mbmission.org
Winter 2014
CELEBRATING GOD’S TIMING Are we celebrating the right things?
HENRY’S COURAGE - 4 FRIENDSHIP IN BURKINA FASO - 10
Witness Winter 2014
Contents Editorial:A Call to Overcoming................................3 Henry’s Courage.......................................................4 Jornada.......................................................................6 Comfort for the Comforters.....................................7 Beauty from Brokenness..........................................8 Friendship in Burkina Faso......................................10 Missing My Friends in Peru.....................................11 Rescue: Yaa’s Journey.............................................12 Waiting for God in Africa.......................................14
Contact 1.888.866.6267 For other contact information, see mbmission.org
MB Mission Board Members at their recent meetings in Central Asia: (left to right): Rick Reimer, Treasurer (Canada), Ed Heinrichs (Canada), David Marshall (Canada), Bruce Enns, Vice Chair (Canada), Ruth Schale (USA), Brent Warkentin, Chair (USA), Willy Reimer (Canada), Al Dickens (Canada), Jeff Gowling (USA), Stephen Humber (USA), Randy Friesen, General Director (Canada), and Beatrice Pauls, Secretary (Canada).
For comments & questions, email news@mbmission.org
Greetings from the Board!
Staff
Jesus said, “My Father is always at work, and I too am working” (John 5:17). Isaiah the prophet also said, “You, God, did awesome things we did not expect” (Isaiah 64:3).
Editor-in-Chief......................................Randy Friesen Managing Editor............................. Mark J.H. Klassen Layout & Design.................................. Darcy Scholes Additional Design......................... John-Mark Bergen Media Team Lead.................................Larry Neufeld Circulation & Administration.................Ann Zauner
Offices 300-32040 Downes Road, Abbotsford, BC V4X 1X5 Canada
Thankfully, God never rests. He never stops accomplishing his purposes. He is always doing awesome things that we do not expect. In God’s perfect timing, lives are being saved, churches are being planted, and communities are being changed. MB Mission is grateful to be part of that daily celebration of God’s tireless work and his transforming grace, as we do all we can to bring Jesus to the least reached around the world. On behalf of the Board, thank you so much for your prayers, your financial support, and your willingness to join us on this mission. We ask for your ongoing prayers that God’s grace would continue to change thousands of lives both here and around the world! Brent Warkentin Chair, MB Mission Board of Directors
4867 E. Townsend Avenue, Fresno, CA 93727-5006 USA For other office locations, see mbmission.org
Holistic church planting that transforms communities among the least reached.
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Please follow the links below to our Annual Financial Report and a new onepage overview of MB Mission’s service areas.
mbmission.org/reports/financial.pdf mbmission.org/reports/overview.pdf
A Call to Overcoming Are we celebrating the right things?
My friend Helen (not her real name) is one of the emerging leaders of the church in her country in Central Asia. Three years ago, Jesus appeared to her in a dream and she experienced healing, hope and freedom. The gift of the Holy Spirit in her life has changed everything. As a single mother recovering from an abusive marriage, Jesus has become her companion. In the factory where she works as a cleaner, she is known to talk openly with Jesus as she goes about her work. This level of intimacy with God is foreign to Muslims (and many Christians). God has also used this humble cleaning lady to bless others in miraculous ways. When a coworker’s leg was injured in an accident, Helen prayed for his healing in the name of Jesus. His leg was healed and now Jesus is famous in that factory.
there is often a high price to pay for faith in Jesus. For us in North America, the recent shootings on Parliament Hill in Ottawa have again brought up questions about our reaction to the “senseless” violence that takes place around us. This event and the recent brutal executions of Christians and nominal Muslims in Iraq and Syria are calling for a response from the global church.
