploring ways to partner with Iranian ministries who already have well-established discipleship programmes. One dream is a Christian training center for Afghans in Europe.

Only God knows what Afghanistan’s future will be like. As Pamir Productions continues engaging with Afghans day in, day out, there is hope that it will be better than ever before. One listener said it best: “I love how you talk about love and peace. We are tired of war and warlords. I give out your frequency. I want all our people to listen to these programmes.”

* Name changed

Greg Kernaghan joined OM in 1978, a time when most of OM’s pioneers were still in leadership and when tales of early exploits could be heard of first hand. He and his wife, Anni, have served on the ships, in Finland, in Canada and as part of the OMNI (communications) team internationally.

In order to fulfil our mandate, there are several needs we must invest in:

1. To be able to connect across boundaries. We are generally divided into geographical fields in OM, but my observation has been that fields grow and thrive where the leadership collaborates well with cross-boundary stakeholders, especially other OM fields and ministries, as well as other organisations and networks.

2. To innovate. At this time in OM’s history, I hope that innovators can come to the fore: Innovators in how we ‘do’ ministry, in how we collaborate, in how we find new solutions for old problems and in how we seize opportunities. 

3. To learn to live with ambiguity. For sure, we will need to be highly intentional, but that may happen in the midst of contexts of ambiguity. The networks of relationships and collaboration and the need for innovation involve, at multiple levels, adjustments in how freedom and accountability is worked out. Although that can be complicated and ambiguous, we will need to live in that space at times.

4. To have a Kingdom theology. Someone suggested recently that, sometimes, we in OM have subordinated the theology of the Kingdom of God to the principle of the nation state. We do live and operate in a nation-state world, but this should absolutely not be our guiding principle and motivation. The question is not what is good for me, my ministry or my field but what is good for the gospel, for God’s glory, and for seeing vibrant communities of Jesus followers among all least-reached peoples and societies. This Kingdom mindset can revolutionise the way we operate, lead, collaborate and, fundamentally, how we see the world, the mission, and our part in it. 

5. To handle power well. Power is often seen negatively, but the reality is that all leadership is an exercise of power in some way. How we handle that power is crucial. Do we use it to protect ourselves or to empower others? Do we use it to maintain our own kingdom or to serve the Kingdom of God?

6. To be rooted locally. One of the things I admire about really good leaders I have served under or observed from a distance is that they are rooted locally in a believing community, and contributing to its life. We are not called to be individual followers of Jesus, but part of a community that follows Jesus, and the type of leadership that we will need in the future—though global in thinking and scope—needs to be rooted in a local community of Jesus followers.

7. To be close to our Lord. It is in Him, through Him and for Him that we have our being. We cannot have a Kingdom mindset if we are not in fellowship with the King; we cannot handle power well if we are not submitted fully to the Almighty; we cannot lay down our freedoms and rights for the sake of the work of the gospel if we are not trusting Him who laid aside His majesty for us; and we cannot live in forgiveness and reconciliation if we are not experiencing the love and forgiveness of the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.

Stephan Bauer first went with OM to the Middle East as an 18 year old. Since then, he's spent most of his adult years in the OM Middle East North Africa region, as has his wife. The couple has a nine-year-old daughter who enjoys opportunities to correct her dad's Arabic.

True or false?

Although discerning truth from lies is difficult today, as followers of Jesus, “the way, the truth and the life” (Jn. 14:6, NIV)—each of us is accountable for our thoughts and actions. Unaware, we can accept popular ‘truth’ as fact when it actually isn’t. However, we are obligated to know what we speak of. This is not new; the New Testament says that “the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11, NIV). Christians need discernment when exposed to ‘fake news’ or ‘alternative facts’: That 10,000 people on FaceBook believe something does not make it true! Christians risk their integrity and witness by not regularly examining what we hold to be true.

We also need to, once and for all, wash our hands of trading in gossip. Citing patriotism or doctrinal warfare changes nothing. I wonder whether some OMers actually have meaningful work, based on their FaceBook activity! When we hear falsehoods, distortions and slander, we should tactfully engage to challenge what is spoken—but social media is not the best place to do so.
 

Let’s make this personal

We easily accept something as true, when it may not be, leaving us defending lies. For example:

1. God could never forgive that one sin of mine (or hers). God’s Word says otherwise, yet we can live under this lie for years. Either God speaks truth or we make Him out to be a liar (1 Jn. 1:8–10, NIV).
2. God only uses the talented (not me). This destructive lie from Satan has kept millions from purposeful service in the kingdom. If God can use Balaam’s ass (Num. 22), then He can use anyone—including me and you! God is not biased toward intelligence or skill, but to total surrender and commitment.
3. God needs our help. This is the basis of too many appeals for money or service. Jesus went to the cross alone, died for all of us alone, and rose from the dead without His disciples’ help. How could God lack in anything? This same Jesus could save the whole world with no help. Yet, mystery of mysteries, He has chosen to work through those He has redeemed.
    

