THE PEACE OF JESUS
mbmission.org
Spring 2018
Witness Spring 2018
Contents Editorial: The Peace of Jesus.....................................2 Breakthrough.............................................................4 Learning to Fight the Spirits.....................................6 The Impossible........................................................10
The Peace of Jesus EDITORIAL
The Hitchhiker.........................................................11 Refuge in Jesus........................................................12 Let’s Go....................................................................14 This is My Call..........................................................15
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Staff Editor-in-Chief......................................Randy Friesen Managing Editor............................... Mark JH Klassen Layout & Design.................................. Darcy Scholes Illustration & Design............................. Colton Floris Writing & Prayer Mobilization.................Nikki White Media Team Lead.................................Larry Neufeld Circulation & Administration..................Ann Wiebe
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Holistic church planting that transforms communities among the least reached. Cover photo by Matthew Wormald
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On a recent trip to India, I visited with two brothers who are boldly living on mission with Jesus. They come from a high caste Hindu family. Over the noise of the crowded streets just outside their family home, the younger brother shared with me about how angry he was when his older brother became a follower of Jesus. But soon after, the younger brother had an encounter that changed him as well. It happened one night when he was lying in bed and couldn’t fall asleep. He sensed a presence in the room. He could feel the weight of another person on the mattress, someone sitting on the edge of his bed. Then the person stood up and walked around the bed to face him. As he opened his eyes, the younger brother saw Jesus, standing in front of him, full of light and glory. Immediately, he bowed down in worship and asked Jesus for forgiveness. The result of that encounter was a deep peace in his life and a clarity that Jesus was God. Within months, these two brothers had led dozens of families in their neighborhood to Christ. They also attracted the attention of devout Hindus. On many occasions, a mob would form outside their home when new Christ followers came to pray. The threats of violence grew as did the size of the mob. Eventually, local Hindus hired a leader from a respected temple to confront these young men.
When the Hindu leader, or Swami, came to their home, the brothers immediately invited him inside as people continued to yell and protest outside. But when the Swami heard the Gospel, he told the brothers simply, “This is the path of salvation. Stay with it.” The local Hindus were furious and called in the police. After the police broke up the demonstration, they launched a one-year investigation into the activities of the brothers. But instead of finding fault with the brothers, the police decided to provide the church with legal registration! Jesus said that he would build his Church.
In places like this where the Gospel is opposed and conflict is prevalent, the peace of Jesus is greatly needed. Last Christmas, these brothers hosted a local outreach event in their community and 2500 of their neighbors attended. Our workers have been walking alongside these brothers for several years now and are seeing how the peace of Jesus is bringing transformation. As the witness of this church extends into other communities, there are many more opportunities to partner. Jesus often proclaimed “peace be with you” as he talked with his disciples and others. His very presence was peace. In places like this where the Gospel is opposed and conflict is prevalent, the peace of Jesus is greatly needed. In India’s far north, amid ongoing political and religious conflicts, people are finding the peace of Jesus. Mohammed is a young man who was tired of war and became more and more interested in peacemaking. One day, in his father’s restaurant, Mohammed heard the Gospel from one of his father’s customers and decided to follow Jesus. Later, when his father found his Bible, Mohammed was beaten and his Bible was thrown into the river. The man who led Mohammed to Christ was then arrested and put into jail. On my recent trip, I was able to meet that man just after he was released from prison. However, he never mentioned his time in prison, he only wanted to talk about Jesus! In the story of Gideon (Judges 6-7), God’s name is revealed as Jehovah Shalom – the Lord is Peace. In the face of Midianite raiders, family and community idolatry, economic impoverishment and personal fear, Gideon had a revelation of God as Peace (Judges 6:23-24). It wasn’t the absence of conflict, but rather the presence of God in the midst of conflict that brought peace. What kind of peace? The peace that comes when we destroy our idols, surrender our fears and obey God.