“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
For our most recent board meetings, we traveled to Helen’s country and asked her to speak to us. After hearing Revelation 12:11 her testimony, I invited the board members to express their needs and then asked Helen to pray. One of our What are the followers of Jesus to do? board members was deaf in one ear, I’m reminded of Jesus’ sober warning due to an inner ear infection many to his disciples in Matthew 24:9-14, years ago. Hearing implants had not “Then you will be handed over to be helped. That morning, as Helen prayed, persecuted and put to death, and you he received the healing touch of Jesus will be hated by all nations because of and his hearing was fully restored. me. At that time many will turn away Now that will change the dynamics of from the faith and will betray and hate a board meeting! each other, and many false prophets Helen is simply living out her faith in will appear and deceive many people. Jesus and stepping out in obedience Because of the increase of wickedness, to his voice. She is embracing her new the love of most will grow cold, but role as a follower of Jesus, and people the one who stands firm to the end around her are being blessed. Yet her will be saved. And this gospel of the obedience is not without risks. Helen kingdom will be preached in the lives in a country where there is active whole world as a testimony to all opposition to the Gospel. Recent nations, and then the end will come.” martyrs in this region remind us that
Randy Friesen, General Director If our primary identity and loyalty is to Jesus and his kingdom, we will embrace the cost of persecution and death. If our primary loyalty is to security and health, the words of Jesus will be offensive to us. When I met with several of our teams in Central Asia, where persecution is prevalent and current conflicts have resulted in many refugees, I asked them about the potential consequences of living and sharing the Gospel in that part of the world. One of the team members spoke out boldly, “We are already dead. When we said yes to Jesus, we gave up our lives and now he lives through us.” Together with them, we overcome by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony, and we love not our lives unto death (Revelation 12:11). The time is now. More than ever, the world needs men and women of courage, people who will follow Jesus whatever the cost. Jesus is looking for overcomers. All around the world, despite various kinds of opposition, the lost are being saved, the saved are being discipled, churches are being planted, and leaders are being trained. Are we forsaking all to follow Jesus? Are we embracing our role in God’s purposes? Are we celebrating the right things? In this year-end edition of Witness, please join with us in celebrating God’s perfect timing in the lives of people all over the world. I hope that these stories will inspire you to trust more fully in Jesus and live a life of commitment and courage.
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HENRY S COURAGE
By Mark JH Klassen
The other soldiers mocked him. Henry (not his real name) was only a young Christian when he began serving with the national military, but he was very public about his faith in Jesus and so he often encountered ridicule from other soldiers. They would see him pray and they would ridicule him and make life difficult for him. Like the rest of them, Henry had grown up in a Muslim home, but as an adult he had experienced a crisis of faith and became a follower of Jesus. One military officer, in particular, was offended by Henry’s faith. While they were stationed in a city where it was very cold, -20 degrees Celsius, this officer took it upon himself one day to punish Henry for preaching the Gospel. He woke Henry up that morning at 5 a.m., got him out of bed, and marched him out of the barracks, outside into the cold where he began to mock him. He pushed him down into the snow and began to beat him on his head and his legs, telling him to 4 | witness
renounce his faith in Jesus and return to Islam. Henry refused, and instead prayed for God’s strength. After several hours of torture, this officer pinned Henry’s head to the ground with his knee on his neck. He took out his pistol and pointed it at Henry’s head. He gave him one last chance to change his mind and re-affirm his
He thought his life was over, but the officer didn’t pull the trigger. commitment to Islam. But again Henry refused and re-affirmed his faith in Jesus. He thought his life was over, but the officer didn’t pull the trigger and, for some reason, let him go. Some of the other soldiers helped Henry into the barracks where he rested and recovered. He couldn’t walk or eat for two days. The other soldiers heard him pray to Jesus for strength.
