Volume 2 Issue 2
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at a glance 5
Shannon shares her experiences in Japan
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All the Little Children of the World
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An Apprentice in Japan
Courting Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Photo Shoot (Shannon Little) . . . . . . . . . . 5 Thumbnails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Through My Lens (Tyler Penn). . . . . . . . . . 7 Snapshot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ON THE COVER: Dennis Teague speaking, Becky Derby translating, at Rejoice FWB in Owasso, OK Funded by FWB Foundation Editor-in-chief: Clint Morgan Managing editor : Deborah St. Lawrence Associate editor: Emily Faison Design by Melanie Poole
Courting Faith
The team preparing to leave France for the U.S.
by Emily Faison
“I’m open!” rings across the gym. A sweat y, gangly teenage boy darts across the court to block another equally sweaty young man. French and American teenagers alike dot the middle school gym of Rejoice Christian School in Owasso, Oklahoma, where the temperature is a thick, humid 98 degrees. Luckily, we’re indoors. The buzzer sounds and the French boys highfive one another as they head back towards their coach, missionary Dennis Teague.
Sébastien, has already crossed the Atlantic to live in France, but in August of 2016, he brought France to the United States. As a missionary, an average day for Dennis in Saint-Sébastien might include planning outreach, coaching other leaders in ministry, or preaching a sermon, but it also includes basketball. Dennis coaches a team of twelve 15- and 16-year old young men at a local basketball club in Saint-Sébastien, where the boys play in a county league.
Sharing the gospel calls for hard work, perseverance, creativity…and even crossing oceans. Dennis Teague, missionary in Saint-
Knowing his boys would jump at the opportunity to both travel and practice basketball, Dennis decided to bring his team Continued on Page 3
Courting Faith Continued from Page 2 to the States for a basketball camp. France is a spiritually dark place, and Dennis said he is “more than likely the only believer they know.” By bringing the team to Oklahoma, Dennis brought the boys into church through the gym doors, and through church families. “To my knowledge, none of my guys have ever put a foot in an evangelical church. One or two might claim to be Catholic, but most would say that they don’t believe in God or they are not sure.” Rejoice FWB Church in Owasso, Oklahoma, and Crosspointe FWB in Norman, Oklahoma, stepped up to support this unique outreach experience, providing lodging, gym facilities, and meals for these young French basketball players. Both churches hosted events with their youth groups as part of the basketball camps, so the basketball team could hang out with Christians their age. Aside from church cookouts, ice cream socials, and football scrimmages, the team visited Randall University (formerly Hillsdale College), a water park,
and Woolaroc outside Tulsa, where the boys marveled at Texas Longhorns and buffalo. A trip to the University of Oklahoma was team member Alex’s favorite part of the trip, because the university was so much bigger than any he had seen in France. Of course, the boys didn’t spend all their time on field trips and adventures. The team was here for basketball, and they worked hard, at both physical training and practicing their technique. “The equipment and facilities here are so nice,” Alex told me, looking around the gym at the newly-built R ejoice Christian School. “Much better than where we usually play. It’s been good practicing here.” Though they lost one game in Owasso, their hard work paid off as they beat Tulsa area Christian Home Educators Fellowship (CHEF) team 61 to 52 on Monday night. Between basketball practice, church services, and other outings, the boys spent free time with their host families. “We’ve gotten so much more of a blessing than we could have imagined,” said DeAnn Staggs, who hosted Louis and Gregiore. “It’s been so much fun!” Brad and Deborah Bickerstaff hosted Hugo and Sylvian, dropping the boys off each morning for a long day of practicing basketball, before meeting them at church functions like youth group or an ice cream social. When I asked Brad about communicating across language barriers, he laughed. “Their English is better than my French!” Game time!
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Though many of the boys spoke English, they listened to Dennis speak in their native tongue at Wednesday night youth group at Rejoice FWB, which met in the church gym. In the half hour before service, the boys goofed off, shooting hoops on either side of the rows of chairs at center court. Dennis didn’t plan on preaching originally, but when asked to speak to the youth, he agreed on one condition: that he would be able to speak in French. “I need to speak to my boys. If I speak to the church too, that’s fine,” Dennis acknowledged. “But I need to speak to my boys.” With church member Becky Continued on Page 4
Howard R. Price...
Legacy of generosity! Throughout his life, businessman Howard R. Price displayed a generous spirit. From missions trips and building churches to ministry boards, he modeled a servant’s heart. He also worked closely with Free Will Baptist Foundation to make sure he continued to support these ministries he loved after his death.
Why not create your own legacy of generosity with an endowment at FWB Foundation? 877-336-7575 | foundation@nafwb.org
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Courting Faith Continued from Page 3 Derby translating, Dennis delivered a testimony that was mixed parts apologetics and response to the question, “Why did you go to France?” In France, where religion is a vague and distant idea, and most are atheist, religion is not part of public life. In fact, many parents of these boys were wary of their kids attending church in the U.S. Dennis explained to the parents that because the churches were hosting the basketball camps, it only made sense to participate in other events at the churches. In the local city club where Dennis coaches, religion can’t enter. “When I’m coaching basketball, I’m a coach, pure and simple,” Dennis said through his translator. “But I’m still a disciple, a believer, and if anyone ever wants to know more, I should be able to explain.” In fact, that Wednesday night was the first time Dennis has openly preached or shared the gospel with his team, but it was a door God clearly opened through the opportunity of the basketball camp. After sharing Scripture and his personal testimony, Dennis said with tears in his eyes, “God sent me to France to be there for people who want to know more. God loves the French people. I love them. I love my team. And it’s God who has given me this love.” From youth group services with bilingual music to Sunday school, these churches wrapped their arms around the French team, introducing the boys to the God they love and serve. Let’s pray the boys remain open.