I recently heard the story of a young Burmese church leader who reminded me of Gideon. He was working in a factory in Thailand when he heard the Gospel and came to faith in Jesus. The team that led him to Christ and discipled him then offered to help him return to his home village to share what Christ had done for him. Like Gideon, this young man feared for his life. He was from a remote part of Myanmar which is known for its violence and conflict. However, in the face of fear, he chose to go with the team. In an effort to build bridges into this community, the team decided to ask the local mayor if they could host an eye clinic in the village. The eye glasses they brought with them are a unique invention with prescriptions that can be custom fitted by a lay person on the spot for a couple of dollars. The clinic and the new eyeglasses were a huge hit! The local mayor was so grateful, he invited the team to conduct a Christmas outreach while they were in the village and many people responded to the Gospel. Ten new believers requested baptism and a church was planted. In the midst of conflict, a witness to peace is now present. His name is Jesus. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). Jesus gives peace to us in the midst of a world full of trouble. Sometimes, his call upon our lives creates even more trouble! Are we prepared to live that kind of peace witness?
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 In this edition of Witness, we’re focusing again on the radical peace that comes from knowing Jesus. My prayer is that you would be encouraged to live a bold, clear and peacefilled life on mission with Jesus wherever you are. Peace be with you!
Randy Friesen General Driector
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Breakthrough MYANMAR
By Greg Laing, Mission Mobilizer Pastor Isaiah knew it wouldn’t be easy. Ever since he first started making trips from Thailand back into his home country of Myanmar, he sensed the need for courage and perseverance. At the beginning, there were no believers in his home village. But gradually people began to receive the message of the Gospel and believe in Jesus. However, along with many advances, there was always opposition. For three years, despite Isaiah’s plan to share the love of Christ and bring positive change into the community, certain local leaders had been persistent in their attempts to oppose him and prevent his team of evangelists from spreading their message. There was the time, early on, when Isaiah and others were in the middle of gifting a local school with a computer when several Buddhist monks intervened and incited the children to refuse the gift. It was a dramatic confrontation, but eventually, the gift was received. The monks issued a strong warning to Isaiah, but a small door was opened. (See this story entitled “Overcoming with Kindness” in the Spring 2015 issue of Witness, mbmission.org/overcoming) Another time, Isaiah was speaking to over 1000 villagers at a special Christmas concert when the monks barged in and smashed the generator that was being used, forcing darkness and quietness upon the event. Regardless, more than 700 of those in attendance that night responded to the Gospel and began their journey of following Jesus. On other occasions, local thugs were hired to cause havoc at events that Isaiah had organized. Furthermore, although Isaiah was able to acquire a piece of land near his home village, it was often a struggle to get permission from the local government to initiate building projects or agricultural development. (See this story entitled “House Building, Peace Building” in the Summer 2016 issue of Witness, mbmission.org/peace-building)
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But then, miraculously, things began to change. For those who had been following the story and praying for a breakthrough, it was very significant. At that special Christmas event last year, one man came to Christ who has now become an elected regional leader. He and Pastor Isaiah have built a strong friendship and he has become an outspoken advocate for the work of the Gospel in the region. In addition, one of the local village mayors who had fiercely opposed Isaiah was replaced by a new mayor.
For those who had been following the story and praying for a breakthrough, it was very significant. At a recent public meeting with residents from one of the key villages, the new mayor spoke very openly about tensions in the community regarding Isaiah and his work. He asked the residents very plainly, “Are we going to support the Christians living among us and work with them to improve our community, or are we going to side with the monks to kick them out?” There was overwhelming support from the residents. Only two people voted against the Christians – the former mayor and one Buddhist monk. Everyone else agreed to open their hearts and support Pastor Isaiah’s initiatives on his land. It was a turning point, a critical step in setting things straight and opening a door for future ministry. Soon after, the mayors from eleven villages in the area came to meet with Pastor Isaiah on his land. They met for hours together as many others stood by to wait for the outcome. Afterward, it was announced that the group had come to extend a formal welcome and an invitation to work freely in the region. It was a new official partnership.
The group of mayors also informed Pastor Isaiah that they had already worked with the Governor to secure a License for Proclamation, which was necessary for all public assemblies. That would enable Isaiah and his team to host more outreaches in their villages, like the previous Christmas event. They even offered to cover some of the expenses for food and festivities at the Christmas parties.
opposing him. He said that he had not understood Isaiah’s heart. Pastor Isaiah eagerly accepted his apology. We have been waiting and praying for three years to see these changes, and we praise God for them. Sometimes we see God change things in a moment, but sometimes he asks us to persevere for years before we see a breakthrough.