They heard him ask God to forgive the officer. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing. They were amazed by Henry’s attitude. They saw the love of Christ in him. And because of that testimony, a number of those soldiers gave their lives to Jesus. When word of that incident spread throughout the army base, the General in charge called Henry into his office and expressed his sympathy for what had happened and indicated to Henry that not everyone felt the same way toward followers of Jesus as that officer. Henry was encouraged by the General’s support. Years later, after Henry had left the military and was working full-time in church planting and preaching the Gospel, he came back to that city. He had been praying that God would send more workers to that part of his country. But he had come back to the city to speak to a small number of young Muslims who were interested in learning more about Leslie Chavira Ocampo
Jesus. Henry knew that it was risky to take these kinds of opportunities, because someone could easily inform the authorities about what he was doing and he would be in trouble. One evening, after speaking at length with this group, sharing his own testimony and the Gospel with them, he returned to the apartment where he was staying and went to bed. In the middle of the night, around 1 a.m., he was suddenly awakened and immediately felt that he should leave. He sensed that the Holy Spirit was saying that it was no longer safe at the apartment and that he should find somewhere else to stay. So Henry packed up and walked out into the cold, remembering what had happened years earlier in that same city, in that same cold, when the military officer had tortured him for his faith in Jesus. As he walked down the street, he asked God, “Where should I go?” And immediately he heard God speak, “Go back to the military base.” It seemed crazy at first, but despite his fear and reluctance, Henry went directly to the military base and approached the gate. There the guard told him that because he was no longer in the military he couldn’t
let him in, not without someone’s permission. Without hesitation, Henry told the guard to call the General. Though it was the middle of the night, the guard called the General and Henry was granted permission to spend the night at the military base. In the morning, when Henry left through that gate, the same guard told him that during the night two carloads of men had come looking for him, but he had turned them away. Henry’s life was preserved. Henry was protected by the Holy Spirit that night, as he has been many times in his work as an evangelist and church planter in his country. He is one of many national believers who are enduring significant persecution for their faith today. We stand with them in prayer and we believe that those prayers make a difference. Today, in the very city where these events took place, we now have a long-term team of three families that is committed to establishing a living testimony to the Gospel. In some ways, that team is a part of Henry’s legacy of faith and courage. They are building upon the foundation that Henry laid during his earlier visits.
How I Met Henry By Randy Friesen A few years ago, I arrived into a prominent city in a part of Central Asia where the vast majority of the population is Muslim. I was a part of a team that was praying for God’s direction and discernment regarding our involvement in that region. The first person we met in the country was a bus driver who took us from the airport to our hotel. When I asked him if he was a follower of Jesus, I was surprised at his answer. “Yes!” he said and, as he drove, Henry went on to tell us about how Jesus had appeared to him one night when he was planning to kill himself. Despite the noise of the traffic, our jetlag and fatigue, and Henry’s poor English, his brief testimony definitely grabbed my attention! A few days later, our group took Henry and his wife out for dinner and we heard his story in greater detail. We all sensed this was the man of peace that we had asked God for. In the years following this encounter, Henry and his wife have worked closely with our teams in this country, tutoring our workers in the local language, arranging housing and opening doors for ministry. More recently, we have helped Henry begin a television ministry that now reaches hundreds of his people and introduces them to Christ. It has been a fruitful partnership. Was our meeting with Henry a coincidence? I don’t think so. In fact, I believe it was God’s perfect timing.
For additional resources on the persecuted church including stories, videos, and prayer points, go to mbmission.org/pray4globalchurch mbmission.org | 5
God is calling young lives into global mission! Current Jornada participants (ten adults and seven children) come from both Canada and the USA and are being sent out on assignment to various locations in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
JORNADA
Our apprenticeship program gets its name from the Portuguese word for “journey.” It attracts people who are considering long-term service overseas and those who are looking for a two-year immersion experience in cross-cultural ministry. Jornada is a two-and-a-half-year program and consists of a two-month training phase in Abbotsford, B.C., Canada, several months of building a support team, a two-year apprenticeship phase with seasoned longterm missionaries as coaches, and a final debrief back in Abbotsford.
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country.”
~ Hebrews 11:8-9a
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“During the Jornada training phase, I learned so much about how the Holy Spirit wants to speak to us through community.” ~ AK, Jornada participant
“Through Jornada, we’ve been reminded that our steps of faith come from knowing that God is faithful.” ~ K & A, Jornada participants
“During training, we talked a lot about dependency on Jesus and risk-taking obedience. I learned to trust more completely in God. Now I feel such peace and surrender in my heart as I prepare for my assignment in Guadalajara, Mexico.” ~ Roxy Neufeld, Jornada participant from Chilliwack, B.C.