Basketball team introducing themselves Coach Dennis Teague
Rejoice youth group praying over Dennis and his ministry The team experienced many different kinds of food in the U.S.
The team at Woolaroc, OK The team sat in on a French class at Rejoice taught by Becky Derby
Click here for more pictures.
Photo Shoot
HOT LINKS
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Email Shannon See Shannon’s prayer card
Which do you prefer? Coffee or tea? Mac or PC? Cats or dogs? Pancakes or waffles? Roller coasters or zoo? Beach or mountains? Chocolate or vanilla?
These are some of the students Shannon teaches. Click to read about Shannon’s experience teaching.
. She comes over to “This is my friend Yuko urs ek for a couple of ho my house twice a we tea and just talk.” and we sit and drink
an Shannon Little, Jap
an pan as a nurse in • Worked in Ja as ol before serving international scho ry a career missiona i, ma ken, Iruma sh • Lives in Saiata
in the Tokyo area in : New Hope FWB • Home church Joelton, TN
Shannon’s favorite food in Japan is Yakiniku. “It’s basically meat and veggies grilled on a grill in the middle of your table.” Find out what else Shannon loves about Japan, and what she misses about the U.S.
Do you say soda, pop, or coke?
Shannon with the people of Good News Chapel. Find out Shannon’s favorite part of ministering in Japan.
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Thumbnails All the Little Children of the World Missionary teams host Vacation Bible Schools and kids’ camps and carnivals in Spain, Bulgaria, Brazil, Uruguay, Panama, and Cuba e
th paints nkson face a D i m er Ca child’s E-TEAM an flag on a y a Urugu
Summer Bible Club in Butovo, Bulgaria
Kid’s Fellowship Day in Campinas, Brazil
Vacation Bible School in Alpedrete, Spain
Campinas, Brazil
English, Music, and Sports Club in Varna, Bulgaria
Children’s Camp in Pinar del Río, Cuba
Through My Lens IM’s First International Student Missionaries, by Tyler Penn We all remember our firsts. We remember our first kiss, our first car, or maybe our first time in an airplane. I remember firsts in our ministry. I remember the first student we had at our home for a dinner, the first student we took on a trip with our family, and the first students who invited us into their home for a meal. This couple who invited us into their home were Muslims from Iran. Kellie with University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign students
This couple were sweet hosts. They were excited, and a little nervous, to have us into their home. It was the first time we would enjoy a Persian meal. This couple invited a friend who was from Iran as well, and we enjoyed the conversation and stories over dinner. But their stories tugged at our hearts, too, as he shared how he couldn’t be with his wife and daughter, since they were declined to get on the airplane at the airport.
I will never forget the time we spent in conversation after the meal, talking about Jesus. We spent hours comparing and contrasting belief about Jesus through the Christian faith and the Muslim faith. There were many eye-opening moments as Kellie and I learned what they believed about Jesus, and they learned what we believed about Jesus. The focal point of the conversation was a discussion over Jesus’ death. Our Iranian friends shared their belief that Jesus never Tyler and son Madden, with his friend Amir
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died and I shared my belief—not only that Jesus died, but why he died, to take away the sins of the world. We love what we get to do. There would be no way for us to sit down to dinner in Iran with a couple and have a Mason Penn (Tyler and Kellie’s son) with guests at wonderful discussion Tyler and Kellie’s autumn party about Jesus, but we are able to do that here in Champaign, Illinois. We have had many Muslim international students come through our program, and several of them have become good friends of ours. We were declared by one Iranian couple to be their best friends in America. We now pray towards a new first, the first time a Muslim student will become a follower of Jesus.
Kids play a game at an event hosted at Tyler and Kellie’s home
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An Apprenticeship in Japan by Lauren Strickland
I was getting ready to get on an international flight for the first time. It was June 2012, and I had never been overseas before... to say I was nervous was an understatement. I had never wanted to be a missionary, but somehow I was on my way to Tokyo with ETEAM. On that trip, I felt God’s peace, and as I allowed Him to work in my life, I came away from my ETEAM experience with a love for a people group that is desperately lost. I came away with a peace that God had a plan for me. I came away with a determination to follow God’s plan for me no matter what.
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Flash forward four years. On May 9, 2016, I boarded another plane—but this time by myself. No leaders to tell me how to make it through customs, no team to travel through the airport with. I sat down alone for my 26-hour travel back to the city that I’d fallen in love with four years earlier. This time, I arrived in Japan for a two-month apprenticeship. It was apparent to me God had a hand in this trip, because He continually opened doors for me. Heath and Joni Hubbard, who I lived with, taught me the ropes, but after a week I began to use the subways by myself. I used what I learned in Japanese classes throughout my day interacting with other people. One friend in particular was special to me. We spent time together three days each week, and we instantly clicked. We had so much in common, but unfortunately we were missing the most important commonality, Christ. After many conversations about my beliefs and why I believed in a personal God who loved me, I told her my personal testimony. She responded, “I’ve noticed that Christianity is not an empty religion. What most Japanese people practice, they don’t believe in. It leaves them empty, but you are full. I can tell.” I can’t wait for the day she realizes where my true joy comes from.
“God provided me with amazing relationships that I pray He uses for His glory.”
Click to read more about Lauren’s adventure.
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