Replace these false assumptions with irrefutable truths:

1. God can exercise sovereignty in any situation. Nothing is off limits to God. I attest to this from a long history of seeing God intervening on my behalf. As a movement, we have seen God’s hand over six decades. God has all knowledge; nothing will ever happen to take God by surprise or find Him unprepared.
2. Regardless of the past, anyone can have a better future in Christ. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is past, the new has come (2 Cor. 5: 17). We need to look past the labels we put on people and discover new brothers and sisters in the Lord. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart (1 Sam. 16: 7). This is our message to a desperate world.
3. How we treat others is our primary testimony to Jesus (Jn. 17: 21): This is a problem for me. Loving the Lord with all my heart and mind and soul and strength? He deserves that. He has never disappointed me or treated me badly. But loving others is a challenge, especially when others have actually hurt me. That takes huge doses of grace, humility and forgiveness.
    

God alone is the source of all truth. Why settle for less?

EVANGELISM

COSTA RICA: THE END OF THE ROAD

Five people trekked for several days through mountains to San José Cabécar: OMer Diego and local friends Angela, Enrique, Luis and Anthony. Each day, the team stopped along the way, greeting and praying with people, and sharing about their journey. On a previous trip, Diego had shared a Bible story with a couple in whose home he spent the night. On this trip, Diego shared more about Jesus. The husband had heard about Jesus from others, but never like Diego presented the message. The group ended the night with prayer together.

The leader of one community told Diego that, because he was not of the Cabecar or Bribri tribes he was not welcome. The second evening, the team stayed in a communal gathering space. The leader spoke further with Diego, leading to a new acceptance of his gringo (foreigner) friend and a new beginning for relationship.

Angela’s mother, Ermelinda, considered the most well-known witchdoctor in Talamanca, greeted the team and fed them. Diego asked if he could enter her home; she said that no non-indigenous person could, as it was a holy place. Later, she described having great pain in her body, and Angela offered that Diego could pray for her. She turned down this request. Enrique, a local Cabecar man, was sharing Christ with others in their native language. To Diego, this was very special to witness, as Enrique came to Christ and was mentored by OM workers.

Through these trips to remote places, OM hopes to start relationships with indigenous communities and see people from these tribes transformed by Jesus Christ and sharing the message of hope. Pray for God to reveal Himself to people who hear about Jesus from OM workers and believers passing through their communities.

KOSOVO: POWER TO BE FREE

Beni*, a young man from a small village, met OMer Peter* about two years ago. They became friends and had coffee together frequently, with several spiritual conversations over time. Yet only recently did Beni see how the gospel could make a difference in his own life.

One day, Beni talked about dark magic and the occult. Looking at his phone, he told Peter, “In my village is a man who will put a good or an evil curse on someone for you. That really frightens me; I fear for my family and what this person could do. What do you believe about good and evil spirits and curses?”

“Beni asked this with such curiosity and hope for an answer,” Peter recalled. “I told him that I believed in spiritual forces, good and evil, but that I have no fear.” When Beni asked him why, Peter opened a Bible app on his phone. Together, the two men read the story of Jesus healing the man with an unclean spirit in Mark 1:21-28.

“I’d never seen him so happy to talk about the gospel before; he was so thankful to know that Jesus had the power to cast out evil spirits!” Peter said, smiling. Beni wanted to know more, so they planned to meet a week later to look at more stories of Jesus and how the Kingdom of God will come to earth.

Pray for people in Kosovo to be freed from fear of evil spirits and magic through freedom in Christ. Pray that the OM teams would meet people whom God is working in and that they would see vibrant communities of Jesus followers created.

RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT

ANTIGUA & BARBUDA: AFTER THE HURRICANE, HOPE

Logos Hope crewmembers have partnered with Samaritan’s Purse, a humanitarian aid agency, to help victims of Hurricane Irma on the Caribbean island of Barbuda where most of the buildings’ roofs were blown off and many homes were destroyed. “My lovely island has been torn apart like a bomb was dropped in the middle of it,” said Devon Desouza, a hospital worker. “But we are very thankful for Samaritan’s Purse and Logos Hope assisting us, showing there are people who care and want to help.” 

One hundred fifty crewmembers joined relief teams on shuttle flights from Antigua by Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) or in the Samaritan’s Purse cargo plane. Samaritan’s Purse distributed small generators to households and provided a water filtration system, the island’s only source of drinking water. Logos Hope’s volunteers brought electrical and carpentry skills to the effort of reinforcing homes, clearing debris and listening to Barbudans putting their lives back together.

It’s not the first time a crewmember has seen widespread destruction. Johanna Silva (Sri Lanka) and her family helped people after a tsunami killed 150,000 people in her country in 2004. “Coming to Barbuda, I didn’t expect the devastation to be of almost that magnitude,” Johanna said as she stood in a street filled with rubble. “Everything that they had is gone. I was overwhelmed at first, but it’s so encouraging to work with a hardworking team to make a difference in a community that really needs it.”

For Samaritan’s Purse, the partnership with Logos Hope has been a blessing and morale boost, according to Mark Langham, the area coordinator. “The teams have been incredible,” he said, “They’ve worked tirelessly, had incredible attitudes, brought a joy and excitement that invigorates us every day. For me, that’s the Body of Christ, serving others and not expecting anything in return—a beautiful image of the Church at large, with so many countries represented.”

