Witness Winter 2022 Contents
“Who Will Replace Us?”
Editorial: “Who Will Replace Us?”................... 2 Open Doors in the Middle East.......................4
Editorial by Vic Wiens
An Invitation from Latin America...................5 Hakan’s Invitation....................................................6 Three Dreams............................................................8 Fifteen Extra Years...............................................10 A Different Journey.............................................. 12 The Last Surrender..............................................14
Staff Managing Editor..................Mark J.H. Klassen Layout & Design..........................Darcy Scholes Illustration & Design..................... Colton Floris Prayer Mobilization..........................Nikki White Story Research..................................Eric Geddes Circulation.......................................... Robin Lesser Media Director................................ Daniel Lichty
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formerly MB Mission
In 1895, Peter and Martha Wedel of Kansas sensed God’s call to missionary service in the Cameroons. After preparation and discernment, they were sent by MB churches through a German Baptist mission agency. Due to failing health, Martha left the field early, but Peter stayed. Within two years, he too fell ill and left Africa—he passed away on his way home and was buried at sea. Undaunted, another couple, Heinrich and Maria Enns from Mountain Lake, Minnesota, arrived in the Cameroons in 1896, already aware of the grave dangers. While they were departing from the railway station in Mountain Lake, the solemn crowd sang a hymn of blessing and prayed for these new workers. Heinrich’s final words to his sending church rang out, “If we do not come back, if we must die, who will replace us?” Heinrich and Maria did not return to the USA. Both were buried in Africa. However, others did step up to replace them in that generation. Heinrich’s question continues to ring out in our generation, “Who will replace us?” Today, within our global MB family, we celebrate new missionaries that are being sent out, not only from North America, but from our partner conferences in Brazil, Colombia, Congo, Japan, and across Europe. God is still calling our churches to send out new workers and to make disciples of all nations. On a recent trip to Turkey, I visited the Cappadocian caves where I saw the remains of churches and monasteries that were built into the limestone rocks centuries ago. It was fascinating to see the legacy of faithful missionaries who spread the Gospel throughout Turkey in the first century, and to reflect on our shared missionary heritage. The Book of Acts tells us about the first Christian messengers who began in Jerusalem and moved westward. We read about the church in Antioch