“We wanted to develop a program that put a strong emphasis on mentorship and really allowed people to sink their teeth into cross-cultural ministry. Jornada is somewhere in between the one-year experience and the ten-year to lifelong commitment.” ~ Greg Ouellette, part of the six-member leadership team that is re-shaping Jornada
GO
Is Jornada for you? Is God calling you to this mission apprenticeship? Check it out online at mbmission.org/jornada
My Faith Journey Heidi Schmidt recently returned to Oklahoma (USA) after completing Jornada. To hear about her experience in Peru, please watch the video, “My Faith Journey.” mbmission.org/video/faith-journey
GIVE
Consider supporting the new Jornada participants. To view their personal profiles and giving options, go to mbmission.org/new-missionaries
Comfort for the Comforters By Mark JH Klassen
When Richard and Hazel Funk returned from Austria for a visit to North America early in 2014, their hearts were heavy with a mixture of joys and frustrations. As they gathered with the staff team in Abbotsford, B.C., they shared very openly about some of their personal struggles and some of the disappointments of their ministry in Austria.
It was evident that God had given them strength in the midst of weakness. However, as they shared, it was evident that God had given them strength in the midst of weakness. They were a living testimony to the truth of Paul’s words, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
One worker who was present at the meeting shared emotionally about how the Funks had ministered to him and his family throughout the difficult process of deciding to leave their ministry in Europe. He talked about their tender hearts and how meaningful it was to have the Funks visit them before the family parted ways with their team. The tears flowed at that staff coffee time as the Funks humbly told stories about their role as Member Care Facilitators. They said again and again how refreshing it was for them to visit other workers in Europe and Central Asia, offering comfort and encouragement that they themselves had received from God. “Richard and Hazel live out our model of member care,” said Lori Nickel, Member Care Team Leader. “Facilitators like them are such a gift to our team. They embody wisdom and reliance on the Holy Spirit. When I read Proverbs 11:25, our member care facilitators come to my mind, ‘Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and the one who waters will himself be watered.’”
Richard and Hazel Funk, Member Care Facilitators (Europe and Central Asia)
PRAY
Please pray for the relational and spiritual health of our teams worldwide and for the Member Care facilitators who provide nurture and care. In addition to the Funks, the global team of Member Care Facilitators includes: Joan Godard (Latin America) Carmen Owen (Asia) Lori Nickel (Team Leader)
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Beauty From
Brokenness By a worker in Central Asia
A few weeks ago, while my husband was away, my children and I experienced an extreme wind storm. We live on the outskirts of the city, near open fields, so it is generally quite breezy. But this was different. We were inside our home when we heard the wind begin to howl and saw the sky turn dark. We quickly ran around the house and closed windows, and not a moment too soon!
Suddenly, it looked like we were on the inside of an automatic car wash. The rain was pelting the windows; the wind was tearing around our building and making the ceiling boards shake. After ten minutes, the storm ended and the sun came out. It was only then that I remembered my poor plants and flowers out on our tiny balcony. I went out to check on them, and sure enough, they were a mess, especially my very favorite one – a brilliant coral and yellow begonia with hundreds of blooms. Most of its branches were hanging limp and broken with blossoms scattered everywhere. I cleaned it up as best I could and cut off the broken stems. As I went to discard them, my daughter suggested that we put them in vases of water and set them on the kitchen table. At least we could enjoy the flowers for a few days. As the days went by, I loved being greeted by the colorful blooms every time I entered the kitchen. I explained to the kids that cuttings from flowers can only survive in water for a little while but eventually they die. So we waited. A week went by. Then two. And those little stems were more brilliant and full of blooms than ever. After three weeks, when I went to change the water, we noticed tiny roots growing out of the broken bottoms of the stems. We waited a few more days until the roots were longer and thicker, and then we transplanted them into new pots. Then we had three of these plants brightening up our house.
