by Mario Velasquez* and Donna Gibson
Chapter One:
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from “normal” to missionary
Born in 1984 to a seminary student living out of his pocket, Mario’s first months were spent in a trailer park in Warsaw, Indiana. Before he turned 1 year old, Mario’s family moved to pastor a church of 300 in the paved, McDonald’s-infested wilds of Kenai, Alaska. And here is where we pick up his trail, following the steps God brought him along to morph him into a modern-day missionary. Playing the church game was easy for me. If I said the right words and acted the right part all the cheek-pinchers and Sunday school teachers adored me and told me how wonderful I was. I needed to play this game. If I could be the best student in the youth group, the best member of the ministry team, the best child in the family, I felt accepted, secure and exceptional. Fulfillment came via verses memorized, solos sung, 30-hour famines attended, leadership teams led, weeds pulled and conversations with “losers” had. My performance determined my identity. It’s ironic that my “fake radar” easily detected plastic smiles and faux interest in others but could not recognize my own spiritual veneer. Guess I didn’t really know any different. But even then something
told me it wasn’t quite right that my greatest ambition was merely to become elite in my own subculture. Summer of ’99 I went to a Christian camp in Virginia. Way too hot for an Alaskan kid, and even though there were a lot of cute girls, I seriously wondered if it was worth the plane ticket. But God holds a finger here, marking this page in my journey, and the memory stands out in vivid detail. The next summer, I signed up for a six-week ministry training course to learn how to serve and encourage the church. I threw away a whole summer’s worth of basketball training and hanging out with my friends for this. Very sacrificial of me. We learned skits, songs, puppet shows, and mimes to perform in parks, churches and amusement parks; we did door-to-door evangelism, children’s programs, prayer walks and manual labor; learned to always be in a servant’s mindset, always about others, others, others. But I was serving in my own strength. After a whole summer of that, I was burned out. You can’t fabricate that kind of output for long. Sure, I’d shake the hands and distribute tracts but I didn’t care about those people one bit. It was about me reporting back to the group how many “God conversations” I had and how many souls I’d saved. It was all about me.
But the Lord was bringing me to the end of myself to show that it must be His life produced in me. That experience convinced me I wanted to spend the rest of my life as more than just a dentist or a disc jockey at the local radio station. But what? I didn’t really want to do the pastor thing. Was there another option? August 2001 saw another summer spent on missions. By this time I was sure my coach hated me and I hoped he wouldn’t cut me from the team.
But who could pass up a month-long mission trip in Brazil? I love traveling, learning foreign languages, and I’ve been teased my whole life for being a geography geek. Was that enough though, to entice me to walk down that aisle at the speaker’s beckoning and commit the rest of my life to being a missionary? No, what really did it was this cute girl who was heading to New Tribes Bible Institute. I figured if I could be a missionary with her, it might be alright.
September 1st, 2002. Never knew a girl’s pretty
face could take me this far! It’s my first day at N TBI in Jackson, Michigan. Note to self: don’t ever bring the family here on vacation. Not exactly making the Travel Channel’s Hot 100. I hadn’t ever heard of this weird tribal school thing before, but if she wants to explore this missions fixation of hers, I’ll let her think I’m open to the jungle missions stuff for a while. Then after Bible school we’ll go to a real college. February 3rd, 2003. So things didn’t exactly pan out with Sarah. But I know God brought me here for something. Not sure what. Ever since that first class of Intro to Missions, I’ve been thinking. It’s not about the amount of people as much as it is about the opportunity of the people. These people have NO CHANCE to hear the Gospel. If I don’t go, who will? Sure there are big cities, easier to reach in every way, but those places already have a Gospel witness in their language. This is about going where no one has gone before, to echo the Apostle Paul’s heart (...and Star Trek). April 29th, 2003. The stuff New Tribes stands for is really making sense – teaching the Bible chronologically, instead of skipping around and never really understanding God’s story; learning the culture and language of the people, instead of trying to communicate abstract concepts in a second-hand language.
The idea of people having no chance to hear the Gospel in their language certainly persuaded me into fulltime tribal missions. But here’s what persuaded me the most. It felt as though for the first time, I was introduced to Jesus Christ. I knew He died for my sins and, because I believed that, I wouldn’t go to hell. What I didn’t know was where to go from there. I was saved and from what I was told, Christ loved me enough to die for me, so now I was to live for Him out of gratitude. But the years in Bible school taught me that Jesus is not just my Savior, He is my Life. He didn’t just die for me, I also died with Him. He not only freed me from the penalty of sin, but from the power of sin’s grip on my life. I had a new life now – HIS life! With the best of intentions I had attempted to fabricate the very thing I could never produce – righteousness. I had burned myself out trying to be my own Jesus. That’s not the Christian life. It’s allowing the Holy Spirit to produce Christ’s life, HIS righteousness in me. He defeated sin on my behalf and is now living through me. I had never known any of these things. Now He was more than a flannel-board Jesus. He was something worth sharing!
I spent a year off from the training, learning how to deal with all of this new-found knowledge. When you retain that much that fast the Holy Spirit hasn’t grown you in all of those truths. I was still a very immature believer, but one who thought he knew it all. I looked down on my pastor, my elder board, my parents, friends, the church body. No one was theologically fit enough to wrestle with me. I had become walking New Tribes propaganda. I condemned anyone who wasn’t planning on being involved in tribal missions. I saw missions and correct theology as the end, not the Lord. This led to mechanical interaction with people, seeing them as numbers instead of objects of Christ’s affection. Oddly, I had made tribal missions my idol. Then after only a one year break from NTM training, I actually began to rethink doing tribal missions myself. I even started setting up an internship through my church. I am so fickle! And driving out to the missionary training center, I was literally looking for exits to turn around and head home. Was I doing the right thing? I pulled onto the campus, struck with indecision.