It was a turning point, a critical step in setting things straight and opening a door for future ministry. In addition, the leader from the local Buddhist monastery was present and expressed his formal apology to Isaiah for
GIVE To get involved with Pastor Isaiah and the ongoing work among Burmese in Thailand and Myanmar, please go to mbmission.org/donate and reference project #C0702, Burmese Church Planting.
Pastor Isaiah is a gifted evangelist among his own people, the Burmese
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Learning to Fight the Spirits BURKINA FASO
By Mark J.H. Klassen “I’d never done an exorcism before,” admitted Phil Bergen, long-term worker in Burkina Faso. But there he was, in a small hut, called in by the chief of the village and his son, to help the chief’s teenage granddaughter who had recently been attacked by evil spirits at school. The incident had thrown the community into an uproar and it was up to the chief to sort this out. When the chief said, “Come! My granddaughter is sick,” Phil obeyed without hesitation. It was an unprecedented move by the chief, to invite a Christian into this kind of crisis. But this was the same chief who, twenty years earlier, had given Phil and his wife, Carol, permission to live in his village and translate the Bible into his language, Nanerige. Over the years, the two men had become good friends despite their differences on matters of faith. Phil felt completely unprepared for a power encounter with the spirits. In reality, he was afraid, so he prayed for peace of mind. And he began to recall what he had learned from a man named Madou. Madou was from a neighboring tribe and a mature leader in the church. He was sent to help the Bergens plant a church among the Nanerige. After many years of faithful labor in Bible translation, the Bergens had seen many people, including village leadership, respond positively to the story of Scripture in their own language. But very few Nanerige people had chosen to break fellowship with the spirits so that they could align themselves with Christ. For the Church to be truly born among the Nanerige, the people needed modeling from a local believer. “Madou was among the first to follow Jesus in his tribe,” Phil explained. “And he was living proof to these people that someone could follow Christ and not be killed by the spirits.” But Phil was also very aware that he had a lot to learn personally from his new ministry partner. “Madou’s powerfilled life with Christ was one that the Nanerige people could understand and imitate. Now it was my turn.” 6 | witness
When Madou arrived to help them, the Bergens expected him to follow the same strategy that they had been following for years. But Madou said, “First, I need to fast and pray, and ask God what to do.” Phil was impressed with Madou’s response, but admits that he was bewildered when the seasoned leader came back to him and said, “God wants me to grow rice.” Phil knew that Taiwanese experts had invested millions of dollars over the past twenty years to grow rice in the area, but the project had failed miserably, and the foreigners had gone home. However, Madou had discovered a different story. He learned that local herdsmen, wanting the land for grazing their cattle, had put a curse on the land so that the spirits caused the crops to fail. It made sense to Madou that God wanted to show his authority over the land, and over the spirits. “Now people won’t just hear the Word of God,” Madou thought, “they will see it at work in their fields.” So Phil and Madou prayed together, and then Madou boldly asked the local government for land. Madou trusted Christ, planted rice, and his crops flourished. Everyone asked, “How can this be?” “Jesus,” he said simply. “The King I serve has authority over the spirits.” When other farmers saw that the curse had been broken, they began to return to the fields. Soon, the rice harvests were so plentiful that the farmers could not keep up. Phil observed, “Madou’s work showed everyone that Christ’s salvation meant more than just forgiveness, it meant a power-filled life.” “I was converted,” Phil said. “I was converted to believing that Christ introduces himself to people through a demonstration of power, by showing his authority over the spirits.” Phil knew that, in addition to exorcising the rice fields, Madou had been involved in numerous power encounters
with evil spirits among the Nanerige and had seen several people delivered from demonic oppression. The chief was also aware of these incidents. So when his own granddaughter was attacked by spirits, all eyes were on the chief. His granddaughter was an impressive young woman: tall, strong and smart. After she was seized by the spirits, thrown to the ground and publically humiliated, not only was she frightened, but the whole community was in shock.