It’s estimated that Barbuda’s rebuild will take at least two years. Samaritan’s Purse is setting up a permanent presence on the island. Logos Hope held a special event on board in St John’s (Antigua) for displaced Barbudans. Shiraz Hopkins was one of the loudest voices singing and praising God, grateful for all that his family and his community have been brought through. “Possessions we can replace and they will come. We see that God has already sent Logos Hope and Samaritan’s Purse and He will send others, so we thank God for His goodness. He will raise Barbuda again,” Shiraz beamed.

CHURCH PLANTING

TANZANIA: ONE, ONE, ONE

Along the Serengeti corridor, a vast number of villages have no access to the gospel. The Taturu people hold fiercely to traditions of witchcraft and ancestral worship. In stepped Tukiko Omosso, a pastor and church planter who had completed OM’s Missions Discipleship Training years earlier in Zambia and developed a heart for the Taturu people. Upon his return, Tukiko and his wife set out into the African bush.

Now, Tukiko recalls God’s blessings. “When we came here five years ago to plant a church, there was no road,” he says. “It was difficult even to drive a motorbike. But after we started the church, the government built this nice road. That’s the way God works sometimes: You go to a remote place, and God has a purpose to glorify Himself there, so He makes a way.”

Tukiko and his church have planted five new churches, but the journey has not been easy one. After years of struggle, churches are growing, but slowly. The limited growth, Tukiko says, is due to the spiritual darkness that claims Taturuland.

“It’s difficult to bring Taturu people to Christ because of their traditions,” he says, referencing witchcraft and binding cultural practices. “But we are getting one, one, one.”

‘Getting one’ was the mantra of Tukiko and his wife when they decided to venture out with their church. “We said, ‘Whatever it costs, we want to see one person in Taturuland come to Christ,’” he says. “And we have seen God change more than one.”

Tukiko desires to add more churches; in addition to the five already planted, his own church is training six more men to be church planters.

“I want my church to be a model of missions,” he says. “Always sending. We can’t sit back while people are dying.”

JUSTICE

NEAR EAST: SCHOOL IMPACTS FAMILIES

Sixty-five refugee and displaced children, Christian and Muslim, attend an English-speaking kindergarten sponsored by a local church. Most had to flee ongoing conflict in Syria, Iraq, Jordan or Lebanon. Although the school charges a nominal fee, many parents cannot pay. OM committed to covering the kindergarten’s rent for one year, allowing the children to continue their education—and receive biblical input.

“This morning, I was so tired,” Karen* said, “but I am so happy because when the parents come to pay the fees, all say the same thing: Our child is changed, happy and wants to come [to school],” she observed. Since the children come from mixed religious backgrounds, “we teach them what is in the Bible and Christian songs. We talk about God, and it makes a difference in their families.” Parents tell Karen that the lessons learnt at school extend into their homes. “Some parents don’t know how to act with their children,” Karen said. Profanity and physical abuse are widespread in homes, she shared. “In this country, most families don’t use ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry,’” she added. At the kindergarten, students learn manners, polite speech and how not to retaliate physically when upset. Parents have told Karen, “Our child is changed at home. We see that they listen now.”

Pray for the kindergarten to receive sufficient funding to continue its ministry. Pray for the staff, the children and the parents. Visit www.om.org/en/give to donate to OM’s Syrian and Iraqi relief fund.

MENTORING & DISCIPLESHIP

CENTRAL ASIA: ROAD TESTING FAITH

When Baha* wanted to join the OM Ship ministry, he was required to participate in an OM Central Asian outreach. Starting out, Baha’s four-person team booked an eight-hour taxi ride to their destination. In the middle of the night, Baha woke up in the back of the taxi and heard his team leader praying aloud in the front. Alarmed, Baha then realised he and the taxi driver were praying. “This driver got saved!” he remembered.

Baha himself was still exploring Christianity: “I believed in God; I didn’t know Jesus. I never read the Bible at home. On Fridays, I went to the mosque; on Sunday, I went to church; at night, I was out on the streets.”

Therefore, the concept of evangelism terrified him. “I have to talk about God, but I don’t even know Him,” he thought. The outreach challenged Baha to grow closer to God. During the outreach, Baha also prayed for the first time. “This challenge—going into other countries for 12 days—is amazing,” he said.

Thank you for your prayers and support of all OM ministries worldwide.

Lawrence Tong

* name changed

Rhani's story is one of an estimated 30 million others. Women everywhere are trafficked into the sex industry, while children are forced to hard labour or to become child brides. The details may differ, yet the underlying issues leading to exploitation of women and children are the same: ancient cultural practices, lack of education, poverty, orphan issues, lack of government enforcement and more. Eighty per cent of those in slavery are female; 53 per cent are children. Rhani is part of only two per cent who will ever be rescued [2].

As global trends shifted over several decades, and the ‘digital era’ became firmly established, the world has experienced more fluidity than ever: Borders are crossed more easily (legally or illegally), money flows more freely, and the divide between rich and poor widens. In such circumstances, injustices like human trafficking flourish, becoming the most lucrative trade worldwide, generating an estimated 32 billion dollars annually.