Utter weakness in ourselves, we should be overwhelmed at the immensity of the work before us were it not that our very insufficiency gives us a special claim to the fulfillment of His promise ‘My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness...’ —- Hudson Taylor
September 21st, 2005. Another night spent wrestling
with the Lord. Sitting in class today seemed so pointless. I don’t think I even need to pay attention to this stuff. Why am I here? I’m not going, Lord! I’m doing my own thing, going where it’s more comfortable, where I know more people. October 29th, 2005. Haven’t slept well for a month. This is the toughest decision yet. I could be a basketball coach or a beloved youth pastor or make some serious dollar bills in the computer industry. I would love to take things easy, you know, a nine-to-five job then watch sports, go to movies, be with friends and
family. Been talking with the missionary staff a lot. They’re very gracious and keep pointing me back to God. I’m realizing my life is out of my control. I don’t have the answers. I need the Lord. March 9th, 2006. It’s still a struggle, but I see that there are people in the world who have not once heard in their own language the words I so casually flung around growing up. If I don’t go, Lord, who will? Your love constrains me; I must go! I could do my own thing, but I would have to answer to You. This is what we’ve been left here on earth to do, there is nothing more! Allowing myself to go down that road, think through those thoughts, helped me to be more confident in the fact that this is where the Lord has me. More than any of the classes, though, it was the people placed in my life that brought me to this point. My parents, teachers, friends – people whom the Lord had so thoroughly convinced that we are on this earth for one express purpose, to make disciples. People marked with humility and compassion for others. Flawed humans who have Jesus Christ in their daily
life and understand what grace is. October 12th, 2007. Five years deep into this missions thing and I’m still in training! Sometimes I still can’t believe I signed up for the extra semester, as if eight weren’t enough! There are days I don’t feel like I’ll ever make it to the field, kept in an eternal academic holding pattern.
gh on the if I scored high enou at th ed cid de I ut B say linguists d stick around. They I’ t tes e ud tit ap cs linguisti untry where New y in almost every co are needed desperatel to be given the uld be self ish of me Tribes works. It wo rtunity to be and not take the oppo ing th me so do to ty abili on but trained to do it. . I do not regret staying October 30th, 2007 r. I don’t even want to know h semeste this has been a toug from across scrutinizing languages ent sp I urs ho ny ma how constructed, w their grammar was ho t ou ng uri fig , rld the wo s and turn them of these crazy sound or how to take all tone affect e alphabet. And does into an understandabl eceding bilabial e pre- nasalization pr th l al Is ? ity tiv nsi tra smates stops? . For six weeks, 10 clas December 12th, 2007 from es ke ero into practice with Ch s a and I put our learning wa That mmunity in Oklahoma. co n ca eri Am e tiv Na the be to take an w hard this job will great indicator of ho an alphabet that lyze it and develop unwritten language, ana , enabling them to able to read and write the people will be d of God. interact with the Wor
Where will I go? Well, I don’t think this part of my story is really that interesting. Being from Alaska, I definitely didn’t want to go anywhere near the hot, sticky tropics. That led me to some NTM ministries in climates much more similar to what I knew. Looking
further, I stumbled upon opportunities in limited access areas of Asia, which thrilled me. I love the idea of taking the Gospel not only to where it hasn’t been before, but where barriers beyond language and culture make even the presence of missionaries a unique ministry challenge. That and working alongside the churches within the country to reach their own people groups. Plus, they need linguists there, so… *Due to the sensitivity of ministering in limited access areas, Mario Velasquez is a pseudonym.
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Chapter Two:
mission update: harvest still plentiful! workers still few!
By Donna Gibson
Between Here and There This stretch of road between training and on-field ministry is often the most precarious and challenging. It can also be discouraging. The missionaries are ready to jump in and be a part of what God is accomplishing on a global scale. But first they must build a team of senders, encouragers, givers and prayers sharing the same vision – seeing God glorified where His Name is yet unknown. When they show up at your church, what can you expect? What can you know about someone who graduates from NTM’s Missionary Training Center (MTC)? They are trained professionals. They already have ministry experience, serving in various communities. Although they are ready for ministry overseas, it is sometimes shocking to discover their crosscultural exposure begins at home. After a four-year immersion in specialized ministry training, they have become an anomaly among their peers. The same vision and sense of urgency that united them with fellow missionary candidates can generate a feeling of isolation among family and friends. It’s not simply their view of the world but their view of their ministry. Some people see overseas ministry as peripheral to the activities of the church. But missionaries believe making disciples of all nations is central to the purpose of the Church and beneficial to every body of believers.
They are volunteers, stepping up to do a job that’s integral to the history and the eternity of the Church. It’s a job few are willing to do. Your prayers are crucial during this time of transition. Cultural dissonance may be so disheartening that missionaries can lose motivation to pursue the vision God has given them. NTM has a missionary team devoted specifically to helping and encouraging missionaries through this phase of ministry, but nothing replaces the part you play in their lives. Other challenges at this point include learning to wait on God to provide funds and equipment for their ministry, and to see all the required paperwork completed in a timely manner. When everything is packed, their documents stamped and tickets in hand, your missionaries have stayed the course, not allowing the clamoring, albeit legitimate, opportunities to pull them off this road less traveled. The biggest hurdle is summed up in a word that’s been thought and felt for months in anticipation. Goodbye. As difficult as it may be for the missionaries to go, they are compelled by a vision that takes up their whole perspective, by a power greater than their weakness and by the same love that took Christ to Calvary.
MTC students currently serve in 40 different ou treach ministries in the surrounding area.
Chapter Three:
by Elin Henderson with Donna Gibson In May 2006, Elin Henderson accompanied her husband Phil and two young children to live half a month, for the first time, in the tribal village,
beginning their church planting ministry among the Mwinika people. This is where we join them, a part of the journey replete with new challenges.
ss sortin g, pa ckDay 1: About 5:30 a.m. after endle took off. A lot of org anizin g an d repackin g, we
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ing, my min d. I had been thin gs were runnin g throug h about an hour, an d to the village ONCE before for Phil had so much exwhat can you draw from that? out taking us to the perience an d was so excited ab on our lan d among village an d livin g as a family his excitement but it the Mwinika people. I shared prehension. was coupled with fear an d ap al on a good day The trip takes about 8 hours tot oug h the Gile Nature if you take the shorter route thr animals there but, beReserve. Supposedly there are e gazelle, we sides a few baboons an d a rar never have seen much.