The chief was desperate. He knew what could be done in the power of Jesus’ name. So he turned to Phil, his trusted friend. “Nothing like this had ever happened before in their family,” Phil said. “The chief was the mediator with the spirits, so his granddaughter should have been protected. But now, if even the chief’s family wasn’t safe, who was? Who would be attacked next? The teachers were ready to leave!” The chief was desperate. He knew what could be done in the power of Jesus’ name. So he turned to Phil, his trusted friend. “So there I was,” Phil said, “sitting with a family of real importance in the area of spiritual power, at its wits end, ready to invite Jesus into the picture. They had no idea how to do that. The question was, did I?” Phil sat quietly, and prayed. As he did, he began to experience a settled feeling of peace. “I realized in that
moment that, as a servant of the King, I had been living under his protection for many years. Through many trials, I’d seen how wonderful this was. The thought that the chief and his family were on the verge of sharing this with me replaced my fear with joy!” With his heart in the right place, Phil decided to speak the truth in love about the reality of the spirits and life with God. “If you play with the spirits,” he said, “they will toy with you. If you give them power over you, they’ll take it. I don’t do that. I have no need of anything from them. I love my peaceful life as a friend and servant of the King who cares for me.” Phil explained further, “The King of God’s people, Jesus, was anointed by God to help us live with God. In his service, we have mastery over the spirits. If you called me here to pray and fight the evil spirits in Jesus’ name, I will.” Phil also made it clear that he wasn’t just talking about mere medicine. He would pray against all other powers at work in the young woman’s life, and he would introduce her to the King, Jesus Christ. “This could cause trouble for you,” Phil probed with the chief and his son. “Do you really want me to do this?” To Phil’s surprise, they agreed. “I prayed a simple prayer,” Phil recalled, “that the girl would meet the King who saved her from her torment and move on from there protected from any further trouble as she learns to live with him.” When he finished praying, Phil looked over at the young woman. At last at peace, she was sleeping like a baby. The chief conveyed his gratitude and Phil went home. The next day, the chief came to the Bergen’s home and said, “If it weren’t for the covenants I’ve made [with the spirits], I would be with you right now in this thing you are doing here among us.” Phil felt crushed. “I squashed down a blast of anger,” he said. “Knowing as the chief now does, where God’s opinions lie, how could he talk this way? Who wouldn’t be better off with God on their side? Who wouldn’t be a better chief to their people as an authorized servant of the King? Why spend one more second at the mercy of the spirits, the vermin of the universe? I wanted to argue with him!” But Phil held his tongue, knowing that the chief was an intelligent man who had seen enough to make an informed decision. “The Holy Spirit, not the power of our arguments, changes people’s minds,” he said. “As servants of Jesus, we are people of peace, not pressure sales.”
Friends for twenty years, Phil and the village chief. Phil and Carol Bergen are from Shafter, California and have been serving in Burkina Faso since 1992.
In humility, Phil also held on tightly to what he had learned: “With this, my spirit grew stronger, and a little more of the evil in my own heart was defeated.”
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Jesus said,
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.� Matthew 5:9
The Impossible THAILAND
By Karen Huebert-Sanchez “I forgot my medication!” Ponge apologized, knowing that his forgetfulness meant a full day’s delay for us to get him back to Bible school. During his school break, he had been helping us at the Abundant Life Home (ALH). So I sent him to the hospital for his routine blood test and to get his HIV medication. When I returned to ALH the next day to pick him up, Ponge came running to the truck. “Mom Karen, I don’t need to take medication anymore! The doctor says I don’t have HIV!” “No, that’s not what he meant, Ponge,” I replied gently. “The doctor just means that you have what is called an undetectable viral load. We’ve seen that happen with lots of the other HIV children and adults. But you’re still HIV positive.” “That’s what I told the doctor!” Ponge said, as he thrust a green piece of paper in my face. “But he did two blood tests just to make sure, and he said that my blood test came back not as undetectable, but as negative!” As I read the paper in front of me, my hands began to shake. It said no virus, and no HIV antibodies. “Mom Karen, no more medication,” Ponge said, “I am healed!” My eyes filled with tears. Was it possible? Immediately, I recalled when we moved into this sphere of Thai society twelve years earlier and it was prophesied that we would see children healed from HIV/AIDS. My mind flashed back over all of the hard times, all of the hospitalizations, all of the desperate prayers, asking God to heal these precious children from HIV. I looked into Ponge’s wide eyes and reached forward to hug him. Quickly, others around us joined in. Despite our shocked disbelief, we gathered in a circle to pray and give thanks to God before we loaded into the truck. As I drove to the bus station, I was in a daze, my eyes still filling with tears, while Ponge talked a mile a minute. “Why aren’t you crying?” I asked Ponge. 10 | witness