OM's ministry of justice

In Bangladesh, Nuri* married at age 12. Becoming pregnant soon after, she was unprepared both physically and emotionally. When her baby died at birth, Nuri was left with severe physical and emotional trauma. Divorced by her husband because of stigma surrounding her injuries, Nuri was without hope. Elsewhere, dreams of a good job and securing a future for her son lured Grace* from Nigeria to Ghana. To her dismay, she had been tricked, and debt trapped her in sex slavery. For many women in Zambia, especially for a widow like Jane*, life is bleak: Fighting for survival without proper education, they are vulnerable to exploitation.

At the heart of missions lies a passion for justice. OM's work covers primarily four areas: prevention, development, rescue and restoration. Identifying issues that lead to oppression and exploitation and working to prevent them is a main focus. The Tabitha Project in Zambia and the Namana Project in Madagascar, as well as the skills training centres in rural Bangladesh and in Bangalore, India, are examples of prevention/development projects that help vulnerable women to generate their own income.

In Bangladesh, Nuri* found hope after treatment in OM’s centre for fistula patients. She received tailoring training and now supports herself. The orphan schools at Lake Tanganyika, Zambia, and Ntaja, Malawi, provide education and feeding schemes to orphans, preventing them from being trafficked into slavery. Guatemala's Operation Rescue [3] is a development programme targeting economically disadvantaged families vulnerable to unemployment, and who suffer from malnutrition, domestic violence and lack of educational opportunities. Abigail was a malnourished four-year-old suffering from hepatitis when she joined the programme. As Operation Rescue ministered to her whole family, her parents came to know God, and today Abigail is a joyful primary school student. 

Grace*, from Nigeria, was rescued by OM, along with several other sex workers, and given the opportunity to be rehabilitated and reunited with her family. Similar stories of rescue and restoration come from the work done by OM with sex workers in the Balkans, Mexico, Hong Kong, Italy, Austria, Singapore, Latin America and elsewhere.

Prayer movements worldwide, gaining momentum, intercede for the end of slavery. Within OM, prayer is the foundation for all justice initiatives and has yielded an increased focus by the media and many government institutions on exposing and eliminating modern-day slavery. Five years ago, God planted a vision in the heart of OMer Cathey Anderson [4] that has grown into the Freedom Challenge movement.

The Freedom Challenge

In January 2012, what was first known as the Freedom Climb was launched with 48 women from 10 countries climbing Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro. Their purpose was (as still is) to raise global awareness, funds and prayer for women and children oppressed, trafficked, enslaved and with no voice. Several international climbs have followed, including the Base Camp of Everest, the Rockies, the Alps and Machu Picchu, Peru. Through these climbs, over three million dollars have been raised for women’s and children’s ministries throughout the OM world.

All over the world, captives are being set free. Broken hearts are restored and light is replacing darkness. God is using those who pray, give and go. In India, Rhani's life has been changed forever because of freedom she found in Christ. Despite the horrific abuse she endured, Rhani grabbed the opportunity to a new future with both hands. She is doing well in school, and her dream is to be a social worker, helping to set others free who are trapped in similar circumstances.

Anneretha Grobler did her doctorate in community-specific creative writing, focusing on the role of orality and identity in the promotion of community-specific word art in South Africa. Anneretha served in communications with OM in Africa from 2009-2013. During this time she compiled and edited Followers and Fishers: stories of the Emerging Mission Movement in Africa.

*Name changed

[1] Jogini are women forced into prostitution by a religious custom known as devadasi in India. Young girls are married to a local deity after which it becomes their religious duty to provide sexual favours to the local men, usually of the higher castes. This religious practice was banned in 1988, but the law is not enforced in all parts of India.

[2] http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/global-report-on-trafficking-in-persons.html

[3] Operation Rescue is one of six projects in Latin America supported by the Freedom Challenge, including projects in Argentina, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and Panamá.

[4] Cathey Anderson passed away in December 2015.

The unconditional gift

I attached a small cloth flower to a pretty bag filled with treats—the final touch to gifts that an OM outreach team would take to women working in prostitution in Europe.  

“The ladies love the flowers and keep them,” Anna explained to our production line of five, as we helped prepare over 100 presents for an upcoming outreach. “They put it in their hair or display it in their room,” Anna continued. “One lady showed us the bouquet she now has.”

Anna and Sarah regularly drive to a town that has around ten brothels, often bringing gifts decorated with a flower. I remember driving past the town once; no one spoke as we observed billboard after billboard advertising how many girls are available and how much they cost.

I held another inexpensive flower. The ladies keep these, treasuring them. I thought about the lady who had accumulated a bouquet. How long has she been there? How little joy must there be in her life to delightedly show off this tiny bunch of blossoms?

I looked down at the boxes packed with colourful gifts, each one representing a woman who ended up in a place she didn’t want to be. Each providing an opportunity to build trust and leave contact details behind. Each flower is also a symbol that someone cares and came, expecting nothing in return.  

The love letter

Sarah told me about talking to Kathrin* in a brothel where ladies live and work in a room for up to two weeks before there is a change-over.