About halfway through the reser ve, a tire blew out. While Elin and the kids waited in the grow ing heat, fanning away the impressive bug populous, Phil replaced the rear tire with the spare, which required inflating with a foot pump due to a leaky valve. In less than two hours they were on the road again, holding the leaky spare together with much prayer over every bump and jolt.
3:30 p.m. and a We pulled into our pla ce around Most of the people small crowd quickly gathered. , let alone white chilhave NEVER seen a white woman entertainment. They dren. So we became the village d out more about these were excited an d curious to fin Callie an d stuff! weird white people an d all their yed with the children. Elias jumped rig ht in an d pla ld with a million onlookWe set up as quickly as we cou ch attention. ers - try ing not to draw too mu had to fig ure out It got dark quickly an d I without lettin g them how to wash two filthy children en, there was supper. be eaten alive by mosquitoes. Th - mentally, By 7:00 p.m. I was exhausted sprayed our tents physically an d emotionally. We ries, quickly snuck in for mosquitoes, read a few sto t to bed. under our mosquito ne ts an d wen The solar panel system was not functional yet, and the freezer was dysf unctional – laying the concern of slowly thaw ing meat on Elin’s slender shoulders. She had no electricity, no water and no camping experience. Combined with the typical dosage of culture shock, the day steadily unraveled her resilience.
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Day 2: Up early, ou t of the ne ts an d on with the repellent – a soon -to-be daily ritual. A quick breakfast then on to sort in g my stuff an d se ein g what I had broug ht, an d forg otten. Now, when I am diso rg anized an d can’t fin d thin g s, it makes me crazy. Poor Phil! I wa s a little stressed out to say the least. Francois, our co-worke r here in Mwinika La nd, came over an d must have thoug ht I wa s SE RIOUSLY nuts! He helped us se t up our solar panel an d tried gettin g our freezer workin g – to no avai l. He was just SO excited that we were here an d th at thin g s were movin g ahead, an d I was about in te ars. Never had I felt so absolutely out of my element an d we ak. If some one had offered me a ride home, I would have taken it in an instant. But before Francois he aded ba ck to Na mpula, he prayed with us. I can’t explain it, but after that I was at pe ace. I felt like God said, “Ye s, y ou can do this, but not in y our strength. Le a n on Me”. It was His strength made perfect in we akness that I in my 20-p lus years of knowin g Him had never experienced in this way. I fin ally g ot thin g s sorted out an d ma de lunch. Afterward I ventured off to visit ou r ne ig hbors, the community’s relig ious leader an d his wife. She is a very swee t lady, quiet, an d willin g to help me out with lang uag e. I learned a few wo rds but the Mwinikas just la ug hed an d laug he d wh en I tried to use them – soon had to learn to get used to that. In fa ct, I stopped callin g it my “lang uage exposure” tim e an d called it my “la ug hin g exposure” time!
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Day 3: Felt like all I did was mood swing all day
today; from tears to may be this isn’t so bad after all. Phil left around 4:30 a.m. to pick up some important guys and go to the inauguratio n of the new area adminstrator. Both kids were terribly fussy today and have cold symptoms, so I gave them some medication and vitamins and pray ed it wouldn’t get any worse. My patience ran thin when they got prog ress ively whinier. I finally sat down and spent some time in the WORD and in prayer and that helped. I felt spiritually overwhelmed knowing that we are all there is for LIGHT here in this land of spiritual darknes s. We are encroaching on the devil’s territory and need to stay strong for battle. It comforted me to remember that I wasn’t alone – God is here and so man y are pray ing that I feel their presence as well. Callie cheered up a bit and after a while I heard her out front tea chin g the Mwinika kids “T his Little Light of Mine” . How ironic. Good reminder.
Phil finally came home around noon and I was exhausted. And discouraged. Living was taking all my energy. Here I was supposed to be getting out with the people and developing relationships, and all I could do was just survive. I laid down with the kids and prayed once again that God would intervene in a major way and send contacts to me because I just didn’t have the energy to go out on my own and find people. A little while later, the neighbor’s daughter came over and said that her mom invited me to come down and watch her pound the rice she had harvested the day before. So off I went with my pen and pad for some exposure. I spent a while there and got quite a few words and phrases, returning pretty encouraged. I think there are 3 levels of tone in this language but not sure that it affects the words. Lots of trilled R’s and aspirated T’s and K’s.
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Day 5: Called Nampula and found out we are going
to have guests tomorrow. Two of our co-workers are coming to bring us a generator, supplies, and to encourage us. Maybe we will get our freezer going! Hope so.
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Day 6: Went out to visit another neighbor this after-
noon – more laughing exposure. Sat with her on her mat while she peeled manioc and I picked up a few phrases. After lunch I worked on processing some of my language notes. Phil all of the sudden felt really sick and tired and dizzy – he had a bit of heat exhaustion and finally had to lay down. I waited up for the guys to come in. They arrived after dark and missed our house the first time. Saw them drive by but they couldn’t see anything out here. So on their way back I put our car lights on. Phil got up for a bit but wasn’t himself. Got the guys set up in our other tent and went to bed.
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Day 7: Phil felt better today, not sure what it was.
Our guests also slept well. No big plans today. Elias was fussy with a bad runny nose. He still goes out and plays and I have seen the older Mwinika kids kindly wipe his nose for him with their hands then fling it into the grass or wipe it on their clothes! AHHH! I’ll stick with tissues! The guys worked on the generator and got the fridge working but they said it would be a few days before it would freeze. They brought me a care package from the missionary ladies filled with all sorts of food and such from Nampula – what an encouragement and blessing! Went to the weekly market up the road and drew the usual huge crowd. Callie was literally hiding on the floor with her head covered. It is hard for her when the groups get big like this and everyone wants to marry her off to their kids. Culturally that is acceptable here.