“I’m in shock,” he replied. “This is the first time I’ve ever experienced true happiness in my whole life!” The next day, I called the doctor at the AIDS clinic. He was giddy with excitement. In his twenty years of working with HIV/AIDS, he had never seen a case that had become negative. “This is impossible!” he said. “Are you doing anything special at the Abundant Life Home?” “Yes, we are,” I told him. “We believe that Jesus is alive and he heals today!” After an engaging conversation, the doctor said, “I am a man of science, but I have to admit that there is no possible explanation for this healing, so I think you are right to believe it is a miracle!” Afterward, the hospital made a request to retest all of our children, current and past, to see if any others have been healed. Meanwhile, Ponge continues to experience an unfamiliar happiness. “I asked God why he would do this for me,” he said, “and why he loved me so much that he would heal me. I have nothing to give to God, no money, nothing of value, so I told God that I will give him my whole being and I will serve him for the rest of my life.”
PRAY & GIVE Please pray with us for more children to be healed from HIV. Pray also that Ponge’s healing will continue to bring glory to Jesus and help build the Church in Southeast Asia. If you’d like to support the Abundant Life Home financially, go to mbmission.org/donate and reference project #C0438.
The Hitchhiker MYANMAR By Jeremy & Adrienne Penner She was standing alone on the side of the road in the remote hills of Myanmar. Pastor Isaiah and Moe Aung decided to stop and offer her a ride to the next village. Once she was in the vehicle, they began to engage her in conversation. Her name was Ma Thida. Ma Thida happened to be from the same people group as Moe Aung, so he began to speak to her in their language. Immediately a new level of trust was established. “My village has only an elementary school,” Ma Thida shared. “So I have to travel to the next village to attend high school.” As the conversation turned to matters of faith, Ma Thida confided that she had once heard the Gospel at a small church close to the school. The message of Jesus had touched her heart, and she had given her life to Christ. But, being the only believer in her family, she had been ridiculed and rejected. Ma Thida felt very alone. “Pastor,” she asked earnestly, “could you share the Gospel with my family?” Isaiah sensed the Spirit of God in her request. At that moment, Ma Thida was looking out of the car window and she commented that the pastor who had first discipled her lived close by. Isaiah felt compelled to stop and seek him out. Ma Thida excitedly went with them, and when they at last found the man, Isaiah arranged with him to have an
evangelistic meeting when they came back to the village in a few weeks. Word spread that they were coming back. By the time the meeting occurred, over eighty people came from the surrounding communities, some walking up to three hours to hear Pastor Isaiah’s message. That day, thirty people surrendered their lives to Jesus. After everyone had prayed, Isaiah then shared the story of the girl he had met hitchhiking, and how because of Ma Thida’s desire to have her family hear the Gospel, they had come to this village. Suddenly, two men sitting in the front row spoke up. It was Ma Thida’s father and her uncle, and they had just received Christ as their Savior! Ma Thida is no longer the only believer in her family. What started out as a kind gesture to one lonely hitchhiker led to a new church planting partnership in Myanmar.
GO Inspired by Pastor Isaiah’s sensitivity to the Spirit? Commit yourself to be interruptible and obedient to the Spirit’s promptings.
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Refuge in Jesus IRAQ
An Interview with a Syrian Refugee In 2014, the world was awakened to the plight of refugees from Syria that fled their homeland because of the civil war. Some found refuge in faraway countries like Germany and Canada, while others fled to neighboring countries like Turkey and Iraq. On a recent visit to the Middle East, a small team from MB Mission met a young man from Syria named Ahmad. Below is an excerpt from KB’s conversation with Ahmad, which affirms the truth of Jesus’ message of peace and healing in a world of violence and pain. KB serves with another organization that works in partnership with MB Mission.