“I offered Kathrin a leaflet published by OM EAST called ‘You are beautiful, my sister!’” said Sarah. “When she took it, she exclaimed: ‘Now I get my own copy!’” When Kathrin arrived in her room, she had found the same leaflet. She believed the previous woman had left it there for the next person.

This was not a hotel room with a Bible, but a brothel chamber with an evangelistic leaflet.   

I considered, too, was the other occupant throwing Kathrin a life-line? The leaflet is a letter expressing the father-heart of God, who longs to give the women a new identity and guide them towards His good plan for their lives. It amazed me again to be reminded there is no place where Scripture cannot reach, and it struck me how much more it meant for Kathrin to receive a copy in person. I hope she will also accept the words within as a letter of love from God the Father, written specifically for her.   

The beautiful messengers

“They think we are crazy!” Anna replied, when I asked what it was like to go into brothels. “The first time we came, the girls thought, ‘What are these weird women doing here? Women don’t come in here!’”

Now, Anna and Sarah regularly speak to ladies in a number of areas in Central Europe. Both in their sixties, they have become mother-figures, often welcomed with the title “Mama!”

“They think I’m the most beautiful woman they have ever seen!” Sarah declared.   

“They come and stroke our faces,” added Anna.

I wondered at this. How can it be that women, groomed to appeal, look at two outreach workers and see a beauty never encountered before? The OM workers expressed their wish to be able to communicate Jesus simply by turning up, since Christ lives in their hearts and His character can be reflected through them. The response makes me think this is happening—that part of the beauty individuals notice is Jesus.  

Isaiah 52:7a came to mind, which says, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news.” (NIV)

The beauty of messengers willing to carry the gospel.

A letter of love pointing to the source of the beauty.

And a gift to convey that God has not forgotten them.

It inspires me that there is no knowing what people pick up on when meeting followers of Jesus and no limit to what He can do.  

“Prayer is key; we can talk to the ladies in brothels but if it is not carried in prayer, we could just as well go home,” Anna emphasised. “It is only through God’s power that things can really change. He is answering prayer that women will be able to get out and start a new life!”  

Please pray for God’s protection over outreach teams in Central Europe and wisdom as they communicate the gospel to those whose lives are marked by abuse, control and fear. Praise God for those who have been helped to leave; please pray they find healing, truth and hope in Christ.

*Name changed for security

**Full name not included for security

Inger R. loves to give people a voice by sharing their stories as she writes for OM EAST. OM EAST’s literature and media ministry produces high quality print and digital media in over 25 languages. Always working with local partners, they seek to share the gospel, strengthen churches and bring hope to people groups throughout Eurasia.

View the English version of ‘You are beautiful, my sister!’ View all translations.

This is a response from a participant at TeenStreet 2015, OM’s annual event for European teenagers, held in Germany. The teenager spent an hour in Global Village, an innovative and interactive project that allows people to go on a simulated mission trip. While encountering a broken world face to face, participants discover more of God’s heart for people and are challenged to reflect Jesus into difficult places among some of the world’s most unreached people.

Global Village came out of a question: “How could we interactively present OM and missions at TeenStreet and give a wake-up call for a missional lifestyle?” explains Ray Strong. Since 2009, the former field leader of OM in the Netherlands, together with a team from OM Europe, represented OM and missions at TeenStreet by offering interactive activities, even using the name Global Village. Frustrated by the response, they started to re-think the structure.

David Svensson from Sweden was part of that team and remembered an experience from a mission trip with a Swedish confirmation group: “On our way to the Ukraine, one boy said, ‘You are ruining my holidays!’ But after we worked, lived and experienced things together as a team, the same boy said, ‘This has been the best week of my life!’”

David asked if they could create the same experience at TeenStreet. The idea came: “Let’s build an airport, take them out of their comfort zone to another place and let this place come alive to them.” That was the beginning of Global Village.

Lots of feedback

The first Global Village at TeenStreet 2012 was an overwhelming success: Nearly 2,000 people experienced it. Since then, thousands of individuals have gone through Global Village and have been impacted.

Barbara, from Germany, knew that she was part of a realistic simulation but was surprised when, for the first time, she was face to face with a woman victim of human trafficking. “While I spoke to her, I felt like I had done it a thousand times before.” In this weird situation, Barbara suddenly had “the impression that God said very clearly, ‘I want you to take care of women like this.’ That made me think.”

Since 2012, Global Village has been motivating people for mission, not just annually at TeenStreet, but during various events in Europe like the Mission-Net conference in Germany and the Opwekking conference in the Netherlands. In some places, the experience was turned into a three-hour programme.

“We’re getting a lot of feedback after every Global Village,” explains Ray, now director of Global Village Europe. Participants are specifically asked what they can do today, tomorrow and beyond with what they’ve experienced. “We give them an opportunity for us to contact them later,” shares Ray. “And we’ve seen that the turnout is a lot higher than at any other events or OM stands.” Countless individuals, as a result of the experience, have been inspired to deeper discipleship and a more missional lifestyle, by going on a mission trip, joining missions or caring for the marginalised in their neighbourhood.