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Day 9: Didn’t sleep all that well last night. A lot of
noise going on around us and I wasn’t feeling well – upset stomach. I think my fear worsens when I wake up in the middle of the night and everything is quiet. Especially here, my fear level has hit radical highs. We are living in tents and they aren’t exactly secure. While we have never had any problems, the potential exists. Our place in Nampula was like Fort Knox and I was used to that. T here is a lot of thievery here in Mozambique. A party was letting out at the village club near our place and I could hear the drunk people leaving there and getting closer and closer to where we were. I was REALLY getting FREAKED OUT at this point, but the Lord brought to mind a verse I had read earlier that week. Psalm 34:7 “T he angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him and he delivers them.” Well, that was surely applicable to my situation – being that I was camping. I went by faith that He truly was “encamping” all around me. T hat gave me a real peace. The group passed on by and I fell asleep.
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Day 10: Was up around 5 a.m. or so and was feeling
so tired and just wanting to sleep and go home to a nice bed and a nice house and electricity and running water – really having a nice pity party for myself. T hen I heard the local call for prayer and the Lord reminded me that I am not here to be comfortable but to reach these people for Him. My focus changed from self to God and I remembered that these people, more than anything else, need Him and we are the ones God has chosen to use. A good wake-up call for me.
The generator isn’t working and the batteries are dead so we are back to square one with the freezer food. Phil says that the bathroom isn’t quite ready, but soon. It is quite a trek from our tent to the house and since the place is full of male workers all day, I think I might actually prefer the outhouse – shocker! Am I becoming a true missionary, a real JANE OF THE JUNGLE, after all?
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Day 11: So, today was our first official family outing.
We headed off around 10 a.m. for a nearby town, a one-hour ride. I was a little annoyed at first when we stopped to greet an official and he insisted we give his cousin a ride into town. How dare he mess up our family time! But then I realized I was being selfish and ridiculous and had an attitude check.
The Henderson’s bath system: The designated bathing area is inside their mosquito-proof tent. They fill a big basin – big enough for Elin to sit in – with one-and-a-half buckets of water. First the kids wash up, then Elin and finally Phil. Talk about water conservation!
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Day 13: Phil and Franco is have an appointme nt with the administrator today so
I will be here alone. Before they left, Phil had me drive the g uys to g et water. Talk about turnin g so me he ads! Now, most of them have hardly ever se en cars, let alone a WO MAN who drives a car! They we re shocked an d laug hed an d laug hed. They would n’t believe that in my country almost every one drive s. Later that day, 3 old er ladies came to se e the white woman who drive s a truck. They were al l interested to know if I had a father – not sure why. Day 14: Last full day in Mwinika Land! It has definitely be en a challen ge but also a neat ex perience to se e the g ra ce of God in action in a ve ry real way. A year ag o I would never have be en able to do this – even 6 mont hs ag o – but God is so g racious to prepare us fo r the challenges that lie ahead. Went over to visit my next door neig hbor on e last time to say g oodby e. She was cookin g sn ails an d not with g arlic an d butter. Just boilin g them an d usin g a little st ick to twirl them out of their shells. It looked kin d of like g re en an d wh ite spiral ma caroni. The Mwinika s were havin g a g re at time, just slurpin g them do wn an d suckin g them out of the shells – it was lik e they had g otten a ba g full of candy. They tried to get me to eat th em, but I used the “they do n’t have that in my country, no thanks” card – no t sure how many more times I will be able to use that, but will ke ep tr y in g. Took a quick walk to say g oodbye to an other neig hbor. They were we avin g the bamboo mats they sit an d sle ep on. Of course they urged me to try. I think they just wa nted a re ason to laug h! I told them that if it was up to me to ma ke one it
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would take me a yea r an d wouldn’t last a day! They ag re ed.
Last Day: Well, we fly out today. Se ems lik e an eternity since we g ot he re. A ups lot of an d bu have se en the LORD work in amazin g waydowns t s an d strengthen me in wa ys I never knew be fo re . Now I am fe eling like th is is a doable thin g with His help. The break will be nice an d ne eded bu t I am not afraid to come ba ck. Hopefully the hous e will be done in a few we eks an d then I can re ally se ttle in – have be en living out of a suitcase for 6 months. Elin is settled well into her home among the
Mwinikas and makes
great progress in acquiring a solid grasp of
the culture and language. She’s faced new challenges, like malaria, and many of the same ones. Yes, the fridge is still frequently dysfunctio nal. But God consistently pours His strength out through her weak ness. “A day doesn’t go by that we are not overwhelmed by the task in
front of us,” she wrote in
late November. “The Lord has to remind us
that the journey is too
great.” And like the meal that lasted Elijah
a 40-day trek through the deser t, Elin trusts God’s grace to sustain her far beyond the limits of her strength to reach the place He leads her, and the next.