KB:
Where are you from?
Ahmad: My family is Kurdish. We lived in the northwest part of Syria until 2014 when we fled the country because of the war. We came across the border into Iraq as refugees.
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KB:
What about your religious background?
Ahmad: I was born in a Muslim family and it means everything to us to be part of the Muslim Community. Personally, I was very committed. I was fasting regularly and reading the Quran. I’ve read the whole Quran more than three times in my life.
KB:
What happened when you came to Iraq?
Ahmad: Life as a refugee was not easy. I had to work very hard just to eat. The life circumstances were very, very difficult and even though I was praying regularly and practicing Islam, I didn’t have any peace and there was a lot of heaviness in my heart. Then, two years ago, I met a few Christians that came here to Iraq just to worship and pray. Just meeting them, I saw love and joy in their lives and that made me kind of wonder, and I started searching more and asking questions like, “If I know God, if I know Allah, why don’t I have joy?” KB:
What happened next? Did you find the answer to your question?
Ahmad: So one day, when I was really depressed. I was really down. I was close to the end. I remembered these Christians who shared the Gospel with me and I just asked them out of nowhere, “Do you think Jesus can help me? How can I meet him?” We talked together for more than two hours, and they prayed for me and I prayed. And just in one tiny moment, I felt God’s nearness. I felt his presence for the first time in my life and just in that moment all of the heaviness was lifted off of me, and I said, “This is it! I’m not going to turn back. I’m just going
to believe in this man. I’m just going to believe in this God. Because he did a miracle in my life.” KB:
Is there hope for the Middle East today?
Ahmad: Everything that the enemy has done in Syria since 2011 was for bad, but God is so amazingly using it for good, and is showing people the reality of religion, the emptiness. And he’s using it to bring people to himself. He’s moving so powerfully, and he’s revealing himself to Syrian people and to Iraqi people. He’s meeting the hearts of people by his love. Because you know, his love is more powerful than anything. It’s more powerful than death itself. KB:
What would you say to other refugees?
Ahmad: I would tell them my story about how I came here as a refugee, but I found my refuge in Jesus. God’s love has met my heart and that has changed my life forever. I would tell them that they need to seek God for themselves. Because the religion of your parents will not benefit you when you stand before God, and your teacher or leader is not responsible for what you believe. Only you are responsible for seeking God, and he has promised that if you seek him with all of your heart you will find him.
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Let’s Go Phil Wagler, Mission Mobilizer, sat down with Evelyn Wiens, former MB Mission worker in Ukraine to talk about how she and her husband, John, decided to ignore retirement and instead make a ten-year commitment to serving in Ukraine.
Phil: How did a Canadian couple in their sixties end up church planting and loving orphans in Ukraine? Ev:
One day, John came home from wherever he was, and walked in the door, and said, “I think God is calling us to Ukraine.” And the only two words I could think of were, “Let’s go.”
Phil: Was it really that simple? Ev:
Well, we had actually been on different tracks, but they were leading us to the same place. John had been to Ukraine with a team from our church and he just kept communicating with people there and connecting with what was going on. My track was a little bit different. I had been on a trip or two to Mexico, building houses, and I just was amazed how one week could impact a family and a community so much. I didn’t say anything to John, but I went back to work and I just prayed that God would send us somewhere in the world where we could make a difference, even in our retirement years. And then John said that about Ukraine.
Phil: Wow, I love that story! But there must have been some things that were hard. What was it like to finally leave Canada and go to Ukraine? Ev:
There were so many emotions. On the positive side was the excitement and the adventure of thinking
that God would be calling us somewhere to make a difference. And then of course, on the more negative side, was leaving family, leaving friends, leaving our church, and packing everything up. We were planning to go for ten years. Phil: What difference has that whole experience made in your life? Ev:
The first thing that comes to mind is the reality of God’s presence, and his leading in our lives, and how exhilarating it is to know that he is there, that he has called us.
Phil: You gained so much in Ukraine, but you also suffered enormous loss. Do you have any regrets? Ev:
It’s a fair question. I mean, when John died six years into our commitment, I actually lost more than just John. I lost my ministry in Ukraine. I lost the home that I had become used to. I lost the friends that I had there. But, you know, there are absolutely no regrets. I have stated this before, and I’ll say it again: If I compare my life to a meal, Ukraine is the dessert.