What seemed like a misfortune turned out to be a blessing. The mess and brokenness caused by the storm eventually resulted in a multiplication of beauty. To be honest, the past fourteen months in this new city have felt a lot like a storm to me. As I’ve tried to make a home for my family in this unfamiliar place and struggled to find my purpose and passion here, it has felt like pieces of my identity have been broken off and left in a mess. What I thought were my virtues and abilities have been left hanging limp and useless. Maybe you’ve been going through your own storms and you’re feeling a similar sense of brokenness. These storms can be painful, but God can also use them to refine us. They can be a chance for the Father to show us, in our weakened state, just who he made us to be, and just how trustworthy and faithful he is. These resilient flowers give me hope, hope that the refining work of these storms will result in a multiplication of beauty in my life. I wish the same in your life as well. It’s a hope that God will give us a deeper understanding of who we are as his children. It’s a hope that, whatever struggles may come our way, we will experience an increase of peace and joy deep within us. It’s the same hope that I have for the people that we live among. And so I trust in God’s perfect timing and wait in hopeful expectation of what is to come.
Friendship in Burkina Faso
By Mark JH Klassen
“If I went to Burkina Faso for one person, it was Ruth.” That’s what TREK participant, Aurelie Hirschler, said as she looked back on her six-month assignment in Africa.
“God is transforming lives,” said Aurelie, “and he does it through relationships.” Ruth was abandoned by her mother shortly after she was born. Later, she was abused and neglected by her stepmother. Eventually, she was sent into the city of Bobo to live with her uncle, but the abuse continued with him. He was a drunkard and he treated Ruth like a slave. One day, miraculously, her uncle took her to church where she was noticed by the pastor and his family. The pastor was shocked at how dirty and thin she was. He asked if Ruth could come and live with them. That was five years ago. When Aurelie arrived in Bobo last year, she moved into the pastor’s home and met Ruth. “From the minute we met, I loved her. At first, my heart went out to her because I just felt sorry for her. But soon, we became like sisters.” Quickly, however, Aurelie became aware of tensions between Ruth and the pastor’s family. There was strain and mistrust. It seemed that Ruth 10 | witness
was treated more like a servant than a family member. The more time and attention that Aurelie gave to Ruth, the more difficult it seemed to become. “I cried a lot during those days,” said Aurelie. “I didn’t want to cause trouble in the family, but I felt strongly that God had called me to invest in Ruth’s life.”
For Aurelie, reading with Ruth was an opportunity to share her relationship with Jesus.
More than that, Ruth’s reading also opened another door. Soon after Aurelie left Africa, Ruth participated in a worship service at the church by reading publicly from the Scriptures. People were amazed, and touched, including the pastor and his family. In an email message to Aurelie, the pastor expressed deep appreciation for the contribution that she made in Burkina, mentioning specifically her investment in Ruth’s life. “God transformed Ruth,” Aurelie said. “But I think he used me to open a door.”
One of the ways that Aurelie served Ruth was to teach her how to read. Although Ruth had begun to attend school, she was still illiterate. “I spent a lot of time with her, teaching her, encouraging her, and helping her with her homework. By the time I left Africa, Ruth could read.” For Aurelie, reading with Ruth was also an opportunity to share more about her relationship with Jesus. The two of them often read from the Bible together and talked about their faith.
To see Aurelie in Burkina Faso and learn more about her TREK experience, please view Chapter 8 of the video series, This is Why We Go. mbmission.org/video/wwg-chapter8
Missing My Friends in Peru By Becky Spahr
I’m enjoying my final year at Tabor College, but I’m amazed at how often I find myself in a daze, staring at the photos on my dorm room wall of my friends in Peru. I wonder what they’re doing, and what I’m missing.