A CLOSER LOOK How does a person like me turn into a missionary like that? by Chet Plimpton, General Secretary NTM USA Executive Board
Soon after being saved as a boy of 12, my sister gave me a book by a missionary whose husband was killed trying to contact an isolated people group. I was moved to read that after her husband’s death, the missionary returned to that same people group and successfully communicated the Gospel to them. Eager to determine what I could do to serve the Lord, I wondered, “How could a person like me turn into a missionary like that?” In this 21st century, the Lord has blessed the church with training and resources unavailable to missionaries of previous centuries, such as Hudson Taylor who left for China September 19, 1853, as an enthusiastic, wide-eyed 21-year-old. Taylor had none of the excellent contingency training available to missionaries today, yet after enduring terrible storms at sea during the five-and-a-half months’ voyage, he landed in Shanghai, immersed in civil war and held by rebels. Hudson Taylor soon forged into China’s interior and persevered in learning a foreign language, communicating the Gospel, and translating the New Testament into the Ningpo dialect, in spite of having no formal preparation in crosscultural church-planting and without the aid of experienced help. How does a person like me turn into a missionary like that? We would be 18
correct to point to discipleship within a local church, including sound Bible education and application, training in cross-cultural church planting resources, preparation for language and culture acquisition, understanding of translation principles, development of relational skills and awareness of contingency planning. Indeed, we would not wish to turn the “missionary preparation clock” back centuries, to a time when such resources were not available. Yet how do we understand that although much of this was not available to men like Hudson Taylor – or to the disciples and early church missionaries, for that matter – they were successful missionaries? Early in His earthly ministry, Jesus was walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee when He saw two brothers fishing together with nets. Calling to them, Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). These two men were among those who worshipped God and waited expectantly for the Messiah’s coming. Jesus met them earlier when He was in Judea and they recognized Him as the Christ (John 1:41). Obviously, a seed of hunger had been planted in their hearts to know Christ better and to serve Him with their lives, because when Jesus began with, “Follow,” we read, “they immediately left their nets and followed Him” (Matthew 4:20). We are, perhaps, inclined to ask someone who is aspiring to become a missionary if they have had formal
Bible school instruction and whether or not they have successfully completed courses in anthropology, missiology or cross-cultural evangelism. There is great value in formal missionary preparation, but are we forgetting the most important preparation? As vital to effective ministry as we know formal missionary training and preparation to be, it is possible for us to miss the clear implication of Jesus’ words to Peter and Andrew when He said, “I will make you fishers of men.”
Missionary preparation does not begin with an application and end with a diploma. I can’t help but think there was both excitement and anticipation in Jesus’ words when he said, “Follow Me.” The word “follow” is the same word Jesus used in John 11:43 when He cried, “Lazarus, come forth!” It means, “Come here, come!” No doubt, in the case of Lazarus, Jesus was eager that all see what the power of God could do for someone they had just seen dead and buried. No doubt, the Lord is equally as eager as He anticipates what He can do in the lives of those who determine to follow Him. The words “make you” indicate what might be considered a long and slow process, taking place over a period of time. Missionary preparation does not begin with an application and end with a diploma. The Lord never ceases to work in our hearts and lives, to make us fishers of men. The process is illustrated when the two men left their fishing gear and followed Him. “Followed” is from a word meaning to walk down the same path. For three years they accompanied
Jesus, walking down the same path, living and learning from Him, being prepared for the mission ahead. In making a person a fisher of men, the Lord may well lead that person through courses of study as well as avenues of service where experience is gained. Whatever God’s plan, the secret is to follow Him, and to keep following. The process of being made a fisher of men was certainly not a clear-cut course with a set curriculum and a start and finish date for Peter. In many ways, it must have seemed like a roller-coaster ride for the fisherman. Did Peter become a fisher of men, as the Lord promised would happen if he chose to follow Him? Absolutely! In fact, Jesus Himself bore witness to that fact. When Cornelius was seeking to know the Lord, Jesus directed him to Peter, saying, “Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do” (Acts 10:5,6). It was many years ago that I wondered in my heart, “How could a person like me turn into a missionary like that?” It is the Lord Who makes us become what He intends us to be, and He does this as we simply follow Him.
Think about it: 1. Why would you say it is important for someone to have the heart conviction that the Lord Jesus Christ is the One Who will make him or her become a missionary? 2. How would you describe to someone what it means to follow Jesus as He asked His disciples to do? 3. Are you anticipating what the Lord can do with your life as you follow after Him? 19
PRAY
Bringing the Word,
One Verse at a Time
PANAMA: Embera tribe In September, missionary Doug Schermerhorn and an Embera coworker finished the first draft of the Embera Scriptures they plan to publish. This includes the entire New Testament and 23 percent of the Old Testament. Since then, Doug, Embera co-workers and missionary Chaz Mortensen of Wycliffe Bible Translators have been revising and correcting the draft. They have about half of the New Testament still to go through. After this, the whole translated work will be looked at one book at a time by a New Tribes Mission expert in language and translation. Then, if all goes smoothly, by May 1 the text will go through a final check and revision by a committee of seven Embera Christians chosen by their church. Pray that it does go smoothly and the Word is translated accurately and clearly.
Embera
MISSIONARIES TO THE FIELD Gabriel and Rachel Nunez The Lord used various short-term mission trips and His Word to lead Gabriel into missions. “During the missions trips I came to understand that unless these people hear the Gospel there is no way that they can have eternal life,” he wrote. Rachel also took two short-term mission trips as a teenager. “However, I was deeply challenged into missions during Bible school, as I understood God’s heart for the world and the need for willing individuals to go and expand the reach of the Gospel,” she wrote. Brazil Ministry: Church planting Sending churches: Graham Community Church, Laingsburg, Michigan; Whitestone Community Church, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, USA
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PAPAU NEW GUINEA: Uriai tribe
INDONESIA: Semandang tribe Semandang believers and missionary Darcy Berglund are checking portions of the Old and New Testament translations. They have finished Genesis through Chronicles and portions of the prophets, 2,657 verses, with 300 still to go in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, they checked 2,625 verses, including Mark, Acts, Romans, Philippians, 1 and 2 Timothy, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Titus and Philemon. They have 500 more verses to check in the New Testament. Please pray that this progress continues, so the Semandangs will soon have God’s Word in their own heart language.
Missionary Lisa Kappeler’s translation work went through its first comprehension check with Uriai co-workers in late November. She read short passages to her co-workers and they repeated back the meaning of those passages to make sure the translation is clear. “The check went well … in that we found areas where what I had written didn’t really convey the meaning I wanted it to convey,” Lisa wrote. “So it was successful in that it accomplished what we wanted it to do.” She did find some terms that communicated very well, even better than expected, and learned much from the first gothrough. “So my first check is under my belt – I learned a lot through it and through the translation workshop to make my next chapters in Genesis even more clear!” Pray for “good progress and insight as I translate with these things under my belt now!”