Phil: You made a trip back there by yourself in 2017. What was that like? Ev:
It was delightful to see that the church is continuing, that the association of churches is growing, and that the ministry of the New Hope Training Centre is continuing to make such an impact on families, children, and orphans. I enjoyed being present when a new evening service was started by the people who had been involved in leading the work among children and families. And then to see Max and Anya, who have taken over the ministry, to see them thrive in their leadership with the team that they work with, I was absolutely overwhelmed with joy.
Phil: As you think about the future of Ukraine, what are you hopeful about? Ev:
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My dream for Ukraine is that the church would be able to develop significant, godly, Spirit-filled leaders, who are able to minister to people who
are in deep pain. I dream of a living, active, grace-filled, Spirit-filled Church, filled with leaders who love people, and who continue to minister to the neediest in society. Phil: Max and Anya visited Canada recently and they stayed with you. How was that? Ev:
God provided this home for me, which John and I had bought before we went to Ukraine. But when Max called me and asked if they could come and stay with me here for three months while they participated in some training with MB Mission, well, I must say, that was a dream come true for me. To have them come here, and continue our special relationship, and continue our dreams for Ukraine, it feels like I’ve come full circle, and it feels complete.
John Wiens passed away on January 14, 2014. He and Evelyn had served among the churches in Ukraine for six years. Though their sudden absence was felt strongly, leaders that they had discipled quickly took on their responsibilities among the churches and carried forward the various ministries that they had initiated. Among those leaders were Maxym and Anya Oliferovski who stepped into an overseeing role and also moved into the Wiens’ former home. When the Oliferovskis came to Canada in late 2017 to receive further training with MB Mission, they were hosted by Evelyn in her current home, which speaks of the Wiens’ legacy of servant leadership and friendship.
GIVE To get involved with providing help to various ministries in Ukraine including church planting, war zone relief, and the New Hope Center, please go to mbmission.org/donate and reference project #C0701, Ukraine Ministry.
This is My Call By Sarah Brown If there’s one thing we heard from veteran missionaries many times in the years of preparation, it was, “You have to be sure of your call. You need that to fall back on when times get hard. You have to know that God has called you.” It always made me a bit nervous. I mean, I was pretty sure. I was confident that God was calling me to mission, but did I really know? Then as we agonized through the process of deciding between Thailand and Panama, what I most heard was an invitation from Jesus: “Come to Panama.” And yes, there was a passion for the ministry and the people and the vision. But on a deeper level, just between me and Jesus, there was this whispered invitation. It was a call to trust. When we neared our one-year mark in Panama, I did some reflection. What have we accomplished? Well, here are a few tangible things: • • • • • • •
Set up a house Guided Violet though her first year in school Purchased a vehicle and got drivers licenses Attended a church youth camp One jungle trip for Tony and one women’s retreat for me Became permanent residents in Panama Made a big leap in Spanish and a miniscule step in Wounmeu
It’s actually quite a small list, but I am pretty proud of those things!
There is this other thing, though, that is less easily defined – the task of fitting Sarah and Tony Brown arrived in Panama with into our new their two daughters in early 2017 people group. Oh, I wish I could say that I rocked it in this area, that I was always selfless, humble, teachable, open, giving, and laid down my own ways. But I will just say this: it’s really hard to understand and adapt to a new culture. The amazing moments and the agonizing moments can both take my breath away, not to mention they can change so fast that it gives me whiplash. I take two steps forward, one step back, and eight steps around in a circle. I laugh and I cry. I look in the mirror of my soul and see all kinds of things. I leap in and then pull back. I thank God for the graciousness of the Wounaan and the friendships that they offer me. I grow and am stretched every day. The good is so good, and the hard is so hard. When I think I can’t do it anymore, I remember this: I love Jesus, and he has invited me to be here. It helps my questions and struggles to quiet down. I love Jesus, and I trust him, and he has invited me to Panama. So here I am. This is my call, and it is enough. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith (Hebrews 11:9). mbmission.org | 15
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