“I’ve never been so sad to leave.” When people ask me how my trip went, it’s hard to sum up a month in a sentence or two. But I often begin by saying, “I’ve never been so sad to leave.” Sure, I’ve always hated goodbyes, but this time was different. This time, my relationships were taken to an entirely new level, and it was evident as our team stood in the airport at the end of July, surrounded by friends with teary eyes. During the four weeks that our ACTION team spent in Peru, there was a small group of youth that we were blessed to work closely with. No matter what we were doing, whether youth ministry, children’s ministry, women’s ministry, or even shopping, this group was there with us, helping us, serving alongside us. It was a privilege to have their support, but more to have their friendship. Most of my favorite memories from Peru include just getting to know these people, the afternoons spent listening to music on the porch, making bracelets together, going out for ice cream, playing cards under shade trees, or being silly while
learning traditional dances. The laughter was abundant. At times in Peru, I was tired and I wondered if I had anything more to give. But I was reminded that we have a river of life flowing inside of us. Even though we may not be able to provide for everyone’s needs or to fix all the brokenness around us, we have the most important thing that people need – we have Jesus Christ living within us. In John 7:38, Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
Two New Short-Term Mission Videos ACTION Basketball
What will we choose to do with our water? Will we restrict its flow, or will we let it gush out of us, offering it to those in need around us? As an ACTION team, we read what Paul wrote to Philemon: “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people” (v.7). We prayed fervently that the Lord would use us to bring joy and encouragement to people in Peru, and that we would leave them feeling refreshed.
mbmission.org/video/ thailand-basketball
SOAR Heartland
As I look at the photos on my wall, into the faces of the friends I left behind in Peru, I wonder how God is answering those prayers. Becky participated in ACTION Midwest, based out of Wichita, Kansas. For information about the various ACTION programs, go to mbmission.org/ACTION
mbmission.org/video/ soar-heartland-2014
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RESCUE Yaa’s Journey
By Karen Sanchez
A year ago, a young lady named Yaa was lying in a hospital bed in Pattaya, Thailand. She had tuberculosis and fullblown AIDS and was not expected to live through the night. Her social worker called us and asked if we could take Yaa’s three young
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children into our orphanage, The Abundant Life Home (ALH). We said yes. Two weeks later, Yaa was discharged from the hospital. It was a miracle. Although she was still very weak, her life had been spared. She came to live with us at ALH, and we slowly nursed her back to health. It was a long road, however, as her body kept rejecting her HIV medication. There were many nights that we thought Yaa would die in our care. While she recovered, Yaa told us her story. She was the oldest of five
children from a poor Muslim family in Bangkok. Her parents had died when she was seventeen, leaving her to care for her four younger siblings. In desperation, Yaa had turned to drugs and prostitution to provide for her sisters and brothers. She told us chilling stories of her former life.
Little by little, God was healing her heart. Slowly, Yaa gained her strength back. We found her a job and a small room
to rent. She was also studying the Bible with us and loved to join us for worship at Sila Church. Her faith in Jesus was growing and she welcomed discipleship. Little by little, God was healing her heart. However, Yaa’s past still had a grip on her life. The enemy began to tempt her back into drugs and prostitution. Even after being promoted to manager at her new job, Yaa would run away to Pattaya and return to prostitution. During the next few months, she ran away again and again. Each time, I would go and search for her and bring her back. We would start over, nursing her back to health, putting her on new HIV medication, and providing more discipleship. In May, she ran away again just weeks before I was scheduled to leave for a trip to North America. I desperately wanted to enroll her into a drug rehabilitation program before I got on the plane. A week before I left, God led me to the Tamar Centre, an amazing ministry of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Pattaya that helps people out of prostitution. One of their three-month Bible school programs was starting in a week. If I could just get Yaa there, they said they would allow her to study for free. By this time, Yaa had moved to Bangkok. So I went to pick her up and bring her to Tamar. I went four different times, but was unsuccessful. Each time, she did not show. It was time for me to leave. I called her from the airport and begged her to get on a bus and go to Tamar. But she wouldn’t do it. As I left Thailand, my heart ached for Yaa.
Still, I was not without hope. I knew that many people were praying for Yaa, asking God to intervene and to give her the desire to get help. Shortly after arriving in Canada, I got the news – Yaa had taken herself to the Tamar Centre and enrolled in the program. Once again, she got off drugs and began her journey back to health. In the program, she studied the Bible in the mornings and in the evenings, and in the afternoons, the Tamar Centre trained her how to be a hairdresser.
and seven other former prostitutes graduate from a Bible school, share their testimonies and give glory to God for transforming their lives. It was a new highlight from our years of service in Thailand.
It was a new highlight from our years of service in Thailand.