These answered prayers are a direct result of people praying alongside missionaries. Every weekday NTM puts out a bulletin with prayer requests from the fields, and on Friday sends one week’s requests. Find out how you can pray for the real needs of missionaries and people everywhere by checking out www.ntm.org/pray and signing up for the Daily Bulletin, which will deliver these prayer requests directly to your e-mail address.
Garry and Sylvia Krobel
Justin, Brent, Alex, and Brandon “Since Bible college we have been interested in missions, but we did not feel God leading us in that direction until this past year,” Garry and Sylvia wrote. “After going to Dominican Republic in Feb of 2007 on a short-term mission trip, we sensed God calling us to full-time ministry.” They are serving as associates for one year then in June 2008 plan to enroll in NTM’s training program in Canada and return to Papua New Guinea as career missionaries. Papua New Guinea Ministry: Maintenance and Maintenance Secretary Sending church: Eastwood Fellowship Baptist Church, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
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GIVE Helicopter’s Arrival Presents Timely Opportunity You have a timely opportunity to make a gift in support of planting tribal churches. Missionaries in some remote tribal villages in Papua New Guinea depend on helicopter service for supplies and equipment, as well as for transportation. But on the morning of Nov. 27, NTM Aviation’s Jet Ranger helicopter was seriously damaged at a remote jungle airstrip. Missionary pilot Ray Finsaas, the only person aboard, was able to walk away from the accident with no apparaent injuries. At the time, Ray was shuttling fuel from that airstrip to the missionary team in the Inapang tribe. The fuel was in a sling under the helicopter — a common way of carrying cargo by helicopter. However, one of the ropes supporting the sling became looped over one of the helicopter’s skids.
As Ray lifted the load, “very close to the ground … basically in a hover,” the loop of rope caused the weight of the load to be on one side of the aircraft, instead of being balanced, causing the accident, said Jim Sims, vice chairman of NTM Aviation. The helicopter hit the ground on its side, resulting in extensive damage. NTM Aviation had operated the helicopter in Papua New Guinea since 1993 without an accident. Ray is “a good pilot — very careful,” Jim said.
MISSIONARIES TO THE FIELD Tim and Karis Bennett Sarah and Kiera Tim took his first summer missions trip when he was a freshman in high school and continued to go on five more trips in later years. Karis grew up in Panama where her parents served as missiaonaries with NTM. She went to Brazil on a missions trip in the summer of 2000, where she met Tim. Their desire is to serve as support staff missionaries to aid and enable their tribal co-workers in the task of tribal evangelism. Brazil Ministry: Building and Maintenance Sending churches: Leonidas Bible Church, Leonidas, Mt. Hope Bible Church, Grass Lake, and Victory Baptist Church, Manchester, Michigan, USA
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The full extent of the damage is not yet known. The helicopter was put inside a container for shipping to NTM Aviation’s facility in McNeal, Arizona, where it is expected to arrive about the time you receive this magazine. There, NTM Aviation personnel will decide whether it will be more costeffective to repair the helicopter or to replace it. Either way, the costs will almost certainly be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and any gift you make will be applied toward restoring helicopter service in the most costeffective way. Watch for updates about the helicopter at: www.ntm.org You can also give toward the repair or replacement of the helicopter online: www.ntm.org/give/jetranger Or contact our Stewardship Development Office: 800-813-1566 | sdo@ntm.org
Cherith Sharman
MAKE AN ETERNAL INVESTMENT GET LIFELONG INCOME A charitable gift annuity is your opportunity to partner with New Tribes Mission to plant churches among the world’s unreached tribal people and receive a lifetime of income. Investing in a charitable gift annuity allows you to make what is in effect a delayed gift to New Tribes Mission. In exchange for your gift, NTM makes a fixed payment to one or two people each year for life. Upon the donor’s death, the remaining balance is available for New Tribes Mission to use to support the work of planting tribal churches. Apply for a gift annuity, or inquire about other options for investing in the work God is doing among tribal people: Stewardship Development Office www.ntm.org/give | sdo@ntm.org 800-813-1566
“God had given me an interest in mission work from a young age, through my regular contact with many missionaries on furlough in Australia,” Cherith wrote. “Stories of people coming to know our Savior for the first time have always shown me the greatness of our God.” She also wanted to be a missionary from the time she was young, and earned a nursing degree knowing that the Lord could use these skills anywhere in the world. “In late 2006 … I began the application process as an associate with New Tribes and was amazed at how the Lord made everything happen so quickly and smoothly,” she wrote. She plans to serve as a school nurse at Faith Academy for 12 months.
Philippines Ministry: Nursing Sending church: Narrehills Family Church, Narre Warren, Victoria, Australia
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GO
Just ’Cause It’s Fun Earl Klassen is an ordinary guy with the spiritual gift of helps. He delights in helping others: it’s a fun thing for him. So becoming a missionary seemed like a good career choice to him. His gift manifested itself throughout his training with New Tribes Mission. In missions training in Canada, Earl gleefully waited for snow, and then got up before everyone else so he could clean all the sidewalks and entrances. The trainers asked him not to help as much because they wanted others to have a chance to exercise. During the next phase of training in Camdenton, Missouri, two things happened. First, he met his future wife, Krystal McMaster, and secondly he demonstrated his gift for helping others. When a number of students
left for six weeks additional language training with a group of Cherokees in Oklahoma, Earl got up before everyone and cooked a big pancake breakfast for everyone. When asked why, he replied, “Just ’cause it’s fun.”