Opening people’s eyes

“Global Village could be used worldwide for OM as a mobilising tool to make the generation of today aware of what’s happening,” continues Ray. “It’s not only for Christians; it’s also an evangelistic tool, because the message we put out is the gospel!”

According to Ray, Global Village will shape OM’s future ministry in many ways. “It’s the best tool we have to accumulate new contacts for OM. It is incredibly easy to bind people to the movement or have people join our movement because of what they see in the Global Village: It’s a vibration and that attracts people.”

Global Village is an amazing God-given tool to mobilise and inspire people to go out and to make a difference, Ray states. “Global Village opens people’s eyes for the least reached,” he explains, “while showing participants that they can be a vibrant community of Jesus followers.”

Several OM offices around the world are interested in having the experience in their field. OM Europe’s Riverboat, a floating ministry due to launch in 2018, will have Global Village on board as well, to mobilise the church for missions and to touch people’s lives, like Barbara’s. One year after her Global Village experience, Barbara joined A21, an organisation that fights human trafficking. She started the first A21-A-team in Germany.

Her story fits exactly into the vision of Global Village: To see thousands mobilised around the world to go out and spread the good news of Jesus.

Corinna Scharrenberg, from Germany, works in communications for OM Germany and Global Village Europe. She loves to write about the great things God is doing around the world.

Whether through cheering on a favourite team or battling it out on the field, sports provide occasions for people to come together, test their limits and build relationships.

OM SportsLink recognises the opportunity sports present. In 2016, OM led sports ministries in 32 countries. Thousands of people attended these outreaches and, in addition to growing in athletic skills, they grew in knowledge of the Lord. Hundreds were trained to use sports to share the gospel in their own communities. 

SportsLink reaches people in numerous ways, from starting football teams along the shores of Lake Tanganyika to leading sports camps across Europe to helping coaches in Pakistan to share their faith.

“With sports we can move into any community, speak any language, bridge any culture; the door is wide open to families,” said Chris Welman, director of SportsLink International. “Once we share the gospel and people gather on the sports field, why would we not be able to plant a church?” 

Surf Church

“We do what we love, for the One we love.” And what Americans Troy and Michelle Pitney love to do is surf. Called to Portugal to start a church, surfing was the catalyst. “Surfing is a strategy to meet people where they are; it’s a tool, not the goal. We hold onto it loosely,” explained Michelle. When meeting people, the members of Surf Church describe themselves as “a bunch of believers who love Jesus and love to surf.”

At 14:00, the group gathers to surf, meet people and share the gospel. “Sports do more than connect people; they build accessible bridges into families beyond the sports grounds,” said Chris.

In late afternoon, Surf Church members head to the Pitney’s home for supper, often bringing people they just met. After fellowship and food, the group worships and studies the Word of God together. Some nights they don’t finish until well past midnight. 

“People were immediately interested [when Surf Church first started],” Michelle remembered. “We quickly became a core group of 30, and now, 15 months later, a core group of 70-80.”

Dennis came to Surf Church with a knowledge of the Bible and has since devoted his life to Jesus. He brought his best friend, Filipe, a self-proclaimed atheist; after about seven months, Filipe began acting differently. He brought his girlfriend one week, telling her he had discovered the best thing in life. 

“When we asked who he thought Jesus was, the words of Jesus Himself were ringing in my ears: ‘But who do you say that I am?’” said Michelle. “‘Peter says, ‘You are the Son of God.’ Filipe’s response was the same: ‘He is my Saviour.’” Filipe and his girlfriend were baptised in spring 2016. 

What FIFA left behind

Many in Africa anticipated the opportunities the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa would bring. Christopher Kasale, with SportsLink, heard interviews with business owners preparing for the event. When a group of pastors were interviewed, however, none had plans to seize the opportunity.

“So we started to mobilise the church,” Christopher said. In Kabwe, Zambia, Christopher and a group of missionaries and students began preparing for the World Cup. Five locations where selected to show the matches on big screens; one was Makwati. 

On the edge of Kabwe, most of Makwati’s inhabitants are squatters. Known as a spiritually dark place, the name Makwati literally means nothing, or useless.

A tent for 200 people was erected, and the community was invited to watch the games. During breaks, the team preached and shared testimonies with the crowd. “That’s 30 days of football—thirty days of encouraging people,” said Christopher. “People started becoming Christians.” 

When the tournament ended, people didn’t want the new community to end. Because the tent was rented, and the land borrowed, the new believers met in the open air until a shelter of wood and tarps was made. Makwati Community Church was born. 

“(FIFA) lent us the platform to minister on a much bigger scale than a local event would have done,” said Chris. “By bringing the excitement of the event to the people, in their community and language, it builds something of the Body of Christ in unity.”

The church has brought hope: Once filled with crumbling houses and garbage, the area has been cleaned up and a road built. Next door to the church, OM-run Makwati Community School provides Christ-centred education for children. 

Every sports field

From surf towns in Portugal to small communities in Zambia, God uses sports to break down barriers and bring people together in fellowship with Him. “Our vision is to see Christ-centred disciples developed on every sports field around the world,” said Chris. “We want to see athletes, coaches, local churches and communities make the most of the sports through sharing the gospel in relevant ways."