It was a huge step forward for Yaa. Jesus has transformed her life, and yet she is on a journey and needs our prayers. Currently, her oldest son, Riff, age seven, is in the process of going to live with her. Please pray for God’s provision of a school for Riff and for God’s continued healing in this young family. Pray specifically for Yaa as she continues to learn about what it means to walk daily with Jesus.
Shortly after returning to Thailand, my husband, Ricky, and I went to a graduation celebration at the Tamar Centre. We sat and cried through the entire ceremony as we watched Yaa
That day, we surprised Yaa by bringing her three children to the graduation. She was overcome with emotion and joy at seeing them. The children hardly recognized their mother because of the change that had taken place in her life.
Are you signed up for the Daily Prayer Guide?
PRAY
Stay in touch with the latest prayer updates from workers like Karen and Ricky Sanchez and the ministry of the Abundant Life Home in Thailand. Visit our homepage for daily updates or sign up online at mbmission.org/daily-prayer-guide to receive electronic or print copies of the Daily Prayer Guide each month.
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Waiting
for God in Africa by Doug Hiebert
Have you ever seen a child waiting quietly? Although it’s rare around our house, when it does happen, it’s a beautiful thing and it makes us as parents proud. Picture a child just sitting contentedly, excited about what’s to come but trusting that it will happen eventually, trusting their parent that what they said will come true. This is what God has been challenging me to do, to wait quietly. Lamentations 3:26 says, “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Two verses earlier, the author declares that, “the LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
“The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” Lamentations 3:24 We do a lot of waiting in Africa. We wait in line for many things. We wait for days to get our visas, which includes hours of waiting at the immigration office. We wait for the bus to leave for Congo, sometimes one hour, sometimes two. We wait for the traffic jam to clear. We wait for the beans to be cooked. However, waiting for God is different. It’s active and intentional. It’s waiting in full confidence that God will do what he said. 14 | witness
Lately, we’ve been taken by the words of Jesus, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Really? Is this true in poverty-stricken, conflict-ridden Africa? Will God really come through and meet physical needs when we make his kingdom a priority? I believe the answer is a resounding yes! We see this happen again and again in the life of Jesus, in the feeding of the five thousand, the feeding of the four thousand, the calling of Peter to be a fisher of men and later in Peter’s reinstatement. We’re praying big prayers for this region of Africa, particularly for Burundi and eastern Congo. We’re praying for men and women who would seek first the kingdom of God. We’re praying for men and women who would be ready to lay down their lives for the Gospel and for the transformation that Jesus brings. We’re praying for a breaking down of crippling mental poverty, of false identities, of settling for something far less than what our Father, the King, has invited us into. We’re praying for
a church, for the Church, the bride of Christ, to step up and embrace her God-given role in Africa. And so we wait quietly for God. We pray and intercede and meet with leaders and visit and build relationships and pray together and
We’re praying big prayers for Africa. challenge each other. Just this past weekend, we met with church leaders where confidence in one another is often waning. I hear about one leader doing one thing, and another saying something else. The real problem is a lack of vision for the kingdom, a vision so much bigger than you or me. We can’t make it happen on our own. It’s a vision based on a promise – that the kingdom of God is among us. As leaders emerge and paradigms shift, we work at development, holistic development that reflects the kingdom, sustainable development that empowers people to help themselves.
We’re committed to this vision, and we’re committed to waiting for it. We’re ready to contend for the kingdom. It is worth it. He is worth it. Sometimes it feels like two steps forward and three steps back, but we’re not letting go or giving up. We’re praying, “Your kingdom come, your will be done in Africa as it is in heaven.”
GIVE
Many church leaders in Africa struggle to cover their expenses from the income they earn. They have employable skills, but they need help to start a business or a farm. Invest in Hope gives these people an opportunity for a sustainable livelihood as they continue to serve the church. To designate a financial gift to our Invest in Hope projects, go to mbmission.org/donate and reference project C0682.
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LIFE
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He’s calling you to follow him. Are you ready to take the next step?
Take ACTION. Join us for a six-week discipleship-in-mission adventure. Call us today. 1.888.866.6267 mbmission.org/ACTION