MISSIONARIES TO THE FIELD Jack and Alice Corbett Danielle, Evan, and Regan “We both grew up in faithful Christian homes where missionaries were friends and frequent guests, so God’s command to teach all nations was near to our hearts,” they wrote. “Jack had been working with computers in a secular job for several years when God showed us that his computer skills could be used to further the Gospel by helping tribal missionaries minister more efficiently and effectively.” United States Ministry: Database Developer Sending church: Community Bible Church, Berlin, New Hampshire, USA
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Now, Earl and Krystal and their four children live in Dakar, Senegal, and he has the ideal ministry for someone with the gift of helps. He gets up in the morning and hits the streets of Dakar to shop. Yes, shop. Whatever missionaries in remote tribal areas need, he finds. He might buy a birthday gift for a missionary wife or a difficult to find car part or fill a long grocery order. Once he’s bought everything that was requested, he packs it up and helps load it on the mission airplane. The pilot delivers
the supplies and the missionaries receive their needed items. Earl’s shopping trips also allow him to establish relationships with vendors and businessmen in Dakar. He really enjoys some of the friends he’s made through those contacts. Are you an ordinary guy with spiritual gifts that God is using? Would you like to find out how God can use you as a career missionary? Check out www.ntm.org/go/career — by Dena McMaster, contributing editor
Your unique skill-set could meet a strategic need in planting tribal churches around the world. Serve for a season, for one to four years as an NTM associate. www.ntm.org/associates | associates@ntm.org | 800-2856-6053
Mitch and Jenny Hoskins Micah and Simon
Mitch grew up in Cedar Springs, Michigan. He attended camp as a child, where he decided to do whatever the Lord would have him do. After graduating from Bryan College, he went to India for two months to minister, and encountered people who had never before heard the name of Jesus. Jenny grew up as a daughter of missionaries in Papua New Guinea. Challenged by the lost tribal people around her, she always had a desire to be a part of tribal missions. After graduating from high school, she attended Bryan College, where she earned a teaching degree. While visiting Jenny’s parents in Papua New Guinea, the couple was again stirred by the need to take the Gospel to those who have never heard.
Papua New Guinea Ministry: Teaching Sending Churches: Christian Bible Fellowship, Evensville, Tennesee; West Cannon Baptist Church Belmont, Michigan; Blue Ridge Bible Church, Raytown, Missouri; Calvary Baptist Church, Fargo, North Dakota, USA
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SEND
Connecting the Dots....... by Daniel J. Fritz, associate pastor of CrossView Church, Antioch, Illinois
For God so loved the world … Ordinary Christians who attend church on Sundays could complete the rest of the verse with little or no coaching. But do they really get it? Do they really get the truth that God’s love reaches beyond the community of believers? God’s love is for all people in all places of the world. If that connection is not made, the Great Commission will not be understood and will not be the center piece of a church’s vision. Nearly two decades ago, my brotherin-law and I were in India traveling by train from Calcutta to Madras. Along the way several stops were made to take on new passengers and let others off. In between these stops I noticed a number of remote villages where people lived in isolation from the rest of the world and in squalor. Naturally I felt empathy, but God reminded me
that He felt more. He loves everyone in these hidden places so much that He provided His Son Jesus to save everyone who receives Him! To be a true disciple of Jesus we must be willing to step out beyond our comfort zones. That’s not natural. There’s humor and truth in saying that birds of a feather flock together. So what does it take to get us where God wants us to be? Certainly, the Holy Spirit plays an important role in this. In the process of becoming transformed into Jesus’ likeness, we catch His vision and feel His passion for the lost. We set aside any claims of self-preservation and follow Jesus who appeared as a servant to mankind. This process doesn’t occur in a vacuum. In other words, we don’t simply wake up one morning and decide we’re going to a mission field. The same holds true for someone who
MISSIONARIES TO THE FIELD Karl and Kristen Nielsen Emily, Rachel
At an educators conference Karl learned of the critical needs at international schools and how he as a teacher could help get the Gospel message to those who have not heard. The idea of freeing up someone who desires to plant churches by simply doing what he already loves really appealed to him. “The truly challenging part of this decision was listening to God gently push aside all of our reasons and concerns as to why we should not go,” wrote Karl. “As He showed us how we were living a life not fully trusting Him and His Word, we were encouraged by our family, friends and church in many ways that made it possible to respond to His leading.”
Papua New Guinea Ministry: Teacher/Administration Sending Church: Black Rock Congregational Church, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA
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supports missionaries with financial resources and prayer. Another powerful means that God uses to imprint His vision upon us is the Bible. One of the major prophets of the Old Testament recorded these inspired words of God: “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Discipleship was the model Jesus used to get people onto His agenda. It’s an investment that keeps on earning interest. We need positive godly influence by others who are followers of Jesus and give evidence of it by the fruit that is seen in their lives. The message of the Gospel and the method for reaching the world are connected to the Great Commission. The pulpit can and should have great influence in the process of moving Christians from wherever they’re at and getting to where God wants them to be. That’s what leader-
Brant and Emily Blythe Elijah and Caleb
ship means according to Henry and Richard Blackaby, in their book titled Spiritual Leadership. It’s critical in my opinion that a compelling vision that wraps itself around reaching the lost be preached. People need to be inspired by leaders who know God’s heart. The final key is prayer. Getting alone with God and surrendering to His will for our lives is personal. Many Christians struggle to give up the role of self management. Sometimes we have to take a hard fall before realizing the management of our lives is better off in God’s hands. One day we’ll stand before God in the presence of angels and millions of people from every tribe and nation, and together we’ll sing: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11). That’s a compelling picture; a vision set before us in God’s Word.
Brant grew up on the central coast of California, becoming a Christian at a young age. Through the AWANA program, he was introduced to world missions. He met Emily on a short-term mission trip to Hungary in 1996. Emily grew up in Austin, Texas, in a Christian family. Missions was always an interest for her and in high school she dedicated her life to serving the Lord overseas. In 1998 both Brant and Emily enrolled in Christian Heritage College and married after graduating in 2001. “Our goal is to see a church established and Scriptures translated among a people group who do not have any knowledge of God’s Word,” they wrote.