Rebecca Rempel is a photojournalist from Canada. Serving on the Africa Area communications team, she travels around Africa capturing the work God is doing around the continent with her camera and pen.

Since the early '60s, OM has been active in India; eventually, all that hard work, sacrifice and prayer have yielded a massive movement of churches and ministries. OM in India grew to become an independent church-based movement, with ministries from church planting to education and economic development. Since 2012, this organisation has been known as GS/OM India, Good Shepherd Church of India.

One internationally recognised OM ministry in India has served among the Dalit people, considered as ‘untouchables’ in India’s modern-day caste system. Before its independence, OM India leader Joseph D´souza founded the Dalit Freedom Network (DFN), an organisation dedicated to give a voice to the voiceless. DFN’s mission is to end atrocities against and help the Dalit people achieve fundamental rights through a foundation of education, healthcare and economic empowerment.

Rise of national leadership

During the mid-'60s KP Yohannan, then 16, met OMers at his home church in Kerala, southern India. Stories about the needs around India encouraged him to join OM summer campaigns for the next seven years. Traveling around India, Yohannan was struck with the impact and importance of national leadership in ministry.

“My urgent, overpowering love for the village people of India and the poor masses grew over the years. People began to nickname me ‘Gandhi Man’ after the father of modern India, Mahatma Gandhi. Like him, I realised that if the village people of India were ever to be won [for Christ], it would have to be by brown-skinned nationals who loved them,” he writes in his book, Revolution in World Missions, about the eye-opening experience of working with OM gospel teams.

In 1974, Yohannan moved to the US, where he studied theology, but he couldn’t forget the countless millions in Asia who had no possibility to hear the gospel. He resigned from his pastorate after four years and, with his German wife, Gisela, started an organisation known today as Gospel for Asia, supporting national workers and vibrant congregations all around South Asia.

Since its beginning, KP Yohannan has challenged Western churches and their picture of missionaries by raising awareness about ministry in Asia and funds for national missionaries. Today, Gospel for Asia has trained thousands of national missionaries in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka Myanmar, Bhutan and Bangladesh to be part of transforming communities through Christ’s love.

Specialists by heart and skills

Greg Livingstone organised the first American group to join OM for a summer campaign in 1963. Since then, he served in many countries, from India to Lebanon and all the way to Canada. His passion has been to bring the gospel to the Muslims, recruiting more people to join that task.

After travelling the globe for 20 years, first with Operation Mobilisation and then North Africa Mission (NAM), Livingstone had an urge to start something new. In May 1983, he prayed to God: “Why do we need yet another mission agency?” He got an answer: There was no agency that was focused completely on reaching Muslims by living and testifying among them. A new mission agency to bring Jesus to Muslims, Frontiers was established in 1983 under Greg’s leadership and has earned its place as a specialist in ministry among Muslims.

“More than anyone else in my life, [George Verwer] had always demonstrated how much he believed in me. Giving me assignments that were way over my head, he had simply expected that, by God’s grace, I would manage to carry out the plan. It was an operating principle I would take with me into Frontiers, as I released team leaders to carry out the impossible,” Livingston writes in his book, You’ve got Libya, about his relationship and shared history with OM’s founder.

Today, Frontiers is a movement of 1,300 field workers in Africa and Asia. Their mission is to, with love and respect, invite all Muslim peoples to follow Jesus. Frontiers is a movement of people sharing the love of Jesus among the least reached.

Tatu Kekkonen is a journalist and creative artist from Finland. Through everything he does, he wants to keep reflecting the Creator. 

The following is a list of ministries founded by former OM workers, adapted from the book Spiritual Revolution: The Story of OM, by Ian Randall

• Ambassadors Fellowship, Virgil Amos (USA)           
• Camps, Federico & Marta Aparisi (Spain) 
• STV videos, Dave Armstrong (UK)              
• Media Serve, Frank & Leena Arthur (Sweden)        
• Sat 7, Terry Ascot (Cyprus)            

• MK Nest, In-Sook Baek (Korea)   
• Hope Ministries, Stephen Banna (India, Karnataka)             
• Radio, church planting, Pepe & Judith Barrios (Mexico)     
• Interaction, George Baxter (UK) 
• Alpha, Ron & Annabeth Beard (USA)         
• First Generation Christians, Yodhistir Behra (India, West Bengal)   
• Misiones Mundailes, Frederico Bertussi (Argentina)            
• Global Career, Ben Bester (South Africa) 
• Handicapped Prayer Ministry, Narayan Bhagat (Nepal)      
• Ministries Argentinas, Matthias Boerhoop (Netherlands)  
• Silk Road Institute, George & Alison Burch (Bulgaria)          
• Prayer for Israel, Ken Burnett (UK)            
• Grupos Biblicos Universitarios, David & Margaret Burt and Stuart &Verna Park (Spain)          
• Projeto Magreb, Pablo Carillo (Spain)       
• Orphan’s Hope, Steve Cassidy (USA)         
• Source of Life Ministries, Rev. Joseph Chacko (India-Goa)
• Coach Missions Fellowship, Sung-Chul Cho (Korea)             
• Korea Harbor Evangelism, Paul Choi (Korea)          
• Farel Publishing, Mike Evans (France)       
• Middle East Media, John Ferwerda (USA)
• People International, World in Need, Ron George (UK)      
• Fellowship of Evangelical Missionaries FEMI, Jonathan Gilmore and Kurt Jost (Italy)              
• Friendship Centre India, John Gladstone (India)     
• Cursos Biblicos. Alturas, Daniel Gonzalez (Spain)  
• Elshadi, Gopu (India, Chennai)     
• Prayer Mobilisation, Arunn Kumar Gundami (India, Karnataka)       
• Business Aid, Knowledge Life, Lars-Göran Gustafson (Sweden)       
• New Light, Nathan H. (India, West Begal)
• Kerygma Video Trust, Nick Hall (UK)         
• Love in Action, Sue Halstead (UK)              
• AlongSideAsia, Dave Hicks (USA) 
• Spear, World In Need, Bob Hitching (UK) 
• Grace and Light, Mark Hopkins (UK & Nigeria)      
• Magazine, Ed Hoyer (Canada)     
• Orissa Follow-up, D.B. Hrudaya (India, Orissa)      
• Lingua Link, John & Pauline Hymus (UK)   
• Karnataka Subhasamachara Mandali, B.D. Immanuel (India)           
• The Harvest Team, C.M. Joy (India, Manipur)        
• Friends of All Nations, David Chul-Hwan Jun (Korea)           
• Hungipanki Tribal Missionaries, Vinod Kalpal (India, Karnataka)      
• Christian Youth Connection Nepal, Steve Kaptain (Nepal)                
• Bookshops, George Khalil (Israel)              
• International Outreach, Mobin Khan (USA)            
• MultiLanguage Media, Jay & Jean Krause (USA)    
• Frontiers, Greg Livingstone (USA)              
• Firm Foundation Trust, Roger Malstead (UK)         
• New Life Ministries / New Life Publishing, Thomas Mathai (India, Kerala)   
• Media Matters, Bob McCloud (USA)         
• Retreat and Training Center, Mike McKinley (USA)              
• Freedom Quest, Mel & Sharon Middleton (Canada)            
• Antioch Network, George Miley (USA)     
• Auto-Mission, Stuart & Maureen Moreton (France)            
• Jericho Walls International, Bennie Mostert (South Africa)              
• Central European Missionary Fellowship (CEMF), Marsh Moyle (Austria)     
• Care & Share, P. Mukherjee (India, Bhubaneshwar)            
• Aslan Video, Rick & Darlene Munro (Canada)        
• Gospel and Social Action Ministries, D. Naik (India, Orissa)              
• Action International, Doug Nichols (USA)
• Indian Evangelical Association, P.R Paricha (India, Kuttak)
• Hannah International Mobilisation, Barnabas Soo-Jin Park (Korea)
• Bisjyothis Ministries, Patabpani (India, Bhubaneshwar)      
• Love Orissa, S. Patro (India)         
• Medical Ambassadors, Arul Paul (India)    
• Orphanage, Joseph Paul (India, Tamil Nadu)
• Translation Trust, Trevor Penrose (UK)     
• Nepal Gospel Outreach, Nepal Mission Society, Resham RajPoudel (Nepal)
• Elijah Company, Inc., Norman Przybylski (USA)      

• Bagda for Christ, Durai Raj and Muthan (India, Ootty)
• Equip & Encourage International, Graham & Frieda Roberts (Australia)       
• Rollins Associates, Harley Rollins (USA)    
• Doorway to Spain, Bill Roop (Spain)          
• Christ Mission Ashram, Sukrit Roy (India, Calcutta)             
• Coffee shop ministry, Mauricio Salazar (Belgium)
• Church planting, Librado Sagado (Albania)             
• Quiet Corner Ministries, Thomas Samuel (India)   
• Jubilee Action and Jubilee Campaign, Danny Smith (UK)     
• Stichting Hand, Tiny Snell (Netherlands)   
• Cornerstone World Challenge, A. Stephan (India) 
• New Life, Heinz Strupler (Switzerland)       

• Formation, Viv Thomas (UK)        
• Southampton Asian Christian Outreach, Clive Thorne (UK)
• Salem Orphanage, Vijayakumar (India, Salem)      
• Precision Media, Bill & Tami Sue Webster (Canada)            
• Love Maharashtra, Chris Williams (India) 
• El Olivo, Trevor & Manoli Allen (Spain)      

• Gospel for Asia, KP Yohannan (USA)          
• Off the Fence, Paul Young (UK)   
• Fellowship for International Mission, Hae-Seok Yu (Korea)             
• Somebody Cares Southland, Norm Brinkley (USA) 

• Manara Book Ministries, Isam Ghattas (Jordan)     

• Middle East Media, John Ferwerda (USA) 

• Dalit Freedom Network, Joseph D´Souza (India)
• World Outreach Mission, Terje Liverød (Norway)   
• Mobilisation Church, Sverre Blindheimsvik (Norway)
• K.A.B.A., Paul Bolus and Tone Johansen (Norway)