Indonesia Ministry: Church planting Sending Churches: Shadow Mountain Community Church, El Cajon, California; Oak Hill Bible Church, Austin, Texas; Grace Baptist Church, Paso Robles, California USA 27
CELEBRATE
Opening Their Eyes Nineteen people, aged 16 to 82, can now see better in the Philippines. Last November a surgical team from a German-funded Doctor’s Hospital flew to the Manobo and Banwaon peoples to perform cataract surgeries. “The flights for the doctors and nurses went like clockwork and the Lord provided perfect weather,” wrote missionary Karmen Purcell. That set the tone for the two days the doctors worked among the people. Two doctors flew in, “one to do the surgery and the other to help with getting the patients ready and other general health checks for the tribal folks,” Karmen wrote. “The second doctor was even able to help deliver a new baby boy Sunday afternoon … a bonus we hadn’t counted on.”
Wila, the 18-year-old daughter of Bible teacher Libanya, was born with cataracts. She was scheduled to
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receive surgery, but a few days before the event became ill. They were unsure if she had the flu or malaria. The missionaries asked for prayer for her, and she recovered in time to undergo the operation. Her 5-year-old sister, Angelina, who was also born with cataracts, ended
I can see that house!
Hey, I can see that mountain!
Wow! up being too young to have her surgery under local anesthetic. In the coming months she will travel out to a hospital for her surgery. Those who underwent surgery on Saturday could already see better on Sunday. “One man who hadn’t been able to see well for a long while commented to [missionary] Lynne Strange that her dog had beautiful hair and that he really hadn’t been able to see the dog much less its hair just a few hours ago,” wrote Karmen. “The ones whose sight was the worst before were the most excited! ‘I can see that house!’ ‘Hey, I can see that mountain!’ Wow,” missionary
Albert Castelijin text-messaged to missionary Helen Johanson. David and Helen Johanson, supply buyers in the Philippines, gathered up needed items for the surgeries to take place, from disinfectant and bug spray to prepare the operating room, to pillows for the medical team. “We are thrilled to have been a small part in this huge operation to restore physical sight to some who have no other means of having this medical need met,” they wrote. “And what a picture it is of the heavenly
rejoicing when spiritually blind people receive their spiritual sight. We are even more thrilled to play a small part in bringing spiritual sight to indigenous people of the Philippines.” These Manobo and Banwaon people have had their eyes physically opened. Some have even had their eyes opened spiritually, while still others are being prepared. And that is cause to celebrate. — by Jackie Fallis, contributing editor
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VIEWPOINT
The God Who Is Enough by Larry Brown, Chairman, NTM USA Executive Board
When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am Almighty God, walk before Me and be blameless (Gen. 17:1).” This divine appearance was 13 years after Ishmael was born, the longest time of silence between God and Abram. “I am Almighty God” or “El Shaddai.” God gets right to the point and provides a fresh revelation of Himself to Abram. There is no focus on Abram. God is the focal point and He reveals His Person and character to Abram. He wanted Abram to know who He was. God reveals himself to Abram as “the God who is enough, who is self sufficient.” Abram, now 99 years old, and Sarah, 89, were still waiting for their first son and God says He is the all-sufficient One who is enough to fulfill His promise. I thought about that again as I looked over the list of church planters needed, which you can find on the NTM website. This listing represents people groups where church planting could begin … if we had church planters. I counted 200 people groups.
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This does not reflect all the people groups in the countries where we work, only those who have been initially evaluated and meet the criteria for future works. The task to reach these 200 people groups seems more than daunting. I understand what it takes for a church to commit to a church planting team to reach one people group. I know the journey through training and field orientation that each missionary will take. I’ve helped new teams build and get moved into those isolated areas. It takes an incredible amount of energy and commitment. Really, it’s way beyond us … except that God is still El Shaddai – The God who is enough! Wow! Where are we limited? Where do we lack His sufficiency? I have dear friends ministering among the Bagwida people, Mark and Holly Woodard. They entered this tribal church planting project in 2001 with Brian and Andrea Holmquist. The Woordards had many obstacles to overcome. In 2003 their son Brandt needed a medical evacuation from their remote village to have brain
(ISSN 1527-9057)
Here to serve you NTM@work connects you with tribal missions and provides opportunities for increased involvement in taking the Gospel to ethnic groups who have yet to hear about Jesus.
surgery on a tumor. Mark is a strong athlete who later confessed that the challenge of learning the language was so difficult that it brought him to tears at times. He didn’t quit. Their co-workers also had to evacuate due to health problems. They both had good reason not to continue. But God had revealed Himself as “The God who is enough” and they committed to trust Him. In January they began teaching God’s Word to the Bagwida people, and are trusting God to have an infant church planted in March or April! I can rightly assume that you have an interest in these unreached people groups. You have read this far! How big is your God? How has He challenged you to be involved in reaching the unreached? Are there ways you’re limiting Him to really use your life? What obstacles are you facing? In what greater cause can you invest than obeying Christ to go and teach all nations? Be encouraged with the God who is enough! The God who waits for us to be at the end of ourselves so He can do His work. Planting churches among these 200 people groups will be 200 long and difficult journeys. Reaching the many others is even more daunting. Yet we look forward to partnering with you in this task – because God is allsufficient.
Vol.66 · No.3· February 2008 NTM@work team Executive Editor: Macon Hare David Bell, Debbie Burgett, Rex Crawford, Marilyn Engel, Hedy Enns, Ian Fallis, Jackie Fallis, Jon Frazier, Donna Gibson, Chris Holland, Doug Lotz, Dena McMaster, Stan Skees NTM@work is published quarterly by New Tribes Mission. Periodical postage paid at MID-FL, FL 32799-9625 Postmaster Please send address changes to NTM@work, New Tribes Mission, 1000 E. First Street, Sanford, FL 32771-1487 Subscriptions NTM@work is provided free to readers in North America on a year-to-year basis. To receive the magazine or have it sent to a friend, sign up online at ntm.org/subscribe, e-mail ntm@ntm.org, or call 407-323-3430. The magazine may be read online at ntm.org/subscribe. Requests to reprint articles should be directed to Executive Editor Macon Hare at macon_hare@ntm.org or call 407-323-3430. Contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part unless expressly authorized in writing. NTM worldwide USA 407-323-3430 Canada 519-369-2622 Australia 011-61-2-6559-8646 Europe 011-44-1472-387700
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